A Key Problem For Universalism

If all people are recipients of the justification that Christ's death merits (as Rom. 5:18-19 is used by universalists to suggest), then where are the current fruits of that salvation in the lives of all? Is salvation simply something to be experienced or received in the future?

I hear universalists say things like, "all people are saved, they just don't know it yet". But that would imply that being "saved" has no implications, benefits, or tangible results in the present lives of those who are saved (but don't know it). This makes what happens in salvation very transactional and lifeless. Essentially, we've got a ticket to heaven, we're on the list, even though we don't know or understand why we're on the list, and as a result, it means relatively nothing in the here and now.

Further, how does one enter God's realm when ones whole life has been lived in rebellion toward God coupled with the lack of the heart transformation that Jesus suggests is crucial to truly experience the Kingdom of God (both presently and post-mortem)?

To me the proponents of universalism (even of the evangelical flavor) have a one-dimensional gospel that is about getting into heaven when or after you die. Ironically, I thought we've (the church) started to understand that the gospel is much more holistic than that. It at least appears to me that universalism is taking a step backwards into an outdated, transactional soteriology that really doesn't change anything until we enter the realm of eternity. Bummer.

What are you doing for Easter?

This is a question that I get asked every year, from those inside and outside of the church that I pastor. "What are we doing for Easter?" I always want to reply, "I was thinking we would worship the risen Lord. It seems appropriate on this day."

But what people really want to know is, "What kind of fireworks are we going to be setting off?" "Are we giving away a car?" "Are we paying people 10 dollars to come to our service?" "Is anyone going to be rolling in with a tank?" Or simply fill in the blank with any gimmicky attempt that you've heard churches try to get people in the doors since apparently a risen Savior and new life just isn't drawing people anymore.

And unfortunately as a pastor, you FEEL this kind of pressure. I'd like to be able to prepare a sermon like I normally do, with prayer and study and reflection. But you can't help but feel the pressure (possibly imagined) that people are expecting something BIG, even in your sermon. And so there's added stress to write a GREAT sermon. The biggest problem is, I'm not the one who decides which sermons are "good" and which sermons aren't! Typically, most of the ones I think turned out mediocre, God uses in a powerful way. Dallas Willard says that the most important thing that happens in a sermon is what God does with the words after they leave your lips and before they reach the listeners ears. I think that's a powerful thought and makes "trying harder" on a sermon because it's Easter seem kind of silly.

I like to follow up the question "What are we doing for Easter?" with, "What would you like to see us do?" The answer is always the same, "Uh, i don't know."

The impulse that that Easter service should be special is natural seeing that it is the biggest redemptive event in the Christian story. I understand that. But HOW should it be special? Should we have lots of "special" music? Should we have videos and laser light shows? What do people want? I really don't know.

But what I want to suggest is that if you want the Easter service to be special, come ready and prepared to worship the God who gave his life for you and then conquered death so that we may have new life. If you've participated in dying to yourself during Lent for the past 40 days and come prepared to engage in worship with your entire self as you "come to life to the reality of God", you can expect a special Easter service.

In light of that, I am rejecting the outside and imagined pressure to do something BIG. Because honestly, until I can think of how I can do something bigger than what Jesus did on Easter, any attempt to do something BIG is going to look pretty pathetic by comparison.

Summer Reading 2011

Never too early to start that summer reading list, right?

What's on yours?

Bright's Passage - Josh Ritter

The Pale King - David Foster Wallace

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers

The Beach - Alex Garland

Martin Eden - Jack London

Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk

The Border Trilogy - Cormac McCarthy

Here I Stand; A Life of Martin Luther - Roland Bainton

Finding Our Way; Leadership for Uncertain Times -Margaret Wheatley

Failure of Nerve; Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix - Edwin Friedman

The Truth Shall Make You Odd - Frank Honeycutt

Florida

My vacation in Florida is over. :(

We realized early on in the trip just how much has happened in our lives in this place.

