Book Review.
Dawn, Marva J. Being Well When We’re Ill. Wholeness and hope in spite of infirmity. Augsburg Books. 2008.
M.J.D.- is a theologian and educator with Christians Equipped for Ministry of Vancouver, Washington.
Comment. Henry.
Marva addresses this topic of ‘being well while being ill’ from her own personal experience. This gives the book a high level of authenticity. It will be a real source of encouragement to those who are dealing with severe disabilities and a helpful support for those who are ministering to people with disabilities and illness.
“Emotional, intellectual and spiritual wholeness don’t require physical wellness.” (7) How to deal with difficult disabilities in life is modeled for us by the psalmists. Our specific circumstance must be viewed through “God’s larger story”. (21) Doing this will help us with the tension that is part of what we feel (the heart) and what we know (truth).
There is a difference between reality and truth. “Reality is what we notice on the surface- what we feel and see. Truth is much larger. It encompasses everything that genuinely is going on.” (29) Scripture stresses knowing much more than feeling. This may involve changing from asking the question ’Why?’ to asking the question ‘What or Where?’ i.e. “What is God doing in the midst of this?” (42) Lament is acceptable and therapeutic. There are many laments in the Psalms.
When it comes to unacceptable responses to difficulties the book of Job deals with the temptation of retribution and other bad theological ideas. An unbalanced focus on our infirmity reduces our view of God and his power to provide. Part of God’s loving training sometimes includes the discipline of infirmity and tribulation.
Affliction is alleviated by the support of a loving community. The options to relieve physical pain are valid. In our culture that worships productivity those who are incapacitated by infirmities deal with an added stress. “They also serve who only stand and wait.” (John Milton.)
What leads us to wholeness in spite of our infirmities is ‘discovering that our lives are gathered and hidden with Christ in God’. ( Marko Rupnik)” (257) Total wellness is part of eternal hope.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Myth of a Christian Religion.
Boyd, Gregory A. The Myth of a Christian Religion. Losing your religion for the beauty of a revolution. Zondervan. 2009.
G.B.- founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Book Review.
Comment. Henry.
This is not a book I would be drawn to by the title. Typical of authors, Greg works from definitions and meanings that are unique to his paradigm. It becomes quite obvious what he is against and this is his approach to explain what he understands as ‘Biblical Christianity”.
Obeying what Jesus commanded and living the life that he modelled is what “Christian” is all about. There is no earthly ‘kingdom’ that remotely looks like the Kingdom of God. In fact there can be no blending of the two, e.g. Constantine’s and Christianity. “Those who had previously understood that their job was to serve the world now aspired to rule it.” (25) Deviations from Kingdom of God living are really various forms of idolatry and Jesus has provided ‘a way of escape’ from those temptations.
“The main opposition to advancing the Kingdom of God in our own day comes from contemporary guardians of the religious status quo.” (59) Religion is a form of idolatry. Individualism as championed by ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ is not characteristic of Kingdom living. “Idolatrous nationalism” (83) becomes another value that we need to ‘revolt’ against.
And so the list of those values that the author is on a crusade of revolution against is delineated. Violence in the form of violent thoughts and actions, especially war, must go. Note: Although I consider myself firmly in the camp of the pacifists, I am afraid war(s) is inevitable because of the nature of humanity. We need to revolt against social oppression, racism, poverty and greed, abuse of creation, abuse of sex, and secularism. No doubt this not an exhaustive list.
The author provides a forty two page “What can we do? An action guide.” To accommodate those who would like to use this resource as a manual for Christian living.
G.B.- founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Book Review.
Comment. Henry.
This is not a book I would be drawn to by the title. Typical of authors, Greg works from definitions and meanings that are unique to his paradigm. It becomes quite obvious what he is against and this is his approach to explain what he understands as ‘Biblical Christianity”.
Obeying what Jesus commanded and living the life that he modelled is what “Christian” is all about. There is no earthly ‘kingdom’ that remotely looks like the Kingdom of God. In fact there can be no blending of the two, e.g. Constantine’s and Christianity. “Those who had previously understood that their job was to serve the world now aspired to rule it.” (25) Deviations from Kingdom of God living are really various forms of idolatry and Jesus has provided ‘a way of escape’ from those temptations.
“The main opposition to advancing the Kingdom of God in our own day comes from contemporary guardians of the religious status quo.” (59) Religion is a form of idolatry. Individualism as championed by ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ is not characteristic of Kingdom living. “Idolatrous nationalism” (83) becomes another value that we need to ‘revolt’ against.
And so the list of those values that the author is on a crusade of revolution against is delineated. Violence in the form of violent thoughts and actions, especially war, must go. Note: Although I consider myself firmly in the camp of the pacifists, I am afraid war(s) is inevitable because of the nature of humanity. We need to revolt against social oppression, racism, poverty and greed, abuse of creation, abuse of sex, and secularism. No doubt this not an exhaustive list.
