The Old Man And The Sea

Book Review.

Hemingway, Ernest.  The Old Man And The Sea.  Charles Scriber’s Sons Pub.  1952.

Comment. Henry.

A (retired) friend loaned me his copy of this book that he had as a text book in his high school days.  I enjoyed reading this classic.  The struggle of the old fisherman to do one more fishing excursion (by himself) to catch the really big fish makes for a pleasant reading experience.  The fact that he lost the fish to predators on his way back to shore does not take away from his accomplishment as a fisherman.  His relationship with “the boy” adds a meaningful cross-generational element to the novel.  Hemingway is an author that I have added to my book-search hobby.

henrydirksen.blogspot.com

The Long Ride

Book Review.

Tyson, Ian.  The Long Trail.  My life in the West.  Random House Canada (Pub.) 2010.

I.T.-  One of North America’s most respected singer-songwriters.  A recipient of the Order of Canada.  A legitimate working cowboy with cowboy skills.

Comment.  Henry.

As a kid and teen-ager I loved books about cowboys and I loved cowboy songs.  As an adult may reading and music tastes changed.  I have no memory of the music of this ‘famous’ cowboy, Ian Tyson.  When I saw this biography on the library shelf I had to read it ‘for old times’ sake’.

Ian’s story is typical of those who seek for fulfillment and meaning in the life they have been given.  His story is unique because he was a working singing cowboy.  His life style is also considered typical as a tough hard living cowboy.  (There actually were, are, Christian cowboys also.)    It would probably be fair to say that Ian is a self-made man.  Unfortunately as so often happens, self-made men tend to worship their creators.  

Ian’s life reflects the wholesomeness of a strong work ethic and a commitment to doing what he knows to be right.  He exemplifies how a relatively small amount of talent can be maximized through hard work. 

Ian sums up his philosophy of life as follows.  “Life is a series of mistakes and corrections.  The best you can do is honor the truth.  That sounds easy, but it isn’t.  We all have different interpretations of the truth and we all mould truth to suit our needs. It’s part of the human condition.”

The Bond

What's Next.

I Am A Hutterite.

Book Review. Kirby, Mary Ann. I Am Hutterite. The fascinating story of a young woman’s journey to reclaim her heritage. Thomas Nelson. 2010. Comment. Henry. Hutterites represent a very small and very interesting minority group in Canada and the U.S. Their culture is based on religious convictions that originated with one Jacob Hutter, an Austrian hatmaker of the sixteenth century. In 1528 he led a fledgling group of Anabaptists to a new kind of Christian community. In 1536 he was burned at the stake. After his martyrdom his followers became ‘refugees’ that took them on a four hundred year journey (flight). In 1874 they arrived in New York with the resolve to pool their resources and start over. Their distinctive when compared to other community groups (Amish and Mennonite) is their common ownership of goods. As Mary Ann reminisces about her childhood years on the colony in southern Manitoba we get a good look at the positives of colony life. When her family left the colony her world experienced a serious collapse. Life was difficult as she faced prejudice of many kinds. Family life as she had experienced it was turned upside down. To her the ‘cost of freedom’ was too high. It was only in adulthood that she began to appreciate the reasons behind her parent’s decision to pay the price of freedom in exchange for security of colony life. This is a great historical resource and also a warm biographical story. According to the “Award jury, SASK Book Awards: This (story) has the makings of a prairie classic.”

Sacrilege.

Book Review. Halter, Hugh. Sacrilege. Finding life in the unorthodox ways of Jesus. Baker Books. 2011. Comment. Henry. I see this book as a sequel to “The Tangible Kingdom”. Using the text of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Hugh describes what he understands to be an application of those teachings to today’s Christian living. He gives his own definition to the ‘sacrilege’ to make it fit a description of how Jesus impacted the religious community of his day. Similarly we need to be prepared to become ‘sacrilegious’ in our witness if we hope to be effective in our culture. “Sacrilege is about removing religion from our faith.” (32) “What you believe about who Jesus is will be the most important thing affecting who you become, what you do, and how much you experience the living God.” (39) The author prefers the term “apprenticeship” (49) to the term discipleship when it comes to being a follower of Jesus. It is all about becoming like Jesus. Listening and obeying are more important than learning and teaching. Incarnational communities (villages) should be the focus of church life rather than small groups. The witness of a message through a life is more effective than the preaching of a sermon. A ‘hunger for righteousness’ will not be satisfied by doing religious things, but by being involved in meeting the needs of needy people in your life and community. Communion (Eucharist) is not only for those who ‘have it all together’ but for those who are stumbling ‘learners on the journey’. Bringing peace (shalom) to the lives of needy people in our ‘world’ should be the goal of our church programs and activities. Sacred space can happen anywhere when we faithfully strive to be ‘salt and light’ in the part of the world we find ourselves in. The choice to “jump into the pool of the kingdom- will be the most exhilarating, heart-expanding, heartbreaking, life-on-the-edge choice you will ever make”. (220)

The Grand Weaver.

Book Review. Zacharias, Ravi. The Grand Weaver. How God shapes us through the events of our lives. Zondervan. 2007. Comment. Henry. Here is a book from a man who has over the years become a very effective ‘apologist’ of the gospel. This book however focuses on the reality of how God works in our lives to produce something beautiful and honoring to Him. He talks about our DNA, our disappointments, our calling, our morality, our spirituality, our worship and our destiny and shows how these ‘threads’ in our lives are woven together in a very personal, God-honoring tapestry of life.. This becomes a great source of encouragement. Intro. - “To allow God to be God we must follow him for who he is and what he intends, and not for what we want or what we prefer.” Our DNA is God’s imprint on our lives. It is evidence that God made us for Himself. The pattern and plan of our lives becomes visible as we consider our “hearts, our minds and the cross”. (51) Fundamental to the calling of God in our lives is the teaching that we are really ‘temples of the living God’. Our bodies are sacred. “Morality is the fruit of your knowledge of God, conscious or otherwise. ”Traditionalism, legalism, and spirituality” (96) are challenged by Jesus. Our will plays a crucial part in our attempts to do God’s will. The liturgy of worship is made up of five elements; “the Lord’s Supper, teaching, prayer, praise and giving”. (140-148) “The mystery of worship will always remain, but the majesty of worship will triumph.” (152) As Christ-followers we have the assurance of a magnificent destiny with Christ in a place prepared for us. henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Desiring The Kingdom