In college, some college buddies and I drove down to Clearwater three of the four years for spring break. This was my first venture to Florida. Jon Hentrich knew a youth pastor who let us sleep in the basement of their church building making it rather affordable. In this church building we also staged a very late night mock church service that we regrettably recorded and would probably get us all fired at most churches. That video still exists somewhere. :)

My senior year of college I spent 6 months in a preaching internship at Journey Church in Tampa. It was a very memorable and formative time in my life. A month later, Kelli, who was just a college acquaintance at the time moved to Tampa to take a job with Impact Ministries and pursue her MBA . Little did we know 5 years later we would be getting married in St. Petersburg and spending our first year of marriage in Tampa working for Journey and Impact at the University of South Florida.

All that to say, we have a lot of history in Florida and it was nice to be back and remember so many of them.

Some of the highlights of this trip (in no particular order):

1. Gram swimming (and pretty much doing anything else). The longer he is here, the more comfortable he becomes in water. For whatever reason, he doesn't care for the beach or the sand, but loves the pool. He also got to take his first trip to the aquarium where he spent more time walking up and down the stairs than looking at fish. Maybe next year...

2. Rum Runners. When you find a good rum runner, you plant yourself for a while. This is an amazing beachside drink that is hard to overestimate. Light rum, dark rum, blackberry brandy, banana liquor, orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, and a cherry. Are you sold?

3. Celebrating Kelli's birthday at Shor restaurant. King Crab Legs, Red Snapper, Grouper, Wine, dessert, scotch....mmmmm. A bit of a splurge that we’ll pay off someday. Well worth it.

4. Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins. John Volstedt has a friend that works for the Rays and was able to hook Kelli and I up with a few free tickets. Out of respect to my friend Rob Grant, I was rooting for the Twins, but Johnny Damon hit a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth that ruined Rob's day.

5. Hanging with Adam Randall at the Dunedin House of Beer. Good to catch up with Adam and experience a good Florida beer bar. 40 taps of mostly east-coast microbrews. Adam is also one of my most talented friends and a great musician. Click here and listen to "Hope is Your Last Visitor" and "Bodies and Souls".

6. Visiting Journey Church. This was the church that I did a 6 month preaching internship in. At the time we were meeting at Gaither High School, but in the last few years they built a building which we got to see for the first time. There are still many people there that we've known for years and who we love greatly. I am always struck when we go back and visit how little time seems to have passed even though it has been 5 years. There's some good people at Journey. How do I know? Because they heard some pretty lousy sermons but encouraged me nonetheless!

7. Knowing that capable and gifted Evergreeners were coordinating and leading the gathering at Hawthorne in my absence! I hope they did good, but not TOO good. :)

8. Getting to do some pleasure reading. More specifically, Douglas Coupland's Generation X, Michael Chabon's Manhood for Amateurs, and Jack London's The Road. One day I even came up with a summer reading list that I'll post soon.

9. Moe's. This is a burrito place that actually had a location in Beaverton for a very short stint, but for some reason Beaverton folks don't know what's up, so it closed. The sour cream flows like cheap wine and the sweet tea....oh the sweet tea.

10. The Sun. It was about 85 and sunny EVERY DAY we were here. Amazing. I almost forgot what it was like to have that many sunny days in a row!

Back to Portland....

Odds and Ends 7

In less than 40 hours we will be sitting on the beach in Clearwater, FL soaking up some sun for an entire week. I plan on leaving my iphone off, no computer, no distractions from vacation. So if you're waiting for a return phone call or email, you won't get it! :) See ya when I get home.

To gear up for our vacation (and celebrate Devin's upcoming 30th Birthday), we (Kelli, Gram, and myself) spend a lovely evening up at a condo on Mt. Hood with the Vaughns. Nothing like sitting outside in the hot tub while it's snowing! I suppose it would have been more romantic if the one I was with would have been my wife rather than Devin, but win some, lose some. We were expecting Gram to go into "vacation sleep mode" which is when he wakes up screaming every 1 1/2 hours, but he slept extra-ordinarily well, which I hope is a good sign for next week in FL.

