Fasting

My latest book from the Book Sneeze bloggers program is called "Fasting" by Scot McKnight.  While this might seem a curious title to read around the holidays, I did enjoy reading the e-book version on my new Kindle.  This is the fourth title that I've read in the Ancient Practices series and probably one of my favorites.  I really love McKnight's writing style and how he weaves in teaching about the ancient Jewish understanding of his subject as well as the early church understanding and how it has evolved over time.  As an associate pastor, I have often taught on and lead groups through various fasts, especially through the season of Lent.  But after reading McKnight's book I have a slightly different take on fasting.  Most of that is through his assertion that fasting, in the Biblical sense, can only be defined as refraining from food and/or water.  He made the distinction of abstaining from certain things (caffeine, TV, etc) is not really a Biblical fast.  Probably the biggest revelation for me is his central thesis of how a fast "works."  I put works in quotations because fasting is not some formula that we plug certain things into and then expect a certain result from God, although many do feel that way.  McKnight brought to my realization that fasting is a response from a God event, where the one experiencing the event is moved to repentance and a further longing for connection with God, and in some cases there is a result that does occur.  He diagrammed this as a movement from A > B > C.  Of course there is more to his point and I will leave that to the book to explain.  I would definitely recommend this book.

Chazown

The latest book that I have had an opportunity to read is "Chazown: Define Your Vision. Pursue Your Passion. Live Your Life on Purpose." by Craig Groeschel.  I picked this book for two reasons, the first is the unique title and the fact that I am interested in Hebrew concepts of the faith (which this book really did not address) and second I have never read anything by Groeschel.  As you can probably guess from the subtitle, this book is about finding the purpose for your life.  I had expectations of this being a somewhat dense book that delved into the dense fabric of a spiritual life and instead what I found was a very practical and easy approach to life.  At first I was put off by the simplicity, but as I reflected on what Groeschel was presenting and how I have heard it talked about previously; I really appreciated the simplicity.  As someone in vocational ministry I have talked to many people about this topic and am amazed at the many different approaches that people take to find meaning or purpose.  What I like the most about this book is how he emphasizes that our purpose is largely wrapped up in how we have been gifted by God and what passion God has instilled in each of us.  I also appreciated that Groeschel believes that living a life in balance is key to this whole thing working.  I don't want to give away the content of the book because you should really read this book.  It is easy to understand and well written.  I would suggest that this book is most effective if read through in community.  The sections of the book lend themselves to discussion and most importantly, accountability.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Revelation of the Magi

I recently had an opportunity to read "Revelation of the Magi" as a part of the Patheos Book Club roundtable.  I was very intrigued by this title because of the subject matter of the Magi.  We really do not have many resources on who they were and what the meaning of their presence in the story of the birth of Christ represents.  But here is a seemingly lost account of Magi.  The author, Brent Landau, found this writing stored away in the vaults of the library at the Vatican and now he has translated this ancient document into English for the very first time.

The book opens up with a very long introduction where Landau summarizes the story by hitting the high points of interest that are found in the story.  Some of those high points include a better understanding of who the Magi are (a religious group in the East who are descended from Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve), what their religious practices were (they prayed silently and were waiting for a sign that God would send), where they were located (the land of Shir, somewhere in the East), what caused their journey (they saw a light enter their sacred cave and were told by Jesus to travel to Jerusalem to find him and worship him), the experience of their journey (they were guided by a light and found that the terrain was leveled and their provisions were constantly replenished), their experience with the child (they were commissioned to spread the news of God's work of salvation to their people), their arrival home (journey home similar to the one to Bethlehem, but upon arriving home they fed people the food from their sacks and had their eyes opened to this new reality), and finally the experience of the apostle Thomas (he baptized the people and then Christ descended from heaven and served them communion).  There are a few other things in the story, but I do not want to ruin everything for you.

All in all I found this a very fascinating read.  I will admit that I do not have much knowledge when it comes to apocryphal writings, so I cannot comment on some of the texts that Landau references in his notes.  Coming from a protestant, evangelical perspective I do not have a very good frame of reference when it comes to texts not found in the canon of scripture.  Thankfully I am in a place of asking those questions, but it is a place where I am treading carefully.  So one question that I would have for the author is where would one begin in trying to discern the place that the apocryphal writings have in the formation of our faith and understanding of scripture?

Another question that I have been wrestling with is connected to Landau's conclusion that this text has something to say about religious pluralism.  If I understand him correctly, he believes that this is evidence that God has spoken in the past to groups other than the Jews.  While I do not doubt this, especially with a firmly held belief of prevenient grace that I as a Wesleyan hold on to, I for some reason do not see how this would lend itself to a speaking on religious pluralism.  From what I could tell the message to the Magi was pretty much an explanation of the gospel as we know it today.  How does what we see in this text inform us as to how God might be speaking to those of Islam or Hindu faith?  I ask this question with a limited understanding of the position of those with a robust understanding of religious pluralism, but my curiosity is peaked.

Finally, my last question is about the Magi themselves.  Is there any reference to them in history past this document?  Did they get swept up into Christian missionary movement to the East to the point where they lost this historical identity as a people?  Or is their mention of them in other early Christian writings out of the East that speak of this particular group of people?

Chasing Francis

You know how sometimes you read a book and it just resonates deep inside of you?  Well "Chasing Francis" is one of those books for me.  I cannot recommend this book enough.  The basic plot line of this book is of a mega church pastor who finds that the faith that he has built his life upon is crumbling around him.  Essentially the author is describing a person moving from a modern faith worldview to a post-modern faith.  This change culminated in an extremely honest moment from the pulpit that had the pastor in trouble with the elders and other staff at the church.  He ends up taking a leave of absence and joins his uncle in Italy who is a Franciscan monk.  During his time away he gives himself over to studying who Francis of Assisi was and how he lived and taught others to live.  In doing so he began to discover a new way to be Christian that was not so much about how big a church he could grow, but how he could truly serve the world around him.  He eventually has to return home and face the music but with a new vision of what his local church could become.  Predictably it does not end with the whole congregation changing, but with the pastor forming a fellowship to walk out his latest discovery.

I think I enjoyed this book so much because I can identify with it.  I have gone through a transition in my faith but yet I still find myself in the midst of those stuck where I used to be.  It can be frustrating at times but I very much liked the discoveries that were made from the life and teachings of St. Francis.  This novel has really peaked my interest in learning more about what Francis wrote and trying to figure out how our current ministry contexts can implement his message.

