tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571261360754250002024-03-04T12:21:32.689-08:00Carmel ConversationsIn Relentless Pursuit of Truth and Truth's GodNoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-73861766136538401032024-01-05T09:10:00.000-08:002024-01-05T09:10:23.486-08:00Poof! My 2023 Reading List<p> Happy New Year! Below find my year in books for 2023. </p><p style="text-align: left;">But bear with me for a moment...</p><p style="text-align: left;">You will find on my list books by both Kevin Deyoung and Douglas Wilson. I have great respect for both men for different reasons. I read both men quite a bit. Both men have had significant impact on the way I see the world (Wilson on all things family related; Deyoung on pretty much everything else). On the other hand, both men have personal associations that give me great pause. That makes for a level playing field. So when Deyoung posted his Moscow Mood, he did an outstanding job addressing some of my own concerns. BUT, as Proverbs reminds us, one man seems right until another questions him, and, sure enough, Wilson stated his own case convincingly. Deyoung is right; Wilson should watch his language. Wilson is right; no one will come to the table. While Deyoung and Company have a world-class cancel culture going on regarding anyone in Moscow, it was Wilson who earned the respect, the friendship, and at the end of his life, the confidence of atheist Christopher Hitchens. From where I sit, it looks like Deyoung's camp is good at <i>looking</i> good but Wilson is good at <i>doing</i> good. (See, Kevin, I can do mic drops, too.)</p><p style="text-align: left;">As a believer in Proverbs 18:17 AND as a long-time debate mom, I know how this (should) work. Deyoung stated his case. We'll call it the Affirmative Constructive. Then Wilson gave the Negative Constructive. What is supposed to happen next is that Deyoung gets to rebut. Let's call that the Affirmative Refutation. Wilson, likewise, gets a Negative Refutation. Ideally, each would also get an opportunity to ask clarifying questions of each other in a time of Cross-Examination. Then we, the Church, at this point now as fully informed of each position as we can be, get to decide which way each argument flows. (But Deyoung doesn't just get to shrug his shoulders whimsically in a golly-gee-I-didn't-mean-to-stir-anything-up posture. I can't decide if he is coming off as weak or aloof.) Mic drops don't help the Church grow in Unity or Truth; they just sharpen the splinter. I look forward to both men seeing this through. The Church today needs both men. Meanwhile, I will continue to read books by both Deyoung and Wilson. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And now, my reads. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>How to Thrive as a Pastor's Wife</i> by Christine Hoover. Sigh. The pastor's wife is not the head of women's ministry. The pastor's wife is not a co-pastor. The pastor's wife is...hang onto your hats...the wife of the pastor. She is her husband's secret service agent who sees the threats while he sees the opportunities. She wears the sunglasses and the wire and watches the calendar, the clock, and the congregation with obnoxious precision. She steps in: Sir, we need to get you into the car now. Where is THAT book on pastors' wives? It's called <i>Don't Let the Door Hit Ya Where the Good Lord Split Ya: A Pastor's Wife's Perspective.</i> That's the book I want to read. Don't make me write it. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Two Towers</i> by JRR Tolkien. Because Tolkien.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>Things of Earth</i> by Joe Rigney. Sweet reminder of the blessings of the mundane. Common grace. And pumpkin crunch cake. Really great book.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>Death by Living</i> by ND Wilson. Good, but not as good as Tilt-a-Whirl. :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>After the War</i> by Carol Matas. The Jews' problems did not end just because the Holocaust did. So sad.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Authentic Ministry</i> by Michael Reeves</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Building Her House</i> by Nancy Wilson</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Beekeeper's Apprentice</i> by Laurie King</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Return of the King</i> by JRR Tolkien. Can I just say that the denouement is the most important part of this whole story? I have read this many times, but this was the first time I cried. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich</i> by Aleksandr Sohlzenitzyn Who would have thought that a book about the Gulag would give a reader so much encouragement to bloom where you are planted? And it really resonated with one of my kids this year who was experiencing his own squeeze. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Ordinary</i> by Michael Horton In a world where it is fashionable to be concerned about the nameless, faceless 'poor and marginalized', instead of people with an actual name and fingerprint, this is a good reminder that being ordinary leads to real human flourishing. The world doesn't need your quest for clean water; the world needs you to stay in your marriage.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Abusing Memory</i> by Jane Gumprecht, MD. Brett picked this up at a conference. I read it once and scanned it again to maker sure I was reading it correctly. The science of the brain confirms that the brain is not able to bury traumatic memories. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Peace Like a River</i> by Leif Enger. Some books, every sentence is a joy to read. This is one of those books. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Red Scarf Girl</i> by Ji-li Jiang. Want to start a revolution? Start by turning the children against the parents. Jiang's autobiography during the Cultural Revolution is chilling. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Ginger Pye</i> by Eleanor Estes. Fun read-aloud with the 10 yr old.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Adam and His Kin</i> by Ruth Beechick. Meh, kind of weird. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl</i> by ND Wilson. The only book I read every year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Tempest</i> by William Shakespeare.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Wednesday Wars</i> by Gary Schmidt.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Just David</i> by Eleanor Porter. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Beside Still Waters</i> by Charles Spurgeon. There is nothing like affliction in ourselves or others to reveal the wrong, weak, or weird theology in ourselves or others. No wonder Job was grumpy. Spurgeon was a cup of cool water to my soul. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Don't Be True to Yourself</i> by Kevin Deyoung. Nailed it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>A Visual History of the Modern World.</i> This book weighs about twenty pounds. But very good!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Princess and the Goblin </i>by George MacDonald. Read-aloud</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Innocence of Father Brown</i> by GK Chesterton. I love Father Brown. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>In the House of Tom Bombadil</i> by CR Wiley. Wonderful little read on Tolkien's most mysterious character.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Fight by Flight</i> by Joel Webbon. No. Just all kinds of no. If you are leaving a place because the economy is bad, you don't like the politics, or it poses a threat to your family, just say so. But don't spin it like you're loving a place by leaving it. Bad eschatology. Bad exegesis. Just bad, bad, bad. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>At Home in Mitford </i>by Jan Karon. If you want a curl up by the fire and read book, this is it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Aeneid </i>by Virgil. I don't care if you sing of arms an-zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>My Life for Yours </i>by Douglas Wilson. Wilson shines on all things household related. But I would like to know if there is anything he doesn't file under First Order orthopraxy. What about Romans 14? Does everyone have to do it like he does? That aside, I really liked this book.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Phantastes</i> by George MacDonald. Reminds me of Spencer's Fairie Queen. I liked it, but Spencer was better. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Genesis in Time and Space</i> by Francis Schaeffer. It was good to get back to Schaeffer. Really good.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Universe Next Door</i> by James Sire. A good book on the history of worldviews. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Thinking God's Thoughts: Johannes Kepler and the Miracle of Cosmic Comprehensibility</i> by Melissa Travis. This was the most beautiful, doxological book I read this year. It was a 'listen to this!' book. It was a 'my eyes were wide and my jaw was in my lap' book. I can't do it justice here, but it is based on Kepler's belief that God left hints of Himself in the cosmos for us to find, and Kepler's search to do just that. Just beautiful.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Blue Train </i>by Agatha Christie.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness </i>by Andrew Peterson. Dare I say it? I find that Wingfeather Saga to be at least as powerful story as...Narnia. I'll just leave that there. And I read it every few years.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Men and Women in the Church </i>by Kevin Deyoung. Excellent treatment of his topic, as usual.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Daughter of Time</i> by Josephine Tey. Just what happened to those young boys in the Tower of London?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Disciple-Making Parent</i> by Chap Bettis. Brett and I both lost old friends to deconstruction this year. Not that we didn't see it coming in either case, but it's a tough pill to swallow nonetheless. One of the major signs? They failed to recategorize their children when the facts clearly warranted it. Instead of saying, "This child who I thought was in Christ is actually very much still in Adam", they recategorized the child's sin. "If it makes my child happy, how could it possibly be sin?" Whoops. I met Chap at a conference over the summer and we compared notes on what we are seeing in the Christian family these days, namely the prevalence of The Prodigal. Bettis' thesis is that the Great Commission is our parenting instruction. Brett and I have long thought the very same thing. Heartily recommend!!! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Praise Her in the Gates</i> by Nancy Wilson.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Eve in Exile</i> by Rebekah Merkel. While Jen Wilkin is concerned about 'power structures in the church' (insert disdainful eyeroll here; I'm so over Wilkin), Merkel actually wrote the best book on womanhood I have ever read.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Blood Brothers</i> by Elias Chacour. I picked this up again after the October 7th Hamas attack. Chacour was a Palestinian kid in 1948 who is now a pastor. He saw how Israel did it wrong. And he loves Jesus. So his perspective is worth the read. But it also too easily veers into liberation theology. So read it for another side. But bring the salt. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Worldliness </i>by CJ Mahaney, et al. I assigned this to my high schoolers this year, and then we read <i>Strangely Bright</i> by Joe Rigney for a complete breakfast. Good to read the two back-to-back.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Jane Eyre</i> by Charlotte Bronte. A favorite of mine since I was a kid. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Northanger Abbey</i> by Jane Austen. Such a fun read, especially back to back with Bronte!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Lost Grizzlies</i> by Rick Bass. A man's story about his passion to restore the grizzly population in the Colorado Rockies. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>North! Or Be Eaten</i> by Andrew Peterson. The journey continues...</div>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-19677562631240722952023-07-10T18:56:00.000-07:002023-07-10T18:56:36.177-07:00Letting Go--A Simple Protocol for Mothers and Mothers-in-Law<div style="text-align: left;"><i>She'll take the painting in the hallway, the one she did in junior high.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>And that old lamp up in the attic--she'll need some light to study by.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>She's had 18 years to get ready for this day.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>She should be past the tears; she cries some anyway.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Oh, oh, letting go. There's nothing in her way now.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Letting go, there's room enough to fly.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Even though she's spent her whole life waiting, it's never easy,</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Letting go.*</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our son got married last week, bringing the total of married children to five (thus far). I've been thinking a great deal this past year about 'letting go' and what that should look like. High school graduation, in our house, is our first glimpse. Then they go out on their own--sniff. But there's nothing quite as final as marriage because now a new covenant has been created--one that doesn't include us at all. When a child says "I do" to their love, they also say "Goodbye" to us. But we aren't always as good at saying goodbye to them. We might say it in theory, but we aren't good at saying it in practice. The problem is that what feels to us like our affectionate hand on their shoulder feels to them like a grip on their ankle, like Uncle Andrew grasping at Polly and Digory on their way to the Wood-Between-the-Worlds. But if a woman is to leave her home and a man is to leave his father and mother, then it can be inferred that parents <i>must</i> let that woman and that man go. Since this is harder for moms than for dads, here's the short, simple protocol I have developed over the past nine years as a mom-to-marrieds.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">DO recognize that, while you are the despot of your home, your daughter and daughter-in-law are the despots of their homes. This is a biblically-sanctioned household governmental role, and you need to respect it. You must decrease, and she must increase. Your realm will soon shrink to just you and your husband. Your realm, in no possible way, extends to your adult children and their children. </div><div style="text-align: left;">DO realize that the household that just formed is not a church plant from the mother kirk; it is an <b><u>entirely independent</u> </b>household. </div><div style="text-align: left;">Do NOT issue requests. Even nicely phrased ones like, "I'd like you to spend your holidays with us/ visit our church/meet our social circle/ call you Aunt Betty" are assertions of an authority that no longer exists and, therefore, a power play. Don't do this.</div><div style="text-align: left;">If the married daughter/daughter-in-law lives far away, do NOT complain to her. It is possible that she is missing you, in which case you just made her homesick. It is also possible that she is enjoying the distance, in which case you just made her claustrophobic. </div><div style="text-align: left;">Do NOT visit for the maximum amount of time. When you leave, she should wish you'd stayed longer rather than wish you'd left sooner. </div><div style="text-align: left;">If the married daughter/daughter-in-law lives locally, do NOT invite yourself over or show up unannounced at her door. This is the despot's domain, and her own home should be the safest place of all from your encroachment. </div><div style="text-align: left;">Do NOT share one adult child's news with another adult child. Do NOT talk about your relationship to one adult child with another adult child. Your children are not your support group. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Brett has a simple protocol for relating as a father to his married daughters:</div><div style="text-align: left;">Do NOT inquire about your girl's emotional issues, relational issues, spiritual issues, physical issues. This kind of intimacy is out-of-bounds. First of all, Dad, she already has a husband; it is his job to bear her burdens. Second, you already have a wife and maybe children still at home. It's your job to focus on them. Think of this like being a confidante to another man's wife. Totally inappropriate. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Likewise, there is a simple protocol for mothers of married sons:</div><div style="text-align: left;">Do NOT be a burden to your boy. Do not share your emotional issues, relational issues, spiritual issues, physical issues with him. This kind of intimacy is out-of-bounds. First of all, you already have a husband; it is <i>his</i> job to bear your burdens. Second, your son has a wife and children. It is his job to focus on them. Think of this like confiding in another woman's husband. Again, entirely inappropriate. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I couldn't sum it up better than author and podcaster Nancy Wilson (mom to 3 and grandmother to 18). "You had your chance; now be quiet."** That's my mantra.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I had my chance; now be quiet.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I had my chance; now be quiet.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I had my chance; now be quiet. </div><div style="text-align: left;">(And, dads, don't be passive. If your wife isn't doing a good job letting go, step in. Brett reminds me when I am encroaching. That's not just good advice; that's a relationship saver.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If, at this point, you're thinking of all the ways you've blown it with your adult kids, be of good cheer. That is going to happen! Just ask their forgiveness, and resolve not to encroach again. If you aren't sure, put on your thick skin and get a progress report. I sat down with two of my married daughters a couple months ago to do just that. It was extremely helpful to all of us. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The evidence is in, ironic as it may be.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hold on, even loosely, and you <b>will</b> create distance.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Let go of your kids, and they <b>will</b> come back to you as friends.</div><div style="text-align: left;">It' so worth it!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Mother sits down at the table, so many things she'd like to do,</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Spend more time out in the garden. Now she can get those books read, too.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>She's had 18 years to get ready for this day. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>She should be past the tears; she cries some anyway.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Oh, oh, letting go. There's nothing in the way now.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Letting go, there's room enough to fly.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Even though she's spent her whole life waiting, it's never easy,</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Letting go.