Speaking of Mt. Hood, we ate at the Ice Axe Grill in Government Camp and sampled all of their beers and I've got to say that I was impressed! I appreciate the fact that they were all beers in the 5% range. I'm tired of only seeing beers on tap at Portland establishments that are 6, 7, or even 10% alcohol. I want to enjoy a beer and relax with friends, not feel like going to sleep at 7:30pm. As Mark Sherwood wisely pointed out (as a fellow home brewer), it's much tougher to create a beer that tastes just as good at 5% as it would at 7%. That's very true!

See ya in a week!

Odds and Ends 6 - Good News Edition

-My home group is amazing. Had a great night last night eating fried chicken, collared greens, mashed potatoes, sweet tea, drinking some home brew created specifically for our group, and even playing Goldeneye on N64. It's not just about what we do though, but about the quality of people in the group. Fantastic people!

-I'm honored to have been asked last night to marry Steve and Krista this September at Timberline Lodge! Should be a great time!

-Excited for my friend Chris Leonardo who got the job he wanted yesterday! Congrats!

-While I'm bummed that Clay and Emily are moving, I'm excited to hear that they're having a boy! What is a Clay Jr. going to be like? :)

-Just three days until we leave for sunny, hot Florida for a week. What better way to prepare for that than to go to Mt. Hood for a few days in the snow?

Odds and Ends 5

My Twitter/Facebook fast for Lent continues and so does my outlet for random facts, quotes, and links.

This quote from the Ecclesia Gathering in D.C. really struck me: "Maturity is willing to take responsibility for your own emotional being and destiny." - Mary Kate Morse

Another one was from Todd Hunter who was quoting Dallas Willard: "There is no 'you' apart from your present life."

Marc Cortez gives us 5 Reasons You Should Study Karl Barth. Very convincing. :)

Here are 40 statements made by Nietzsche that will ruin your day. One of them however relates to the series we're currently doing through the Sermon on the Mount. "The Kingdom of Heaven is a condition of the heart — not something that comes upon the earth or after death." What do you think?

Finally, here are famous world ideologies as explained in reference to cows. Love it.

Odds and Ends 4

Apparently we had 29 days of rain in March here in Portland. Does that mean the rain-purgatory will end early and we will have a beautiful April?

Looking forward to being on the beach in Florida next week. Excited to see some friends. Especially looking forward to burying Gram in the sand. And sitting with my wife, drinking a rum runner while Kelli's parents watch him. :)

Bummed that Clay and Emily Reed will be moving to Connecticut. Losing a good friend and a brew buddy to the east coast. Will also never forget the 10 mile Rock of Ages hike we did together (what I refer to as hell). I was however excited to get to take him to the Horse Brass Pub for the FIRST TIME last Friday night. How many years have they been here? 3?

I'm excited for how the Palm Sunday service is coming together at Hawthorne. Aubrey Peth, Steve Strand, Brandon Johnson, and Chris Schepman (and probably some others) have been planning and will lead it that morning. Can't wait to hear how it goes!

Finally, an update about O'Bagby Brewery (my house), my Saison is taking FOREVER. I was hoping it would be done by Easter, but doesn't look like it. In better news, Clay and I brewed a Munich Dunkel (dark german lager) in January that is just now ready to drink and it is GOOD! Let me know if you'd like to try it (although supplies are very limited).

Odds and Ends Pt. 3

First of all, I am about to win my NCAA bracket pool for the first time ever. It's like a weight has been lifted. Also, thanks to my friend Doug Blocksma that means I will win a fantastic seasonal beer from Odell Brewing in Ft. Collins. Woohoo!

Second, Marc Cortez linked an interesting article on some myths that surround the Crusades. Seems that conversations about the crusades are being reinvigorated, no doubt due to the increasing tensions surrounding current Muslim/Christian affairs. Rodney Stark recently wrote a book on the subject as well that's i'd like to make time to read.