I read this book as a part of the Speak Easy bloggers network and hope to read more great titles in the future.  Go get this book!

Thoughts on the empire

Just to be clear up front, this is not a Star Wars post about the empire.  I'm preaching this weekend on Jesus and the empire in power when he was born.  My message fits into a broader look at the Christmas story and how we have lost some of the deep meaning found in this revolutionary story.  But as I've been thinking about my message this weekend, I am wondering if people understand the concept of an empire being in control.  We live in a free democratic society where one simply has to wait out a leader they don't care for, because history shows that our leadership pendulum never stays with one party/viewpoint for too long.  But what was it like to live in a time where you did not have a say whatsoever in who would rule over the land?  What was it like to live in a time where disagreement with the King could cost you your life?  And how radical is it that the Kingdom of God is good news for all people and that it will bring a peace where swords are beat into plowshares?

I find myself challenged to see this Advent season in the light of this already here but still coming Kingdom of God.  I feel challenged because it seems that we have turned the Christmas story into this nice and neat little story that makes us feel good for the weeks leading up to December 25th.  But the Christmas story is so much more than something that makes us feel good.  It is God's pronouncement that there is another way to live in the world.  This way is of peace and righteousness that bring life and light to the world.  It is a call to come out of the way of the world and into the way of God.  May our eyes be opened to see that the kingdoms of the world are not the Kingdom of our God and may we eagerly await the final consummation of God's Kingdom here on this earth.

The Gospel According to Jesus

 The most recent book that I have read through the book sneeze program is "The Gospel According to Jesus."  It is written by Chris Seay, who is the founding pastor of Ecclesia Church in Houston.  I know that there are a lot of books going around on the subject of the gospel, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The thing that I most appreciated is that Seay talked about the gospel in holistic terms.  Too often we only speak of the gospel in terms of salvation in the end and we miss out on the implication of what God wants to do through us in the here and now.  Coming from a holiness denomination this is a very frustrating view that I hear all too often.  But Seay reminds us that the gospel is also about joining in what God is doing in the world around us.  His book is a call for us to wake up and join in this very work.  This is not a works based social gospel, which I'm sure some are accusing him of promoting, but a call to understand that God has called us for a purpose in the here and now.

This is a very easy read and could easily be used in a small group setting.  I believe that Seay writes in a way that not only makes his point, but also nudges you to think beyond his point.  This is a call for the community of the people of God to dream about what God can do and for us to get out of our church buildings and actually do those things.  Read this book!

Beyond Opinion

I have recently read "Beyond Opinion" as a part of the book sneeze bloggers program.  This book is a modern day apologetic of the Christian faith and they are tackling issues that rise from other world religions, atheism and the post-modern paradigm.  I felt that each essay was well constructed and that the authors were successful in stating their case.  I personally am not a huge proponent of apologetics, but do feel that they are an important arm in our understanding of the evangelistic calling that we have as the people of God.  But in saying that I don't think that apologetics are the ultimate answer.  I do however feel that this book is a great resource for a considered response to many of the issues that are challenging Christianity in the world today.  I would recommend this book for someone looking for help in addressing those areas.

And: The Gathered and Scattered Church

I recently finished the book "And: The Gathered and Scattered Church."  I must first apologize to the good people at Zondervan who sent me the book to review.  My only excuse is that ministry life prevented me from completing this on time.

Let me begin by saying that I really enjoyed this book.  I have found myself caught in the tension of the church being a gathering place or a sending place for some time and had never investigated if the two could co-exist.  Most of the people that I have read or heard talk about the subject were in staunch favor of making the hard choice between the two scenarios.  I appreciated the view point of both authors in this book and how both of these scenarios are very important.  I won't go into their argument here, but you should pick the book up and read it for yourself.  I believe this is a good middle ground for us in the church world to consider in shaping the form and function of our churches in light of the mission that God has called us to be about.  A book like this gives me hope that the church can both be a special place in the lives of our congregation and also the place where we discover together the mission that God has for us.

Once again, I highly recommend this easy to read and understand book and encourage you to prayerfully think through what they have to say to the local church.

Missing the point

So last week during the closing prayer at our church softball game, one of our members ended the prayer in a very interesting way.  His last line was, and I quote, "See ya on Sunday God!"  Now I should confess that I think opening and closing prayers at church softball games are a joke to begin with, mainly because the one praying usually spouts off some pop theology and something about keeping us free from injury, etc; but this line really made my skin crawl.  And it did so for two reasons.  First, half of our teams players do not come to our church regularly and they play because they are friends of or work for our coach.  So playing with the few of us that do go to the church should be something of a good influence on them, hopefully that is.  I was not surprised to hear one of these guys say to our coach, "Aren't you guys supposed to have like daily interaction with God or something?"  To which I piped in with, "yes, that is the general point."  Which brings me to my second reason, the frustration that some people just don't get it.  We can preach and teach till Jesus comes back, and we probably will, but for some reason people just don't seem to get the point of what we are trying to say.  I guess this is just one way where we can identify with Jesus in those following you do fully grasp your message.  Jesus, grant us the grace we need to serve like you did.

Jesus Manifesto

I recently finished reading "Jesus Manifesto" as I got a copy from the BookSneeze bloggers program.  I did enjoy reading this book and felt that the authors did a good job of stating their case.  The writing style is very accessible for any reader and their message is definitely for the church and those who call themselves Christian.  My only minor irritation with the book is that I pretty much knew where they were going after the first few pages, but this book only has one subject in Jesus Christ.

All of that being said, I think this is a timely message for the church to get back to Jesus.  As someone who preaches from time to time and is involved in sermon discussions for our church, I was convicted about how many of our sermons point back to Christ.  I feel that we do a good job of that, but still something to think about.  I also really enjoyed the chapter that they wrote on justice and mercy and how they find their fulfillment in Christ.  I won't go into any detail as to ruin it for you, but I resonated with much of what they said in that particular chapter.

I do believe that Jesus Manifesto is worth a read and I hope and pray that it's message will cause all of us who claim Christ as Lord to really think about if we live as if Christ is Lord in our lives.

