Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
As I sat at my desk recently I noticed once again the proliferation of books! Yes I do have a Kindle which helps but, no matter how hard I try, piles rise relentlessly from every surface in my vicinity. Most books have been opened but I could not honestly say I am “reading “them. As I pondered this I realized my reading habits in many ways fuel this phenomenon. In my mind I have the books around me in three categories.
First are those in the “dipping ” collection. These are volumes that have caught my attention for one reason or another (or perhaps come from the amazing IVP Book Club!). They have an interesting title that is relevant either to my devotional interests or some subject about which I am or might preach. So I have dipped! I have read the back cover to see who has endorsed the content and what qualifications or context the author writes from. I have also consulted the table of contents from which I have found I can learn so much more about the book than simply chapter headings. If a writer gives his chapters quirky or amusing titles their style will, in all likely hood, be very different than one whose titles are simply subject headings. The way in which chapters are ordered or collected also gives insight into how the author thinks about their subject. Often I will also read the introduction and occasionally the first pages of a couple of chapters. This done, most books take their place in one or other of the piles.
Then there is what I call the “dunking” books. Dunking is a more substantial immersion that just a dip! These volumes are ones that I have discovered whole chapters or sections that interest me. Sometimes a chapter will address a particular question I have been asked or challenge I am facing. Inevitably these volumes spend at least some time resting in one pile or another , maybe a smaller one or one closer to me but a pile nevertheless.
However none of these has reached the final stage of “devouring.” These are the books ( hopefully not more that a couple at any one time!) that have so captivated me that I have determined to read them systematically from cover to cover with yellow highlighter in hand. If my Kindle is in my hand, notes, marks and highlights are frequent and I am unable to resist the temptation to talk about the content to anyone who will listen.
Here are a few books that I have currently in some of these groups:
Dippers
“Whats a Christian to do with Harry Potter” Connie Neal “Found: God’s Will” John MacArthur “Creating a Missional Culture” JR Woodward, “Community is Messy” Heather Zempel, “Preaching for God’s Glory” Alistair Begg, “Center Church” Tim Keller
Dunkers
“Pursuing God’s Will Together” Ruth Haley-Barton “Doing Church as a Team” Wayne Corderio ” The Lamb Wins” Simon Ponsonby, ” Deep and Wide” Andy Stanley,
Devouring
“Organic Outreach for Churches” Kevin Harney “Living into the Life of Jesus” Klaus Issler
Then there is a final group of well thumbed books that I have devoured and have so helped me that I like to keep them close and refer to them often ( but I can’t think of an adjective beginning with “D” for them!). Here are a few:
“Jesus Driven Ministry” Ajith Fernando, “A Praying Life” and “Love Walked Among Us” Paul Miller, “Invitations from God “Adele Ahlberg-Calhoun
How about you? Do you have any particular reading habits? Do you have books that you might place in any of the above categories that you could recommend?
In the quiet of Sunday morning, as I prepared to go to church for our Christmas service, I realized how much my excitement had diminished for the coming celebration. Of course I was looking forward to gathering with the family in our home to do all the normal “Christmas things” but really… Christmas, it seems, began earlier than ever and has arrived quicker than ever! The pressure and stress has mounted ensuring preoccupation with the purchasing of “stuff” and the preparing of an abundance of food for people (of whom I am one of course!) who have a lot of “stuff”and are often over fed.
Now in case you think I am just a miserable old Scrooge, let me assure you I love Christmas! However this year it has come home to me more powerfully than ever, that somehow we have almost lost sight of whose birthday we are celebrating and with that so much of the awe and wonder that makes the season so special. When I ask myself what is foremost in my mind in preparation for Christmas, Jesus has not been very prominent.