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">p.s. My husband loved this post and feels like it is important to get this message out. So if you found this helpful for yourself or you think it would be helpful to someone else, would you please share this post on your social media account? Thanks!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*</i>Bogguss, Suzy.<i> Letting Go. </i>1991<i>. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>**</i>Wilson, Nancy<i>. Building Her House. </i>Canon Press.2006.</span></div>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-14786307421460904232023-04-15T08:56:00.002-07:002023-04-15T08:56:54.518-07:00In Relentless Pursuit of Truth<p>I have long thought that book 5 of the Harry Potter series, <i>Order of the Phoenix</i>, is the best story of the bunch. It is the story of the pursuit of truth in the face of opposition, scoffing, and calculated attack. It is the story of what witchcraft actually, scripturally is: rebellion. Namely rebellion against Truth. Rebellion doesn't like Truth and seeks to either silence it or twist it. </p><p>Sounds a lot like the current decade...</p><p>Truth, to be Truth, must satisfy certain criteria. </p><p>Truth must be transcendent. It must come from outside ourselves. And our consciences testify to that fact.</p><p>Truth must be objective. It must be the same for all people in all places. If your truth doesn't apply to me, it's not Truth. </p><p>Truth must be unchanging. Truth must have been true in the beginning and will still be true in the end. There is no such thing as either dead Truth or new Truth. </p><p>Truth must be impervious. We can jump up and down and throw rocks at it all day long, but Truth neither has feelings nor cares about ours. </p><div style="text-align: left;">Therefore, for a position on any issue to be Truth, it must be transcendent, objective, unchanging, and impervious. Or to state it negatively, if it's not transcendent, objective, unchanging, and impervious, it's not Truth. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">John Adams once said that facts are stubborn things.</div><div style="text-align: left;">So is Truth. </div>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-80449454238194064082023-01-31T10:40:00.000-08:002023-01-31T10:40:53.919-08:00Books, Books, Books: My 2022 Reading List<p>Well, in spite of completely deleting my social media presence almost two years ago (Nothing went wrong. My marriage is happy; my kids are happy. We continue to amass weddings and grandbabies...), people still read last year's reading list. That's amazing to me! And while I have not blogged faithfully in a couple years, I do have a few ideas I think might be worth a post or two, so stay tuned. But for now, here's my 2022 reading list. At forty-five books long, it's one of my shorter ones. I'm not sure why I didn't read as much this past year. But, hey, January of 2023 is almost over, and I have five books done already so that bodes well for the reading year ahead. </p><p>And without further ado...</p><p><i>The Winter King</i> by Christine Cohen. A fantasy civilization. A book of guidance that the elite rulers take great pains to hide from the ordinary reader. The corruption and misery that result. Huh. What does that sound like? Fun read!</p><p><i>The Majesty of Mystery</i> by Scott Oliphant Like an old pastor used to say, do you really want a God small enough for you to completely understand? So good. </p><p><i>Andrew and the Firedrake</i> by Douglas Wilson Kill the dragon; get the girl. I loved the premise, but the story was more intriguing to my 9 year old than myself. Not quite as brilliant as The Man in the Dark.</p><p><i>Johnny Tremain</i> by Esther Forbes This was a dutiful read-aloud. I wish it was one hundred pages shorter. </p><p><i>Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl </i>by ND Wilson Sighhhhhh. Still my favorite book and annual read. It never gets old. My husband is finally reading it along with all my margin notes. :)</p><p><i>Reflections on the Revolution in France</i> by Edmund Burke Burke was watching the French Revolution closely from across the Channel. College kids should be required to read this. Shoot, college professors should be required to read this. </p><p><i>That Hideous Strength </i>by CS Lewis I think this was my second time through. I hated the Space Trilogy the first time it was forced on me. Now that I'm an adult reading for my own growth, I find it absolutely fascinating. </p><p><i>The Things of Earth</i> by Joe Rigney John Stonestreet once mentioned that the old hymn got it wrong, that as we turn our eyes upon Jesus, the things of earth should grow strangely <i>bright</i>, not <i>dim</i>. Rigney's book seeks to prove just that. Despite David Platt's cuckoo radicalism, it's actually a good thing to enjoy the things of earth as good gifts from our Father in Heaven. </p><p><i>Leepike Ridge</i> by ND Wilson Totally wicked ride. A great adventure mystery story. It's his best fiction!</p><p><i>Saints, Sinners, and Sufferers</i> by Michael Emlet. Meh.</p><p><i>Uncle Tom's Cabin</i> by Harriet Beecher Stowe Second time through, this time with my high schoolers. They balked at the conveniently happy ending, but I loved it again. </p><p><i>The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</i> by CS Lewis Can you read Narnia too much? Nah. </p><p><i>Prince Caspian</i> by CS Lewis</p><p><i>Rip Van Winkle </i>and <i>Sleepy Hollow</i> by Washington Irving Do you realize how little dialogue there is in these stories? No wonder they made them movies. So much potential. So little realized in the written form. </p><p><i>Huntingtower</i> by John Buchan Best spy author ever. I just love everything he writes. </p><p><i>Voyage of the Dawn Treader </i>by CS Lewis</p><p><i>Les Miserables</i> by Victor Hugo Jean Valjean is simply the best, better than all the rest, better than anyone, anyone I've ever met...Anyway...It was fun to discuss this time through with my high schoolers. And they were disappointed in the musical afterword because it left so much out. </p><p><i>The Silver Chair</i> by CS Lewis</p><p><i>The Horse and His Boy</i> by CS Lewis</p><p><i>Silmarillion</i> by JRR Tolkien Didn't love it. But as a LOTR fan, I read it. </p><p><i>What Grieving People Wish You Knew</i> by Nancy Guthrie A friend of mine lost her son in May in a motorcycle accident. Not having a clue what to say or do, I found Guthrie's book extremely helpful. </p><p><i>The Great Divorce</i> by CS Lewis Like the Space Trilogy, I don't remember enjoying this one the first time through. But this time it was fascinating. I'm still not ever going to read <i>Til We Have Faces</i> again. And you can't make me. </p><p><i>Little House in the Big Woods</i> by Laura Ingalls Wilder I hate this series. Loathe. Despise. Abominate. But I read this one to my 9 yr old. If he wants to read the rest, he is welcome to. My job is done here. </p><p><i>100 Cupboards</i> by ND Wilson Fun but weird. </p><p><i>The Magician's Nephew</i> by CS Lewis</p><p><i>The Light from Behind the Sun</i> by Douglas Wilson In which Wilson attempts to argue that Lewis is reformed. Uh, no. </p><p><i>The Awakening of Miss Prim</i> by Natalia Fenorella This is a BEAUTIFUL book. Just absolutely lovely and probably the best fiction I have read in a long, long time.</p><p><i>Nathan Coulter</i> by Wendell Berry Good, though I think I'm done with Berry for a while.</p><p><i>Such a Mind as This</i> by Richard Smith A book on the biblical theology of thinking. I have never read anything like it. It traces epistemology--how we know--from the garden, through the fall, the Wisdom books, Job, and the Teacher of Ecclesiastes. Absolutely fascinating!</p><p><i>All the Light We Cannot See </i>by Anthony Doerr Meh.</p><p><i>The Abolition of Man</i> by CS Lewis Chapter two. My head hurt. This is one of those little books that you can glean something from every time you read it. </p><p><i>Being the Bad Guys</i> by Stephen McAlpine Like it or not, believers have been pushed to the margin. But the Church being taken seriously by the world has historically been the exception, not the rule. And now, as we head back to being social outsiders, it's important to understand how to embrace that to God's glory. I assigned this to my teens after I read it. It's that important. </p><p><i>A Severe Mercy </i>by Sheldon VanAuken A marriage with a sappy, ridiculous, idolatrous agreement. And then they get saved. Whoa. </p><p><i>The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self</i> by Carl Trueman If you want to know why the world seems to have lost its mind, Truemen offers a scholarly thesis. Heady stuff. Well-documented. It's hard work but worth the read. I finally get it. </p><p><i>The Great Gatsby</i> by F. Scott Fitzgerald What other end should we expect for the self-absorbed?</p><p><i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i> by Erich Remarque I love this book. The horrors of war and using boys as chess pieces for little despots in big houses. Makes me mad.</p><p><i>Animal Farm</i> by George Orwell When you're done reading about the effects of tyranny on warfare in All Quiet, you can read about tyranny in the suburbs here. </p><p><i>The Intimate Marriage</i> by RC Sproul Good, not great. Still nothing out there to rival Wilson's Reforming Marriage. </p><p><i>Rejoice and Tremble </i>by Michael Reeves I just love Reeves. And this book about the fear of the Lord was another great one by him. </p><p><i>Learning to Love the Psalms</i> by Robert Godfrey Being rather left-brained, I readily admit to being utterly lost in the psalms. Godfrey's book did, in fact, help me to understand and even begin to love the psalms. </p><p><i>The Fellowship of the Ring</i> by JRR Tolkien This will probably be my last time reading it <i>aloud</i>, as I am going through it with my 9 yr old. It's a different experience reading it aloud, but I am still finding qoutes for my commonplace book. </p><p><i>Dracula </i>by Bram Stoker WHY have I never read this before? I loved this story so much. So much good vs. evil. So much heroism. Loved, loved, loved. </p><p><i>Skipping Christmas </i>by John Grisham Made me laugh out loud. Again. </p><p><i>The Dawn of Redeeming Grace</i> by Sinclair Ferguson</p><p><i>Live Like a Narnian </i>by Joe Rigney I think Narnia can speak for itself. Nevertheless, Rigney pulls out some really wonderful insights.</p><p>Til next time, may you have books on your nightstands, quotes in your commonlplace books, and heroes to emulate. Happy reading in 2023!</p>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-44781229726325086802022-01-10T16:03:00.000-08:002022-01-10T19:22:18.114-08:00Poof! My 2021 Reading List<div style="text-align: left;"> I am so late in getting out my reading list from last year that I have already started my reading list for this year! Here's how it went in 2021:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Atypical Woman</i> by Abigail Dodds<br /><i>The Plague</i> by Albert Camus<br /><i>Parcel of Patterns</i> by Jill Paton Walsh</div><div style="text-align: left;">This was the second of three books on the plague I read this year and definitely the most interesting. <br /><i>A Little Book of the Christian Life</i> by John Calvin<br /><i>A Taste of Sabbath</i> by Stuart Bryan<br /><i>102 Minutes</i> by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn</div><div style="text-align: left;">In honor of 9/11, I read this one. A minute-by-minute account inside the World Trade Towers that morning. <br /><i>Otto of the Silver Hand</i> by Howard Pyle<br /><i>United</i> by Trillia Newbell</div><div style="text-align: left;">Don't get me wrong; Trillia Newbell is an infectiously joyful person. But I've been in very international churches and very American churches, and I haven't spent a moment thinking about their demographic makeup. I'm not quite sure why this is so important to Newbell. <br /><i>Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl</i> by ND Wilson</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fourth (?) annual read of one of my favorite books EVER.<br /><i>The Hawk and the Dove</i> by Penelope Wilcock</div><div style="text-align: left;">The trilogy following the life of Father Peregrine is sweet and one of my all time favorites. My copy is starting to show the wear!<br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Wounds of God</i> by Penelope Wilcock<br /><i>The Long Fall</i> by Penelope Wilcock<br /><i>Exodus Old and New</i> by L Michael Morales</div><div style="text-align: left;">I just love Biblical theology and the storyline of Scripture. (Thank you, Graeme Goldsworthy and Greg Beale!) This book was one of a couple I read along those lines. <br /><i>The Dead Don't Dance</i> by Charles Martin<br /><i>Maggie</i> by Charles Martin<br /><i>Othello</i> by William Shakespeare<br /><i>Economics: A Free Market Reader</i> edited by Jane Williams and Kathryn Daniels<br /><i>Gentle and Lowly</i> by Dane Ortlund</div><div style="text-align: left;">If 2 Timothy 3:17 is to be believed--and it is--Christian therapy is a contradiction in terms. So I was more than a little nervous reading this until chapter 7. But then, wowza. He anchored it Biblically. Good read!<br /><i>Treasure Island</i> by Robert Louis Stevenson<br /><i>A Learned Treatise</i> <i>on the Plague</i> by Theodore Beza</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll just say this. Covid and the Bubonic plague are apples and oranges. I'll take covid any day. <br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Fault Lines</i> by Voddie Baucham<br /><i>Between the World and Me</i> by Ta'nahesi Coates</div><div style="text-align: left;">The difference between Baucham's book and Coates' book? If Baucham were to retract everything he said, the theses in Fault Lines would still stand. They are based on facts--quite thoroughly documented facts. If Coates were to retract everything he said in his book, the theses in Between the World and Me would collapse. They are entirely based on feelings. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Rebels and Exiles</i> by Matthew Harmon</div><div style="text-align: left;">Another Biblical theology<br /><i>Out of the Silent Planet</i> by CS Lewis</div><div style="text-align: left;">Not a sci-fi fan, but the Space Trilogy is more than just talking trashcans...<br /><i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i> by JK Rowling<br /><i>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</i> by JK Rowling<br /><i>The Lord's Prayer</i> by RC Sproul<br /><i>A Place on Earth</i> by Wendell Berry<br /><i>Vindicae Contra Tyrannos</i> by Junius Brutus</div><div style="text-align: left;">Food for thought when the State refuses to stay in its lane <br /><i>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</i> by JK Rowling<br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Jesus Wins</i> by Dayton Hartman</div><div style="text-align: left;">Are you pre-mil? post-mil? clueless? Me, too. This tiny little book was great at laying out different end time views found among gospel Christians<br /><i>Evidence Not Seen</i> by Darlene Rose</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rose was a missionary wife turned POW in the Pacific Theater. It was a tough read. She was an amazing woman. Her testimony is gripping and encouraging. <br /><i>Perelandra</i> by CS Lewis<br /><i>Silas Marner</i> by George Eliot</div><div style="text-align: left;">I <3 Silas Marner. <br /><i>Republocrat</i> by Carl Trueman</div><div style="text-align: left;">Good book for those who think that to be a Christian and to be a Republican are the same thing. <br /><i>Confessions</i> by Augustine</div><div style="text-align: left;">This was one of those books that I know I missed tons of. <br /><i>Alone Yet Not Alone</i> by Tracey Leininger<br /><i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</i> by JK Rowling<br /><i>Contentment</i> by Nancy Wilson<br /><i>Ben and Me</i> by Robert Lawson<br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Color of Compromise</i> by Jemar Tisby<br /><i>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</i> by JK Rowling<br /><i>True Companion</i> by Nancy Wilson<br /><i>Gulliver's Travels</i> by Jonathan Swift<br /><i>Live Not By Lies</i> by Rod Dreher<br /><i>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood</i> Prince by JK Rowling<br /><i>Boys of Blur</i> by ND Wilson<br /><i>Tale of Two Cities</i> by Charles Dickens<br /><i>Popes and Feminists</i> by Elise Crapuchettes<br /><i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</i> by JK Rowling<br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Dawning of Indestructible Joy</i> by John Piper<br /><i>Watch for the Light</i> by various<br /><i>The Bible<br /></i></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-64788532327594342372021-01-11T10:00:00.001-08:002021-01-11T10:00:15.310-08:002020 Reading List<p> 2020.</p><p>Well, that was silly. </p><p>Ironically, I read less in a year of lockdown than I did in most other years. First, I consciously focused on gathering because it was 2020 that made me realize that gathering is a large part of what we are made for. Second, I found it really hard to focus. I read many paragraphs multiple times this year. I did manage to get through these, though...</p><p><i>Purloined Boy</i> by CR Wiley. Looked good. Didn't really move me.</p><p><i>Conceiving Parenthood: American Protestantism and the Spirit of Reproduction</i> by Amy Laura Hall. If you told me I was going to agree with an ordained female universalist Methodist minister, and on theological grounds, no less, I, who am a complementarity Calvinist, would have said you lost your mind. Boy was I wrong! In the opening years of the Twentieth Century, 'the baby' became a demographic in its own right; it was all downhill from there. Families were sold a bill of goods about the 'ideal' family, two children, three at most, all 'properly' nourished, 'properly' educated, and 'properly' under a doctor's care. 'Hygiene' was teh magic word. Family planning--and all the ugliness that entails--was the inevitable result, with a population of nervous mothers on the verge of breakdowns. Fascinating read!</p><p><i>Northanger Abbey</i> by Jane Austen. Austen at her satirical best. </p><p><i>Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl</i> by ND Wilson. Third annual read. Gets me in the right frame of mind every January.</p><p><i>Thirty-nine Steps</i> by John Buchan. The first in the series about the escapades of Richard Hannay. I love a good spy novel, and Buchan is the best.</p><p><i>Adorning the Dark </i>by Andrew Peterson. Not gonna lie, artistic communities weird me out. But Peterson cautiously wins me over enough that I recommended it to a few artistic friends.</p><p><i>Fellowship of the Ring</i> by JRR Tolkien. Because Tolkien.</p><p><i>Monster in the Hollows</i> by Andrew Peterson. I cried. Fourth (maybe fifth?) time through. I know how it ends. And I cried. Again.</p><p><i>Stuff Matters</i> by Mark Miodownik. A series of essays on man-made materials from concrete to porcelain to chocolate. Miodownik is a materials engineer and entertaining writer, to boot.</p><p><i>Man in the Dark</i> by Douglas Wilson. Romantic mystery. </p><p><i>Bomb</i> by Steve Sheinklin. Page turner about the race to build the bomb and the ensuing spy activity.</p><p><i>Two Towers</i> by JRR Tolkien.</p><p><i>Murder in the Rue Morgue</i> by Edgar Allen Poe.</p><p><i>Different Shade of Green</i> by Gordon Wilson. Neither a virulent tree-hugger, nor a virulent capitalist, Wilson finally makes the intelligent case for conservation.</p><p><i>Return of the King</i> by JRR Tolkien. This is the first time I actually read the appendices. After multiple, did-you-know's to Brett, he felt compelled to remind me this was fiction. Dork. </p><p><i>Right Behind</i> by ND Wilson. Laugh out loud funny.