it's quite simple

Here is my secret. It's quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes. — The Fox, The Little Prince

solo

I have really enjoyed THE MESSAGE//REMIX: SOLO An Uncommon Devotional. I'm not usually a fan of daily devotionals, and I definitely don't have the discipline to sit with a 365 day devotional over time. However, this has a different aspect I love as a person struggling to pray and as a pastor wanting to lead others deeper into prayer.

The whole thing is based on a short reading from The Message paraphrase and then leads you through a form of Lectio Divina. It uses the basic structure of READ the Scripture, THINK and meditate on the main idea, PRAY through what God is saying to you, and the LIVE in a different way. Each devotional has specific questions, instructions, or leadings to help you engage the passage. For those wanting to learn how to read the Bible, those wanting to pray through the Bible, those wanting to learn how to hear God's voice, and those wanting a more holistic experience of their relationship with God this is a great buy!

Did I mention if you are a pastor, teacher, small group leader, etc. that its a great way to lead others into those things as well? We have been using the devotionals on "Prayer Cards" each week at Crossroads to help develop our church into a "house of prayer." I have been able to look up the subject of the teaching each week, or the passage that was taught on, and find a devotional that will help our congregation during the week. Even when I wasn't able to find something that fit right, it was a great guide to writing our own!

Bottom line: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! The applications are endless. Students, pastors, adults, teachers, small group leaders... I was even thinking for parents wanting to start their own family devotionals this would be a great tool or model since it often has activities to do as you READ, THINK, PRAY, & LIVE. Check it out.

how culture plays with our minds

Wow. I have been really wracking my brain for a few months on a few different issues of how our culture affects our view of life, what is good, and ultimately what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. JP Moreland hit one out of the park for me in this two part series (which you can download here: part 1 - part 2) on what it means to really "know" something. For those of you headed to college, those who want to be thoughtful followers of Jesus, and those who want to engage culture in a constructive way, this is a very helpful subject.

I have been wanting to read Morleland's recent book, Kingdom Triangle, but just haven't been able to really set aside time to do so. He refers to it, and I have heard some great reviews, and love the free content on his blog. Worth checking out for sure.

christian audio

For those of you who are readers, or want to read, ChristianAudio is a great resource. They have many books and teachings for download. Many for free, including a monthly audiobook for free. Check it out.

daemons anyone?

Lots of drama around the release of The Golden Compass. I read the book, it was pretty good. It definitely seemed like more of a pre-teen story. There are significant "anti-Christian" and "anti-authority" themes in the book that directly go against a biblical worldview. While for some older kids (13+) this will be a great movie to interact with them about, any younger kids probably won't benefit from the complicated message below a beautifully creative story (good thing its is rated PG-13). Definitely disturbing that everybody has daemons (pronounced demons) that follow them along and act sort of like a conscience (that nobody else hears or can touch).

the living church

I am getting back into reading books again. I just received a shipment of new books and John Stott's The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor is a breath of fresh air.

Stott, I think, lays out a basis for common ground moving forward as a Church in an ever-changing post-Christian culture. The respect for the institutional Church, and the heart for the authentic Church would be hard for anyone to argue with.

While Stott dives into reflections on the elements in any church (Worship, Evangelism, Ministry, Fellowship, Preaching, Giving, and Impact) that will certainly be challenging to many, I loved his picture of "God's Vision for His Church." He argues that the characteristics that are essential for a living church are:

A Learning Church: a church submissive to the teachings of the apostles (Scripture)...relating to the apostles.

A Caring Church: a church characterized by generosity...relating to each other.

A Worshiping Church: a church that rejoices and reveres God both in private and corporately...relating to God.

An Evangelizing Church: a church with compassionate outreach (led by Jesus, spreading salvation, and part of every day life)...relating to the world.

Stott also invested time affirming the strengths of the "emerging" church, as he sees them:

1. Identifying the life (or way) of Jesus as their example and teaching.

2. Transforming secular space by rejecting the sacred-secular divide promoted by modernism.

3. Living as community as kingdom or family community.

I commend this book to those of you who are passionate about Christ's Bride, the Church.

blankets

I came across a beautifully haunting illustrated novel called Blankets (NOTE: this book contains R-rated content, please be prayerful about the impact nudity, language, and pictures of abuse might have).

