Important exchange on remembering that we live in physical bodies:
YOU HAVE A BODY!
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Category Archives: Spiritual Life
UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE
At Dallas Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School I sat through many classes where we sought to “understand the Bible.” For all their worth, there was one huge assumption which was consistently made: our own walks with God made no real difference in how well we understood Scripture. All that was needed to understand Scripture were the tools like observing the text carefully.
In Christopher Hall’s wonderful book, Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers, it is clear that the earliest Christian interpreters of Scripture believed one’s walk with God directly influenced how well they understood God’ Word.
Currently, I am leading a few reading groups of friends through some of the great works of Christianity. We are now reading Imitation of Christ by Kempis. Kempis said, “In silence and peace a devout soul makes progress and learns the secrets of the scriptures.”
Eugene Peterson writes, “The most important question we ask of this text is not, ‘What does this mean?’ but ‘What can I obey?’ A simple act of obedience will open up our lives to this text far more quickly than any number of Bible studies and dictionaries and concordances.”
(I am grateful to www.bensonian.org for bringing my attention to this last quote by Eugene Peterson in Eat This Book, p. 71)
AND THIS FOR A PERISHABLE WREATH!!!
Meditate on I Cor. 9;24-27, then read this short piece my son, David, sent me:
http://m.tickld.com/x/i-knew-kobe-bryant-was-dedicated-but-this
FASHIONABLE IS FLEETING
I am regularly asked what I think about some new approach or insight to living the Christian life. Trendy stuff catches the imaginations of many Christians. I could give many examples. They come and go, but sadly many Christians continue to hold out hope that there will be some new breakthrough for their lackluster, spiritual life.
Whenever I am asked about one of these new, sexy approaches to walking with Jesus, I am saddened and sometimes a bit outraged. There are so many better (and many times accessible) riches available. For example, the Puritans had much to say about discouragement, temptations of all sorts, even what to do with recurring dreams where one is enticed sexually.
I am constantly asked what I thought about books like the best-selling, The Prayer of Jabez. No one asks me about that book anymore. Fashionable is fleeting!
LEADING YOURSELF WELL
The picture above is of Pastor Wayne Cordeiro and his wife, Anna. Wayne has been encouraging and equipping leaders for many years.
Here is a wonderful piece on what really matters:
HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS
JP Moreland teaches philosophy and apologetics at Talbot Seminary, but don’t let that keep you from listening to this wonderful sermon on “Hope for the hopeless.”
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.”
PRINCIPLES OR PILGRIMAGE?
Several years back I had a conversation about spiritual growth with a close friend. Ben was bemoaning the fact that churches generally give little input to parents on getting their teenagers ready for adulthood.
I agreed with Ben, but told him there is an underlying problem–the dominant model of Christian growth in so-called conservative churches is behavioristic. In other words, we mainly focus on people keeping their spiritual noses clean, and the way we do this is by having them jump through various hoops (read programs) we are have set up as indispensable.
These programs (they no longer feel like ministry) tend to promote disembodied principles rather than appreciating the metaphor of a journey or pilgrimage. Granted, there are many invaluable principles to remember, but the Christian life should not be reduced to them. Complexities which get reduced to simplicities where it is not warranted are labeled by philosophers as “reductionistic.” It seems evangelical America is guilty of a dangerous form of spiritual reductionism.
A journey or pilgrimage with its many twists and turns takes into consideration the uncertainties of life. It also underscores, as Will Willimon likes to say, “a richer, thicker Chrisitan life.” It further reminds us, as John Bunyan did so well in The Pilgrim’s Progress, that every Christian’s path of growth has challenges and opportunities for growth which are unique. And that is indeed a refreshing truth amidst cookie-cutter approaches to Christian growth!
PREACHING TO YOURSELF
Tim Keller has much wisdom to offer. Here he shares how he keeps his heart soft toward the Lord.
“I always pray in the morning, Lord make me happy enough in the grace of Jesus to avoid being proud, cold, scared, and hooked.”
- Now, by proud I mean what you think, too self-congratulatory. And maybe disdainful of people who I don’t think have it together.
- Cold means I’m just too absorbed in my concerns to really be compassionate and gracious and warm and joyful to the people around me.
- Scared means I’m just obviously too anxious and worried.
- Hooked means…when you’re overworked, it means for me…eating. Eating things I shouldn’t eat just because it’s a way of keeping my energy up, and also because it’s a way of rewarding myself. Or looking at women more than once.
NO MORE TEARS OR SPEED HUMPS!
Coming out of our local Barnes & Noble tonight I rolled over a couple of speed humps (or speed bumps as they are also called). It made me wonder why there will be no need for speed humps in the New Heavens and New Earth: we are no longer tempted to rush about. We will then know implicitly that God has given us plenty of time (to speak of eternal life as timelessness may not be the best way to put it) for the work He has entrusted to us. Yes, we will work in heaven, but both the process and product will deeply satisfy.
So next time you roll over a speed hump use it as a reminder that then as well as now God has given you plenty of time to do His will. But He has not given us enough time to do both our agenda and His. That’s the rub for me!