The end of the matter is this...

This brings us back to a point I made in the first chapter: Jesus didn't come to hurt us; He came to kill us. If we want to follow Him, we must deny ourselves, crucify the flesh, die to our flesh and selfish desires, and let the Spirit of God live through us. That's what it means to die to self and live to God. Anything less may taste great, but it can't fill the gnawing emptiness in our hearts. We were made for more than painkillers and empty pleasures. We were meant to live an adventure, but first we have to die.— Christianity Lite, page 211-212

<idle musing>
And that's the end of this book. I hope you enjoyed the excerpts enough to read the whole thing.
</idle musing>

A couple good posts

I haven't posted any links to other blogs for a while. Don't take that to mean that I think there haven't been good posts on other blogs! But, this morning I ran across two that I think deserve a wider audience—not that my readership is large enough to make a difference (right, Ted).

On the Simple Church blog:

Although most of us understand that we, as God’s people, are the church, we consistently misuse that term and many others. I remain guilty of this myself. But, the result is that we use language that continuously waters down the true wonder of who we are in Christ and our purpose in Him.

When we say, “I’m going to church,” we are not affirming that we, His people, are His church, His spiritual temple, filled by the Spirit of God in order to take His fragrance everywhere we go. We must regularly declare the truth of who we are in order to fully walk in it!

He goes on to note other ways we misuse the word and why it matters. Good stuff! Read the whole thing, it's short.

And Alan Knox links to a good article that he wrote on "doing" as opposed to "being" in the life of the church:

I know how to do a Bible study. For as long as I can remember – at least from elementary school – I have been in Bible studies. They have had many different names: Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Discipleship Class, Youth Group, Bible Fellowship. But, they all had something in common: a bunch of people got together to hear someone teach a passage or topic from the Bible...

But, I have also learned something else. Bible studies, participatory church gatherings, and communal serving are very important. However, they often work to segregate our lives into “sacred times” and “regular times.”

Living as the church of Jesus Christ together does not mean holding Bible studies, participatory church gatherings, or service projects. Instead, living as the church of Jesus Christ means sharing our lives together – all of our lives, including the dull times and the messy moments.

Spend time together. Eat together. Talk together. Play together. Work together. Serve together. Study together. Grow together. This is the essence of life in the Spirit of God together as the church of Jesus Christ.

Amen! Do read the whole thing. It's a window into modern american church life—whether house or institutional—and how we fall short of what God desires for us as a body.

It's terminal

If we had an operable cancer but the doctor offered only a painkiller, we'd rightly accuse him of malpractice. We'd walk out of his office and find a doctor who would do the painful surgery to rid us of the disease. It's no different with spiritual cancer. Many people go to churches where the pastor prescribes painkillers instead of exposing ugly, deadly sin. Spiritual sedatives feel good for the moment, but having the courage to be honest is the only way sin can be eradicated. Forgiveness requires truth about two things: the depravity in our hearts and the cleansing blood of Jesus.— Christianity Lite, page 210-211

<idle musing>
And that, my friends, is the gospel in a nutshell. Unfortunately, it seems that people tend to concentrate on either one side or the other. Some only talk about the depravity of humanity and make it sound like there is no hope this side of heaven. Others tend to go light on the depravity and speak only of the cleansing we have in Christ. But without the realization of how deeply depraved we are, we can't fully appreciate the extent of the cleansing. Likewise, if we only concentrate on the depravity, we minimize the power of God. You have to hold the two together—that's the true gospel.
</idle musing>

Envy

From our perspective the broad road often looks very appealing. In fact, many people on the narrow road envy those who are on the broad road. We look at their power, their money, their lavish lifestyles, their beauty, and their prestige, and we long to be just like them. The broad road is the source of unspeakable crimes and abuses, but more often it's subtle: It lures people in with seductive charms. It promises ease, plenty, and power with no cost to them and no sacrifice for others. No wonder it's so attractive! But it's a dead-end street.— Christianity Lite, page 186

<idle musing>
Yep. It's seductive; after all, Satan doesn't come waltzing in saying, "Here, try this. It will kill you." No, he makes it look attractive to the senses. The end results are hidden by the eye-candy of the moment...and far too often it works! : (
</idle musing>

Thoight for today

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. (Psalm 112:4-9 NIV)

Is it good news?

Maybe they [people who don't talk about God/Jesus in their daily conversation] aren't convinced the gospel is really “good news.” To them, maybe Christianity is just a long list of dos and don'ts, a strict moral code no one can meet. Or maybe a watered-down gospel seems irrelevant to their hopes, fears, and relationships.

If that's what we're to proclaim from the housetops, no wonder we're quiet! But that's not the real gospel. We have the life-changing, life-saving message of grace—nothing weak, nothing superficial, nothing phony.— Christianity Lite, page 176

<idle musing>
Could it be? Do we not believe the gospel is "good news?" I suspect he's right. We read these great claims in scripture, but—for whatever reason—we don't see them in our own lives. So we shrug and figure we must be doing something wrong. And we leave religion in its Sunday morning slot.

What do you think? Is he right? Have we bought into a watered-down, superficial gospel that isn't really a gospel at all?
</idle musing>

Talk, talk, talk

<idle musing>
The fact that a bill was passed to pay the military—but nothing else—says far more about our priorities as a nation than any amount of speech-making can...Just an
</idle musing>

What drives you?

What do we value above all else? In the lite version of Christianity people see Jesus as their consultant but not their King. They see Him as their butler, maid, or cook—running around wearing a chef's hat and apron and waiting for their next command. When we only value Jesus for what He can do to make us happy and successful, we live to advance our career and our reputations. We don't care much about the eternal destiny of others. But that's not real Christianity. When our hearts are filled with the grace and power of Jesus Christ, nothing matters but His honor—nothing. What breaks His heart breaks ours. The passions that drove Jesus drive us.— Christianity Lite, pages 174-175

<idle musing>
I like that word picture: Jesus as consultant versus Jesus as their king. Huge difference! A consultant gets paid, but you don't necessarily listen to their advice. Sounds suspiciously like a lot of christianity these days...
</idle musing>

Quick! Hide!

If we don't know our identity in Christ, we'll be constantly insecure and full of self-doubt. In our desperate need to be accepted we work compulsively to prove we're worthy of praise, we please people to earn their approval, or we hide to keep them from knowing how flawed we really are. We buy the right clothes, drive the right car, get the right position at work, and live in the right neighborhoods so people will think we're cool. In church we want to serve where we'll be noticed. We wear masks to pretend we have it all together, but we're dying inside. We're terrified somebody will know we're phonies.— Christianity Lite, page 158

<idle musing>
Genesis 3 all over again. We run and hide—especially from God! And, ironically, God is the only one who can rescue us, but we have such a warped view of who God is that we don't see he loves us. We see him only as a stern judge...

Lord, deliver us from our warped perspective of who you are!
</idle musing>

This is going to hurt

Well, that's their decision [to not take a chance of being hurt in a relationship], but it's one that puts severe restrictions on their ability to give and receive love for the rest of their lives. Self-protection has some value, but it comes at a very high price. It limits love and makes them utterly miserable.

God made us relational beings. We were meant for love. Sure, it's a risk, but refusing to take a risk—with God and with people—eliminates the greatest source of joy and meaning in our lives.— Christianity Lite, page 156

<idle musing>
Ain't that the truth?! Life and love open one up to hurt, but the alternative is death, despair, and depression. I'll take my chances with love. What about you?
</idle musing>

Good stuff

I've been woefully behind in mentioning a few books that I've received recently. I won't have time to read them for at least another month. Between the cabins, getting the garden ready for winter, and editing/proofreading work, and sneaking a hike or two in, there isn't much time left for reading.