The Sacred Journey

I am reviewing this book as a part of the booksneeze blogger program.  This is the fourth title in the Ancient Practices series that I have read, and I would have to say that this was the hardest.  Not because it wasn't well written, that is not the case, but because I figured out early on that the message of this book would be tough to swallow.  Or maybe I should say that the message that spoke to me was a little hard to swallow.  The major message that I heard in this book is the necessity for the journey and moving that God has always seemed to call his people to be about.  One cannot discount that the narrative of Scripture leads us to discover that God's people always seem to be on the move, whether by force or choice.  But as I navigate through my comfortable, middle class American life, I can't help but think about how I am so resistant to being on the move.  In fact, I cannot wait until this current phase of the life of my family is over and we can actually set down roots and fully invest in the community in which we live.  I would so like to equate the physical journey to a spiritual journey, and in some respects I think there is a correlation, but I don't know if that's what the author had in mind.  I did appreciate the many accounts of being on the move that the author shared and found the willingness to engage in that very fascinating.  Because of this I believe the author does have a unique perspective to share on the subject.  I would definitely recommend this book, but beware that it might mess with you in a good way.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Believer

This tale is about a man named Leon who was never interested in religion or religious activities.  One day one of Leon's friends was walking by the church that was in the middle of the town and noticed that Leon was kneeling at the altar and praying.  The friend knew that Leon had fallen on hard times and believed that Leon was probably praying about that particular situation.  As he went in and got closer to Leon he recognized that he was praying a folk prayer that was thought to bring both health and wealth.  He then interrupted Leon and asked him why he was praying such a prayer since he didn't believe in such things.  Leon replied that he indeed did not believe in it, but that the priest had informed him that the prayer worked even if one didn't believe in it.

In his commentary on this tale, Rollins talks about how this kind of thinking is found in many areas of our lives.  We may have things that we vehemently disagree with, but because they have become an acceptable part of our culture we participate in them.  He emphasizes the importance of having practices and structures that inform our lives but that sometimes they take over the basis of our beliefs.  So in effect to convince someone of the existence of God doesn't mean that we talk to them directly, but we must converse with their belief system.

After You Believe

I recently finished N.T. Wright's new book, After You Believe, which I received from The Ooze Viral Bloggers program. This book is a sequel to two of his earlier writings, Simply Christian and Surprised By Hope, and while you do not need to read the earlier books to make sense of this one, I would recommend it because they are good books. On that note I will have to proclaim that I loved this book. I thought that it was really well written and could be easily understood by persons from varying academic levels. There is a tad bit of redundancy, but that did not bother since he is constantly pointing to the theme of his book. I also loved the book for the content of what he had to say. I am currently ministering in a holiness denomination that is very concerned about the transformation that takes place after we come to a belief in Christ. But I feel that Wright's insights in this book can speak to much of the discussion that is currently being held over how holiness is manifested in our lives. I appreciated how he equated the possession of virtue to a habit and how one needs to make conscious decisions based around a virtue until they take hold in our life and become second nature. There is a much larger discussion in the book that I will not get into here.

Another key theme that I loved is how Wright talked about the point of Christian virtue being to show what the Kingdom of God looks like. The end is not in displaying said virtues, but the end is about becoming who we will be for all of eternity. It is about looking forward and not being content with the present and thinking that we have fully arrived. I especially like this since this kind of thinking should prevent us becoming apathetic, which many in my denomination internally struggle.

Lastly, as I usually feel reading one of Wright's book, I'm reminded how little I look at Paul's writing holistically. This is more my own personal issue, but I love how Wright is able to take the full scope of Paul's writing and make it palatable for his readers. I love this approach to scripture, instead of seeing it only through the broken parts (chapters, verses or passages) that I have used in the past. Slowly I am getting there and am thankful for the way that Wright presents this approach through his writing.

Get this book!

The Orthodox Heretic: Betrayal

This tale is about a temple master who has poured his life and teaching into a young disciple but was concerned that he would not reach enlightenment. One day he pulled this young disciples aside and told him that he was worried that one day he would betray his teachings. The young disciple vehemently denied this accusation by saying that there was not a time in the day when one of the teachings of the master were not on his mind. In fact he studied the teachings of the master so that he could be faithful to them at all times. The master replied that the fact that he has never betrayed his teachings and swears to never do that, is in fact to betray him.

Here we are encountered with the interplay between teaching and letting go. Any good teacher wants their students to surpass them and forge their own way. The teacher is in fact wanting the student to exhibit a faithful betrayal.

The Orthodox Heretic: God Joins the Army

This tale is about an independent island who was on the verge of being attacked by a neighboring nation and their dictator. The dictator had a massive army and the people of the island began to worry about the seemingly inevitable battle with this army. The inhabitants of the island were deeply religious people and never did anything without first consulting the oracle in the community. So they went to her house to see what wisdom she could impart to them. In anticipation of this she had spent the previous day in mediation. Unfortunately she had bad news for the island. In her meditation she had found out that God was on the side of the invading army. The people flew into a panic and were only settled down by the chief who was well respected by everyone. The next morning he assembled every man who was able to fight. He sent home those that had children or who had been married for less than a year. All in all they were left with about a thousand men to fight this many army. The battle was very bloody but for some reason the invading army lost the fight. Upon returning home the people asked the chief how they won against an army that over matched them so heavily. He said that whenever God was involved the oppressed always win.

In his commentary Rollins brings up a few places in scripture where God is defeated by people we wouldn't normally think about. (ex. Jacob, Jesus with the Samaritan woman seeking healing for her daughter) We see in scripture that God has a soft spot for the oppressed even to the point where God is willing to take defeat. This is the God that we serve.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Agnostic Who Became An Atheist

This tale is about a philosopher who took up the task to once and for all prove that God did not exist. He began to read the many arguments that have been given over the years in order to fully understand the scope of his project. He even began to publish a series of volumes that dealt with the subject as well. Needless to say the philosopher was very respected by his many peers. Upon completion of his final volume he was not fully satisfied with his life's work and so he set out and studied and researched for another 16 years. Then one night in his study he felt a deep stillness descend on the room. He then heard the voice of God speak to him. God said that he was very impressed with the diligence of the man but that he could not complete the task without the help of God. So God said that he would let the man in on a secret which was that God did not exist. A smile crept across the philosophers face and he never returned to his study. In its place he dedicated his life to serving the poor.

