C. S. Lewis: Love is an Undying Fire

Born at the edge of the 20th century (November 29, 1898) and died on the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated (November 22, 1963), Clive Staples Lewis remains one of the most famous authors of the 20th century. I have read more of Lewis' writings than any other author except for Alexander Campbell.

What this Blog is Not About

C. S. (Jack) Lewis was born into a Christian family but through the influence of a skeptical teacher and then his college experience he became a committed atheist.  During World War I he was wounded in April 1918 in what seems to have been a friendly fire incident.  After the war he pursued his education at Oxford and became a Tutor in 1925. His love for literature immersed him in Norse, Greek and Irish which mythology soon provided God with the door back into his life. Lewis fought with the One he most did not want to meet.  In Surprised by Joy he relates,

"You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England."

But he did embrace theism in 1929, and then Christianity in 1931, under the influence of J. R. R. Tolkien.  Lewis went on to become a first rate scholar and published many works that Evangelicals rarely read: The Allegory of Love, A Study in Medieval Tradition; A Preface to Paradise Lost; Studies in Words; The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature; and other works that show the true depth of Lewis' scholarship. But my blog is not about Lewis the scholar, Lewis the author of popular fantasy, or Lewis the one who saw to it that Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saw the light of day was published. This blog is about Lewis the man who quietly served and loved his fellow human beings.

What this Blog is About: Amor est ignis jugiter ardens

C. S. Lewis believed that love was the dynamic energy of the mind and source of creativity.  He wrote in The Four Loves "Every Christian would agree that a man's spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God." The Narnian lived what he confesses in a most humble yet dramatic way.

Lewis' friend Paddy Moore was killed in World War I.  C. S. Lewis took full responsibility for his widowed mother and his sister moving them into his own house to live with him and his brother.  Lewis kept this promise.  In her old age Mrs. Moore became verbally abusive and demanding.  C. S. Lewis took care of her till the day she died however.

Harry Blamires, a student of Lewis, recalled that his teacher was "personally interested in his pupils and permanently concerned about those who became his friends ... No one knew better how to nourish a pupil with encouragement." Lewis, as you can imagine, received mail from literally across the globe.  He believed that God wanted him to answer each and every letter with his own handwriting in spite of the massive demands on his already full schedule.  As a result over 12,000 letters by C. S. Lewis have been collected.  Some letters are to old women and some to young boys and everyone age in between.  Lewis treated them all with respect and equally.  The reason for this was because, as he says in The Weight of Glory, "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal."

The theologian Austin Farrar was a friend of C. S. Lewis (sort of unusual because, unbelievably, many theologians did not like Lewis ... petty jealously finds fertile ground among all mere humans!).  He relates a story about Lewis in the book, C. S. Lewis at the Breakfast Table that again, I think, reveals the true greatness of Lewis and the depth of fruit of the Spirit in his life. First we all know that the Inkling opened his home to house children during World War II to protect them from Nazi bombs (the setting for the Chronicles of Narnia).  During the day, Lewis would work with some of the brightest scholars in the world and then come home and teach a young boy with severe learning disabilities to read using flash cards he made just for the occasion.  Throughout his career Lewis secretly funded the education for impoverished students stipulating that none could know of his contribution until after his death.

The story of C. S. Lewis is one full of wonder and wonderful. He loved hanging with his friends, The Inklings, at the pub (The Bird and the Baby it was commonly called) drinking beer from a stein and smoking a cigar discussing literature, politics, and theology.  He loved God and thought of his work as an act of worship to the Father of Jesus. And he loved people exemplifying the truth of agape because of this ...  (from the Latin Letters of C. S. Lewis) "In the poor man who knocks at my door, in my ailing mother, in the young man who seeks my advice, the Lord Himself is present. Therefore let us wash His feet."

Final Thought

It is my prayer that you and I can become lovers of the world as Lewis did.  If the church today could learn to be open, passionate, creative, and loving as the Narnian then we just might have a positive impact on this old world of sin and death.  May it be so.  Amor est ignis jugiter ardens - Love is an undying fire!

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Movies of 2012: The Good, the Bad & Ugly

As I sat on the couch with my daughters last night night we got onto the subject of movies of the past year.  So just what were the the best movies of the year? What were the ones we thought were ok? And which ones just plain stunk ... here is a list between two teenage girls and myself.

The Best Movies of the Year

10) Brave
9) Men in Black III
8) Cowboys & Aliens
7) Batman - The Dark Knight Rises
6) Hunger Games
5) Red Tails
4) The Hobbit: Unexpected Journey

The last three we all agreed a case can be made for being the best movie of the year

1) Avengers (for sheer entertainment this is my pick)
1) Lincoln (from a aesthetic view point this has a case as the best movie of the year)
1) The Vow (this is just a beautiful movie)

Movies that we enjoyed and may watch again one day

1) Amazing Spider-Man
2) Expendables 2
3) John Carter of Mars (all of us actually liked this movie though it seemingly panned in the box office)
4) Ghost Rider 2
5) Skyfall

The worst movies of the year are in our opinion

5) Dictator
4) Battleship
3) Breaking Dawn Part 2
2) Total Recall
1) Dredd

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So You're a Minister ... Leaves from a Journal Spanning 20 Years

What does it mean to be a "minister?"  I believe this is a critical question for both congregations and those who are "ministers." I have officially been in full time "ministry" for twenty years as of 2012.  That is hard to believe actually! I did ministry type stuff before 1992 but that is the official year.  During that time I have witnessed or experienced nearly everything under the sun so I want to reflect on this vocation. What follows are pages from my journal ... These are actual snippets from various pages on the struggles for identity.  Throughout I was talking to and for myself.  The only changes I have made were those necessary to make this into a post and omitting any detailed personal information.

Just Who Are You?

Sometimes the best insight comes from a non-traditional source. The rock band Creed, one of my favorites, has a great song called "A Thousand Faces."  "I stand surrounded by the walls That once confined me Knowing I'll be underneath them When they crumble When they fall.  With clarity my scars remind me Ask yourself what's just under my skin ... You wear a thousand faces, tell me, tell me which is you."  The song goes on to lament "Dug my grave, thrashed my name Yet here I stand so you won't fade away ..." What a powerful song. It calls us to find out who we really are. Who I am.  We have a thousand faces with a thousand different people and we loose ourselves in the process. The song also testifies to the one who stays though some "thrash my name."

So Who Am I? We cannot even agree on the term to call ourselves such is the convoluted sense of identity among us. Young men (and women) are recruited (almost like the military does at times!), fed a line, given a vision and some basic training - frequently inadequate - and unleashed to "front line." Suddenly one is confronted with the truth of a thousand different faces.  In any given week a minister is teacher, preacher, crises counselor, priest, a comforter, an encourager, marriage counselor, a care giver, administrator, referee, companion, diplomat, mechanic, janitor, secretary, the congregational role model! This is just a sampling of the thousand faces btw.  Some of these roles (= faces) the preacher/minister is completely unprepared and untrained to deal with.  All of these faces/roles worn in a fragile glass house.

Throughout the pages of my journal there are probably hundreds of examples of the last paragraph. I recall being in a home Bible study (to pick just one of those many examples) at an elder's house in the late 1990s and have it suddenly turn into a marital counseling session. Another of physically removing a revolver from a person's hands praying that the "whole armor of God" is bullet proof.  I recall having a 15 year knocking on our door at 2 am in complete break down, pregnant. Scared. Her question, "will you come with me to tell my parents."

