I’m going to be dedicating a few posts to the topic of preaching. For staters here are a few words from E.M. Bounds:
The character of our praying will determine the character of our preaching. Light praying makes light preaching…Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.
Grace and Peace
Well, I have fallen victim of a blog chain letter of sorts. Ken Brown @ C. Orthodoxy has started a blog chain comprised of people answering the following question:
Name the five books (or scholars) that had the most immediate and lasting influence on how you read the Bible. Note that these need not be your five favorite books, or even the five with which you most strongly agree. Instead, I want to know what five books have permanently changed the way you think.
After looking at some of the lists … and asking myself ‘What?”…. I decided to compile my own list. Here you go…
The Moral Vision of the New Testament – Richard B. Hays
This book has been incredibly influential in my reading of the Bible. It was recommended to me by a roommate during my first year of seminary. I was in need of guidance and this book provided a great deal of it. Hays lays out a fourfold task of New Testament ethics: a) reading the text carefully, b) placing the text in canonical context, c) relating the text in our situation, d) living the text. He then guides the reader through Paul (and what he calls the Pauline tradition), Mark, Matthew, Luke-Acts, The Gospel and Epistles of John, and Revelation using this fourfold task. Once this ground is covered, Hays tackles individual ethical issues: violence in defense of justice, divorce and remarriage, homosexuality, anti-Judaism and ethnic conflict, and abortion. Yet, Hays looks at these issues through three focal images: the themes of community, cross, and new creation. Hays’ work is brilliant and beautiful.
Four Gospels, One Jesus? – Richard A. Burridge
This book helped me to appreciate the beauty of each Gospel writing and taught me to read each Gospel individually and holistically. Burridge uses the ancient symbols for the Gospels – human face, lion, ox, and eagle – to represents the different pictures of Jesus represented in each. Burridge feels the reader needs to understand genre in order to understand the Gospels and he compares the Gospels with classical biographies. With classical biographies as a starting point, Burridge interprets each Gospel writing. He looks at each portrait painted of Jesus and respects them for what they are. He does not attempt to superimpose each Gospel one on another, or seek to harmonize them into a single portrait. Rather, Burridge argues we gain a better understanding of Jesus if we walk through the gallery of portraits.
The Theology of the Book of Revelation – Richard Bauckham
I know what you are thinking… A book of Revelation? I’m sure it sits right beside his chart on the end times. Yet, that could not be further than the truth. Bauckham’s book is a far cry from most of the books written on Revelation. He argues that Revelation is full of theology but it is usually hidden under a literary form that makes it hard to comprehend. Bauckham shows that Revelation’s theology is inseparable form its literary structure and composition. He attempts to show readers that Revelation is not a encoded forecast of historical events, but a theocentric vision of the coming of the kingdom, contextualized in the late first-century world. It is only when Revelation is placed in it’s original context that is can be understood and speak to the contemporary church.
The Prophetic Imagination – Walter Brueggemann
This book is compact but filled with wisdom. Brueggemann begins by discussing the “alternative community of Moses,” a group of people who participated in the Exodus and formed a new social community to match the vision of God’s freedom. This alternative community is countercultural and is always fighting against the “royal consciousness.” The royal consciousness, as seen in the Old Testament and our current culture, fights equality with affluence, justice with oppression, freedom with accessibility. This leads to numbness. For Brueggeman, the task of the prophetic imagination is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us. The book is a walk through the prophets and their calling of a nation to remain an alternative community.
Life in Biblical Israel – Philip J. King and Lawrence Stager
This book is a indispensable tool when it comes to my reading of the Old Testament. It is less of a book and more of a reference guide. For example, if you come across a reference to marriage in the Old Testament, you can easily turn to the chapter on the “Israelite House and Household” and find information on domestic architecture, family relationships (kinsman-redeemer, father’ house, children, woman, marriage, old age, punishment in family context), meals for family and guests (hospitality, furniture, daily meals), and illness and healing (hygiene, threats to health, medical procedures, healing). Incredibly helpful tool to gain perspective on the lifestyle and mental attitudes of the ancient Israelites.
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(Upon review, I must like books written by guys named “Richard.”)
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Feel free to comment or provide me with your favorites.
Grace and Peace.