Anyway, a long, long, long time ago (July, I think), Adrianna from InterVarsity Press sent me a copy of Atonement and a copy of Incarnation by T.F. Torrance. I'm really looking forward to reading these...look for snippets to begin appearing later this fall.

Much more recently—in fact, just last week—Bobby K. from Hendrickson Publishers sent me a copy of Unholy Allegiances by David deSilva. This looks really good. Here's part of the blurb on the book:

This is a truly unique book that studies Revelation by (1) stating the context in which it was written (Roman Asia in the first century), (2) noting why John wrote what he did to the church, and (3) powerfully applying John’s message to the church today. It is concisely written and carries a genuine spiritual message.

And, earlier this week, Jeremy from Baker Academic sent me a copy of Bonhoeffer the Assassin?. This one piqued my interest when I saw it in the Baker catalog earlier this year. Here's the blurb from the book:

Most of us think we know the moving story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life--a pacifist pastor turns anti-Hitler conspirator due to horrors encountered during World War II--but does the evidence really support this prevailing view? This pioneering work carefully examines the biographical and textual evidence and finds no support for the theory that Bonhoeffer abandoned his ethic of discipleship and was involved in plots to assassinate Hitler. In fact, Bonhoeffer consistently affirmed a strong stance of peacemaking from 1932 to the end of his life, and his commitment to peace was integrated with his theology as a whole.

We'll see...I'd love to believe them, being a person of nonresistance myself and liking Bonhoeffer's theology.

Oh, and much earlier, Jeremy also sent me a copy of Cook and Holmstedt's Beginning Biblical Hebrew which has an integrated reader. Well, actually the reader is more a graphic novel than anything. They use their insights from linguistics and second language acquisition studies and attempt to bring them to bear in teaching Biblical Hebrew. Good stuff...

Got friends?

Many of us give up on people if they hurt us. If that's the case, we won't have any meaningful relationships because sooner or later every human being will let you down.— Christianity Lite, page 154

<idle musing>
And we let ourselves down, as well. So, I guess there's no hope—under the sun, that is (to steal a phrase from Ecclesiastes). We need divine intervention!
</idle musing>

Offenses

Nursing offenses is one of the enemy's traps that keep us in bondage to old hurts. Forgiveness releases us from the trap. We don't wait until the person asks for forgiveness or promises to never hurt us again. We forgive the way Jesus forgave us. Author and pastor Lewis Smedes commented, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”— Christianity Lite, page 142

<idle musing>
Like the old saying, "Unforgiveness does more damage to the vessel in which it is stored than that upon which it is poured." Unforgiveness eats away at you, poisoning everything you see or experience. Get rid of it! Real and imagined hurts are a trap you don't want to fall into. Walk in forgiveness!
</idle musing>

Itching ears

Offenses are windows into our hearts. Disappointments can reveal our deepest desires and expectations. If our hopes line up with God's values and purposes, we'll handle suffering with calm assurance that God will work everything out for good according to His eternal purposes. If our hearts don't line up with God's, we'll complain, gripe, lash out, and run away. And we'll keep looking for somebody to tell us what we want to hear.— Christianity Lite, page 130

<idle musing>
And we'll deny that we could possibly be at fault in any way, right? It's always "the other guy" who is to blame; if only they had done things differently, then everything would be fine. NOT!
</idle musing>

Pardon me, but your biases are showing

When many of us read the Bible, we don't pay attention when we find God's requirements and demands. We only pay attention when it says things that benefit us and promise to make our lives easier and more fun.— Christianity Lite, pages 129-130

<idle musing>
Because fun and easy living are the goals in life, right? At least that's the american dream version of life...
</idle musing>

More on the changes

When I changed the title of the blog yesterday, I also changed the description. The previous description mentioned what I did as a bookseller; I still wanted to include what I'm doing now, but wasn't quite sure how to say it.

Right now, I do freelance copyediting and proofreading of ancient Near Eastern and biblical studies monographs. I also edited a couple of DMin dissertations and I did some stuff for Baker for the Cook/Holmstedt grammar. Those all bring in money to live on, but most of my time right now is tied up in the cabins, which gives us a place to live, but no cash. So, how do I describe that?

I do a lot of different things: maintenance, repairs, painting (although Max does most of that), lawn mowing, laundry, housekeeping, and on and on it goes. But, the one thing that none of these really mention is that I clean toilets. Somebody has to, you know! Hi, I'm James and I clean toilets for a living!

But, if the creator can become human and stoop to washing the feet of his betrayer and denier, surely I can clean toilets and not let it define who I am. That shouldn't define who I am anymore than, "Hi, I'm James and I just copyedited a Dead Sea Scrolls Hebrew Grammar." Which one sounds better to our ears? But neither of them should define us. In God's eyes, the toilet cleaning is just as important as the book I'm editing. Both are what he has called me to do right now. Both should be done with rejoicing and to his praise and glory.

But I still would rather say, "Hi, I'm James and I copyedit academic books...!" Although, the "Hi, I'm James and I clean toilets" does have a nice shock value to it...

Self-centered or other-centered, that is the question

When we're easily upset about things going wrong in our lives, the cycle is self-feeding: We become even more self-absorbed and self-righteous. We play the role of victims, and we demand that everybody on the planet jump to make us happy—which, of course, doesn't work out very well, which causes the cycle of demands and despair to continue.— Christianity Lite, page 127

<idle musing>
Viktor Frankl said that the best cure for this kind of mental illness—and it is a mental illness!—was to get involved in helping others. Once you get involved in the lives of others, you realize that you aren't the center of the universe and that others have problems that are even worse than yours. Sounds like biblical advice, doesn't it?
</idle musing>

Changes

As you can see, the name of the blog has changed. My official employment with Eisenbrauns is now over—fourteen months after leaving Indiana. Not that I've done much since January anyway. In fact, in the whole of June-September, I only worked two hours and twenty minutes for them!

Now that I'm no longer employed by Eisenbrauns, I can share a story that I've wanted to share since it happened...get ready for some juicy gossip. NOT! This story reveals the character of Eisenbrauns as a company, and especially Jim as a person of integrity.

Last fall (2012), right around this time, I believe, a book went to press (I don't recall the title). I was reading through the PDF when I came across what looked like a lacuna; it appeared that a Hebrew word had dropped out of the text. The Hebrew was essential to the argument that was being made, so it wasn't a minor issue. This was on a Saturday morning.

I immediately sent Jim an e-mail, pointing out the possible error. I figured that maybe the book was still at the point where the press could make the correction before the book was printed. Jim responded within an hour or so, confirming my observation. He made the correction to the PDF and forwarded it to the press. Because it was a weekend, nothing more could be done until Monday.

Monday revealed that the book was already printed, but not yet bound. A choice had to be made. The book could be bound, as is, with the error. Or, at the cost of an additional 10%, that particular signature could be reprinted. It would also delay the delivery of the book—which also had repercussions for the cash flow. Tough decision; 10% may not sound like much, but on short-run academic books, that's very significant.

As you probably guessed (at least if you know anything about the quality of Eisenbrauns' books), Jim decided to reprint the signature and eat the cost...

That's just one of the many reasons I enjoyed working for Eisenbrauns for 10 years.

Trapped!