Book Review. Smith, James K.A. Desiring The Kingdom. Worship, Worldview, And Cultural Formation. Baker Academic. 2009. J.S.- Associate professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of congregational and ministry studies at Calvin College. Comment. Henry. The focus in this resource is the ‘reshaping of Christian education’. It suggests a paradigm shift from an emphasis on information, i.e. a Christian world view, to a goal of transformation that reflects sound discipleship that is expressed in worship and a desiring of God’s kingdom. This book has an appeal to the academic. Intro. “What if education wasn’t first and foremost about what we know, but about what we love?” (18) “Liturgies (a synonym for worship) –whether ‘sacred’ or ‘secular’- shape and constitute our identities by forming our most fundamental desires and are our most basic atonement of the world.” (25) “We are- loving, desiring, affective liturgical thinkers or cognitive machines.” “We pray before we believe, we worship before we know- we worship in order to know.” (34) “Behind every pedagogy is a philosophical anthropology.” (37) A person as a lover model” (62) is an alternative to a person as a thinker and/or believer. Liturgies (in a broad sense) can be found in both religious and secular rituals, e.g. “the mall’s liturgy”. (98) Other sources of liturgy are military nationalism, entertainment, sports and even the cinema. The author does “an exegesis of the social imaginary embedded in Christian worship”. (155) He imagines that we are Martian anthropologists being exposed to Christian worship for the first time. This exegesis covers topics such as a call to worship, greetings, song, confession, baptism, creed, scripture and sermon, Eucharist, and offering. In the final chapter the author proceeds to “sketch what Christian education could or should look like if we are liturgical animals”. (216) He calls into question the value of a Christian world view in a ‘Christian school’ that is the key to Christian education. “Christian education has been concerned with information rather than formation.” (219) The goal of Christian education “is the same as the goal of Christian worship: to form radical disciples of Jesus and citizens of the baptismal city who, communally, take up the creational task of being God’s image bearers, unfolding the cultural possibilities latent in creation- but doing so as empowered by the Spirit, following the example of Jesus’s cruciform cultural labor”. (220) This involves “reconnecting church, chapel, and classroom”. (223) henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Book Review. Galli, Mark. Chaos and Grace. Discovering the liberating work of the Holy Spirit. Baker Books. 2011. M.G.- senior managing editor of Christianity Today. Comment. Henry. Mark has taken on a topic that has always, it seems, been surrounded with confusion, controversy, and disrupting interpretations. He clearly demonstrates that historically the Holy Spirit and His work have always been accompanied with a high level of ‘chaos’. In a culture that ‘worships’ control and order this characteristic of the Holy Spirit is not welcome, in fact, it is vigorously rejected. Herein lays a very real hindrance for the development of the church’s effectiveness and impact in a needy world. Readers can expect this book to be ‘disturbing, upsetting, and disrupting’. “Christ has come to offer us- the most unsettling gift imaginable (the Holy Spirit), for this is the gift that brings both grace and chaos.” (Intro) There is no provision made in the gospel for the tolerance of religion. “It’s about the Holy Spirit introducing holy chaos.” (31) Worship is much more than “mere religious edification”. (32) Creation, as the work of the Holy Spirit, is described as a “eucatastrophe, a good catastrophe’. (38) The fall of man and its consequences is the second eucatastrphe. The story of humanity is an “ongoing saga of humankind’s addiction to order and control- and the divine response of judgment and mercy.” (53) e.g. Abram. The stories of the Old Testament consistently tell “of a God who offers the freedom of obedience to a people addicted to control.” (62) The book of Acts is full of chaos produced by the Holy Spirit. Liberation is God’s work and it begins with tension and chaos, e.g. Moses. Freedom is all about obedience. The life of freedom must be characterized by a movement from the horizontal to the vertical, from justice to grace, etc. “Resurrection (eternal life0 without the crucifixion (death) is empty optimism.” (133) Our culture is in denial when it comes to preparing for and facing death. Churches place a higher value on marketing than witnessing. Instead of focusing on management the emphasis should be on being managed by the Holy Spirit, e.g. Philip and his witness to the Ethiopian Eunuch. The fear of embarrassment and shame will prevent us from obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Our Utopian view of the New Testament church (when things were done right) creates problems for the acceptance of a much less Utopian church of our personal experience. “You cannot have a dynamic relationship with the liberating Spirit without there being questions, confusions, excesses, and mistakes- chaos.” (184) A transforming work of the Holy Spirit, however, can be our experience of faith. henrydirksen.blogspot.com.

God Is Here.

Book Review.
Case, Steve. God Is Here. Connecting with Him in everyday life. Relevant Media Group. 2005.
S.C.- author, pastor. Lives in Florida.
Comment. Henry.
Steve does a “commentary” on Brother Lawrence’s book, ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’. There are many practical truths presented that are helpful in having an ongoing (daily, hourly,) relationship with God. Brother Lawrence lived out such a life and was effective in teaching others about that life through his writings. Steve applies those writings to life in our present day culture.
Born in 1611, in Hermenil, France, Brother Lawrence became a Carmelite monk. He worked in the kitchen of his monastery with pots and pans. “Rich and poor, old and young, educated and simple- all found that a conversation with Brother Lawrence was most rewarding.” (9)
“Acquiring a spiritual life is all about recognizing God, making time for God, admitting shortcomings to god, and understanding that God is here.” (35) “God is in all things.” (50) Brother Lawrence explained the union of the soul with God as existing in three degrees,” general, virtual, and actual”. (60-62) He suggested seven steps that were part of acquiring the presence of God.
“The whole substance of religion was faith, hope and charity, by the practice of which we become united to the will of God.” Br. Lawrence. Remaining focused at all times (in prayer) takes practice.
“Think and thank.” (152) The practice of the presence of God requires attention and focus. Our heart is where our treasure is.
“All things are possible to him who believes, they are less difficult to him who hopes, they are more easy to him who loves and still more easy to him who perseveres in the practice of these three virtues. -Brother Lawrence.

They Smell Like Sheep.

Book Review.
Anderson, Lynn. They Smell Like Sheep. Leading with a heart of a shepherd. Howard Books. 2007.
L.A.- president of Hope Network. Lynn has been in ministry for thirty five years.
Comment. Henry.
The analogy of the shepherd and the sheep is a classical illustration in Scripture to demonstrate servant leadership. Christ referred to himself as the Good Shepherd. There are many lessons and principles taught in this analogy. A concern that I have had in processing lessons from this analogy has to do with the reality that the ‘shepherd’ (spiritual leader) is also a sheep and therefore has needs that need ‘shepherding’. There tends to be view of shepherds as a group that considers themselves apart from the sheep. This all has to do with servant leadership. When the author puts the heart at the centre of effective shepherding he identifies the key of the topic.
Shepherd leadership is all about the heart. “God’s glory is the object of, the motive for, and the measure of ministry.” (25) Jesus modelled such ministry. Not all can lead but all can pray. Prayer releases the Holy Spirit for ministry. Pray the Psalms.
Faith develops through stages; infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, aka, “experienced, affiliative, searching, and owned”. (58) This journey of faith comes at a price. The standards of holiness cannot be violated without consequence. Accountability, transparency, and reflection are marks of purity.
“It’s all about people.” (95) Shepherds must have a priority for needy sheep (people). This calls for serious feeding on the Word, for sheep and shepherd. A loving heart is a serving heart. A serving heart is often a broken heart. In our change driven culture seniors and their contributions often becomes a casualty.
We live in a world that is dominated by the “rational, informational, and linear/sequential” (181) Many other good and necessary things, mystery, majesty, etc., are being crowded out. ‘Shepherding’ is indeed a noble calling.
henrydirksen.blogspot.com

What The Gospels Meant.

Book Review.
Wills, Garry. What The Gospels Meant. Viking (Penguin Group) 2008.
G.W.- professor of history emeritus at Northwestern University.
Comment. Henry.
This is fine scholarly treatment of the Gospels. It would be an invaluable commentary resource for expository preaching of the Gospels.
Gospel of Mark.
This is the first Gospel (chronologically) “setting the pattern for the others”. (12) Mark speaks of persecution and betrayal. Jesus’ own family turned on him. There are hints about when the persecution of “Mark’s people” (29) took place. Mark affirms that Jesus is the Messiah. He points out parallels between Moses leading Israel in their Exodus and Jesus and his leadership of the disciples and others who followed him. The persecution of Mark’s people was caused by their insistence that Jesus was in fact the Messiah. Mark’s writings are full of “intercalations” (49), insertions (interruptions) in his stories. E.g. The story of Jairsus’ daughter is interrupted by the story of the woman with the issue of blood.
Gospel of Matthew.
Both Matthew and Luke were written after the destruction of the Temple. Matthew “collects the sayings of Jesus in five large discourses”. (58) Matthew and Luke did not know each other. Their accounts of Jesus’ birth are quite different. “The birth narratives are far from feel-good (Christmas) stories.” (63) Wills suggests that the term “virginal conception” (68) describes the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14.Matthew makes some unique comments regarding the death and resurrection.
The Gospel of Luke.
Luke is “the most humane of the evangelists”. (110) Luke’s record of the Nativity is the most popular one. “Luke’s is the Gospel most interested in liturgical matters.” (127) Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” (133) is compared to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Luke gives women greater attention than the other evangelists do.
The Gospel of John.
There are some controversies suggested about the (multiple ) authorship of this Gospel. John is considered the theologian. Jesus’ focus on the “inner life” (169) is illustrated by the stories of Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the adulteress, and Lazarus. The term “Beloved Disciple” is expounded. The last days of Jesus life demonstrate his humility as he rides on a donkey, the symbol of humility, and how he serves during the Last Supper. The person and place of “the Beloved Disciple” (192) are discussed.
The four Gospels “give us four different takes on the central mystery”. (207) Credit is given to Raymond Brown for his scholarly contributions to this study of the Gospels.

