We’re currently experiencing one of the mild weeks that make winters in Stockholm so annoying. Instead of staying below zero and keeping everything nice and cool and snowy, we get a week of barely plus zero temperatures which is still cold but warm enough to make snow melt and turn everything into an icy, dirty, slush bucket which will then freeze next week making it almost impossible to do anything and enjoy it. Ho hum.

In other news we’re trying to figure out what evidence is necessary to prove to a government authority that someone has genuinely converted to Christianity. In the face of institutional cynicism and the belief that most converts are chancers, it’s surprisingly difficult. Yet a man’s life may hang in the balance if we fail.

You Should Read These

A right mix this week

1. Authenteo and Mastery
2. Where’s Jesus? – a great question to ask in Bible studies
3. Narnia and the seven deadly sins. This is an intriguing idea and one that some merit I think.
4. 10 Tips to Read More This Coming Year
5. Done, not done, undone – a classic example of the administrative bloat we suffer from these days
6. ‘Hidden’ Volcanoes Pose The Greatest Threat to The World, Scientists Warn & Geothermal’s time has finally come. Gotta love the juxtapositions the internet gives you sometimes!
7. Excerpt from a letter to a friend. AI is changing education in unexpected ways.

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You Should Look At This

SEA & OCEANS!

Incredible Finalists of the 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year Contest

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You Should Listen To This

This one just grabbed me.

One last reminder here’s the Curiosity Index playlist from all the songs of 2025.

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You Should Watch This

More of a listen than a watch, but very funny!

And the Youtube playlist for 2025

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This Week’s Postings

I have the answer to last week’s “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up…”

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From The Archives

Radical communities face a tricky dilemma. Given the choice people default to what is easiest and most comfortable. If that happens a sense of division can creep in as the truly committed carry the freeloaders. One response is to enforce control, to create rules. Legalism to beat licence. Yet as the early church found out both licence and legalism can destroy faith and community but the way to defeat them both is through grace.

Floki & the death of community

Thanks for reading and do please share anything interesting in the comments.