Empathic Postmodern Christian Agent of Diversity

FUTURECAST: what TODAY”S TRENDS mean for TOMORROW’S WORLD by George Barna

2011-10-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

Book Review

Typically church leaders and their congregants are Left Behind when it comes to an understanding of the cultural milieu in which they find themselves. Before they know it, they get galvanized or pulverized in the milieus quicksand and are stuck, unable to pull themselves out or are crushed underneath it’s weight. But that does not have to be the case.

George Barna’s Futurecast helps all of us have an astute, deep and detailed view of what is going on with society, church, family, religion, faith education, books, music, technology and a host of other important topics and dynamics which when realized can help the church be pro-active and astutely Christ-active in the world, particularly our Western society.

I want to be a church leader who takes seriously the research that Barna presents. I don’t want to rely on the wisdom that God gave me for yesterday’s challenges and adventures, I want to rely on “the now wisdom”. The kind of wisdom that helps to foster creative, passionate, missional and Pneuma filled/inspired church environments that change ourselves and the world we live in. We can redirect trends that we find to be destructive and beautifully create trends that are Christ-conscious and constructive.
Barna asks a poignant question:

“There are three types of people when it comes to the future: those who will watch what happens, those who will make it happen, and those who will wonder what happened. WHICH ONE WILL YOU BE?”

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me a review copy of this book.

Small is Big: Unleashing the Big Impact of Intentionally Small Churches by Tony & Felicity Dale and George Barna

2011-05-19T21:55:00.001-07:00

Book Review

Are you tired of the status quo and mundaneness of the institutional church? Are you bored by the monotony by the same-old, same-old: Song—announcements--more songs--monologue (usually boring and irrelevant)--a song--more announcements—go home? Do you even remember what last weeks sermon was on? Well, if you answered, “yes, yes and I don’t remember,” to these few questions above then you are not alone. As a matter of fact there is sacred seismic shift that is taking place and it is called, “simple church” (also known as organic churches, missional communities, house churches etc.). If you want to know more about this shift and what it looks like practically then Tony & Felicity Dale and George Barna’s book “Small is Big,” will rock your world!!

“Small is Big,” is a passionate book that beautifully articulates the angst in traditionally churched Christians and then discusses the common folk response of simple churches. Simple churches are not out to bash traditional churches but they are a different way of doing church that can radically change and transform people on a deeper level than the typical experience of getting lost in a sea of people and programs in many large traditional (or as they put it “legacy”) churches. “Small is Big,” provides wonderful examples of Simple Church practices and real life experiences of people who are doing this. “Small is Big,” wonderfully combines theory and practice and should be a must read for all pastors and those who are disillusioned about traditional mainline churches. This is a challenging and beautiful read.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Max On Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions by Max Lucado

2011-04-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Book Review

Did you ever wish you could have a bird’s eye view of an epic no-holds barred sit-down and candid conversation with Max Lucado? Well, now you can. Max Lucado is one of the most passionate, respected, creative, and prolific Christian author and teacher of our time. Max On Life is a book where Max Lucado answers provocative questions about life, death, heaven, hell, sex, managing money, raising kids and other poignant questions. Max’s answers do not disappoint. His responses are inspiring, artsy, biblical and leave plenty of room for more questions. This book would be great for those people with inquisitive minds and who struggle with questions of faith. This is a must read!!!

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Story of The Bible: The Fascinating History of its Writing, Translation & Effect on Civilization by Larry Stone

2011-04-13T10:26:00.001-07:00

Book Review

I am going to be honest. When I saw that it was another book on the history of the Bible, I cringed. There are so many books about the bible and its translation etc., that I thought, “What could this book have to offer that others do not?” Wow, was I wrong. Larry Stone’s The Story of the Bible is just a fascinating book that does not just give a boring historical account of the Bible but captivates you with great stories, amazingly graphic and stunning pictures and illustrations and even provides 23 life-sized pull-out pages from the world's most important Bibles. They are tucked away in folders throughout the book so it is like finding ancient treasures and makes reading the book that much more exciting.

This book would make an excellent gift to anyone who wants to learn the rich history of the most printed, provocative, and powerfully persuasive ancient text in the whole world. I think Larry Stone’s book really appeals to current postmodern sensibilities where image and story are the prime mediums in regards to communication and informational literacy. Way to go Larry Stone!!!

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Your Whole Life: The 3D Plan for Eating Right, Living Well, and Loving God" by Carol Showalter with Maggie Davis

2011-03-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

Book Review

Most stressful experiences and crises have the possibility of birthing something beautiful and life changing and that is exactly what happened in the life of Carol Showalter. Because of her stressed out life as a church leader, wife and mother, Carol started her first 3D group in 1972 and what blossomed out of that was principles and strategies that have changed the lives of millions of people.

This edition of “Your Whole Life: The 3D Plan for Eating Right, Living Well, and Loving God,” is the culmination of years of prayer, insight, experience and research not only by Carol Showalter but by her dear friend and professional nutritionist, Maggie Davis. There is so much insight, gentle challenging and life changing wisdom in this book that I felt like it was a holistic boot camp for the body, mind and soul. It really is about transformation from the inside out and living out of a secure identity as a beloved, accepted and forgiven child of God.

The 3D’s written about in this book are: Diet (eating right), Discipline (living well) and Discipleship (loving God). The book is divided into a twelve-week program with a different challenge for each week. The book includes devotionals for each day within the twelve-weeks and encompasses sacred texts and sound wisdom from hymns and other spiritual readings. There is also an accompanying journal that goes along with the book that is extremely helpful in charting the amazing 3D journey.

Another fabulous feature of the book is that there are shaded sections throughout for men in regards to nutritional health and overall wellness. There are so many diet books out there that forget to realize that men struggle with weight and identity issues but thankfully this book is not one of them.

This is a timely book that can literally change and transform your life. Especially if you:
You have trouble coping with the demands of your life
You’re tired of being obsessed with your weight
You wish you could better enjoy life and the beauty around you
You desire the freedom that comes from self-acceptance
You want to experience the love of God

For more information about Your Whole Life 3D resources, check out, www.3DyourWholeLife.com.

The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask (With Answers) by Mark Mittelberg

2011-02-21T08:54:00.000-08:00

Book Review

We as Christians are living in an exciting time. We are living in what is called by some to be a postmodern or Google era. This current right-brained culture with its propensity towards creativity, intuition, subjectivity, the arts, narrative, feelings etc has so much to offer and teach us as Christians. At the same time this postmodern milieu is leaving many Christians susceptible to a left-brained deficit. I think this is where Mark Mittleberg’s book “The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask (With Answers) comes in.

Tyndale and Mittelberg, through the Barna Group, ran a national survey of one thousand self proclaimed Christians. They asked Christians what the most difficult questions they would be asked by friends and colleagues. The top ten questions formed the outline of Mittelberg’s book. Mittelberg’s book tries to navigate through these questions with biblical, philosophically and culturally astute answers. His responses are clear, concise and would be a wonderful asset for those who want to work their left-brains and be able to provide rational and well thought out answers to the difficult questions many of their friends and co-workers might ask concerning their faith.

Mittleberg’s top ten questions deal with topics such as: Existence of God, Evolution, Trusting the Bible, Jesus, Evil, Abortion, Homosexuality and Heaven and Hell. After each chapter Mittleberg wonderfully provides a: 1. Summary of the answers to the questions, 2. Tips for talking about the issues, and 3. Questions for group discussion.

Mittleberg’s book is a wonderful apologetic book for Christians to be able to adequately defend their faith but most importantly for removing intellectual obstacles for unbelievers to be able to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Sabbath by Dan b. Allender

2011-02-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

Book Review

Christians are not exempt from the wild and fierce rapids of our busy, hustle and bustle culture that seems to leave our souls drained of desire, passion, and vibrancy. The Sabbath is a biblical antidote to the above dilemma. Dan Allender offers his remarkable and fresh take on the Sabbath and is by far a dry, reductionistic, theological and exegetical treatise on the subject. Certainly Allender’s approach on the topic is theological and biblical but his reflections on the Sabbath are drenched with Spirit, passion, and rich, practical life-giving wisdom. Allendar knows how to get to the heart of the matter.