Peace Shall Destroy Many

Book Review.
Wiebe, Rudy. Peace Shall Destroy Many. (A novel) McClelland & Stewart Inc. 1962.
Comment. Henry.
Being of the same ‘vintage’ and having been brought up under very similar circumstances I read this novel with great interest and empathy. I was impressed with the courage that it would have taken for Rudy to be so forthright with his assessments of some very serious problems surrounding so many Mennonite immigrants as they sought to establish their lifestyle along with their religious convictions in their adopted land of Canada. I can only imagine the reviews this novel would have received in the “Mennonite Harald”.
This is Rudy’s first novel and it is about religious intolerance and the problems that can be caused by rigid adherence to traditions of non-violence. In 1944, the time frame of this story, Canada was very involved in WW11 and the position of non-violence of the Mennonites was being tested. There were three options for Mennonite young men who received their ‘conscription’ letters. They could report for duty as a regular soldier, they could join the non-combatant ‘medical core’ of the army, or they could request exemption from military service as a ‘conscientious objector’. (My oldest brother was in the third group.) For the religious leaders of the church the third option was the only acceptable choice.
Within the Mennonite community of “Speedwell”, Saskatchewan, the non-violence issue became an issue of family relationships. It surrounded not only physical violence but also emotional violence. This theme touches most of the characters in our story. It is here where the destruction was most devastating.
To the Mennonites their German language was a crucial part of their tradition and for that matter their survival as a religious community. The language was their most effective response to the Scriptural exhortation to be separated from the world. It became a real obstacle for proper integration as immigrants and discredited those who tried to evangelize non-Germans in the community.
I look forward to getting my hands on more books written by this ‘newly discovered’ author.
henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Travel as a Political Act.

Book Review.
Steves, Rick. Travel as a Political Act. Nation Books. 2009.
R.S.- Rick is a travel writer who does travel guide books, leads tour groups, and does TV shows about travel. He is a committed activist. He received the Wittenberg Award in 2007 for his social activism.
Comment. Henry.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Mark Twain. Steve has written this book that I think is an in depth commentary on that quote. He shows great courage in his conclusions which very much reflect his personal ‘prejudice’. He takes the wonderful privilege of travel and tourism to a totally different level from what it is traditionally viewed as. This kind of travel is definitely educational and probably life changing. A very thought provoking resource. Note: I wonder what Rick would have to say about ‘missions tours and short term missions trips’?
The motivation for travel must be beyond leisure and curiosity. Genuine learning and legitimate advocacy only happen with hard work and diligent preparedness. “Choose to travel on purpose. Connect with people. Overcome fear. Get beyond your comfort zone. Choose to be challenged.” Such goals will have life-changing effects and are what ‘travel as a political act’ is all about.
Visits in the countries of former Yugoslavia revealed people groups that demonstrated tremendous efforts of rebounding from the devastating wars of the mid- 90s. “I see the value of history in understanding our travels, and the value of travel in understanding our history.” (45)
The countries of the European Union are examined as a total unit and comparisons are made with America. These contrasts focus on life style and how socialism has impacted these countries. Europeans tolerate big government and high taxes because they want a higher quality of life, the rewards of socialism. Tolerance prevents the legislation of morality.
The author’s travel in San Salvador becomes a rehearsal of history that does not reflect well on the arrival of Columbus and how that began a process that affected the people adversely. Some interesting comments are made about globalization.
Rick’s report on his travel in Denmark is really very idyllic. He is quite taken with the people’s “dedication to their social contract”. (125) They are “highly taxed but highly content”. (113)
Turkey, like so many other developing countries, is dealing with powerful forces of change while attempting to remain the same. Understanding Islam is crucial to appreciating people of Muslim countries. The greatest problem in East-West relationships is fear, on both sides. “Islam is as varied culturally as Christendom.” (143)
“Europe is not hard on drugs or soft on drugs but smart on drugs.” (149)
In 2008 Rick did a twelve day TV shoot in Iran. As is his priority, his focus was the people. The politics were not ignored but certainly not emphasized. This event takes travel as a political act to another level.
henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Jesus, My Father, the Cia, and Me

Book Review.
Cron, Ian Morgan. Jesus. My Father, The CIA, and Me. A memoir of sorts. Thomas Nelson. 2011.
I.C.- an Episcopal priest, speaker, and acclaimed author.
Comment. Henry.
It just so happens (co-incidence) that the last two books I read were biographies (memoirs). The stories, however, are quite different. Rudy talked about his growing up years in a Christian, Anabaptist family with a solid family environment. Ian’s family was nominally Catholic with a limited religious influence. His father was an alcoholic and this brought ongoing tension to the family atmosphere. Both stories are well written and are filled with valuable life lessons.
Ian experienced some very meaningful spiritual moments as a young boy when he served as an altar boy and experienced his first Communion. The alcoholism of his father cast a huge shadow over Ian’s life.
The involvement of Ian’s father with the CIA was always a great mystery to Ian and added actual stress to the family relationship. His mother was able to provide for the family when the father became unemployable. Miraculously the family did not disintegrate through all these challenges.
The journey that ended up for Ian as an Episcopal priest makes for some very interesting reading. To borrow from some of the ‘endorsements’ of the book, this book is “a compelling story. You don’t read the book, it reads you, and it is a testimony of the unfinished business of grace.”
Enjoy!

Of This Earth.

Book Review.
Wiebe, Rudy. Of This Earth. A Mennonite boyhood in the boreal forest. Published by Alfred A. Knopf. Canada. 2006 Jackpine House Ltd.
R.W.-widely published internationally and winner of numerous awards, including two Governor General’s Literary Awards for bestselling novels. An Officer of the Order of Canada.
Comment. Henry.
I read this ‘memoir’ with great personal interest. I am a few years older than Rudy. Where I was born and where my parents (family) attempted to make a living at farming was about 50 Km from where Rudy grew up. Although our family moved away from this area when I was only four, the similar circumstances were more than just coincidence. Apart from those special attractions of Rudy’s story, this is a very well written heart stirring piece of literature.
The 1920s was a decade during which many Mennonite families fled from their homes in Russia to escape the devastating communist strategies of Stalin. Our family arrived in 1926. In Canada many became ‘homesteaders’ in the boreal forests of northern Saskatchewan. Life was hard (harsh) but it provided something money could not buy, religious and personal freedom. Families in community characterized how these immigrants functioned. This was a relatively short space of time since most families relocated in various parts of the country within the next twenty years.
Not only did I find this book very interesting in as much that it speaks to part of my past, the life style of our family during my childhood, I am excited about discovering an author that will be part of my future reading.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians.