In the commentary section Rollins expounds on his reason for this tale. Jroddy's paraphrase of it goes something like this. One cannot truly be an atheist because they have to reject some particular view of God. But the problem that lies in our arguments is that they are both bound by temporal and spatial factors. We cannot conceive of a God outside of these presuppositions that we bring to the argument. But the hope is that once we can get to that place we will stop arguing about God and in turn become the manifestation of God. That is what happens to the philosopher in this tale.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Mission of Judas

This tale is about a dream that Judas has. It begins with Judas seeing himself and the other disciples sharing the Passover meal. Then Judas sees himself meeting with the religious authorities and planning to betray Jesus with a kiss in the garden. Then he sees the events of the garden playing out along with the arrest, trial, beating and crucifixion of Jesus taking place. But the dream did not end there, it continued with Judas seeing the sorrow that would afflict him and his subsequent suicide. He was then in a courtroom with the disciples with them hurling insults and condemnation at him. But it didn't end there either. He saw the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and how his message would spread to the whole world. He woke up in a cold sweat and remembered a few teachings that Jesus had recently given to his disciples. In this teaching Jesus talked about the one who wants to gain their life must first lose it. As he contemplated these words a sadness began to well up in his heart because he now knew what was his destiny in life.

This is of course a fictitious scenario that paints the betrayal of Jesus in a new light. The idea is that without Judas following through with his side of the betrayal, none of it would have happened. Of course there is way more to this than I have the time and or mental capacity to get into now. If you would like to dive into this, I suggest that you check out Rollins' book "The Fidelity of Betrayal." This is an interesting notion that betrayal can be used for a good thing. My head has been swimming ever since I finished his book about a year ago. Check it out!

The Orthodox Heretic: The Orthodox Heretic

This tale is set in a town where the people are very fervent followers of God. They settled every decision with reading of Scripture and prayer. One night a young man from a neighboring town sought shelter at the local church. The caretaker took him in, fed him and gave him new clothes to wear. He then learned that this young man was on the run from the authorities because he had been critical of the government and the church. When the priest learned of this he gathered the other leaders of the town to begin to discuss what should be done about the matter. They decided that he should be turned over to the authorities in case they might incur some sort of wrath for harboring the young man. But the caretaker refused to do so. He even told the town leaders that he would turn himself in if they gave up the young man. The town loved the caretaker and did not want to see this happen. So the leaders began to pray and search through the Scriptures to try and find an answer that might sway the caretaker's mind. They came to him and said that the Scriptures tell us to follow the authority of the land and so they should give up the young man. He replied that it also tell us to take care of those in need. The leaders began to pray and ask that God would somehow change the caretakers mind. They asked God to show up and speak just like he did to men in the Old Testament. So God came and told the caretaker exactly what the leaders said. The caretaker replied that if that were the case then he would refuse the command of God. He knew what God had already commanded him and what God had written and that when he looked at this young man he was reminded of these things. So in order to remain faithful he would have to refuse. God looked at the leaders and explained that if they couldn't change his mind, then neither could he. God smiled and then left knowing that the matter had been solved.

Rollins explains that this is adapted from an old Jewish legend in which God is grieved that people claim to know God, yet don't follow what God has said to do. God wishes that they would do what he said and claim to not know him. This points us to consider whether knowing God is really about gaining knowledge or from actually living out the Word of God. I'm finding more and more that Rollins is bringing up good things for us to think about, but they are going to require a major paradigm shift in order to live them out. May we have the courage to allow God to reshape our paradigm.

The Orthodox Heretic: Sins of the Father

This tale is about the day of judgment. On that day all of those who were dead were summoned to the throne of God. An angel stood up and called forth the first person to be judged. After entering him into the docket all of humanity stood up and in one voice said, "We were hungry and you gave us nothing to eat. We were thirsty and you gave us nothing to drink. We were strangers and you did not invite us in. We were naked and you did not clothe us. We were sick and in prison and you did not look after us." They all then waited in silence because judgment had been passed on God and they were now awaiting his defense.

In his commentary Rollins talks about the unique position in Judeo-Christian religion where we can pass judgement on God. He mentions a passage in Jeremiah (15:18) and also Job (7:12-21) where this happened. He also references the story of Jacob where he wrestled with God and had his named changed to Israel. I have always found this interesting especially since we are taught to not question God, or at least that's what my sunday school teachers told me. But yet many people question God and pass judgment and they are not struck down. In grad school I took a class on the subject of theodicy, which is God's role in pain and suffering, and was amazed at the many theories on the subject. I don't want to go into all of them here, but the one thing that I did learn from the class is that God is present no matter the situation. But because God won't violate the freedom that we've been given we just have to trust that God knows and understands and is working to redeem all things. Easier siad than done.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Last Trial

This tale is about someone who dies and is suddenly at their final judgment. Soon they are standing in front of an imposable figure who identifies himself as Lucifer. He tells the person that he has overthrown God and banished Christ to eternal death. He is the one who holds the keys to the kingdom and decides who will be able to enter the kingdom. All the person has to do to enter the kingdom is to bow down before him. If they refuse they will be banished with Christ for all of eternity. Lucifer then asks the person, "which will you choose?"

In light of this tale we are to think about faith and what its rewards might be. Is the reward of faith only what we might gain in the end? Or is there a reward wrapped up in living out our faith in the present life? This question has been debated within evangelicalism for the past few years. I personally don't think that we can discount the reward in the end, but that should not dominate the mission we are called to in the here and now. I hope that we can begin to learn that we have a reward in the here and now because in my opinion I think we in the church have a hard time accepting that fact. Grant us the grace O Lord!

Chronological Guide to the Bible

I recently received and have read through the Chronological Guide to the Bible as a part of the Book Sneeze program through Thomas Nelson Publishing. I chose this book for two reasons. First, I was curious about the premise of a chronological order to the Bible. I have known for quite some time that the Bible was no fully in chronological order, but never really knew where to start in reading the Bible in that way. Second, I thought it might be a good reference tool for my library and I believe I was right.

Let me first say that I love the layout of the book. They have divided history into nine epochs and the introduction to each epoch includes some of the major events and developments in history as well as in the Biblical narrative. After this introduction there is a reading list in order to follow along in chronological order which allows this book to be compatible with any translation of the Bible. There are then a few little articles highlighting various thing in certain passages that might correspond to events in history. These articles are very easy to read and understand and really help the reader gain a deeper understanding.

Overall I am very pleased with this product and am looking forward to digging into more and more of the content found inside. In just the week or so that I have been looking through it, I've gained some deeper understanding. I would definitely recommend this book. Just make sure that you read the introduction to the book so that you will understand some of the decisions that were made in putting this book together.

Steering Through Chaos

Man am I a sucker for a free book. I recently read "Steering Through Chaos" because I read on Shane and Shane's twitter page that their pastor had a new book out and had some available for free if you promised to read and review on your blog. So I signed up to read this book in spite of it being a church strategy book.