Allender beautifully challenges his readers to accept the Sabbath as a biblically mandated delight that all Christians should embrace. Allender proposes that God didn’t rest on the seventh day as a person who rests on the couch after a long hard day of work but that God rested or “delighted” in his creation. The seventh day was a day of delight for the Lord and so should it be one day a week for us. Allender writes, “Our war is not with flesh and blood; our reluctance to Sabbath is not a fight with busyness, drivenness, or time. We are caught in and fight battles against delight. Delight unnerves us. God’s call to delight terrifies us. To surrender to delight is to hear God’s passionate extravagance spoken in a manner that is uniquely crafted for joy” (p.92).

It is a day to celebrate and delight in wildly awakening all of one’s senses. It is not merely an individualistic endeavor but it is a practice that is relational at its core. Sabbath can also be a day of justice, allowing the captives and captors to be set free to divine delight. Instead of being a dry, legalistic and joy-deprived holy day, I now see the Sabbath as something extraordinarily beautiful and God’s wooing us to a day of beauty, desire and the heart’s delight. I thought it was a wonderful book that drastically changed my perspective on Sabbath.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Gospel According To Jesus: A Faith that Restores All Things by Chris Seay

2010-11-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

Book Review

Chris Seay has written a superb and insightful book that asks us to reflect deeply on what it means to be a Christian in our current postmodern milieu and what the gospel means amidst the diversity of theologies that come from the various megaphones that surround us.

In this book Chris Seay, who is also a wonderful pastor, explores topics such as: The Kingdom of God, Imago Dei, The Fall, The Gospel, Salvation, Shalom, Justification and other Christian teachings and expounds them in a simple way but in a way that challenges any complacency in the Christian life. Throughout the book Chris invites us into conversations with various Christian leaders and pioneers, such as, Gabe Lyons, Shane Claiborne, Rick McKinley, Alan Hirsch, Mark Batterson, and Dan Kimball.

I can’t help but read Chris’s book and be challenged to continually dwell on the love of God and his desire for not only mercy but also justice in the world. A type of justice that seeks to make things right. A justice that looks to love, with Christ’s love, the brokenhearted, the misfits, the poor, homeless, marginalized in such a way that we are, “putting aside our own personal agendas because God has inspired us to pick up what is broken and form it into something new.” A challenging and wonderful read.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Out Live Your Life: You Were Made To Make A Difference by Max Lucado

2010-09-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Book Review

What happens when Max Lucado gets in on the social justice bandwagon? The answer is: A blessing for the rest of us. Max Lucado has done it again with an epic, artistic and creative masterpiece ushering in the liberative truth of how God summons us to, “Out Live” our lives to make a Divine and powerful difference in the world. We look out and see the poverty, famine, helpless and hurting and ask God, “Where are you?” and the theme of Lucado’s book is God asking us, “Where are you?” Feeling like God couldn’t use someone like you? Max reminds us that, “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” Max does a great job of looking at the book of Acts and pulling out powerful principles and truths that can change the way we see God, our selves and who we are in the world.

I have read many of Max’s books and have been inspired but I found this book to be quite challenging (in a really good way). Max’s challenges of living life with a rag tag community, reflecting on our biases and our shortsightedness, and living a life larger than our own selves was refreshing and inspiring. At the end of the book it includes Questions for Discussion from each chapter that you can talk over in a group or consider on your own. You will also find Ideas for Action, which offer practical steps in making a difference. “Weary of a world of racism and division? So is God. And he would love to talk to you about it.” This is a great read!!

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Great Parents, Lousy Lovers: Discover How to Enjoy Life With Your Spouse While Raising Your Kids by Dr. Gary Smalley & Ted Cunningham

2010-09-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

Book Review

There is no question that marriages are falling apart, the divorce rate is staggering and many couples who do stayed married are tired, apathetic and holding on by a thread; especially those who have kids. I am optimistic and do believe there are happy marriages but it is not the happy ones that need rescuing; they are the marriages that are in trouble. That is why, Great Parents, Lousy Lovers, is such a timely book.

Dr. Smalley and Ted Cunningham have collaborated on this book and with their combined wisdom have written an encouraging, challenging, and thought provoking book on how to have a balanced, healthy and holy marriage full of vitality, fun and passion even in the midst of countless responsibilities. There is no relational rock unturned as they write about kids and parenting, intimacy (yes, that includes sex), rest, fun, relational challenges, spiritual vitality, “leave and cleave” principles and countless other topics. This book is a storehouse of treasures and is not a book that just points out all of the problems but gives practical advice from people who take marriage and family seriously. I would listen carefully to any person who has personally interviewed over 60,000 women on the topic of relationships and intimacy.

Even though I do not have children, this book reinforced some great relationship principles for me that can help me to be an amazing lover as opposed to a “lousy lover.” For example, Smalley and Cunningham point out a study that was done asking women what their husbands can do to get them in the mood. The number one answer was, “domestic support.” That’s right. Doing the dishes, vacuuming the floor, scrubbing the toilet are practical ways to fill up your wife’s love tank and in turn prepare the evening for delightful and passionate intimacy. Of course this is a wide generalization but I think this wisdom can help many traditionally minded couples as it has certainly been helping me. Great book and a must read for couples and pastors!

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters by Andy Andrews

2010-09-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Book Review

The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters is a small, wonderfully written and colorful book that reminds us of the power of choice and our interconnectedness with the world around us. Andrew’s asks the questions: Do I make a difference? When I move… when I act… when I do something… does the Universe notice? Do I really matter? And the answer to all of the above questions is a resounding YES!! One decision that you make today can drastically effect the world tomorrow.

Andrews writes about various people’s lives and how their decisions effected history. He writes about Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and his decision as a Colonel, who in the midst of a vital battle and slim odds decided to advance and charge the opposition ultimately winning the battle. Historians have stated that America would have been a drastically different nation if it were not for Chamberlain’s heroic decision. Andrews goes on to write about other courageous individuals who have changed the world through their decisions and invites us to realize the God given potential within ourselves to do the same.

After reading this book I once again reflected on the power of choice that I have and it’s effects in world history. How my decisions today can have a ripple effect in people’s lives generations from now. It is awe-inspiring. Let me end with a quote from Andrews: “There are generations yet unborn whose very lives will be shifted and shaped by the moves you make and the actions you take today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Every single thing you do matters… By your hand, millions—billions—of lives will be altered, caught up in a chain of events begun by you this day.” A quick, potent and wonderful read!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Captured By Grace: No One Is Beyond The Reach of A Loving God by Dr. David Jeremiah

2010-08-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

This book is about the greatest gift that the human heart can experience and that is “GRACE.” Dr. David Jeremiah does a superb job capturing the essence of grace in the lives of Paul and the once slave trader John Newton. Dr. Jeremiah has a wonderful gift of teaching and aptly uses stories and metaphors to help us not only understand grace but to experience it.

Each chapter focuses on certain verses from the great hymn, “Amazing Grace” and Dr. Jeremiah wonderfully weaves in the stories of Paul, Newton and other saints to get across his points. I think it is a wonderful book for those who have been bogged down with legalism and are searching to understand God’s beautiful grace which God loves to pour out upon and within His creation. No matter what you have done, where you have been God’s grace does not discriminate. It is inexhaustible and for all of those who are hungry, thirsty and in need of fresh revelation of God’s goodness.

Captured By Grace is a wonderful read that seeks to passionately mine the heart of God for understanding concerning the riches of His grace. Let me end with a beautiful quote from Dr. Jeremiah, “Grace is shocking—something like the heavenly converse of a traffic accident. When love is returned for evil, we can’t help stopping to rubberneck. Grace is the delivery of a jewel that nobody ordered, a burst of light in a room where everyone forgot it was dark” (p.12).

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Awakening the Quieter Virtues by Gregory Spencer

2010-08-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Book Review

Gregory Spencer’s, “Awakening the Quieter Virtues,” could not be a timelier book to battle our spiritually apathetic, lethargic and anemic lives as Christian communities and as individuals. In the midst of our hustle-and-bustle culture and the ubiquitous noise that deafens our spiritual senses, Gregory Spencer writes about the, “Quieter Virtues,” to help liberate us and allow us to walk as truly free people of God.