Book Review.
Bell, Rob. Colden, Don. Jesus Wants to Save Christians. A manifesto for the church in exile. Zondervan 2008.
Comment. Henry.
There is no question about the ‘Rob Bell flavor’ of this book. It is unapologetic and ‘in your face’. There is definitely a need for such a resource in our church culture. Perhaps a disclaimer would be in order here. ‘Let those who have ears to hear, hear.’
We are introduced to present condition of the Western church through a parallel between the insecurity that Cain faced as he was sent ‘east of Eden’ and the insecurity that characterizes so much of Western church culture. We are ‘east of Eden’.
The redemption story begins (in Exodus) with the declaration that God hears the cries of those in misery. “This is central to who God is.” (23) “Egypt is what happens when sin becomes structured and embedded in society.” (27) For people coming out of a long period of slavery “the Ten Commandments are a new way to be human”, (34) to be liberated. Jerusalem, under Solomon, was to be an example to the world about God’s justice and righteousness. Sheba got it. Where Solomon ‘screwed up’ was when he used forced labor (slavery) to build the symbol of justice and righteousness. That path led to exile (Babylon). Israel has come full circle (to Egypt). The harps that were once used to express joyous worship in the temple are now used to express ‘exile poetry’. “Weeping leads us to reconnect with God.” (53) God has an ultimate ‘exodus’ planned for all humanity from the ultimate oppressor. All things will be made new! A New Jerusalem. Isaiah describes it as “salvation that reaches the end of the earth”.
Those who experienced Jesus’ healing referred to him as the Son of David, and rightly so. In every sense the ultimate exodus will be all about healing, “a new marriage covenant”. (80) During the post-resurrection period of the early church we see the effects of this exodus as the gospel was spread ‘to the ends of the earth’, represented by Africa (the Ethiopian Eunuch) and Rome (Paul) and beyond.
We live in a part of the world that has a grossly distorted view of the needs of the world and our responsibility for those needs. This view is dominated by entitlement.
The original exodus (from Egypt) was symbolized by a significant sacrifice with a very visible display of blood. Its effect was horrendous, the death of the first-born. The final exodus is symbolized by another significant sacrifice, the death of God’s first-born. Our ongoing identification with this sacrifice is the truth demonstrated in our celebration of the Eucharist. “What the Eucharist does is particularise the exodus story in time and space.” (161) “When we do this in remembrance of Him the world will never be the same.” (181)

When the Game is over it all goes back in the Box.

Book Review.
Ortberg, John. When the Game is Over It all goes Back in the Box. Zondervan. 2007
Comment. Henry
When it comes to ‘user friendly’, ‘seeker friendly’ writing, John is a bit of a legend. My introduction to John’s books was the title catching book, “If You Want to Walk on Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat”. I picked up this book after I had finished reading the “Bonhoeffer” book, a totally different experience. It was during the reading of this book that I had a brand new personal experience. I had an electrical malfunction of my heart that landed me in hospital by ambulance and introduced me to a new ‘buddy’, a pace-maker. If all this sounds like a disclaimer, so be it. This is a very easy read however some of his illustrations and applications lacked validity and punch in my opinion. I am sure this opinion does not make John any less of a writer.
The game analogy for life is a biblical example and as such stands up well to scrutiny. Being a non-athletic person, the winning and losing part of athletic competition resonates less with me than it probably should. I do relate to the proper preparation and corresponding discipline(s) of the game. Being in the ‘race’ is not an option. We are all in (not just a pun).
The race involves rules and the sooner we acquaint ourselves with those rules and abide by them the better. A value system that does not reflect richness toward God will not support a valid race. It will be test continually, it is part of ‘score-keeping’. Remove hindrances (Paul’s idea). In this race there is ‘advantage’ in surrender (oxymoron?). No one can become your ‘designated runner’. Life values are continually being tested, e.g. value of stuff, regrets, rules of the game, gratitude, focus on mission.
The game of life certainly comes with hazards. “Beware of the shadow mission.” (169) Respect the ‘competition’. If you win alone you have lost. It is important to encourage as you compete. “Collect the right trophies.” (221)
Pardon the brevity of this review. I am sure that this resource has good practical value as a tool in a ‘craftsman’s’ hands.

Bonhoeffer, Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.

Book Review.
Metaxas, Eric. Bonhoeffer, Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Thomas Nelson. 2010.
E.M.- author, Writer for New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic Monthly. Cultural commentator. Founder and host of Socrates in the City.
Comment. Henry.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s contributions to the Christian community were primarily in the area of theology. In this resource we learn about his life as it was impacted by and contributed to Germany as a nation during a very turbulent time of its history. It was during this time that he was indeed at different times, a ‘pastor, martyr, prophet and spy’. The author has taken great pains to give clarity to Bonhoeffer’s life and activities that some have found problematic. This is a challenging, informative read.
Dietrich’s family, on both his father’s and mother’s side was upper-class. He and his twin sister were the second youngest of a family of eight children. His oldest brother was killed in WW1. His aspirations to become a theologian were not something that was expected by the rest of the family. His theological training involved travels to and educational involvement in Berlin University, Rome, as a pastor in Barcelona, and as a student in Union Seminary (New York)
With the installation of the “Fuhrer Principle” (148) Hitler became the chancellor of Germany and in short order “raw power ruled, and its only goal was to destroy all other power besides itself”. (149) Any resistance to this movement was considered treason and in particular Jews were targeted. Hitler was able to persuade the state church to support his national agenda. Dietrich was part of the “Confessing Church” (222) which was the official body of believers in Germany which did not support Hitler. One of Hitler’s goals was the nationalizing of Christianity as a Nazi religion under his control.
Dietrich’s work as a pastor took place in Germany but also in England with a short assignment in Barcelona. “His sermons were strong meat for parishioners used to a much lighter fare.” ( 202) He was very involved in the ecumenical of the day. Karl Barth was one of his associates in the crusade for the Confessing Church that produced the “Barmen Declaration” (222) in 1934. It was the official document of the German Evangelical Church.
I will not attempt to summarize or review Bonhoeffer’s theology or theological position accept to say he extreme in his opposition to anything having to do with Hitler’s murderous Nazism In fact he was prepared to become involved in violence (a conspiracy) to bring it to an end. He was against war but he was not a pacifist. The use of force was valid when battling evil.
Becoming a martyr was Bonhoeffer’s choice. He had several opportunities to legitimately leave Germany and continue his crusade against Hitler from abroad but this he felt was not God’s will for him. His experience demonstrated graphically the viciousness of the Third Reich. For many of his associates Bonhoeffer became a political ‘Blitzableiter’ (lightening rod). He was executed at Flossenurg on April 9, 1945. Three weeks later the Allies entered this area liberating others that were designated for execution.
There is much that has gone unmentioned in this review. For those interested in this topic I say, by all means read the book. It is among other things a heart wrenching story.
henrydirksen.blogspot.com

The Voice That Calls You Home.

Book Review.
Raynor, Andrea. The Voice That Calls You Home. Inspiration for life’s journeys. Atria Books. 2009
A.R.- a hospice Chaplin ordained with the Methodist denomination. Andrea is a cancer survivor. Has an M. Div. from Harvard Divinity School. She lives in Rye, New York.
Comment. Henry.
This a very touching and personal autobiography of Andrea’s experiences as a hospice Chaplin whose services included a lengthy stint serving a Ground 0 after the 9/11 disaster. Her personal experience as a cancer survivor gives added material about handling personal trauma. There is great ‘latitude of interpretation’ of how she believes God’s voice can and should be heard. She seems to have no problem with hearing God’s voice through séances and channelling and the more religiously accepted mediums of communicating with God. Such latitude would not be acceptable as evangelical. A helpful resource for anyone dealing with people who have terminal health experiences and/or their care-givers.
Quotes from Intro: “How do we hear God’s voice?” “It is never comforting to compare one person’s pain with someone else’s.” “God’s absence is only an illusion.”
Being in the presence of a dying soul is holy ground. Lack of wisdom and compassion can result in serious ‘miss-judgements’. Close care-givers (spouses) should always be given the opportunity to extent end of life services of love, e.g. initial preparation of body.
“The events that happen to us and those we love have no bearing on God’s love for us.” There are no easy answers for those who have lost loved ones. It is very possible that we will have a ‘chance’ meeting with God by meeting someone else’s need. Premonitions of impending death are not unusual.
Ten chapters are taken up with Andrea’s experiences as a Chaplin at Ground 0 after 9/11. These experiences are quite different from her normal ministry. They are attempts to give reverence and dignity to the remains of unidentified victims of a horrific tragedy. These were very difficult times with heart-rending stories.
“To walk with the dying is to glimpse what it means to go home.” (151)
Andrea’s family was into doing séances and communicating with the deceased. She describes her father as “foremost a Christian man with a deep connection to Christ”. (166) Relying on psychic’s information, like channelling, was another way of hearing God’s voice. (Wow!!) Here is the context of where she is coming from. “I believe in- the transcendence of the spirit, the reunion of souls, guidance from spiritual masters, communion with the dead, and the possibility of reincarnation. In short, I believe in Mystery.” (253)
Four chapters are devoted to her cancer experience. This has been a significant part of her ‘expanded’ theatre of ministry. This gave her added material for sharing her ‘inspiration for life’s journey’.
Henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Let Your Life Speak.