We finished up Street Camp 2009 on Saturday. Street Camp is an urban version of Vacation Bible School. Our church utilizes the services of Mission Waco’s work groups. Mission Waco has numerous groups coming in each week of the summer to serve and experience urban life and ministry. We had a group from FBC La Grange Texas that helped us out immensely with Street Camp.
Street Camp runs three days, Thursday and Friday 3-5 and Saturday 10-Noon. When the group first arrives each day we spend 30 minutes walking around and knocking on doors attempting to bring in as many kids as possible. Over the three days we probably had 65 participate, many of which I had never met before.
We call it Street Camp for obvious reasons. Everything is outdoors. Here are a few pictures.
Grace and Peace.
The title of this post is the subtitle of the wildly popular book by William Paul Young, The Shack. It is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and is still #3 in all categories on Amazon.
The book has sold millions and created controversy due to it’s unique depiction of God, including God the Father depicted as a jolly, African American woman. As difficult as that may be for some to deal with, I feel the book’s popularity stems from it’s underlying theology. The God of The Shack is not the cause of tragedy. The horrible events that happen in the life of the main character are not an act of God brought about to a greater good, as taught in many pulpits.
I personally respect the intention of The Shack . Yet, I can’t say that I enjoyed the book. First of all, “Christian Fiction” is not my favorite genre. I feel the book was far too long. It lacked details in certain areas and was over detailed in others. Second of all, I feel a person reading The Shack must follow the reading with a serious discussion of the implications of the theology. The book has been labeled as heresy by some. Defenders of The Shack respond with the claim that the book is more or less a parable and not a doctrinal thesis.
I really don’t feel either of the previous claims are accurate. The book should not be labeled as heresy. Yet, I think the author of The Shack is attempting to provide readers with more than a parable. The author, whether most readers pick up on it or not, is portraying a particular theological framework and all theological frameworks have serious implications.
With all of that said, I recommend reading The Shack followed by a reading of Finding God in the Shack by Roger Olson. Dr. Olson was one of my seminary professors. I have read 11 of his books and can tell you he is one of the best theological writers around. Finding God in the Shack looks at the theological questions raised by The Shack. Olson in many places agrees and in many places disagrees. In a very readable fashion, Olson discusses the implications of the theology put forth by The Shack.
I feel both books need to be read together. If for no other reason, the subject of God in the midst of tragedy is important. We all need to think through the issue.
Here are a few words from the former monk, Thomas Moore:
A billboard near an old house of mine displayed in six-foot type: PRAY. IT WORKS. I always thought this was the ultimate in American pragmatism. If it doesn’t work, do you stop praying? What does it mean to say that prayer works? You get want you want? Life gets better?
My billboard would say: PRAY. IT MAY NOT WORK. Prayer is an alternative to working hard to get what you want. One discovers eventually that what you want is almost always want you don’t need.
Pray – period! Don’t expect anything. Or better, expect nothing. Prayer cleanses us of expectations and allows holy will, providence, and life itself an entry. What could be more worth the effort – or the noneffort?
Grace and Peace.
I’ve been learning many lessons lately. Actually, it may be the same lesson over and over again…
Confession: I’m a planner.
I like order. I like schedules. I like routine.
Often this characteristic rubs against being a follower of Jesus. Commitment to following Jesus often leads one to unexpected places or expected places at unexpected times. This is the essence of faith. A Christ follower must trust God, even if trusting God comes in conflict with order, schedules, and routines.
To my disdain I have experienced such distruption of MY planning. I’ve been praying. I’ve been learning to trust.
This is a lesson I think I will continue to face…over and over again.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
I spent the last year, along with working at my church, as the director of volunteers for a Christian community development non-profit (Check them out here). I spent many hours traveling the streets of a 40 square block which we deemed “our neighborhood.” I frequently passed the following sign:
It always made me wonder: How does the church view such a sign? Is it a reason to locate/move the church elsewhere? Or is it a visible sign of the need for ministry?
Many will see such a sign, roll up the windows, to never return again. Yet, I pray that some churches will get their hands dirty with the difficult task of being Jesus to a community…..myself included.
Grace and Peace.
Upon my recent graduation from seminary, I received a very generous gift from my in laws to update my library. I decided to place an emphasis on filling some holes in my Old Testament library.
