John Newton on the Painful Process of Becoming Like Jesus

Just started reading John Newton’s letters again, and was struck by his spiritual insight.  In particular, Newton wrote three letters, describing the “manner of the Lord’s work in the hearts of his people”–basically describing the process of sanctification.  The second letter jumped out at me, primarily because Newton describes parts of my life so well!  Every Christian can relate at some level to the constant struggle with sin.  It seems that, sometimes, God gives us over to some sin, and Newton explains why.  I found his account quite compelling.

Luckily, Trinity Church (Myrtle Beach, SC), has put these three letters on-line!

John Newton on Christian Growth (Part 1) – Grace in the Blade

John Newton on Christian Growth (Part 2) – Grace in the Ear

John Newton on Christian Growth (Part 3) – The Full Corn in the Ear

Dictionary of Christian Spirituality – Review

Dictionary of Christian Spirituality by Glen G. Scorgie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mentioning “spirituality” makes the typical conservative Christian think of meditation, saying the Jesus Prayer, and similar practices which sound suspiciously New-Age. But, this new Dictionary of Christian Spirituality should dispel such notions. The authors are firmly grounded in Biblical theology, and find their moorings in the Evangelical tradition. At the same time, they welcome the truths that other traditions have emphasized.

The book is divided into two parts: (1) a series of integrative essays on the discipline and history of spiritual theology, and (2) the Dictionary proper, which includes a vast array of entries on all aspects of Christian spirituality.

Overall, this is a welcome addition to any scholar’s or pastor’s library. Interested Christians will also find a wealth of thoughtful, and practical, material. The volume is huge (a mere 852 pages!), but it is bound well, and is designed with a view to aesthetic layout.

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.)

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Bed & Board – Review

Bed and Board: Plain Talk About Marriage by Robert Farrar Capon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While parts of this book seem a bit dated (Fr. Capon tried a little too hard to be hip and relevant to the hippie generation), there are parts that are pure gold. Capon has the Solomonic perspective of Ecclesiastes, as he celebrates the absurdity of love, marriage, sex, and raising children. The whole thing is quite preposterous, really. He also revels in the deep mysteries of the Christian tradition, and shows how ancient dogmas like the Trinity really explain everything, especially that crazy little thing called love.

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Washed and Waiting – Book Review

Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality by Wesley Hill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is is possible to be “gay” and a Christian? “Yes!”, answer the many Christians who openly practice their homosexuality and condemn conservative Christians as intolerant homo-phobiacs. Is it possible to be a Christian and wrestle with homosexual attractions, with no end in sight, no prospect of “healing”? Wesley Hill’s painfully honest book, Washed and Waiting, shows that this is indeed a reality for many gay Christians.

Let me admit that I took some time to open up to Hill’s perspective. I come from the Jay Adams, “Nouthetic Counseling” approach, informed by testimonies from the ex-gay movement exemplified by Exodus International and writers like Joe Dallas and Anne Paulk. My research so far has encouraged me in the belief that the people I know and love who are struggling with homosexuality can find healing and release from what I believe is emotional and sexual bondage. Then I read Hill’s moving book. Hill confesses his long struggle with homosexual attractions, and shares some of his victories (and his defeats). But he says repeatedly that he is still “waiting.” For him, the temptations are still present and the daily battle is intense. I think what finally won me over was Hill’s brutal honesty, as well as his unrelenting search for answers.

Although this is Hill’s first book, he is not a lightweight. There is plenty of theological substance here to wrestle through (he is pursuing a Ph.D. in New Testament at Durham University). I really appreciated how he did not simply pull out a few proof-texts against homosexuality. Rather, he showed how sexual desire, longing, and brokenness are part of the New Testament narrative of fall and redemption. He writes:

“In the end, what keeps me on the path I’ve chosen is not so much individual proof texts from Scripture or the sheer weight of the church’s traditional teaching against homosexual practice. Instead, it is, I think, those texts and traditions as I see them from within the true story of what God has done in Jesus Christ–and the whole perspective on life and the world that flows from that story, as expressed definitively in Scripture … I abstain from homosexual behavior because of the power of that scriptural story” (pg. 61).

Hill powerfully argues for celibacy as the only option for gay Christians who are waiting for healing. In our sex-saturated culture, this is one of the most helpful parts on the book. We sometimes forget that Jesus Christ lived and ministered as a single, celibate man.

I’m very thankful for Wesley’s willingness to share his struggles with the world. Anyone who wants to understand how to better minster to those struggling with sexual brokenness needs to read this book!

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.)