I have stumbled across this book a couple times while roaming Barnes & Noble. I have been taken by Craig Thompson's storytelling and pictures every time I quickly read parts of it. Of course, the compelling aspect of the book for me is Thompson's autobiographical account of his Christian upbringing, the effects of "youth group," the lure and wonder of young love, and the dichotomy of cultural Christianity and true faith.

This is what Publishers Weekly wrote about Blankets, "Thompson manages to explore adolescent social yearnings, the power of young love and the complexities of sexual attraction with a rare combination of sincerity, pictorial lyricism and taste. His exceptional b&w drawings balance representational precision with a bold and wonderfully expressive line for pages of ingenious, inventively composed and poignant imagery."

For those who have carefully considered the content of this book, it is a heart churning, soul aching, love sick tale which draws up my longing for God, Heaven, and a life that is eternal in quality and never-ending in quantity.

middle earth rediscovered

After a hiatus from Tolkien, I was plunged back in by the recent release of The Children of Húrin. While I had never really dived into any works other than The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, this was a pleasant surprise.

This story is edited by Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R.'s literary executor, from the long poems and notes written by his father. The story is from the First Age (if you are a LOTR geek, you know that Bilbo and the rest are at the end of the Third Age). This is one of three main stories which Tolkien felt shaped the mythology behind The Lord of the Rings. It is a tragic tale, but is well written, and reflects the attention to detail Tolkien gave to the "back stories" of his epics. A worthy read for those that enjoyed The Hobbit and made it through The Lord of the Rings.

Reading this new release has opened the door to the rest of Tolkien's fantasy. Some great stories written for his children (Roverandom and Letters from Father Christmas) which make you envy being in his family. They are beautifully written and made me feel like a kid again.

I hope that some of you may find some joy in revisiting some of Tolkien's lesser known work (you probably will want to stay away from The History of Middle-Earth, unless you are a geek like me).

If not, you should at least enjoy this music video by The Flight of the Conchords:

norman maclean

The problem of self-identity is not just a problem for the young. It is a problem all the time. Perhaps the problem. It should haunt old age, and when it no longer does, it should tell you that you are dead. — Norman Maclean

Found this quote on Kit Reichow's blog. I have been thinking a lot about Norman Maclean lately. I picked up the soundtrack to the movie based off of Maclean's A River Runs Through It. All three are wonderful pieces of art in their own right.

You should certainly take the time to read Maclean's book. It is one of the most beautiful stories of brotherhood, family, fishing, and searching that you will ever read. I appreciate that is an unassuming story that seems written only for a few to read and leaves behind the grand commentaries of books you read in high school and the pomp and convention of a best-seller. The writing is honest, naked, and beautifully descriptive.

Then watch Robert Redford's screen adaptation and you will find there was little work for the screenwriters and cinematographers since Maclean's writing was so straightforward and wonderful.

All three works provoke a reflection in my soul that is, in Maclean's words, haunting. There is a longing for life, love, and peace that is stirred. It is a good feeling that I enjoy revisiting and letting cause me a little unease about the direction or course of my day an life.

I am grateful for such works that do not let me get caught up in the dreariness of the calendar and that call me to stop, feel, think, and pray.

boy jesus movie

For those of you that missed Anne Rice's book Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, you can see the movie in 2009. Now I can't exactly recommend the movie, since there is no talent connected and the rights are owned by Good News Holdings, backed by Christian church researcher and author George Barna. Who knows whether this will actually be a quality film, or just another cheesy Christian film. We'll see.

I did actually read the book a couple years back. It is a very interesting read from inside the head of seven year old Jesus. The historical setting, daily life, and political climate are extremely accurate to the time of Jesus. This alone illuminates some of Jesus' teaching in the gospels. Rice forms here fictional story of Jesus on the rejected gnostic gospels, and she clings to Catholic traditions like the continued virginity of Mary. If you are looking for a fictional read that will spark some good conversation about Jesus and give you insight into 1st century Israel, pick it up.

banker to the poor

Okay, okay. So I read a lot of books, and I say that a lot of books are really good. I am going to have to temper future statements about most books so that when I come to one like this people will realize that whether they are a book person or not they need to pick it up.