</p><p><i>Classical Me, Classical Thee </i>by Rebekah Merkle.</p><p><i>Gospel and Kingdom </i>by Graeme Goldsworthy. LOVE this book and the two others in the trilogy. Great again!</p><p><i>Nine Tailors</i> by Dorothy Sayers. A Lord Peter Wimsey mystery! I love Lord Peter!</p><p><i>Coronavirus and Christ</i> by John Piper. My first thought was, do we really need a whole book about this? But, actually, it was really good. </p><p><i>Glass Houses</i> by Louise Penny. Not particularly thrilled with the last two Gamache books. Read on. </p><p><i>Whose Body?</i> by Dorothy Sayers. Lord Peter's first mystery. </p><p><i>The Warden and the Wolf King</i> by Andrew Peterson. Oh, my heart.</p><p><i>Kingdom of the Blind</i> by Louise Penny. So done with Penny. If it weren't a library book, it would be in the garbage where it belongs. </p><p><i>Letter to My Son</i> by Jasmine Holmes. Facts are more useful than feelings, but if you want to hear the heart of a black woman for her black son, this is a really good book. I gave it out many times. </p><p><i>Wuthering Heights</i> by Emily Bronte. Third time. I can finally see why this is a classic. </p><p><i>Beautifully Distinct</i> by Trillia Newbell, et al. Love Newbell, but I was hoping for deeper, I guess. </p><p><i>The Hobbit</i> by JRR Tolkien. Because it was time to introduce the 6 yr old to Bilbo.</p><p><i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>by Harper Lee. One of the best American novels. I have no idea how many times I've read it. And this year, Brett and I each, independently of each other, ordered another copy before it gets banned. </p><p><i>Knowing Scripture</i> by RC Sproul. How to, and not to, read scripture correctly. A gem. </p><p><i>The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</i> by CS Lewis. Because it was also time to introduce the 6 yr old to Narnia.</p><p><i>Prince Caspian</i> by CS Lewis.</p><p><i>Moby Dick</i> by Herman Melville.It's about a whale. Or is it?</p><p><i>Voyage of the Dawn Treader</i> by CS Lewis.</p><p><i>Beowulf</i>. Heroes and monsters. What's not to love?</p><p><i>The Silver Chair </i>by CS Lewis.</p><p><i>Screwtape Letters</i> by CS Lewis. Eerily relevant in 2020.</p><p><i>How the Nations Rage</i> by Jonathan Leeman. BEST book on political worldview ever. My high schoolers have to read it for government. </p><p><i>Rolf and the Viking Bow</i> by Allen French. Too long. Land the plane already.</p><p><i>Out of the Silent Planet</i> by CS Lewis. Not a big sci-fi fan, but this one is really great.</p><p><i>The Man Who Was Thursday </i>by GK Chesterton. Super fun adventure. </p><p><i>The Horse and His Boy</i> by CS Lewis.</p><p><i>Door in the Wall</i> by Marguerite D'Angeli.</p><p><i>Hannah Coulter</i> by Wendell Berry. Sweet story, sweet, sweet ending. Classic Berry.</p><p><i>New Testament Biblical Theology</i> by GK Beale. <b>This was my magnum opus this year. </b>I love the preaching ministry at church and regard that as my corporate Bible study. But personal Bible study is just that for me: personal. It took me most of the year to work through this book, and it absolutely changed my perspective. I was blessed!</p><p><i>Even Better Than Eden</i> by Nancy Guthrie. Traces nine biblical themes. Very, very good. </p><p><i>Fidelity</i> by Wendell Berry. Sweet short stories about the folks in Port William.</p><p><i>Treasure at Glaston</i> by Eleanor French. Could have been a fun adventure. Way too mystical, I edited as I read it out loud.</p><p><i>Once and Future King</i> by TH White. One of my all-time favorites. Whimsical and sad. </p><p><i>Magician's Nephew</i> by CS Lewis.</p><p><i>Flags Out Front</i> by Douglas Wilson. What ensues when a prankster flies the Christian flag higher than the American flag outside a Christian school. Too funny. </p><p><i>According to Plan</i> by Graeme Goldsworthy. Bibical theology.</p><p><i>Death by Living</i> by ND Wilson. If there was a philosophy we all needed in 2020, it was this. </p><p><i>Repeat the Sounding Joy</i> by Christopher Ash. A book about Advent that I read all year. Lovely.</p><p><i>Confessions of a Food Catholic </i>by Douglas Wilson. By all means, make your own food rules for your family. But Managers of Their Homes should be able to at least articulate this perspective. Both informative and snort-a-french-fry-out-your-nose funny. </p><p><i>The Ten Commandments</i> by Kevin Deyoung. What would a year in reading be without a Deyoung? One of my favorite blogger/theologians.</p><p><i>The Last Battle</i> by CS Lewis. Just kidding. I hate this book. I hate Tashlan. This is Lewis at his worst and why you always have to read him with buckets of salt. For the first time, I skipped it entirely.</p><p>Happy 2021. May there be better news and good books. </p><p><br /></p>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-45528313208484342472020-04-14T07:10:00.001-07:002020-04-14T07:10:40.575-07:00Laugh: Thoughts on Living with UncertaintyI heard someone say this week, "If we are going to put our faith in things other than Christ, the smallest thing possible--a virus--will shake that to the core."<br />
<br />
In the wee hours of yesterday morning, Easter morning, we went through the house waking the children and telling them to assemble downstairs. We were under a tornado warning. My six-year-old sat in my lap and put his head on my shoulder. "I'm scared," he whispered. I did not know how to console him; I could not make promises I had no power to keep. But I rubbed his back and prayed silently, "You are the Author of Calamity, and You are able to do whatever You will. I am asking for your mercy. I am asking if you would keep us safe." Twenty minutes later the storm had passed. We were unharmed.<br />
<br />
But I have been chewing on the unusual timing. Here we are in the middle of a worldwide quarantine. And you can't seek storm shelter <i>and</i> social distance at the same time. Legitimately huge or unfortunately overblown, God has used this little virus to bring the whole planet to its knees. And then He sent the storm that sent us scurrying for cover where there was little to be found. From Texas to North Carolina.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Can you hear me now?</span><br />
<br />
Funny. On the one hand, Italy and New York City have been hit extremely hard by this virus. On the other hand, we are a month into this, and zero people in my social circle have told me they tested positive. I am not here implying that I have omniscience over the health of every single person of my acquaintance. But, thus far, there is no stigma associated with the virus and, therefore no reason for me to think people are being furtive. And I am not the only one. <i>Zero?</i> A month in? In different locales?<br />
<br />
Funny. On the one hand, I am told that half the people who have it are asymptomatic. On the other hand, responsible science should prevent us from making claims we do not have the ability to verify. Maybe everyone who has the virus <i>is</i> symptomatic. We. do. not. know. <b>And we can not know.</b><br />
<br />
Funny. On the one hand, I stand six feet back during my necessary excursions into the grocery store as a way to respect the fearful and vulnerable. On the other hand, I stand six feet back because this might be legit.<br />
<br />
Funny. On the one hand, our family obeys the civil magistrate because that is what believers do. On the other hand, this is a jurisdictional travesty of Kuyperian proportions. Civil government protect personal <i>liberties</i> and punish infringers of said liberties; self-government takes personal <i>responsibility</i>.<br />
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Not quite as funny. On the one hand, we keep reminding each other that the second greatest commandment must inform our behavior. Enough already; we get it. It's one thing to present the second commandment for our consideration as we live in this time; it is another thing entirely to position ourselves as the final arbiters of what it actually means to love our neighbor. On the other hand, I have not seen one person present the <b>greatest</b> commandment for our consideration at this time. Not. a. single. soul.<br />
<br />
So, yeah, I know little for certain. But I <i>am</i> certain of this:<br />
On the one hand, Jesus is Lord over quarantines and diseases, tornadoes and tyrants. The nations rage, and the Lord laughs. On the other hand, Jesus is Lord of His Creation and of His nation, the Church, and we laugh with Him.<br />
<br />
<i>The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.</i> Deut. 29:29<br />
<br />
So laugh at the days to come.<br />
And if you're not laughing? You might just need to repent.Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-38673061355469033452020-01-15T15:43:00.001-08:002020-01-16T07:06:07.082-08:00But If NotWe interrupt my next planned post to bring you an important message.<br />
<br />
One of my adult kids texted me. Romans was really good!<br />
I smile. Indeed it is.<br />
Another one sat at the kitchen table last month and looked up from a meditative silence. You know what's a really good book?<br />
I'm thinking Enger. Or Lee. Or Dostoyevsky.<br />
Galatians.<br />
My 10-year-old is saying with increasing frequency, Wow! I read something like that in the Bible this morning!<br />
My 17 yr old just finished the whole Bible for the first time. That was really good, she exclaimed.<br />
Two enthusiastic thumbs up? I tease. Maybe God will ask you to blurb His next edition.<br />
My heart is warm all over. My children are becoming People of the Book. And I am humbled by God's work in this quiet suburban home.<br />
Because ideas have consequences. And little minds and hearts informed by scripture grow up to make choices and take positions based on the True Ideas of scripture.<br />
<br />
Don't think that's important? Read on, Lizzie.<br />
<br />
Did you see the news coming out of Bethel "Church" over Christmas break? Let me fill you in.<br />
<br />
On December 14, two-year-old Olive Heiligenthal passed away suddenly. Her parents, who are on staff at Bethel, kept her body in the morgue for five days while they prayed for her resurrection. Now I have never buried a child. I cannot, <i><b>can not</b></i>, imagine that kind of soul-searing suffering. But I do have a healthy regard for scripture and for the need to read it with great care. It is a sword, after all, and one does not simply go swinging swords about. Jesus did NOT raise people from the dead to be our model. He raised the dead to demonstrate His Lordship. Over every square inch. Over every last enemy.<br />
<br />
In short, I have nothing but contempt for the theology of Bill Johnson because Bill Johnson has nothing but contempt for the theology of God. I wonder what will happen on Judgment Day to people who make a shipwreck of other people's faith. *coughrecklesslovecough* I want to be a fly on THAT wall.<br />
Oh, where have you gone, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?<br />
Oh, where have you gone, charming Billy?<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Tomorrow you will have pink eye.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">I could never believe in a God who makes eyes itch. And the tear duct goop is an added insult. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">The Apostle Paul: God made your eyes. Can He not make them pink?</span></i> (ND Wilson, Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl, 32)<br />
<br />
Dare I say it?<br />
Yes, I dare.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Boom, baby.</span><br />
<br />
Why am I so passionate about this idiocy<i> now</i>? Don't worry; I nearly bolted out of my chair the day sweet Olive's story hit the headlines. Trust me, I was passionate about it on December 15. <i>But now</i>, it's personal. Last week, we received the double-whammy of bad health news from both sides of our family. Part of me is bummed. Bummed that the sadness of 2019 was fading, and life has to get dicey again. Bummed at pain and sickness. Bummed that living in this fallen world can suck sometimes. Billy Boy would beg to differ. Billy Boy thinks we can be healed if we have enough faith. As in, if I don't get healed--and keep healed--it's MY fault. As in, God <u>needs</u> my faith to make His power work. Ah well, small minds have room only for small gods.<br />
<br />
When my son Jake hears people waxing stupid about the sovereignty of God, he gets a glint in his eye. He smirks. He quips, "Oh I see. God's sovereignty ends where my sovereignty begins."<br />
God's sovereignty. So simple, a college freshman can understand it.<br />
But not a charlatan preacher.<br />
Billy Boy will not rob me of resting in God's sovereignty.<br />
<br />
And Brett reminded me that there is also golf and pork belly and Montana. There are date nights and family and Wingfeathers. Right there in the middle of bad reports. Common graces that God sends just in time to carry us through. But Billy Boy can't see goodness in calamities.<br />
Billy Boy will not rob me of resting in God's goodness.<br />
<br />
And I've a good mind to tell Billy Boy where he can put his bad theology and his angel feathers and his gold dust. But this is a family blog.<br />
<br />
<i>Blessed be Your Name when the sun's shining down on me,</i><br />
<i>When the world's all as it should be, blessed be Your Name.</i><br />
<i>Blessed be Your Name on the road marked with suffering.</i><br />
<i>Though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your Name</i>.*<br />
<br />
I'm learning the power of lament. And I want my kids to learn it, too. I want to protect them from the Bethel Koolaid. When I lay me down to sleep, and when I lay my six-year-old down to sleep, we pray. 'Lord, we ask that you would heal them,' we pray, the six-year-old and I. 'But if not, we still love You. And we know that You still love us, and that You still love them.'<br />
<br />
But If Not.<br />
The theology of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego.<br />
The theology of Job.<br />
The theology of Amos.<br />
The theology of the Potter and His pots.<br />
But If Not is the theology of the saints of ages past and ages to come.<br />
But If Not is the theology of People of the Book.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>But If Not is the theology of God</b></span>.<br />
<br />
<i>Dear Refuge of my weary soul, on Thee when sorrows rise,</i><br />
<i>On Thee when waves of trouble roll, My fainting hope relies.</i><br />
<i>To Thee I tell each rising grief, for Thee alone can heal. </i><br />
<i>Thy Word can bring a sweet relief for every pain I feel.</i>**<br />
<br />
When those who profess to be God's people reject His word, they can expect God's wrath. (Tabletalk)<br />
Rock on with your bad self, Billy Boy. (Me)<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, all God's people say:<br />
But if not, God is still sovereign and still good. The Author of Calamity is still working everything together for my good and His glory.<br />
<br />
And all God's people said,<br />
AMEN.<br />
<br />
The next post will begin shortly. Please stand by.<br />
--------------<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*<i>Blessed Be Your Name</i>, Beth Redman, Matt Redman, 2002.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**<i>Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul</i>, Anne Steele, 1760.</span>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-36923690867894015322020-01-03T14:04:00.000-08:002020-04-14T07:11:23.292-07:00Books! 2019 Reading ListHappy New Year. 59 books. Let's jump right in.<br />
<br />
<i>Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl</i> by ND Wilson. Second annual reading. One of my favorites. Ever. Ever ever.<br />
<i>Before the Door</i> by ND Wilson. Fun prequel to <i>100 Cupboards</i>. And if you are a regular Wilson reader, you might be surprised by some of the dots he connects here!<br />
<i>Man in the High Castle</i> by Philip Dick. Blech.<br />
<i>Unceasing</i> by Susan Macias. An encouraging reminder to keep praying, no matter how old they get!<br />
<i>Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel</i> by Baroness Orczy.<br />
<i>Exulting Jesus in Luke</i> by Thabiti Anyabwile. Jesus is not our model; He is our substitute. YASSS!<br />
<i>Eve in Exile</i> by Rebekah Merkle. I <i>cannot stand</i> books on womanhood. Until now. Merkle takes aim at flawed perspectives of womanhood (both conservative and liberal) and argues for a gloriously Biblical perspective instead. Refreshing and encouraging. This is the only book on womanhood I would buy by the case and hand out.<br />
<i>Go Set a Watchman</i> by Harper Lee. Scout returns home, and...Whoa...I didn't see that coming!<br />
<i>Blaggard's Moon</i> by George Bryan Polivka. Genuinely fun read, reminiscent of the Wingfeathers. I. loved. this. book.<br />
<i>Legend of the Firefish</i> by George Bryan Polivka. First book in a fun trilogy following Blaggard's Moon.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Winged Watchman</i> by Hilda van Stockum. A read-aloud for my children, the poignant ending made me cry. As in, I had to collect myself before I could continue.<br />
<i>Bonhoeffer</i> by Eric Metaxes. Wonderfully readable bio of an amazing man. "On the positive side of things, Heydrich was dead. At the end of May, the albino stoat had been ambushed by Czech resistance fighters while he was riding in his open-topped Mercedes. Eight days later, the architect of the Final Solution fell into the hands of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." (404). <b>Most delicious set of sentences I think I have ever read. </b><br />
<i>Miracles on Maple Hill</i> by Virginia Sorensen. Meh.<br />
<i>God's Smuggler</i> by Brother Andrew. Good again!<br />
<i>Identity Theft</i> edited by Melissa Kruger, et al. Series of essays on a woman's identity. Pretty good.<br />
<i>Take Courage</i> by Matt Chandler.<br />
<i>Seventeenth Swap</i> by Eloise McGraw.<br />
<i>The Hand that Bears the Sword</i> by George Bryan Polivka. Book two in the trilogy.<br />
<i>Mere Christianity</i> by CS Lewis. Fourth time through. Best of Lewis's non-fiction.<br />
<i>The Art of Turning</i> by Kevin Deyoung.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Twelve Marks of Great Literature</i> by Jeff Baldwin. Not as helpful as I had hoped.<br />
<i>Storm-Tossed Family</i> by Russell Moore. I loved this book, which essentially covers the gamut of family issues from cradle to grave. Moore is a great writer, often punctuating with humor. Lots of 'listen to this!' moments with my husband.<br />
<i>No Quick Fix</i> by Andrew Naselli. Dispels the myth that Christians have a separate stage of sanctification, following salvation, in which we really mean it this time. Um, that <i>is</i> salvation. Very good. But a lot of charts that were more clutter than help.<br />
<i>Disciplines of Grace</i> by Jerry Bridges. This was around the time my dad died. I think I may have missed a lot.<br />
<i>Battle for Vast Dominion</i> by George Bryan Polivka. Book Three in the trilogy. Enjoyed!<br />
<i>You Who</i> by Rachel Jankovic. GREAT book on identity and all the self-care garbage we have bought into over the years. Our job is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, not find our best us. Boom.<br />
<i>Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament</i> by Mark Vroegop. How to find peace in Biblical lament. I found Part Two especially helpful.<br />
<i>Book of Sorrows</i> by Walter Wangerin. Sequel to the <i>Book of the Dun Cow.</i> Very unusual story but very deep and worth another read. I liked it!<br />
<i>Grace Defined and Defended</i> by Kevin Deyoung. Explains the Canons of Dort and why they matter. Maybe only for the theology nerd. But as accessible as everything else Deyoung writes.<br />