The author provides a forty two page “What can we do? An action guide.” To accommodate those who would like to use this resource as a manual for Christian living.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Spiritual Writings
Book Review.
Kierkegaard, Soren. Spiritual Writings. A new translation and selection by George Pattison. Harper Collins Pub. 2010.
G.P.- Professor of Divinity at University of Oxford and a canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
Comment. Henry.
I have run into many quotes by Kierkegaard in my reading. This is my first opportunity to read his writing (translation). It has been an inspiring read. His exposition of Scripture is stimulating and thought provoking. I was chatting with a Danish friend of mine who told of the influence Kierkegaard had in his native Denmark. It was marked by a high level of controversy.
The thirty two pages of introduction are helpful in understanding where Soren was coming from in his writings.
Part One- is Soren’s exposition of James 1; 17; “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from fro the Father of the heavenly lights, “. The acceptance of the truth of these words requires faith. The reality of life more often than not seems to focus on the absence of such gifts. What makes gifts good is the origin of those gifts, i.e. God the Father. Paul declares; All God’s creatures are good when they are received with gratitude and repentance. (Romans 8:28) The “good” is not removed (destroyed) by doubt. Doubt can destabilize life. There is “false doubt and saving doubt”. (37) The exhortation is to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Seeking and responding to the benefactor of a gift (that comes from above) is part of finding God. Equality between gift and giver happens when each considers themselves “lowlier than the gift”. (59)
Part Two- Soren deals with Mt. 6:24-34. From the lily we learn the importance of ‘being’. “Dependence on God is the only independence.” (111) The lily can be our ‘divine distraction’ from anxiety. The lily is a reminder that we are made in the image of God. Anxiety is all about our focus on “the next day”. (153) The lilies and the birds have no such stress. We need to practice “give us this day”. Being of two minds produces anxiety. Seeking the Kingdom of God begins with becoming silent. Such silence is the environment for obedience which results in joy.
Part Three- is all about love. “Love hides a multitude of sins.” (230) In that sense it is blind yet it is never deceived. Sorrow over sin is a rare thing. Our example is the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. Jesus declared that she loved much. “One who forgiven little loves little.” (Mt. 11:28) Indeed, love does hide a multitude of sins!
Kierkegaard, Soren. Spiritual Writings. A new translation and selection by George Pattison. Harper Collins Pub. 2010.
G.P.- Professor of Divinity at University of Oxford and a canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
Comment. Henry.
I have run into many quotes by Kierkegaard in my reading. This is my first opportunity to read his writing (translation). It has been an inspiring read. His exposition of Scripture is stimulating and thought provoking. I was chatting with a Danish friend of mine who told of the influence Kierkegaard had in his native Denmark. It was marked by a high level of controversy.
The thirty two pages of introduction are helpful in understanding where Soren was coming from in his writings.
Part One- is Soren’s exposition of James 1; 17; “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from fro the Father of the heavenly lights, “. The acceptance of the truth of these words requires faith. The reality of life more often than not seems to focus on the absence of such gifts. What makes gifts good is the origin of those gifts, i.e. God the Father. Paul declares; All God’s creatures are good when they are received with gratitude and repentance. (Romans 8:28) The “good” is not removed (destroyed) by doubt. Doubt can destabilize life. There is “false doubt and saving doubt”. (37) The exhortation is to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Seeking and responding to the benefactor of a gift (that comes from above) is part of finding God. Equality between gift and giver happens when each considers themselves “lowlier than the gift”. (59)
Part Two- Soren deals with Mt. 6:24-34. From the lily we learn the importance of ‘being’. “Dependence on God is the only independence.” (111) The lily can be our ‘divine distraction’ from anxiety. The lily is a reminder that we are made in the image of God. Anxiety is all about our focus on “the next day”. (153) The lilies and the birds have no such stress. We need to practice “give us this day”. Being of two minds produces anxiety. Seeking the Kingdom of God begins with becoming silent. Such silence is the environment for obedience which results in joy.
Part Three- is all about love. “Love hides a multitude of sins.” (230) In that sense it is blind yet it is never deceived. Sorrow over sin is a rare thing. Our example is the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. Jesus declared that she loved much. “One who forgiven little loves little.” (Mt. 11:28) Indeed, love does hide a multitude of sins!
Friday, November 4, 2011
The Astonished Heart
Book Review.
Capon, Robert Farrar. The Astonished Heart. Reclaiming the Good News from the Lost-and-Found of Church History. Wm. B. Erdman Pub. Co. 1996.
R.C. - is an Episcopal priest and author.
Comment. Henry.