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Transforming Cities, Transforming Churches

To Transform a City by Eric Swanson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I mentioned that I have some quibbles with this book.  My disagreements are minor, and I appreciate the humble spirit with which the authors present their models.  They make clear they are simply trying to start a discussion, not provide definitive answers.  The main problem I have is with their models on pgs. 16 and 17. 

They present the “traditional church model,” where the church is at the center of everything, and tries to draw in converts from the arts, the media, business, family, government, etc.  In opposition to this, they suggest a model where “Christians in the City” are at the center, and move into the spheres or the media, arts, government, education, etc. 

It’s hard to visualize this, but I would suggest tweeking this model.  I have in mind something where these two models are superimposed on each other.  Theologically and biblically, I think we must insist on the centrality of the Church.  The Church is what Christ died for.  We are His Body.  We are the New Humanity.  Since humanity was made to worship God, worship needs to be at the center.  However, I completely agree with Swanson and Williams that churches cannot just focus on building up their own programs and their own membership rolls.  Worship should transform us, and we should go out each Monday into whatever sphere God places us and seek to transform it as well.  We can’t do this as individual churches.  We need to work together.  Different churches have different strengths.  My particular church and denomination is really into education and scholarship.  We’re pretty weak in evangelism and outreach. 

So, my praise for this book really outweighs my criticism.  But, just as John Piper reminded us about the centrality of worship when we think about missions (missions exist because worship doesn’t!) so I think we need to meditate on the centrality of worship when we seek to love our cities and be agents of kingdom-transformation.

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.)

To Transform a City – Review

To Transform a City by Eric Swanson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fanstastic book! Eric Swanson and Sam Williams bring a wealth of practical experience to the issue of city transformation. They argue that seeking the good of our cities is simply an extension of praying what Jesus taught us to pray. Do we really want God’s will to be “done on earth as it is in heaven?” Or is this simply some pious phrase we repeat, without thinking through the implications of what it means to seek the kingdom of God. Swanson and Williams takes key passages from Scripture which depict the “kingdom of God,” and show how this translates into the key values everyone would like to see embodied in our cities. They argue that churches need to work together, rather than being focused on their own growth and development. Their stress on the Body of Christ (local churches in a city) actually acting like a body was refreshing. I have some questions about some of their models, but that will have to wait until another posting.

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(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.)

Review – The Power of a Whisper

The Power of a Whisper by Bill Hybels

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I must admit that I started to read this book with a fair amount of prejudice. I had always heard Bill Hybels and Willow Creek referred to in a condescending manner. I was pleasantly surprised. While I’m sure I still disagree with Hybels on a number of things, I found little to actually criticize in this book. I appreciated how Hybels shared the mountains and valleys of his spiritual life, his failures as well as his impressive successes.

The book convinced me that I need to more open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I think Hybels went overboard in classifying all sorts of times when God spoke to people in the Bible as “whispers.” I think there are other ways for God to communicate with mankind than through “whispers.” But that is not much of a criticism.

Hybels is actually quite helpful when setting down guidelines to help us determine if we’re actually hearing from God or not. His guidelines stick close to Scripture and common sense.

I found the chapter full of stories from Willow Creek where people felt God “speaking” to them quite inspiring. God is real, God communicates, and God changes lives. We fill our lives with background noise and busy-work. This book helped me think about how to cut down on the ambient buzz and create a space where I can be attentive to the Spirit.

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Homosexuality in the Church

Turning Controversy into Church Ministry by William Campbell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Considering the fact homosexuality is evident in all aspects of American life, we shouldn’t be surprised at the number of Christians who deal with it as well. What is surprising is the lack of assistance available to such Christians, in spite of the growth experienced by the few ministries that do offer help.” (Joe Dallas, Desires in Conflict: Hope for Men Who Struggle with Sexual Identity, 24).

W.P. Campbell’s new book, Turning Controversy in Church Ministry, will help fill the gap Joe Dallas describes. Campbell is a pastor in the PCUSA (Presbyterian Church, USA), which has become more and more liberal in its acceptance of gays. (This is the denomination I spent my teen years in, and I remember hearing about the first heated debates about this in the 90s.) Campbell has been an active participant in these growing pains, and I respect his attempt to really understand what pro-gay theologians and activists have said.

Since he has obviously put in time researching this issue, and since he actually ministers to homosexuals, it lends enormous credibility to his position. He disagrees with the conclusions of pro-gay theology, and he believes that homosexuality behavior is a sin. But, that does not stop him from exhorting all churches to welcome, and minister to, the sexually broken.