<i>Fierce Knights and Faithful Loves </i>(Edmund Spencer's <i>Faerie Queen </i>Book 1) edited by Roy Maynard. The footnotes alone make this worth the read. Great story of a knight, a lady, and a villain.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Sacrifice of Praise </i>by Herman Bavinck.<br />
<i>Fiddler's Green</i> by AS Peterson. Continuation of Fiddler's Gun. I liked the first one a little more.<br />
<i>God and Galileo</i> by David Block and Kevin Freeman. So so so disappointing to read scientists who claim Christ and deny Creation. Do not recommend. But you're welcome to borrow my copy if you can handle my snarky comments in the margin.<br />
<i>Pray Big</i> by Alistair Begg. Do you ever feel like your personal prayer requests or your church's prayer requests are all about traveling mercies and physical ailments? Does that <i>really</i> match up to the prayers that weighed on the Biblical saints? This is a great reminder to not sweat the small stuff and spend more time on the big stuff. <b>Loved this little book!!!</b><br />
<i>Longitude</i> by Dava Sobel. How longitude came to be.<br />
<i>So Brave, So Young, and Handsome</i> by Leif Enger. Another amazing yarn spun by the author of <i>Peace Like a River.</i> Two thumbs up!<br />
<i>Jacob Have I Loved</i> by Katherine Paterson. Hard story but second time through because this one really tugs at my heart.<br />
<i>Iliad</i> by Homer. Mrs. Bennet, but I think we may safely boast here sit three of the silliest men in the whole country. What a bunch of egos. Good anyway. ;)<br />
<i>Children's Homer</i> by Padraic Column. I read this aloud periodically and did again this year to my younger students. I assigned the 'Odyssey' portion to my high schoolers rather than have them explore Odysseus's adulterous idiocy in the adult version. Extremely well-written.<br />
<i>Sermon on the Mount</i> by Sinclair Ferguson. Anything by Ferguson is encouraging and pastoral, and this was no exception. Highly recommend.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic </i>by Jennifer Trafton. Zany fun.<br />
<i>On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness </i>by Andrew Peterson. I do not exaggerate when I say that <a href="https://carmelconversations.blogspot.com/2017/12/identity-crisis-ive-got-news-for-you.html" target="_blank">Wingfeather Saga</a> plus Ferguson's <i>Whole Christ</i> were paradigm shifting for me. Read them, and understand life. I think this is my fourth or fifth time through. I've lost count.<br />
<i>Bark of the Bog Owl</i> by Jonathan Rogers. Fun!<br />
<i>Beyond the Diploma</i> by Beverly Parrish. Homeschooling has become a pretentious affair in the last 15 years, and all we've got to show for it is a demographic of self-important smart-asses. (Oh <i>stop</i>. I just can't think of a more appropriate word.) Bev is a great personal friend and my original homeschooling mentor. She reminds us here to keep our feet on the ground, remember our original vision for our children, and she provides the nuts and bolts to get it done. I'd hand this one out, too.<br />
<i>Clockwork Universe</i> by Edward Dolnick. The history of the watch. Interesting!<br />
<i>Valley of Vision</i> by Arthur G. Bennett. Good, good prayers that model right praying priorities for us.<br />
<i>Girl, Wash Your Face</i> by Rachel Hollis. Is it too crass to use the word <i>stupid</i> in a book review? How about <i>insipid</i>? <i>Inane</i>? I was embarrassed for the author. Basically, take care of yourself--because you're worth it. Reminiscent of Cybill Shepherd's L'Oreal commercials that made me gag as a teenager. But worse since Hollis claims Christ. Riiiiiiight.<br />
<i>Gospel and Kingdom</i> by Graeme Goldsworthy. God's Kingdom is God's people living in God's place under God's reign. I <3 Goldsworthy! Second time through and I love him even more.<br />
<i>A Time to Die</i> by Nadine Brandes. What if you had a clock counting down days to your demise? What would that do to a society? Not my cup of tea, but definitely an interesting premise! Well-told. If you like dystopian, you might really enjoy this. First in a series.<br />
<i>Macbeth</i> by William Shakespeare. My very favorite Shakespeare! Divided up parts and read as a family. Too much fun!<br />
<br />
<i>Grow in Grace</i> by Sinclair Ferguson. Anything by Ferguson, just anything. :)<br />
<i>North! Or Be Eaten</i> by Andrew Peterson. MEGALOVE. Is that a word?<br />
<i>Enchantress From the Stars</i> by Sylvia Engdahl. Even though I don't prefer sci-fi, this one is quite good. Second time through, and I caught even more than I did the first time (though Engdahl is about as weird as they come...)<br />
<i>Inferno</i> by Dante Alighieri. Dante was a Renaissance man, not a believer. His view of Hell is emphatically not Biblical. But it <b>IS</b> clever. Dante mixes real life pagans, literary pagans, and even some Bible folks into one hellish stew. No one should read <i>Purgatorio</i> (I did. Sigh.), since the very notion of "Purgatory" blasphemes the sufficiency of the Cross. Don't waste your time.<br />
<i>Women's Ministry in the Local Church</i> by Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt. I have more questions than answers on this topic. I thought maybe Duncan, for whom I have a warm regard and deep respect, might lend clarity. Nope. Do first-century saints gaze down at twenty-first century saints and wonder, How on earth did they get from 'Paul'...to 'Programs'?<br />
<i>Charlotte's Web</i> by EB White. Is there anything more fun that doing all the voices and reading this to your 6 yr old and 10 yr old? And seeing my 10 yr old--who is all boy and all football all the time--genuinely moved by Charlotte was poignant.<br />
<i>Nothing to Hide</i> by Mark Bertrand. Great, gritty, clean crime story, third in a series. I think guys will like this one.<br />
<i>Best Christmas Pageant Ever</i> by Barbara Johnson. So much giggling from the kids. We read this almost every year at Christmas time.<br />
<i>Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</i> by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. An eye-rolling nod to post-modernity aside, this is an absolutely delightful tale of a British island under German occupation during the war. Hints of <i>Mitford</i> or <i>Miss Read</i>. Gush, gush, gush.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned next year for some brand new reads. But remember to put the books down and spend time with your family, too. Happy reading!Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-78712883687209448232019-06-15T08:57:00.000-07:002019-06-15T08:57:29.192-07:00The Magnificence of Ordinary--For My DadThis is my first Father's Day since Dad died.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Dad died.</i> It has been four weeks, and as I type that and see it in print, it is still surreal to me.<br />
Anyway, I've never been much of a fan of Hallmark holidays. But I loved my Dad, and I am acutely aware that I am heading into this day missing the Key Ingredient.<br />
<br />
Dad was the most compassionate person I have ever met. Bar none. He had a capacity to weep with those who weep unlike any I have seen. I have memories of him weeping upon receiving bad news about people he never even met. He stewarded that gift well, as he carried other people's burdens, feeling what they felt, coming alongside them, or lifting them up in prayer.<br />
<br />
He was also the most opinionated person I have ever met, generally sorting the world into the Right and the Stupid. If you knew him, you're laughing because you know it's true. And if you know me, you're laughing because you're realizing, "Oh, <i>that's</i> where she gets it." As Brett says in his worst redneck accent, "The apple don't fall far from the tree."<br />
<br />
And since I am that unfortunate combination of all of his passion plus none of his compassion,<br />
And since we often strongly disagreed on what was Right and what was Stupid...<br />
Suffice it to say, we had a feisty relationship.<br />
<br />
Dad is the reason I care about politics and theology. Oh, we usually had the same Ends in mind. It was the Means where it got...exciting. Eventually, we just stopped talking about politics. It wasn't worth it. As for theology, well, we both love the Lord, so to stop talking about that was like asking us both to stop breathing.<br />
<br />
We both cared passionately about the Lord.<br />
We both cared passionately that our children walk with Him.<br />
We both cared passionately that the Church behave like the Church.<br />
But our different understandings of Grace and God's sovereignty led us to conflicting conclusions about what a mature Christian or a healthy church look like.<br />
What he considered of primary importance, I considered secondary. What I considered primary, he considered secondary.<br />
Yep. It got exciting sometimes.<br />
<br />
Yet I owe my Dad a great debt. He led me to the Cross. He preached the gospel to me. He prayed with me to receive Jesus. He took me to church. He put his foot down against youth group and public school. When Brett came along, Dad inspected him for me. And across thirty-plus-years-and-counting of my marriage and eleven children, he interceded for us. He was always asking how he could pray for us. And it recalls to mind growing up, how I would see him pacing in the family room early in the morning praying--more like conversing--with the Lord. He was enthusiastic about our parenting choices and probably more informed on threats to home education, both foreign and domestic, than I was.<br />
<br />
In the days after Dad's death, the recurring theme was:<br />
<i>Your Dad was like a father to me.</i><br />
It is not hyperbole to say that I have lost count of how many times that was said.<br />
<br />
To me, he was just Dad. The guy who was just there. There every night after work. There at the dinner table. There, loving his wife and raising his kids like he genuinely enjoyed it. The guy who told really awful jokes, like The Pig with the Wooden Leg. The guy who would hug you goodbye--and then leave you his papal blessing. And the guy who loved us<i> and told us so</i>.<br />
<br />
That was ordinary to me. I thought it was the ordinary experience. I am starting to see that, to lots of other people, it was not ordinary. It was magnificent. And so now I must concur.<br />
<br />
It was.<br />
It was magnificent.<br />
It was magnificent to have a dad who was there; who was engaged and enthusiastic; who prayed for me and rooted for me; who loved me and told me so.<br />
<br />
And today, I am missing that magnificence more than I can express.Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-10256654568522272232019-04-11T13:37:00.000-07:002019-04-24T08:21:05.184-07:00Barnyard FunkBrett took me to a wine tasting class a few years ago for date night. We learned about Old World wines and New World wines and how to swirl and sniff and sip. Admittedly unschooled in the ways of wine, the oddest thing I learned was all the flavors you are supposed to be able to pick up in a glass of wine. You might get a hint of pepper. Or flowers. Or berries.<br />
<br />
Or barnyard funk.<br />
<br />
Come again? What, pray tell, is barnyard funk? Well, barnyard funk, as it turns out, has essence of exactly what you might expect to find in a barnyard. Oh.<br />
<br />
I would never make it as a sommelier.<br />
<br />
Not long ago, my Bible reading brought me here:<br />
<i>You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. </i><br />
<br />
I was not surprised by the <b>content</b>. This is emphatically biblical. I was surprised at the <b>context</b>. This is Leviticus 19:18. Leviticus. A book about laws and regulations and mildew and hair and parapets and birds. (Please, please don't get me wrong. I love Leviticus, and if you don't roll your eyes or yawn your way through it, you will discover it is truly magnificent. Give it some respect.)<br />
<br />
If I were to sum up Leviticus in one sentence it would be this:<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">An inherently unclean and unholy people--which we forget to our peril--are drawn into covenantal relationship with an inherently clean and holy God--which we also forget to our peril.</span><br />
<br />
Bearing grudges is our uncleanness and unholiness showing.<br />
To put a New Testament spin on this, bearing grudges is withholding grace.<br />
Loving our neighbor as ourselves is God's cleanness and holiness showing.<br />
Loving your neighbor as yourself is bestowing grace.<br />
<br />
Let's face it, fam. Sometimes we don't do reconciliation well. Sometimes we settle for truces. I agree never to discuss 'it' again if you agree never to discuss 'it' again. We extend a precise and peevish forgiveness and settle for an unstable peace. And suddenly our relationship looks like an exercise in geopolitics.<br />
<br />
So basically we serve up barnyard funk. Yeah, technically it's wine. But it tastes like dirt and manure. No thanks, I'll just have a glass of vinegar. At least the vinegar has health benefits.<br />
<br />
I was talking to a friend who is smarting from a relational hurt, and she mentioned needing to get past it. But I thought maybe she was settling for a truce when the aim is reconciliation. What she has now is a cease-fire. What she wants is fellowship.<br />
<br />
I have taken a long journey in my growth in grace. I have withheld grace. I have been suspicious of grace. And I have extended grace. <a href="http://carmelconversations.blogspot.com/2015/01/acclimating-to-unsuspicious-grace.html" target="_blank">I have learned the power of grace</a>, given. But I have also learned the power of the void where grace should be but is not.<br />
It is septic. Putrefactive. Toxic.<br />
<br />
Take forgiveness. You can extend all the technical forgiveness you want. But if there is not an accompanying grace, things in your presence will begin to <span style="font-size: large;">die</span>. Starting with yourself. Spreading to your marriage. Your family. Your friends. Your community. Because the people around you may not be sommeliers who can swirl and sip and identify barnyard funk. But they can sure smell the manure.<br />
<br />
The good news is that while the absence of grace kills, the presence of grace makes things flourish! Starting with yourself. Spreading to your marriage. Your family. Your friends. Your community.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Technical, graceless forgiveness can, I suppose, get you to the Lord's Table. But don't for a moment think that barnyard funk is what we taste at the Lord's Table. We get the good stuff. Because He only serves the good stuff.</span><br />
<br />
My friend texted me after our conversation. She said it was the push she needed to seek reconciliation. And she's moving forward. Stay tuned for fellowship and flourishing!<br />
<br />
How about you?<br />
Are you settling for barnyard funk?<br />
Or are you ready for the good stuff?Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-46044201218188528232019-03-25T08:03:00.000-07:002019-03-25T08:03:46.615-07:00It Was Always the PlanWe interrupt this Lenten season to bring you an important message about the Incarnation...<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.</i> Matthew 1:21<br />
<br />
The Incarnation is a mammoth topic. Wayne Grudem says this about it:<br />
"It is by far the <i>most</i> amazing miracle of the entire Bible--far <i>more</i> amazing than the resurrection and <i>more</i> amazing even than the creation of the universe. The fact that the infinite, omnipotent, eternal Son of God could become man and join himself to a human nature forever, so that infinite God became one person with finite man, will remain for eternity <i>the most profound miracle</i> and the most profound mystery in all the universe." (Grudem, 563)(emphasis mine)<br />
<br />
So when I was asked to speak on it last December, I had a hard time keeping it manageable. My research overwhelmed me. It was a little like saying, "Boil the ocean. You have thirty minutes. Go!" But then I found that book-ending the Incarnation with Genesis and Revelation kept it simple and taught me some powerful things.<br />
<br />
Genesis 3. Let me set you up. The snake has just slithered into Eden and succeeded at turning Eve's heart against the Creator. Satan knows it; Eve knows it; God knows it. Enter God, stage right:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>So the Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly, and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.' </i>Genesis 3:14-15</blockquote>
This is what the Big Picture Story Bible calls A Very Sad Day. (When I read this to my kids, I always mimic the mice from the movie Babe saying, "A very sad day...") My family would call this Trash Talk. This is what we do when we are making our NFL picks, and we're saying, When my team gets done with your team, your team isn't gonna know what hit them. And it's all done in jest and good humor.<br />
<br />
But God doesn't talk trash. And what He said on this very sad day is not in good humor and most certainly not in jest. Picture this. God, who has just been defied by Eve--she knows it, and He knows it--has just walked into the garden, stepped in front of her, and faced off with the snake. She is ashamed but looking over God's shoulder. God is putting His finger in the snake's chest.<br />
<br />
It's the heroic heart of a Father:<br />
You messed with my girl.<br />
It's the romantic heart of a Husband:<br />
You messed with my Baby.<br />
His Father/Husband heart comes roaring in to reveal the Plan:<br />
You're going down, snake. And I'm going to use her to do it.<br />
<br />
Thus begins the history of the only two lines of humanity there have ever been: those in Adams vs. those in Christ. God covenants. And the people, in gratefulness for this covenant, return the favor by making lousy covenanters, lousy judges, lousy priests, lousy kings.<br />
<br />
God sends prophets. God sends enemies. Then God sends <i>nothing</i>. Silence. For four hundred years. The United States isn't even four hundred years old. That's a long silence.<br />
<br />
Suddenly...<br />
<i>And the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.</i> John 1:14<br />
<br />
I love how the Big Picture Story Bible puts it:<br />
<i>So Caesar, the Roman ruler, the king of the whole Roman world, began counting all his people to show everyone how great he was. What Caesar did not know was that...[sic] God, the world's true ruler, the king of the universe, was getting ready to show everyone how great He was...</i><br />
<i>And do you know how God was going to do this? Not like Caesar...[sic] not proudly, by counting all his people, but humbly, by becoming one of his people.</i> (Helm, 237-40)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">While Caesar was showing how great he was by counting his people, God was showing how great He was by becoming one of His people. </span><br />
Sweet.<br />
God promised to crush the snake in Genesis.<br />
Jesus fulfilled that promise as God Man at the cross.<br />
<br />
And now let's fast forward to the future to see what Revelation tells us about the Incarnation.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was <u>slain from the creation of the world</u>.</i> Rev.13:5-8</blockquote>
Here we are in the future, and the beast--I mean, the snake--I mean, the devil--is <b>still</b> running his mouth. He's still inciting people against God, and he's still succeeding. Adam's line, the serpentine line, is alive and well among every nation, tribe, and tongue.<br />
Except...<br />
Those whose names have been written in the Lamb's book of life, <span style="font-size: large;">the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.</span><br />
<br />
And there you have it. God waits until the last book of the Scripture to reveal His hand. The Lamb was slain from the creation of the world. The Incarnation was not God's plan B. The Incarnation was not God wringing His hands at The Fall and going back to the drawing board.<br />