How do we act when we're trapped? The same way an animal responds when it's captured. We fight back, we wrestle, and we try to get out. Some animals have been known to chew their leg off to get free from a snare. I've seen people who blamed everybody in the world, including God, for their problems instead of learning the lessons God wanted to teach them through suffering. They were deeply offended that God didn't do what they expected Him to do.— Christianity Lite, page 126

<idle musing>
I guess it all boils down to our view of God. Do we see him as our butler, just waiting for our command? Or do we see him as an ogre, just waiting for us to step out of line? Both views are wrong. Both sell God far short of who he is.
</idle musing>

That can't be in the Bible!

We like the glowing promises, but we feel deeply offended by Jesus's demands. Deny ourselves? No, we'd rather indulge ourselves. Pick up our cross? We prefer to buy the newest gadgets, kick back and watch television, and go on nice vacations. Die daily? That can't be in the Bible, can it?— Christianity Lite, page 123

<idle musing>
It all comes back to our desire to be gods—no, our belief that we actually are god!
</idle musing>

The saccharin gospel

I'm not suggesting that we need to lay grace aside and impose oppressive rules on anyone. That's not the gospel, either! We need a full-orbed gospel message—the one Jesus taught, modeled, and imparted to His disciples. Anything else leaves us with a saccharin-sweet taste in our mouths but feeling empty. A lite version of the gospel simply can't satisfy the deepest needs and longings of the human heart. We can't be truly saved by a “Lite Savior.” We need the Lamb of God to die for us, but He's also the Lion of Judah who demands everything we have as we follow Him.— Christianity Lite, page 122

<idle musing>
Amen! Good preaching! We have to hang onto grace while preaching a serious message of death to self. It we drop grace, we end up with empty legalism. But if we drop death to self, we end up with a cheap imitation of the gospel. The hymn Trust and Obey got it right: we have to trust, but we also have to obey. If try to do one without the other, you end up with a sorry caricature of the real thing...
</idle musing>

High calling

If we don't feel offended by God from time to time, it's not the real God we're following. If we don't feel confused by Him, we don't realize that His infinite wisdom is far beyond human comprehension. If we don't have spiritual anxiety at the demands of discipleship, we haven't really heard His clear command to follow Him into sacrifice and suffering. Jesus gave all, and He demands all. That's a chilling prospect, even for the bravest among us.— Christianity Lite, page 120

<idle musing>
But that doesn't preach very well, does it? Tough to fill the auditorium with a calling like that. Ask Jesus. When he preached about death to self and the cost of discipleship, the crowds just seemed to melt away. They loved the miracles and the love—but the cost was a bit tough to swallow for most of them.

The same with the early Christians. They had a great reputation—the emperor Julian used them as an example of conduct for his pagan priests!. But, the cost was martyrdom. A high calling indeed!
</idle musing>

Interesting little tidbit

Fill in the blank:

Christ Jesus our ________.

Did you answer "Lord?" That's my natural response, and the most common one in the epistles. Did you answer "Savior?" That's the second most common one in the epistles. But, how many of you answered "hope?"

Yep. "Christ Jesus our hope." It occurs but once, in 1 Timothy 1:1. I've read that hundreds of times over the years, but yesterday it hit me for the first time...

The gospel

Does the cost seem too high? Does following Jesus seem too demanding? If it doesn't, you don't understand what He requires. Following Him with your whole heart isn't hard; it's impossible! We can't do it by turning over a new leaf, trying harder, or gritting our teeth. To follow Jesus, we need a supernaturally transformed heart. We need the wonderful love, grace, and acceptance of God, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. Nothing else will do.— Christianity Lite, page 112

<idle musing>
And that, my friends, is the gospel. We can't do it! But God can and does! And we get to participate in it!
</idle musing>

There isn't any shortcut

Crucifixion is excruciating, but it's the only path to a resurrection.— Christianity Lite, page 111

<idle musing>
I'm reminded of Hebrews 12:2b-3, "For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (TNIV)

You have to die in order to really live. Death to self leads to the resurrection life of Jesus living inside us.
</idle musing>

It's all a matter of perspective

The difficulty, of course, is that sin doesn't look evil and wrong—unless we see it in someone else. In our lives it appears to be benign, attractive, and even indispensable. How could we live without it? We're so familiar with our sins that they seem second nature. That's the problem!— Christianity Lite, pages 109-110

<idle musing>
Yep! He pegged it, didn't he?
</idle musing>

Who's in charge?

Christians today are soft. We complain at the slightest disappointment. We criticize God if we suffer any inconvenience.— Christianity Lite, page 105

<idle musing>
Because we all know that God exists to make our lives comfortable, right? I mean, after all, I'm the center of the universe, right? So, bow down and worship me and serve me! NOT!
</idle musing>

Who defines it?

When we write the definition of a disciple, we make it easy. We make the door really wide and the requirements simple. The concept, though, isn't ours to define. It's up to God to define the concept and establish the requirements. He has only one condition: We have to put Him above everything. No exceptions. Everything.— Christianity Lite, page 99

<idle musing>
What part of everything don't we understand? That's a high and lofty calling—but one that the Holy Spirit living within us enables us to fulfill.
</idle musing>

Blessings?

If we're willing to sign on to put Him first, we'll have countless blessings thrown in. But if we focus primarily on the blessings, we'll get neither Jesus nor the blessings. There are a lot of people in churches today who come every Sunday, but only for the blessings. They don't really love Jesus more than anyone or anything else. They're consumers, not worshippers. They just want the blessings, and they're very disappointed in Him when He doesn't deliver.— Christianity Lite, page 91

<idle musing>
That is so true! We are a society of consumers—but the Holy Spirit is stronger than culture, if we let him transform us...
</idle musing>

What kind of god do you see?

Excellent post this weekend on Jesus Creed. It's actually a repost from another blog, but Scot posted it in full. I'll just pull out a snippet, but definitely read the whole thing.

God hates you. God’s fed up with you. God’s sick and tired of you. God’s suffered long enough with you.

God’s against you.

You would NEVER say that to someone else. Ever.

But here’s the thing- and maybe you do need to be a pastor know this:

There are plenty of you

who say things like that

to yourselves

all the time.

Not one of you would ever say things like that to someone else, but, consider it on the job knowledge, plenty of you say it to yourself every day...

But I wonder.

I wonder if we persist in imagining that God is angry and impatient and unforgiving and at the end of his rope- I wonder if we imagine God is like that because that’s what we’re like.

I wonder if we imagine God must be angry because we carry around so much anger with us?

I wonder if we imagine there are some things even God can’t forgive because there are things we won’t forgive?

I wonder if we imagine that God’s at the end of his rope because there are plenty of people with whom we’re at the end of ours?

<idle musing>
Go! Read the whole thing! And then revise your opinion of who God is. Let God be the Christian God, not a theological construct that reflects who you are.

I had a professor in seminary who said that we reason from the given to the divine. We look around us and figure God must just be a bigger version of what we see.

To an extent, that is true. But—and the but is huge—God is more than that. God revealed himself in Jesus. If your image of God is anything other than an image of Jesus, you've missed who God is...
</idle musing>

The easy life

We live in an age of softies and quitters. We want to eat chocolate cake without gaining weight. We expect to have lean bodies without the effort and discipline of exercise. We want new cars and houses without thinking about the ravages of debt. We demand easy love, sex, money, school, marriage, parenting, and everything else imaginable. We're sure life should be fun. When we have to put out some effort and exercise a modest amount of discipline, we soon quit because “it's just too hard.”

Christianity Lite follows the same lines. May people who claim to be believers are absolutely sure God exists to make their lives pleasant. They love promises of blessings, and they don't want to hear anything about struggle, pruning, testing, and the process of growth.

