The titular characters in Frederick Buechner’s historical novels Godric (1980) and Brendan (1987) are wayward priests and unsaintly saints, “just as clay-footed and full of shadows as the rest of us,” and yet, nonetheless, remarkable ministers of divine grace. In his portrayal of such saints, Buechner probes one of the central questions raised by the fourth-century Donatist Controversy—namely, whether the sinfulness of the minister compromises the divine grace which is mediated through his ministry. As we shall see, Buechner’s vision is profoundly Augustinian—and yet, his is an Augustinianism inflected through the Protestant Reformation and into Modernity. Even so, Buechner upholds the wisdom and hope of the ancient Church for the contemporary Church, as the Church reels from and reckons with the exposure of moral failures and ecclesial scandals. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Just thinking about hearing a diagnosis that we have a terminal illness sends a shiver up the spine and dampens the joy in the heart. Our life so significant, only to be snuffed out in a moment. It is a subject we'd like to avoid but it is inevitable as we experience the death of others around us and one day our own. How are we to reflect on death? In this talk we will look at how some want to suggest death is natural, necessary, and good. However, this is not the biblical view, where humans view death in all its horror as a curse, yet are not overwhelmed by that fear since Jesus himself broke the power of death by his own death and resurrection. This lead the early church to express a hope that transformed how they lived now. (NOTE: The first 3 minutes are lower volume.) The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

In this passage we see a scorned woman who is desperate to approach Jesus, despite his being the invited guest of a wealthy and righteous man. To everyone's shock, Jesus welcomes and praises her. This event taught the early church and teaches us that those who are unashamed of Jesus, will be received since he is unashamed of them. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

The table is set: In his 1633 Still life with an overturned silver tazza, glassware, pies, and a peeled lemon on a table, Willem Claeszoon Heda spreads before us a theologically rich feast. This painting is an exemplar of the popular subgenre of breakfast piece (ontbijt), depicting not necessarily a morning meal but any solitary meal which breaks a fast, perhaps at an inn after a long journey. Heda’s 1633 Still life likely would have hung in the interior of a Dutch home, perhaps in a kitchen or dining area, where it would have invited meditation in the midst of everyday life. After offering a thick description of this painting and surveying the history of the interpretation of such paintings, I will sketch a visual theology of Heda’s 1633 Still life which takes into account the pervasive Calvinist imaginary of the time. I will argue that Heda’s 1633 Still life is a nuanced vanitas painting which hints at resurrection hope, affirming not only that all is gift, even as all is passing away, but also that these temporal gifts are harbingers of a delightfully solid and substantial New Creation in the age to come. For the lecture, please check out this specific painting Willem Claeszoon Heda, 1633. This is the one Christina is referencing. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Christians have been pressed once again to reconsider what is a biblical way of being politically and culturally engaged. In light of the US Election and in light of increased calls here in Canada to return our countries to our Christian heritage, many - even Christians - are worried of a rise of Christian Nationalism or at least a Christian politicization. One response has been to call Christians to remember the heritage of "two distinct kingdoms," the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God. This is called R2K (Reformed Two Kingdom) theology. We will examine if this is an adequate response to society becoming increasingly antagonistic to religion, especially Christianity. We will also examine the theological heritage of L'Abri, Neo-Calvinism. (This talk was given late November 2024.) The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Problems in the environment have gotten far worse since 1970. For some, this has caused many to feel urgency, for others, indifference. How is one to respond? We will look at four contemporary responses: "traditional Christianity," secular materialism, pantheism & nature religions, and biblical Christianity. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

People grow frustrated when they see Jesus being misused, for example, by political factions. However, it is easy to project a false image of Christ to match what we want Jesus to be and to be for. This talk will look at various images of Christ, contemporarily and historically, before turning to the image presented in the New Testament. We will consider what it means to measure our own images to that original one and what it means to follow Jesus not just as an image but as the risen Lord. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Is being swallowed by a sea monster a form of rescue or danger? The book of the prophet Jonah is a perfect example of uncomfortable and often unwanted revelation breaking through an otherwise still life.  God, in his relationship to the world and to his creation often disrupts the safety and calm of our known world and bring us deeper into a revelation of who we are and should be. But a break through, in Jonah’s case, requires that he be broken into. Under the calm surface of a silent sea, the book of Jonah shows us that disruption can bring us into the terrifying but wondrous depths of God.  The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Flannery O'Connor was a devout Catholic writer from the Deep South (in the US) in the 1950s and wrote hilarious and horrifying short stories. T.S. Eliot, the famous poet, said that Flannery's stories made him blanch and refused to read them. Flannery felt that each story were parables to the modern world, and that she had to shout in order for the modern ear to hear. She questioned the narrative that the modern world was continually progressing. The supernatural invades her characters' stories to show that history is not the human march of progress, but a God-directed story. But the question often remains for her characters and for us, When God shocks you by showing up, will you recognize it as grace or not? This talk will look at her brief life - she died at 39 years old - and at understanding her fiction. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