Book Review.
Palmer, Parker J. Let Your Life Speak. Listening for the Voice of Vocation. 2000 Jossey-Bass.
P.P.- writer, teacher, and activist. Senior associate of the American Association for Higher Education and senior adviser to the Fetzer Institute. PhD- Berkeley. Member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker).
Comment. Henry.
This book is all about one’s search for ‘self-hood’. The focus of the book is summarized in this question; “Is the life I am living the same as the life that wants to live in me?” There is a line of narcissism that can easily be crossed when there is a strong focus on self. There seems to be some evidence of that in this resource. The author actually expounds on the positiveness of depression. A Christian self-help resource.
Our vocation needs to be an authentic expression of our inner self not a reflection of circumstantial and/or peer pressurSelf-care is never a selfish act.” (30) Knowing and respecting limitations are a necessary part of wholesome self-care. When we attempt to give what we don’t possess we experience burn out. “Live in a creative tension between our limits and our potentials.” (55)
In as much as the journey to God “is not up but down” (69) depression may well become part of that journey. “The spiritual journey runs counter o the power of positive thinking.” (80) The belief that the responsibility of ‘escaping’ depression rests with us alone is a form of “functional atheism”. (88)
Selfhood and vocation are examined through the metaphor of the seasons. Transitions can be extreme and changes must be accepted. “Seasons is a wise metaphor for the movement of life.” (6)

The Apostle's Creed

Book Review.
Baclay, William. The Apostle’s Creed. Westminster John Knox Press. 1998.
W.B.- popular Scottish interpreter of the New Testament. Former Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at Glasgow University.
Comment. Henry.
Dr. Barclay has been a great contributor of helpful information about Scripture through his commentaries, especially about the New Testament. In this resource he tackles a ‘document’ that has become a classic statement summarizing the Christian faith, the Apostle’s Creed. A quote from the last chapter puts his contribution into perspective. “The Church had a creed long before it had the Apostle’s Creed; ‘JESUS CHRIST IS LORD’. So long as we are certain of the lordship of Jesus Christ, we can rethink and reinterpret all statements about the Christian faith, and in the Apostle’s Creed we have a symbolic statement of faith which in the light of the lordship of Jesus Christ and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is dynamically expandable in every age.” (324) In as much as this is a commentary my ‘review’ will be more like an outline only.
The introduction is actually an interesting history of the creed. The format of discussion is line (chapter) by line (chapter).
“I believe in God.” (15) Biblical writers do not attempt to prove the existence of God. It is a self-evident fact. Modern man wants ‘proof’. There are many arguments for the existence of God.
“I believe in God the Father Almighty.” (26) This is the Christian conception of God, the “fatherhood of God”. (31) It goes beyond the Old Testament of God and certainly different from the Greek concept of God the Father. He is Almighty in love.
“Maker of Heaven and Earthy.” (37) The Christian view of creation is theism, not pantheism or deism. “The idea of an evolutionary process has lent a glory to the task of creation which it never had before, for it means that God has made man his fellow-worker in the making of the world.” (43) (interesting!)
“And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.” (45) There are four relationships targeted in this designation. “Jesus in the relation to the fullness of his manhood. Christ (Messiah), the anointed one. (45) His only Son- relationship to God. (46) Lord- the relationship of Jesus to us. (51)” “Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.” (55) Barclay acknowledges the controversies that surround this element of the decree.
“Suffered under Pontius Pilate.” (69) There is some interesting history surrounding Pilate as a player in this drama. “Was crucified”. (77) The gospel writers give very few details about this common method of execution. The cross has become a significant symbol of Christianity. “Dead and Buried.” (94) This was a crucial part of the gospel presentation of the early church. “He descended into Hell.” (97) This truth reinforces his death.
“The third day he rose again from the dead.”(110) This claim “is either the greatest single fact in history, or if it is not true, is the greatest deception in history.” (110) “He ascended into heaven.” (134) There is not much preaching on this element. “And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” (144) Christ entered “His regal office as King of Kings and Lord of Lords”. (156)
“From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” (48) Paul was a strong proponent of the teaching of the second coming of Christ. Some conclude from John’s gospel that the second coming has to do with Pentecost and Christ’s presence with and in all believers. Is the truth of this element symbolic or literal? That depends on the type of eschatology that is followed. Judgment is part of Christian doctrine. There are many different interpretations of this element (doctrine).
“I believe in the Holy Ghost.” (201) This element brings in the doctrine of the Trinity which is very difficult to explain. Neither person of the Trinity can be explained but it can be experienced.
“In the Holy Catholic Church.” (215) “It is within the church that the story of Jesus and the Christian faith are preserved.” (210) “In the communion of the Saints.” (245) (koinonia). “In the forgiveness of sins.” (252) This is central to the Christian gospel message. Even with saints there will come times for the need of mercy and repentance. “In the resurrection of the body.” (280) This is difficult to explain. “In the life everlasting.” 9293) This is a fitting climax to the declaration of the Christian belief.
henrydirksen.blogspot.com

The Forgotten Ways.

Book Review.
Hirsch, Alan. The Forgotten Ways. Reactivating the missional church. Brazo Press, 2006.
A.H.- founding director of Forge Mission Training Network. Church planter.
Comment. Henry.
Hirsch is an outspoken representative of the emerging church camp. The endorsements for this book come from that camp. That designation would put him at odds with church leaders of the institutionalized church found in most denominational organizations. The reading of this book will seriously mess with your ‘comfort zone’ as you become exposed to what Alan calls Apostolic Genius.
There have been amazing phenomena of explosive growth of Christianity, e.g. the early church, the growth of Christianity in China after Mao Tse-tung’s Cultural Revolution, etc. “It is the central task of this book to try to give a name to these phenomena and to try to identify the elements that constitute it” (intro)
“All great missionary movements begin at the fringes of the church. Most great movements of mission have inspired significant and related movements of renewal in the life of the church.” (30) Churches must transition from being attractional to engaging culture on its own turf. This calls for a “proximity space”, (37) where interaction on a broad scale can take place. Disciple-making becomes an indicator of success when this happens.
“Apostolic Genius” (78) is the key to explosive Christian growth. At its center is the Lordship of Jesus. The ‘elements’ of Apostolic Genius are, “Disciple-making, Missional-Incarnational Impulse, Apostolic Environment, Organic Systems, and Communitas not Community.” (79) Together these elements become the “mDNA” (79) (m is missional) of Apostolic Genius. “The rest of this book will be an attempt to describe these aspects of Apostolic Genius by identifying, defining, and translating each aspect of the mDNA into our context in the West.” (79)
Discipleship in a believer is a process that is never completed. “The major threat to the viability of our faith is that of consumerism.” (106) “The quality of the church’s leadership is directly proportional to the quality of discipleship.” (119)
“The missional-incarnational impulse- is the impetus and patterning of Jesus movements over space and time.” (128) This element is in contrast with the contemporary church focus of “the evangelistic-attractional mode”.
The apostolic environment is represented by the ministries listed in Eph. 4:7,11-12, ‘apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral and teaching/didactic. The body of Christ was never meant to become an institution but rather remain an organic ‘body’ experiencing organic growth. Such grow this described as “viral growth”. (210) There is a difference between reproduction (early church) and cloning (institutional church).
The fifth element of Apostolic Genius is “communitas” (217) (an instructured community in which people are equal, or to the very spirit of community characterized by liminality- Wikipedia) e.g. Israel during the Exodus.
“This book has been about bringing to light a lost potential that has lain hidden at the very heart of God’s people for much too long.” (245)

Leaving Church.

