Miscellany: Genesis, Jazz, Poetry, and Fantasy
Plus, Andy goes on a date and Phillip decides to like Wetherspoons.
Welcome to Three Things.
We’re a monthly digest of three things to help you engage with God, neighbor, and culture. But this is our monthly Miscellany where we (Andy and Phillip) tell you what we’ve been reading, thinking about and working on.
After years of prejudice, Phillip has finally come round to his local Wetherspoons. Perhaps it was this Chris Arnade article that did it. More likely, it’s the opportunity of dining out with the family for under £25 in a warm and welcoming environment. With baby on the way, Wednesday’s final lunch as a family of four was a hit. “‘Spoons is a nice place,” said the four-year old. Indeed. Just don’t sit by the slot machines.
Reading: A new children’s Bible just bumped its way to the top of the Johnston family list: N.T. Wright’s God's Big Picture Bible Storybook (known in the UK as My Big Story Bible). Here’s what each of the 140 stories look like:
See that short-but-not-too-short retelling pitched at just the right level? The colorful, imaginative, full-page picture by Helena Perez Garcia (of Sophie and the Heidelberg Cat fame)? The “link” at the bottom to Isaiah’s “Promise of a New World” (most stories have a few links)? All in all, it’s a Bible Phillip’s girls want to read, which is a new thing.
Speaking of creation, Phillip was swimming in Revelation commentaries last year for a Bible study (recently summarised in a talk called The Apocalypse in an Hour), but now he’s thinking of spending the rest of the year in Genesis 1-4. Because familiarity can lead to blindness, he’s picked up Peter Leithart’s new Creator: A Theological Interpretation of Genesis 1 — and my goodness, it’s a shot in the arm. It’s easy to speak on a surface level about how philosophical concepts alien to Scripture got smuggled into the Christian understanding of God, but Leithart goes straight to the sources to show how. This tees up an astonishing trinitarian exposition of Genesis 1 where we meet the Speaking God, the Spoken God and the Spirit, graciously extending the love he is in creation. Daunting, but thrilling.
Listening: This Ash Wednesday recording from The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge makes for some beautiful Lenten listening, especially the William Byrd motet near the end taken from Isaiah 64: 9-10: "Ne irascaris, Domine" ("Be not angry, O Lord"). Phillip has also been trying to understand an album called Passion for Bach and Coltrane by the Imani Winds that won a Grammy for Best Classical Compendium a few weeks ago. Phillip doesn’t quite get it (yet), but he could listen to their take on the Aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations ad infinitum. Plug in, close your eyes, and take 3.5 minutes.
During Andy’s day job at the Rabbit Room recently, he was asked by several well-intentioned, childless Gen-Z colleagues what fun things he had planned for Valentine’s Day. He exchanged a knowing, world-weary look with the other person over 40 at the table (herself a mother of five children) and said the first thing that came to his mind: “Surviving.” Still, he thought to himself: “They’re right. Why should I let the soul-deep exhaustion of raising three young children stand in the way of a fun night out?”
So, babysitting was secured. A popular wine bar was selected. The fateful night came and Andy and his bride of fifteen years had just put in their order for wine and charcuterie when he received a text saying: “Ivy is throwing up everywhere. Please come home.” Sigh. At that moment, Andy was reminded of the wise saying of a friend that has stayed with him for years: “No one flourishes with small children.'“
The tab was paid. The parents rushed home. On the way, Andy had time to reflect on his initial answer to his colleague’s question with a sense of ennobling but afflicted sagacity, which - along with the wine in the take-home cup - was his only consolation of the night. (That and the cuteness of the children, which is generally an effervescent and self-renewing source of joy, vomit notwithstanding.)
The next morning, Ivy didn’t remember throwing up, being cleaned, or being transferred to Mom and Dad’s bed and swore the whole episode never happened. God bless her.
Reading: Ben Palpant has done lovely interviews with contemporary poets for the Rabbit Room poetry Substack (coming out in March). One was with Andy’s new favorite poet, Mischa Willett. Andy has been thoroughly enjoying Willet’s two books this month: The Elegy Beta and Phases.
Also, Jake’s Magical Market book one or the even trippier book two. (Warning: this is an alpha-nerd-only recommendation. If you are not the sort of person who knows what a tardis is, what it means to roll for initiative, what cultivation is, or who has strong opinions about why everyone is suddenly crazy about Brandon Sanderson—you may find the experience of reading Jake’s Magical Market somewhat bewildering.)
Listening: Each night before bed, the Patton family gathers in the kids’ room to listen to an episode of We Wonder. We Wonder is a meditative, liturgical scripture podcast. The bedtime routine can be crazy. We Wonder is very sane and centering and is a great way for scattered parents to get some Bible into the day.
Video Saturday: Andy is field testing a new mini-series for his part of the Miscellany taken from the annals of the Patton Family Rhythms. We Pattons aren’t exactly screen-free, but we’re low-screen. Screen time is consolidated into one 45-minute session each weekend known as “Video Saturday.” The catch is that the videos have to be selected based on the kid’s questions during the week. If the children ask questions like “How is candy made?” or “Where do doors come from?”, we write the questions down on the blackboard in the kitchen and find the answers on Video Saturday. It has been a surprisingly good family rhythm, and allows us to (1) say to other non-Saturday screen time requests and (2) have a hand in channeling our children’s interests.
This week’s Video Saturday picks are:
New from The Darkling Psalter (Andy’s poetry and Psalm project): Psalm 23, Psalm 139, Psalm 62, Psalm 117, Psalm 119 (1), and Psalm 148.
New from Pattern Bible: (Andy’s Bible + theology Substack): The Living Water Isn't Water: Jesus and the Woman at the Well (Part Two) and Caught Between the Red Sea and the Sea Monster.