Bookleenex-catching those nasty boogers from books

A few people have asked for a transcript of today’s brief homily. Here is the text. The audio will be available to download from www.yeringtonvcf.org by Tuesday:

I’ve thought about death an awful lot lately. In the past six months, two of my personal heroes died. One changed the world in countless ways, had a life that was too short, and succumbed to complications caused by cancer.

The other sold computers.

What I’ve come to realize, is that death isn’t natural.

Death is regular. It is expected. It’s all but unavoidable. But it isn’t natural. When God created humans, death wasn’t a part of his plan. God’s mission and purpose is to restore the world to it’s pre-death state. His plan is to make everything new again.

Death is the wage we earn for sin, it’s our paycheck, and we are professionals. It is a constant reminder that all is not right. That while we have a hope for a future full of abundant life; right here, right now, the world is broken. And so we come into this Sunday (a day we celebrate the resurrection) with heavy hearts.

How should we deal with death? What is the right posture to have towards this reminder of imperfection? We know Jesus conquered death on the cross. We believe all things will be restored in the end. We trust that Edna is in God’s presence now. But what about us?

The easy answer we tell ourselves is that we live with hope in the future. WE’re okay because Grandma Chism is okay. Move along with your life, because there’s no sense in being sad. Start another project, a new ministry. Be inspired by her example, and change your ways. Put another update on facebook about how you want to be more like Jesus now. Wear black to the funeral and shake a few somber hands, but don’t bring your hurt home. Bury it at the gravesite, and move on. the problem is that the easy answer is rarely the best answer.

How did Jesus respond to death? Thankfully, John had the presence of mind to write down one such interaction.

Turn with me to John 11. [read the story of Lazarus]

… What catches your eye in this story? Did you notice that Jesus did everything he could to NOT makE it there in time to heal Lazarus? Jesus wouldn’t prevent a close friend’s death. He chose not to, for the sake of the Resurrection.

What’s more, Jesus breaks down on the way to the grave. Even though he knew what would happen, knew that bringing Lazarus back to life would glorify God, He chose to experience the loss associated with death. He chose to be present in his grief. The only appropriate response for Jesus was to burst into tears. This, the shortest verse in the Bible illustrates Jesus’ humanity more than any other. Why did he weep when he knew what would happen next?

Because sometimes bursting in tears is the perfect response.

Jesus did not carry on, singing a happy tune. He did not busy himself with arrangements or additional ministry. He didn’t even try to encourage the family with endless platitudes or home cooked meals. Jesus could have said “he’s in a better place” with a consoling head bob, but didn’t. Jesus needed space to mourn.

You see, he recognized the hole left by losing a friend, the pregnant pause of loss. Jesus did not choose the easy road of denial. He faced his loss, though it was temporary. Moving on is a facade. Just as the ship cannot navigate in a storm, we cannot move our way through grief. The best chance a ship has is to weather the storm.

In the same way, grief happens to us, it is not our process to control. We get endure it, sure, forever changed by another crack in a broken world. You can stop pretending everything’s ok now.

Let yourself face the void, experience the loss. Cling to Jesus, who felt the same thing before you. He will hold you steady through the tumult.

… The writer of Hebrews penned, “We have this hope like an anchor, secure, solid, and penetrating into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone in ahead of us and on our behalf.

Anchors are simple machines. They do not speed up storms, or pull the ship through them any faster. They don’t bring resolution. Anchors just hold the ship fast. They connect the ship to a firm foundation. When the troubled waters of life throw us about, anchors hold. They prevent us from getting lost and from sinking in desperation. Until the storm passes.

This storm, like any other, too shall pass. Some of us will get caught in the terrible winds longer than others. Many here will experience secondary squalls after the initial shock has worn off. No matter the storm in which we find ourselves, the anchor will hold. Our hope in the resurrection will let us endure. Though we are sad, afraid, and emotionally spent, the anchor holds fast to a firm foundation, the very presence of God.