Book Review.
Taylor, Barbara Brown. Leaving Church. A memoir of faith. Harper San Francisco. 2006.
B.T.- named one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English-speaking world by Baylor University. She lives on a working farm in rural Habersham County, Georgia.
Comment. Henry.
This is a story about leaving the church not abandoning the church. Actually it is really about a career change that involves a transition with adjustments marked by a fairly high level of spiritual trauma. Barbara is a gifted story-teller, something that makes for a great preacher. Her story is a real delight to read. As a result of this read I have gained a clearer understanding of a position that I would describe as a ‘non-evangelical Christian’.
Barbara began her career when she was ordained as an Episcopalian priest in 1983. She was one of four priests at All Saints Church in Atlanta. Her husband Ed had an engineering firm in the same city.
As a child Barbara had a great sensitivity to and impressive understanding of what she calls “the Presence” (23), her idea of God. She demonstrated a very strong gift of compassion for those (creatures) in need. As a young adult she chose to go to seminary with no plans for ordination. While a student at Yale Divinity School she discovered Christ Episcopal Church and this ‘connection’ put her on the path of ordination. From the time of her ‘call’ it took five years for her gifts of ministry to be confirmed as a potential priest.
Concerning her motivation for ordination Barbara explains, “I wanted to move in with God on a full-time basis and ordination looked like my best bet”. (41) She served as an associate rector at All Saints Church in Atlanta for nine years. Her transition to rector of Grace Calvary Episcopal in Georgia was a major change for her.
Barbara succeeded a rector who had been at Grace for many years and had recently passed away. She described her feelings like “the second wife of a widower. I wanted to make up for what they (the congregation) had lost when Julieur died, without trying to take his place”.
When Ed and Barbara bought acreage and built their dream home the people saw this as a commitment to permanency. It turned out to be a short-lived dream. Two contemporary issues brought on the consideration that Barbara should consider leaving the church. The first was a rapid growth of Grace-Calvary that required some decision-making that caused division in the congregation and non-pastoral, administrative responsibilities that took Barbara way out of her comfort zone. The second was a denominational conflict over the ordination of lesbian and gay priests. These issues brought her to a crisis of faith. “I wanted to recover the kind of faith that has nothing to do with being sure what I believe and everything to do with trusting God to catch me though I am not sure of anything”.
Barbara’s transition from a rector of a flourishing church to a professor of religion at a local college is a moving story. “There was no mastering divinity. My vocation was to love God and my neighbour, and that was something I could do anywhere, with anyone, with or without a collar.” (209)
Leaving the professional association of the church included a great deal of ‘keeping’. “I will keep the prayer book and hymnal.” (215) “I will keep the Bible, which remains the Word of God for me.” (216) “I will keep faith- in God, in God’s faith in me, and in all the companions whom God has given me to help see the world as God sees it.” (230)
henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Igloo Dwellers Were My Church.

Book Review.
Sperry, John. Igloo Dwellers Were My Church. 2001. Bayeux Arts, Inc. Calgary.
J.S.(Jack)- Jack Sperry moved to the tiny Canadian Arctic settlement of Coppermine in 1950. He spent 40 years in the Arctic as an Anglican priest and later became a bishop of the Arctic.
Comment. Henry.
Although this story is about a priest whose church was made of igloo dwellers, this is also an intriguing resource of interesting Arctic history. The aborigines of the Arctic are a unique people and Jack has done an impressive job of including information about their life style and history. Jack was a ‘model missionary’ to these people during the last half of the 20th century.
John Sperry was a missionary to the Eskimos of the central Arctic. Born in England, he was educated and ordained as an Anglican priest. He was uniquely called to this special parish. He began his ministry in Coppermine in 1950. Two years late his bride joined him. They were married in Coppermine and raised their family (girl and boy) there.
Pioneer missionaries have some things in common. Language is crucial. It must be learned and usually put into writing for the first time. This was part of John’s assignment and experience. He became familiar with the beliefs of the people and saw a positive response to Christianity which gave them a welcome deliverance from the fear and bondage of superstition and the control of perceived holy men (shamans).
During John’s ‘tenure’ in the Arctic he saw many changes, some good and some not so good. Manufactured goods came from the south that were brought in by the Hudson Bay Company. Rifles made hunting easier and more productive. The introduction of snowmobiles and outboard motors brought a huge change in speedier travel. Increasingly locals lived in permanent all-season dwellings. The construction of the ‘Dew Line’ brought employment and wealth. With wealth came consumerism and all the negative things associated with it. The old society disintegrated. Family life was virtually destroyed. “The social fabric of the Arctic society was beginning to fray.” (158) The work of the RCMP changed from ‘managing’ people’s needs to law enforcement and dealing with the negative influence of alcohol and drugs. Suicides became more common. The work of the missionary changed dramatically.
In his Epilogue, Kuanakutin, who acted as editor of this book gives John this personal tribute. “Jack Sperry’s presence in our lives has meant the world to us. He has helped us through rough times, and his cheerfulness adds sparkle to our time in an astounding land.” (162)

Creative Retirement.

Book Review.
Bankson, Marjory Zoet. Creative Aging. Rethinking Retirement and Non-Retirement in a Changing World. Skylight Paths Publishing. 2010
M.Z.B.- an artist and spiritual guide. Former president of Faith At Work and editor of Faith@Work magazine. Currently teaching on spiritual companionship at several schools.
Comment. Henry.
A relevant book with practical advice and teaching for those who want to prepare for retirement and/or who are in early stages of retirement.
The time from age sixty to seventy-five is identified as the “generative period” for retirees. Retirement has taken on a new meaning. It is a transition not a cessation and that involves a ‘call’ to a new stage of life. There are seven stages to this transition; “release, resistance, reclaiming, revelation, risk, and relating”. (4) (Sounds like a sermon outline.)
Just like ones life-work is (should be) determined by a ‘call’, attention needs to be given in mid-life to a call as retirement approaches. (This provides a very important element of anticipation of a career change from success to significance. HD) Such a call will probably include a re-visiting our identity as we consider what our new work will be and how we are gifted for that work. Transition involves an ending with some level of loss and/or grief and a beginning with some level of risk.
For those who don’t have a planned or mandatory retirement there are signs that suggest that this option should be considered. “Release is never as simple as it sounds.” (27) Experiences of career changes are beneficial in adapting to transition. When planning and anticipated adjustments are addressed they result in good ‘closer’.
Resistance is natural and normal when there is a transition from ‘doing’ (success) to ‘being’ (significance). “There is wisdom in rest- and ‘wasting time’ between purposeful activities.” (43) “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy” (Ten Commandments) There is a path that leads through the resistance to change, from doing to being.
Retirement is the time we have the opportunity to “Reclaim riches from the past”. (55) These could be talents, skills or buried gifts. In the process of these ‘discoveries’ we should expect some level of pain and suffering. Pay attention to your dreams.
Revelation will be part of discovering all the potential newness of the changes in retirement. Search with expectation. Don’t lose sight of reality and risk in your decisions regarding change. “Desire to be useful.” (106) There is a whole world out there with potential for community, personal connection and rewarding service.
“If, as we cross the threshold into this gift of extra time that we have received so gratuitously, we can let our ego boundaries soften to permeable state and let ourselves receive the grace that surrounds us every day, then we will find enough light to take the next step on the backpacker’s trail that is ours on a journey of creative aging.” (135)
henrydirksen.blogspot.com
Epilogue.
I am in my twentieth year of retirement and I want to take a liberty to add a few of my own comments that I feel relate to this resource. I took an early retirement from teaching. One of my motivators was the statistic of the extended life-span of early retirees. I and my wife have been blessed with good health. We have had very fulfilling experiences as volunteers in non-profit organizations that involved some interesting travel. We enjoy the “wealth” of our family community; five children and their spouses, thirteen grandchildren and eight spouses, and five great-grandchildren. Life is good. For most of my retirement I have carried on me my personal card which has this ‘text’ on it, “committed to adding flavour and light to lives of people I meet”. You might say I am a ‘raving fan of retirement’.
“Retirees are an untapped resource for meaningful service to an expectant, appreciative community.”
HD

The End of Evangelicalism?

