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THE AX IS FALLING!

I am 55. My lovely wife is 53. And she is lovely so many ways, not the least of which she loves to read (more below).

We have a very good library: diverse and some of the best books in their respective categories. It was put together over a lifetime. Our library did not cost a lot because we have gone to library sales, used bookstores, received books from friends and family, and get many wonderful books to review from publishers.

I read on Scot McKnight’s blog that Michael Quicke is “retiring” from teaching at Northern. In one of Quicke’s posts about his move back to England, he talks about the painful process of downsizing his library. Quicke has about ten years on me, but for years I’ve been whittling a little bit every month to make the process a bit easier. Not easy to be sure. For the foreseeable future our library will most likely hover around 2500-3000 books. Without my regular whittling it might be twice that size by now, and much more painful to address.

As I get older, I find myself rereading more frequently, especially the books which have truly formed my convictions. And the books which showcase a craftsman at work.

So I will keep chopping up our library with my metaphorical ax.

Here is Quicke’s wonderful, but poignant piece:

http://michaelquicke.blogspot.com/2013/11/changing-life-4.html

If you don’t want have time to read the entire piece, consider these words of wisdom:

“And saying goodbye sometimes comes with cruel reality checks as I realize I cannot possibly read all that I once hoped to delive into. For example, I have collected books on particular subjects that I was going to dive into, that I even imagined that I could write books about, but I now realize time is running out! I remember an athletic deacon in my first church saying that he had suddenly realized that certain things would never happen for him, like playing cricket for England. I remember being amused, but then realizing he was being serious. (I appreciate US friends would not likely take this seriously anyway!) Yes, what once seemed limitless pastures are now ring-fenced. I am grateful that I shall still be able to graze but I can see a fence.”

DETERMINING YOUR WORTH

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Either we have inherent worth or simply instrumental worth. If we are not created in the image of God our instrumental worth puts our worth on shaky ground. We are just tools that have value as long as we can produce. But what happens when our production slows down or stops altogether?

It is no wonder we live amidst such insecurity. People feel driven to keep producing.

Many also feel the pull to keep reinventing themselves when their present perception of their image seems inadequate. And since there is no innate worth to the way God has made us, there becomes the delusional pursuit of constant self-improvement projects. Some may seem like longer roads than others, but all are cul-de-sacs. And so reinventing the self begins anew.

In the biblical account of creation, the man and woman are pronounced very good before they produce anything. God is pleased simply because they mirror His image.

THE BIBLE IS BORING

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When pastor Todd Putney convened an enthusiastic community discussion of The Shack, it didn’t go as he had hoped. “I thought that book would be a bridge to the God of the Scriptures, but it wasn’t. No one wanted to go there. They preferred the story and the god of The Shack over the God of the Scriptures.”

Elegant writing coupled with crucial insights in this article:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/july-august/the-gospel-is-more-than-a-story.html?paging=off

FOUR OPTIONS…OR ARE THERE MORE?