True-U’s Is the Bible Reliable?

If you are at all familiar with Focus on the Family, you have probably heard of the Truth Project at some point. I watched the entire series, and was less than impressed. My problem with the project is not the material presented, but the complete absence of competing viewpoints. That is, unless they want to describe how wrong another view is, other views just don’t come up. It’s almost as if they are taking some “fair and balanced” cues from Fox News.

A spinoff project of the Truth Project by FotF is their True-U series. The series is a DVD-based curriculum that digs deeper into individual sections of the Truth Project. I reviewed this as part of Tyndale’s blogger-review program. I got a free copy in exchange for this unbiased review.

What you get is a two-DVD set with about 10 1 hour lessons. The lessons progress through the historicity of the Bible, starting in Genesis and ending (presumably, I haven’t quite finished) in Revelation. I really enjoyed the chronological approach to showing the Bible’s veracity. You also get a small booklet with bad discussion questions for each lesson. Don’t use them, spend some time making your own.

I can’t complain much with the content of these lectures. They show a very conservative interpretation of history and biblical scholarship. The view presented is mostly well-researched, and is adequate for most lay evangelicals. The problem, much like the Truth Project, is that even though they spend more time on one topic, they don’t give competing viewpoints any more air time. Sure they might mention other evil interpretations, but just to “prove” them wrong.

The biggest problem with True-U is that the authors are so enamored with their own view and voice, that they do not even consider an alternate interpretation tenable. They never say “hey, this view has some strong points that address the weakness in our view”. They simply say “THOSE minimalists are wrong, they believe xyz, hahahaha.” They are happy to address archeological evidence that supports their view, but never the evidence that supports the opposite (and there is plenty). Worse, they use the same falacious arguments with the same evidence to “disprove” the other views, and scoff at other’s falacies. The fact is that different interpretations have their own validities, and every view has weak spots.

Rather than True-U, this should be called Conservative-U. This curriculum could be used in conjunction with other, more liberal interpretations, but I would caution against using it exclusively.

note: the presenter for this curriculum is much better equipped and factually more accurate than the Del Tacket of the Truth Project.

2 out of 5 stars on it’s own, maybe 3.5 if used with other evidence.

With, by Skye Jethani is one of the newest post-Christendom what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-Christian books. Unlike most other spiritual self-helf books, the purpose of With is to reorient the way in which we see our relationship with God. Everybody relates with God in some way or another, Jethani’s purpose is to give us a more holistic way of seeing the relationship.

Jethani gives five primary methods of approaching our relationship to God, all using prepositions: over, under, for, from, and with. His proposition is that only having life with God will make us whole. Very briefly:

over = I follow my own voice before God’s under = God is going to crush me if I don’t obey for = my value is in how much I accomplish for God from = God wants to give me stuff with = God and I are in this together, accomplishing His mission

Necessarily, a life with God will include God in every aspect of our life. The second half of the book describes what this will look like.

Where most Christian life books go wrong is when they try to force their framework where it doesn’t fit. With doesn’t. Perhaps that is my favorite aspect of Jethani’s work. It is a sincere attempt at learning how to aproach our relationship and life with God. Definitely worth a read. Five stars since (bonus half star because it took me so long to review.

NOTE: I was given a free (e)copy of this book, but I had to review it however I wanted. Joke’s on them, as it took me multiple months to get this one out.

Jesus is, without a doubt, the most controversial figure in history. What are we to do with the stories about this man who changed the course of human events? How much credence can we give the Bible in matters pertaining to this person? Scholars have been trying to answer these questions for hundreds of years. This search has been called ‘the quest for the historical Jesus’. Made infamous by liberal scholars, attempted redemption from conservative scholars, and simply confusing for young scholars, The Quest has always been difficult. Ultimately, it is the attempt to decide what Jesus was really like as a real person living in the real 1st century palestine.