I found his treatment of “sexual brokenness” to be especially helpful. We are all sexually broken, or messed up. Some of us are broken heterosexually, and some of us are broken homosexually. Christ came to heal our brokenness, not condemn us as hopeless perverts. Campbell makes the interesting point that the gay community is often called “the family.” It’s no coincidence that many people turn to homosexuality because they find a love there they never had in their own families. Sadly, they probably never felt this love in their churches, either. We need to focus on really, truly, loving others in our churches. We need to be honest about our own sexual struggles. Hopefully, that will create a culture of transparency, where those struggling with same-sex attraction will feel safe to open up and talk about their struggles.

Campbell has lots of wisdom and practical advice to offer in this book. I highly recommend it for all pastors, leaders in churches, teachers in Christian schools, and anyone who knows someone who is gay. Given the way our culture is deteriorating, you may be surprised at how many gay people you know, or how many people might be secretly struggling with same-sex attraction in your church, school, or family.

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Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission – Review

The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission: Promoting the Gospel with More Than Our Lips by John Dickson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fantastic book! I loved Dickon’s combination of scholarly acumen and practical wisdom. The “best kept secret of Christian mission,” it turns out, is that all Christians are called to missions, in some way or other.

This is not the same as saying that all Christians must share the gospel with at least one person per day. Dickson came out of that mentality, and shows the flaws in such thinking. Dickson also spent many years as an evangelist, and he argues that some people have the gifts and calling of an evangelist. But, he also acknowledges that most people don’t have this calling. How, then, can all Christians participate in mission?

Dickson, with a careful balance of substantive exegesis and pastoral directions, works through various ways the Bible presents the missional calling of all Christians. First, we pray, both for people we know who need Christ, and also for the evangelists in our churches. Secondly, we support missions with our money. Thirdly, we support missions with our lifestyle. The way we live, and the good works that we do, will draw others to Christ.

Dickson then spends quite a few pages defining the Gospel Biblically. It turns out that the Gospel is quite a bit more powerful than the gospel-bytes and sinners’ prayer that most of us were taught in evangelism classes. (I love how Dickson invites his readers, at the end the book, to pray the LORD’S PRAYER, rather than some sappy “sinner’s prayer”!

Dickson then lays out the exegetical groundwork for believing that a distinct office of “evangelist” exists in Scripture. The chapter I most enjoyed, however, was chapter 10, where he shows that our public worship is evangelistic. For a liturgy-geek like me, it was the icing on the cake. We evangelize simply by worshipping God! Of course, this implies that we actually bring our non-Christian friends to church, something I am personally not very good at doing …

Perhaps that’s why chapter 11 is so important. Dickson shows how we can magnify Christ in our daily conversation. There are countless opportunities we have throughout our lives to drop little phrases that glorify God, and might spark further conversations.

The last chapter is a fictional story, drawing together many pieces of Dickson’s experieces with evangelism. God uses all sorts of ways to bring people to Himself. Dickson does a splendid job of showing our every area of our lives has the potential to be missional!

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Witnessing Without Tattoos

As a teacher at a Christian school, the issues of body modification (tattoos and various piercings) come up occasionally.  This past year, I was honored to be the advisor for a senior who wrote her senior thesis defending the practice of Christians getting tattoos.  I appreciated her obedience to her parents.  They had told her she had to wait until college before getting a tattoo, and she was honoring their wishes.  Too often, tattoos and piercings are simply a way for a teen to rebel against their parents, their church, or whatever.  But, I don’t think rebellion has been a motive for any of the students I’ve talked to.

One of the main arguments I’ve heard from more than one student is the “testimony argument.”  What if they get a tattoo of a cross, or a Bible reference?  That would open doors to sharing the Gospel, right?  (One of the most ingenious arguments for guys getting ear-piercings came from a student who argued that it could be seen as a sign of slavery to Christ, since ear-piercing was a sign of permanent slavery in the Old Testament.  If that student ever leads anyone to Christ because of his earrings, I’ll buy him a pair of earrings!

I love the earnest desire of these students to find a Biblical reason for their actions.  But … I also want to say that witnessing can’t depend on a tattoo, an earring, or a cool Christian T-shirt.  I think that if someone isn’t witnessing without a tattoo, then they probably won’t be witnessing with a tattoo.  Christ said they would know us by our love (Jn. 13:35), not by the ink on our skins or the holes in our ears. 

This also applies to wearing crosses, something which I’ve been known to do.  But, I need to remind myself that my actions speak much louder than any decoration or outfit I wear.  Anyone can wear a cross–it’s a lot harder to actually carry one (Lk. 9:23).