When the minister inadequately "performs" in any of these areas, some of which were never addressed in his training, he is dealt with, at times, very unkindly.  Usually the harshest critic in all of this is the minister himself but he starts to buy into the thousand faces premise. His sense of failure and inadequacy is reinforced by unwise criticism.  To be honest in that one area that the preacher himself may deem most important, the Bible, he is often inadequately trained.(in the Journal several more far more grave examples are given. I omit them for a myriad of reasons)

The minister must develop a sense of identity. Like Creed sings he must be able to answer the question "tell me which one is you!"  Churches often have unrealistic, if not unbiblical, and unspoken expectations of the minister.  The minister short changes the church because he willingly tries to wear those thousand faces and thus looses his real gift.  To many churches (including elders) come to view the minister as an employee and he is never actually seen as part of the overall Body.  Those with eyes to see pick up on this truth rather quickly.

Struggles to Find "the" Face

I have learned that many congregations are shaped and molded as much by the comfort of how it has always been done as by anything the Bible actually says.  Biblical authority is the trump card that is used only when our pet identity markers are questioned.  This sociological observation holds true still when it comes to many individual ministers.  In most ministerial training the "candidate" is admonished to devour, digest, and internalize God's prescription for ministry from those books we call Pastoral Epistles (1-2 Timothy & Titus).  The professor in college says the "pattern" for the preacher is found here.  Thus as the preacher is seeking to define his own face he is presented with a dilemma.  To quote Donald Crittenden, few Churches of Christ (if any) actually believe or "accept as the proper province of the minister the full catalog of duties assigned to Timothy and Titus."  I wrote in my journal several years ago next to this quote "this is a true statement if there ever was one."

But the minister must be able to say who he is. We need to be able to define our task, our vocation, better than anyone.  It may take a few trips around the block to really understanding how important this matter is. We share in the life of the church as a member, as all members do. However our task within the body is very defined.  The words of Paul apply to ministers as much as any other Christian,

"[D]o not think more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment ... For as in one body we have many members, and not all members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members of one another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us ... ministry ... teaching ... exhorting ..." (Romans 12.3b-8)

What the minister needs to do is develop not so much a philosophy of ministry as he needs to develop a theological understanding of who he is and what God has called him to do within the body.  I have my first job description from a church.  They were good and loving people.  I was to dumb at the time to know what it was I was really supposed to be doing. That job description omitted prayer entirely! Apparently Acts 6.4 was limited to the first century.

Over the past twenty years my own sense of identity has been forged through reading hundreds of articles, dozens of books, and finding the courage to say,  "I disagree."  My personal, written by me, job description takes seriously the words of Paul quoted above (similar ones are found in 1 Cor 12 and Ephesians 4) and his words to Timothy and Titus and the ministry of Moses. these words are in my Bible

"I am a sinner saved by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Though I never wanted to be one, God has made me a minister within the body of Christ. Thus God demands that I drench my life with Scripture. Therefore I require an immersion in biblical study.  I need hours to reflect prayerfully with the aid of every tool and especially the Holy Spirit to come to grips with the text. God is calling me to more than information the Spirit is calling me to worship with his body through these pages. This is my task."

This short statement reflects lots of evolution and further understanding. It will likely evolve again. But as flawed as it is it is, this is my self-definition as a minister and everything flows out of it. The prayer of Martin Luther is so appropriate even after we understand our role.

Lord God, you have made me a pastor in your church. You see how unfit I am to undertake this great and difficult office, and if it were not for your help, I would have ruined it all long ago. Therefore I cry to you for aid. I offer my mouth and my heart to your service. I desire to teach the people - and for myself, I would learn ever more diligently meditate on your Word. Use me as your instrument, but never forsake me, for if I am left alone I shall easily bring it all to destruction. Amen.

To answer the question from Creed, this is who I am. This is the face that defines me. Every minister needs to be able to answer that question. I am a sinner, saved by grace, being God's flawed conduit for that message of grace. Preaching is rooted first in the Great Indicative!

Broken Mirrors

Creed sings "Now I'm forced to look behind, I'm forced to look at you ... Broken mirrors paint the floor but can't you tell the truth." The church that fails to grasp who and what the minister is complicit in his spiritual death. Since 1992 I have seen many gifted people - my friends - buy into the sales pitch of the recruiters only to be sacrificed upon the altar of "ministry." All I have to do is look at my own graduating class of my to see the shattered lives.  I may be mistaken but of my class there are, I believe, only two that are still preaching.  From that class there are those who do not attend church at all, those whose families and marriages have been shattered like my own, even those who are now atheists.  Why is it a person will spend years getting a "degree" and are throwing in the towel within two years (which is the average life expectancy of a minister ... how does that compare to the "career" of the average NFL player?).

The problem, as I see it, is the thousand faces churches demand of the minister. The most insidious part is that frequently these "faces" are not even written down. Then when he fails they "dug my grave" and "trashed my name."  Many a preacher feels as if he is hired to be the Master of Ceremonies of Everything in the local church. When he flops it is not simply the "members" that are let down he often feels he has failed God.  This is when the powder keg is burning in the life of the minister and he is driven to "succeed" but success is not defined Spiritually or biblically.  I have been victim of these broken mirrors myself and could not tell the truth (about myself).  Thus I have felt the desire on more than one occasion of "throwing in the towel." One time I was literally within mere seconds of doing it on the spot! I wanted out.

My Salvation as a Minister

The only thing that has kept me going as a minister, especially in the last several years, has been the beginning of my personal statement above.  "I am a sinner saved by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ."  This is my salvation as a Christian but also as a minister. I know before I even start that I will fail in wearing all the Mardi Gras faces just right. I know I am incompetent to fulfill all the roles and expectations that well meaning, but misinformed, people have of me.  Knowing that my ministry exits by and through the grace of God alone takes the pressure off.  God does not expect me to be perfect.  I am perfected in Christ. God does not expect me to do it all.  He expects me to surrender to him so He can do it all through me. Knowing who I am frees me to be what God has called me to be.  I am a teacher/preacher who exists in holy covenant with the rest of the body in a symbiotic relationship of mutual blessing and accountability.  The blood of Jesus bathes and sanctifies my wholly inadequate effort to wear a thousand faces.  Indeed the washing of the blood is what makes me see clearly the truth that sets me free.

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Communion and Prayer: The Fellowship of the Saints

Many people in the last decade and a half have felt their lives lacking something of a "spiritual" nature. We went to "church" on a routine basis but that did not seem to fill the void. I was one of those people. My religious background had prepared me quite well for defending some doctrinal propositions and equipped me for fairly good "bible study." Coming from my background, though, I rarely thought of my journey with God in terms of "relationship" but more in ritualistic terms such as "being a member of the Church" (as I used to put it).

One day, it was 1997, a lady in my congregation came to me and asked me to teach her how to pray. This was a most unusual question for me - isn't that a great irony! Up to this point in my journey prayer was simply something I did . . . a command to fulfill. As a result I can testify that my own prayer life was quite superficial. To be honest I was of no help to this dear sister . . . however she caused me some serious angst. I read in Scriptures of God's People having dynamic "relationships" with God. They were quite conscious of his Presence in their lives.

In my own journey I discovered that the doctrine of the Holy Spirit that I had inherited (based on a certain school of philosophy known as Lockean) made "experiencing" the divine Presence a virtual impossibility. But the more I read the scripture the more I realized that something was not right . . . God did want me to experience his gracious Presence.