I guess I should let you in on why that's such a big deal to me. I have been an associate pastor for the last nine years and am now under my fourth different pastor. I have been very surprised to find that most pastors do not have the same philosophy of ministry even though we are all in the same denomination. That being said, my first assignment was with a pastor that shoved church growth propaganda (my term) down our throats. Success was wrapped up in numbers and as an associate pastor my job was to sell the propaganda to all those who fell under my ministry. Needless to say I was not a huge fan of this kind of ministry or those that championed it. So for most of my ministry I have been trying to figure out how to navigate this world of church growth and still somehow remember what I felt ministry was about, real people with real feelings and not just numbers.

So I was interested in reading what Scott Wilson had to say on the subject. I did not know anything about Scott other than he was Shane and Shane's pastor. I will admit that I began reading this book with my sarcastic goggles on and ready to have a good time with this book. But I will have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with what I found inside. Yes there were moments of church growth strategy, which I'm not fully opposed to, but they were balanced by a real plea for spiritual direction in the midst of the strategies. This is what I found lacking in my previous experiences in 'church growth'. I appreciated so much how Scott shared with us the stories of his ministry and how he was able to steer through the chaos of church change. I resonated with how he challenged his staff and elders to prayer and fasting on a regular basis in order to discern whether God was actually leading them or if they got caught up in a dream of man. I like how his leadership style is about getting everyone to see where God is leading them and not trying to divide those who get it and those who don't. I could go on and on but am afraid that I've given too much away already.

All of that being said, I definitely recommend this book to any pastor or leader who is trying to figure out how to steer through the chaos. I'm not naive enough to think that his story will work in every situation and with every kind of leader, but I do think there are good enough principles that everyone can gain some sort of new insight into what it will take to accomplish our God sized dreams.

The Orthodox Heretic: Awaiting the Messiah

This tale is about the second coming of the Messiah. He arrived one dull and regular Monday with no fanfare. He noticed that there was the same suffering and injustice in the world as when he had left. No one seemed to pay him much attention as he lived among the sick and unwanted in the area. One day he decided to reveal himself to a few faithful followers. He showed up in their gathering and found them praying fervently for the day of the Lord. Slowly they began to feel something different and realize that the Messiah was in fact in their presence. The leader of the group approached the Messiah and fell at his feet and told him how they had waited for many years for his return. She then stood up and asked him one question. "When will you arrive?" The Messiah did not answer, but instead smiled and joined them in their prayers and tears. It is said that he is still there serving in that unknown church on the outskirts of the city.

This was a hard tale for me to wrap my head around. In his commentary Rollins talks about how our desire is deepened in the arrival of the one we've waited for. The idea being that we do not know fully what we've waited for until the arrival happens. In this season of Lent I think this speaks to us in a few different ways. As we anticipate the resurrection do we fully know what it is we are waiting for? Or even do we need to know fully? Maybe we just need to be open to where it will lead us and transform us. On another note maybe we need to reexamine our understanding of having a Savior. Do we take advantage of that in a way where it has lost its meaning or does it continue to refresh and renew our lives? Good things to ponder this day.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Prodigal Father

This tale is about a rich father who had two sons. One night he packed a few items and left quietly. The first son awoke and after discovering that his father had left, got to work doing all of the chores for which he was responsible. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years and still no word from the father. Gradually the son began to repress the hurt that came with the father abandoning he and his brother. Instead of dealing with the pain, it began to fester deep in his being. The other son also refused to deal with the pain and took his portion of the inheritance and went abroad. Throughout everything that he did and tried he could not get rid of the fact that his father was gone. One day he realized that he needed to face the fact and returned home with nothing to show for his time gone. He found his brother caring for the property just as when he left and now holding animosity for him since he left. The younger brother didn't care and spent each day with a calf ready to slaughter and his father's robe set out for the day when he returned.

This tale speaks about the reverse of the parable of the lost son. Rollins talks about writing this while at a Quaker meeting and experiencing what it feels like to be in a room of people that are content to wait on God to show up. But one of the mysteries of our faith is that there are times when God does not seem present. Our response to this situation tells about our faith. Do we continue in our 'good' work and harbor ill will towards God? Or do we turn our back on God and begin to do our own thing? Or do we wait patiently for God to return? I think this is a very important thing for us to consider especially in this season of lent as we are coming to terms with our own sinfulness.

The Orthodox Heretic: Being the Resurrection

This tale is about a group of people who followed Jesus and after his crucifixion left Jerusalem in order to set up a community where they could faithfully follow the teachings of Jesus. They set out and found such a place and lived without contact from outsiders. One day a group of missionaries found them and realized that this group of people thought that Jesus was still dead. They eagerly began to tell them of the resurrection and a celebration broke out. During the celebration one of the missionaries noticed that the leader of this group was no present. He set out to find this man and the reason he was not celebrating. He found him in a hut at the edge of the village on his hands and knees weeping and praying. The missionary told this man that this was a day to celebrate and questioned his current disposition. The leader of the community said that yes this was a day to celebrate but he was troubled about the affect this news might on subsequent generations. He explained that his community had given up everything to follow the teachings of Jesus knowing that one day they would meet the same fate as the one they followed. It was a sacrifice. But now with this news those that come behind might only follow to ensure salvation, not because it is a sacrifice. He did leave to join the celebration, but the missionary stayed behind pondering his words.

This tale strikes a chord in me personally as I have tried to raise this same subject in ministry many times. Too often we are quick to jump to the end and miss out on what it takes to get there. Part of it is my makeup, but part of it is a reaction to the apathy that I see in many people. There is a cost to following Jesus and it should not be diminished just because we know the final outcome. What a very appropriate thing for us to ponder during lent.

The Orthodox Heretic: Finding Faith

This tale is about a preacher who found out from a very early age that he had an unusual gift. Every time he prayed for someone they lost all of their religious convictions and faith. Once he learned this he committed himself to solely preaching and not praying for others. One day he met a very successful businessman who began to talk about how the world he was engaged in was not a godly one. He admitted that the business world was cut throat and that he couldn't always follow his Christian convictions but that he felt he made up for it by work in the church. The preacher realized the reason for his gift and asked if he could pray for the man. The man agreed and after the prayer he renounced his previous Christian convictions. As he went back to work he realized that he was just another horrible person caught up in a system that he didn't like, so he quit and gave all of his money to those less fortunate. He even began to work against the system that he was formally a part of on behalf of those that it took advantage. One day while walking through town he saw the preacher and fell at his feet and thanked him for helping the man find his faith.