Third, we are finishing up the Sermon on the Mount at Evergreen this upcoming Sunday. Jesus' most famous teaching has an interesting arc beginning with a wide-invitation into the Kingdom and moving increasingly toward the challenge of discipleship. This last Sunday is TOUGH stuff but it makes sense in light of Jesus contrasting the superficial, external religious righteousness that leads to our own destruction and the kingdom, generative righteousness that leads to full life. The entire sermon really hinges on Matt. 5:17-20. In light of that, and all of the illustrations Jesus used to make that contrast, Matt. 7:13-29 makes total sense.

Odds and Ends Pt. 2

The Twitter/Facebook fast continues and it's been a nice break. It's a freeing thing not to read and clutter my mind with the thoughts and problems of 600 people, many of which I don't even really know.

First of all, it was fun to watch Cubs opening day with my little bro (regardless of the result). I'm under no delusions that the Cubs will have a good year. I'm thankful we're in such a weak division though where they won't look quite AS bad as they could in another division. The Cubs are not good, but why can't they beat the Pirates?

Second, I'm beginning to think it's impossible to restore a weed-filled lawn. Weed and Feed? Fertilizer plus Crab Grass Preventer? They might as well have me sprinkle rice on my lawn, it would be just as effective. I'm beginning to think Scott's products are the biggest racket ever invented.

Third, related to this; home-ownership is an anxiety-ridden, expensive, and frustrating venture. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to have a place that is "ours" (Bank of America's to be precise), but the problems and the ants and the lawn and all 6 million things that can go wrong can drive a person nuts.

And finally, life is feeling pretty good right now. Regardless of circumstances and the normal and not so-normal pressures and pains of ministry, I feel very content, happy, and satisfied with life. I'm sleeping well at night, enjoying the time I have with Kelli and Gram and am excited for this summer. Lots of great stuff happening !

I'm always tempted to say, "there's a lot of change going on", but isn't the nature of life change? Isn't death the only thing that stops change (maybe?)? Why are we surprised that there is always change happening? A better question perhaps is, what does "stability" look like, or feel like amidst the constant change? Where do we find our center?

Circumstantial stability never lasts long and isn't something to always be sought in life in the way of Jesus anyway. However, some people choose the other track, trying to avoid any feeling of stability, or not understanding what a life looks like that has stability. Instead they seem to thrive (not in a good way) on chaos and drama. But unhealthy boundaries and stretching yourself to exhaustion isn't a long-term answer either. Nor is introducing new drama into your life by making bad and unwise decisions. I can sense a longer, more thought out post coming on this, but I'm going to leave it for now and let it marinate longer.

Odds and Ends

Since I've given up Facebook and Twitter for Lent I've had no outlet for the random, relatively worthless 140 character thoughts that come my way. So here's some random stuff for ya.

First, George Marsden's Biography Jonathan Edwards; A Life is fantastic! No matter where you land with Edwards, if you love a good biography, you'll love this.

Second, I made an Amber Ale recently for our home group that turned out wonderful. It's got a nice sweet, honey finish and fruity Simcoe hop aroma. We're in for a good spring woodstock home community!

Third, I had a wonderful day with my little guy. He continues to be an incredible blessing, even in the difficult moments. I love him and his huge personality so much.

Fourth, it was good to see "Jimmer" and BYU lose. He can chuck a 3 with the best of them, unfortunately that's about all the team has. I'm glad I don't have to hear the announcers verbally make love to him in any more games.

Finally, if you want to see an uncomfortable interview, don't miss the MSNBC interview with Rob Bell. Fascinating that an MSNBC reporter can tear apart a book with a simple read, it's hard to believe Christians who plant themselves in the scriptures can't easily see through it as well. But I suppose if you want to believe something bad enough, you'll do whatever it takes. Kevin Deyoung also has a lengthy, thorough, and overwhelmingly convincing critique here.

As an aside, I'm not a Rob Bell hater by any means. I thought his book Sex God was really good and I love a lot of his Nooma videos.

The Church we have.