My sorrow was only deepened when I observed a child looking at a Nativity scene. “Who is the baby in the manger?” they were asked to which they replied “I don’t know.” Why should they know, I asked myself. We have done everything we can to erase any meaning from the season.. Cards rarely mention it, saying Happy Holidays to ensure nobody is offended. How did this happen? Have I been sleeping? The final verse of this powerful Christmas song from Casting Crowns (link to a full version of the song) says it all
America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping
United States of America
Looks like another silent night
And yet the truth is told so powerfully by these two stanzas from Longfellow’s poem “Christmas Bells” (Once again set to music by Casting Crowns)
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men
Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, goodwill to men
Well maybe I have been sleeping but I think it’s about time I woke up. How about you?
…so my grandson explained to me about the scary decorations he had seen for
Halloween! Once again the question of how, as a Christian, I should approach the
second biggest commercial holiday. As a pastor, how should I answer those members of
my church family who receive a range of messages from, instructions to avoid the
celebrations at all cost to just enjoy an innocent time of fun for children. Realizing that I
grew up far closer to the scene of the origination of the festival, one that began literally
thousands of years ago, I can see that my perspective may be different than those of
my adopted home here in the USA. So I decided to do a little research to ensure that
when I offered my opinion, I was able to support my feelings with fact.
Two resources proved to be very helpful, the first an excellent article on the website
History.com and the second an blogpost from Jim Daly, the president of Focus on the
Family. Both seem to set out balanced and helpful information to help frame the
approach we should have as Christians.
My concluded that both ends of the spectrum would benefit from some thoughtful
adjustment of their polemic. For those preaching a message of doom and destruction on
to participants, should note the unique evolution of the festival here in the United States
so helpfully set out in the historical article.
“By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-
centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment.
Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague
Halloween celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town
leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday
directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the
fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home,
where they could be more easily accommodated. Between 1920 and 1950, the
centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a
relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration”.
To oppose with such vehemence what has become a community festival centered on
small children risks obstructing the Christian message of the value of community.
However it is undeniable that, albeit distant, the historical background of the festival
has clear links with evil and the practice of dark and demonic religion. It is clear that
although many children are dressed in cute and wonderful costumes, some appear as
characters such as witches and other representations of death and destruction. These
unavoidably point back to the dangerous aspects of the holidayʼs history and run the
risk of making an unhealthy connection between evil and fun. The scripture warns us
that the evil one is at his most dangerous when he “masquerades as an angel of
light” ( 2 Cor 11:14). For us to detract from the enormous danger of such things must
be avoided at all costs.
Jim Daly warns us, in addition, of the growing danger of the glorification of violence in
our culture.
Christian or not, it is high time to turn away from the dark, gory and horror-filled side of
the holiday. Itʼs always been time, but the confluence of culture and recent current
events raises this matter to a new level.
There is absolutely nothing entertaining or redeeming about hatchet wielding villains
parading in costume or front-lawn displays featuring blood spattered body parts.
My suggestion therefore that, along with everything we do as Christians, we take the
time to ask ourselves a couple of questions. Would I be happy for Jesus to accompany
us on our trick or treating expedition dressed the way we are ? If Jesus was to visit our
home tonight would I be happy for Him to encounter the decorations in my front yard?
The answer to those questions and others like them will help ensure that we have a
uniquely Christian approach to the holiday and one which will may give us the chance to
share truth with our friends.
Continuing our look into “A Praying Life “ by Paul Miller one of the first questions he asks is, “ What good does it [prayer] do?” Like so much in this book, it is a question we have all asked often but rarely dared to utter out loud. Often our childlike faith gives way to cynicism in the wake of sincere prayers that seem to fall on deaf ears. As a consequence, deep down, there is a growing lack of confidence that prayer makes any difference.
Miller suggests that, in an attempt to get help we might visit an imaginary “prayer therapist”. Asked about what it means to be a child of God, we give a full account of the relevant doctrine. However when asked to describe what it feels like to spend time and talk with our Father…
“You cautiously tell the therapist how difficult it is to be in your Father’s presence, even for a couple of minutes. Your mind wanders. You aren’t sure what to say. You wonder, ‘Does prayer make any difference? Is God even there?’ Then you feel guilty for your doubts and just give up. Your therapist tells you what you already suspect. “Your relationship with your heavenly Father is dysfunctional. You talk as if you have an intimate relationship, but you don’t. Theoretically, it is close. Practically, it is distant. You need help.”