The core of the Christian gospel is not that God promises to remove and replace his beloved creation with something better, but that He promises to save and restore the creation He has made. This applies to us as human beings personally as well. In a broken world, the basic elements of our personalities and character can develop along paths where we do not love our neighbours as ourselves. Being 'set free' does not mean dying to myself and being raised as someone else, but rather asking God's help for radically rediscovering and redeeming my personality. In this lecture we will explore this truth through several texts and examples from the Bible itself.  (Robb Ludwick is the co-director of Dutch L'Abri) The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Marta Crilly holds a MA in History, and a Masters in Archives Management from Simmons University. She worked as an Archivist for the city of Boston and is now Head Librarian, User Engagement & Burns Library Public Services at Boston College. This is what she has to say about the talk.Memory is a key aspect of both individual and community identity. Join us to consider how communities form and maintain memory, how community memory can be erased or falsified, and why remembering together is especially significant for Christian communities. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

While these five themes are not the only important aspects to the work of L'Abri, it does give a coherent picture of what L'Abri believes, in what it proclaims and in what it desires to demonstrate. It will look at the truthfulness of Christianity, the reality of the supernatural, the humanness of spirituality, the reality of the fall, and the lordship of Christ over all of life. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

She formerly worked in real estate development and affordable housing but has taken that experience to launch Proximity Project, which she is the founder and director. She has years of experience of helping churches steward their properties with the aim of the common good within the context of their neighborhoods. (You can also read two contributions she has made to Comment magazine, based out of Ottawa.) In our broken world, how can we design and build places that demonstrate God's redeeming work on earth? We will explore how God invites us, as co-creators, to participate in redemptive placemaking - the art of creating places that extol the dignity of being human and foster relationships for community flourishing. You will discover ways how contributing goodness and beauty to our neighborhoods through placemaking is an act of stewardship and obedience to the biblical command to seek the welfare of the city as we await the full restoration of creation. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Marriage rates continue to decline, especially among younger generations, where marriage is often given little importance. Is this a sign of liberation, or does it signal the loss of something foundational? What value might marriage still offer to men, women, children, and society today? We will examine some reasons for the decline in marriage, its effects, and how a Christian view of marriage can help to restore balance. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Christianity, particularly in the past few decades, has been under attack. However, it seems that this past decade, and even in the past couple of years, there have been numerous public intellectuals coming out as Christian, e.g. Tom Holland, Paul Kingsnorth, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and so on. Even people like Jordan Peterson , Douglas Murray, Louise Perry, not Christians themselves, arguing for the need for Christian ethics in society. Why is this happening? What are Christians to make of this trend? This talk will look at the historical trajectory since 9/11 that has led to this renewed interest of Christianity as personally and socially necessary, and lead us to consider ways Christians can engage this renewed interest. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

The poem “The Lowest Room” by Christina Rossetti explores what it means to be in the lower place, the spot where you look up and see all the things that you want to be and should be and instead find yourself, discontentedly, on the lower rung. This Friday, we are taking a look at a life of comparison, the standards we set for ourselves and others, and what Christianity reveals about being in the lowest room. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

This talk looks at the wildly popular books - The Handmaid's Tale (1985) and The Testaments (2019) - by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The popularity of these dystopian novels has arisen alongside concerns and fears of what is seen as political and religious fundamentalist influences in the States and its potential impact on women's hard-won rights. Then we will see how the Bible and the gospel intersect with the questions the books raise, and ask if the gospel can be good news for everyone. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

What does it mean to live together well? To be thriving communities of unique people where trust runs deep, differences does not threaten, and power is not abused? What would make people safe to be vulnerable enough to have deep and meaningful relationships? Marsh Moyle's book Rumours of a Better Country addresses our hunger for justice and a better way of living by awakening our moral imagination to the potential of trust. Drawing on ancient wisdom and looking through the lens of daily reality, it shows trust and trustworthiness are the foundation for any meaningful freedom. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

We welcomed Dr. Beth Stovell, professor of Old Testament at Ambrose University, as a part of a local conference on hope and suffering in Victoria. This is the first talk of three. It does stand on its own. About the lecture, Dr Beth Stovell says, The book of Job tells the story of a righteous man who loses everything and his journey towards hope. It helps us grapple with many questions that arise when we experience suffering: How do we respond when everything in our lives is turned upside down? How do we make sense of grief, pain, and suffering? Is hope possible when everything seems lost? The book of Job offers us an up-close picture of righteous suffering, the pain of accusatory friends, and the hope of God’s presence in the depths of great loss. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

We welcomed guest speaker Christina Eickenroht to give an excellent and accessible lecture on this intriguing topic. Recommended! What have the cluttered landscapes of Pieter Bruegel the Elder to do with the complex plots of Fyodor Dostoevsky? In each, we find subtle allusions to the holy, hidden and tucked away in the least likely of places. Bruegel and Dostoevsky "bury the lede," so to speak, and thereby implicate us in overlooking or dismissing the presence of the holy—until we stumble over it in double-take recognition, and that hidden detail proves axiomatic. In this lecture, we will consider examples of this phenomenon in Bruegel's paintings and Dostoevsky's novel. Then, we will consider why Bruegel and Dostoevsky employ these compositional strategies. Why is the hiding of the holy so urgent? (Sorry we cannot include the slides. Bruegel's paintings - left unnamed during the talk - mentioned in the talk are as follows, in order: The Fall of Icarus; The Procession to Calvary; The Census at Bethlehem; The Adoration of the Kings) The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020