“God does not work apart from sinful and flawed (forgiven to be sure) men and women who are mostly without credentials. Romantic, crusader, and consumer representations of the church get in the way of recognizing the church for what it actually is. If we permit-or worse, promote-dreamy or deceptive distortions of the Holy spirit creation, we interfere with participation in the real thing. The church we want becomes the enemy of the church we have. It is significant that there is not a single instance in the biblical revelation of a congregation of God’s people given to us in romantic, crusader, or consumer terms. There are no “successful” congregations in Scripture or in the history of the church.” Eugene Peterson

Some reflections on preaching...

I've been thinking about preaching today, mostly as a response to being dissatisfied with my own right now. I listened to a recent sermon from a college preaching professor of mine, J.K. Jones who is truly a master at the craft, but even more important than that, a person of integrity and character that you simply know spends a LOT of time in the presence of God.

What I noticed when listening to J.K. was the tone of joy that encompassed the entire thing. What he clearly wasn't trying to do was clear up every nuance, thought, question that people would have, nor was he trying to do the Holy Spirit's work of convicting. He wasn't seeking to be hard hitting, or impact-ful, so to speak. He told the story, drawing out a few implications through personal experience and examples and it was beautifully done. It engaged the emotions in a non-manipulative, but powerful way.

In any case, when I hear good preaching, it's hard not to contrast it with what I see myself doing. And I had a realization today, that my tone reveals what I think my purpose in preaching is supposed to be. And lately, for some reason I feel like I've been trying to co-opt the work of the Holy Spirit in his work in convicting of sin, or challenging "wrong-thinking", or whatever it may be. My preparation seems to come more out of a place of looking for areas to correct, rather than looking for ways to inspire or build up.

Yesterday, I preached the good news of the new creation and righteous king in Isaiah 11, but I felt like the tone of my sermon was NOT good news of the new creation and righteous king and right after the message was over, I felt regret, and largely felt irresponsible. There was a void in the sermon that was largely induced by the void in my own character and heart. I don't mean this in a dramatic, over-the-top way, but when joy is lacking in the sermon, generally, joy is lacking in the preacher's life. And I regret that deeply. It's not fair to the community. Joyful preaching comes from joyful people. And that's work that God and I have to do together in this next year. Hope should sound like hope!

It's also made me think of some questions for reflection during (or after) the sermon preparation process. Here they are:

Does it encourage imagination and deeper, continued thinking? Or does it shut down conversation and deaden imagination? Does it try to close every door, and answer every objection? Or does it inspire people to take up a thought-journey on their own and with the community?

When it’s over, do people feel like they were kicked in the ass, or feel generally numb? Or do they feel like they have been drawn into a better reality, feeling excited and hopeful about the future?

Is the preaching (tone and content) reinforced by my own character and experience? Or is there a felt-contradiction within myself or others as I speak the words I’ve prepared?

Does it inspire a love and compassion for God and one another? Or does it cause an increased level of guilt and anxiety toward God and one another?

Anyone care to add to these?

Top 10 Beers to Brew in 2011

Is this self-indulgent? Yes. Isn't that what blogs are for? This is a good chunk of my brew calendar for next year. I'm stoked. If you're nice, maybe you can have some.

1. Belgian Christmas Spice Dark Ale

If you haven't had St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, you haven't lived. I'm thankful for the bottle generously gifted to me by Mark and Emily Sherwood this year. Wonderful! Hoping mine will be 1/4 as good.

2. Saison

A light, spicy beer originally brewed for French farmworkers in the hot summer. No one really knows what an authentic one tastes like, but that leaves a lot of room for experimentation.

3. Bavarian Hefeweizen

Banana and clove. Two of my favorite things in a german wheat beer.

4. Honey Kolsch

Going to try a German Kolsch with a good amount of honey to compliment the fruity yeast.

5. Strong Scotch Ale

Molasses, brown sugar, caramel malt and a lot of time aging in cool temperatures.

6. Belgian Wit

I think i've got the perfect Wit recipe figured out. Lots of oats for smooth creaminess, un-malted wheat berries, Coriander, Orange Peel, and possibly a little lavender.

7. Belgian Strong Golden Ale

This will be Gram's 2nd Birthday Party Beer. The Golden Gram. Takes about 4 months to make, so I'll have to start early.