Banker to the Poor is a must read. Muhammad Yunus was the first Nobel Peace Prize winning economist and it all stems from his concept of micro-lending which has lifted nearly 2 million Bengali people out of poverty. His concept has spread to over 100 countries and is really changing the world.

Most of you have already checked out, but if you haven't you are in for a surprise. Yunus is a great author! In the midst of his economic perspective he weaves a beautiful story of life and hope. I was whisked off into the third world by the powerful images invoked by Yunus' words. If you have never been to a third world country, Yunus captures not only the visuals and smell, but the heart tweaking reality of poverty.

Yunus admits that his economic idea was simply a way to cope with his personal guilt for those that were literally dying on his doorstep. He never intended for the idea to spread beyond his personal work with the poor and the hearts of his students. Instead it caught on like wild fire and became an integral part of the national bank in Bangladesh.

Take some time to visit a Borders or Barnes & Noble and read the Introduction (you can also read an excerpt of the first chapter online). Let Yunus' words grab you, transport you, and inspire you to be a part of ending poverty.

the pope is human

I have to admit I have been very interested in the "new" pope, Benedict XVI. He is releasing a new book entitled Jesus of Nazareth which is an expression of his "personal search for the face of the Lord." He specifically sites that he began this work while still being a Cardinal so is not part of Catholic dogma and "everyone is free, then, to contradict me." (whole article). He is basically saying that his words are human words. An endearing quality for a pope!

a taste of sabbath

The Sabbath comes like a caress, wiping away fear, sorrow and somber memories.

Gallantly, ceaselessly, quietly, man must fight for inner liberty . . . Inner liberty depends upon being exempt from domination of things as well as from domination of people. There are many who have acquired a high degree of political and social liberty, but only very few are not enslaved to things. This is our constant problem — how to live with people and remain free, how to live with things and remain independent.

What we are depends on what the Sabbath is to us.

Unless one learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath . . . one will be unable to enjoy the taste of eternity in the world to come.

Toph reminded me of some books on Jewish spirituality I had been meaning to read, so I picked up Abraham Heschel's The Sabbath. So far it has been an excellent preparation for the SHCC Men's Retreat this weekend. This is the first Men's Retreat I have been able to go on, and I have wanted to make the most of it. I even took Thursday off to "get ready" so I would actually be able to retreat.

Heschel's words have been refreshing as he poetically expresses theological concepts in the midst of living them out in a modern context. Since he speaks from a Jewish perspective his words seem old and haunting. They put in perspective how far man has journeyed since Sinai and the giving of Torah (most will remember this as the giving of the Ten Commandments).

The final quote above serves as a haunting reminder for those who confess faith in God. We believe in an eternity in the presence of a holy God, and we have to ask ourselves, "If we don't like spending time with God now, why would we enjoy it for eternity?"

Daily prayers, weekly services, reading of Scripture, and the people of God serve as reminders of God's call to be with him (one of the Messiah's names is Emmanuel, meaning "God with us"). As Heschel expresses, Sabbath is the culmination of all these at the end of our week. We set aside all else, for apart from God we can do nothing. However, Sabbath is really an expression of the rest of our week. God's presence is with us throughout the week, do we choose to live in the light of it?

Heading into the Men's Retreat, I have found myself scattered and avoiding "alone time" with God. I take Heschel's words to be a challenge and caution for my expectations for the weekend. There is a chance to renew and refresh in the midst of the qualities of the Sabbath.

laughter and tears

It isn't so much that Jesus laughed at the world, or wept at the world. He was celebrating with the new world that was beginning to be born, the world in which all that was good and lovely would triumph over evil and misery. He was sorrowing with the world the way it was, the world of violence and injustice and tragedy which he and the people he met knew so well. - N.T. Wright, Simply Christian
I have begun the journey through a new book. Simply Christian is a journey into the heart of Christianity for every day living. It is tauted as an instant classic in the likes of Mere Christianity.

This quote was quick to stand out among many. The tension of life is the combination of celebration and sorrow. With one seemingly fleeting and the other seemingly unending. In the midst of so many swings and changes, can we find a constant answer (hope) to our longings for justice, beauty, and good life.