Book Review.
Fitch, David E. The End of Evangelicalism? Discerning a new faithfulness for mission. Cascade. 2011. D.F.- professor of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary, Lombard Ill. He is also a pastor at Life on the Vine Christian Community, Chicago. (CMA)
Comment. Henry.
Fitch examines the church in North America as a ‘political presence of evangelicalism’. His approach to this discipline is impacted by the ideological theory of Slavoj Zizek, a political theorist. Culture views evangelicals as ‘arrogant, exclusive, duplicitous, and dispassionate’. Christianity has become an ideology. Fitch is taking a path less travelled to address a problem that we as evangelicals need to not only be aware of but also be prepared to deal with. This is a very thought provoking challenging resource.
Introduction: This book asks the question; How does what we believe shape our “politic” (political theology) in the world? “Evangelicalism has become an ‘empty politic’ driven by what we are against instead of what we are for.” (xvi) Evangelicalism has been shaped by three beliefs, “the inerrant Bible, the decision for Christ, and the Christian nation” i.e. USA. (xvii) It is how these beliefs have developed that has shaped us “as a people prone to an arrogant, duplicitous, and dispassionate posture in the world”. (xvii) There is a need for the development of “an evangelical missional political theology”. (xxi)
The US elections of 2000 and 2004 marked a high water mark for evangelicalism’s influence on politics in the US. Culture and economy were experiencing negative change. Criticism of evangelicalism came through the writings of influential evangelical writers; David Kinnaman (UnChristian), Brian McLaren, and Shane Clairborne (activist). Robert Webber and Dallas Willard championed “liturgical renewal movements” (5) There were calls from many directions for serious change (re-defining) of evangelicalism which was in crisis as an ideology. “Evangelicalism needs a political theology.” (10) “How do evangelical beliefs bind people together and shape them for the work of Christ’s mission in the world?” (11)
Fitch uses the insights of Slavoj Zizek a political theorist to do an ideological analysis of evangelicalism. “Ideology takes place in the root practices we keep doing together even when they don’t make sense.” (20) Ideologies are formed by “master signifiers- a conceptual object around which people give their allegiance thereby enabling a political group to form”. (26) An “irruption of the Real” (29) recognized by “overidentification and jouissance” (32) can help us in further analyzing an ideology.
When the doctrine of ‘inerrancy’ is examined critically we discover that it “allows us to interpret the Bible to mean anything we want it to mean because after all we believe it to be inerrant”. (55) “The recent history of evangelicalism is strewn with excessive ‘irruptions’ of this pervasive drive to be right.” (65) “Via ‘the inerrant Bible’ we can see how the Bible can become a Master-Signifier for evangelicals that in turn shapes us into antagonism with the world instead of gathering us into the life of a triune God and his work in the world”. (71)
“The ‘decision’ remains the hallmark of evangelicalism.” (81) Upon examination as a Master-Signifier it has the potential to become an “empty signifier which shapes us for duplicity” (88) when our lives are not affected by that decision. Ted Haggard is an example of such an empty signifier.
The emptiness of the Christian Nation signifier is illustrated by the ‘over-identification’ by statements like Jerry Falwell’s statement re: 9/11 and Pat Robertson’s statement of Hurricane Katrina being an act of God’s punishment.
So, what about an evangelical political theology? “The politic of the church then, must be founded at the very point of the Incarnation itself- where Christ is received into this world by the people of Israel via Mary.” (126) Fitch uses supporting arguments from several evangelical theologians to present a re-evaluated position on the authority of Scripture. (Barth, Balthasar, Vanhoozer and N.T.Wright.) “These theologians prod us to leave behind the Bible as ‘inerrant according to the original autographs’ to instead understand it as our one and true story of God for the whole world- infallible in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (138) There are interesting implications that arise out of this change. “The politic of the church is shaped by Scripture as the very real incarnational presence of Christ extended by the Spirit in the world- a politic of fullness in the world.” (141)
Wright, Millbank and Willard provide direction regarding the second element of evangelicalism, conversion and salvation. The focus shifts from a personal faith to God’s faithfulness. Conversion by faith is still a necessity. Such a conversion includes the commitment to spiritual disciplines that characterize a Christ follower. It is a transformation that results in a committed, changed life style, not just a single event recorded on a calendar.
Henri de Lubec, William Cavanaugh, and John Yoder are contributors to a re-evaluation of the ‘Christian nation’ element of evangelicalism. “If the church is the social body of His Lordship (His in-breaking Reign) incarnating Christ in the world for God’s mission, it must not be segregated into a gathering on Sunday morning.” (168) Fitch argues “that a belief and practice rightly centred in the incarnate Christ should shape its politic into the character of the ‘Sent One’ and the mission in the world. The resulting character of our political existence should take on the Son’s disposition in the world: one of inclusive hospitality, integrity (faithfulness) with the gospel, and compassion in and alongside the world.” (175)
In the epilogue Peter Rollins, Brian McLaren, Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost deal with “ideological traps that relate (can arise) to a re-configuration of the three doctrinal commitments of evangelicalism”. (183)

The King Jesus Gospel

Book Review.
McKnight, Scot. The King Jesus Gospel. The original good news revisited. Zondervan. 2011
S.M. - (PhD. Nottingham)- professor in religious studies at North Park University, Chicago, Illinois.
Comment. Henry.
I have found in my reading that authors are saying significant things about topics (issues) that I have wondered about for years. Those are important moments for me. Scot is one of those authors. For most of my life the ‘Salvation Culture’ that Scot talks about has been the paradigm of my spiritual experience. It is all about ‘making a sale’. That is what evangelism is all about. Since I was not ‘making sales’ I was sure that I did not have the gift of evangelism. Scot has helped me with that dilemma. Sometimes (I think) he seems to overstate his thesis, perhaps to reinforce his message. I appreciate his ‘charity’ in not insisting that his is not an ‘either/or’ position. The tensions experienced by reading this book are, will be, healthy.
Introduction- N.T.Wright, Dallas Willard.
The gospel is more than salvation. It cannot be reduced to ‘napkin presentation’. We have a massive, non-disciple Christianity.
Scot gives this very brief summary of this book, “Most of evangelism today is obsessed with getting someone to make a DECISION; the apostles, however, were obsessed with making DISCIPLES.” (18) The gospel is understood by most professing Christ-followers in terms of salvation which in turn is expressed as a decision/commitment (justification by faith). “We have created a ‘salvation culture’ and mistakenly assumed it is a ‘gospel culture’”. (29)
Scot explains his defining of the gospel as arising out of “four categories”. (34) It begins with “The Story of Israel/the Bible. (Then) The Story of Jesus. (Followed by) The Plan of Salvation. (And finally) The Method of Persuasion.” (34) A ‘salvation culture’ stresses the last two categories.
Creating a gospel culture begins with Paul’s teaching in 1Cor. 15. It was the gospel that formed Paul’s original connection with the Corinthians. Paul was authorized to preach this authentic gospel about the story of Jesus, his death, burial and resurrection. This story brings to completion the story of Israel, according to the Scriptures. “The gospel is the resolution and fulfillment of Israel’s story and promises.” (51) The death of Jesus provided three ‘pillars of support’ for salvation; “identification, representation and substitution, and incorporation into the life of God”. (51) Jesus is central to a gospel culture and as such his resurrection, second coming and the coming of the Kingdom are also a part of that gospel. God’s purpose for man as stated in creation will not be completed until ‘his Kingdom comes’.
Support for the gospel is encapsulated in the creeds. “Creed and gospel are connected.” (68) “The Augsburg Confession and the Genevan Confession” (70) are significant documents that impacted the change from a gospel culture to a salvation culture. The personal testimony is a distinguishing element of this culture. Dallas Willard calls this “the gospel of sin management”. All four Gospels include evidence of the Israel Story. The Jesus Story marks the completion of the Israel Story. Paul makes a strong defence for this claim. “Jesus preached himself as completing the Israel Story.” (100) This claim becomes the key ‘cornerstone’ of the gospel culture.
The seven (or perhaps eight) “gospel sermons in the book of Acts” (114) demonstrate their support for and interpretation of the Israel Story, i.e. ‘according to the Scriptures’. The ‘apostle’s gospel’ focused on “the summons to respond in faith, repentance and baptism”. (121) This is the ‘how to’ of the gospel. Faith is the key and repentance and baptism are the manifestations.
“Gospeling” (132) according to the book of Acts (and other N.T. references), rests on a four-fold footing; “Israel’s Story, the lordship of Jesus, summoning people to respond, and the gospel (which) saves and redeems”. (132-133) six comparisons are made between the gospeling of the apostles and our “plan of salvation approach today”. (133) This is not an either/or comparison. The concern is about what is missing in our approach.
How then do we go about “creating a Gospel Culture”? “To grasp the gospel we have to grasp what God is doing in the world, and that means we’ve got a ‘story to tell’. The assumption- that the gospel can be reduced to a note card- or a napkin- is already off on the wrong track.” (148) note: Does that invalidate an ‘abbreviated’ form of presenting the gospel?
We must begin with Israel’s Story and then immerse ourselves in the Story of Jesus. From here we move to the apostle’s gospel which is the “story of the church” (156) This story, which is our story, counters the world views of the culture we live in. In our ‘gospeling’ our emphasis on baptism and the Eucharist needs to remain strong.
Henrydirksen.blogspot.com