The Incarnation was always the Plan, because Atonement and Redemption were always the Plan.<br />
<br />
So let's go back to Matthew 1:21. If you're like me, you probably read it with this emphasis:<br />
She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will <b>SAVE</b> His people from their <b>SINS</b>.<br />
<br />
Might I suggest that when we read it that way, we miss the point <u>entirely</u>?<br />
Might I suggest that the point is more properly rendered with this emphasis?<br />
She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He <b>WILL</b> save <b>HIS</b> people from their sins.<br />
<br />
The Cross has a 100% success rate. ALL the people Jesus died for will be saved. Kevin DeYoung puts it this way: "He did not die to make you merely saveable; He died to make you saved."<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">If your name is written in the Lamb's book of life, you have been loved, definitely, particularly loved, from the creation of the world. And Jesus was incarnated to come and get <b>you</b>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">That was always The Plan. </span><br />
<br />
One more thing.<br />
It would be a shame if we confined the Incarnation to a manger. And December. And Luke 2.<br />
<br />
Because our hearts need this:<br />
<i>Come, Desire of Nations, Come, Offspring of the virgin's womb.</i><br />
<i>Rise the woman's conquering seed; bruise in us the serpent's head.</i><br />
<i>Adam's likeness now efface; stamp Thine image in its place.</i><br />
<i>Final Adam from above, reinstate us in Thy love. *</i><br />
in every month and every scripture.<br />
<br />
---------<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">With much gratitude to RC Sproul, Ligon Duncan, and Kevin DeYoung, whose sermons/blogs I leaned on heavily in my Incarnation study. If there was anything amazing in this post, it was most likely because of their work.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Grudem, Wayne. <i>Systematic Theology</i>. Intervarsity Press, 1994. p. 563.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Helm, David. <i>Big Picture Story Bible</i>. Crossway, 2004.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ladies, if you don't own a Big Picture Story Bible, you need to get one. No serious sheologian would be caught without it. And then you need to read it in one sitting. And then you need to read it to your kids. Rinse and repeat. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*Hark! The Herald Angels Sing</i>, Mendelssohn, Felix, 1739.</span>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-61519813731276263272019-01-23T07:06:00.000-08:002019-01-23T07:06:12.688-08:00Of Tuna Fish and SunlightLast night we saw a lunar eclipse, a celestial show put on by the Lord to display His glory. Every fifteen minutes or so, we would walk outside and watch the earth gradually overshadow the bright moon until its white had turned pink. The greater light and the lesser light dancing in the sky. And my daughter three hours away was watching the same things. Admission: free.<br />
<br />
Lunar eclipses are science. So is entropy. And inertia and nuclear fission and the laws of planetary motion and brain surgery. Science is good.<br />
<br />
In the other corner, we have 'science': macroevolution and global warming and psychotherapy (emphasis on <i>psycho</i>) and time travel. Call it 'quantum mechanics' if that makes you feel smart and legitimate, but tuna fish in an easy-to-swallow gel cap is still fishy. And you find the Virgin Birth troublesome? Pardon my mirth.<br />
<br />
I am no scientist. I am, however, a born skeptic, and my battle cry has always been, "Prove it." Majorities mean nothing to me. When four out of five dentists agree, it's that other one who has my attention. One day, there will be a grand reshuffling, and all the 'science' masquerading as science will be shouted from the rooftops and summarily kicked out. Oh Glorious Day.<br />
<br />
There is much in God's creation that is worthy of our respect. Great white sharks and grizzly bears and icebergs and Kilimanjaro. But 'harmful'? As in, with intent to harm me? Um, no. And you would all agree, yes?<br />
<br />
How about sunlight? Worthy of our respect? Sure. Harmful? Um, no. But scientists agree! Sunlight is harmful! Slather yourself with sunscreen! Wear your large-brimmed hats and sunglasses! Better yet, just don't go outside!<br />
<br />
Um, no.<br />
And I say that even as I keep an eye on a couple dermatological spots of my own.<br />
<br />
Well, well, well. Enter dermatologist Richard Weller of the University of Edinburgh. Turns out, kids, that sunlight gives us vitamin D.<br />
Yawn. Yeah, tell us something we didn't know. I take a million grams a day in a gel cap.<br />
Um, no.<br />
Turns out again, kids, that your gel cap does next to nothing. You actually have to <i>absorb </i>vitamin D through your<i> skin</i> from the <i>sunlight</i>.<br />
And turns out yet again, that absorbing said D via sunlight does a few good things for you:<br />
1. reduces risk of cancers like prostate, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic<br />
2. improves circadian rhythm<br />
3. reduces inflammation<br />
4. dampens autoimmune responses<br />
5. 'reduces virtually every mental condition you can think of'<br />
6. lowers blood pressure<br />
7. improves moods<br />
<br />
But four out of five dermatologists....<br />
Melanoma, you know?<br />
So get this. People out in the sun can get melanoma--AND THEY ARE EIGHT TIMES LESS LIKELY TO DIE FROM IT.<br />
'Dermatologists'...<br />
<br />
And I quote: "Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor of similar magnitude as smoking, in terms of life expectancy."* <span style="font-size: large;"><b>In other words, you can give up sunshine, or you can take up smoking. And the days ordained for you will protest, Big diff.</b></span><br />
<br />
I knew it! I knew it, I knew it , I knew it!!! I've always watched in horror as people slather on sunscreen at the rate of a bottle per outing. But I couldn't say anything. Four out of five dentists, blah, blah, blah....<br />
<br />
Truth be told, I don't care about the science--or even the 'science.' What really yanks my chain is when people call something <span style="font-size: x-large;">God made</span> 'harmful' Yank, yank, yank. What matters most to me is that a good Creator gave us a great big ball in the sky not just for His glory but for our good. I would expect nothing less.<br />
<br />
And who are you, o dermatologist, to call good evil and evil good?<br />
Enjoy your tuna fish; as for me and my house, we're going outside to play.<br />
<br />
<i>God made two great lights, the great light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. <b>God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth</b>, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; </i><b><i>and God saw that it was good.</i> </b>Genesis 1:16-18<br />
-------<br />
*Data and quotes in this post taken from:<br />
Jacobsen, Rowan. <i>Is Sunscreen the New Margarine?</i> Outsideonline.com. January 10, 2019.Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-68320440777914613972019-01-02T14:12:00.003-08:002019-01-02T14:12:54.218-08:00Books! 2018 Reading ListMy year in books:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>A Trick of the Light </i>by Louise Penny. More wonderful Inspector Gamache.<br />
<i>Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder at God's Spoken World</i> by ND Wilson. I loved this book, lovedlovedloved. This was the best book I read all year, and I already have it on my stack to begin tomorrow as my second annual read. Beautiful.<br />
<i>This Changes Everything</i> by Jacquelle Crow. Really good challenge to teens to live like gospel-informed believers now, not 'when they grow up.'<br />
<i>The Long Winter</i> by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I did my duty. They heard one Ingalls read-aloud. Can I quit now?<br />
<i>Cry the Beloved Country</i> by Alan Paton. Beautiful book.<br />
<i>The Beautiful Mystery</i> by Louise Penny. Dragged a little.<br />
<i>Dead Wake</i> by Erik Larson. Fantastic book about the sinking of the Lusitania.<br />
<i>Nature of the Beast </i>by Louise Penny.<br />
<i>Peace Like a River </i>by Leif Enger. It was only February, and I was certain this would be the second best book I will have read all year.<br />
<i>Back on Murder</i> by J. Mark Bertrand.<br />
<i>One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich</i> by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Bloom where you're planted. Even if you're planted in the Gulag. Wow.<br />
<i>David Livingstone</i> by John Hudson Tiner. I am puzzled and saddened by a man who would sacrifice his family for evangelism and exploration. Not impressed.<br />
<i>Red Scarf Girl</i> by Ji-li Jiang. Tough but good autobiography of a young girl in the Cultural Revolution<br />
<i>Mary Slessor: Queen of Calabar</i> by Sam Wellman<br />
<i>The Wednesday Wars</i> by Gary Schmidt. A boy comes of age during the Vietnam War with the help of an English teacher and a little Shakespeare. Loved this book and want to read more by Schmidt.<br />
<i>The Tempest</i> by William Shakespeare<br />
<i>Three Hostages</i> by John Buchan. Buchan! Yes!<br />
<i>First They Killed My Father</i> by Loung Ung. Ung recounts her own story of living through Khmer Rouge. One of those necessary reads but excruciatingly sad.<br />
<i>That Hideous Strength</i> by CS Lewis. Really enjoyed the first in the trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet. Pressed through Perelandra; did not really get it. Then on to enjoyable That Hideous Strength. A few words, I think, are necessary on Lewis. His stories are mostly interesting, but read him theologically with a bucket of salt. Great writer, not a great theologian. He was also an evolutionist, and no one who doubts God right off the blocks can be taken seriously as a theologian.<br />
<i>Great Gilly Hopkins</i> by Katherine Paterson. Well, just rip my heart out and stomp that sucker flat.<br />
<i>Hope Was Here</i> by Joan Bauer.<br />
<i>Read-Aloud Family</i> by Sarah McKenzie. Good how-to's on developing a family read-aloud culture. A little mystified by some of her book titles. I recommend The Hand That Rocks the Cradle by Laurie Bluedorn for that. Laurie has never steered me wrong.<br />
<i>Dragon Tooth</i> by ND Wilson. Second time through; this time I 'got it'; much better!<br />
<i>How the Nations Rage</i> by Jonathan Leeman. When American Christians write guides to politics, I always get the impression that they started with their presuppositions and then prooftexted them resulting in insufferable, moralistic tripe. Then along came Leeman. He starts with how God covenantally relates to both the believer and the nonbeliever, and we get this gem. If you are looking for a guide on how Americans should engage in politics, this is the best out there.<br />
<i>Conscience</i> by Andrew Naselli. Great exploration of weak and strong consciences, training the conscience, and how all these consciences live together in community called the Church. I had a serious learning curve on this one.<br />
<i>Walk Two Moons</i> by Sharon Creech.<br />
<i>Lord Tony's Wife </i>by Baroness Orczy. More Scarlet Pimpernel!<br />
<i>The</i> <i>Drowned Vault</i> by ND Wilson.<br />
<i>Confidence</i> by Stephen Nichols<br />
<i>The Great Reckoning</i> by Louise Penny<br />
<i>The Whole Christ</i> by Sinclair Ferguson. This was THE paradigm shift of the year for me. Left me sitting in my Snake Garden, just smiling and amazed at Who Jesus is and what He did for me.<br />
<i>Many Waters </i>by Madeleine L'Engle. Weird book written by a weirder chick. By the time I was halfway through, it was the author, not the plot, that was on trial. Would she be faithful to the Biblical text? Meh.<br />
<i>The Prayer That Turned the World Upside Down</i> by Al Mohler<br />
<i>Empire of Bones</i> by ND Wilson. Finale of the Ashtown Burials trilogy. Really odd sci-fi but really profound spiritual truths as only Wilson can write. I'm a big fan.<br />
<i>City of God</i> by Augustine. Started as an Augustine skeptic but ended an Augustine fan. Helpful to remember that Augustine didn't have a Luther to build upon, but as my daughter-in-law Linda reminds me, he was a pioneer.<br />
<i>Killer Angels</i> by Michael Shaara. What if you could get inside the heads of the major players at Gettysburg? Couldn't put it down.<br />
<i>Getting the Gospel Right</i> by RC Sproul. ECT was an gospel catastrophe, and the ensuing Gift of Salvation didn't clarify anything. Sproul takes both to task for their sloppiness, and points us to scripture for clarity, truth, and precision.<br />
<i>Indianapolis </i>by Lynn Vincent. True story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the tragic legal events that followed. Maybe not the best book for the mother of a naval officer to read, but I couldn't put it down.<br />
<i>Transforming Grace</i> by Jerry Bridges<br />
<i>Birth of a New Physics</i> by Bernard Cohen. Read everything but the last chapter. Just couldn't slog through anymore.<br />
<i>Wingfeather Tales</i> edited by Andrew Peterson. Members of the Rabbit Room take a crack at the world of the Igibys. Good but should read the Saga first so you have context. That last tale. Wow.<br />
<i>Sir Percy Hits Back</i> by Baroness Orczy<br />
<i>Cheaper by the Dozen</i> by Frank Gilbreth, Jr., and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Love. But this time, I bought my own copy and struck through the offensive language with a dark pen, of which there is quite a bit, so stay on your toes if you do it as a read-aloud.<br />
<i>Prodigal God</i> by Tim Keller.<br />
<i>The Green Ember </i>by SD Smith. Had the privilege of seeing Smith, a funny and gentle soul, speak in the spring. This first in a series is a sweet eschatological treatment of good v. evil for the littler ones.<br />
<i>Long Way Gone</i> by Charles Martin<br />
<i>Worldly Saints </i>by Leland Ryken. Liked this book more than I thought I would. The Puritans have gotten a bad wrap forever. But Ryken uses oodles of primary sources to demonstrate who they really were, for better or worse. Recommend!<br />
<i>Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God</i> by Jonathan Edwards. Easily the best sermon ever preached, this was assigned to me in high school, and it profoundly impacted me then. It aligned with the God of the Bible far more than any sermon I had heard in any of my churches. I think I probably became reformed in that moment. Read it again this year since my high school sophomore had to read it, and I regret not assigning it to all of my previous students. Love, love, love.<br />
<i>The Scandal of Father Brown</i> by GK Chesterton. Read the Father Brown books; do NOT waste your time on the horrid Netflix series.<br />
<i>Pilgrim's Progress </i>by John Bunyan.<br />
<i>Understood Betsy</i> by Dorothy Canfield Fisher<br />
<i>This is Our Time</i> by Trevin Wax. Good book on millennial issues.<br />
<i>Island of Sheep</i> by John Buchan. Great!<br />
<i>Frankenstein</i> by Mary Shelley. Fourth time. Brilliant story that follows its worldview to its logical end<br />
<i>The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> by Robert Louis Stevenson<br />
<i>Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry</i> by Mildred Taylor. Growing up black in the Great Depression south. Heart-warming and heart-wrenching.<br />
<i>Deadliest Monster</i> by Jeff Baldwin. There is Christianity and there is everything else. Coexis.<br />
<i>Pattern of Wounds</i> by J. Mark Bertrand. Continuing the story of Back on Murder.<br />
<i>In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson </i>by Betty Bao Lord. Cute.<br />
<i>Cross-Centered Life</i> by CJ Mahaney.<br />
<i>Fiddler's Gun</i> by AS Peterson. Man, those Brothers Peterson can write, though this is nothing like Wingfeather Saga. Similarly thoughtful, however. Really, really liked it though I need to read the conclusion in Fiddler's Green, so stay tuned for my 2019 reading list. ;)Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-32742029981222914162018-12-11T06:39:00.000-08:002018-12-11T06:39:03.382-08:00Let Us Press On to Know the Lord<i>What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?</i><br />
<i>What shall I do with you, O Judah?</i><br />
<i>For your loyalty is like a morning cloud</i><br />
<i>And like the dew which goes away early.</i><br />
<i>Therefore I have hewn them in pieces by the prophets;</i><br />
<i>I have slain them by the words of My mouth;</i><br />
<i>And the judgments on you are like light that goes forth.</i><br />
<i>For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice,</i><br />
<i>And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.</i><br />
<i>But like Adam, they have transgressed the covenant;</i><br />
<i>There they have dealt treacherously against Me.</i> Hosea 6:4-7<br />
<br />
Most of my book loving friends will be familiar with Anne Lamott, the dreadlock-wearing, uber-progressive author who made headlines with her conversion story many years ago. I know I was surprised. And although she credits a friend of hers, she's also famous for saying:<br />
You can safely assume you have made God in your own image when it turns out that He hates all the same people you hate.<br />
Amen, sister.<br />
But let's take the <b><u>whole</u></b> coin and look also at the other side:<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You can safely assume you have made God in your own image when it turns out He loves all the same things the world loves.</span> (I John 2:15)<br />
<br />
CCM artist Lauren Daigle made headlines of her own this week with her admission that she "doesn't know" if homosexuality is a sin. The quick backstory is that Ellen DeGeneres invited Daigle to sing on her show. And the two women are friends. Who wouldn't want to be friends with Ellen? She's cute as a button and funny as all get out.<br />
<br />
She's also gay. So scriptural teaching on homosexuality is causing Daigle some real angst, <span style="font-size: large;">as it should, </span>once you realize that there are real flesh and blood people you love and that the implications here are horrific. If you can't picture a person you know when you read Leviticus 18 or 1 Corinthians 6, you might not get out enough.<br />
<br />
Here's the problem, though, with Daigle's reticence to commit (unless she is truly unschooled in the Word, which I have a hard time believing, considering her lyrics, which are basically sound): <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/jen-hatmaker-power-deconversion-stories/" target="_blank">Deconversion</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Deconversion is essentially shorthand for: I have weighed Truth in the balance and found it wanting.</b><br />
<br />
<i>What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?</i><br />
<i>What shall I do with you, O Judah?</i><br />
<i>For your loyalty is like a morning cloud</i><br />
<i>And like the dew which goes away early.</i><br />
<br />
Deconversion starts with questions.<br />
Last spring, I printed off the above link on Deconversions and crawled through it with my high schoolers. I asked them if they ever had questions about scripture, if they ever had a hard time with anything they ever read in the Word. They were reluctant to say, so I shared that I <i>did</i> have questions. There <i>are</i> things in the Bible that have offended me, that I have had to wrestle with.<br />
<br />
But my starting point is that the Word is holy, inspired, and inerrant. So if I am offended or confused or unconvinced, the error always lies with me, not with the scripture. The only other starting point is that error lies in the Word, and it must be made to submit to Truth as I understand it. One person questions the Word from beneath it; one questions from above.<br />