Through great passages like Exodus 24.1-11 and Ephesians 1 and 3 I came to see that "communion" is one of the central organizing themes of Scripture. God created us for communion (i.e. relationship and intimacy) and God redeemed us to restore the communion (i.e. relationship and intimacy) that had been lost. The Cross was not and is not an "end" but a "means" to the goal . . . that is intimate, rich, deep, restored communion with the Almighty.

Communion though implies "community." Indeed it demands it! Again, through Bible study I have come to a much more dynamic view of God's Family, the church. In fact God's Church/Family is the greatest "thing" on planet Earth. Paul in Eph. 1.18-19 tells us of God's "riches" concentrated among the saints and in 3.14ff he tells us of a family that is in "heaven and on earth." In the past I had pretty much limited God's church (drastically) to a few "sound" Churches of Christ but this passage (others helped) rewrote my entire ecclesiology. God's family was hardly limited to my "local" fellowship but was cosmic in dimension and transcends not only cultural barriers but also the barriers of history. We have fellowship with God's Family, even those who have gone on before. Paul makes it quite clear that it is together (i.e. in communion!) with "all" the saints we experience, know, God's amazing love and Presence. Of course Hebrews 11 and Revelation reflect this deeper and more "mysterious" notion of communion.

Because of my new found respect and appreciation for God's Family, I have determined that they can be a blessing to my life. How? Through prayer. Perhaps one of the biggest changes in my theology is that I now believe in joining the saints in worship . . . especially prayer!

There is an unbelievably rich heritage of prayer among the saints. I began to pray the Psalms in the mid-1990s but now I also incorporate the prayers that many saints have written down through the ages. I join them, I appropriate their words and make them mine. I did not know how to pray on many occasions (through the dark days of my divorce is but one example) and many of these saints . . . nameless ones . . . have providentially given me a treasure of which I can never repay. Now I feel as if I have plugged into the rhythm of grace and flow with the river of the Spirit.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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When Illusion Crumbles

This morning is the tenth anniversary of a day that we all recall in shock, disbelief, awe and even hope. It was the day when concrete and steel crumbled. It was the day when terror entered our lives. It was the day when a life of illusion came tumbling down. But it was also a day in which something truly divine took place. While the concrete and steel was on fire we witnessed unbelievable acts of heroism, self-sacrifice and a sense that the world is about more than getting, collecting, and “looking out for number one.”

What about you? What were you doing that morning? I recall that day vividly! I ran up to the school where my wife was teaching sixth grade and we all watched the news together. I recall trying to protect my two little girls from the ugliness of it all. I recall attending a prayer vigil that evening at Southside to pray, cry and heal. I recall the sense of anger, yes anger, that swept over me at the senselessness of it all. Yes I can even feel it still

But a lot has happened in the ten years since “9-11.” New presidents. New Congresses. New lives. People dying. People being born. The question that forces itself upon is “What has changed in our lives since the illusion crumbled?”

September 11 revealed and continues to reveal what really matters in this life. The illusion continues to claim to be real. Put your hope in stocks, bonds, money, … concrete and steel. But we all know that those things simply pale in significance to love, caring for our neighbor, recognizing our sense of togetherness, redeeming the moment we have with our loved ones. September 11 crashed the illusion that we call the shots, that we are in control, and that we determine our own destiny. On that day everyone knew it was time to pray and to lend a helping hand because it truly is not about looking out for ourselves.

On this day in which we will relive those events again lets not forget that life has moved on since then. Ask questions like: how has my life moved from the life of illusion to truly important matters? How has my life become more concerned about helping and sharing and less concerned with concrete and steel? Have we moved from the illusion that we still are in control and embraced true security by leaning on the One truly in control.

My life has changed in drastic ways since September 11, 2001. If you are like me you need constant reminders that the “Gospel of the World” is nothing but pure and even painful illusion. On this day remember the Gospel of Jesus Christ that gives hope, meaning, stability and courage in the face crumbling illusions.

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The Greatest Books in Christian History

I recently read a list of what purported to be the 100 Greatest Christian books ... I was, frankly, surprised by many of the titles that were on the list. Conversely I was shocked by the absence of others. Out of the entire list not a single book dedicated to the "Old Testament" - the ghost of Marcion is still a poltergeist in the Protestant psyche. So I decided to make my own list.

Of course my list will be flawed too. I am sure some will scratch their head over a few selections. Yet what follow here are my selections for the 100 greatest Christian books of all time. I have tried to pick works that have impacted Christian thought and life in important ways ... and also works that have helped shape me personally even though I do not always agree completely with a given book. I would recommend to any Christian looking to build a library that these books deserve a place on their shelf (or kindle) ... but not only the shelf they deserve to be devoured. I have attempted to avoid what C. S. Lewis termed "chronological snobbery" but there may be more modern titles. I will offer an older title and then newer as my approach. I will offer the title with no justification for it.

1) The Apocrypha

2) J. B. Phillips, Your God is too Small

3) The Apostolic Fathers (ed. Michael Holmes)

4) Jacques Ellul, The Meaning of the City

5) Origen, Hexapola - now this work I do not have and does not exist as known today but if it shows up on Google books let me know

6) Martin Luther King, Jr, Letter from a Birmingham Jail

7) Justin, First and Second Apology

8) Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

9) Irenaeus, Against Heresies

10) Walther Rauschenbusch, Christianity and the Social Crises

11) Tertullian, Apology

12) Albert Schweitzer, The Quest for the Historical Jesus

13) Eusebius, Church History

14) William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life

15) Augustine, The Confessions

16) Augustine, City of God

17) G. Ernest Wright, God Who Acts

18) Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

19) Alexander Heidel, The Babylonian Genesis

20) Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word of God

21) Jerome, The Vulgate

22) Richard Foster, The Celebration of Discipline

23) Gregory the Great, Pastoral Care

24) Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

25) Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs

26) Jacob Spener, Pia Desideria

27) Thomas a'Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

28) Francis of Assisi, The Writings of Francis of Assisi

29) C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

30) Anselm, Cur Deus Homo

31) Dorothy Sayers, The Mind of the Maker

32) Erasmus, In Praise of Folly

33) Erasmus, Greek New Testament

34) Martin Luther, Selections from His Writings

35) William Tyndale, English New Testament, Old Testament (Pentateuch and Jonah)

36) William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man

37) N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God

38) Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

39) Adolf Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East

40) Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle

41) Walter Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms

42) Thomas Campbell, The Declaration and Address

43) John Foxe, Foxes Book of Martyrs

44) John Bright, The Authority of the Old Testament

45) B. F. Westcott & F. J. A. Hort, Greek New Testament

46) Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative

47) Abraham J. Heschel, The Prophets (2 Vols). I know Heschel is a Jewish author but his work still ranks among the richest exposition of the biblical text.

48) Abraham J. Heschel, The Sabbath

49) John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress

50) John Howard Yoder, The Politics of Jesus

51) Ronald M. Hals, Grace and Faith in the Old Testament (one of the finest little gems of a book I've ever read)

52) George Adam Smith, Historical Geography of the Holy Land

53) Frederick Buechner, Telling the Truth

54) William Wilberforce, Real Christianity

55) C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy

56) Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All its Worth

57) Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

58) The Desert Fathers

59) Martin Hengel, Crucifixion in the Ancient World

60) Gregory of Nyssa, The Life of Moses

61) Gordon D. Fee, God's Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul

62) Lancelot Andrewes, Private Devotions

63) F. F. Bruce, New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?