This tale talks about how we sometime confuse our faith with doing 'things.' The important thing to note here is that true faith will change something deep within us. Ministry and various activities that you do with the church are important, but it should only be the tip of the iceberg. Truth like this hits me between the eyes because I have been guilty of this in my life and ministry. Lord, open my eyes to seeing the possibilities of my faith.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Payoff

This tale is about an old and wise priest who is know throughout the land as a good and giving man of God. He resides in a kingdom ruled by an elderly king whose son is jealous of the priest because he feels that people give him the respect that he deserves. The prince has an intense disliking for all religious people because he thinks that they are all hypocrites and liars. He has even had many leaders thrown in jail. So one day he devises a plan to expose the priest and gain the respect he deserves. One night he goes to the priests home and offers him a large sum of money to write a letter declaring that he is a hypocrite and a liar that will be distributed throughout all of the kingdom. The priest, who has always been poor, considers the offer for a few minutes and he replied that he would do so but on three conditions. The first is that the prince will leave the church and its leaders alone. The second is that all of the leaders who have been imprisoned will be released. The third is that the priest will need some time to raise the large sum of money required.

I'll have to be honest, I needed to read Rollins' commentary to fully get this tale. His point is that the humble priest found it a great honor to be exposed as a hypocrite and liar that he would pay for it. In essence, the knowledge of the prince is turned upside down by the reaction of the priest. The prince hoped this would crush the priest, but the priest saw this as an opportunity to teach the whole kingdom about the values that he tries to live by. Growing up in a pietist tradition like I did, I have rarely seen this kind of humility displayed. We find our piety or righteousness as more of a measuring stick of holiness, instead of our humility and honesty. I have a feeling that I will be thinking about this tale for quite some time.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Invisible Prophet

This tale is about God sending one of the greatest prophets to earth and the devil being scared of the message. The devil began to hatch a plan to hide the prophet's message. After thinking through many situations, the devil decided to hide the prophet's message in beauty. The prophet was a woman of great beauty who spoke with an eloquence that everyone adored. The prophet's beauty was legendary throughout the land and everyone was so entertained by her words. But they did not hear her message of warning and moved closer to their own destruction in celebration and dancing.

Here we are reminded of the power of words, not just in how they can entertain us, but in their message to us. Too many times we are entertained by communicators or musicians that we fail to hear the message. I know I have been guilty of this. On the flip side, communicators can fall in the trap of watering down their message to make it more entertaining. But with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we should be able to get through these issues and to the heart of the message.

The Orthodox Heretic: The Third Mile

This tale is based off of Jesus' teaching on carrying a soldiers pack a second mile. The law stated that one had to carry the pack a mile if ordered but Jesus wanted his followers to go above and beyond the law. So they eagerly anticipated a chance to show kingdom values to Roman soldiers. Soon they began to build a relationship with the soldiers and even became known in that region for going the extra mile. They became so proud of how they followed this command of Jesus. One day when Jesus was passing by their community he spoke to his group of followers. He told them that he was impressed with their commitment but that he had another teaching to give to them since they misunderstood the first. He told them to carry a pack three miles.

This tale hits at how we handle scripture. Many Christians seek to gain the rules and regulations of Scripture so that they may follow them to the letter. In this way they can know what it takes to be faithful. But most of Scripture is not meant to be taken that way. It is more about the heart of the issue as opposed to the letter of the law. The danger is that this can get messy but if Scripture is lived out in community it shouldn't be impossible.

The Orthodox Heretic: Great Misfortune

This tale is about a man who endure much suffering and pain in his life from death and other calamities. During the first instance the village blacksmith, who many people in town did not know much about, comes to the man and is present with him. They cry together. They talk about the situation but most importantly the blacksmith is there. This relationship continues through the various situations that arise throughout the man's life. One day the man decides to visit a priest to try and make sense of the whole thing. After listening to the man's stories the priest tells the man that these things have happened to forge character in his life and that without these situations he would not be the man he is today. That evening as he is pondering the words of the priest the blacksmith stops by. The man tells the blacksmith what the priest had said and he tells the blacksmith that maybe he doesn't need to continue to stop by. The blacksmith replied that if the priests words were true, then he needed to stop by all the more because of the great misfortune that his life had turned out to be. The two men enjoyed each others company the rest of the evening as they shared life together.

This tale talks about the importance of presence in the time of suffering and not answers. I believe this is a much needed lesson for the church today. Too often we want to say the right words to make the situation better or to bring clarity, but we often wind up making things worse. We spew bad theology in favor of platitudes. We shortchange the person of the thing they need the most, community. Just to know that someone is walking with you through a difficult situation means way more than having the right answer.

The Orthodox Heretic: Pearl of Great Price

This tale is about Jesus talking about the Kingdom of God. He says that it is like a man who sells everything he has in order to purchase a pearl of great price. He sacrificed everything that he had in order to get his hands on the pearl. Those in attendance like this idea especially a man who had great wealth because he could identify with the value of this pearl. There was a woman in attendance though who seemed to grasp this idea differently than the others. Jesus even told her so. Her reply is that the sacrifice to get the pearl would reduce someone to poverty in order to possess it but the pearl is worthless unless there is someone willing to buy it and if you do find someone, then you will no longer possess the pearl. Her question to Jesus is then "what good is the pearl." Jesus replied that the pearl has no value if you only seek value, but if you give up everything because you are captured by its beauty then you will discover its true beauty.

In his reflection on this tale Rollins talks about how we fall into the trap of giving up everything for the reward of heaven and not the beauty of the kingdom of God. As I have reflected on this I have to agree. For quite some time our method of evangelism has been centered around enticing people with the reward and not about the beauty of the here and now. There is nothing wrong with this because the reward is a great thing but we are not saved just for fire insurance in the afterlife. No we are saved to do the good word of God and to proclaim that the kingdom of God is here among us.

The Voice of Psalms

My latest book from the Book Sneeze program is entitled "The Voice of Psalms." It is the book of Psalms "retold by the friends of Ecclesia Bible Society." (Their words on the title page.) If you have never been exposed to the voice project, I encourage you to look them up here. While I know that many people will have problems with the voice translation, I on the other hand enjoy what they are doing. For the most part, their translation is pretty similar, but there are some differences. They have added words in italics to help with understanding, which do not bother me one bit. In most cases I found that this was helpful. They have also substituted the words God and Lord with Eternal One. Here again, this does not bother me greatly but I know there will be some who are outraged about this. There are also reflections after most of the psalms for a little bit of a deeper understanding, which are always welcomed in my opinion.

