Category Archives: Spiritual Life

DALLAS WILLARD

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Many of you know by now that Dallas Willard died this past Wednesday.

Willard’s influence on American Christianity was both deep and wide.

It was my privilege to interview him for an entire hour on two separate occasions.  The first book of his I read was Spirit of the Disciplines.  It was the late 1980s and I was going through it with a new staff member of Cru at Stanford.  It remains my favorite Willard book.

There are many laudatory things being said about Dallas Willard.  John Ortberg’s piece is worth reading:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/may-web-only/man-from-another-time-zone.html?start=1

HATE THE COVER, LOVE THE BOOK!

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Sensing Jesus

Okay, let me get something off my chest.  I want lots of people to read this book.  And I know it is written with pastors in mind, but any Christian who desires honest and hopeful growth will benefit greatly by reading it.  But there is a slight problem…

Sensing Jesus by Zack Eswine is truly a terrific book, but you would not think so judging by its cover.  I am on record saying another Crossway book (Why Cities Matter?) has a terrific cover and thereby heaped my praise publicly on the graphic designer.   I don’t know what happened with this cover, but I guess everyone has a bad day.  The cover for Sensing Jesus looks like a Shroud of Turin wannabe.

Covers and titles matter because they form the initial impression people have of a book.  I would love to see many buy Eswine’s book, but the title with the cover design are confusing and frankly, a bit cheesy.  Note to Crossway: redesign and retitle.

This truly is an important book which is geared for pastors, but contains much wisdom any Christian will benefit from.  Among other things, it will help non pastors better understand the peculiar challenges of pastoral ministry.

Eswine is a gifted writer who writes out of his own brokenness.  He could have easily fallen prey to self indulgence, but Eswine keeps God front and center.  Broken and vulnerable humanity is kept wonderfully tethered to the God of all hope.

The creative folks at Crossway need to get brainstorming a new title AND design!  And please do it before the next print run!

The present subtitle is good, so I say keep it as it is: “Life and Ministry as a Human Being.”

 

WAITING ON GOD

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Several years back I read a terrific book by Ben Patterson.  His title, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, gives you a good idea of what Patterson is writing about.

Three of my takeaways from the book were:

*Waiting on God looks foolish, even to many Christians.

*The lack of knowing how long we will have to wait for further clarity can be brutal.

*Waiting does not mean passively doing nothing (though it may for a season!), but it can be challenging to know what to do while we wait for greater clarity.

Among other things, it is wise to get counsel from godly Christians during seasons of waiting on God.

 

LET’S FIGHT!

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It is sad how much Christians fight over doctrines which are not essential.  We typically call these secondary teachings.  From which mode of baptism is biblical to head coverings to predestination, there are all kinds of ways Christians choose to fight amongst themselves.

I came up with a question for those who believe the Bible speaks clearly on one of these non essential doctrines: How do you explain that equally learned and devoted Christians disagree on this issue?  Some dodge the force of the question and simply say, “But the Bible clearly teaches God created in six, twenty-four hour days.”  At this point I will try to get the person to appreciate that they are saying, even if not explicitly, that the other side is either not as scholarly, not as devoted to God, or perhaps both.  If the person does not seem to appreciate these things, my experience has taught me to move on to another subject!

Did you know I wanted to be an interior decorator?  Only a few remain interested in fighting with me.

 

 

THE MARRIAGE OF SCOT McKNIGHT AND JUSTIN TAYLOR

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Scot’s “Jesus Creed” has posted some of my writing.  My book, The Last Men’s Book You’ll Ever Need, was featured on Justin’s, “Between Two Worlds” and Crossway regularly sends me books for review.

Scot and Justin are fine men whom I have corresponded with from time to time.

“Jesus Creed” and “Between Two Worlds” are indispensable reads.  For the record, I don’t list my favorite blogs on “Moore Engaging.”  I have too many so it would eat up precious space.

I greatly appreciate what both Scot and Justin bring to the body of Christ, but it seems I must be in the minority.  I have noticed if a blogger lists Scot’s blog, they predictably leave off Justin’s.  And vice versa.