The humor of this author is a delightful distraction as he deals with a lot of not so humorous material. Robert’s focus on Church History is by and large not on the positive elements of the various phases of the Church’s history. The primary characteristics of that church have been its status as an institution and its religion. Neither one of these reflect the Gospel of Jesus Christ which has always ‘astonished the heart’. Robert’s assessment of the ‘problem’ is well taken. His solution is presented in theory but not with a lot of contemporary examples and a doable ‘game plan’. His humor reminds me of an old song title, “Just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down”.
There is a huge difference between the Gospel and religion. The church “is not an institution; it is a community- entrusted with the proclamation of an astonishing catholic salvation”. (2) The Reformation’s influence on Christendom was the rise of “mini-Christendoms all over Europe”. (6) When the Christendom model of the church died in the nineteenth century it was replace by the corporate model (in America).
It matters not which camp we are in, either extreme (liberal-conservative) or the middle; we have all missed to some extent the proclamation of the Gospel as centred in the message of Christ. “The heart of Christian astonishment is the mindboggling goodness of the Good News- the sheer fun of the Gospel is the other side of the coin of our astonishment.” (16)
The development of Judaism as an institution happened during three distinct periods (and beyond); the wilderness period, the excilic period and the monarchical period. The temple and its replacement the synagogue were part of this development. The Jerusalem church in its establishment and development was built on these models. Even the name ‘church’ was the name that stuck when other names such as the brethren, the disciples, etc. were being used. Something that characterized the ‘family of God’ from Abraham’s time and on is its catholicity. “The church is a sacrament” (42)
One of the changes of the church during the Greco-Roman times was that it became predominantly Gentile. It also became increasingly an institution and a religion. “Christianity as a religion is always at odds with the Gospel.” (56)
The passing of the Edict of Toleration (337 ad.) by Constantine marked the beginning of Christendom. The Reformation brought in mini-Christendoms. By the nineteenth century we have the development of “religious corporations”. (76) A consideration of all present day models of church comes to the conclusion that any future model that is going to work will have to involve the ‘death and resurrection’ of all present models. This is a very high ‘standard. A future “new form of the church must always be; sufficiently unacceptable to the world and non-religious”. (105) Robert makes the suggestion that the model that might work (for the church) is the Alcoholics Anonymous model.
Capon, Robert Farrar. The Astonished Heart. Reclaiming the Good News from the Lost-and-Found of Church History. Wm. B. Erdman Pub. Co. 1996.
R.C. - is an Episcopal priest and author.
Comment. Henry.
The humor of this author is a delightful distraction as he deals with a lot of not so humorous material. Robert’s focus on Church History is by and large not on the positive elements of the various phases of the Church’s history. The primary characteristics of that church have been its status as an institution and its religion. Neither one of these reflect the Gospel of Jesus Christ which has always ‘astonished the heart’. Robert’s assessment of the ‘problem’ is well taken. His solution is presented in theory but not with a lot of contemporary examples and a doable ‘game plan’. His humor reminds me of an old song title, “Just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down”.
There is a huge difference between the Gospel and religion. The church “is not an institution; it is a community- entrusted with the proclamation of an astonishing catholic salvation”. (2) The Reformation’s influence on Christendom was the rise of “mini-Christendoms all over Europe”. (6) When the Christendom model of the church died in the nineteenth century it was replace by the corporate model (in America).
It matters not which camp we are in, either extreme (liberal-conservative) or the middle; we have all missed to some extent the proclamation of the Gospel as centred in the message of Christ. “The heart of Christian astonishment is the mindboggling goodness of the Good News- the sheer fun of the Gospel is the other side of the coin of our astonishment.” (16)
The development of Judaism as an institution happened during three distinct periods (and beyond); the wilderness period, the excilic period and the monarchical period. The temple and its replacement the synagogue were part of this development. The Jerusalem church in its establishment and development was built on these models. Even the name ‘church’ was the name that stuck when other names such as the brethren, the disciples, etc. were being used. Something that characterized the ‘family of God’ from Abraham’s time and on is its catholicity. “The church is a sacrament” (42)
One of the changes of the church during the Greco-Roman times was that it became predominantly Gentile. It also became increasingly an institution and a religion. “Christianity as a religion is always at odds with the Gospel.” (56)
The passing of the Edict of Toleration (337 ad.) by Constantine marked the beginning of Christendom. The Reformation brought in mini-Christendoms. By the nineteenth century we have the development of “religious corporations”. (76) A consideration of all present day models of church comes to the conclusion that any future model that is going to work will have to involve the ‘death and resurrection’ of all present models. This is a very high ‘standard. A future “new form of the church must always be; sufficiently unacceptable to the world and non-religious”. (105) Robert makes the suggestion that the model that might work (for the church) is the Alcoholics Anonymous model.
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