The quieter virtues for Spencer are: discernment, innocence, authenticity, modesty, reverence, contentment and generosity. Although the quieter virtues are actually quite loud and impactful they usually get drowned out in the loudness of our emotional baggage, cultural values, various salvific messages from the various forms of media clamoring for our attention and the daily sensory overload we experience as human beings living in our current postmodern culture.

Spencer has a unique way of rupturing traditional thought about the virtues and then shapes and fashions something that is creative, fresh and challenging. Even Spencer admits, “I have tried to enter into these ideas from the side door, using language and perspectives that are not traditional. Along the way, dozens (even hundreds) of possible definitions have been scratched out and refined and attempted once more.” Spencer also gives challenging and life-changing discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

For some odd reason many people, including myself, have consciously or unconsciously assumed that Christ-like character and spiritual vitality will automatically grow and take shape automatically as we live and experience our everyday life challenges and adventures. Reading this book reminds me that spiritual vitality and character development are muscles to be worked out. It is “I” who has to be intentional about the “Quieter Virtues,” and other sacred disciplines, not as a means of salvation but as a means to experience my salvation more fully. Yes, I am saved by grace but there are things that I have to do in order to experience the fullness of what God has to offer us through the riches of Jesus Christ.

Admittedly, I just expect God to do all things spiritual in me. I expect God miraculously to transform me in the midst of my cheesy five-minute prayers, half-hearted weekly Sunday service attendance, occasional scripture reading, meditation and memorization and my thinking about service to others. Concerning spiritual disciplines, Spencer writes, “Spiritual disciplines prepare our minds and hearts for obedience, like all rehearsal. Musicians train so that when their key moment arrives, they will perform as they desire. Sometimes we think that because salvation is a gift, work of any kind should not mean we need not work to accentuate it, any more than a world-class sprinter would expect to win the Olympic 100 meters with out practice” (p.37-38). I once heard a wise man say, "God is opposed to earning but not opposed to effort".

Gregory Spencer’s, “Awakening the Quieter Virtues,” is a powerful thought and heart provoking read that would need to be reread to mine all of the juicy nuggets in its pages. His use of stories and metaphors as well as his insightful wisdom can be creative catalysts to help us truly become free in Christ ultimately enabling us to love God and the world more fully.

The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life by James Martin

2010-08-05T21:12:00.001-07:00

Book Review

Finally, a book on spirituality that is real, genuine, fresh, relational, practical, insightful, funny, honest and just plain refreshing. James Martin’s book, The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life is a book that explores principles, practices, wisdom and sometimes wild experiences from Martin’s own life, who has been a Jesuit for about twenty years. The book also gleans insights and shares stories from the lives of various saints, Christians, professors, fellow journeyers and most importantly from his main spiritual guide and mentor: St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556).

St. Ignatius Loyola is not only Martin’s mentor but the “way of Ignatius” “has helped millions of people—from the doubtful seeker to the devout believer—find freedom, make friends, live simply, work sensibly, fall in love, experience joy, and enter into a relationship with God.” James Martin is the kind of guy you would want as your spiritual coach and director. His ability to articulate a theology concerning the immanence and closeness of God is liberating, especially for those who are used to experiencing God as “super holy,” “super mad,” and completely transcendent. Martin helps paint us a picture of a God who is all around us and provides us with smear free glasses (well almost smear free glasses, lol) to help us see and experience God in new and liberating ways. In some ways it is a book on Sacred Semiotics and gives us the ability to see God in every aspect of life, demolishing the tendency of dichotomizing and compartmentalizing our religious lives.

There is so much to comment about in his book. It is like taking a class that when really engaged can drastically change your life. One thing that I found insightful was his take on those who consider themselves “spiritual” as opposed to “religious.” I must admit, I have also used that card on similar occasions. It is so common nowadays to claim one is spiritual and not religious. There are so many actors and actresses, artists and musicians who boast in their/our postmodern spirituality and eschew any mention of being religious or the topic of religion in general (unless degrading it). Even Anne Rice is now throwing away “religion,” leaving Christianity and keeping her “spirituality” and love for Jesus.

But Martin suggests that we need both. We need religion and we need spirituality to help mold a more complete, healthy and vibrant faith. While Martin admits that religion, “can lead people to do terrible things”(p.48), he also suggests that religion can thwart our rampant individualism and keep us grounded amidst a corrective and loving community. And if the community gets out of whack then prophets will rise up exposing the hypocrisy and bring the community back to balance. Martin writes, “It’s a healthy tension: the wisdom of our religious traditions provides us with a corrective for our propensity to think that we have all the answers; and prophetic individuals moderate the natural propensity of institutions to resist change and growth. As with many aspects of the spiritual life, you need to find life in the tension” (p.48). So, I am now both “spiritual and religious” and unashamed.

The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life is a wonderful book and will enlighten all who read it. You will be freer to love yourself, love others, love God and love the world. Guaranteed!!

Loving Wisdom: Christian Philosophy of Religion by Paul Copan

2010-08-03T17:22:00.001-07:00

Book Review

Wow!! What a book. I met Paul Copan once at Alliance Theological Seminary and he was/is such a down to earth guy with a heavenly heart, mind and soul. This book has so much depth and insight that each chapter could take months to explore, mine and dialogue about. Copan sums up the book nicely, “A user-friendly, Scripture-engaging Christian philosophy of religion book—a kind of launching pad for Christian leaders, students, teachers in philosophy of religion as they think critically, instruct others, engage with non-Christians, and live their lives in God’s presence.” And as an added treat there are thought provoking study questions for small groups and personal reflection at the end of the book.

I think Paul Copan is brilliant and what I appreciate most about him is that he is not just a black-and-white, narrow-minded old-school fundamentalist philosopher who is ignorant of changing times and who leaves no room for questions, mysteries and further reflection and considerations. He is certainly conservative and opinionated but he is also in tune with contemporary philosophical issues such as those concerns brought up by feminist theology (insert smiley face here).

For example, part of the feminist critique of much conservative theology (otherwise known in liberal circles as, “human talk about human talk about God”), is that it tends to be marinated in deeply entrenched hyper-masculine, hyper-testoronic ideology. So for many people God is a male warrior God who watches UFC in his spare time, usually has stoic and monolithic tendencies with the occasional bouts of rage. Copan, who I believe is conscious of the feminist critique and evangelistic short-sighted tendencies concerning the character of God writes, “And although male pronouns are used in many instances to refer to God, Scripture contains metaphors of God’s motherlike actions and emotions as tender, care-giving, compassionate, and protecting: giving birth to Israel (Deut. 32:18); a nursing mother (Ps. 131:20; a mother in labor (Isa. 32.4); a mother bear and lioness (Hos. 13:8)” (p.24). There are many other examples throughout the book which would surprise conservative readers.

Don’t get me wrong this is not a liberal Christian Philosophy of Religion book by any stretch of the imagination but I did appreciate Paul’s humility, openness, wisdom and sensitive writing style. Even though Paul is open, for example, saying that, “Despite some of its own incoherencies, postmodernism can teach us much” (p.60), he is not afraid to boldly say, “While skepticism, cynicism, and suspicion may define postmodernism or may characterize a Godless perspective, trust, and charity should be the Christian’s stance (p.65).

There is so much to write about but I will only touch on one more issue in his book concerning the topic of hell. It is also a common argument in much of contemporary conservative’s theology of hell. I believe Timothy Keller had similar arguments about hell in his book, “The Reason for God”.

It is common to say that well, yes; hell is real and is talked about by Jesus more than anyone else in the scriptures. Copan’s and Keller’s argument about hell is that hell is a place for prideful and sinful people who want nothing to do with God (amongst other reasons); ultimately they not only get what they deserve but they also get what they wanted in the first place (a life and ultimately death eternal without God) . Copan writes, “the punishment fits the crime—those who want no God get no God” (p.148), or “Hell is having one’s way without God (p.149). This type of theology bothers me. Okay, granted, there will be people in hell who will give Jesus the middle finger to the very end but I can’t perceive that about everybody.