So how do we begin to reach for the type of prayer life that is described in the pages of our Bibles. Miller suggests we begin by realizing that prayer is first and foremost about relationship and to help us understand this he uses the image of a family meal
A praying life feels like our family mealtimes because prayer is all about relationship. It’s intimate and hints at eternity. We don’t think about communication or words but about whom we are talking with. Prayer is simply the medium through which we experience and connect to God. Oddly enough, many people struggle to learn how to pray because they are focusing on praying, not on God. Making prayer the center is like making conversation the center of a family mealtime. In prayer, focusing on the conversation is like trying to drive while looking at the windshield instead of through it. It freezes us, making us unsure of where to go. Conversation is only the vehicle through which we experience one another.
But then so many of our family meals these days are rushed, taken at different times dependent upon our diverse and frantic schedules. Could it be that this feature of our home lives is reflected in our experience of relationship (or lack of it) with our Father in heaven? Could be at least part of the reason we don’t experience “a praying life?”
Prayer has always been a challenge for me, and some years ago I committed myself to reading one book on prayer each year. As result I have read some really wonderful books (some of which I have listed at the end of the blog for your interest). Many of these have had a really significant influence on my prayer life and the book I am reading this year is no exception. In fact “A Praying Life “ by Paul Miller is challenging my prayer life more than any of the great books I have read in recent years. I say “is challenging” because although I have now finished the book I am already realizing that there are parts I must return to and read again. For this reason I thought I would share some of Miller’s insights with you over the next few weeks.
In his foreword David Powlinson whets our appetite with these words
“IT’S HARD TO PRAY. It’s hard enough for many of us to make an honest request to a friend we trust for something we truly need. But when the request gets labeled “praying” and the friend is termed “God,” things often get very tangled up. You’ve heard the contorted syntax, formulaic phrases, meaningless repetition, vague non-requests, pious tones of voice, and air of confusion. If you talked to your friends and family that way, they’d think you’d lost your mind! But you’ve probably talked that way to God.”
Tragically yes I have and I catch myself doing it all the time! Paul Miller however knows that it’s not meant to be that way and he has learned the hard way. He shares the lessons he has learned in the most challenging of all environments, his family. He explains in the introduction:
“The meat of the book is the family stories I tell. They are not dramatic; they’re nitty-gritty tales of surviving and thriving in a world of stress and disappointment. As you watch us, I hope you experience the presence of Jesus.”
I most certainly have experienced His presence and so I hope you will join the conversation with me. Perhaps you might even get your own copy of the book; I promise you will not regret it. So when you listen to yourself praying does it sound like a conversation you would have with someone who knows and loves you?
Books I have read and have found to be a great blessing (Most of these I have read once and continue to dip into frequently):
“Deepening your Conversation with God” Ben Patterson
A wonderful account of a pastor’s struggle to build a meaningful prayer life. Honest and clear with many practical lessons.
“With Christ in the School of Prayer” Andrew Murray
Written in 1895 this book has lost nothing over time. Its 31 lessons provide an immensely valuable month’s devotional or you can just sit down and read it!
“The Papa Prayer” Larry Crabb
This book has changed my practice of prayer more than any other, and I nearly did not read it because I did not like the title! If you only read one book on this list make it this one!
“Falling in Love with Prayer” Mike Macintosh
A practical prayer guide from the heart of a pastor. Mike Macintosh was inspired to love to pray by his pastor Chuck Smith and he passes the lessons on to his readers along with his own developing experiences.
“Prayer- Does it make any Difference” Philip Yancey
In true Yancey style he asks the difficult questions and is never satisfied with easy answers. An extensive yet reasonably easy to read look at the challenge of communication with God.
