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.

dangers of the emerging church

Well, the "shift" has hit the fan.

(hear Driscoll's comments about McClaren's new group Deep Shift).

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Okay, I have wasted a lot of words and time below, and they pretty much reveal my own arrogance about "understanding" God and big theological concepts . . . what's the bottom-line: Pursue Jesus, not men. Which is Driscoll's ultimate point as well. So you may be better off stopping and reading your Bible to hear what Jesus is saying to you with the time you would have spent reading what I have written . . . seriously . . . stop . . . should you spend some time with Jesus right now . . . As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." - Hebrews 3:15 . . . take time to listen to Him before you even think about listening to me . . .

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At the recent Southern Baptist Theological Seminary conference, Convergent, Mark Driscoll unloaded on the emerging church, at least part of it (hear it for yourself, you can skip the 16 minute intro).

I have been a reluctant fan of the emerging church, enjoying Dan Kimball, worried about Brian McClaren, and wanting to agree with Rob Bell. Driscoll did a pretty good job of laying out the dangers of certain streams of the emerging church. Although his style is not to my liking, so if you can be patient with some of his rhetoric and flaunting of his theological vocabulary, you will learn a lot about the trendy authors and artists people flock to . . . worship . . . listen to in cultural Christianity.

Driscoll breaks the emerging church into three streams:

RELEVANTS: Cool church crowd. Evangelical theology, innovative methodology. Examples: Dan Kimball, Donald Miller, Erwin McManus, & John Burke.

REVISIONISTS: Emergent Village (McClaren) and Bell. Genesis 3 - SIN = error and falling came through a conversation. Emergent has portrayed itself as a conversation on what God has said - "Did God mean what He said?" When God speaks, we are not to converse but to OBEY.

RELEVANT REFORMED: Contextual, confessional, evangelical New Reformed Calvinists. Examples: Driscoll, Matt Chandler, Acts 29 Network, CJ Mahaney, & Joshua Harris. Return to expositional Bible teaching that is theologically motivated and Jesus-centered.

I agree with Driscoll's concerns about who McClaren "talks" with and endorses. He, at best, misleads Christians into theological and philosophical waters which they are too deep for and does little to equip them for their swim (see Ephesians 4:11-15).

In principal I agree with his concerns about the emerging church's stance on homosexuality (which is often unspoken). However, in Driscoll's rant he clear example of why the emerging church is careful with their words. Driscoll is quick to lump the sin of homosexuality with those who have active sex outside heterosexual marriage, but does not put them in the same room as those who struggle with lust. This kind of careless discussion about homosexuality is what makes Christians into hypocrites to those outside the church.

Driscoll critiques Rob Bell's use of rabbinical tradition as suspect since rabbinical tradition does not recognize Jesus as the Messiah (personal note: I discovered recently most of what we know about rabbinical tradition is from the AD 100's, more than 70 years after Jesus). It's definitely not the cleanest approach to scripture, but Bell clearly sites his sources and encourages his readers to do their own investigation. Also, I wonder how well sited Driscoll's use of how Western Philosophy affects his interpretation of scriptural texts (much of current theology has been developed based on the philosophical views and approaches of the Greeks).

Driscoll also calls into question Bell's "trajectory hermeneutic" and sites Bell's support of Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals (see my comments on this book in a previous post). Driscoll's weakness here is that he believes this hermeneutic (which is actually called a "redemptive-movement hermeneutic" in the book) specifically does NOT lead to an endorsement of homosexuality (as explained in the book) like he claims. Not sure if Driscoll has any other concerns about this approach to interpreting scripture, but I recognize that any interpretation of scripture must be very carefully considered and critiqued.

Another major concern of Driscoll, which I share with him, about Bell is his trampoline analogy about theology (in other words theology needs to be flexible) and the example of the importance of the virgin birth. In Velvet Elvis, Bell, hypothetically, considers the translation of "virgin" in Isaiah as "young girl" (which is possible) and wonders if it changes anything about how early Christians viewed Jesus' conception. Driscoll misguidedly, but correctly, points out that the virgin birth was a HUGE part of the early church and goes to the heart of the integrity of the scriptures. Where he goes wrong is saying would we believe the word of a "lying whore" if Mary lied about Jesus' conception. How many whores does God use in the Bible to bring glory to his name? How many liars, thieves, drunkards, and more bring glory to God by proclaiming the truth?

Driscoll's bottom line is we need to return to Jesus and not get so caught up in current trends, culture, and celebrity hype . . . which leads me to wonder about my time writing this and whether I should have been pursuing something else . . . perhaps this will be helpful to some who have not considered the wider implications of those beautifully made NOOMA videos.

Either way, I hope you spend some time with Jesus now before moving on to something else so that you will take him with you:

I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. - Psalm 16:8

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!

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.

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"?