What about those who love “God” in other faith traditions? What about some Muslims, Jehovah Witnesses, Hindus, etc. who truly love God (or their understanding of who God is)? I mean there are many people in the above traditions who give their whole lives to God in loving surrender. What about those people when they go to hell? I really believe they will not want to be without God nor want to stick their middle finger up to God and “have their own way”. And I imagine if they are truly in Hell many will acknowledge their understandings were way off, repent (change their minds) and want to love the God whom they can finally see, taste, touch and reverently bow prostrate to; coming face-to-face to God’s pure and absolute form. So, I don’t buy it. I think Copan and other theologian’s perspective on hell in this regard are too narrow-minded and does not do justice to the full range of possible responses of those who find themselves in hell.

Overall, “Loving Wisdom” is a great book that I think should be a required text in every Christian Philosophy of Religion class. Paul Copan is brilliant, witty and his philosophical reflections always reflect the preeminence of relationships (with a triune God, each other and creation). A wonderfully insightful read!!

Parenting Beyond Your Capacity: Connect Your Family To A Wider Community by Reggie Joiner & Carey Nieuwhof

2010-08-02T13:00:00.001-07:00

Book Review

What do you get when you mix together the vibrant relationship between a caring, loving and light-filled community (yellow) as well as those who are intentional kingdom -seeking God-loving parents who live from the heart (red)? You get the color “orange,” which symbolizes the God ordained foundation that provides the greatest impact for healthy growth and expansion of potential for our precious children.

“Parenting Beyond Your Capacity,” is not “a self-help book,” but it is “a get-help book,” that seeks to equip and encourage parents to not parent alone but seek a wise, loving, God-centered community to help pour into, love and nurture their children. The authors Reggie Joiner & Carey Nieuwhof do a great job of encouraging and not condemning those who find themselves full of inadequacies in regard to parenting. They are honest about their own fumbles and weaknesses and realize that all parents must, “parent beyond their capacity.”

Joiner and Nieuwhof write, “Some things are simply beyond a parent’s capacity to do. Your present family will never be enough for your children. Even the best parenting in the best family will never alone be enough to develop relationally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy children.” It doesn’t just take any village to pour into and raise children but it takes loving intentional parents and the vibrant community of God to create the “Orange Factor,” which, once again, is the dynamic partnership between parents and the church. After discussing the “Orange Factor” in the first couple of chapters the remainder of the book discusses five family values that help parents become the best they can be, especially in our current fast-paced hustle and bustle culture. The book is also intertwined with biblical principles particularly from the life of Moses.

I really appreciated this book and think that it would be a great book for small groups in a church as there are also insightful discussion questions at the end of each chapter. I love that the book is relational at its core. It is not about making you feel guilty by cramming absolutist hard to live out bible verses but it is about being in vibrant relationships with God, self and others. The book encourages parents to live within the grand story of God and embrace the reality that we are all broken, imperfect and have inadequacies but by God’s grace we are redeemed for his glory. This book is a gem and will provide ample encouragement and strategies to raising healthy and holy young ones to the glory of God!!

Widen the circle – Pursue strategic relationships with your kids

Imagine the end – Focus your priorities on what matters most.

Fight for the Heart – Communicate in a style that gives relationship value.

Create a rhythm – Increase the quantity of quality time you spend together.

Make it personal – Put yourself first when it comes to spiritual growth.

New website just launched http://OrangeParents.com

The Ministry of Lament: Caring for the Bereaved by Gene Fowler

2010-07-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Book Review

This book should be in the hands of every pastor, lay minister as well as those interested in the intersection between psychology and practical theology regarding ministry and care for those who have lost loved ones. This book goes through the entire process of bereavement through the lens of the latest psychological research as well as the psalms of lament in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures with grieving people in the congregational setting in mind.

Fowler, in a compassionate and non-judgmental way, first assesses the current inadequacies of church life in regards to caring and ministering to the bereaved, which I believe he does a great job doing. He also points out, as well as other pastoral theologians, that many times people in the congregation who have lost a loved one are usually cared for up to a week following the death but after that there is not much pastoral or congregational care. But for those of us who have lost loved ones know, we can struggle with issues of bereavement months and sometimes years after the fact and many times we are left to struggle alone.

He addresses the split between relegating all of the responsibility to the pastor or solely the congregation (for example: the occasional worship service where issues of death, grief and mourning are addressed (i.e. All Saints Day). The church and the pastor are not usually working in tandem over an extended period of time to contribute to the health and vitality of grieving members. Fowler’s solution is, “not whether pastors and congregations stop caring for the bereaved, but whether they are growing in their understanding of spirituality and grief, and reflecting this understanding in the ongoing life of the church so that participation in the congregation can be increasingly meaningful for the bereaved” (p.45).

The help and healing of the bereaved should not be relegated to psychotherapists but as Fowler suggests it should be left to the congregation and pastor(s) who are rich in sacred resources (although Fowler is not opposed to counseling outside of this setting). For Fowler, this coming together of pastor and church members for the bereaved is called, “The Ministry of Lament.”

Through the remainder of the book Fowler uses Therese A. Rando’s understanding of the six mourning processes and Bernhard Anderson’s six-part framework of the lament psalms as conversation partners and gives us as readers a wonderful holistic picture of what it looks like to embody a “Ministry of Lament.”

This book is a practical and deeply insightful book that I hope gets in the hands of many pastors and congregations. The church, as well as our culture, tends to hide, deny, and suppress issues surrounding dying, death, mourning, grieving, pain, etc. It is rare for me to encounter services that allow for questions, complaints, doubts, anger, sadness etc. to be expressed in church services, which Fowler points out are very much apart of the many lament psalms in our sacred scriptures. Many churches have a tendency to encourage the “Joel Osteen Smile,” where everyone is happy all the time and everything in the world is peachy. I am not saying there should not be joy and celebration but church should also encompass the entirety of the human experience as a way to be genuine and congruent. Any other way might be “bearing false witness,” hiding, masking, pretending all of which the God of truth, light and honesty is opposed. I hope we all take Fowler’s challenge and become, foster and embody “Ministries of Lament.”

Pilgrimage of A Soul: Contemplative Spirituality for the Active Life by Phileena Heuertz

2010-07-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

Book Review

Phileena Heuertz invites her readers on a sacred journey, pilgrimage and adventure exposing and baring her soul for all to see, learn from and in turn creates for us the catalyst for our own chrysalis and radical transformation. This book describes her intensely emotional (and physical) faith journey and how she dealt with the tension that many of us experience; the tension between our identities as “human doings” and “human beings,” and the balance of both. The book describes her seven movements of transformation: Awakening, Longing, Darkness, Death, Transformation, Intimacy and Union.

As she engaged in the practice of contemplative prayer and completely surrendered to God, she was ushered in the “dark night of the soul” and found out that what was driving her life of service was not from a place of authenticity, wholeness, and a secure identity as a beloved and accepted child of God but rather from her brokenness and as someone who sought her identity in the gaze of others. She served out of her “false self,” who was what others told her she was instead of her “true self,” which in her transformation she was able to boldly and delightfully declare was a person who was, “unashamedly feminine, assertive, fecund, confident and bold, purposeful and passionate.”

Phileena’s Heuertz’s raw, reflective and deeply insightful book was so refreshing for my own soul as I am on a similar journey (although I can’t relate to her occasional use of menstruation as a metaphor for the spiritual life), lol. Her vulnerability and graceful gift to be able to communicate her inward and outward journey helped me to map out my own spiritual journey and pilgrimage and helped me to realize that even in darkness, doubt, unsurity and doubt about God, life, one’s self and everything else that a gift awaits for those who patiently endure and surrender to God’s loving embrace in the process.

I think this is a timely book as we are living in a time where there is so many people serving and committing their lives to acts of justice. My concern is that people who do not remain in relationship with the one who is Love and Justice and serve from an identity as “the beloved of God,” will inevitably serve for all other kinds of reasons, which many times can be harmful to themselves and others. Phileena aptly writes, “Contribution through acts of service or work can work easily and purely flow from this communion. Apart from communion with God, our action is more likely a compulsive, anxious attempt at imposing our will on the world” (p.140). Unfortunately, I think people love “justice” instead of loving “mercy” and neglect “walking humbly with,” the one whom is Mercy (Micah 6:8). Thank you Phileena for your life, which truly is a “living epistle” for all to be inspired and transformed by!!

"Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of The Spirit" by Henri Nouwen with Michael J. Christensen & Rebecca J. Laird

2010-07-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Book Review

If you have never read works by the Dutch-born Catholic priest Henri Nouwen then your soul is missing out on nutrient-rich fanciful feasts. In his latest work, “Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of The Spirit”, which was compiled and pieced together by one of his students Michael J. Christenson and Rebecca Laird, Nouwen takes his readers on a journey in how to live an authentic, vibrant and fulfilling spiritual life not only as individuals but as individuals in community for the sake of the world.

In this life-changing book, Nouwen takes us through the major movements of spiritual formation, which for him are: from opaqueness to transparency, from illusion to prayer, from sorrow to joy, from resentment to gratitude, from fear to love, from exclusion to inclusion, and from denying to befriending death. Not only does each chapter have thought-and-heart provoking exercises for “Going Deeper,” but there are also full color pictures that correspond to each chapter that allow for, “Visio Divina,” otherwise known as, “Sacred Seeing,” which is an ancient practice that allows individuals or groups to connect with God through meditation and reflection on sacred images.

This book is timely because of the dryness, emptiness and rampant burnout that are ubiquitous in our culture amongst all peoples, especially for ministers and those in helping professions. Part of the deep longings in our souls is due to the intense fast-paced hustle and bustle culture where everything is about performance, measurements and externals all to the neglect of the inner life, ultimately becoming veils that keep us from seeing as the Beloved sees and engaging the world with hearts full of the love of God. Nouwen’s book holds valuable keys to help us embrace, enjoy and maintain a vibrant faith full of transparency, dependency on God and others, joy, gratitude, love, inclusivity and the ability to befriend and accept death.

Nouwen has a unique ability to not only be honest and raw about his struggles in regards to the spiritual life but he is able to profoundly articulate them as well as sacred remedies. And the wonderful thing is that we as readers get to benefit from his brilliance and in turn learn and grow into mature, spiritually-vibrant sons and daughters of God. What I love about this book on spiritual formation is that it is not all about us but it is about a God who calls us and invites us to a sacred identity and blessedness whom then calls us out toward to lovingly engage the world. As Nouwen succinctly writes, “Spiritual formation means ongoing formation of the heart, in community life, expressed in service to the world.” It encompasses and inward journey and an outward journey and neither one should overshadow the other. This is a beautiful read!!

Awakening Each Other To The God Who’s Already There by Leonard Sweet

2010-07-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Book Review

Leonard Sweet’s “Nudge” is an artistic masterpiece that challenges, de/constructs, defamiliarizes, fractures, opens up, expands, nudges and Pneumafies our contemporary and anemic understanding of evangelism. Leonard Sweet’s masterful metaphors, sacred stories, awe-inspiring anecdotes, wondrous wordsmithing and exceptional wit invites us to a profound new out/in-look on evangelism or what Sweet calls, “Nudging”. “Nudge” seeks to, “awaken each other to the God who is already there”. It is a book that I believe should be a standard textbook in all evangelism classes throughout all seminaries seeking to grapple with what it means to be followers/livers/lovers/proclaimers/planters/sanctified semioticians of the Grand Signifier Jesus Christ.

For me Sweet is a de/constructionist; one who shakes, rattles and roles-over the average person’s understanding of evangelism at the same time constructing something that is beautiful, helpful, hopeful and sensational (encompassing all of the senses: touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight). In “Nudge,” Leonard Sweet becomes an iconoclast; chipping away at the false pictures, images and old, archaic, outdated and sometimes just purely unbiblical conceptual contemporary understandings of evangelism.

For example, it is typical in many churches to speak of our task as Christians, “to bring Christ to the Nations.” It is a common understanding that until we bring God to people groups and locations then it is naively assumed or declared that God is not there (so much for His omnipresence). Sweet aptly and boldly writes, “If you think about it, isn’t it the height of theological arrogance the notion that you and I take Jesus to anyone? You mean Jesus never arrived on the scene until you got there? You mean Jesus wasn’t present until I showed up?”

There are so many golden nuggets that are in this book that could be mined by individuals, small groups and whole churches. Between Sweet’s writing about Semiotics, the Semiotic 5, physics, music, relational, communal and Jesus immersed evangelism, his “decelerating rites,” and many other evangelistic insights, “Nudge” is a must read.

I want to end with a main thesis of this amazing book:
1. Jesus is alive and active in the world.
2. Followers of Jesus “know” Jesus well enough to recognize where he is alive and moving in our day.
3. Evangelists nudge the world to wake up to the alive and acting Jesus and nudge others in the ways God is alive and moving

The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith In A Mobile Culture by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

2010-07-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Book Review

In the midst of our dizziness in a hustle and bustle hypermobile culture and the inevitable emptiness, loneliness, and self-soothing destructive addictions that ensue, Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove’s The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith In A Mobile Culture offers a countercultural, wisdom laden, honest, thought-and-heart provoking book that offers the timely remedy of, “The Wisdom of Stability.”

Jonathan, a leader of the new monastic movement: Captivated me by his stories and metaphors; Convicted me of my tendencies to hide from life changing/enhancing community; Challenged my Type-A driven individualistic and narcissistic mindset and; Catapulted me to take root where I am and embrace the wisdom of stability, rest and a Christ Loving and World Changing community.

Jonathan doesn’t candy coat stability and writes about the tensions that can exist between the “midday demons” of “ambition” and “boredom” as well as the pride of “vainglory” that tries to sneak in; to live in stability solely for the recognition and the gaze of the other. But ultimately the long hard work/play of true authentic community and a rhythm of prayer and vocation will foster a liberative practice of stability that can change the world.

I felt like I was reading from a young Henri Nouwen. His ability to weave sacred stories, metaphors, and his own life stories as well as the stories of the wise monks and saints of old was refreshing and enlightening. I will end with a quote from Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, “Over and again for those who have practiced it, stability is a tree rooted in the earth, a monk seated in his cell with feet planted on the ground, a house built on a firm foundation, a ship anchored in the storm tossed sea.”
The Wisdom of Stability is a must read!!!

Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path To God by Sybil MacBeth

2010-07-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

Book Review-Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path To God

Has your prayer life become a boring rote practice that is as exciting as a walk down a sullen street underneath a gloomy sky? Is your prayer life devoid of excitement, fun, passion and vibrant color? Well Sybil MacBeth’s, “Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path To God” is the book for you. “If you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, distractible or impatient soul, a word-weary pray-er or just a person looking for a new way to pray,” then I guarantee that she can help you put color back into your prayer life: Literally!!!

Sybil’s, “Praying in Color” is a new colorful path to prayer or as Sybil writes, “an active, meditative, playful prayer practice” that opens up grand possibilities in prayer, especially for us right-brained kinesthetically inclined folk. It is a way of passionate playful prayer that uses colors, drawings, movement, and Spirit inspired spontaneity to connect with God. Her techniques can include prayers of intercession, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of lament (or as Sybil terms “compost”) and many other types of prayers that draws the individual and even groups to a deeper intimacy with God.

I totally loved Sybil’s book and I think regardless of one’s age and brain orientation (left of right, lol), this book can transform one’s prayer life. I also loved Sybil’s honesty and ability to make us fumbling prayer warriors feel like we are not alone in the world. For example, concerning her prayer life she says that her report card from heaven would say, “not enough detail, wandering attention, too many clichés, too little time and effort, too self-focused, too much fidgeting, too much whining…”. Sybil’s writing is smart, witty, creative, honest, daring, deep and playful. “Praying in Color” is a must read!!

Postcolonial Criticism

2010-07-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

Postcolonial Studies

As with the other poststructuralist theories, postcolonial criticism is not a method but a “critical sensibility.” (1) The word postcolonialism came about in 1959 and involved India and it’s independence from Britain. (2) Postcolonial studies sought to engage the “textual, historical, and cultural articulations of a societies disturbed and transformed by the historical reality of colonial presence.” (3) For me personally, postcolonial studies is the hardest critique to rap my mind around because of its vast scope. There seems to be a difference between postcolonial theory and postcolonial studies. Postcolonial theory uses both structural and poststructural theory as well as Foucauldian understanding of power to analyze and critique the literature from both sides of the colonizer and colonized divide (although the lines can somewhat be blurred between them). (4)

Postcolonial studies is broader in scope than postcolonial theory. Stephen Moore lists a few related terms that are relevant to postcolonial studies, such as, “imperialism, Orientalism, universalism, expansionism, exploration, invasion, slavery, settlement, resistance, revolt, terrorism, nationalism, nativism, negritude, assimilation, creolization, cosmopolitanism, colonial mimicry, hybridity, the subaltern, marginalization, migration, diaspora, decolonization, neocolonialism, and globalization”. (5) Just looking at the vast areas of concern in postcolonial studies gives me a headache.