Jesus was under no such illusions.— Christianity Lite, pages 88-89

<idle musing>
People want a vending machine god—no, that's not it. A vending machine god would require us to put something in! They want a Santa Claus god—no, that's not right either! A Santa Claus god would have a list, checking to see if you've been naughty or nice. They want a butler god; a god who is standing there, just waiting for their next command.

The problem is that no such being exists. Life can be hard. Life can be full of troubles. Life can be, well, life. We live in a fallen world; troubles and trials are a part of it. But, we have the promise of a loving God that he will be with us—no, he will be in us—through it all. That's a promise worth getting excited about!
</idle musing>

Far more than a butler

When we pray, we need to remember who is listening. We have a real relationship, but we're not equals, We need a huge dose of respect for our heavenly Father. He dwells “in unapproachable light” (1 Tim. 6:16 NKJV). He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows our thoughts and hidden intentions far better than we do. We often treat Him like a butler or a fairy godmother, but He's nothing of the kind.— Christianity Lite, page 81

<idle musing>
God is far greater than a heavenly dispensing machine! When we treat him like that, we sell him and ourselves far short of the relationship he wants with us. It would be like getting married just so you have someone to do your laundry and wash the dishes! That's not a relationship—you can hire a servant for those things!

It's the same with God. Sure, he answers prayer and gives us all kinds of blessings. But that's not the point or the goal of the relationship. We were created for far more than that! We were created for fellowship with God.
</idle musing>

Prayer

Prayer is the umbilical cord between heaven and earth. When we pray, we're tapping into God's heart, God's will, and God's power here and now.— Christianity Lite, page 78

It's overwhelming

When we look into the abyss of our struggles, we first frantically try to control the people and the situations. Sooner or later we realize all our efforts are useless. The problem is much bigger than anything we can handle. When we pray, we bow in humble admission that we're powerless. Pride insists that we know it all and can make it work out, but humility acknowledges there's a far greater power and far higher wisdom than our own.— Christianity Lite, page 75

<idle musing>
Some people never get to the point of acknowledging that the struggle is too great. Others just give up, overwhelmed by the immensity of it all. The wise person is the one who in humility acknowledges that only Christ can handle life with all its complications.
</idle musing>

False promises

New technologies promised to make our lives simpler, easier, and less troubled, but today our lives are more complex, full of things that need to be fixed, and clouded by worries over the added activities and responsibilities. The levels of stress are exceptionally high, even among those who have plenty of money and are the envy of their friends.— Christianity Lite, page 72

<idle musing>
The false promise of a fake messiah. Technology is a marvelous thing—but it can never fix the problem of a broken relationship with God.
</idle musing>

What's wrong with this picture?

Most of us can talk for hours on the phone with someone who has no ability to fix our problems, but we find it hard to spend more than five minutes in prayer with the One who has all power in heaven and on earth. Claiming to be too busy is a lame excuse.— Christianity Lite, page 69

<idle musing>
Yep. Might be because we don't really believe God has the ability to answer...what do you think?
</idle musing>

Things that make you go hmmm...

I was reading in 2 Corinthians yesterday and came across this:

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” (2 Cor 8:13-15 TNIV)

<idle musing>
Sure sounds like the classic definition of socialism to me: "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs." Granted, that is impossible among the unredeemed; everyone is told to grab for everything they can in this life. But, shouldn't it be the goal among the redeemed?

Unfortunately, I don't even see it being attempted in most of the U.S. church. Sermons are preached about the evils of socialism; people are encouraged to follow the American Dream. Precious few sermons are preached on self-denial or death to self. Significant chapters of scripture are conveniently ignored.

The early church was known for its giving—and not just to believers! I suspect the American church of the late twentieth to early twenty-first centuries will be known for its selfishness and lack of generosity... Just an
</idle musing>

Move that mountain

Going to church doesn't move mountains. Singing praise songs doesn't move them. Giving money doesn't level them. And certainly worry doesn't bring them down to size. We can be involved in all kinds of activities in the church but still have mountains that can't be moved except by prayer and fasting.— Christianity Lite, page 67

<idle musing>
But that doesn't fit in with good-time christianity! Self-denial? You've got to be kidding me, right? : (
</idle musing>

By what criterion do you chooose?

Plenty of people choose churches today with one criterion in mind: they're looking for a pastor who will tell them what they want to hear. They want pleasant messages about God's love and promises about God's blessings. They'd like to be entertained by wonderful music and inspiring stories, but they sure don't want to invest time and passion in prayer.— Christianity Lite, page 66

<idle musing>
Can you say "itching ears"?
</idle musing>

What about you?

Many modern people don't pray because they trust advances in technology and medicine to solve their problems.— Christianity Lite, page 62

<idle musing>
What about you? Is your god really technology? When you have medical issue, to whom do you turn?

Our response to that question reveals our real god.

Or, suppose you lose your job. To whom do you turn for financial support? Emotional support?

The fires of daily life just reveal our true heart--that's why James could say to "count it all joy."
</idle musing>

Why did Jesus pray?

As we read the Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, one of the most startling observations is that He spent so much time in prayer. He was God, wasn't He? Why did He pray so much? I don't believe it was only because He needed to pray; I think he wanted to pray. He wanted to spend time with the Father, enjoying the give-and-take of love and determining direction for the future.— Christianity Lite, page 61

<idle musing>
The theologians might not like his answer, but I think it makes sense...
</idle musing>

Bored yet?

I have a confession to make. Before we moved to Grand Marais (over 13 month ago now), I was concerned I might not have enough to do. I told Debbie, Jim, and Shannon that. They all laughed. Jim said, "Only if they close the library!"

Well, I certainly haven't been bored! On the contrary, I've been almost overwhelmed at times. Yesterday was the first day in ages that I didn't have proofreading, editing, or other projects hanging over me. And we only had 1 set of guests leaving and one coming in. And because we have guests in the cabin we are trying to paint, I couldn't do any painting.

Wow! What to do? Believe me, there was still plenty, but it wasn't rushed. I was able to organize the hoop house stuff that was just thrown in a couple of stacks earlier this spring. I'm getting ready to put it up in the backyard, so that was nice.

Plus, I was able to modify the rabbit hutches, putting 1/2 inch mesh on the floor instead of the 1/4 inch that I had used. Oh, you didn't know we had rabbits? We have 2 mini-Rexes. We have had them for almost 2 weeks now. I'll try to get some pictures posted later today or tomorrow. Plus, we are taking care of Joel & Renee's 2 mini-Rexes while they are in Alberta. The 1/2 inch mesh allows the rabbit poop to fall through; I don't have to clean the cage every day anymore : )

Today, we only have one cabin leaving and no one coming in! Wow! We're planning on going hiking. We haven't had a chance to go yet this summer. That's about the only downside to seasonal based work like this. When the weather is good for outdoor activities, the guests arrive to take advantage of it. You have to squeeze it in as best you can... But we love it!

Just an
<idle musing>

It's the truth

Don't assume you're powerless and helpless any longer. God has entrusted His power to everyone who has trusted in His Son. If you're depressed, there's a power to give you hope. If you're addicted, there's a power to set you free. If you're sick, there's a power to heal. If you're in a strained relationship, there's a power to forgive and be reconciled. There's a power to overcome your fear, loneliness, self-pity, and suicidal thoughts. You may feel stuck and hopeless, but God's power is far greater than chains of sin, doubt, and disease.— Christianity Lite, pages 59-60

<idle musing>
It's the truth! But do you believe it? If you say you do, but your life isn't reflecting it, then I would say you don't really believe it. Intellectual assent isn't the same as belief—even though our society seems to equate the two.
</idle musing>

Believe it!