A Hitchikers Guide to Jesus is an attempt to bring the quest for the historical Jesus into a rememberable memoir. It tells the story of the author (Ken Fisk) as he travels throughout the Holy Land in an attempt to find out who Jesus really was/is. Fisk uses the imagery of pilgrimage in place of intellect as he retraces his own revelation. The book is factually accurate, scholastically motivated, and surprisingly approachable. Anyone familiar with the Quest, or familiar with the land of Israel will enjoy reliving their own attempts at discovering Jesus through fresh eyes.

Pros: The book has an incredible layout. Dozens of side bar notes (tacked on as stickies and email correpsondence), an incredible readability (nice Times style font in a sepia tone), good photos (also sepia), and great sectioning (7 chapters divided and subdivided into relevant sections covering the life of Jesus with relation to current archaeology and landscape) make this historical Jesus book more readable than any other that I have encountered.

Fisk maintains scholastic integrity with religious humility as he considers the evidence pertaining to the historical Jesus. He does not line up with either extreme end of the spectrum, but realizes in the end that we will never have all the answers. This is not to say the reader leaves without hope. On the contrary, the reader is encouraged to continue searching for answers in their own pilgrimage to find out what they truly think of Jesus. Here’s what Fisk discovers:

“If Jesus was on the loose, I’d learned, the academy’s efforts to bind him—with historical criteria, critical axioms, dogmatic categories—were sure to fail. Likewise, any parish that hoped to domesticate him, to Westernize him, to market him, would gain predictability at the expense of authenticity…

Very little about Jesus was straightforward and self-interpreting. Almost no story pointed in only one direction. If Jesus was often difficult to track, he was always impossible to tame. ” (p 266)

The biggest pro of this book is that it helps everyday folk learn to worship the Bible less, and trust God more. Instead of shying away from tension, Fisk allows seeming questions and contradictions to strengthen his faith.

Cons: I didn’t line up with everything Fisk said, though I wouldn’t call this a con of the book. A much more significant drawback is the phoniness of some of the conversations. The banter between characters is unbelievable at times, especially late in the story. While the conversations are based on what actually happened, they trend toward being less authentic near the end. Fisk attempts to remember his journey as the apostles remembered theirs, a symbolic retelling of truth that may not be perfectly accurate.

The biggest con of this book is that Fisk didn’t spend nearly enough space on the death and resurrection of Jesus. The final chapter may be the briefest, even though theologically it is the most important. I would loved to have seen more interaction between skeptics and saints in this chapter. Nor does Fisk describe any alternate archaeological sites on his trip down the via dolorosa

Would I recommend this book? Unhesitatingly. In fact, this book was so excellent that I actually made shelf space just to accommodate this masterful work (and that really is saying something). The only other historical Jesus writers who maintain biblical and historical fidelity whilst encouraging personal transformation to this degree are N.T. Wright (a la Jesus and the victory of God) and Scot McKnight (A New Vision for Israel). Fisk’s is ultimately more approachable than either of the above. Great for grad students. Great for upper-year college students, great for pilgrims. The only person I would not recommend this to is an uber-conservative Christian so set in their beliefs as to discard it in the opening paragraphs (you know the type). And no, I won’t be giving away my copy, but you are welcome to borrow it.

I was given this book by the publisher BakerAcademic as a part of a current blog tour. I gave what I consider to be an uninfluenced, probably uninfluential review in exchange for my copy. Check out the following links to participate, and follow others’ reviews. also, notice that they are doing their own giveaway, win your copy now, so I don’t have to share.

Special thanks to Bryan Dyer for selecting this blog.

Have you ever just wanted to go off on safari to learn from the animals? It’s shark week this week, and the Discovery Channel really has me thinking about what we can learn from the animals.  While shark week only lasts 7 days, I know a book you can find that will last a solid two hours from cover to cover.

Yes, Surviving Your Serengeti is a book that will satiate your hunger for brevity, quench your thirst of learning from the animals, and make you a better person overall.  Well, maybe it will at least entertain you for a bit.