I did notice Trevin Wax’s blogroll lists the blogs of Scot and Justin.  Trevin has a “Gospel Coalition” blog, but it does not keep him from declaring his admiration for both John Piper and N.T. Wright.  Trevin continues in this vein:

“Both are men of God who have a deep love for the Scriptures. Both have devoted their lives to the service of the kingdom. Both men are scholars who are simultaneously devoted to the Church…I began reading John Piper and N.T. Wright at about the same time (2003). I have benefited greatly from both of these men’s works. It has been theologically sharpening for me to have read extensively from both sides of this debate.”

(“Kingdom People” blog, “Future of Justification 1: Some Preliminary Thoughts,” Nov. 29, 2007.)

So here is my proposal (no pun intended):  More than a truce, let there be a marriage of sorts between Scot and Justin’s considerable followers.  Like all good marriages, I am not advocating some bland and therefore bogus agreement.  This would be a healthy marriage where fights are fair, love is tangibly displayed, and the real Enemy acknowledged as the only enemy.

 

BEING YOURSELF, TAKE 2

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My friend Lindsey Scholl got us started and Pastor Pete Scazzero offers his own take with “Solitude: The Pathway to Your True Self.”  And how about that picture Pastor Pete adds to his post!

Pause a few moments and let Scazzero’s meditation become your own:

When I asked my PhD friend to reflect, after over 30 years of therapy with high-powered executives and pastors, why leaders have such a difficult time stopping and being still. He laughed. “Pete,” he replied with a smile, “They are terrified. They can’t stop. Their self is so tied into achievement, into their doing and work, they are afraid they will die if they stop.”

This Isenheim Altarpiece painted by Matthias Grünewald sometime between 1512 and 1516 captures the intense struggle to die to the false self. We see ugly demons trying to torment Anthony of Athanasius to leave the place of solitude with Jesus.

Each of us needs to fashion our own desert where we can withdraw and allow the gentle touch of Jesus free us. The shape of the discipline of solitude will look different for each of us. But one thing is sure — a fruitful life can only flow out of a direct and intimate encounter with Jesus.

Solitude is its own end. It is the place where Christ frees us from the addictions of the world. While it is the place of great struggle, as Henri Nouwen says, it is also the place of purification and transformation.

St. Anthony spent twenty years in solitude. When he emerged, he had become so Christlike, so filled with the love of Jesus, that his entire being was a gift to the world. People flocked from around the known world to be with this free, transformed man.

May the same be true for us.

http://www.petescazzero.com/contemplative-spirituality/solitude-the-pathway-to-your-true-self/

BEING YOURSELF…

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Or as my friend Lindsey says, “The Glorious Person You Don’t Have to Be.”

Lindsey may be correct about the international acclaim stuff (see her guest post below), but I would not bet against her!

Here then are Lindsey’s wise and life-giving words:

Who is the person you don’t have to be?

For me, I always believed that my destiny was to be an internationally acclaimed speaker and writer. This delusion likely dates back to the first time I was ever complimented on my writing. Certainly it pre-dates my junior year in high school. By then, the idea was firmly entrenched, along with the conviction that I was already behind.

A hard truth hit me a few days ago, but it was followed by a flood of relief. The truth was this: God may not want me to be an international anything. If that is the case, I should not torture myself by viewing every popular speaker and every successful writer as a potential ‘me.’ Perhaps it is okay to be one of the ‘masses’ and just absorb (instead of dream).

I shudder when I think of the last time I read a good book separated from any concept of marketing or success. Or the last time I viewed a magnificent state building without figuring out how I could get a back-stage pass. Or how often I have blamed God for withholding my destiny.

But what is my destiny? As a believer in Christ, it is already written out for me in plain Greek: “I have died, and my life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ–who is my life– is revealed, I too will be revealed in glory.” That’s from the third chapter of the book of Colossians. So when is my glory coming? Not in this life. Rather, I must put all my eggs in the basket of the afterlife. If I am to believe the Bible at all, I have to believe that my real glory will not be revealed after I die. In fact, it will not be made known until the end of days.  By then, I will also have the wisdom not to care about it.

That truth is a relief to me.  Since I am incapable of bringing about any glory other than a) false and selfish glory or b) the glory produced by obedience, I am not in any way responsible for glorifying myself.  I am grateful for that, and not only because I’ve been making such a hash of the job.  You should be grateful, too: self-aggrandizement is never pretty to watch.