He [God] doesn't send His power to those who don't want it, don't believe in it, and will misuse it.— Christianity Lite, page 47

<idle musing>
Unfortunately, I think he is mistaken in the last part of his statement. I've seen far too many misuse God's gifts over the years...
</idle musing>

Thought for today

What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7 NIV)

Who's in control?

Evil spirits don't obey nice sermons, and they don't flee from good programs and beautiful buildings. They only obey the power of God.— Christianity Lite, page 44

<idle musing>
Tempting to think it's our power, though, isn't it? But it's the power of God and all our programs, sermons, and buildings can't conjure that power up. It has to be God.
</idle musing>

Friday's thought

The issue isn't that we ought to be different if we claim to know Jesus; it's that we will be different if our hearts have been transformed by the power of His grace.— Christianity Lite, pages 37-38

<idle musing>
Yep. It isn't by my power or strength; it is all by his strength and power at work in me through the Holy Spirit.
</idle musing>

Being formed into the likeness

Jesus doesn't want us to insult Him by going to church week after week without genuine change. More and more churches have forgotten they exist to see people transformed. Have we torn the pages out of our Bibles that call us to authentic Christianity?— Christianity Lite, page 31

<idle musing>
In the words of 2 Peter 1:4, "...so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature" (NET). The change is via the power of the Holy Spirit—don't ever forget that and try to produce the change on your own strength, though. Dead to self, but alive in Christ Jesus.

That's good news!
</idle musing>

Thought for a very busy Monday

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:1-4 NIV)

Come let us worship--ourselves

In our society today we seem to think we have the inalienable right to feel great about ourselves. The “self-esteem movement” has swept our school systems. “Grade inflation” is used to give almost all kids a high mark, no matter how poorly they've performed in the classroom. However, the thirst for a positive self-image isn't limited to education. We avoid honesty in our homes, friendships, and businesses because our first priority is to avoid hurting anyone's feeling...ever...in the least.

Even a casual reading of the Bible shows us that God doesn't let us off the hook so easily. He points out our sins at every turn—not because He's a sadist who enjoys blasting us, but because blunt honesty about sin is the only way to expose our need for His forgiveness and restoration.— Christianity Lite, page 20

<idle musing>
We are definitely a self-centered culture. How can God break in on our obsession with ourselves? It can only be by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Praise God for the "hound of heaven" as Augustine called the Holy Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit! Search us and and cleanse us!
</idle musing>

Where's the change?

If you think you've encountered Jesus Christ but there's no difference in your attitude or lifestyle, you need to reexamine your understanding of saving faith.— Christianity Lite, page 18

<idle musing>
No transformation = no salvation. How can you encounter the living God and not be changed?

Salvation is not just a forensic exchange—if it is that at all! No! It is an encounter with God that results in the living God taking up residence in you—"Christ in you" is how Paul describes it. That has to result in changes. But, always remember, those changes are wrought by the presence of the Holy Spirit in you and never as a result of self-effort. All by grace, always by grace. All freely available to all through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, sealed by the resurrection and confirmed by the Holy Spirit.

Now that's good news!
</idle musing>

I want the original

When advertisers promise their product has fewer calories, they mean they've tampered with the original. They want us to think it tastes the same and looks the same, but it's fundamentally changed. It's not like it used to be. Christianity Lite is fundamentally different from the original. It says God will please our sense, but we don't have to pay the price. It promises life without any hint of death.— Christianity Lite, pages 13-14

<idle musing>
Reminds me of Luke 5:39, "And none of you, after drinking old wine, wants the new, for you say, ‘The old is better.’”
</idle musing>

Watered-down

If you prefer the watered-down version of the faith, Christianity Lite, you can certainly have it, but it inevitably leads to disappointment, heartache, and emptiness because it can't provide the firm foundation of hope, forgiveness, and purpose. It's self-focused, not Christ-focused. It's shallow, not deep. It's weak, not dependent on the Spirit's power. Isaiah said it's like a bed too short to lie down on and blanket too narrow to keep us warm (Isa. 28:20). It just doesn't work!— Christianity Lite, pages 8-9

<idle musing>
Amen! I prefer my Christianity undiluted.
</idle musing>

It's not the same anymore

The Christian life, then, isn't just a different set of moral laws, rigid rules, or habits to follow. It's dying to ourselves and being raised back to life in Him! Now everything is different. Nothing is the same. Things that used to be so important begin to lose their grip on our hearts. We want to know, love, serve, and honor God out of a full heart of thankfulness. Our purpose has changed, our hearts are transformed, and our loyalties are forever altered.— Christianity Lite, page 6

<idle musing>
At least we hope that's the case! If it isn't, I wonder how much of a grip Christ has on your heart...
<idle musing>

The bottom line

Today many Christians are convinced that Jesus Christ came to earth to make them happy and successful. In the church world we seem to gravitate to books and messages that focus on success, fulfillment, and pleasure. When they experience any kind of disappointment, they believe God has let them down. Pain isn't part of the plan! They then assume God is mean because He let them be hurt. But Jesus didn't come to make us feel better about our selfishness and sins. He came to forgive our sins, transform us, and change our hearts so we find sin detestable instead of desirable. To make that happen, something deep inside us has to die.

Here's the truth: Jesus didn't come to hurt you. He came to kill you.— Christianity Lite, page 4

<idle musing>
Yep! And praise God for that! I don't want to live in the old self; it stinks. I'd rather live in the new creation, filled with the Holy Spirit and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. Wouldn't you?

By the way, this is the first of many excerpts from this book; I hope you enjoy them enough to read the whole book. : )
</idle musing>

Substitution

We must not think of our salvation as less than a complete exchange, for there is nothing good in fallen Adam, he is totally and incurably corrupt in all his parts and passions, There is therefore no hope for him; death is the only “cure,” for it is by death only that Adam can be saved from his fallen self and become a new creation. That is is what Christ has done for Adam. He took his place, not only as his Substitute to take away his sins, but as his Representative to crucify his fallen nature, that in his sinless body he might slay and remove the old, and by his resurrection replace it with the new.—William Still, Towards Spiritual Maturity, cited in The Shack Revisited, page 256

<idle musing>
This is the final snippet from The Shack Revisited. I hope you enjoyed my selective excerpts; it was an excellent book which I can easily recommend. : ) </idle musing>

It's real

Our freedom is not an illusion. We are free to be exactly what we are. For the Father, Son, and the Spirit want the real us, not the Sunday church version, to experience their shared life and love.— The Shack Revisited, page 237

<idle musing>
Amen! That's freeing, isn't it? God already knows what we are, so why try to hide it behind that facade? And he loves us—not some whitewashed version of us that we project to the outside world.
</idle musing>

Don't listen!

There are two knowings within us. The one is the knowing of the Spirit, the other is the knowing formed in the crucible of our experience and the whisper of the father of lies. The witness of the Spirit gives us a divine basis within our own darkness, for repentance and new faith, which lead into liberation and life.— The Shack Revisited, pages 235-236

<idle musing>
We need to learn to ignore the lies and only listen to the Holy Spirit. Once we learn that, we can experience true freedom and the abundant life.
</idle musing>

Summer? in Grand Marais

It's been a while since I gave a status update, so let's give it a shot...

It's been a cold spring/summer here so far, averaging about 10°-15°F below normal. That, in turn, affected the number of people vacationing in May/June. That actually was a blessing, because we weren't really ready when we opened in May. It took us about 2 weeks more to get things where they needed to be—just in time for Memorial Day!

It's been fun watching the weather here. The lake and the ridge behind us have a strong effect on it. There has been a lot of fog—or low-lying clouds if you look up the ridge : ) Not infrequently, there will be fog rolling in from the lake, obscuring anything beyond the harbor and then, if you turn around and look up the ridge, the fog will be rolling down the hill. A neat effect that is difficult to describe.