An Introduction to Kierkegaard.

Book Review.
Vardy. Peter. An Introduction to Kierkegaard. Henderson Publishers, 2008.
P.V.- vice principal of Heythrop College, University of London.
Comment. Henry.
As the title suggests, this is a fine introduction to Kierkegaard and his writings. He was no friend of those who represented ‘Enlightenment’ and those who championed modernity. Nor was he a friend of the institutionalized church which in Denmark was the Lutheran Church. He was a friend and champion of those who sought a genuine relationship with God; these were by Kierkegaard’s definition, Christian. He draws a very distinct line between reason and faith and how these two cannot be ‘blended’. It is a situation of ‘either/or’ not both/and. This is a great resource for anyone wanting to know in a nutshell (105 pages) what Kierkegaard is all about.
“K. Is a psychologist, philosopher and Christian thinker” (intro) even though he would likely have rejected all these disciplines. His concern for his readers was that they should “think deeply about life and make decisions about how to live and how to die”. (intro) This was the starting point for a good relevant philosophy.
As a young writer K. Fell in love with Regina Olsen and was engaged to her. He broke off this engagement because he was sure he could never make his beloved happy. He never married but he left his estate to Regina who married another man. He became famous for his writings. The details of his life were irrelevant to that fame.
“One of his (K’s) central objectives was to examine the relationship between religious faith (particularly Christian faith) and reason. What would the logical consequences be if in fact Christianity were true?” (8) He challenged Kant and Hegel regarding the priority of reason (over faith). One of the conclusions of the argument for the uniqueness of Jesus, i.e. Incarnation, becomes an element of the definition of faith, “a willingness to trust that God has intervened in human history”. (13) These conclusions are not presented as proof that Jesus is God but consequences of such a declaration. The truth that God’s love is demonstrated by his incarnation is a truth beyond reason. It is an “Absolute Paradox” (19) which can only be accepted by faith. This faith is a gift from God.
The book “Concluding Unscientific Postscript” was written under a pseudonym Johannes Climaus. Here K. declared that reason leads to the conclusion that there is no ultimate Truth. Faith goes beyond reason. “Faith cannot depend on tests or be affected by arguments. It is a subjective being.” (24) What we know is not nearly as important as how we live. “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence,” (29) Faith is made real by a life that demonstrates it in relationship. This involves risk. “Reason has no right to cheat people out of their faith.” (34) (Here, here!)
K. talks about three “stages of life; the aesthetic, the ethical and the religious”. (38) The focus in the aesthetic is the temporal, the ego. The love of this stage is seductive with pleasure being transitory. Unchecked and unchallenged, this stage enters into a “demonic” (44) stage, e.g. Don Giovanni and Faust. This is the ultimate stage of anxiety.
Marriage is portrayed as “the paradigm of the ethical stage”. (49) It demonstrates love as a high calling, of a duty freely chosen. Ethical choices can result in complacency and confidence that lead to relational bankruptcy. “Both the aesthetic and ethical stages end in despair.” (56) From this despair, however, can rise the religious stage which “entails a personal relationship with God and a direct accountability to God”. (57) There are two steps that lead to this relationship. First there comes an awareness of God that provides a “freedom from the distractions of the temporal”. (57) The second step is a step of faith which requires a commitment that implies suffering. The three stages of life are among other things different approaches to love. K. Talks about “religion A and religion B”. (62) It is faith that makes for this difference. There is a great difference between being an admirer of Christ and being a follower of Christ. “Faith is shown in how one’s life is lived.” (64)
When Abraham responded in obedience to God’s command to sacrifice Isaac he was placing obedience above ethics. K. Calls him a “knight of faith”. (72) The journey of faith is personal and is strengthened by community.
Prayer changes those who pray it does not change God. The motivation for a relationship with God cannot be sustained by rewards from God or by the fear of punishment. “Egocentric service” (84) and limited commitment will not do in developing a relationship with God. There will be suffering when we respond to Jesus’ challenge, “take up your cross and follow me”. There will be rejection. When the day comes for us to ‘give an account’ before God it will be on the basis of our relationship with him and how we lived not on what we believed. There is a work of faith and it is (unconditional) indiscriminate love.
K. was not a friend of the institutional (Lutheran) church in his later life. Church leaders “proclaimed a message of comfort and good cheer. And K. did not think Christianity was comfortable”. (99) He declared that the Bible was “a clear handbook which could guide someone who wished to live a life accountable to God” (100), not a book that should be examined critically by scholars. When he was threatened with ‘ecclesiastical sanction’ he responded sarcastically. A Christianity that is limited to social action is not Christianity.
Henrydirksen.blogspot.com

Water Into Wine.

Book Review.
Harpur, Tom. Water Into Wine. An empowering vision of the Gospels. Thomas Allen Publishers.
Comment. Henry.
This is one of the books I selected from the shelf in our public library. I admit it was the title that motivated me. (I judged it by its cover!) Part way through the book I realized I had read this author before. In fact I purchased the book- “The Spirituality of Wine”. This book is quite different. I finished the book as an intellectual discipline, not because I was ‘into it’. To Tom there is no such a thing as a miracle. Hence all miracles in scripture are considered to be myths or allegories. He comes at spiritual truth in the same way as John Spong does. Like Spong, he grew up in an evangelical environment but he was able to ‘escape’ from that untenable position through education (self and academic). His ‘discovery’ that all humans are the Incarnation of Christ does not strike me with same enthusiasm that it did him. To me the value of reading the book was for information of what is actually out there.
“The mythic way is the genuine path towards the goal of a renewal of faith in our time.” (7) Sacred texts in Hellenistic culture were understood as having “both an exoteric and an esoteric meaning. The exoteric sense, the literal, was for beginners, those not yet ready to comprehend the real message. The true, or esoteric, meaning lay within or beyond the text itself.” (7)
“The chief value of a miracle is not that it happened, but the truth allegorically symbolized therewith.” Origen. “The entire Jesus Story (that is all it is) is a mystical drama with a whole range of symbols meant to relate us to the evolution of our innermost selves- our innate divinity.” (86)
Miracles cannot be taken literally. They have value as “exoteric imagery”. (118) A chapter is devoted to the proper interpretation of parables. The Palm Sunday story is just another allegory.
The author declares his personal endorsement and commitment to a “mythological and allegorical interpretation” (212) of scripture. He strongly rejects the historical and literal approach to miraculous events. Miraculous events, e.g. the parting of the Red Sea, must be viewed as “metaphor or symbolism”. (213)
Tom subscribes to a mythical version of “Christ within us”. (222) Paul declares; “This is a mystery: Christ in you, the hope of glory”. Tom interprets this statement as; “Each person was (is) called and challenged to recognize the reality of the Incarnation (of Christ) in his or her own life”. (223)