There are three foundational writers in the field of postcolonial studies and they are Edward W. Said, Gayatri C. Spivak and Homi K. Bhabha. Because of an obvious lack of space it is important to list (briefly) what I believe are important contributions from each person involved in the ‘Holy trinity’. (6)

Edward’s Said’s work was a major contribution to postcolonial studies. Said termed postcolonial studies as ‘colonial discourse analysis,’ with a key word being “discourse”. (7) The understanding of colonialism being more than big guns and physical force but a hegemonic discourse of control and domination was Said’s major achievement. (8) Said’s major analysis was of “Orientalism”, hence his book Orientalism. Said looked at the Western’s desire to control the Orient by discourse, particularly through various texts. (9)

Gayatri C. Spivak’s contribution to the field of postcolonial studies has been great. Whereas Said was greatly influenced by Foucault, Spivak was greatly influenced by Derrida. (10) Discourse was not Spivak’s main emphasis but it was the subject (or non subjectivity) of the, ‘subaltern’. Spivak’s work “Can the Subaltern Speak?” is seen as her most representative and controversial work. (11) The subaltern is any person who does not have a voice, who is so marginalized that if they were to disappear no one would notice. The subaltern is not any person who is merely oppressed and marginalized but is persons whose voices cannot be heard because of the oppressive noise of the reigning dominant hegemonic discourse and the pervasive and destructive systems of injustice.

Homi K. Bhabha, the last of the holy trinity has three major and loaded concepts that stick out to me which are: ambivalence, colonial mimicry and hybridity. The relationship between colonizer and the colonized cannot be split all bad or all good. They have a love/hate relationship with one another, hence the term “ambivalence”. Colonial mimicry occurs when the colonizers ideologies and culture are forced upon the colonizers knowingly or unknowingly and the colonized begin to replicate them. The replication is never exactly the same as the colonizers but that is good for the colonized because if the colonized could be the same as the colonizers than there would be no distinction or hierarchy between them. The colonized want to ultimately be in control and maintain their power of the colonized. As the space between the colonized and the colonizers meet, it inevitably creates hybridity and a ‘third space’ between them. (12)

When engaging a critical theory or poststructuralist analyses of some sorts, I am always asking the question, “Who cares?” and “What does this mean for me?” I don’t want these theories to remain in the high and heavenly academic towers in which they were created but I want the liberating truths to filter down to those I usually encounter who live on earth. I thought about how postcolonial studies have impacted me and I realized I am becoming more conscious of how I use the power in which I possess. I searched my heart and wondered if I was guilty of colonizing somebody; whether through word or deed. I wondered if I created an environment where people can become the “subaltern”. I wondered if my kids in my youth group were parodying me and were engaging in, “colonial mimicry”. I thought about my being involved with an Asian woman and if there were any dynamics of the colonizer and the colonized in my relationship.

I know I might be oversensitive but thinking about postcolonial studies caused me to reflect on my use of power and my desire to control and manipulate others in regards to discourse. I recall an incident recently when I was with my youth group and I realized that I used my power in an unhealthy and manipulative way. It was a Friday night and it was our weekly youth group night. All of the youth were sitting down and I said something seemingly innocent, I said, “Thanks for standing,” as we were getting ready to sing songs. I heard one kid mutter something under his breath and I asked him what he said. He said to me, “That was nice guilt motivation.” He was right. I did not ask them to stand, I said “thank you for standing,” while they were all sitting. They were coerced into standing by me the authority figure; because if they didn’t then they would feel bad and guilty. I, the colonizer, was using discourse in a way to force the behavior that I wanted from the youth group (the colonized). Thank you postcolonial studies for exposing me and causing me to reflect ethically in how I treat those whom I encounter!!!

1. Stephen D. Moore. Empire and Apocalypse: Postcolonialism and the New Testament. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2006. p.6
2. Moore, Stephen D., and Janice Capel Anderson, eds. Mark and Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies, 2nd ed. Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 2008. p.212
3. R.S. Sugirtharajah, Postcolonial Criticism and Biblical Interpretation, Oxford Press 2002. p.11
4. Ibid., p.20
5. Ibid., p.9
6. Henry Schwarz and Sangeeta Ray, ed. A Companion to Postcolonial Studies. Blackwell, 2000. p.451
7. Robert J. C. Young, Postcolonialism: An Historical Introduction. Blackwell. 2001. p.383
8. Ibid
9. Ibid., p.387
10. Stephen D. Moore. Situating Spivak. Drew Theological School, 2008. p.9
11. Ibid., p.12
12. Stephen D. Moore. Empire and Apocalypse: Postcolonialism and the New Testament. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2006. p.110-111

"Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend" by Ravi Zacharias

2010-07-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend by Ravi Zacharias

Are you a Christian who loves heady books that encourage you, bring you up to date about the many intellectual and cultural issues that are obstacles to people coming to Christ and have a deep affinity for apologetics? Then this book is for you.

“Beyond Opinion” is a book that is not for the faint of mind. It is actually a book that is composed of brilliant essays with over ten different authors. And these are not just any authors; for we get essays from the most brilliant Christian minds of today, such as: Alister McGrath, Ravi Zacharias, Stuart McAllister, Joe Boot, John Lennox and many other astute Christian philosophers and theologians. The book deals with the many challenges to Christianity in our culture such as: Postmodernism, Atheism, Islam, Eastern Religions, Science, Challenges that our youth face today, Doubt, Evil and many other topics.

I must admit that I do get suspicious of Christians black and white answers and responses to such complex issues in our society but this book has many wonderful nuggets to chew on and consider. Not only does the book help give us answers to these problems intellectually but also practically (most often found through our lives as they are surrendered to Christ). Of course the above hot topics are not dealt with exhaustively but I still think this is a must read!!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Story Catchers

2010-07-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Storying as a Way of Life

When I was in the Appalachian region as a required trip for my degree from Drew University I was captivated by the people’s use of stories to carry on tradition, values, history, and their overall way of life. I encountered musicians who did not just write songs but they wrote beautiful stories that captivated you through their music. I remember encountering one young artist who talked about how he could not stand the music from artists like Britney Spears. As he heard a Britney Spears song on the radio he asked himself, “What is the story behind this song,” and ultimately he had to laugh because there was no story. Britney Spears paid somebody to come up with the song who probably wrote it after taking their pet poodle for a walk; certainly not much depth or story there.

Throughout my travels in Kentucky and Virginia I was shown beautiful quilts that were made not just for merely the aesthetics but as a way to pass down stories to their families and communities. I remember one quilt in particular that was just stunning and as the maker of the quilt was showing us the design, she began to share the story of how her husband died and how certain squares of the quilt was describing her grief process and her healing journey until where she is today. On the trip I also had to sit in on a lecture of Appalachian folk medicine by a local botanist. I was already so tired and the thought of sitting in a lecture about plants and medicine just seemed dreadful. But boy was I wrong. This guy had a story about everything. Every herb had a story; every plant had an adventure. I couldn’t believe it. I was totally captivated by what this guy had to say and I was truly sad when it ended.

Being immersed in the Appalachian culture confirmed in me a valuable truth God had been trying to impress on me for a while and it concerns the relational glue and life-giving power of Storying. I believe that Storying is a way of life and encompasses the core ingredients that I believe is necessary for my ethical practice of ministry. I will discuss three core ingredients that I believe is necessary for the ethical practice of my ministry and provide a theological basis for each one. My three core ingredients that are vital for me is the ethical necessity of me being a (1) Story Catcher, (2) Story Dweller and a (3) Story weaver. In this post, I will discuss Story Catchers.