Could it be that our longing for wholeness and rightness is more than a dream, but is actually an echo of what once was. An echo of what could be again. Here is where religion steps into the plain. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam say there is a God who wants to put it back. Their perspectives on how it happens is different, but at the core the message is the same. What we long for can be reality.

This is where Jesus' life strikes me as so amazing. He enters into the mess and crap of life. He is grieved and moved with compassion. He shares in the sorrow and suffering. And, he says good is at hand. In his laughter and celebration he proclaims, "the Kingdom is near." Hope is coming. God is here.

I have been broken, powerless, grieved, and alone. I have watched lives falling apart and relationships dashed. God grieves with us. God offers to bring us along in our brokenness and put us back together. As we are put back together, so our relationships and communities get restored, and creation itself moves towards being paradise again. It seems too good to be true . . . and it certainly has not gone as I suspected . . . but I have witnessed it in my life and the lives of those around me.

N.T. Wright begins his journey with the longing of humans for more. He says that journey will take us "into the Sun" where we find God at work. And ultimately leads us embracing life as a reflection of God's love and work in the world. More to come . . .

bruce feiler: abraham

One of my "new" favorite authors is Bruce Feiler. A little over a year ago I picked up his book Walking the Bible and was really taken by his insights and personal spiritual journey. I am not concerned that he does not express "faith" as it classically might be understood, and I am not threatened by the musings about the discussion about how our understanding of God may have developed as a cultural phenomenon over time (I actually think that God has revealed himself over time and in the midst of relationships and culture). Having never journeyed the lands of the Middle East myself I particularly enjoyed Bruce's adventure. In fact, I ended up buying the PBS documentary Walking the Bible as well, along with the picture book.

I continue to enjoy Bruce's work, and picked up Abraham : A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths this week. I was immediately glad I picked the book up because Bruce quickly makes an observation that I had never heard or read before about Abraham. You see, I believe God is in the business of life. He made life, sustains life, redeems life, and will eventually restore life into the fullness of what it was meant to be.

What Bruce notices about the story of Abraham is that we first meet him as someone unable to continue life. It was ten generations from Adam to Noah, and ten generations from Noah to Abraham. The Bible has meticulously recounted the generations as multiple genealogies. The classic "so an so begat so and so." When we meet Abraham (Abram at the time), he is in his 70's and unable to bear a child. Life will end with him for this generational tree. Here, in the midst of no life enters God. This is what he does. He brings life to the lifeless. And he will bring life to Abraham. Before there will be a child for Abraham there is a journey of faith and trust, there is the challenge of mistakes, and there is the gauntlet of spiritual testing. But I am beginning to see these things as God bringing Abraham himself back to life before he restores the chain of life through Isaac. (I choose to not see Ishmael as a part of God's promise, since he embodies Abraham's struggle to trust God. Though God is still in the business of giving life, and so protects and blesses Ishmael.)

I am grateful to Bruce for this observation. It solidified, again, that the good news of the Scriptures, the gospel, is that God is about bringing dead things to life. As he has done for Abraham, so he will do for us.

a long way gone

I picked up the book A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier at Starbucks yesterday (I gave you the link to buy it at Amazon, while Starbucks does donate $2 of the $22 to UNICEF, buy the book at Amazon for $13 and send $9 to UNICEF or World Vision). Took it to bed with me last night and I got through 5 chapters.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It was a painful read. Considering that the images of war are described from a child's perspective, years later, and limited to the focus of the author, it is hard to stomach. It was a sobering reminder of what war really is, and how destructive man can become. I have only had a couple pages of Ishmael being a boy soldier, and the amount of brainwashing and numbness to violence he recalls is more than disturbing.

I can recommend this book for those who have not grasped the cost of war. Be warned that once you read this book, you can't help but want to do something, and that is why you should buy the book from Amazon and give more to those who are helping save these hurting kids.

slaves, women & homosexuals

After the sermon on Sunday at South Hills (where I work), I was challenged to reassess where I stand on women in pastoral office, teaching, and exercising authority in the church. The classic position has been one of male hierarchy (as expressed in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood) where women are limited in the offices and roles they can have within the church. In the last couple decades many churches have begun to allow women to teach and be ordained as pastors. Our church currently has women who teach occasionally on Sunday mornings and hold the position of Director (which is licensed like a pastor, but not ordained). Our senior pastor expressed his desire to have women recognized as pastors.