I would probably never use the voice translation as my primary text to preach from, but have used it as a reference from time to time. I also own the New Testament version of the voice and cannot wait for them to put out a full canon edition. I tend to reach for my voice translation in personal reading just as I do the various other translations that I own. For me it is how I gain a better overall picture of the text.

I would totally recommend "The Voice of Psalms" for someone who would like another perspective on one of the most beautiful and poetic books in the Bible. I personally am using one of their reading plans during this season of Lent and have enjoyed spending this time in Psalms as a part of my journey. Keep up the good work Ecclesia Bible Society. I do look forward to hopefully having a full Bible one day from your project.

The Orthodox Heretic: Salvation for a Demon

Isn't this an interesting title for this tale? This tale is about a priest who is known for this loving and giving nature all throughout the land. His generosity is known to attract people from far and near. One night while he is in the middle of his prayers there is a knock at the door. He rushes to answer it and finds a demon waiting for him. The demon asks to come in and the priest allows him to do so. As the priest returns to his prayers, the demon begins to break every religious artifact that he can see all the while spewing curses at loud as possible. When the priest was finished praying he started for home and the demon asked if he could come along too. The priest didn't hesitate and welcomed the demon into his own house. Once inside the demon once again began to rip down every religious artifact and spew curses as loud as possible. As they ate the demon asked the priest for one more thing, to come into his heart, and the priest without hesitation invited him in. The demon left defeated because by the priest giving him everything he robbed the demon of the one thing he wanted, his kindness, hospitality and generous spirit.

This tale speaks of hospitality and to whom we offer it. Too often in my own life, my hospitality was only offered to those who were safe. But that is not the way that Jesus lived. Jesus modeled hospitality to everyone that he came in contact with, especially the sinners and those deemed unclean. So why is it that we usually take the easy way out? Maybe during Lent we can begin to really examine such matters in our life.

The Orthodox Heretic: Turning the Other Cheek

Our next tale is about Jesus giving the famous Sermon on the Mount but at the end he turns to the West and says that this teaching was not for us, instead we will be the ones that people will turn their cheek to and who carry our packs and give us their cloak. He closes out the teaching by saying that these people will be his message to us and that if we heed it we will live, if not we will perish.

I will have to admit that these are the kind of stories that really haunt me sometimes. I live a comfortable life right now. I have a nice roof over my head, too many gadgets and things to occupy my time and thinking, too many books that I hope to one day read on my shelves and debt that I'm trying to pay off as a result of trying to capture aspects of the American Dream. But where I'm usually struck is that in my comfort I have continued the plight of some of the least of these in the world through the things I buy and the people that I support. I think one of the greatest tragedies in the world is how simply looking for a lower price we in turn perpetuate systems that do violence to others in the world. As a Christian I so want to rectify the situation but do not know where to begin. It seems that education is a good starting point but how about juggling wise choices with a fledgling bank account? No one ever said it was easy. God give us the ability to do without from time to time.

The Orthodox Heretic: Translating the Word

This tale is about a woman who has a vision of God in which she is asked to distribute the Word of God to her native land. She lives in a time when the Bible is only in latin and there are very few printing presses available. So in order to complete the request that she believes that she's been given, she will need to raise a lot of money. So she begins to raise the money necessary to complete the task, but winds up giving it away to those in need who lived in a nearby town and had been afflicted by a flood. She once again set out to raise the money again and just when she almost had finished a plague struck her town and she spent her money on medicine and food for the sick and land for the dead to be buried. She once again started her quest to raise the necessary funds and just before her death she was able to finish the task she set out to do. It is said that she actually translated and distributed the Word of God three times in her life.

Here Rollins is wanting us to think about what it really means to translate the Word of God and distribute in our homeland. While it is great to give someone a Bible so they can read the Word of God, it is far more valuable to live it out each and every day and in each and every situation. Yes it is difficult to embody the Word of God, but that is what we are called to do. In this season of lent we are called to turn from our sin and cling to Christ. In doing so we should be reminded that Christ was the very embodiment of the Word of God.

The Orthodox Heretic: Jesus and the Five Thousand

Today's tale is a twisted retelling of Jesus feeding the five thousand. It is twisted in that instead of Jesus and the disciples distributing the food amongst those in attendance, they in turn eat a full meal right in front of them. To top it off there isn't a crumb left to fit in the hand of anyone in attendance.

Rollins is wanting us to understand how Christianity is viewed by those outside of power in this tale. To much of the world this is what Christianity looks like. We are perceived as greedy and as if we could care less about the poor and needy around us, much less the world. It has been my experience that most of the church in the West is apathetic towards this issue. It seems that our comfort has gotten the best of us in that regard.

The Orthodox Heretic: No Conviction

Today's tale is about a person who is put on trial for being a Christian. This person lives in a land where it is illegal to be a Christian and there is a lot of evidence to condemn this person. They have pictures of them being in church, of leading prayers and the most damning evidence of all is a well used Bible. After a time of deliberation the judge gives this person a verdict of not guilty because even through all of this evidence the life this person leads does not stand as a threat to the state.

This was a heavy first tale to reflect on. I have thought about such things many a times but yet don't know where to start. I'm not by nature a person who rocks the boat. I usually try to pick my spots that will knock the boat off of center from time to time. I don't think that Rollins is telling us to be rebels about everything, but instead to understand that belonging to the Kingdom of God is different from the kingdom of the world. What we have to wrestle with is why do we so easily sell out to the kingdom of the world. I think that is a good question to ponder today.

Journey through Lent

This year my journey through Lent will be centered on two things. The first is I will be reading a parable a day from Peter Rollins' "The Orthodox Heretic" and I will be following a reading plan found in "The Voice of Psalms" that is geared for lent. If you have never heard of Peter Rollins I suggest that you do. His work stretches my mind, in a good way, and I recommend everything that he has written. It should be an interesting time of reflection and I'm excited for what God may reveal in my life.

The Sacred Meal

I recently finished the book, "The Sacred Meal", as a part of the book sneeze blogger program. I chose this book because the practice of Communion is one that I take very seriously and am always up for a fresh perspective. For all of my life I have been a part of a denomination that doesn't know exactly what to do with Communion. Each church basically chooses how frequently and in what manner they engage this ancient practice of the church. I really did not have a problem with this until I began to take my faith more seriously and even entering into vocational ministry. Through education and personal experience I began to have a greater appreciation for the deep meaning that Communion provides on our faith journey. So from that perspective I was eager to read what the author had to say on the matter.