Needless to say, we've been busy. The cabins have kept us hopping and then I've been trying to get a garden going. Dave and Geneva had a garden, but I've expanded it a good bit (no surprise there, eh?). I'm experimenting with different vegetables, especially short-season tomatoes. We'll see how it goes. So far, we've been eating radishes, broccoli raab, Romaine lettuce, mizuna, arugula, and spinach from the garden. I planted some short-season flint corn (for cornmeal); it wasn't knee high by the Fourth of July, but it has really taken off in the last week.

As far as other things go, one of the proofreading jobs that I had was pulled in-house to save money. But, God has given me other jobs—almost too many sometimes! I'm finishing up a job for Baker right now, doing the on-line flashcards for the Cook and Holmstedt Hebrew Grammar. That's been fun and frustrating at the same time. The web site they are using doesn't know what to do with close parentheses when you mix Hebrew and English... I've also proofed a couple of books for Augsburg/Fortress.

God has pulled me—kicking and screaming—into doing some copyediting. I've always sworn I wouldn't do any—after working with some of the best in the industry at Eisenbrauns, I've been intimidated to try. But God made it abundantly obvious that I was supposed to do it. So, I'm copyediting three dissertations right now; they are all defending in August! That's quite a tight schedule, to put it mildly!

My spare time (right!) has been filled with reading copyediting books...which explains the dearth of posts here. Enough for now...

There's hope

We bring into Jesus' relationship with us a most bizarre and alien way of thinking and seeing, which, of course, makes perfect sense to us, and to which we cling with a vengeance. And as we cannot hear our own accents, neither can we see our own blindness. It is impossible for us to push aside the weeds of our fallen minds and believe anything other than what we perceive through our blindness, but Jesus has penetrated our darkness and brought the Spirit of truth with him.

The Holy Spirit is not a spectator watching from the outside, giving abstract and external instructions that she hopes we will apply to our lives. She meets us in our gardens, in our garbage cans, in our shacks, bearing witness to the “unbelievable” world of Jesus and his Father—and our world, too...But we are a hardheaded lot, strong-willed and obstinate. Like first graders who think they are college professors, we know it all and cannot be told a thing, even as we leave a trail of wreckage behind us.— The Shack Revisited, pages 233-234

<idle musing>
Praise God that the Holy Spirit isn't on the outside! But we are a hardheaded group of people. I like his comparison of first graders and college professors; it sums up the situation nicely.
</idle musing>

Eyes to see

Inside our darkness is the one, special, and unique Spirit of the Father and Son, the Holy Spirit. And she [he follows the Hebrew in giving the Spirit a feminine pronoun] is the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of adoption, and the Spirit of grace, and the Spirit of life in Christ, working with and within us that we may become what we are in Jesus. But like a briar patch, our inner world is a tangled mess of guilt and shame and anxiety, of self-centeredness, hiding, and fear, all of which coalesce to give us a profoundly wrong way of seeing.— The Shack Revisited, page 231

Thought for the day

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31, 32 NIV)

Faith

Faith has no power without truth. Without reality, without Jesus, faith is simply a form of magic where we try to weave our spell over someone, wrest the cosmos to our will apart from Jesus.— The Shack Revisited, page 223

What, then, is salvation?

...it involves giving ourselves—our minds, hearts, and wills—to participate in what Jesus is doing. Our agenda, our independence, our confused self-will must die, so that the life and concerns, the burdens and joys, the music and other-centered love of the blessed Trinity can come to undiluted and unique expression in us.— The Shack Revisited, page 222

<idle musing>
Amen and amen! That is good news! And so much better than the "say a prayer, go to heaven someday" kind of salvation that is so common.

Salvation, having cost God so much, should involve the whole life of a person—now and in the future.
</idle musing>

Unwitting cooperation

As a shrewd political move, Caiaphas and the priests sacrificed Jesus to save their place. But it was an unwitting move of dramatic irony, which became the occasion of infinite grace. For in sacrificing Jesus, Caiaphas became the only high priest in Israel's long history to actually do his job: he offered up the one, true Sacrifice—though he never knew it, and did it for the wrong reason.— The Shack Revisited, page 201

<idle musing>
Interesting thought, isn't it? I hadn't realized this until he mentioned it. I wonder how many times we unwittingly assist the Lord in doing his will? Food for thought...
</idle musing>

Now THAT is good news!

It deserves repeating again: the gospel is not the news that we can accept an absent Jesus into our lives. The gospel is the news that the Father's Son has received us into his. In Jesus the alien world of our darkness and pain, of our obstinate pride and anger, was drawn within the life of the blessed Trinity, and the trinitarian life of God set up shop inside our hell forever. Our adoption is not a mere theological doctrine. Adoption is the way things really are, now and forever.— The Shack Revisited, pages 194-195

<idle musing>
Amen! May this truth be real in your life today!
</idle musing>

Ain't it the truth

What kind of reconciliation would it be that declared humanity legally clean, yet left us lost in the darkened cosmos of the fallen mind and its appalling pain?— The Shack Revisited, pages 186-187

<idle musing>
And yet, that is exactly the "gospel" that most believe and is most widely preached : (
</idle musing>

Come let us reason apart...

The one thing that the Lord could count on from his fallen creatures was that we would not be able to cope with his presence and love, and that we would do everything within our power to escape them both, including twisting his Word into religions custom-designed by our fallen minds to keep the Lord at a distance.— The Shack Revisited, page 178

Where do your thoughts go?

Some, and I fear a multitude which no man can easily number, there are amongst us, who call themselves Christians, and yet seldom or never seriously think of Jesus Christ at all. They can think of their shops and their farms, their plays, their balls, their assemblies, and horse-races (entertainments which directly tend to exclude religion out of the world); but as for Christ, the author and finisher of faith, the Lord who has bought poor sinners with his precious blood, and who is the only thing worth thinking of, alas! he is not in all, or at most in very few of their thoughts.—George Whitefield

Made in our image

In our pain, we, like Adam, have condemned ourselves, created a god in the image of our shame and handcrafted religions to go with it, all of which we project onto the Father and defend with a vengeance.— The Shack Revisited, page 172

<idle musing>
I'm proofreading a book on the history of Christianity right now, so I can verify that we defend false doctrine with a vengeance! : (
</idle musing>

And what about the Fall?

The problem of the Fall, of evil and sin, is not simply that there has been disobedience to a divine command. The problem is that Adam is now so lost in his own fallen mind that he is utterly incapable of relationship with the Lord. How could he possibly trust the God of his broken imagination? Trapped in the tragic nightmare of his self-referential confusion, he has become the judge, and in his judgment, he believes that the Lord is the enemy to be feared and avoided. He is ashamed of himself and terrified of God. He hides.

The hiding of Adam—from the presence of the concerned and caring Lord—tells us that the Fall, at the very least, is about a terrible twisting of human perception, about an alien, ungodly confusion that so warped Adam's fundamental way of thinking that he actually hid from the greatest friend in the universe—and believed he was right.— The Shack Revisited, page 170

<idle musing>
And we still hide. We think that we can fix ourselves and then we'll be good enough for God. It doesn't work that way...we'll never be "good enough for God." And the wonderful thing is that we don't have to be; "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!" What a blessed promise that is!
</idle musing>

The effect of the love of Christ

is practical, as Finney notes:

Oh, when this love has taken its effect on our hearts, how deeply do we feel that we can not hate any one for whom Christ died? Then instead of selfishly thrusting our neighbor off, and grasping the good to which his claim is fully as great as ours, we love him with a love so deep and so pure that it can not be in our heart to do him wrong.—Charles Finney

What happened?