<br />
<i>Therefore I have hewn them in pieces by the prophets;</i><br />
<i>I have slain them by the words of My mouth;</i><br />
<i>And the judgments on you are like light that goes forth.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Questioning the Word from underneath makes a woman humble.<br />
Questioning the Word from above make a woman a heretic.<br />
<br />
Two things I have learned as a parent. Maybe they will help you, too.<br />
<br />
First, it is extremely important to let our kids struggle with the Word of God. <b>You do not want your kid to believe It--whatever It is--just because you believe It. </b>Trust me on that. Wrestling over the Word builds spiritual muscle, and spiritual muscle is a good thing. But it is also extremely important that they wrestle from underneath the Word rather than above it. We want them to love and trust the Word because they love and trust the Author.<br />
<br />
Second, teach your kids to press on to know the Lord.<br />
Let me qualify that. Theologian Cornelius Van Til correctly says, exegeting Romans 1, that there are only two types of people:<br />
1. Those who know God and love Him because they have been delivered out of darkness and into His marvelous light.<br />
2. Those who know God and hate Him.<br />
So there is no question that, at bottom, all of our kids know God. The question is whether they love Him or hate Him. But assuming they love Him...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Teach them that God's Word is the final arbiter of Truth. We don't weigh It in the balance; It weighs us. </span> Teach them that when they encounter things in scripture that are counter-intuitive--and they will; boy howdy, they will--that's their flesh speaking. Teach them to bang their head on that passage until God makes it real and true to them.*<br />
<br />
To be sure, there are secret things that belong to the Lord. There will always be some things that God holds close to the breast. He is God. That is His prerogative. But there are other things that have been revealed to us, and they are for us and for our children to know.<br />
<br />
<i>For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice,</i><br />
<i>And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.</i><br />
<i>But like Adam, they have transgressed the covenant;</i><br />
<i>There they have dealt treacherously against Me.</i><br />
<br />
What is the antidote to transgression and treachery? Loyalty (I stand with You) and the knowledge of God (I think like You). Knowing the Lord will help us be nuanced where God is nuanced and straightforward where God is straightforward. Not knowing the Lord puts us at risk of making God in our own image, an image that hates what He loves AND loves what He hates.<br />
<br />
Lauren Daigle needs to press on to know the Lord, but she is just representative of the rest of us.<br />
We need to press on to know the Lord, too.<br />
And so do our children.<br />
<br />
--------<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I believe it was John Piper who said this, but I can't find the link, so I want to be both careful and cautious in giving credit.</span>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-49350420768431695962018-11-01T05:21:00.000-07:002018-11-01T05:21:03.498-07:00Resting Like a Tax Collector"All God asks is that we lay down our insistence on contributing to God's estimation of our merits and embrace Christ's record as our own. Nothing is to be added to or subtracted from this message of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord."*<br />
-------------------<br />
Question: Is it possible that a shape can <i>both</i> be a triangle <i>and</i> not a triangle?<br />
Answer: No. In logic, we call this the Law of Noncontradiction. The rest of us just call it Common Sense.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to Heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other.</i> (Luke 18: 9-14)<br />
<br />
The Pharisee: He rocks merit, and he knows it and wants God to know it, too.<br />
The tax collector: He's got no merit and no hope of ever accruing any, and he knows it. His only hope is a merit from outside himself, an alien merit. One of them went away justified; we know that.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But don't miss, on this Reformation Day, what else the Lord is saying: <i>Both</i> of them did not go away justified; one of them went away <i>not</i> justified.</span><br />
<br />
A shape cannot be both a triangle and not a triangle.<br />
Salvation cannot be by faith alone and not by faith alone. These two paths cannot be the same gospel.<br />
The Savior cannot save completely by His own merit and not save completely by His own merit. These two persons cannot be the same Jesus.<br />
<br />
There will not be in heaven a set of people who rested in Christ's merit alone and a set of people who did not rest in Christ's merit alone. No matter what your faith community is, at least be intellectually honest and admit they cannot <i>both</i> be true.<br />
<br />
So, mamas, what are we teaching our children? Are we being as precise as Jesus in the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? Or are we teaching them that there's no fundamental difference between Grace and Grace-Alone?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"The only thing you contribute to your salvation is the sin that made it necessary." Jonathan Edwards**</span><br />
<br />
Have we said that to our kids lately? Do they feel, like the tax collector, a hopelessness and a helplessness to fix their own predicament? Do we throw ourselves entirely upon the mercy of God and teach our children to do the same?<br />
Or are we teaching them to think like a Pharisee, that as long as they are baptized and taking the Lord's Supper and going to church and reading the Bible then they are safe?<br />
<br />
Salvation belongs to the Lord.<br />
Alone.<br />
It always has.<br />
<br />
<i>Salvation belongs to the Lord.</i> (Psalm 3:8)<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; </i><br />
<i>He is their strength in times of trouble.</i> (Psalm 37:39)<br />
<br />
<i>After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; </i>(Revelation 19:1)<br />
<br />
The opening quote bears repeating:<br />
All God asks is that we lay down our insistence on contributing to God's estimation of our own merits and embrace Christ's record as our own. Nothing is to be added to or subtracted from this message of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord.<br />
<br />
If I really believe that salvation belongs to the Lord, then I need to check my gimbals. How is salvation presented in my home? Either I am living like a Pharisee and raising little Pharisees, as we go through life accruing our own merit, or I am resting like the tax collector and raising children to rest like little tax collectors, embracing Christ's record as our only hope and salvation.<br />
<br />
Glory and power to the Lord, who owns our salvation.<br />
On this Reformation Day, may you and yours, like the tax collector, find Rest in the record of Jesus and go to your homes justified.<br />
<br />
*<span style="font-size: x-small;">Gospel Transformation Bible, 2008, study notes on Revelation 22:18-19 </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">I've already commissioned my daughter to hand-letter this, and I'm going to hang it in a prominent place in my house. Thanks, Babylon Bee, for the reminder!</span>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-57930114997921289732018-09-24T09:13:00.000-07:002018-09-24T09:13:53.712-07:00Be Back Soon!Dear Reader,<br />
<br />
Thank you for sticking around. We have had a whirlwind year! One more grandbaby was born in April far away, whom we will meet soon. Another grandbaby was born right here in Texas in June. My daughter had an unexpectedly difficult birth, and I was able to be there for a while to help wherever they needed help. A son was married in August, and a daughter will be married in November. So by year's end, the current tally will be four kids-in-law and four grandchildren. After eleven children, I've decided that marriage and grandbabies are my favorite ways to grow our family. And I just LOVE every one of these new family members. God has been ever so kind to us.<br />
<br />
Also, I've been on a social media hiatus since May. And the internet silence has been good for my soul. It has been good for me to just listen to the Conversation and not talk. It has been good to gather my thoughts on a number of issues without all the noise. It has been good to think without speaking.<br />
<br />
But I do have a number of blog drafts I have been working on. And I plan to start posting again in the next week or so.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm still here.<br />
Be back soon!<br />
Love,<br />
NoelNoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-80330211839762489652018-04-18T07:35:00.000-07:002018-04-18T07:35:18.376-07:00Hell YesBack in college, I had an art appreciation professor who cornered me on my definition of Christianity. When I said that Jesus saves us from Hell, he cut me off with, "Hell is never mentioned in the Bible." His smugness told my 300 classmates that he won the day. My takeaway was that he was an idiot.<br />
<br />
About a month ago, Brett was reading the headlines at breakfast when he sat back and announced, "Oh look. The Pope has declared he doesn't believe in Hell."<br />
<br />
Now if this had been RC Sproul or John Piper, or my pastor, or one of my close friends who made this declaration, it would have been shocking. But this was Pope Francis. Francis, who announced in a May, 2013, mass that if atheists 'do good, we will meet one another there,' (<i>there</i> being Heaven). This is Francis, who in December of 2015, opened a 'door of mercy' (I am not making this up) in St. Peter's Basilica, granting an indulgence (and you thought they died with the Reformation) to those who passed through the door. Unfortunately, the good Pontiff closed that door in November of 2016. (I...I...wow.) If I were Catholic, that would be a chilling click indeed.<br />
<br />
So, no. I was not in the least surprised to find that Francis declared he didn't believe in Hell. I just sat back and waited for the dust-up. Sure enough, Vatican spin doctors kicked it into overdrive in the following days, telling us what Francis did or did not mean by his comment. After all, even Catholicism has a doctrine of Hell, albeit a flawed one. But here's one glaringly important detail: Francis did not <i>himself</i> ever offer clarification. What's a poor girl to think?<br />
<br />
I just shook my head. Not my pope. Not my problem. But it was quite interesting to then attend Together for the Gospel 2018, where 12,500 gospel Christians gathered to be reminded of this one glorious truth: we are distinct from the world.<br />
<br />
Ligon Duncan, chancellor of the Presbyterian Reformed Theological Seminary, and R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, presided over a session to discuss the current theological challenges to the gospel. And those challenges?<br />
Sin.<br />
Wrath.<br />
Hell.<br />
<br />
My own observation is that these challenges have been going on for many years. I have a friend from a rather liberal denomination who told me about fifteen years ago that her church never talks about the devil. To my friend's credit, she acknowledged that this was probably ill-advised, but she explained that the church's position was that the devil is not a positive topic. And we all know Rob "Love Wins" Bell, who can't imagine a loving God sending anyone to Hell. So let me say right now that this is hardly a 'Catholic' problem. But let's be crisp. <span style="font-size: large;">Anyone who denies the existence of sin, wrath, and Hell is an enemy of the gospel. </span><br />
<br />
Listen up. It is one thing to be an atheist art prof and deny Hell. But denying the existence of sin, wrath, and Hell while simultaneously claiming identity with Christ is like singing the praises of reading while denying the existence of the alphabet.<br />
<br />
<i>For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.</i> 2 Corinthians 2:2<br />
<br />
If Paul thought he should know and proclaim not just Jesus Christ but Jesus-Christ-crucified, then there must be something critical about 'crucified' that cannot be separated from Jesus Christ. What in the world would make a compelling need for something as hideous and awful as crucifixion?<br />
Sin.<br />
Wrath.<br />
Hell.<br />
<br />
I am currently reading through Revelation with my kids. Yesterday, we were reading about the wrath of God being poured out on the peoples of the earth. I asked the kids if they could think of any distinctions between the words "anger" and "wrath," to which my 13 yr old replied, 'Yeah, anger is inside you, but wrath is when you want other people to feel it. It is outward.' Out of the mouths of babes.<br />
<br />
Hell exists because it is the consequence of God's wrath. God's wrath exists because of our sin. And sin exists because of our first parents. Hence the need for Jesus-Christ-crucified, who bore our sin, absorbed God's wrath, and saved us from Hell.<br />
<br />
Is this really that difficult?<br />
<br />
Mamas, teach sin, wrath, and Hell. Teach them to your children with the same intensity and the same commitment with which you teach them the alphabet. When they ask you if sin, wrath, and Hell exist, respond in the Scripture-believing, Gospel-preaching, Christ-exalting, Truth-loving affirmative.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sin. Yes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Wrath. Yes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Hell. Yes.</span><br />
<br />
<i>The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. </i>2 Cor. 2:14-16Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-5883211406782134052018-02-06T08:58:00.000-08:002018-02-06T08:58:29.592-08:00What am I Building?It's been almost a year since I've given up politics. Not only has it been good for my blood pressure and my relationships, it has also clarified a few things. I can see clearly now that my chief end is not preserving the Republic and enjoying it forever. (To my politically involved friends, I do not say that this is in <i>your</i> heart; I say that this was in <i>my</i> heart.)<br />
<br />
I have begun to think more globally than ever before, a trend that has a couple data points over the past couple of years. The first data point my study of the book of Acts last summer. There, in the second chapter, God undoes what He did at Babel. At Babel, He scattered the peoples of the earth, separating them both geographically and linguistically. But at Pentecost, He gathered them back in. Lo and behold, the gospel, as it turns out, is for all nations, tribes, and tongues. And then, via persecution, this time He scattered <i>His</i> people. And this time, it was not to divide but to unite the Elect from the uttermost parts of the earth. Because where His people went, there went the gospel with them. This was the first and ultimate Church building project.<br />
<br />
The second data point has been our school study of the 20th century this year. Do you know how many millions of people died at the hands of patriotic nationalists in the last century? "Our country for our people" thinking has yielded precisely zero benefits.<br />
<br />
The third data point was a lunch meeting our pastors had with a couple guys from The Gospel Coalition's Theological Famine Relief Fund. These guys shared an interesting stat. Did you know that, from the countries of Cuba and Sweden, the most requested language for the Famine's gospel materials is Farsi? Farsi. Do you know who speaks Farsi? Iranians speak Farsi. So do Afghans. So do a number of other people in the Middle East.<br />
<br />
What is your reaction when you hear that news? Be honest. Does it stress you out that speakers of Arabic are 'this close' to our shores? Or does your heart rejoice that God is once again scattering peoples and bringing the gospel to them? People who have only every known Islam and and Islamic theocracies?<br />
<br />
I'm as white-bread middle class as they come. If there is a non-European gene in my ancestry, I am unaware of it. But God is not white-bread middle class, and neither is His good news. So it was with great dismay that I listened last week to my president (I've given up politics, not the news.) insinuate that Dreamers are simply gang members waiting to happen. That's the logical equivalent of saying I'm a Nazi because I'm German.<br />
<br />
It's not disturbing--or news--that my president thinks this way. It is disturbing that <i>we</i> think this way. Is it possible that we have categorized these people the wrong way? Is it possible that we should see Dreamers and refugees, not as threats to our 'way of life' but as future brothers and sisters in Christ? How hopeful should we be? How hospitable should we be? How 'righteously compassionate'--to borrow a term from last Sunday's sermon--should we be?<br />
<br />
Full disclosure: I do not come at this naturally or easily. There's not much in me that desires to be exposed to other cultures. But I cannot read the Word and be transformed by it without also becoming more hopeful, more hospitable, more compassionate. This is my challenge; I know that.<br />
<br />
So go ahead and build your wall if that makes you feel better. But I appeal to you, as you stack those bricks with the zeal of a kid in a nerf gun war, to take an occasional break, place your hand over your heart, and ask yourself:<br />
Does this wall strengthen the Kingdom?<br />
Does this wall further the gospel?<br />
Does this wall glorify God?<br />
<br />
As for me, I'd rather build the Church than a wall any day.<br />
<br />
<i>After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"</i> Revelation 7:9-10Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-30684440083316641632018-01-16T06:43:00.001-08:002018-01-16T06:43:17.365-08:00Apology or Doxology?If there is one thing I've learned in 29 years of marriage, it is to seek clarification. If there is one thing I have learned in the past nine years as a debate mom, it is 'define your terms.' In the current climate of gender/sexuality issues, lots of people who self-identify as Christians use the term 'love' and yet seem to be talking past one another. A few weeks ago, some friends and I began <i>A Beautiful Design</i> by Matt Chandler.* It was a safe place for us to ask hard questions and grapple with concerns we have as friends, families, and moms. It was in that setting that I began to get my aha! moment about doxology.<br />
-------<br />
<i>If you love Him, then you love holiness. What you please shouldn't present a problem. </i>(ND Wilson)<i> </i><br />
<br />
<div>
Two truths:<br />
1. God is love. (I John 4:16)<br />
2. All scripture is inspired by God. (2 Tim 3:16)<br />
If you disagree that these are true, then we've come to the part of the flowchart that says "END." Have a great day. But if you agree with me...<br />
<br />
If you agree that God is love and that all scripture is inspired by God, then all scripture must be love because anything that proceeds from a God who is love must necessarily be loving. Or else we negate the proposition, in which case we come again to the part of the flowchart that says "END." Have a great day. But if you agree that <b>all</b> scripture must be <b>love</b>...<br />
<br />
Then why doesn't all scripture elicit worship from us, His Church?<br />
Why does a six-day Creation make us squirm?<br />
Why does Leviticus make us squirm?<br />
Why does a bloody cross make us squirm?<br />