“Experiencing Prayer with Jesus” Henry and Norman Blackaby
From a family of prolific authors this is a very helpful look at the prayer habits of Jesus as set out for us in scripture
“When God Prays” Skip Heitzig
This book is from the Billy Graham library and focuses on probably the most remarkable prayer of all time. It would take a lifetime to plumb the depths of John 17 but this is not a bad place to start.
“Too Busy Not to Pray” Bill Hybels
Great practical book. Can also be an excellent book to read with your spouse, a couple of friends or as a small group study. (If you can read two this is No 2!)
“Prayer“ O Hallesby
Translated into English by Clarence Carlsen in 1931, I found this book on a give away table of books culled from the library. I am so glad they gave it away. It is a treasure!
“When God doesn’t answer your prayers” Jerry Sittser
Sittser lost three members of his immediate family in a tragic drunk driving accident. His wrestling with this subject brings us insights tested in the fire
n a recent podcast the superb apologist and preacher Ravi Zacharias posited that, although we are so often preoccupied with the problem of pain, it is pleasure that presents the more subtle, and perhaps greater danger. He quotes Neil Postman’s analysis and comparison of the two classic “futurist “ works, “1984” by George Orwell and “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. In his social commentary entitled “Amusing Ourselves to Death” Postman concludes that experience is teaching us that perhaps Huxley was closer to the truth in concluding that apathy and irrelevance held greater potential danger than Orwell’s “Big Brother.”
Concluding this to be the case Zacharias asks the question if God intends for man to have pleasure and refreshment how can we know if the sources of these things we choose are legitimate? The key he suggests is to have a clear view of our goal, the one given us by Jesus. ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Luke 10:27. With this ultimate goal in mind he sets out three “tests” to use when evaluating pleasure and then three applications which follow from those tests.
Tests
- Anything that refreshes you, without distracting you from, or destroying your ultimate goal is a legitimate pleasure.
- Any pleasure that jeopardizes the sacred right of another is an illicit pleasure.
- Any pleasure, however good, if not kept in balance, will distort reality or destroy appetite.
Applications
1. All pleasure must be bought at the price of pain
True pleasure is paid for in advance but for illicit pleasure the price is paid afterwards.
2. Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain it comes from being weary of pleasure.
3. The closer you get to pure pleasure, the closer you get to the heart of God. Conversely the closer you get to illicit pleasure, the further away you get from the heart of God.
I find it rather frightening, in our entertainment driven culture, to use these standards to evaluate my activity. Is the love of God and my neighbor really the foundation of my day by day goals? Does the pleasure I allow myself in the consumption of food jeopardize the “sacred right “ of those whose lives are dominated by hunger? Are my pleasures in balance or are there times when I am ‘amusing myself to death?” I could go on of course but how about you?
… and I am certainly not willing to consider Charles Barkley’s caveat “…but I doubt it!” Yet again I have reason to be grateful to the IVP Book club! A little while ago my selection included a copy of “Invitations from God” by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. I did not pick it up at first but, at the recommendation of a friend, Maggie purloined my copy and began to read it. Pretty soon she was regaling me with quotes and finally insisting that I “really needed to read” this particular chapter. The title of the chapter “ An Invitation to Admit that I Might be Wrong.” I confess a little reluctance even though her recommendations are nearly always very worthwhile. However she was right and, you’ve guessed it, I was wrong!
As I mentioned during the sermon on Sunday I have now read this particular section of the book two or three times and I am ashamed to tell how many times I have recognized my own resistance in the pages. It strikes me how crucial this attitude is, not just for me, but how helpful it would have been for those who encountered Jesus during his three years of ministry. How often He tried to explain to them that He was not ignoring or abusing the law but fulfilling it. However their minds were made up and they were not willing to admit they might be wrong. Tragically our society today is riddled with people of all faiths and creeds (as well as none) who are similarly unwilling. The creationists who will give little credence to the discoveries of the research scientist and the biologist who will countenance any explanation of observed phenomena other than the existence of a supreme creator. But does that mean everything is optional and belief in truth is to be discouraged. I do not think so. A life in which we are unable to reach convictions and live by them would, in my opinion be colorless, confusing and perpetuate insecurity. Calhoun very helpfully explains it like this
This doesn’t mean we can’t know truth. It simply means we cannot be certain that our take on truth is absolute or that our judgments about others are absolutely right.