8. Schwarzbier

The German black lager, one of Kelli's favorites.

9. Winter Spruce Ale

Inspired by Alaskan Winter Ale which is brewed with Spruce tips. Still trying to decide if I want to use a liquid spruce essence or go with the real thing.

10. Coffee Cream Stout

Obviously, this is a regular offering at O'Bagby's Pub.

Books I Most Want to Read in 2011

Ok, final book post. Big sigh of relief. Nerdfest almost complete. After my last obnoxious rant, I figured I should end on a positive note. So here are the books at the top of my to-read list of next year.

1. The Pastor: A Memoir - Eugene Peterson

I will read anything Peterson writes, and this one is VERY promising.

2. Desiring the Kingdom - James K.A. Smith

Everywhere I turn, someone is reading this book. Must be good. I guess everywhere I turn someone is reading "The Secret" too though. Hmm....

3. Revelation - Gordon Fee

I'm a big Gordon Fee fan, I'm also a big Revelation fan. Not in the crazy Left Behind, John Hagee kind of way, more in the Reversed Thunder, Eugene Peterson kind of way. However, I'm really excited to see what Fee's research has produced.

4. King's Cross - Tim Keller

I've got to get my sermon material for 2011 somewhere, right?

5. Sun of Righteousness; Arise! - Jurgen Moltmann

German theologians are the best! Right?

6. The Truth Shall Make You Odd - Frank Honeycutt

I don't know anything about this book but the subtitle: "Speaking with Pastoral Integrity in Awkward Situations." Sign me up!

7. Life is Mostly Edges: A Memoir - Calvin Miller

Hopefully this will fill my memoir fix for the year.

8. Community and Growth - Jean Vanier

Heard nothing but great things.

9. The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society - Lesslie Newbigin

This is one of those "you haven't read this yet?" kind of books. The shame...oh the shame.

10. God is Not One - Stephen Prothero

I'm intrigued by the premise. Prothero says that we need to stop pretending all religions are the same in the hopes that it will bring us peace or tolerance. He actually suggests that it's this very thing that causes so many problems in our world. If we simply understood and respected the differences, things would go much better for us. Interesting!

7 Books from 2010 that I'll Never Read

1. The Power - Rhonda Byrne

Laughably dumb. Possibly, the dumbest life philosophy I've ever heard of. That's being generous. Here's a good critique.

2. American By Heart - Sarah Palin

Just being honest, I will probably never read anything by Sarah Palin. She's a great character for SNL spoofs, but that seems to be about it.

3. Pinheads and Patriots - Bill O'Reilly

I think the biggest reason I will never read this book (other than my lack of interest in thoughtless political blabber), is the picture on the front of the book. It's clear that Obama is a pinhead, and he is a patriot. Well done Bill, well done.

4. Kardashian Konfidential

They can't even spell the title right. Can't imagine how many misspellings are in the rest of the book.

5. Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever; My Story

I think this will be on almost everyone's list of what not to read in the entire universe. To be brutally honest Justin, if you are thinking that you will be remembered "forever", or that you are a timeless musical genius, you may want to lower your expectations a pinch.

6. Inside of a Dog; What Dogs See, Smell, and Know - Alexandra Horowitz

If there were a 22 minute special on Discovery Channel, I might watch it, but I doubt it. I can't imagine spending 3 hours reading it with all of the other options available. Can we get a short synopsis or something?

7. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang - Chelsea Handler

I can't imagine a television personality that I will ever like less. I try to, but I don't know what anyone could do to make me like them less.

Favorites Books Read in 2010 - Pt. 2

Ok, here comes the general non-fiction/memoir/biography category. That's a category, right?

7. The Unlikely Disciple - Kevin Roose

As a Christian College graduate, this memoir of a semester spent at Liberty University connected all too well. Half of that made me laugh, half of it made me cringe. Overall though, a very generous memoir of the bizarre cultural experience that is "Christian College". Also, very interesting recollections of a close-encounter with Jerry Falwell. Highly recommend.

