The Board Game Faith Newsletter, Issue 14
Hello, Board Game Faithful!
Daniel: In our neck of the woods, several friends and Kristen and I are gearing up for our local board game convention. It’s a joyful weekend of playing all sorts of games with folks close to our hearts. I’ll try to report on our experience in an upcoming newsletter or podcast. In the meantime, if you’ve never experienced a board game convention, you might want to check one out! It can be a celebration of the sheer delight and the grace of play.
Kevin: I have never been to a game convention! I must fix this sometime. It sounds like so much fun.
Behind the Episodes
Daniel: The “State of the Podcast” episode was a blast. I especially enjoyed it because–without much of an agenda–Kevin and I got to descend into a little more silliness than normal. We also got to discuss some pretty cool highlights from the podcast’s first year, as well as to dream about where all this might be going. If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check it out!
Kevin: I too enjoyed that episode. That was a last minute shift and it worked really well as a topic.
Coming Up
Daniel: Several very cool guests will be making appearances on upcoming Board Game Faith episodes! Mandi Hutchinson, from Salt-and-Sass Games podcast, will be joining Kevin and me to discuss “Games that Teach, Part 2!” Rev. Alice Connor, author and writer of “Playing at Religion” for the Daily Worker Placement website, will also be a guest over the summer to explore “Games about Religion.” And finally, Rev. Derek White (a.k.a. “The Geek Preacher”) will be sitting down with Kevin and me to discuss his documentary on the Dungeons & Dragons “Satanic Panic” of the 1980’s. How exciting!!
Homework: check out the Satanic Panic documentary (hopefully that link works outside of the USA).
Games We're All About Right Now
Kevin: I’m stuck on Hadrian’s Wall again – 6 points from winning that dang solo campaign! Arrrrgh.
Daniel: I have not been playing as many games as I would like recently, due in no small part to the fact that almost all of my games are in moving boxes, and what free time Kristen and I have we are spending on putting more stuff in more boxes. However!! Before we leave town I recently redeemed all my credits at the local game store to purchase Village Big Box! It’s a game that has been on my wishlist for a long time, and I am eager to dig into it once things settle down. Stay tuned!
Spirituality
Kevin: Should we put God to the test and demand a sign? A few folks in the Old Testament do successfully: Gideon (Judges 6:36-40), Hezekiah and the shadow (2 Kings 20:11), and the miracles of the prophets, but in general the Bible condemns our wanting a sign (Exodus 17:2, Deuteronomy 6:16, Jesus in his temptations). Jesus felt frustration at people needing signs and proofs: “Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation’” (Mark 8:12). Rather than needing proof, we should look for the good things and the “helpers” (as Mr. Rogers said) already present in our lives. This is the best sign we can have of God’s goodness.
Daniel: Can play be a religious experience? In our last episode, I shared a question that has been rattling around my head the last couple weeks: is play the one religion to which everyone belongs? If it’s true that play is another name for grace (the experience of being accepted unconditionally), and if it’s true that the point of religion (etymologically at least) is to “bind together” (re-ligament) what has been separated, perhaps play might be just another name for what we call the religious experience. Or, at least very least, they have a lot in common.
Media We're Digging Right Now
Kevin: I just watched The Book of Boba Fett and – and it’s okay. Frankly I’m getting a little burned out on Disney and Marvel, except for The Mandalorian because it hits the sweet spot of sci-if fun. I am excited about The Flash film due to multiple Batmans and hopefully something different from Marvel phase 5+.
Daniel: Michael Franti (who often releases tracks with his band “Spearhead”) has been a favorite musician of mine for many years now. His songs are always unapologetically positive, hopeful, and filled with compassion. Plus, the lyrics are laid over a pop/rock/reggae/folk beat that is often irresistible. If you think that sounds like your kind of music, check him out!
Thank You!
Thanks so much for being a part of the BGF community. We are grateful for each of you and the ways you make the world more awesome. And if you haven’t had a chance to tell us a little about yourself yet, we would love it if you could fill out this form please!