Story Catcher
I am convinced that one of the most practical and powerful ways we can love somebody is by giving them the power of presence and a listening ear. We are encouraged by the disciple James in 1:19 of the Christian scriptures to “be quick to listen and slow to speak,” instead of being, “quick to speak and slow to listen,” which I have to say seems to be the more common experience with people that I encounter, including myself at times. The power of presence and a listening ear should not be underestimated.

I think people in our culture are craving for other human beings to listen to them. People are craving a space where they truly can encounter another human being who is desiring to sit and listen to them without being quick to speak and being judgmental, harsh, critical or quick to make the conversation all about them. It is no wonder why people are spending millions, if not billions of dollars a year on therapy where they sit with another human being who is willing to hear their silenced voice and many times shame-laden stories and give them full presence (of course for a small, well sometimes large fee).

Part of people’s craving and deep need to be listened to particularly in our culture is because it is becoming a rare commodity. There are many obstacles to becoming Story Catchers and active authentic listeners such as; technology, our fast paced culture and many people’s tendencies to be runaways. As technology continues to replace flesh and blood, real life face-to-face contact, authentic listening and presence is becoming a rarity in our culture. Although Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and the like can be great social networking sites they cannot adequately provide the type of intimacy and face-to-face presence that humans crave for over the long journey of life.

Not only does technology become an obstacle to authentic and genuine listening but our fast-paced program driven culture can also get in the way. Listening is not something that happens easily especially amidst our fast paced, hustle and bustle culture where most people have ADD whether we realize it or not. Something is always vying for our time and our ability to be present with other human beings as well as ourselves is becoming less and less.

Lastly, how can we truly be present and listen to somebody else when we runaway from our own selves? People tend to runaway from listening to their own selves because of fear of what their own souls is really saying, screaming or crying out for. Not only are we constantly in overdrive but sometimes when we are all alone, without any noise and distractions, what we hear when our souls try to speak can frighten us and we can get restless or anxious. We then run away from our own pain, disappointments and struggles masking our hearts cries with excessive busyness, noise, clutter, addictions, pills and the like. If we runaway from our own selves then we will mostly likely runaway from people who come to us in their time of need and desperation, which is partly why it is so hard to listen and be present with people who truly need a listening ear. Between technology, excessive busyness and fear of listening to our own souls, we are just not used to the sacred and liberative practice of listening.

To be present with people in the midst of their crises, their pain, their shame, their disappointments can be too overwhelming for us so some Christians have a tendency to throw people a scripture verse and tell them to call us in the morning. We give people cliché Christian responses all the while missing the fact that what people need is truth yes, but truth embodied in a listening ear, someone who is willing to get a little dirty in their messy world, some one who is going to truly listen to their struggles with life, depression, with family or relationship issues, or their doubts and struggles with faith and God without judging, criticizing or condemning them.

I desire to authentically listen to people because I have seen so much healing take place when that occurs. Listening communicates powerful messages to people, such as: “You are loved.” “You are worth it.” “You are respected.” “You are worthwhile"; which are all messages that liberate the soul. I desire to be a Story Catcher and not a Story Quencher. I desire to be a safe place where other people can go to find a listening ear. I listen not only because I am encouraged to listen by the disciple James, “be quick to listen and slow to speak” (1:19) but I listen because I seek to be like God. God is a God who listens.

God is my great example of one who throughout the Bible is one who listens to the screams, cries, pain and shame of His creation. For example, it says in Exodus 2:23b-24, “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help, because of their slavery, went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.” Certainly God is a God who “acts” but we should not quickly gloss over the liberative truth that we can come confidently to a God who listens, who hears, who gives Presence.

There is no busy signal with God when we go to God in prayer (all though we may feel that way). It is not like we go to prayer and God has angel operators tellings us, “Please listen to the music while you wait. God is in a meeting and will be with us shortly.” Going to the God who listens is not like the old dial-up internet where it takes forever to get a connection. God is a God who listens and who continually invites us to, “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”(Hebrews 4:16). God loves to Story Catch invites us to do the same. Let us seek to be Story Catchers for God's glory and for the sake of the world.

Let me end with one of my favorite quotes on Listening by Carl Rogers:

“It means entering the private perceptual world of the other and becoming thoroughly at home in it. It involves being sensitive, moment by moment, to the changing felt meanings which flow in this other person, to the fear or rage or tenderness or confusion or whatever that he or she is experiencing. It means temporarily living in the other’s life, moving about in it delicately without making judgments.”

"You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be" by Max Lucado

2010-06-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Does anyone feel stuck in the rat race of life? Do you feel if you stay at your job for another day you will be taken over with depression? Do you feel like you are going away to college not having any idea what you really want to do in life? Well Max Lucado’s book, “You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be,” is the book for you.

I always thought Max Lucado is the Thomas Kincade of authors. His writing is image driven, masterfully metaphoric and full of sense-ridden stories that leave you inspired, encouraged and ready to embrace God’s best for your life. For example, beautifully writes, “Don’t dull your life by missing this point: You are more than statistical chance, more than a marriage of heredity and society, more than a confluence of inherited chromosomes and childhood trauma. More than a walking weather vane whipped about by the cold winds of fate (p.38). His writing is fresh, witty and superb.

Being somewhat knowledgeable of the Bible I get somewhat concerned about Max’s use of scripture in the bolstering of some of his points. For example, he writes, God never prefabs or mass-produces people. No slapdash shaping. “I make all things new,” he declares (Rev. 21.5). He didn’t hand you your granddad’s bag or your aunt’s life; he personally and deliberately packed you” (p.41). It is clear that Revelation 21.5, in it’s context, is apocalyptic in nature and is dealing with the end times and the new heaven’s and new earth. To use it to encourage someone that they are uniquely gifted by God is a little suspect hermeneutically but who I am to say.

In the end though; I love this book and Max’s writing style and dull and dry author’s can certainly learn a few lessons from him. The book is short and a perfect gift for the graduate or anyone else you know that needs a reminder that they are unique, deeply loved, and have a Divine one-of-a-kind purpose in this life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Divine De/Construction

2010-06-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say?” (Gen. 3:1).

I can’t tell you how many times I have been told, “Mark, how can you question the Word of God like that?” or “Be careful, your on dangerous ground by those questions!!” or “Mark, Satan likes when you question the Word of God.” Or “Are you even saved?” Sometimes communication also comes non-verbally through repulsed looks, condemning glares, or future relational distancing. Why do many people react this way concerning what they deem as “demonic deconstruction” or what I would consider “divine deconstruction”?

The above guilt-laden gestures and shame inducing statements are usually employed because: Questioning people’s deeply loved and cherished beliefs are too anxiety provoking as people’s identities and sense of selves (egos) are tightly wound up in the propositional statement’s and supposed divine monolithic truths. To question “God’s Word” is in a sense to question their identities and to unravel one is to unravel another. So in response people do what most scared creatures do in response to danger; they fight or flight. They fight with statements of attack or condemnation or they take flight grimacing on the way out and communicating nonverbally that there is something wrong with you (when in fact there is something wrong with them which is why they must leave).

I do agree there are times when we ought to be genuinely concerned about people’s destructive ideologies and insidious theologies that are contradictory to life and Jesus induced biophilia but there is a difference between a love motivated relational response towards people who hold them and a response birthed out of anxiety and fear of the extinguishing of oneself.

What is Divine Deconstruction? In order to understand Divine Deconstruction we first need to understand the term, “deconstruction”. Contrary to popular belief deconstruction is not destruction. Deconstruction is the rupturing, fissuring, dismantling, undoing of human constructions, whether ideological, theological or any other kind of discourse. It is a practice or approach that seeks to make explicit that which was covered up, hidden or purposely suppressed usually because of people or systems of power. It is a form of textual iconoclasm. Texts can refer to written texts, cultural icons, institutions, systems etc.

In regards to language, deconstructionists point out God does not create language but humans do and it is because of that very fact that there are oppressive tendencies within language that can benefit some and oppress and marginalize others. Let’s look at the oppressive hierarchies within a few binaries that are blatant (yet tries to be hidden) in our Western language. For example: Male/Female, Black/White, Human/Animal, Light/Dark, Matter/Spirit, Emotion/Rationality, Objectivity/Subjectivity etc. If thought about, it is easy to determine which word in the above binaries holds more power and benefits than the other.