Is there a glory that you are seeking and not finding? Perhaps it is the glory of being a parent when parenthood has been denied you. Perhaps it is the glory of a job worthy of your education when all you can manage is stacking shelves at a library. Perhaps it is the glory of a lifelong relationship.

What is the glory that will finally allow you to hold your head high?

Chances are, you have not answered that you want to glory in your weakness, or in the cross of Christ, or in suffering. Heaven knows that I have never answered like that. I want my glory to be in how Christ has accomplished marvelous and noteworthy things through the skills and interests he has given me. I want my glory to be in strength, not in weakness.

But that is not the biblical way. I don’t know how exactly I can glory in weakness over strength, but I do know one thing: I am free from planning my own path of glory. Nor do I have to make myself a celebrity.  God forbid that I should do so.

I want to finish with a quote from Thomas Aquinas. In speaking about vainglory, he asserts that

“It is requisite for man’s perfection that he should know himself; but not that he should be known by others.” Summa Theologica, Question 132, Article 1

The world does not have to know or glorify you. It is far better that you know yourself through the eyes of God.

http://www.lindseyscholl.com/2013/04/the-glorious-person-you-dont-have-to-be.html

 

HOMER SIMPSON’S INNER ATHEIST (PART 1)

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Homer Simpson

I am grateful to Scot McKnight for bringing my attention to Daniel Taylor’s wonderful book, The Skeptical Believer.

The title is terrific, but I like the subtitle even better: Telling Stories to Your Inner Atheist.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Skeptical-Believer-Telling-Stories/dp/0970651155/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

There are far too many things I like about Dan’s book to do one post, so I am going to do several in the weeks ahead.  Those who know me best understand why I would find so much resonance with The Skeptical Believer.  You could say I am a “serial doubter.”

Before we embark on Dan’s terrific book, let me say something about its design.  Dan’s son, Matthew, designed the book.  It is exquisitely and creatively put together.  Even though it is beautifully done and almost 400 pages in length, the cost is only $14.95!

Here then are a few things from the first section of Dan’s book (or about 70 pages):
*The quotes Dan provides at the beginning of each chapter are wisely selected.  The book starts off with this gem by Miguel de Unamuno:
“Those who believe that they believe in God, but without any passion in their heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, without an element of despair even in their consolation, believe only in the idea of God, not in God Himself.”

 

*Many Christians feel the compulsion to act like the life of faith is easy and struggle minimal.  Dan provides loads of wisdom and breathing room to be more honest with our nagging questions and doubts.  And Dan offers humor throughout his book!

*In his inimitable way, Dan does a great job of describing how the old faith v. reason conundrum is bogus.  Others have demonstrated this as well, but Dan the literature professor and gifted writer offers us a fresh perspective.

*The Skeptical Believer has one of the best explanations of the power of “story” that I have ever read.

*Daniel Taylor isn’t interested in simply offering witty and well-written words about skepticism.  He wants to help us.  His section (I won’t tell you the page numbers because I want you to buy the book) on dealing with what he likes to call “clutter” rather than busyness is one of my favorite parts in the first section.

 

 

DEATH TO SHARING!

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Rosalie de Rosset

“My name is Rosalie de Rosset,” she told the class. “Isn’t that a fabulously feminine name? Clearly, my parents filled out the birth certificate before they met me. I assure you, that is the only womanly thing about me…

“I have one rule for this class,” de Rosset continued without smiling, “If you use the word ‘share,’ I will fail you. On the spot. I don’t want to hear one woman stand up here telling us that you ‘wanna share a bit of your heart.’ If you do, you will get an ‘F’ in my class.” I looked around and saw many women, smiling broadly, shaking their heads. “I want you to preach. You’re not schoolgirls sharing your dolls. You have a voice. You have something to say. And I want you to proclaim it.”

(“Preaching Lessons at a Fundamentalist Bible School,” by Carol Howard Merritt, Christian Century, Dec. 8, 2012)

MAKING AN IMPRESSION

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My thought from reading the Psalms today:

We take note of people who we think are impressive.  God takes note of us even though we are truly unimpressive!

“O Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You think of him?
Man is like a mere breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.”

Ps. 144:3,4