64) Rudolf Otto, The Idea of the Holy

65) Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections

66) John Stott, The Cross of Christ

67) Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life

68) Lewis Smedes, The Art of Forgiving

69) Lesslie Newbigin, The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission

70) Bonaventure, The Life of St. Francis

71) Ray Bakke, The Urban Christian: Effective Ministry in Today's Urban World

72) Willard Harley, His Needs, Her Needs

73) Christopher J. H. Wright, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament

74) Marva J. Dawn, A Royal 'Waste' of Time: The Splendor of Worshiping God and Being Church for the World

75) Terence Fretheim, The Suffering of God: An Old Testament Perspective

76) Gustaf Aulen, Christus Victor

77) F. F. Bruce, History of the Bible in English

78) T. S. Eliot, The Wasteland

79) T. S. Eliot, Four Quartets

80) Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Wounded Healer

81) John Donne, The Holy Sonnets

82) Michael Green, I Believe in the Holy Spirit

83) N. T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God

84) John Goldingay, Old Testament Theology: Israel's Gospel

85) Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages

86) Stanley Grenz, Created for Community

87) Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus Rediscovered

88) C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

89) Marvin Wilson, Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

90) Mark A. Noll, America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln

91) Robert Wolgemuth, She Calls Me Daddy

92) Helmut Thielicke, The Trouble with the Church: A Call to Renewal

93) Dallas Willard, Divine Conspiracy

94) Leonard Sweet, Postmodern Pilgrims

95) R. T. France, Jesus and the Old Testament

96) Richard Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament

97) Oswald Chambers, The Love of God

98) Richard Lischer, The Company of Preachers: Wisdom on Preaching, Augustine to the Present

99) Philip Yancy, Disappointment with God

100) Ronald J. Sider, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger

There you have it. There are many more good books but these ones made the list today. If these are not the 100 Greatest books in Christian history they are at least one hundred books that have molded and shaped my own thinking and walking in profound ways. If you have not read these books I encourage you to get them and devour them. There is no book on this list I would not gladly read again ... in fact all (save Origen) have been frequented by me over the years. Some I like because I argue with them so much ...

Tolle lege,
Bobby Valentine

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The "Enjoyment" of Scripture

Writing on the Ancestry of the King James Version has stimulated my mind in some fresh and new directions ... I grew up in a Bible believing, church attending, God fearing home. From a very young age I have memories of my dad sitting on the floor with his back leaning on his back on the bed (sometimes on the couch) with Nave's Topical Bible, Strong's Concordance and Unger's Bible Handbook, and sometimes Adam Clarke's commentary around him as he studied. From a very early age I had my own personal copy of the Bible that I was encouraged to take to church. I still have a red leather bound Thompson Chain Reference King James Version I got from my parents as a teenager. I remember singing Pricilla Owens' hymn "Give Me the Bible,"

Give me the Bible, Holy message shining
Thy light shall guide me in the narrow way;
Precept and promise, law and love combining,
Till night shall vanish in eternal day

I learned from virtually every direction that the Bible was special. It was holy. It was God's Word. It was to be held high. It was to be respected. No it was to be revered ... But Scripture was not really meant to be enjoyed.

My experience is probably not that unique. I revered the Bible and was ready to defend it against all comers (especially after I gave my life to Christ in baptism) but ironically my respect, singing, and bellicose rhetoric betrayed an awful lot of NONREADING! I "loved the Bible" but I did not "Enjoy the Bible." I have come to believe that my sin is shared with millions of other Bible believing, church attending and God fearing people. The Bible is probably the most "worshiped" book yet the least read book in the world.

Let me rant for a moment. Many Christians know little of the contents of the book they reverence, almost to the point of idolatry. Rather than knowing the Biblical Story, Scripture is turned into nuggets in "Bible Promise" books. Or debate propositions that have no connection to the context or the Story.  I had a discussion with a disciple, that had been baptized and had attended church for 30 years, and was surprised to learn of the "divided" kingdom in the "Old Testament."

I suspect that much of the biblical illiteracy rampant among disciples today stems precisely from the manner in which Restoration and Evangelical churches have come to habitually approach the biblical text. Especially the Preaching!! The Bible is not a string of commands. It is not a series of propositions for theological debate. The Bible is not a jigsaw puzzle with a hidden code. The Bible is not even a book of contextless promises. The Bible is not even twelve steps to a happier more successful you. We do not play hop-scotch with any other book in the world.  The Bible is a Story, the God's Story of the redemption of the world he created. It has a beginning, a development of a plot, and a "finale."

When I say Story I do not mean "once upon a time" make believe story.   I do mean by story a narrative, a drama, an epic! Narratives, stories, epics have inherent power to draw the reader within. The Story in the Bible is unified narrative. Like all good stories it has the plot and sub-plots. It has the Star (God) and then supporting characters (Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, etc). It has conflict and resolution. Stories have one more quality ... Stories capture our imagination! Stories are compelling. Stories are are enjoyable!

In my own upbringing, I never understood that the Bible was a unified Story. In Churches of Christ it was nearly part of my DNA to see the Bible "piecemeal" rather than holistically. I was trained to jettison the "Old Testament" (while embracing the rhetoric that "we believe in the Old Testament to counter 'the denominations' that claimed we didn't). That the New Testament was really the "final chapter" of a long story never occurred to me. My preacher played biblical hop-scotch and I never attempted to keep up with him in a sermon ... a sermon that was topical rather than expository. This usage of the Bible did not encourage enjoyment rather it led to treating the Bible as if it were a bound version of Religious Trivial Pursuit.

Before I go further I want to say there is nothing wrong per se with Bible Promise books or books like The Prayer of Jabez or (insert self-help title) ... I am saying that it is only by having the Story singing in our hearts and our heads that we are protected from half-truths and Scriptures taken out of context. It is the Story that gives the Promises meaning! It is the Story that gives the commands substance. It is the Story that keeps us from seeing commands as the goal and protects us from the Heresy of Legalism. It is the Story that continually forces us to gaze upon the awesomeness of our God and his Mission ... not making role models out of the damaged goods that are the supporting cast! The Story calls us to enjoy it. To relish it for what the Star has done, is doing, and covenants to do.

The Enjoyment of Scripture (I borrow the term from Samuel Sandmel, a Jewish scholar) is enhanced when we appreciate its overall narrative quality and structure. From the beginning the Bible narrates one (not two or more) Story of a passionate, loving, gracious God that creates the world as a place where he and humanity can fellowship and live. The Bible begins this way ... and the Bible ends this way. There may be two Testaments but there is still only one single Story and the second testament is grossly misunderstood divorced from the previous three-fifths of the narrative. Here is a short outline from Bartholomew and Goheen's marvelous work, The Drama of Scripture. God's Story looks like this ... these are my own descriptions of the six scenes ...

Scene 1: God Creates his Kingdom with humanity as coregent of his very good world (Gen 1-2)

Scene 2: God's coregent rebels turning the shalom of the kingdom into a scorched earth (Gen 3-11)

Scene 3: God the Creator creates Israel to be his instrument of blessing and redemption to all creation (Gen 12-Malachi)

Dramatic Interlude: A Pause filled with longing ... the Maccabees and other stories of the Apocrypha testify to the longing of Israel for redemption ...