6. Superfreakonomics - Steven Levitt

This is pure brain candy. I didn't read Freakonomics, so I thought I would be totally lost. :)

5. Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell

Hey, guess what, you're not near as responsible for your success as you think you are, successful people. That's right. Again, I'm the only one left that hadn't read this yet.

4. The Bullpen Gospels - Dirk Hayhurst

A memoir of a minor league baseball season? Why hasn't anyone thought of this yet? I didn't think I could love baseball anymore than I already did. I was wrong.

3. Hannah's Child - Stanley Hauerwas

An emotional and surprising look inside a fascinating theologian's life.

2. Seven Storey Mountain - Thomas Merton

I've loved Thomas Merton for a long time. New Seeds of Contemplation and No Man is an Island are must-reads. But his auto-biography (that he wrote very young) really helped me understand his conversion, the eucharist, and the Catholic faith in a way I never have. Truly a beautiful book.

1. Bonhoeffer - Eric Metaxas

To be honest, I haven't quite finished it yet, but it doesn't really matter. I think what strikes me most about Bonhoeffer in this biography is his courage. Courage to go a direction in life that his family didn't quite understand. Courage to stand up to the Nazi regime in a time when they were trying to control the German Church, even at the cost of his life. Metaxas gives a very detailed look into the life and writings of Bonhoeffer. This is definitely worth your time.

Favorite Books Read in 2010 - Pt. 1

Unfortunately, List December has simply not happened this year! Making year end lists has always been a favorite part of the year, but I haven't made the time for this to happen. However, I still want to do a few lists, particularly books and music, because those are the most interesting to me. I'm glad to say that having a child hasn't slowed my reading down. I generally read between 50-60 books a year, and this year has been no difference. It's amazing how much you can read by simply reading for 10-20 minutes a day!

So, I suppose we'll start with Spirituality/Ministry/Theology which we'll just clump into one messy category simply out of laziness. We'll get to general non-fiction next. But, let's start the countdown.

20. The Irresistible Revolution - Shane Claiborne

Everyone has read this book but me. Still surprised how many people this book turns into a Pharisee. Seems like people get really judgmental after reading this book making statements like, "they aren't doing anything..." kind of stuff. Weird phenomenon, but can't blame the book. It's a great challenge to live out faith in "radical" ways.

19. Crazy Love - Francis Chan

This book was a real kick in the *#&! to be quite frank. At first his strong language turned me off and it reminded me of something I would have loved in high school. However, the more I read, the more challenged I became and ended up really appreciating his directness.

18. Giving Church Another Chance - Todd Hunter

Todd Hunter presents a good case for, well, giving church another chance. He gets to the heart of the function and benefit of the rhythms of community practice beyond the surface level, "This is boring or monotonous", or the ever popular, "these people aren't perfect so I'm outta here" kind of non-sense.

17. Introverts in the Church - Adam McHugh

What place, or role do introverts have in the life of the church which has been primarily extrovert driven and focused? A unique treatment of this often-not addressed issue of the foreign land that introverts can find themselves in with "church".

16. Wired for Intimacy - William Struthers

Struthers is a neuro-scientiest and a Christ-follwer and explains what effect pornography has on the male-brain. Interesting and disturbing book.

15. Salvation Belongs to Our God - Christopher Wright

A biblical theology of salvation. Fascinated by the holistic, broad implications of salvation through scripture. This is a worthy read for anyone who wants a broader understanding of what it means to "be saved."

14. Sacred Rhythms - Ruth Haley Barton

A great introduction to creating a formative rhythm of life.

13. Women in Ministry - James De Young

A former professor at Western Seminary writes a book that seeks to go beyond egalitarianism and complementarianism and succeeds on several levels. Fantastic background research as he presents a "third way."

12. Sex God - Rob Bell

I was initially skeptical of this book. Rob Bell is just kind of "ok" to me. I think he's a gifted communicator, but I don't find myself wanting to listen to him every week or anything. Plus, I generally hate books that have a "shock-value" type title like this. However, this was a fantastic writing on the spiritual value and place of sex in society. A truly helpful read when thinking through our own sexuality. Loved it.