The story is a parable about a co pule who finds themselves winning a free trip. To Africa.  What they don’t expect is to learn from m the animals they observe.  Apparently their guide is doing some research on leadership development, and is using the animals of the Serengeti as examples.  I the harsh environment, each animal has adapted to fill a specific niche in the ecosystem. There are six animals, thankfully each has a survival trait that is useful for business people like yourself.  The lion is strategic, wildebeests endure, giraffes are graceful,  crocs opportunistic, cheetahs efficient, elephants communicate, Mongeese take risks and .  Oddly, the jackals are not helpful in this story.

The book is interesting, noir brilliant. I appreciated the info on animals more than the standard leadership schpeel in which it’s all wrapped. The writing is mediocre at best, where the idiocy of the characters is only masked by the relentless cliches thrown at you with every paragraph. This is just another self-help book about how character matters. It was reasonably interesting, poorly often, a nice length, and overall just ok.

The book has an accompanying website with an online inventory to test your personal strength areas. This quiz was far more useful, and just as informative as the book. This site alone is worth the two star review i give the book.

In conclusion, Get the free summary via the online inventory rather than paying for the book itself.  For that advice, you can call me the miserly termite.

full disclosure: this book was given me by the publisher in exchange for a review. Thankfully, I didn’t have to pay for it.

There are few books that set the standard for our silly Christian fads of hearing from God. Whether you Desire God (Piper) or really want to learn about Experiencing God (Blackaby) or Knowing God (Packer), there Is an option for you. Each resource has its following.

Hungy for God by Margaret Feinberg is yet another resource in this same vein. The difference between this work and the others is primarily in style. Hungry for God is as much a memoir as it is a treatise. Focusing on personal experience and breadth of options rather than theological depth, Feinberg makes hearing from God approachable to anyone. Excellent in style, written by a writer, this book is certainly worthy of consideration.

Will it be the seminal resource on how to hear from God? No. Does it deserve a spot on your permanent bookshelf? Maybe. Is it worth checking out from the library? Definitely. While this book was not my cup of tea, I would suggest anyone who wants to know God better to read it. I would especially commend this book to the new Christian or inexperienced Christian. Heck, I would even recommend it to the very experienced Christian who is entrenched in a specific system of hearing from God.

The purpose of the book is to let the reader see how we need God, and our lives actually hunger for Him. Then, how to do it. No mind-stretching theology. Not merely hemp-smoking Southern California feel-goodedness. Somewhere in between these extremes, where reality meets your need to hear from God, Feinberg gives friendly, applicable advice.

Four stars for this solid resource.

Full disclosure: I am still cheap. I still receive free books from publishers. I still maintain the freedom to review them as unfairly as I want. This review, however, was quite fair I thought. Special thanks to Zondervan for the freebie

have you ever thought about how much money you throw away? I don’t mean the “oh this is just a useless penny” kind of throwing away, though you will probably never do that again after reading strike it rich with pocket change. Nor do I mean “we left the lights on on all night again”, though that also is wasteful. Apparently there is quite a bit of money to be had in studying your coins for damage.

This book is an introduction to numisthmatistnery (I have no idea. How auto-correct missed that last word). If you thought coin collectors were just good ole fashioned Nerds predating the computer era, you would be wrong. This book will help you identify mint defects, give you great photo examples, show the most common actual examples in circulation, and let you know the value of some of your change. The point is, your hard-earned quarters might be more valuable than simple laundry/ mcdonald’s money.

The ebook format is wonky, so only 3.5 stars

Also, I received this ebook free from the publisher. I had to review it (they forced me). I didn’t have to like it or review it well. Nevertheless, it was a freebie in exchange for my time reading/reviewing, and your time reading my review. So thanks for employing my addiction to books.