Scene 4: God sends the New Adam to be King in God's kingdom through whom redemption is accomplished and shalom will be restored through his life, death and resurrection (Gospels)

Scene 5: God calls Gentiles to be with Jews in a restored Israel - a renewed humanity - to witness to the Good News of God's redemption of creation through Jesus ... the task of the Gathered People of the Lord (Acts/today - Rev 19)

Scene 6: God commands the Return of the King. Redemption is consummated. Grace, Justice and Shalom prevail in God's good creation when the city of God descends from heaven to the earth and God dwells with humanity once again in his purified redeemed earth (Rev 20-22)

This Story is incredibly compelling. The enjoyable story tells us "what on earth God is doing" and "why it matters" and at the same time teaches us our own task.

In our next post we will examine some features that make God's Story not only theological but enjoyable. I am convinced that we, as Christian leaders, need to model the enjoyment of Scripture. Once we get into the Story ... the Story takes over ... there is little room for getting bored with the Word of God.

May the Lord bless us and keep us and make his face shine upon us as we enjoy the Story of his passionate love for his creation narrated for us between Genesis and Revelation.

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Vacation in Sweet Home Alabama

Every summer I get Rachael and Talya for the month of June. One of the highlights has become our trip to visit Alabama. Usually by Christmas the girls are bugging me about going to the "visit the cousins" in Sweet Home Alabama. This year it was actually needed by all of us ... time off. Time to have a sabbath. Time to laugh. Time to cut up. Time to sleep. Time to give the old brain a break. Time to be with family. And God provided!

We headed to Alabama via Dallas and Nashville. Tif, Avery and Evan welcomed us at the airport with big smiles, hugs ... and kisses!!!

The bad thing about this trip is that Tifani had to go to work every single day except Sunday and Thursday! I didnt like that but it gave us a chance to follow Paul's injunction to "redeem the time." We did VBS on Wednesday night, played in the pool everyday, had family pix done for the first time, we went to the late movie to see the X-Men: First Class, and went to the Gathering at Magnolia. Avery and I read about half of Aesop's Fables while Evan and I read a dose of the Attack of the Clones. For myself I read some light reading in Douglas Wilson's 5 Cities that Ruled the World. It was a quick and enjoyable read that often made me scratch my head but ... I was on vacation.

Florence recently got a Buffalo Wild Wings so we ended up there twice with Tifani's brother and sister-in-law. Her brother, Nolan, is an outstanding photographer and took our family pix. The kids bonded amazingly and almost refused to come back to AZ! We are back now but we had fun.

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Pepperdine Bible Lectures 2011

Pepperdine 2011 has come and has now slipped into the sands of time.

Last Sunday afternoon my beloved bride (Tifani Valentine) and I packed our travel gear into our Saturn Vue to begin the long trek to Malibu, CA. Also being our first anniversary as a married couple Tifani and I decided we would have some fun along the way too. Our little Saturn drove through AZ and CA to Palm Springs on Sunday. We spent the night in the Pepper Tree Inn, walked up and down the downtown streets and had a romantic dinner at Riccio's. We sat in the pool and looked at the stars until late at night.

On Monday we journeyed from Palm Springs to the Inn at Venice Beach. Along the way we realized that we had left VERY IMPORTANT materials at the Pepper Tree ... only my presentation!! At Venice we walked to the beach, ate a nice dinner at C & O's Italian eatery. We went back to the beach and watched some Dolphins play in the water.

On Tuesday we arrived at Pepperdine. We got checked into the Towers and Tifani and I walked around taking it all in. We found my classroom in AMB 105. Through the week we were uplifted by amazing singing. Wyane Atkinson led us in worship ... I thought I was before the throne! Tifani and I were challenged in Rick Atchley's classes. We learned about the heart of the matter from Billy Wilson's presentations. And PaLO VErde's own Diane Reminder was on a panel discussion on the Church of Facebook! Way to go Diane!!

My own classes, "The Holy Spirit Unleashed: Robert Richardson, James A. Harding & K. C. Moser," were well attended. The last night I think I had the largest crowd of all ... must have been the subject matter! Steve Wolfgang graced me with his presence in my class too.

One of the great things about the lectures is meeting with old friends and meeting new ones. Tifani and I enjoyed fellowship with Steve Puckett, Matt Dabbs, Cecil Walker, Joshua Jeffery, Jeremy Hoover, Kurt & Sue Burton, Billy McGuiggan and on and on. Tifani and I had the distinct pleasure of visiting with Harry Fox who had attended my class. Fox was a long time missionary to Japan. It was a pure joy to listen to this 90 year old saint wax eloquent about his memories and his joys in the Lord. Tifani and I were blessed.

Each day we spent some time just to ourselves. We walked on the beach nearly everyday. We met with friends for lunch at Dukes. After my evening classes we wandered down to the cafeteria for coffee, pie and fellowship. I do not think there was a single moment at Pepperdine that was not a blessing.

What a way to celebrate our anniversary and our walk with the Lord ... the journey to Malibu. It was and is a pilgrimage of the heart. Thank you Pepperdine. Thank you Jerry Rushford. Thank you God for the blessing you bestow through this wonderful event known as the Pepperdine University Bible Lectureship.

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Reflections on Tulsa 2011 Edition

Tulsa came. Tulsa was. Tulsa is now history. My Tulsa journey began, I suppose, shortly after the Pepperdine Lectures of 2010 when I received an invitation from Terry Rush to speak on the subject of the Holy Spirit Unchained. My three classes were filled to the brim with folks lining the walls, sitting on the floor and spilling into the hall. I was overwhelmed.

I headed out on Tuesday from Tucson, drove through the night and arrived in Tulsa about 6 am on Wednesday. The folks at the Hyatt were unbelievably courteous and let me check in to my room (that wasnt even in my name!). My roommate was a gentleman from South Carolina, whom I'd never met, named Bryan Todd. That night we took in worship led by Kip Long and Randy Harris while enjoying the company of fellow John Dobbs from Monroe, LA.

I took in classes with Randy Harris, Al Maxey (whom I'd never met or heard before), Don mcLaughlin, Rick Atchley and Trey Morgan. I listened to Acappella, Psallo from York and Revival. All the sessions I attended were well done, thought provoking and encouraging. I appreciated Harris's critique of the notion of "cool" and Christianity. Refreshing and unexpected. Unfortunately my class was scheduled at the same time as Tim Archer and Amanda Sanders.

Probably the most enjoyable part of any workshop/lecture to me is meeting new people and hanging with old friends. I got to hang with my old friend Wade Tannehill and his family. We ate at Panda Express with Ron Davis. Rick Atchley bought me a free coke at Taco Cabana after his morning session. Had coffee with Stan Helton. I had the pleasure of picking Edward Fudge's brain on a multiplicity of subjects late one evening in the hotel lobby. I had late night fellowship with Barry Bullinger and his father from Alabama. Ran into Tim & Kathy Thompson, Guy & Debbie Marshall, and Paul & Kathy Straw friends from Wisconsin. I got to have coffee with Gerry Parker, visit with Jim McGuiggan, and Larry Bertram. I met Johnny Hinton too.

This year I only purchased one book. I saddened that ACU/Leafwood Press did not have a booth. But the one book I bought is Courageous Compassion: A Prophetic Homiletic in Service to the Church by Jerry Taylor and edited by David Fleer. Taylor is one of the most powerful preachers I have ever heard and I simply could not pass this up. I will publish a review shortly on my blog of it.