11. When God is Silent - Barbara Brown Taylor

Great little book on preaching. Disagreed with some of the more "mainline-y" homiletical ideas which I find a little boring, but over-all a fascinating book for anyone who preaches on a regular basis.

10. Imaginary Jesus - Matt Mikilatos

A incredibly fun, quirky read that presents different ideas we have of Jesus through a narrative of a young man trying to sort out the real Jesus from all of the impostors.

9. The Wisdom of Stability - Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove

We discussed this book as a home group. A great challenge (influenced by the desert fathers) to plant, or root yourself in a place for the long term. Also a good critique of our transient, mobile culture.

8. The Great Theologians - Gerald McDermott

McDermott creates a list of who he believes are the most influential theologians of all time. Each chapter has a short bio of the theologian as well as a synopsis of the major contributions of the individual.

7. Untamed - Alan and Deb Hirsch

What does discipleship look like in the missional church? Read this book and find out :)

6. The Homiletical Plot - Eugene Lowry

I was a preaching major, how have I not read this by now? One of the more interesting and compelling approaches to preaching I've read. I'm fairly certain Tim Keller uses this exact format. Speaking of...

5. Generous Justice - Tim Keller

I've accepted that anything Keller writes is going to be fantastic and I'm going to want to steal every word he says for sermons. Yes, shame on me. But also, shame on him for writing (and preaching) such great stuff. Another winner here.

4. The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer

Always spoken of as a classic, and I can see why. Truly timeless.

3. Calling and Character - Will Willimon

What can I say? I love Bill Bill.

2. Resident Aliens - Stanley Hauerwas and Will Willimon

Bill Bill with Hauerwas? Even better. After reading this book, my thinking on our approach to culture was completely changed. (for the better I hope).

1. The Contemplative Pastor - Eugene Peterson

Not one has had a greater influence on the way I think of what it means to be a pastor. This book is no exception. If you're a pastor and have not read it (or Under the Unpredictable Plant, and Shaping the Angles), please stop what you're doing and read it right now. I wish these were required reading for every pastor in America. Can we make that happen?

Practice Resurrection 1

“Obviously, the church is not an ideal community that everyone takes on look at and asks, “How do I get in?” So what’s left?

What’s left is this: we look at what has been given to us in our Scriptures and in Jesus and try to understand why we have a church in the first place, what the church, as it is given to us, is. We are not a utopian community. We are not God’s avenging angels. I want to look at what we have, what the church is right now, and ask, Do you think that maybe this is exactly what God intended when he created the church? Maybe the church as we have it provides the very conditions and proper company congenial for growing up in Christ, for becoming mature, for arriving at the measure of the stature of Christ. Maybe God knows what he is doing, giving us church, this church.” Pg. 14

We complain about the church A LOT! And for good reason. I think we can all acknowledge that there are some goofy, hurtful, and ridiculous things that happen in the church. And for some of us, this is simply too much to take and so we leave. We make statements like, "this isn't what God intended the church to be."

Peterson raises an interesting question however: If we actually experienced the ideal church that we have in our head, where the people that are present are of our choosing, there are no relational disputes, and no brokenness, no mistakes, nothing that makes our stomachs churn, etc., would it be possible to grow and mature? Or do the conditions for growth and maturity in Christ require the conditions, challenges, and brokenness that we experience in the church? That's a valid question.

He goes on to state later in the chapter:

“God does not work apart from sinful and flawed (forgiven to be sure) men and women who are mostly without credentials. Romantic, crusader, and consumer representations of the church get in the way of recognizing the church for what it actually is. If we permit-or worse, promote-dreamy or deceptive distortions of the Holy spirit creation, we interfere with participation in the real thing. The church we want becomes the enemy of the church we have. It is significant that there is not a single instance in the biblical revelation of a congregation of God’s people given to us in romantic, crusader, or consumer terms. There are no “successful” congregations in Scripture or in the history of the church.” Pg. 28-29