For Anselm, the problem of sin lay in the fact that it was committed against the great King, the eternal God himself, and therefore even the smallest sin necessarily carried the weight of an eternal offense. But in the Garden of Eden, it is difficult to find such an offended God, or to see sin being weighed over against God's eternal worth. We see the Lord, who by our way of thinking, should have been highly offended, and who had every right to curse Adam, and destroy him utterly—but he didn't. We see the Lord putting aside all his rights to abstract justice and punishment, and we see him more concerned about his lost and terrified creatures than he is about his honor.— The Shack Revisited, pages 169-170

<idle musing>
That statement is bound to get some people riled up! But, look at the text. As I've said for years now, God doesn't curse humanity in Genesis 3; he provides for a future and a hope of restoration in the forthcoming Messiah. It takes a while to get there, but Jesus' coming is there from the beginning...
</idle musing>

Blinded

This is the problem with evil and sin. The impossible has happened: the truth about the love of the Lord is eclipsed, so eclipsed it has now become inconceivable. A profound blindness has taken over Adam's mind. He cannot see the Father's face. There is now a terrible incongruence between the being and character of God as Father, Son, and Spirit and the divine being that Adam perceivesand believes God to be. And for Adam, and indeed for all of us, the God of our imaginations is the only way God can be. Any other God is inconceivable.

From this moment, our shame will disfigure the Father's heart. The projections of our fear will rewrite the rules of his care. He will continue to bless us beyond our wildest dreams, but in our mythology we will never see it.— The Shack Revisited, page 166

Thought for today

What is it? Does it really lead them to purify themselves as Christ is pure? Nothing like it. It is not a hope that they shall see Christ as He is, and be forever with Him, and altogether like Him too, but it is mainly a hope that they shall escape hell, and go as an alternative to some unknown heaven.

Such professed Christians can not but know that their experience lacks the witness of their own consciences that they are living for God and bearing His image. If such are ever saved, they must first be convinced of the folly of a hope that leaves them unsanctified.—Charles Finney

The lie

He [Satan] confuses us so that we willingly, though perhaps unwittingly, give ourselves to operate in his diabolical matrix of unbelief, confusion, and meaningless darkness. And so he finds a place for his dastardly and perverse ways in the good creation of the triune God.

His chief deception is to invite us to doubt the Lord's goodness, creating insecurity and anxiety in us, which in turn drives us into independent action. All this is then shrewdly woven into the lie that we are separated from the triune God.— The Shack Revisited, page 164

<idle musing>
And it is terribly effective, isn't it?

Repeat after me, "God is love!" But do we really believe that?
</idle musing>

Idle musings on miscellaneous things

I was musing the other day about some of the thoughts that run through my head as I do the maintenance and housekeeping around here. It's interesting what happens when you cross my ANE/biblical studies training and background with "real" life; here's a sampling...

<idle musings>
This winter, while I was digging through a 3-4 foot tall, 6-10 foot wide snowbank, I kept reciting the Hezekiah Tunnel Inscription. It didn't make the shoveling any easier, but it made it seem smaller :)

Last week, as I was sweeping gravel off the driveway running between the cabins, I couldn't help but think I was fighting against Yammu, pushing him back into the sea. The words of Isaiah about setting a boundary for the sea kept coming to mind. At least we know that YHWH's decree stands. Mine, commanding the rocks to stay off the drive certainly won't!

Two nights ago, as I was forking a new bed for the garden, I hit an especially dense section of sod. As I pushed back on the fork, breaking the sod's roots, the whole section lifted up, well beyond the fork's tines! Reminded me of Amos 8:8, "The whole land will rise like the Nile" (and somewhere in Isaiah, too).

I guess I just think in mythopoetic ways...or maybe I have a misdirected sense of what's important? : )

Just some
</idle musings>

Thought for the day

How remarkable that persons will claim to be Christians when they have rejected every distinctive doctrine of Christianity. Indeed, such persons do sometimes claim that by thus rejecting almost the whole of the Bible, and all its great scheme of salvation by an atonement, they have become real Christians. Now they have got the true light. Indeed!

Sinners are very apt to suppose that they do believe the Gospel. They confound faith with a merely intellectual assent, and so blind themselves as to suppose that they believe God in the sense of Gospel faith.—Charles Finney

<idle musing>
And it's not just sinners who "confound faith with a merely intellectual assent"! Would that it were, because then coming to know Jesus would cure us all!
</idle musing>

Center of focus

Without seeing Jesus as the center of all things, we are doomed to live without hope in an essentially joyless and meaningless cosmos. But seeing Jesus, and ourselves and all creation gathered in him, and included in his relationship with his Father and his anointing in the Holy Spirit, is seeing “the light of life.”— The Shack Revisited, page 159

<idle musing>
And who wants to live without hope?! Especially when the alternative is life with God!
</idle musing>

Thought for a Tuesday in June

So long as we think of God only as One to be feared, not to be loved, there will be a prejudice against Him as more an enemy than a friend.—Charles Finney

<idle musing>
With a God like that, you might want to be saved (just to avoid hell), but you certainly won't want communion and fellowship, will you? And, you won't believe that his plans for your life are happy ones...God's will for you will become something burdensome and wearying—just the opposite of what scripture says!
</idle musing>

A sad turn of events

When legal holiness became the foundation for our idea of God, the biblical story was reframed in terms of law, guilt, and punishment. God is holy (legally speaking). We have failed; there must be restitution. The story of Jesus' coming and death then followed this larger story, and his death was understood as God's punishment for our sins.— The Shack Revisited, page 130

<idle musing>
And that was a very sad change! It affects our theology to this day here in the west...
</idle musing>

Law or grace?

If relationship is not the deepest truth of God's being, then the holiness of God is not a relational idea at all. And if holiness is not a description of the utter uniqueness of the trinitarian life, what is it? The door is now wide open for our idea of holiness to be filled with all manner of notions. And that is what has happened in our Western conversation. The holiness of God was detached from the relationship of the Father, Son, and Spirit, and reconceived within the world of Roman law, becoming a legal idea. Instead of holiness being a name for the incomparable love of the Father, Son, and Spirit, it became a matter of law, morality, and ethical perfection...— The Shack Revisited, page 129

No magic pills...

You cannot buy your health; you must earn it through healthy living. Visiting physicians, acupuncturists, chiropractors, homeopaths, naturopaths, osteopaths, and other health providers cannot make you healthy. You can receive symptomatic relief for your condition, but treatments do not make you healthy.—Eat to Live, page 171

Oh blessed thought

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. (Isaiah 43:25 NIV)

What a relief!