I found "The Sacred Meal" to be an easy read that is truly geared for the everyday Christian. The author speaks from an Episcopal background and has served the Eucharist in her church for many years. I found myself underlining many sentences for further reflection as the author reaffirmed what the practice of Communion celebrates and how it affects our communal life together. I was personally affected by the perspectives of the practice that the author described as waiting, receiving and afterward. I won't spoil what the author writes, but I will say that the idea of waiting was a fresh perspective for me. I am used to taking the bread instead of receiving the bread. Unfortunately this is mainly due to issues of convenience or making the practice as less Catholic as it can be. I believe there is something that we can learn from waiting to receive.

Lastly, I appreciated how the author connected the Eucharist to our mission in the world. Too often we have tried to separate our worship from our mission which has led to many Christians living a sort of bi-polar kind of life. But in seeing how the aspects of our worship inform our mission, we can begin to see how we live a fully abundant life. May we fully be able to live this out in every area of our life and begin to see the kingdom of God here on this earth in new ways and in new places.

God's sense of humor

I don't know about you, but I am not a big fan of the phrase "God's sense of humor." It is usually used by Christians who find themselves doing something that they never set out to do. For example, don't ever say that you will not go to Africa, because God in his sense of humor will send you there. Or never say that you hate working with kids because God in his sense of humor will have you volunteering at the first opportunity. Or this one if for my wife, never say that you will not marry a pastor because God in his sense of humor will have you fall in love with one. There are many more examples that I could use, but I'll spare you.

Here is my beef. I do not think God is just waiting for us to make such statements so we can be proven wrong. I think what happens is usually this. We make such statements because deep down we have a life affirming connection to those situations, but are afraid to admit it. And what happens is that as we are being discipled and molded by God, those life affirming connections begin to become more apparent to us. Here is another example. I never in a million years would have imagined becoming a youth pastor. I am an introvert who is largely impatient when it comes to childish behavior from people that know better. But yet five years ago I found myself interviewing for a youth pastor position. Now little did I know that decision would lead to a situation that would profoundly shape my life and view of ministry due to the connections that I would make with colleagues. But because I was moved outside of my comfort zone, I learned more about myself and my calling that I ever would have if that step had not been taken.

Is that God's sense of humor, or is it just irony?

A Day to Remember

As someone who was born after desegregation, I do not have a personal frame of reference in which to appreciate who Martin Luther King, Jr was and what he helped to accomplish. But I have grown up in the south and experienced racism first hand in the words and actions of people I have come across. My mom tells me a story of a question I asked shortly after we moved to Tennessee when I was in the second grade. Evidently I came home one day and asked my parents 'why are we supposed to hate black people?' From that point on I know that I dealt with the issue on a frequent basis. My prayer is that we will continue to strive towards the dream that Dr. King had and I will try my best to instill that in my daughter as she grows up in this incredibly diverse world we live.

Who are We?

I, like many other UT Vol Football fans, have been on a roller coaster the past year and a half. It started when it became evident that our beloved coach, Phil Fulmer, was losing his touch in putting together a competitive team in the SEC. What ensued was an ugly firing of a great human being who didn't deserve the way in which he was let go. Out of that situation came the hiring of an unknown to our part of the country, Lane Kiffin. Kiffin brought energy and a great track record as a recruiter and up and coming name in the coaching ranks, not to mention his famous father as our D coordinator. He brought a swagger that we hadn't seen ever at UT in the football program and for the most part we liked it. Our team came close to beating both Alabama and Florida and showed improvement over the course of the season, bowl game excluded. Things seemed to be looking up for the Vols. But Pete Carrol decided to jump ship to the NFL and the carousel began. I remember thinking, 'man, if this happened a few years from now I bet Kiffin would go there.' Little did we know that he'd go now.

Now I don't want to dead horse that is Kiffin in these parts, but I do want to say that he left at the worst possible time for our program. It would be near impossible for us to poach a head coach from another program because of the timing. Who would want to be branded as that kind of guy? But for four days we all held our collective breath as candidate after candidate turned down the opportunity to be head coach at UT.

As you can imagine, talk radio was a buzz at the news of each candidate turning down the job and who we may or may now have been going after. But I was amused at the number of people who called in and exclaimed, "We are the University of Tennessee, coaches should be salivating at coming here." I am a huge UT fan, but even I had to laugh at that one. I will be blindly loyal to UT football until I breathe no more, but my glasses aren't orange colored enough to not be a realist. Yes we have a good program and a lot to offer, but we have our fair share of warts and a few open sores that were caused by the timing of the whole situation. It has been 12 years since we won the National Championship, which is two-thirds of the lifespan of the kids we are recruiting. So let's be realistic about our situation.

So I hope that we will continue to be the great program that we have been throughout our history. Maybe we won't have the arrogance of the USC's, Alabama's, Florida's, etc and that is fine with me. I am not willing to sell my soul for a quick score but instead want to see our program restored to what it once was. So coach Dooley, you have your work cut out for you. I know nothing about you, but am cautiously optimistic about that job you can. That has no reflection on you, it's a result of the actions of your predecessor. Just please don't write checks with your mouth that you can't cash just yet. I hate being accountable for the stupid things that coaches say. So start playing Rocky Top in your office, because you are going to hear it a bunch and Go Big Orange.

Welcome readers!

Hello readers both from my old blog and those who may have stumbled on this new blog. Whatever the case may be, know that you are welcome in jroddy's world. I will do my best to offer stories, as they happen, and opinions, as they come to me, to you. My hope is that keeping up with this blog will give me something to look forward to doing each week. So check back frequently and be entertained or educated by all that is going on in jroddy's world.

The Justice Project

I recently finished "The Justice Project" and would have to say that I found it a very easy but challenging read. I appreciate the wide range of authors of each essay and how they each brought a perspective that is radically different from mine in middle class suburbia. I appreciate that each author is living out justice in their particular situation. It lends some credibility to their situation that wouldn't be there if a single author tried to write on the broad scope of justice in the world.

I was challenged mostly by the wide range of injustice that is happening all around me. Reading these essays has caused me to begin to rethink the way that I live and what more I can do to not perpetuate the injustice that I unconsciously promote through my actions based on what and where I buy goods and who I may or may not vote for among other things.

I would hope that the message of the Justice Project would be heard by fellow Christians who are trying to figure out what the kingdom of God is all about. May be begin to 'do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.'