As with most good things Tulsa came to an end. I got the car at 4:23 pm on Saturday and drove through the night back to Tucson. I got to listen to a number of classes I was not able to attend via CD. Rick Atchley/Terry Rush on what they have learned down through the years; Tim Archer on the huge task we have; and Ed Fudge's three part series.

It was great!! My hat is off to Terry Rush and the Memorial Church in Tulsa for a superb job. I hope to be back for the 2012 Workshop themed "Good News for a Broken World" ... March 21-24. Mark it down.

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Tulsa Workshop is Coming ... March 23-26

Tulsa! What is Tulsa to you?? I have enjoyed several Tulsa Workshops in the past. This will be the third one I have spoken on. Years ago while Rachael and Talya were small we hooked up with Wade and Gretchen. Sometime later I traveled from Milwaukee to Tulsa with Wayne Alexander and Bruce Williams and had the infamous police episode. I have tag teamed with my cohort in mischief John Mark Hicks on the docket. Last time I was there I encouraged by Rick Atchley and it snowed big time leaving me stranded in the airport for hours on end.

And now Tulsa is here again! Tulsa is, for me, about great singing. Tulsa is about great biblical preaching. Tulsa is about good deep biblical teaching (Ed Fudge's class last time was amazing). Tulsa is about books! and meeting fellow bloggers (like last time). Tulsa is about fellowship, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.

The year the theme is "Let the Chains Fall Away!" Keynote addresses by Randy Harris and others. Classes by the dozen. My own three part class is entitled:

1) Holy Spirit: UNCHAINED According to the Word
2) Holy Spirit: CHAINED According to our Heritage
3) Holy Spirit: CHAINS Fall Away Today

These classes are at 3 pm Thursday-Saturday. I hope to see you there. Here is a link to the Tulsa Workshop homepage. See you there.

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Close to Home- In memory of the Tucson tragedy

I wanted to share this with my friends. Matt Abney, a gifted musician & member of the PaLO VErde family, wrote and performs this moving tribute to the fallen here in Tucson. "Close to Home" is powerful in lyrics and video. We have had a rough time in Tucson. Thank you Matt Abney for blessing us. This was shared with our Sunday morning assembly here at PV.

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Pride - U2 - Martin Luther King

In honor of a modern day prophet of justice, Martin Luther King Jr, I post this song by one of the most gifted &  prophetic bands of the age ... U2. We, as a people, are better because he walked among us.

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Slaughter - Fly To The Angels

Some folks really want to "Fly Away" ... sometimes I really do understand that feeling. But I like this old song by Slaughter better than ... fly to the the angels

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when the children cry - white lion - with sub

White Lion had several songs in the 80s that were among my favs of the day. I offer this video on behalf of the children of the world. One day the Gospel of Jesus Christ will flow over all of us and there will be no more need for songs like this. May the Lord have mercy upon us all ...

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BAMA Readings ...

Greetings! I have been a busy beaver lately and have not updated my blog as I like or planned. I just returned from a visit to Alabama for legal reasons. That trip did not end up going as expected but God is still in control. While there I still had to prepare for lessons at PaLO VErde here in Tucson. Being near a small theological library (at Heritage Christian University) afforded me the opportunity to dig into a few journals that I do not normally get too. Sooooo I followed the Pauline injunction to "redeem the time." I thought I might share some of the readings ...

Spent most of my time reading the Acts of the Apostles especially the ending ...

I read a good deal of the September/October Biblical Archeology Review ... I recommend especially Michael Homan's piece "Did the Israelites Drink Beer?" ... Through this article I tracked down Homan's much more scholarly "Beer, Barley, and shekhar in the Hebrew Bible" in Le-David Maskil, A Birthday Tribute for David Noel Freedman. Homan argues, and I think has sufficiently demonstrated, the case that shekhar is basically ale or beer. The word is usually translated "strong drink" or the like in modern English versions. Homan reviews the linguistic evidence, and probably most interesting, and the archeological data. Through Homan footnotes I discovered Magen Broshi's "Date Beer and Date Wine in Antiquity," Palestine Exploration Quarterly 139 (2007): 55-59 which examines five vats used for producing "Date Beer" around Jericho and Ein Feshkha. "Date Beer" was the principle alcoholic beverage in Mesopotamia in the Iron Age on down. These three articles are fascinating in their own right but also provide quite an interesting window into numerous passages in the Hebrew Bible and on the life of the People of God. Those interested in what the Bible says about beer but are tired of heat and smoke but no light these are worth the effort to get.

The July 2008 issue of Interpretation was themed on Gerhard von Rad. Several fascinating articles are to be found here. Bernard M. Levinson's "Reading the Bible in Nazi Germany: Gerhard von Rad's Attempt to Reclaim the Old Testament for the Church" (pp. 2338-254) was more than enlightening. Von Rad the young 30 something German scholar found himself teaching at the Nazi infested University of Jena. The theological faculty moved to sever Jesus from his Hebrew roots (denied Jesus' Jewish heritage, ceased teaching Hebrew, etc). von Rad publicly lectured there is no access to Christ except through the "Old Testament." At any rate this article is rich in nuance in demonstrating not only the genuine faith of von Rad but also of how our circumstances genuinely influence not just what we read in Scripture but how we read it.

While looking for something else I accidentally found, and got distracted by, Harvey Minkoff's essay "Coarse Language in the Bible, It's Culture Shocking!" in Approaches to the Bible: The Best of Bible Review (edited by Harvey Minkoff, published by BAR). Numerous questions pop up in this essay, like "How should we approach euphemism and rough language in Scripture." Minkoff notes that translators often have issues to deal with that are beyond simply what the Hebrew text means but rather the sensitivity of a religious public. There are many places where the Bible is far more graphic and "coarse" than what is perceived as righteous talk in Sunday school. He quotes a letter to the editor of the Oxford Study Edition of the NEB over changes in the British and American editions ... "we delicate American mortals are being protected by the coarse language of Scripture."

Finally on my way home on the plane I read through Barry L. Perryman's A Call to Unity: A Critical Review of Patternism and the Command-Example-Inference-Silence Hermeneutic. Perryman argues that in essence "patternism" is a doctrine of self-salvation built on the notion that IF humans obey God's law "well enough" God must reward us with a crown of righteousness. After arguing that "CEIS" divorces passages from their context to construct new doctrines yet many patternists do not see how the pattern demands conforming to the law of love and forbearance.

There are many positives in Perryman's Call to Unity. Patternism does not respect the narrative quality of the Gospel. This particular approach has often led to a defensive posture rather than an exploratory one. And I agree that Patternism has often led to unbelievable division with in the Lord's church.

There are some weaknesses in this work as well. On a minor note the "Inductive Method" did not begin with the 13th century philosopher Roger Bacon (p. 19). Perryman is probably parroting D.R. Dungan on this point (he cites Dungan repeatedly in this work). Francis Bacon gave this method to the world around the same time as Galileo. Bacon was a highly regarded thinker across the board in the 18th and 19th centuries. This is one of the weaknesses of Perryman's book is that it does not reflect engagement with a large body of literature on the history and development of what we might call the "restoration hermeneutic." Finally, and this is not a defense of either Patternism or "CEIS", but this hermeneutic does not necessarily lead to sectarian attitudes or legalism. Men like J. D. Thomas who were devoted to the traditional hermeneutic were men full of the Spirit and dedicated to unity.