The selections have been made and all have arrived:
-A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming by Walter Brueggeman
-Jeremiah (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) by J.A. Thompson
- Job 21-37 (World Biblical Commentary) by David Clines
-Psalms 1-50 (World Biblical Commentary) by Peter Craigie
-Isaiah 34-66 (World Biblical Commentary) by John Watts
-Ezekiel 1-19 (World Biblical Commentary) by Leslie Allen
-The Prophets by Abraham Joshua Heschel
and I added two New Testament commentaries:
-1 Corinthians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) by David Garland
-Hebrews (Hermeneia) by Harold Attridge
I am pleased with the selections and hope to put them to use soon!
The following is an article from ESPN’s website. Take the time to read it. I think this is the best piece of sports writing ever:
Earlier, I asked [Dwight] Howard in the locker room to give me one or two reasons I should consider picking the Magic to defeat the Lakers.
“God” was his answer, which was met with the counterargument that the Lord probably has better things to worry about than who wins a basketball game, and besides, religion and politics are usually best kept out of sports stories.
“That’s the reason, I’m telling you,” Howard replied.
– Chris Sheridan, ESPN
Dear Mr. Howard,
Thanks for the recent shout-out. Always nice to see Myself in the papers. Or even online. As long as they spell your name right, huh?
Listen, a couple things We need to clear up.
First, and I’m not sure why I need to keep coming back to this, and not to get all Old Testament or anything: I’m not Santa. I’m not David Stern. I’m not even Jimmy the Greek. So I’m not going to intervene in the NBA Finals. I’m not even going to help set the line. OK? Nothing personal. Just not the way it works.
While I appreciate your obvious devotion, and without revisiting the ontology of the infinite whys and wherefores, I’ll remind you that as the Omniscient Overseer Of All Things Everywhere, I’ve received an equal and offsetting request from the Lakers. Not saying who. Plus, I’ve already got some pretty big fish to fry and I’m booked solid.
I’ve got the GM bankruptcy this week, and folks out of work with sick kids, and the hopeless and the heartbroken. I’ve got Jon and Kate (oy), and I’ve got the fall of every sparrow, and the budding of all the crops and flowers and trees and on and on and on. And that’s just the regional stuff.
Worldwide, I’ve got the Middle East and the two Koreas and all the restless ‘Stans (Paki-, Afghani-, Uzbeki-, etc.), and I’ve got the helpless and the starving and the faithless and the homeless and the heartless and the thieves and the killers and the saints and the martyrs and Fiat trying to buy Chrysler and all the rivers running and the sun coming up and the sun going down and the endless turning, turning, turning of the stars. It’s a full day, Dwight, let me tell you.
You have no idea how many requests I get. No idea. None. And that’s just from the World Series of Poker. LOL. (They never check in but that they want something. You can’t pick up a phone? You can’t just call to say hello? And you expect me to show up for the flop? Fat chance.)
Anyway, whenever another big-time championship rolls around, I’m inundated. Like this, from last week. I’m a Nuggets fan, but still. You got the mountains. The blue skies. The Coors brewery right there. And now you want to move through to the NBA Finals? Some folks just don’t get it. Sigh.
Specific requests along these lines need to be taken up with our Office of the Fates. Or, in some instances, with one of our Destiny caseworkers, all of whom can be reached through the Department of Predetermination.
“As you can see Dwight, on the eighth day I didn’t create LeBron.” Trouble is, of course, that no amount of special pleading or loud argument will change their official position or the course of events — determined entirely at random, believe Me, the original crapshoot and therefore infuriating — on anything, so it’s almost not worth the trouble of sitting through the menu options on their customer service line. Blown call, lucky break, bad hop, sun in your eyes, tainted clam at the awards banquet, etc., ad infinitum. Whatever. As their letterhead says: “It is what it is.”
Dwight — if I can call you Dwight — if you’re a real capital B believer in the classic sense, i.e., that I set the whole thing in motion, that I’m responsible until the end of time for the moment by moment clockwork operation of the whole mishigas — then please don’t forget that by your own definition I invented randomness, too. Chaos. Misfortune. Disappointment. And that I must have done so for a reason.
And I could tell you that reason, Dwight. I could. But then, as they say in the CIA, I’d have to kill you. Ha ha. Just kidding.
But I could if I had to. Seriously. You get the gist.
I work in mysterious ways, as you know. Take Susan Boyle. Please! Ha ha. Or OctoMom. What’s up with that?