The doctrine of the Trinity means that God is a relational being—always has been, and always will be. Relationship, fellowship, self-giving, and other-centeredness are not afterthoughts with God, but the deepest realities of the divine Being. For the Father, Son, and Spirit it is always about love, relationship, and sharing life, not about what they can get from us. We were created that we could be, that we could live and share in the life and joy of the triune God. Jesus' Father is not holding his breath to see if we will jump through the right hoops before he decides our fate. There is no list. We are not here to “glorify God” by our religious performance. We are here to live “in the glory” of the blessed Trinity.— The Shack Revisited, pages 120-121

The evidence is there

Today the link between animal products and many different diseases is as strongly supported in the scientific literature as the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. For example, subjects who ate meat, including poultry and fish, were found to be twice as likely to develop dementia (loss of intellectual function with aging) as their vegetarian counterparts in a carefully designed study.—Eat to Live, page 101

<idle musing>
But it took about 40 years for people to accept that you shouldn't smoke in public—and cigarette smokers were in the minority! How long will it be before people are willing to accept a whole-foods, plant-based diet? I suspect never! Unless the unsustainableness of the thing forces the issue...
</idle musing>

The great exchange

The Father, Son, and Spirit love us for our benefit, not for increasing their membership rolls, or for making themselves look good, or for anything they can get from us. There is no need in the blessed Trinity. It is an overflowing fountain of other-centered love. The shared life of the Father, Son, and Spirit is about giving, not taking; sharing, not hoarding; blessing others with life for their sake, not manipulating for divine control. The Father, Son, and Spirit are focused upon giving themselves for our benefit, so that we, too, can experience real life. They need nothing in return.— The Shack Revisited, page 120

<idle musing>
I like that! The terms of the exchange are great: They love us! And they give us love so we can return that love to them and to each other! What a God we have!
</idle musing>

And where do you eat?

In 1978, 18 percent of calories were eaten away from home; the figure is now 36 percent. In 1970, Americans ate 6 billion fast-food meals. By 2000, the figure was 110 billion.—Eat to Live, page xviii

<idle musing>
I wonder what the figure is now? It's definitely higher; the economic slump didn't keep people from eating out, it just caused them to transfer it to cheaper places...
</idle musing>

Why?

Are we loved for what we can potentially bring to God's table, or are we loved for our own sake? Does the love of he Father, Son, and Spirit come with strings attached? Is our existence about relationship, or is it about performance? Is the universe the product of divine self-interest, or need, or perhaps boredom? Are we here to do something for God, for God's benefit?— The Shack Revisited, page 118

<idle musing>
In some people's theology, that's the way we are viewed. It certainly isn't biblical, though...
</idle musing>

Things that make you go hmmm...

How many baked potatoes do you think you can eat to get the same amount of fat as in 1 teaspoon of olive oil? If you said 70, you are right. Which do you think will make you feel more satisfied, one teaspoon of oil or 70 baked potatoes?— Fasting and Eating for Health, page 189

<idle musing>
Indeed! What's for breakfast? 140 baked potatoes! Or a three egg omelet fried in 2 tablespoons of oil (which is about how much they use in a restaurant—believe me, I was a grill-fry cook!). I'll take the potatoes, myself—but that should feed me for about 4 months of breakfasts...no wonder over half of Americans are overweight.
</idle musing>

What are you doing today?

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:8-11 NIV)

<idle musing>

As I read this today I realized how little I really love God. It should be my heart's desire to do this very thing. But is it?

Lord, kindle this desire within me!

</idle musing>

What is a person?

I suspect that part of the difficulty surrounding the Spirit is the way we in the West think of a person. According to Boethius's famous (or infamous) definition, a person is “an individual substance of a rational nature.” But what if instead of trying to fit the Holy Spirit into this definition of a person and finding her [he follows the Hebrew in referring to the Spirit as feminine] wanting, we reversed the order and let the Spirit expand our ideas of personhood? The Spirit is profoundly other-centered, humble, patient, and good. She loves communication, fellowship, and togetherness. Perhaps we need to modify our notion of personhood to include being a facilitator of fellowship. Perhaps a real person is not simply an individual substance of a rational nature, but one who loves bringing others together to share life, an individual who is other-centered, relational, and full of passion for communion.— The Shack Revisited, page 104

Revelation (not the book!)

Revelation is not a thing or a doctrine, mere information that can be transmitted from mind to mind. Revelation involves the unveiling or uncovering of God's Self in personal disclosure. What one encounters in revelation is not simply facts about God, or even accurate information, but God in person. Revelation involves an encounter with the person beyond the words, and gives rise to communion.— The Shack Revisited, page 79

<idle musing>
I read a few years ago about a theologian who said we tend to think of people as "brains on a stick" and that was the source of our errors...Communion—fellowship, oneness, theosis—that's what God is all about! Give me more, Lord!
</idle musing>

People of the lie

The message that people hear is that it is okay to continue with their present diet, as long as they supplement with vitamin pills or other nutritional supplements. This is a powerful lie, but it is attractive because it is what people in general want to believe. However, you cannot achieve optimal wellness as long as present-day dietary habits continue— Fasting and Eating for Health, page 49

I believe in God the Father...

We're starting a new book today, The Shack Revisited. A few months ago, Debbie was in a big box retail store (not Walmart! We don't shop there...) and saw a book display. She picked up a few books, this one among them. When she brought them home, I started reading this one. I thought readers of this blog might enjoy some snippets...(by the way, if you don't like T.A. Torrence's Trinitarian theology, you won't like these excerpts; the author of the book did his Ph.D. under James and Thomas Torrence).

Jesus lives by relating to God as his Father, by seeking him and knowing him as Father and loving him with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. His life is not really his at all; it is sonship. He never lives on his own, doing his own thing, following his own agenda. He has no self-interest.— The Shack Revisited, page76

<idle musing>
Mutual indwelling, the heart of the Trinity! And the heart of the Gospel, too—theosis anyone? : )
</idle musing>

Too much of a good thing

Sufficient amounts of protein are obtained when caloric requirements are met from wholesome natural vegetable foods. Plant products contain an abundance of protein, without being excessive. How else could the gorilla get to be 800 pounds of muscle, eating solely fruit and leaves? The main point is that we should be concerned about too much rather than too little protein. It is ironic that the chief argument used to promote the use of animal products—the idea that they are rich in protein—is a great reason to avoid them.— Fasting and Eating for Health, page 40

Antibiotic use

More than 90 percent of all antibiotics produced are slated for animal administration.— The Pleasure Trap, page 128 (in CAFOs, etc.)

<idle musing>
I read in a more recent book (2012 publication), that the number is above 80 percent, not 90. But, what is more scarey was that the development of "superbugs" is almost totally because of the use on animals...we're killing ourselves by what we choose to eat and how we raise that food...
</idle musing>

Finally...

The strong opposition of the biblical writers to necromancy can be explained by necromancy’s being viewed as a violation of YHWH’s sovereignty and denial of his being the only source of divination. Furthermore, the blurring of boundaries between the living and the dead must be taken into account, because interaction with the spirits of the dead is dangerous.—Family and Household Religion in Ancient Israel and the Levant, page 494

<idle musing>
That's the final snippet that I'll be posting from this book. It's a monster of a book and I enjoyed it immensely, especially the sections on the names. That section could have been a book in itself.

Next up will be something a bit more theological—stay tuned!
</idle musing>

Whole? Not likely

Incredibly, less than 2 percent of the wheat products consumed in the U.S. Are “whole wheat.” This means that the majority of plant-based food products we wat have had some or all of their fiber artificially extracted.— The Pleasure Trap, page 78

They ain't gods, folks

One of the most important contexts for ritual activity other than the regular domestic cult was burial and post-mortem care for the dead. The significance of cultic activities for the deceased in Israelite religion has been a controversial subject of recent discussion (Spronk 1986: 247–50; Lewis 1989: 171–81; van der Toorn 1996b: 206–35; Niehr 2003; Schmitt 2007 et al.). We prefer the term care for the dead instead of terms such as cults of the dead and ancestor cults, because the latter terms imply veneration of ancestors similar to that of gods, and this is not attested in our sources. Care for the dead underlines the ongoing social relations between the living and the deceased members of a family, clan, or other community. Honoring and remembering ancestors were an important aspect of building and maintaining family identity in ancient Israel.—Family and Household Religion in Ancient Israel and the Levant, page 493 (italics theirs)