In light of this I decided to pick up a book that has been often recommended, but I have never read. Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis by William J. Webb. I made a quick read of it this afternoon (the first 65 pages and the last 30, still have 160 or so to go). The basis of this book is the concept of a "redemptive-movement hermeneutic." For those who don't know, a hermeneutic is the process of interpretation. So, to probably butcher Webb's main theme, he calls for understanding that God is continually moving his people towards a more full expression of humanity, ethics, and living. So while some may find that the way the Bible speaks about slaves or women not progressive or acceptable, what Webb wants us to remember is that God was making radical changes for the culture at the time of writing and that he was wanting future generations to build on the universal principles that were beginning to be implemented amidst his people (consider the principles from Jesus' teaching about why divorce papers were a part of the Mosaic law, but not the ideal from Matthew 19). As Christians now universally support the elimination of slavery, equality in the workplace, etc, he calls for God's people to raise the freedoms of women, equality in service, and the honoring of gender differences. This he calls "complimentary egalitarianism." Or, he wants those who want to maintain an honoring of men to consider an "ultra-soft patriarchy" where women are free to serve, but have symbolic honor of men. (For those concerned, he advocates for a compassionate defense of heterosexuality as healthy sexuality.)

I have wrestled with this question since college (my thesis in Biblical Studies at BIOLA was on the Theology of Gender). I arrived at that time (2001) at a soft patriarchy, and have been encouraged by Webb's insights about cultural hermeneutics to consider his ultra-soft patriarchy. Not sure where it will all end up. But if you are interested in a well-balanced understanding of these issues within the church, I found this to be a great book!

scared by rob

The Bells started questioning their assumptions about the Bible itself — "discovering the Bible as a human product," as Rob puts it, rather than the product of divine fiat. "The Bible is still in the center for us," Rob says, "but it's a different kind of center. We want to embrace mystery, rather than conquer it." - from Christianity Today's "The Emergent Mystique" (see Brian McClaren's response, since the full text of the article is only available for subscribers of CT)

I have really enjoyed listening to Rob Bell's sermons for the last couple years (see the podcast list to the right), and have read his first book Velvet Elvis (I own Sex God, but haven't gotten to read it yet since I loaned it out to Kit right away). I often refer to Rob as a reference on some cool historical and spiritual background in sermons. I even have shown some of his Nooma videos to begin discussions at Day 7. You can say I am a fan.

Of course, in the midst of all this I know there is a lot of controversy that surrounds him. His basic approach of saying things that get people rethinking their assumptions and talking through their strongly held beliefs has been offensive to "fundamental" Christians. It shakes their world, and to be honest, I like it when it shakes mine. Many have run off the deep end without considering that Rob often says things that he may not actually believe to get people to talk and think. They think he actually believes these things (like his musings about whether Mary was a virgin in Velvet Elvis). I have staunchly defended him by saying that I think it is clear, especially in his weekly teaching, that he has very classic Christian beliefs, but new expressions to get us to really apply all the implications.

With all this said, I was scared by this quote I stumbled upon from Christianity Today. I wish I had the context to where he says that the Bible is a "human product." I can place a ton of different contexts where this might be appropriate . . . though they are a stretch.

I wonder how you view the Scriptures and the often debated influence of their human writers? Does this quote make you nervous if you consider the Scriptures "God inspired"?

the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

Yes, today was. And it reminded me of the classic Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I highly reccommend it for anyone, of any age, who feels they have encountered the same.

As a note: my day today actually ended on an up. My Connection Group (a small group of high school guys I meet with) were quite an encouragement, and we together discovered the $1 Tuesday Scoop at Baskin Robbins.

sex god

Over the last three weeks, and there are three more weeks to go, I have been teaching high school students about sex. It's quite the journey. The premise has been to discover God's plan from the Scriptures for the BEST SEX EVER. It has been fun, awkward, insightful, and challenging to remind myself about the Theology of Sex.

This week, I believe, Rob Bell's new book, Sex God, came out. (Is "came out" the best choice of words?) He makes an even stronger tie between our spirituality and our sexuality.