Why does the Final Judgment make us squirm?<br />
Why does God's Word, which is love because it proceeds from God who is love, make us squirm?<br />
And, conversely, why don't people who identify as Christians but squirm over scripture make us squirm?<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why is there so much apology and so little doxology?</span><br />
<br />
DOXOLOGY /dahk SOL' uh jee/ [Gr. "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">δοξα</span>" praise, glory and "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">λεγω</span>" to speak] (n.): a hymn in praise of the Almighty; a particular form of giving glory to God<br />
<br />
A church in our neighborhood has this tag line under its title:<br />
"Where Jesus is the key and people are the point."<br />
Ah. No. As Charles Spurgeon would remind us, there is a difference between 'right' and 'almost right.' That tag line is almost right, but it is not right--which makes it wrong. People are inherently valuable. We are not incidental, but neither are we the point. God is. Loving God is the <u>first and greatest</u> commandment. Loving my neighbor is the <u>second</u> commandment. (Matt 22:37-38; Mark 12:29-30) The first commandment bounds the second, not the other way around.<br />
<br />
Almost-Right-People-Are-The-Point is epidemic in the Church and has taken us down the Bunny Trail of Apology. Take the hot topics of our day: gender and sexuality. Who of us has more than two degrees of separation from someone who is confused by these issues? Either we know someone who is confused, or we know someone who knows someone who is. And we were sovereignly placed in such a time as this.<br />
BUT...<br />
when we think that people are the point, we start to apologize. They're real flesh and blood, after all, not some proposition on a page. (A hearty amen! to that). They're really great folks, too! (Possibly an amen! to that, too).<br />
<br />
So down the Bunny Trail we go.<br />
I'm sorry that God created only two genders.<br />
Next comes, I'm sorry for Leviticus.<br />
I'm sorry for the Law.<br />
And pretty soon, we've arrived at:<br />
I'm sorry for the cross. Let's just call it symbolic and call it a day.<br />
I'm sorry that there are certain people who will never inherit the Kingdom.<br />
I'm sorry. I didn't write it. My hands are tied on this one.<br />
<br />
We're not quite willing to jettison the Word. But we do want to put some distance between It and us, because, remember, people are the point, so making our people feel badly must be avoided at all costs. And while we're busy kicking the dirt, avoiding eye contact, and making God the bad guy, what we are really communicating is that if <i>we</i> were God, we would have done things differently. If <i>we</i> were God, we wouldn't be so hard line. If <i>we</i> were God, we would celebrate you.<br />
<br />
People are the crowning jewel of God's creation. But we <i>are</i> creations. What makes us feel good on the one hand or guilty on the other is not the weighing mechanism for what is really and truly Love.<br />
<br />
God is the point. And if God, who is love and who authored all of scripture, is the point, then His instructions should elicit worship and wonder, not apology. <b>Never apology.</b> And we shouldn't find ourselves affirming anything at all that is contra-God and contra-scripture.<br />
<br />
Further, if God is love and all of His Words are love, it must necessarily follow that God's Word is the most loving thing we can share with our people. It must follow that His Words are the best way for our people, who are really great folks--but also under wrath--to reach their full flourishing potential.<br />
<br />
Who are the covenant people of God, after all?<br />
<i>For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.</i> Hebrews 8:10<br />
The covenant people of God have God's law on their hearts--because <b>He</b> put it there--and they love it, and they love Him.<br />
<br />
The opening quote bears repeating: <span style="font-size: large;">If you love God, then you love holiness. What you please shouldn't present a problem. </span><br />
<br />
So, gospel Christian, do we love Genesis 1 and Leviticus 18 and Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6? Do they bring forth doxology from us? <b>If</b> God has written them on my heart, <b>then</b> the answer is <b>yes.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><i>Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.</i> (Jude 24-25)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>------------</b><br />
*a wonderful series on gender that offers the compassion of Jesus without cratering His Truth</div>
Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-58733788467395664842018-01-02T07:28:00.004-08:002018-01-02T07:28:48.629-08:002017 Reading ListBeauty is in the eye of the beholder. So are books. Here are mine for the year, opinions occasionally included. Because, well, me.<br />
<br />
<i>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</i> by JK Rowling<br />
<i>Silver Lining</i> by Nancy Wilson. I turned 50 two weeks ago. Time to face facts; I <i>am</i> the older woman. And this is a good book for such a time as this.<br />
<i>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban </i>by JK Rowling<br />
<i>Comraderie of Confidence</i> by John Piper<br />
<i>Madeleine Takes Command*</i> by Ethel Claire Brill<br />
<i>Brave Companions</i> by David McCollough. I'm not big on biographies, but these short sketches were actually very interesting.<br />
<i>A Child's History of the Life of George Washington*</i> by Josephine Pollard. A little dry but more information here than most high schoolers get.<br />
<i>Discipleship</i> by Mark Dever. Dever can be a little...aggressive...about evangelism, so I read with a 'we'll see' attitude. Turns out this was a great book affirming the power and appropriateness of one-on-one discipleship.<br />
<i>Thoughts for Young Men</i> by JC Ryle. Written as a Titus 2 exhortation to young men to be sober-minded.<br />
<i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</i> by JK Rowling<br />
<br />
<i>Family Life of a Christian Leader</i> by Ajith Fernando. A little elementary.<br />
<i>Peter Pan*</i> by JM Barrie<br />
<i>Mr. Standfast</i> by John Buchan. Richard Hannay is my favorite spy. I would not usually classify a spy novel as literature--except for this one. I love Sam Gamgee and Boo Radley and all unsung heroes. There's one in here, too.<br />
<i>The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte</i> by Syrie James<br />
<i>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</i> by JK Rowling. Best book of the series. Juxtaposition of magic vs. legitimate 1 Samuel witchcraft. This is the one that really pulled me into the series.<br />
<i>Harry Potter and the Half-blood</i> <i>Prince</i> by JK Rowling<br />
<i>Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning</i> by Douglas Wilson. Second time on this one. Improved upon further acquaintance. Provides what she-who-shall-not-be-name failed to: the emphasis on the need for a fixed point of reference.<br />
<i>The Black Tower</i> by PD James. Meh.<br />
<i>Better Late Than Early</i> by Raymond and Dorothy Moore.<br />
<i>Reb and the Redcoats* </i>by Constance Savery. Thought this would never end.<br />
<br />
<i>Ordinary</i> by Michael Horton. If I gave you all the thoughts that impacted me in this book, I'd be violating copyright. Fantastic!<br />
<i>Fahrenheit 451</i> by Ray Bradbury<br />
<i>Bondage of the Will </i>by Martin Luther. Luther did not get everything right, and some things he got very, very wrong. But his grasp of the scriptures and the sovereignty of God, demonstrated here, is what made him one of the greats and one of my favorites.<br />
<i>Fellowship of the Ring*</i> by JRR Tolkien. How many times can one read LOTR? Well, I don't know; how many times are there?<br />
<i>Outliers</i> by Malcolm Gladwell. Amazing! We're still talking about it!<br />
<i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</i> by JK Rowling. And thus ends the tale of Harry Potter. Great fun! Thoroughly enjoyed!<br />
<i>Echoes of Eden</i> by Jerram Barrs<br />
<i>Fantastic Creatures and Where to Find Them</i> by JK Rowling<br />
<i>Harry Potter and the Cursed Child</i> by JK Rowling. Not quite as good.<br />
<i>Vendetta</i> by Lisa Harris<br />
<br />
<i>The Two Towers*</i> by JRR Tolkien<br />
<i>On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness</i> by Andrew Peterson<br />
<i>John Calvin</i> edited by Burk Parsons<br />
<i>Befriend </i>by Scott Sauls. I wanted to like this one more than I did.<br />
<i>Dangerous Calling </i>by Paul David Tripp. Every pastor and pastor's wife should read this.<br />
<i>Watership Down</i> by Richard Adams. Have wanted to read for a long time. Now I'm not really sure why.<br />
<i>Ten Ways to Destroy Your Child's Imagination</i> by Anthony Esolen. Decent book but not a fan of Esolen. Blogpost forthcoming.<br />
<i>Return of the King*</i> by JRR Tolkien<br />
<i>North! Or Be Eaten</i> by Andrew Peterson<br />
<i>Revelation and Reason</i> edited by K. Scott Oliphant and Lane Tipton . Mind-blowing read, really. If everything was corrupted in the Fall, including our ability to reason (and it was), and if we are knowing-but-suppressing (and we are), then we must jettison classical apologetics in favor of the far more scriptural pre-suppositional apologetics. Heady stuff and slow reading but worth it.<br />
<br />
<i>Monster in the Hollows</i> by Andrew Peterson<br />
<i>Warden and the Wolf King</i> by Andrew Peterson. No secret that I love this series. Not since Narnia has there been such a thematically strong tale for children that adults should also read. Maybe one day I'll read it without crying. Maybe.<br />
<i>The Painted Word </i>by Tom Wolfe. Scathingly humorous review of modern art. Laughed out loud.<br />
<i>Reading Between the Lines </i>by Gene Edward Veith. I should probably have liked this more than I did.<br />
<i>For the Time Being </i>by Annie Dillard. I'm not silly enough to give Dillard another moment of my life.<br />
<i>The Green Glass Sea </i>by Ellen Klages<br />
<i>The Book of the Dun Cow</i> by Walter Wangerin. That's some good readin' there.<br />
<i>Heart of Darkness</i> by Joseph Conrad. Now I can say I read it. And I never need to do that again.<br />
<i>The Road Home</i> by David Kherdian<br />
<i>Murder on the Orient Express</i> by Agatha Christie--one of her best.<br />
<br />
<i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i> by Erich Maria Remarque. Beautiful, tragic book by a soldier who was there. More convinced than ever that every politician who votes for war, arguing a 'just war,' should put their son on the front line first. Then we'll see how committed to their cause they really are.<br />
<i>Acts: The Church Alive</i> by R. Kent Hughes<br />
<i>The Great Gatsby</i> by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Not a single good guy in the whole book. Ick.<br />
<i>Luther and Katarina</i> by Jody Hedlund. No.<br />
<i>Water From My Heart</i> by Charles Martin. Yes! Martin is one of my faves!<br />
<i>Metamorphosis</i> by Franz Kafka. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Really short and really brilliant.<br />
<i>Long Way Home</i> by Louise Penny. This is my favorite new series. But do NOT do what I did, and that was read them out of order. Because of an ongoing plot line, you need to start at the beginning and keep to the order. Caviat: Penny's likely not a believer; hold your fire.<br />
<i>How the Light Gets In</i> by Louise Penny<br />
<i>Carry On, Mr. Bowditch*</i> by Jean Lee Lantham. Fourth time through. Really good.<br />
<i>Still Life</i> by Louise Penny. THIS is the first one. Start here.<br />
<br />
<i>Fatal Grace</i> by Louise Penny<br />
<i>Steadfast Love</i> by Lauren Chandler. Chandler knows storms. And she knows Who holds us during the storms. Lots of comfort here.<br />
<i>Book of Dragons*</i> by E. Nesbit<br />
<i>The Cruelest Month</i> by Louise Penny<br />
<i>A Rule Against Murder</i> by Louise Penny<br />
<i>The Wolves of Willoughby Chase*</i> by Joan Aiken<br />
<i>Whiter Than Snow</i> by Paul David Tripp. Thoughtful meditations on Psalm 51.<br />
<i>My Father's Daughter</i> by EL Konigsburg<br />
<i>The Brutal Telling</i> by Louise Penny<br />
<i>The Snow Goose</i> by Paul Gallico<br />
<br />
<i>China's Long March</i> by Jean Fritz. I don't know if Fritz is unhinged from history or just unhinged.<br />
<i>Parallel Journeys</i> by Eleanor Ayer. The story of a young Jew and a Hitler youth and their eventual collaboration. Worth reading.<br />
<i>The Cost of Discipleship</i> by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I didn't quite agree with Bonhoeffer's take on the Sermon on the Mount, but he does prove he's not a red-letter Christian later in the book. Really good nuggets here.<br />
<i>The Little White Horse*</i> by Elizabeth Goudge. One of those genuinely great read-alouds, riveting to both kids and their parents.<br />
<i>Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist</i> by John Severance<br />
<i>The Crowd, the Critic, and the Muse</i> by Michael Gungor. Jeff Baldwin of Worldview Academy exhorts young people this way: "If you want to go to MIT to learn to build bridges, go to MIT. If the professor at MIT starts talking about the meaning of life, flip the switch in your brain and turn him off. When he starts to talk about building bridges again, flip the switch and turn him on again." You'll need to read Gungor the same way. When he talks about God, the gospel, or faith, turn him off. When he sticks to what he really knows (art/music/creating), he has some worthwhile things to say about why we create, who we create to please, and how that impacts the outcome.<br />
<i>After the War</i> by Carol Matas<br />
<i>When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit</i> by Judith Kerr<br />
<i>Bury Your Dead</i> by Louise Penny<br />
<br />
That's it, folks. May your new year be filled with a comfy chair, lots of great new books, and the time to read them!<br />
-------<br />
*read-aloudsNoelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-83133683729702780342017-12-14T10:05:00.000-08:002017-12-14T10:05:35.136-08:00Merry CondescensionIt's the most wonderful time of the year. I come down early every morning, light a fire, turn on the tree lights, and have my quiet time before all the children stir. I listen to John Piper's daily advent reading, listen to a song or two from Sovereign Grace's Christmas album (which is this year's best), and pray.<br />
<br />
I also ponder our nativity set, the one we've had since early marriage. It's old and scratched and cute and looks a little like a child's first nativity. This year, I noticed there is one piece missing. You'd hope it would be something like one of the kings or a camel. But no. It's the baby. My nativity has an empty manger. Poor baby Jesus probably went out in all the wrapping paper last year.<br />
<br />
I had my own grumpy George Bailey moment. Why do we have to have all these nativity characters anyway? Why do we not set up only a manger with Jesus in it? I confess that my first reaction was to find a baby Jesus and pitch the rest of the figures so as not to detract from the scene. But then...<br />
<br />
...that whole cast of characters lends perspective to the sheer magnitude of the event. That whole cast of characters demonstrates what I've been seeing this year as our pastors preach through the book of Luke: the condescension of God.<br />
<br />
Condescension has negative overtones, as in "Don't be so condescending," which usually means that we are looking down from our lofty place on all the little people. But when God condescended, He wasn't looking down; He was coming down among us--to be one of us, to feel the weight of our weakness and redeem us from our own evil. When humans condescend, it is arrogance, but when God condescends, it is a gracious and glorious humility.<br />
<br />
My scripture reading is currently taking me through the minor prophets and through Revelation. Reading these with my defective nativity in the background has brought the Incarnation into sharper focus. The message of the prophets is consistent. Israel was unfaithful and rebellious. And God came in the flesh anyway. Israel looked just like the neighboring reprobate nations. And God came in the flesh anyway. Israel wasn't even interested in being saved. And God came in the flesh anyway. That's condescension.<br />
<br />
Back to my nativity, the shepherds lend context to God's condescension.<br />
The kings lend context to God's condescension.<br />
Even the stable animals lend context, since all of creation groans.<br />
<br />
And Mary and Joseph lends context--if we can get it right.<br />
<br />
But unfortunately, a weird mythology has grown up around Mary. Mary was just an ordinary sinner in need of a savior. Following the birth of Jesus, she and Joseph raised five other children, the fruit of their marital intimacy. Then she died. If we change Mary's story from the Biblical narrative, we miss God's condescension to her. And that has far reaching implication.<br />
<br />
To miss God's condescension in Mary's story is to make Mary bigger than she is and God smaller than He is. To make Mary bigger and God smaller is to call into question the reliability of the scriptures. To call into question the reliability of scripture is to call into question the reliability of the gospel.<br />
<br />
Therefore, we need to be clear about God's condescension to Jesus' family. God condescended to Joseph in tasking this ordinary man to raise His Son. God condescended to Mary in tasking this ordinary woman to bear His Son.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anyway, I was thinking about Mary this morning as I looking at my defective nativity scene and reading Revelation: <i>And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood, men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."</i> Revelation 5:9-10<br />
<br />
And it just hit me. Mary birthed and Joseph raised Jesus to be both the final High Priest and the final Lamb of God so that we could be a kingdom and priests to our God. Wow! That's condescension to all of us! Just as God condescended to Mary and Joseph, He condescends to all <span style="font-size: small;">on whom His favor</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> rests</span> to raise us up to make us a Holy Family of saints and priests.<br />
<br />
<i>My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for He has looked upon the humble estate of His servant.</i><br />
<i>For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.</i><br />
<i>And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. </i><br />
<i>He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.</i><br />
<i>He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His offspring forever.</i> Luke 1:46-55<br />
<br />
Merry Condescension to all my fellow saints and priests!Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-30882422972343115602017-12-05T06:56:00.000-08:002017-12-05T06:56:54.419-08:00Identity Crisis: I've Got News For YouA preliminary note: First, ***spoilers ahead***if you've never read <i>The</i> <i>Wingfeather Saga</i> or <i>Harry Potter. </i>Second, speaking of Harry Potter:<br />
We are one of <i>those</i> families, the ones who do not let their children read Harry Potter until a certain age. But that is a recent development. Until I finished the series myself this past spring, we were one of the families who never let their children read Harry Potter. I have no regrets. And if you are one of those families, you have my deepest regard. If you are not one of those families, I respect your house rules, too. But may I ask you to wrestle with your children over what the scriptures say about witchcraft? The Bible takes it seriously, and we should, too.<br />