Divine Deconstruction is a Pneuma inspired way, quest and posture that seeks to demolish, deconstruct and “dis,” coarse: “strongholds,” “arguments,” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5), ideologies, theologies, and any other type of discourse or practice that oppresses, subjugates or marginalizes the “other.” Of course Jesus alone is the Divine Deconstructor (with capital D’s) but we get to follow suit as individuals and communities becoming (d)ivine (d)econstructors as we bear the DNA and nature of God within us.

Jesus loved Deconstructing people’s conceptual idols throughout the gospels. Matthew 5 holds some clear examples. Over and over Jesus says, “You heard it was said,” and Jesus goes on to say, “But I tell you.” For example, Jesus says in Matthew 5:43-44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” In this example, “hating one’s enemy,” is not to be found in the law (not explicitly anyway). Over time it was solidified into the hearts of God’s people that hating one’s enemy is a legitimate idea ordained by God. But Jesus loved to (and still does) take people’s understandings of God and twist them, turn them upside down, disrupt them, confuse them (parable’s anybody?) in an attempt to bring people closer to the heart of God for the sake of the world. I think the ultimate task of Divine Deconstruction is to tear people away from their baby bottles/idols and woo people towards “the Real”/Absolute Presence and an intimate relationship individually and communally with the Creator of the Universe (not (You)niverse) with the hopes that in turn the marginalization, oppression and violence of human beings and creation will cease and the (Kin)gdom of God is tangibly realized.

The hope in Divine Deconstruction is not “destruction” but “construction” of something more beautiful, healthy, vibrant and hyper-relational at its core (with the knowledge that the Construction should at some point be Deconstructed: cyclical in nature). I am not saying it is a comfortable experience; as in the midst of it you might feel like you are walking on a waterbed rather than solid ground but it is definitely worth it. And let us remember, God is so wild that God sometimes Deconstructs something that God Constructed or Commanded in the first place (situation with Peter in Acts 10, Abraham & Isaac in Genesis 22), (For some- The Old Covenant) etc. The pet theological constructions of yesterday might be the target for Divine Deconstruction and Demolition (Not “devil”ition) for today. Let us not forget that in certain times and places there were (and still are) theologies that said, “White people were superior to Black people,” “Men were superior to women,” “God created the earth flat,” “Who cares about creation for it will burn tomorrow,” “God wants you to be rich,” and the list goes on and on. Theology is not God. Theology is “human talk about human talk about God” and may God grant us the grace and wisdom to know the difference.

I don’t think I will change. I know people will consider what I do “demonic deconstruction” (opposing the Word and Will of God) but I am wholeheartedly convinced that part of my calling in the world is to gently, passionately and wisely by the Pneuma of God become a “divine deconstructor” and “conceptual idol iconoclast” bringing people closer to Presence and not form. I know I will make mistakes, I know I will be wrong many times, I know I will contradict myself but I am finally getting to a place where that is fine by me (:

As we pray, may it include, “God, continue to be our Divine Chisel, Divine De/Constructor and Grand Iconoclast for your Glory, our benefit, and for the sake of the world!! Along with Meister Eckhart's prayer, "God, rid me of God."

"Jesus Manifesto" Brings Me Home: truth (proposition) VS Truth (Person)

2010-06-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

Oh absolute truth I thought you were there to comfort me, You made me feel safe and secure. You were a weapon in my hand to argue with, to oppress, to shame and to guilt. Oh the deleterious effects of truth, you have hurt others but oh how good I felt. You gave me power and control and now you have abandoned me. I thought we were in love but you have disappeared. I thought you were my God but you have deserted me. I am but a fool. How I trusted you. Now in what am I to put my trust? I am in despair. Whoa is me. What I thought was real was just a mirage. What I thought was true was just a myth, an evanescent vapor of, what I thought was divine. Then something more real came and rescued me. I should say someone, for it was not a thing but a person or I shall describe as romantically personable. He was called Truth, He rescued me from the pit of despair, not with words but with a tender touch, a touch so magnificent, so splendiferous, so majestic, in a way that words can barely describe. I now know that I want to know nothing except Truth, truth not on a page but Truth as a person. You are my mysterious iconoclast. I don’t know Truth completely but I feel like I am learning more and more who Truth is as we interact and fellowship. I now speak a foreign language of love, a language that I can barely share in words but a language uttered beautifully and w(h)oly by the innermost part of my spirit and the depths of my being. Now there is a dance, there is a friendship, there is reciprocity of love between Truth and I. It was hard at first because I admittedly want to go back to truth at times. At times I want the control, I want the power, I want to feel safe and comforted with truth (small t) but I press on to what is best for my soul and inevitably for what is best for those around me. I place my faith in my great Romancer, who is Truth, who holds the purest form of control and power who can lead and do the samba like none else (Truth actually let's me lead sometimes and it is some much fun as I am comforted and reassured by Truth's close and gentle presence). Truth, continue to ravish me. Thrash my pride and arrogance to the ground.Truth, Who can box you in (J)? Who can control you (e)? No one (s)!!!! Let your fiery Love burn away what is not of You and help me to Love you Truth (u). Continue to set me free as I know I have been set free already (s)!!

Why I Want To Be Superman?

2010-06-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

Why do I want to be Superman (I am not referring to the comic book character but maybe the archetype)? I must confess. I long to be Superman. I long for transcendence. I long to have super powers. I long to fly. I long to move objects with my mind. I long to be so strong that I could be impervious to pain, sickness and ultimately death. Do I long to be a god and worshipped? I don't think that is it. It is not Nietzsche's superman that I long for. I don't want to be my own God who makes my own rules, who in a symbolic sense, flies wherever I want to fly (I do acknowledge a Divinity greater than myself). Sure, that cankerous and deceitful desire would be something to fight off. But there is something deeper and slightly purer than the desire for self-exaltation (I think). I can't yet pin point it.

Are my desires for superpowers, as Alfred Adler would put it, just trying to compensate, just trying to some how transcend the fact that I was poor, picked on and psychologically punished growing up? Am I trying to become superman just so I can fight off the incessant and nagging claws of inferiority and low self-esteem that have sunk deep into my sick soul?

Is my desire to be superman just the curse of being a man? Is it an un/natural bent for most men to want to turn their power to initiate into a raw desire for power? Do my superpowers want to be exhibited through my professional status, how much money I make, my plethora of degrees, sexual conquests, and so on as Leanne Payne talks about? Once again, am I living out of a "locus of an inferiority neurosis" (Payne, The Healing Presence).

But I really do want to fly. I really want to move objects with my mind (I actually tried to do that with a few pencils and cups before but it didn't work, but I will keep trying). My desire is not for power, status, money or all that other illusory or material nonsense. I really want to be superman or superhuman but the question still remains, why? I am still not sure. Maybe I long be a super hero in an epic battle who wants to live out of a very LARGE metanarrative? Maybe like John Eldredge says, I am a man who has three over arching desires: a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue" (Eldredge, Wild At Heart). Maybe it is not the world in whose attention I wish to draw upon my superpowers and super deeds but maybe a Princess. Maybe it is her eyes in which I wish to be found a super hero?

I always wonder why I am fascinated by epic movies with super heroes and super villains, good verses evil. Why is it that the The Lord of The Rings, Superman, The Matrix, Unbreakable, The X-Men, and other movies always make an indelible impression on me? I long to be a small hobbit or computer geek turned into someone with whom the destiny of the world rests upon my shoulders, or do I (probably not)? Or maybe I desire super powers to transcend my inability to please my father within the feeble, frail and fractured flesh in which I inhabit? Could it be that I want to save the world so that I can finally hear my dad say, "I love you Mark and I am proud of you"?

Why do I want to be Superman if I know that it is impossible? Well, I have no idea, I just do. Maybe I do have an idea but if I found the answer (or acknowledged it) then I would stop wanting to be Superman. I realize (maybe in my preconscious) that in reality I can never fly, rescue countries from impending missiles, or move objects with my mind. For now being in the Matrix and having these fantasies satisfies a desire that I have. Sure it is not real (like the steak that Cypher ate in the Matrix) but as Cypher said, "Ignorance is Bliss".