See Dwight, it’s not like I don’t have a sense of humor about this stuff. Especially sports. So I’ll dip a toe in from time to time, just to stir things up; or look away at the right/wrong moment just to keep things lively. Rafael Nadal loses to Robin Soderling? A 23 seed? A Swede who looks like the bass player for a Branson, Mo., reboot of ABBA? In Paris? Bwaahaahahaha! Some people look at Calvin Borel and say “why?” I look at Calvin Borel and say “Why not?” Adriana Lima and Marko Jaric? An absolute platypus of a marriage, but mazel tov. Crazy kids. Talk about a miracle! BaBing! What a world.
If you’re not laughing, you’re crying. Am I right?
Of course I am.
Anyhoo, gotta scoot. Just remember, as Benjamin Franklin said, I help those who help themselves.
Trust this finds you well. Good luck.
– G
Jeff MacGregor is a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. Don’t forget to submit your answers to his question: “What Are Sports For?” You can e-mail him at jeff_macgregor@hotmail.com.
Hey,
Did you know that we have a lot of churches around here?
By the way, did you know that every day 30,000 children die of hunger and preventable diseases…or that over 180 million people die unnecessarily each year from illnesses for which there are cures?
(Stats from Make Poverty Personal: Taking the Poor as Seriously as the Bible Does by Ash Barker)
A few words from the prologue of Thomas Merton’s The Ascent to Truth:
The only thing that can save the world from complete moral collapse is a spiritual revolution. Christianity, by its very nature, demands such a revolution. If Christians would all live up to what they profess to believe, the revolution would happen.
Grace and Peace.
(This review makes me a Viral Blogger @ The Ooze…check it out)
Brennan Manning is loved by many for his book The Ragamuffin Gospel. I was not a huge fan of Ragamuffin nor The Furious Longing of God. Manning is a master of images. The image he paints in Furious Longing of a small ship striving to the shore in the midst of a storm is a beautiful portrayal of God striving after his creation. I love the image.
Yet, Manning never moves deeper than images and anecdotes. Don’t get me wrong, the images are beautiful and the anecdotes are inspiring. I simply feel that the book market is flooded with such writing. Christian book stores need more depth. Our churches need more depth.
This book provides for great devotional reading. I read it a chapter at a time each morning, though the book is small and could be read in simply a few sittings. Those looking for an inspirational short story will find many in this work. Those looking to set sail and wade through the waters of the furious longing of God will walking away wanting more. On the other hand, that may be a good thing…
I’m working on a sermon for Sunday on the Lord’s Prayer from Luke 11:1-4:
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
” Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
I want to show you the text again with the emphasis of my sermon highlighted:
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
” Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
I want to illustrate my last post. I do this not to point fingers because the Lord knows I have dropped the ball countless times. Rather, I share this story simply to illicit thought….
I have had a few casual conversations with “Tim,” usually as I walk into the gas station to get a Diet Coke before work. The day prior to the event I will soon detail, Tim passed by me and my wife as we studied in McDonalds. He spoke a gentle “hello.” Yes, Tim is homeless.
A few weeks ago my wife and I pulled into Sonic to get a few drinks. The porch area was filled with a large group of high school students. Tim walked by, noticed the group, and took his place in the grass across the street. He sat there wiping the sweat from his brow. Once all of the high schoolers placed their orders and received their food, Tim walked across the street. As he stepped onto the porch Tim was ignored by a group of students. They turned their backs to him and continued their conversation. As I sat in the car, I could see Tim very politely attempting to get their attention. Eventually, the crowd awkwardly shuffled away trying to avoid him. Once the group moved away, Tim pulled out his wallet and spoke his order into the window that this group of high schoolers were blocking.
Tim did not want a thing but to place his order.
I fear this reaction is far too common.
If you live in Waco more than likely you have been approached by an uninvited visitor. He might have asked you for change or she might have told you her car ran out of gas down the road. Or perhaps you were not approached but drove by someone one talking to themselves as they leaned against their shopping cart. It is a common scene in Waco.
While uninvited visitor’s are common, people taking interest in these visitors (if I had to guess) is not as common.
I recently watched The Soloist starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downy Jr. It is a great portrayal of the different approaches to reacting to the homeless and the mentally ill. If you live in Waco you need to see this movie. You need to contemplate how you respond to the homeless/mentally ill. It will only be a matter of time before your next encounter. Jesus demands the proper response.
Grace and Peace.