Recently, Paraclete Press sent me a review copy of The Jesus Creed for Students by uber blogger and biblical studies professor Scot McKnight (with help from two youth guys, Syler Thomas and Chris Folmsbee). McKnight has three versions of this book, the first of which easily makes my top 10. The second version (40 Days Living the Jesus Creed) is a devotional lent-based book.

I strongly recommend any of the three to you, dear reader. Actually, pick up anything written by McKnight if you get the chance. The first JC is by far my favorite, but can be academic and unapproachable for some (it is a college-level book). If you are concerned by the thickness of the first, or just want to get the gist, The Jesus Creed for Students is right up your alley.

I appreciate that McKnight has recently rekindled his heart toward youth and young adult ministries. It is evident throughout his blog, and now his book writing, that McKnight understands the importance of all ages in the Kingdom of God. He also understands that adolescents deal with unique challenges.

Where most student literature is paltry in depth and entirely situational, JC4S is different. Scot et al focus on the simplicity of Jesus. They bring out some cultural nuance (though not nearly as much as the original). They focus on how Jesus should make a difference in our life today.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book is that it encourages students to look up theses tories of Jesus on their own. Students are encouraged to pray the Lord’s Prayer and Jesus Creed (the two greatest commandments) in the morning, at night, and any time they think to in between. JC4S is a book about transformation through proximity to Jesus. If we think the way He thinks, we will live the way He lived.

The only thing missing in this book, hence only 4 stars, is a decent set of discussion questions for each chapter. The book isn’t just about information, but a good discussion will make the content accessible for more learning styles. As such, it is a better read individually than with a group. Soon there will be a video discussion curriculum, though.

To sum up, this book is good enough for me to use with my group of students, and that actually means something. We will be using it for a small group this summer.

Final Summit Review

There is something very wrong with the state of Christian fiction. There was a time where Christians were the best artists in every sense. There was a time, when to be a Christian artist was to have Christ in the midst of every sentence, swatch, or stroke. Now, Christ must apparently be at the forefront, eschewing any attempt at nuance. We have taken the beauty out of art, and replaced it with literalism. I was hoping The Final Summit by Andy Andrews would be the exception to this rule. The description, after all, makes it seem like a new The Richest Man in Babylo. TRIB was an excellent book I was forced to read in an economics class, definitely worth your time.

Rather than the allegory promised by the back of the book, The Final Summit is nothing more than your everyday conversation wherein the hero tries to find the secret to life, is countered with the fact that all his pursuits are part of the whole, and then overcomes at the end with something pithy.

The book itself is the story of a time traveler (who ironically does not traveling through time in the story) who is set in a room with a bunch of other time travelers. They have 5 tries to figure out what humanity must do in order to change where we are headed. The guesses come and go. They focus on different aspects of building character. After each guess, the hero is allowed to request the input of another traveller, mostly western males from the past 200 years (since these are the best of the best, am I right?). That new person adds their perspective, which is close but not quite. Then panic ensues when the answer is not reached in the required time.

Suddenly, epiphany strikes. It turns out the solution to all the world’s problems is to actually “do something” about them. While I agree with this assessment, the book took roughly 200 pages too many to arrive at this conclusion. It would have been fine if the chapters weren’t so formulaic. For example:

1. Discuss a possible solution
2. Answer the question, find out it’s wrong.
3. Be confused.
4. Invite input from another traveller.
5. Hear something informative or interesting about that person’s life and get inspiration about the possible answer.
6. Repeat steps 1-5.

The story is completely dialogue driven, which is fine if the conversation is good. This was mostly wikipedia entries about the stars of the show: Abe Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Some other guy from WWII, Ben Franklin, George Washington Carver, King David, Bear Bryant. Do you see what I mean about the diversity of this crowd? Apparently God mostly likes white American men.

The story is not as riveting as the synopsis suggests. There are not really 5 principles, but 2: Do something, and Build Character. Other than that deceptive bit, it was decent. 2 stars out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book (you can too, by requesting it from me with a like to this post or email, or something) in exchange for an honest review via booksneeze.com