There are so many things to read ... so little time.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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Desperately Seeking SPIRIT-uality: Connecting to God's Refreshing Spirit

This post dates way back to the turn of the Millennium. I received an invitation from Jerry Rushford (on the recommendation of Tom Olbricht) to teach at the Pepperdine Bible Lectures. Lots of water has gone under the bridge since 2001, and my own thinking has matured and gone through the Valley of Achor, yet I hope that the direction of my thinking then continues to point in the right direction. I might say things slightly different now than then and I pray my depth is deeper now but overall I still believe this presentation. This presentation at Pepperdine was what I would call "soundings" and I invite you to ruminate upon them in that "spirit" as well.

Desperately Seeking SPIRIT-uality: Connecting to God's Refreshing Spirit
Pepperdine University Bible Lectures

Opening

On December 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor which brought the USA into World War II. While most anguished that night over the loss of life and the prospect of an arduous road ahead, one man perceived things differently. This man had been fighting a war for three years already. This man had watched France fall in lightening speed. This man had endured Nazi bombers blasting English cities. This man for three years had not slept peacefully. But ironically that all changed on December 7. This man saw Pearl Harbor not as defeat but as victory. On December 8, 1941 this man wrote these words,

"So we HAD won after all! I had studied the American Civil War ... American blood flowed in my veins ... I thought of a remark ... that the United States is like a gigantic boiler. Once the fire is lighted under it there is no limit to the power it can generate! Being saturated with emotion and sensation, I went to bed and slept the sleep of the saved and thankful."

That man's name was Winston Churchill.

The mere presence the USA in that bloody war convinced Churchill he had already gained victory. The United States had done nothing, as of yet, but he slept the sleep of the saved and thankful. In the midst of the chaos of England, the news of Pearl Harbor was the news of power, not weakness, to Churchill. The day of infamy was a day of victory simply because that "gigantic boiler" was now pumping on England's behalf.

I can identify with Churchill. I stand before you today not as a spiritual master but as a pygmy. I stand as one, who for so long, who felt as if I was meeting the onslaught of forces beyond my stamina ... alone! I stand before you as one who has often had that fitful sleep of uneasiness. But one day, much to my joy, I "discovered" that boiler much more potent than the mighty United States was on my side ... God's Refreshing SPIRIT.

First Move: Non-SPIRIT-ual Confessions

I grew up in North Alabama Churches of Christ. In fact I cannot remember when I did not go to "church." My dad led a wonderful and godly example of quietly reading his Bible every night sitting by his bed. He often had some study books (Nave's Topical Study Bible, Unger's Bible Handbook, Strong's and even Josephus!) spread out as he delved into God's Word. That image of my dad has remained vivid in my mind to this day. In my family we prayed especially at meal times. I went to college and got a BS in Bible, went to graduate school for the MA and MDiv, I have been preaching for years and I cultivated those practices. Bible reading and praying in gratitude for the blessings the Lord provided for me, Pamella, Rachael and Talya.

Be that as it may ... in all honesty we were not giants of prayer or spiritual discernment. Prayer was more a perfunctory matter than a vehicle to intimacy with our Abba. I confess that I did not have a SPIRIT-ual relationship with God, his Son, or his Spirit. This became apparent to me around 1998 when a sister asked of me two things. She wanted me to

1) teach her to pray
2) teach her to worship

She said she wanted to have a "deeper relationship with God." I freely confess that I would have been much more comfortable is she would have asked me to teach her to study the Bible.

"Relationship with God" had always been viewed suspiciously in my neck of the woods. That was a Baptist phrase. I was accustomed to speak of "being a member of the church." I had a "relationship with the church" ... not God, Jesus and certainly not with the SPIRIT himself.

I again confess, sadly now, that this sister caused angst in my life. My religion was almost completely cerebral ... it was a head faith. I loved God, Jesus and even the Spirit though the he made me nervous. Something was awry!

As Robert Richardson cautioned in that Restoration classic of spirituality, Communings in the Sanctuary, "it is this religion {i.e. of the head/intellect} that inspires that spiritual pride which dogmatizes in matters of opinion and that intolerant bigotry which persecutes in matters of faith" (p.24) ...

This relationship talk could be just a smokescreen for shoddy bible study. Indeed, spirituality (or piety as spirituality is sometimes reduced to) has been, at times, disparaged by some significant leaders in Churches of Christ. R. H. Boll, for example, was renown in his day as man of prayer. But in the eyes of his nemesis, R. L. Whiteside, this made him suspect. Whiteside, commenting directly on Boll's spiritual demeanor, chides "when a man boasts {something Boll did not do btw} of his honesty, veracity, piety and devotion ... well anybody but dupes become suspicious" (Christ and His Kingdom, pp. 23f). I can relate to RLWs words because I have believed them and lived them.

Signs of the Refreshing SPIRIT

But the simple questions of that dear sister would not go away. Like a poltergeist floating around my noggin I began to come to grips with the terrifying fact that though I had been baptized, and took the Lord's Supper routinely, and deeply studied the Bible ... I did not know how to pray, and though I was a Christian I had precious little "relationship with God, Christ or his Spirit." I was comfortable talking about God but I was not comfortable communing with God.

I firmly believed, by this time, in God's saving grace and I believed in the indwelling Spirit. I proclaimed we were saved by God's grace through faith (to the best of my ability). But now, I suspect, that I misunderstood the PURPOSE of my salvation.

I believe, now, that God did not send his Son simply to remove the stain of sin. He did do that. But the goal, the reason, was not simply to forgive sin (though he does that praise his name). Rather Jesus shed his blood so that we (I) could have restored communion with God. The goal of salvation was not the removal of sins. That was a means to the goal. The telos was restoration of communion, the restoration of fellowship ... Restoration of intimate intimacy.

We all believe that we will be in God's Presence in the eschaton. But now I believe we have that glorious fellowship NOW ... the goal of our salvation. We have that through God's refreshing Holy Spirit. Many of our Fathers understood what I did not clearly. To quote from Robert Richardson again,

"To establish and maintain this communion is the great end of religion. To unite the soul to God; to erect in the human heart a living temple for his abode; to secure the enjoyment of that Divine presence which is the earnest of eternal blessedness: these are its noble and exalted aims -- its truest, holiest purposes. And oh! how intimate is that fellowship to which we are thus introduced by the true and living Word ... As sons to a compassionate father, we approach him to hear his words; to rejoice in his power, wisdom, and love; to cast our cares upon him and to repose in the faithful assurances of his unceasing favor" (Communings, p. 45)

Interestingly, it was from walking with giants of the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement like Robert Richardson, James A. Harding and K. C. Moser that I felt God seeking my heart as well as my brain. I began to see that SPIRIT-uality was not simply being good or even pious. SPIRIT-uality is nothing short than the Holy Spirit himself God's communion and operation in our lives. And slowly (and I mean slowly) I began to learn that it is ok to "walk with the Spirit."

Signposts of God's Refreshing Spirit

This notion of communion with God, I believe now, one of the central unifying themes of all Scripture. God created us for communion. God recreates us through his Son for communion. God wants to be with his creation! That is why he sacrificed his Son. That is why he sent his Spirit.

There are many texts in the canon that point to this theme and goal. However three that have come to mean so much to me are two from Paul and one from Moses.