It is, however, our attitude that changes when we accept this invitation. We approach others with openness and receptivity that can only enhance and enable our witness for Jesus. We will find that we participate in conversations by really listening to others rather than using half an ear while our mind assembles the next facet of our irrefutable (of course!!) argument. One of the most challenging quotes from the chapter is the following:
The type of humility that admits you are wrong when you know you are wrong is confession. The humility that admits you might be wrong when you’re pretty sure you’re right is maturity. Without both types of humility, we become rigid and unteachable. Without both types of humility, relationships flounder and implode.
So the challenge for us is to locate those subjects upon which, for one reason or another, we are unwilling to consider the idea that we MIGHT be wrong and as the author encourages us, “Seek humility which acknowledges the limits of my knowing…” and “Seek teachability, which allows me to keep on growing and changing.”
I have to confess I find worship difficult! Why? Well, I love worship in church and we are so blessed to have wonderful worship musicians and a great worship leader, but it personal worship, when I am on my own, I find hard. Why I can’t seem to find a way to “adore” God as I sit by myself each morning?
However towards the end of last year I found something that has really helped. I started beginning my devotional time by listening to a couple of carefully selected worship songs. Three albums have been a particularly helpful so I wanted to share them with you.
No its not an attack of wishful thinking or a correction of my recent birthday; I am getting used to writing “60” when asked for my age. The number is a reference to Isaiah 58. Some time ago I wrote about the challenge of global poverty and shared a video that introduced an upcoming project by this name. Recently I received a second email detailing another stage in the project’s development and sharing some more initiatives.
In Isaiah 58 the prophet challenges us to examine the practice and motivation of our fasting. So for those who are part of New Life Christian Fellowship it occurred to me that our 21day fast is a wonderful opportunity to, once again, think about the hungry, those whose circumstances dictate that their life is a long enforced fast!.
Scripture makes it clear that Jesus had some priorities in His ministry, that I believe He expects His church to reflect. The poor, lonely, disenfranchised, and hungry, along with the lost are those to whom He came to bring “good news” (Luke 4:18-19). So take some time to explore the resources and information this project offers. Then let’s ask ourselves how our priorities line up with those that Jesus set. Is there any corrective action we should take?
The importance of choice has been a recurrent theme in my thinking so far this year. The amazing reality is, that God gives us the opportunity to choose whether we serve Him, obey Him, or indeed pay Him any attention at all. As I thought once again about choosing, I was reminded that often our choices include a decision not to choose. Sounds like a conundrum I know, but let me explain. 30 years ago when I gave up smoking it was an agonizing process, but the key was to make the choice that I was no longer going to make a choice. When offered a cigarette or confronted with the “ harmless” desire for “just one”, the choice that I wasn’t going to smoke had already been made. I chose not to “choose” any more but to practice reminding myself of the choice I had made.
The importance of this idea is that we can make choices when we are able to think carefully away from the situational pressures that can cause us to slip up before we know it. For instance are there particular circumstances when your own vulnerabilities sing their alluring melody; those things that always cause you to loose your temper, eat what you shouldn’t, or purchase something you don’t need or can’t afford? Remember, as the old chorus used to say, “ Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin!” Note- being tempted is not sin, only “yielding” and yielding is choosing. One of the most significant areas in which choosing not to choose makes an enormous difference is in the choices we make about sexual activity. If we make the choice to practice purity before we embark on a relationship, when the pressure is on we can fall back on a choice already made and so choose not to choose.
So as we respond each day to Joshua’s challenge to choose whom we are going to serve, are there some decisions we should make right at the outset? This will mean that as time goes on, there will not be so many “choices” but instead reminders of decisions made long ago.
From the Zebra Bag 