----------<br />
<i>I've got news for you.</i><br />
<i>This is not a game.</i><br />
<i>I've got news for you.</i><br />
<i>Are you listenin'?</i><br />
<i>I've got news for you.</i><br />
<i>We are all to blame.</i><br />
<i>And when that's understood, we can start to live again.</i>*<br />
<br />
We've got an identity crisis on our hands. And I'm not talking about the 'gender/sexuality' shenanigans, either. I'm talking about something <i>much</i> more subtle, <i>much</i> more pervasive, and, therefore, <i>much</i> more dangerous.<br />
<br />
I'm almost fifty years old, and I am still impacted by a discussion I had in eighth grade. The headmaster and we students were sitting around a conference table discussing the Iran hostages, who had just been released after 444 days in captivity. Mr. Smith asked us one question.<br />
Are they heroes?<br />
We were incredulous. Of course they were heroes.<br />
What heroic thing did they do? he pressed.<br />
Uhhh... Splutter, splutter. Well, they, uh....<br />
So are they heroes? repeated Mr. Smith.<br />
<br />
He had us. There was no way around this. No, the Iran hostages were not heroes. They were victims, but they were not heroes. It was a lesson in both linguistic precision and labels that I have never forgotten.<br />
<br />
In the many years since, I have observed that sloppiness in regard to linguistic precision and labels is so common, it's practically part of what it means to be human.<br />
Heroes.<br />
Victims.<br />
Monsters.<br />
We're really good at filing the people we love, including ourselves, into either of the first two categories. And we're really good at piling the people who hurt us into the last one. Truly, our whole system would be laughable if eternity didn't hang in the balance.<br />
<br />
Enter <i>Harry Potter</i>. I thoroughly enjoyed the Harry Potter series. It's a jolly good tale, full of great characters and plot twists. Granted, I wasn't all in until Book 5, which still remains my favorite of the set. And I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that Harry Potter is the hero. But as a commentary on the human condition, I found it lacking. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's the Christ Figure. He's the ideal Victim, a lucky escapee from an attempted murder, an orphan despised and rejected by his adoptive family, who also happens to be the chosen one to do the right thing at the right time.<br />
Victim, victim, victim.<br />
Turned hero, hero, hero.<br />
He also doesn't have a particularly strong moral compass. Like I told my older kids after they read it (after I read it), there's lots of <b>World</b> in Harry Potter. There's lots of <b>Devil</b>, too. But there is no <b>Flesh</b>. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Oh, there was lots of evidence of Flesh. He's smart-alecky with authority; he lies; he's passive-aggressive. But there was no internal battle with the Flesh, no sanctification. Rowling gives him a pass, I guess because, poor thing, he's had such a tough go of it. I didn't particularly like the boy Harry Potter because I couldn't particularly relate to him.<br />
<br />
Yet victims or heroes are how we tend to plot ourselves in our own stories, aren't they? We see ourselves as victims in the way we give a pass to sin, in us and in others. "Sure, what I (or s/he) did was bad," we practically shrug. "But I (or s/he) was lost and hurting and felt like life offered me (or him/her) no other choice." And we find a certain self-righteous smugness in our compassion (which is no compassion at all). We see ourselves as heroes when we get ourselves past our wounds or establish solidarity: hashtagmetoo. Sadly we even see it in really bad Christian songs:<br />
<i>No matter the bumps, no matter the bruises, no matter the scars, still the truth is the Cross has made you flawless. </i><br />
Where do the scriptures teach us that our flaws come from outside of us? What gospel is <i>that</i>?<br />
<br />
Now step with me into Aerwiar, (because...'ere we are...) a place where the World and the Devil are as threatening as they are at Hogwarts. But, unlike Hogwarts, in Aerwiar, our Flesh is our own worst enemy. Follow the heartbreaking/heartwarming story of the Wingfeather family (Artham might be my favorite literary character OF ALL TIME). Take an honest look at just how much harm your Flesh can do. (Hint: so much <u>more</u> than the World or the Devil can do)<br />
<br />
Unlike <i>Harry Potter</i>, <i>The Wingfeather Saga</i> is profoundly gospel because it tells the truth about our condition, about consequences, about the Maker. There are no victims in Aerwiar. There are no heroes. There are monsters. And that is as it should be. That is the gospel.<br />
<br />
I've got news for you. You may at some point have been someone's victim. You may at some point have been someone's hero. But your victimization is not your problem. And your heroism is not your salvation. As a friend once said, 'When we pray that the Lord will deliver us from evil, we should be thinking about the evil we do to others much more than the evil others do to us.'<br />
<br />
So let's apply our own linguistic precision with labels.<br />
Our identity is not Victim.<br />
Our identity is not Hero.<br />
Our identity is Monster.<br />
<br />
When that's understood, our identity crisis is over.<br />
And when that's understood, we can start to live again.<br />
-----------<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I've Got News For You, Randy Stonehill, 1976</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Please, I beg of you not to see the new Wingfeather movie. I adore the Saga, and I refuse to watch. Do you remember that awful animated version of The Lord of the Rings all those years ago? Did that do anything for the story? No. You simply must read The Wingfeather Saga, all four books, to understand the riches of this tale. It is profoundly gospel. But if Peter Jackson ever agreed to make the movie...</span>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-69866738788592936682017-10-31T09:01:00.000-07:002017-10-31T09:01:04.927-07:00For My Savior Loves Me So A while back, we got a frantic call from a very concerned friend. Someone we all knew and loved was thinking of converting to Catholicism, and could Brett and I intervene? Of course we would, I told the caller. But the following twenty-four hours were awful. First, I was in shock. Then anger. Then weeping. By nighttime, I fell into bed in a catatonic slump. In short, I went through all the stages of grief in one terrible day.<br />
<br />
My faith in the Lord was not rocked. I was, and still am, confident of His absolute sovereignty over salvation. If this dear one was elect, then this dear one would be saved. But if this dear one chose Catholicism, make no mistake. We would have no choice but to regard this person as apostate.<br />
<br />
The conversation got very intense before it ended. "You're not being very respectful," the person said to me.<br />
I nearly shot vertically out of my chair. "I'm not here to <i>respect</i> you; I'm here to <i>warn</i> you!" I retorted.<br />
I am happy to say that it was the Holy Spirit, not Brett and I, who intervened. But that was a close call. And I will never understand why someone would willingly choose the heavy torment of Catholicism for the light, easy yoke of Jesus.<br />
<br />
I will also never understand gospel Christians who are grateful for their salvation but dismiss the Reformation as a minor quibble, a thing of the past, and shrug at the Christian gospel of grace and the Catholic gospel of terror as the same gospel.<br />
<br />
How can the same gospel rest on:<br />
faith alone <i>and</i> not faith alone<br />
grace alone <i>and</i> not grace alone<br />
Christ alone <i>and</i> not Christ alone?<br />
I'll answer that. It can't.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Gospel Christian, your ecumenical kumbayah has got to stop.</span> You're certainly not representing the gospel well with your mushy imprecision. And if you think you're doing anyone any favors, think again. Gospel Christian, this one's for you.<br />
------------------<br />
I love Reformation Day. I love it as much as I love Christmas. And if you were tormented for the first thirty years of your life before you understood the doctrines of grace brought back by the Reformation, you'd probably be the same Reformation geek as I am.<br />
<br />
I am the collateral damage of Catholicism. My parents were saved when I was almost three and promptly left Catholicism. They shared the gospel with me and took me to church. We did family devotions, and both my parents model a vibrant, serious walk with the Lord. I stand on their faithful shoulders. Still, I walked in the shadow of Catholicism. My parents often spoke of the constant, pervasive guilt and were careful to guard against that in our home. But the horrific fact is that I was taught that, although I was saved, I could lose my salvation. And I was taught that because they were taught that. (You can take the Catholic out of Catholicism, but it is very difficult to take Catholicism out of the ex-Catholic.)<br />
<br />
But mine is not the only story of torment. Here are three more examples. All of them are true; all of them are either friends of mine or of my children. They are merely representative of millions of other stories.<br />
<br />
Example One:<br />
An adult daughter of mine is speaking with a friend about how much she is looking forward to heaven. The friend, who is a serious, well-catechized Catholic, responds, "It must be nice to be sure where you are going." Imagine that terror. Imagine going to sleep every night without the confidence of heaven. You want to be there, but you aren't sure you've done enough to actually get there.<br />
<br />
Example Two:<br />
A Catholic young lady's father is abandoned by her mother after years of the mother's adulterous relationships. As an officially divorced man, her father is barred from Holy Communion. But according to Catholic doctrine, to remain in right standing with God, one must participate in the Mass. Add to that the additional horror and heartbreak when the young lady is married in a Catholic wedding, and he is not able to fully participate. Imagine the terror. Imagine your understanding is that you must jump through the Mass hoop, and now, through no fault of your own, you are prevented.<br />
<br />
Example Three:<br />
A Catholic friend asks for prayers of repose for a deceased loved one. What is a prayer of repose? It is offered in hopes of getting that person to heaven. Sometimes, says the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the prayer must be said many times. Well, which times must they be said many times? And how many times is many times? And when do we know that many times is enough? What does it mean that we do not grieve as others grieve if it does not mean that we have a great amount of assurance about that loved one's salvation? What kind of gospel doesn't take the sting out of death?<br />
<br />
If you read these true stories and your heart doesn't hurt, check for a pulse. What ISIS is to the Middle East, Catholicism is to the human soul. How dare we gospel Christians defend, legitimize, or validate this gospel of terror?<br />
<br />
The gospel of Jesus tells me: We stand on Scripture alone, not man's wisdom.<br />
The gospel of terror tells me: Scripture is not enough; I need a sanctioned interpreter.<br />
<br />
The gospel of Jesus tells me: We stand through Faith alone, nothing we earn.<br />
The gospel of terror tells me: Faith is not enough; I must add penance.<br />
<br />
The gospel of Jesus tells me: We stand by Grace alone, nothing we accomplish.<br />
The gospel of terror tells me: Grace is not enough; I must add my own merit.<br />
<br />
The gospel of Jesus tells me: We stand in Christ alone, no other mediator.<br />
The gospel of terror tells me: Christ's righteousness is not enough; I must add my own infused righteousness.<br />
<br />
The gospel of Jesus tells me: We stand for God's glory alone, not for our praise.*<br />
The gospel of terror is accessorized with pride. Well, yeah. After I'm done adding <i>my</i> penance, <i>my</i> merit, and <i>my</i> infused righteousness, what do I need a savior for?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
The Reformation demonstrates that God is still writing the history of His people, long after the canon of scripture closed.<br />
<br />
The Reformation demonstrates <u>Remnant.</u> God has always had and will always have a Remnant of gospel Christians. And He is in the business of preserving us. The Reformation demonstrates <u>Return</u>. When we are faithless, He is faithful. He will always return His covenant people to His Truth. And--my favorite--the Reformation means <u>Rest</u>. He did the work of salvation, and then He pursued me and brought me to repentance. I rest in the finished work of Christ.<br />
<br />
When I fear my faith will fail...<br />
When the tempter would prevail...<br />
I could never keep my hold...<br />
For my love is often cold...<br />
Those He saves are His delight...<br />
Precious in His holy sight...<br />
He'll not let my soul be lost...<br />
Bought by Him at such a cost...<br />
He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast,<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">For my Savior loves me so.</span><br />
He will hold me fast.**<br />
<br />
Why will Jesus keep me when my love is cold, when I give in to tempation, when I am faithless?<br />
Because He loves me. And He will finish what He started.<br />
<br />
If you are living under a heavy yoke and are terrorized about your standing with God, if you keep asking, how much merit is enough merit? or how can I rest in my salvation? let's talk.<br />
If you are resting in the Truths of the Reformation and the glorious gospel of grace, then on this 500th anniversary, may you have a wonderful, joyous Reformation Day!<br />
<br />
<i>He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.</i> 2 Corinthians 5:21<br />
<i>For I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.</i> Philippians 1:6<br />
<br />
Amen.<br />
----------<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Thanks to Together for the Gospel, 2016 for the 'alone' wording.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**He Will Hold Me Fast, Ada Habershon, Matthew Merker, 2013.</span>Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-457126136075425000.post-44387838786651903322017-10-07T08:38:00.003-07:002017-10-07T08:38:37.815-07:00Rock On With Your Bad SelfWe had a day this past month.<br />
<i>A. </i><br />
<i>day. </i><br />
A day when the Accused (progeny) were brought up before the Tribunal (parents) for Crimes Against Humanity (sibling).<br />
--------------------------------------<br />
"Rock on with your bad self."<br />
<br />
True story. Ten years ago. I got into it with a friend. Admittedly, I didn't open the discussion with the best wisdom. Flinging accusation, even when you are sure you are right, is never a good strategy. Badly done, Noel; badly done. But when I wanted to meet and reconcile, that was the response. <i>Rock on with your bad self.</i> I read it the first thirty-seven times with my chin on my desk. I guess if an offended brother is harder to scale than a city wall...this is what it looks like. Eventually, the shock wore off, and I resumed life sadly without my old friend. Today, almost a decade later, Brett and I are able to see the humor. We treat it like a farewell. As in, "Hey," (point your finger, wink your eye, and click your tongue) "Rock on with your bad self." Or as in the other night when we were drifting off to sleep, and Brett whispered, 'Hey. Rock on with your bad self.' I snorted. 'If she only knew the mileage we've gotten out of that.'<br />
<br />
But the experience begged a question. How do you get to be old enough to produce little critters in your own image, and yet you're not able to have functional adult relationships???????<br />
<br />
Back to the <i>the day</i>...<br />
Brett and I sat there on <i>the day</i> this past month talking with Progeny A and Progeny B about how they had demolished Progeny C, and I was mad as a hornet. But here was the kicker. When I explained how hurt Progeny C was, Progeny B said, 'Well, that's not what I meant.'<br />
'Well, that's what Progeny C heard,' I said.<br />
'Well, that's not what I meant,' was the repeated reply.<br />
<br />
Me: Position noted. But now that you know how it was received, it would be a good idea to go back and have a conversation and clarify that.<br />
B: No.<br />
!!!!!!<br />
Me, barely keeping a lid on it: Why would you NOT seek to clarify, especially since this relationship is now damaged?<br />
B: Because C won't listen.<br />
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
Me, wobbly, wobbly lid: How do you know that?<br />
B, responding with the sagely wisdom of all progeny: 'Cuz.<br />
AAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!<br />
Me: Your relationship hangs in the balance here. Progeny C is worth the conversation.<br />
<br />
My point is this. As I sat there listening to Progeny B rationalize, I had the 'aha!' moment. This was it. This is the place where some people get stunted in their growth, and their ability to have relationships never progress beyond this. This is the moment when they learn to quit. And no parent is telling them to persevere. Well, my progeny, that's not going to happen in <u>my</u> house. Get back in the game, and have this relationship. This is how you adult.<br />
<br />
What's more, in a weird little coincidence--or was it Providence?--Brett told them after we were done talking that he had to leave to handle a relationship where there had been offense.<br />
Practicing what he preaches.<br />
Heading into (not running away from) the breaches.<br />
Adulting in relationships. Like a boss.<br />
<br />
Ten years ago, I got this follow-up email after the now infamous 'Rock On' one: <i>We've decided this relationship is no longer worth pursuing, but I want to take communion, so I forgive you.</i><br />
Ah, she was always refreshingly honest, that one.<br />
Me: Why don't you want to get this right?<br />
Her: 'Cuz.<br />
<br />
It's like we are genuinely surprised by misunderstandings or conflict, and we think not reconciling is a valid Christian option. And yet...given the fact that God tells us to be ministers of reconciliation, to go to the brother who has offended us, to forgive one another, I rather doubt He is of the same mind. It's almost like God knew that reconciliation would be part and parcel of the Christian life. Hmm.<br />
<br />
I am reminded of what a home schooling mentor told me twenty years ago about teaching a child to read. 'Relax. Is it more important for your child to read when they are 4 years old or when they are 24 years old?'<br />
<br />
When it comes to relationships, I think the same reasoning applies. We must teach our children the art of reconciliation <i>now</i>, not so much because we want them to have healthy relationships at age 4, but because we want them to have healthy adult relationships when they are 24. And 34. And 44.<br />
<br />
Back to the Tribunal. The discussion continued for about an hour. It was not a fun day. But reconciliation is happening. It still smarts a little bit, and it is requiring an investment of time and effort and heart-attitude checks, but the sting is going away. And my Mom-heart is so proud of my kiddos.<br />
<br />
<i>Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations. And you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell.</i> Isaiah 58:12<br />
<br />
Repair the breaches.<br />
Either that or (point, click, wink) rock on with your bad self.Noelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10388455137986092747noreply@blogger.com0