1) Ephesians 1.13-18; 2.18,22 (know him better; access through the Spirit; know hope)

2) Ephesians 3.14-19 (strength and knowledge of the depth of Christ's love through the Spirit)

3) Exodus 24.1-11. (God's gracious Presence ... I want to eat and drink in his Presence, I want to "see God")

{In the Pepperdine presentation I spent significant time with each of these important, and in the case of Exodus unknown texts}

Plugging into the River of the Refreshing Spirit

SPIRIT-uality is not works righteousness. It is not a new legalism. It is not a means to manipulate God. Rather SPIRIT-uality is a gift of grace from the Holy Spirit. I take Paul as my guide on this point. "SPIRITUAL" is used as an adjective at least 24x by Paul. This is so important and we must grasp this point. Spiritual does not mean mental, an internal disposition or some such notion. Paul's use of SPIRITUAL as an adjective means BY, OF, FLOWING OUT OF, COMING FROM God's Refreshing Holy Spirit. SPIRITUALITY is the product of or Fruit of God himself in the Person of his Spirit. God's own Spirit conceives and forms the life of Christ within us. Our spirits are formed by THE SPIRIT ... that is what we seek.

Thus when I called this class "Desperately Seeking SPIRIT-uality" I mean desperately craving to be caught up in God's rhythm of grace for life. I mean surrendering to the raging current of the River of the Spirit. I mean coming to know, to be known and to see God as the elders of Israel did and as Paul says in Eph 1.

I share the following suggestions that have been helpful to me. If I had to answer that dear sister today these are things I would share with her. There is nothing original or revolutionary here ...

First. Ruminato. "to consider, to meditate upon, to ingest and chew upon." Lectio divina ... an ancient way of SPIRITUAL reading. I am convinced that no one in the restoration tradition has taught more on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a disciple than James A. Harding. From him we learn that the Spirit renews and deepens our commitment to the written word as HIS instrument. Scripture is a "means of grace" he says, a sacrament so to speak of communing with God himself. If I ever get a chance to delve more in Harding's life I would love to write a book about his theology of the Spirit. Desperately seeking SPIRIT-uality means we are committed to serious study of God's word, but as a Nigerian Christian put it to me, "we don't need any more leaders with heads full of Greek and hearts full of lust!"

Ruminato, lectio divina, is a way of reading that says "if I took this passage seriously what would I have to change right now?" What a dangerous question to submit to the Refreshing Holy Spirit ... we may not like the answer!

This is a way of reading in which we "savor the word" {at this point I have written in the margin that Billy Wilson, a keynote speaker, used a chocolate illustration}. The word is like a delicious lozenge we carry in our mouths all day. 

I would like to recommend ruminating on images of God like Father, Husband, Lover, Mother ... get caught up, and even lost, in these metaphors and watch how the Spirit nourishes your soul.

Second. Prayer. I have learned that prayer is easy to begin but difficult to develop. But over the last few years I have discovered that the Spirit has provided a magnificent "prayerbook" for the saints. Since 1997 I have been not just studying and ruminating on Scripture but I have begun to pray the Bible. The Psalms of course are a treasure trove but they are not alone. Here Scripture is not a means to doctrinal precision but an instrument bearing our spirit to the Holy Spirit. Nothing, I believe, can help us plug into the river of the Spirit more than simply praying his word back to him. We will find even in the Story itself prayer warriors like Moses himself who engaged God in wrestling prayer through Scripture.

But I have discovered that the saints in Scripture are not the only prayer treasures providentially preserved by the Spirit for us. I have discovered, ironically, the value of God's church, the community of disciples down through the centuries. You will recall Paul's words in Eph 1 and 3 about the role of the community in discovering the riches of fellowship with God. Does that mean only the living saints? Clearly not! Have we not inherited a wealth of SPIRIT-ual riches? I confess that I did not think so in years past ... I had that opinion by the way with practically NO knowledge of that heritage. But today I do believe so.

Many Christians have written down their prayers. These prayers are not inspired like the Psalms. Yet they are often incredibly helpful, amazingly rich and ... inspiring! Their faith in the darkness, I claim as my own. Their courage and boldness in the face of satanic onslaught, I claim as my own. Their words rising to the throne of God like sweet incense ... have become mine.

{At this point I referred to specific examples of earthy, earnest, SPIRIT-ual prayer. Manasseh's Prayer of Repentance. Tobias' prayer for a God-centered marriage. The church's prayer to glorify God in Te Deum. Etc.}

Some of these great prayers of the past have been preserved in books like The Prymer or The Book of Hours. These are wonderful tools to cultivate a river of the Spirit into the mundane tasks of life. Through some we are daily focused upon the Incarnation, death and resurrection of our Lord. Our prayers become centered in the rhythm of grace rather than our individual whims.

I have found that these resources have enriched my prayer life tremendously. They have not by any means diminished spontaneous prayer. Rather I have found that I have found a disposition towards prayer that I credit the work of the SPIRIT for. Perhaps this is something like what Paul meant when he urged us to "pray IN the Spirit."

Third. Sabbath. This is a strange suggestion to the ears of us in Churches of Christ. Sabbath is not simply a saturday but a period of rest and cessation of activity to enjoy the things of God. George MacDonald once wrote that sleep is God's contrivance for giving us the help he cannot get into us when we are awake ...

The sabbath principle is one of the finest examples of the rhythm of grace. Here GOD works and we simply "let it be." When I stop my work nothing essential stops. The world goes on. It is both humbling and liberating to know that the burden of the care of the world does not depend upon me. Evening and Morning is the biblical rhythm beginning in Genesis 1. God is working before we are created or rise from bed and he continues to work when we return to sleep or rest. In our lives we are graciously invited to join in his work in the power he supplies through his own Spirit.

Taking a break, a sabbath, allows us to slow down and let the Spirit give us rest and perhaps a "tune up."

Concluding Remarks

I am still a spiritual pygmy. But I do believe that God has blessed me in profound ways over the last few years through his Refreshing Spirit. I have lots of flesh yet to crucify but I join Churchill in saying, by God's grace of the SPIRIT-ual, I now sleep the sleep of the saved and the thankful.

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With a Book ... Communion across the Page

For those out there that are Civil War buffs as well as disciples of the prince of peace I want to call attention to Mark Noll's The Civil War as a Theological Crisis. Noll is one of the foremost historians of religion in its North American contexts and has done us all a huge service in this small (200 pages) and very insightful work. The Civil War was for all intents and purposes a religious war in many ways akin to those in Europe. The religious dimensions of the war have often been minimized and even downright denied by much 20th century scholarship. Noll explodes this myth and does it soundly. Of particular interest to those who take following Jesus seriously, Noll's chapter on "The Crisis over the Bible" is worth ruminating on at great length. Put this one on your to read very soon list.

Over the last decade Thomas Cahill has become one of my favorite writers. His "Hinges of History" series has been a delight to read, entertaining and informative. His Mysteries of the Middle Ages and the Beginning of the Modern World is larger than his previous volumes and it is beautifully and lavishly illustrated. I love it for the medieval art alone! People were not as dumb in the "dark ages" as popular mythology would have us believe. Again one can not read through this period of history and not at the same time learn something of the ways of God's ever flawed people in this world.

Sometimes it is interesting to hear about what others think about certain books or authors. One author that has been influential in my "scholarly" development has been Gordon Fee. His book, with Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth changed forever how I read the Bible. Fee's works are some of the preeminent examples of not only what scholarship is but what faith scholarship must be. So it was interesting to me to come across this short interview with him on who he finds to be stimulating. Enjoy. Blessings and Shalom.

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