August 13, 2023

The Board Game Faith Newsletter, Issue 21

Hello, Board Game Faithful!

In our corner of the world students are preparing to return to school.  It can be a time of many different emotions–excitement or dread (or both!) for the students as they anticipate new beginnings, pride or melancholy (or both!) for the families as they see their loved ones progressing through their education, and more.  Whatever transitions you and your dear ones may be going through right now, we pray that the overall theme of it is good, and that a sense of peace permeates it all.

Behind the Episodes

Kevin: I think it’s funny that we finally did a top 10 list, but tried to justify it with Bible verses. We are so clever! Let’s face it, lists are fun. I remember the old Leonard Maltin top movie books from the 1980s. Humans used to buy books of lists, such as top movies to see! We are a strange species. The Dice Tower built its loyal audience with lists of board games, as did Board Game Geek. We finally decided we had to get in on the fun.

Daniel: I also think it was really cool how Kevin noticed the recurring themes in our own individual lists, and what those recurring themes might point to. What do your favorite games say about you?

 

Coming Up

Daniel: Some of you know already that I recently taught 3 sessions on the theology of play at a spiritual retreat at Glen Eire in Colorado Springs, Colorado (picture above).  In our next episode, Kevin is gracious enough to talk with me about the experience, and we reflect together on the joys and challenges of teaching about the theology of play.  If that sounds like a subject interests you, please stay tuned for the episode coming out soon!

Games We're All About Right Now

Kevin: I finally beat the infamous Space Card AI on Wayfarers of the South Tigris – take that stubborn card matching! It’s such a tight, cohesive game. I’m hoping to get a game of Frostpunk in this weekend before our oldest kid leaves for boarding school.

Daniel:  I finished my first solo game of Merv last week (pictured above), and very much enjoyed it.  The action selection mechanism feels clever and unique to me, though I did find it a little tricky to play without consulting the rules frequently (though perhaps that has to do more with the player than with the game).  The historical background of Merv, which once was the biggest city in the world, was new and fascinating.  I recommend!

Spirituality

Kevin: In our adult Sunday School class at church, we are reading through the gospel of Mark. One of the things that strikes me is how antagonistic Jesus is. He throws out barbs that he knows will cause controversy. It’s rather exciting, to be honest, and much more visceral and real than the images and artwork of a namby-pamby Christ. There is a sense of danger here in the first 4 chapters of Mark. Perhaps because the early Christians were facing persecution?

Media We're Digging Right Now

Kevin: Infinite Jest is a mad, mad work. It’s an alternate world with a top flight Tennis Academy, a unified North American superstate, a US President named Johnny Gentle, and Quebecois radicals known as the The Wheelchair Assassins. Also, it has hundreds of endnotes, and some of the endnotes themselves have footnotes.

Daniel: It’s been out a while, but Kristen and I are finally watching the first season of Good Omens.  It’s a quirky and interesting take on popular interpretations of the ideas of angels, demons, and the end of the world.  We’re intrigued to see how they wrap it all up!

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!