Moon Over Manifest

If you at all like children’s literature, please do yourself a favor and read this book. A Newbury Medal winner, this first offering of Clare Vanderpool’s will not disappoint. Geared toward the middle school ages, the book is written as a collection of scraps that weave together the life of Abilene Tucker, her father, Gideon, and the lives of the townspeople of Manifest, KS (a fictional place based on a real town in KS). When Abilene is sent to Manifest for the summer by her father, she has the sinking feeling he’s not coming back — so, in an effort to discover who her father is and to win him back, she sets out on a search to learn his past — and discovers the bittersweet memories of a town that is beginning to realize that the past it had thought would be best left behind actually holds the keys to reviving its rich community. A beautiful story of faith, community, redemption, and love, it is sweet without being cheesy or melodramatic. Nevertheless, I cried through the last three chapters. This is a book just waiting to be made into a movie.

Book Review: My Heart in His Hands

My Heart in His Hands, by Sharon James, was one of the first full-length biographies I’ve read in a long time, and how glad I am to be re-introduced to this genre by such a remarkable and engaging account of the life of Ann Judson. It is hard for me to distinguish how much of my enjoyment came from the life well-lived, and how much from the evocative manner in which the narrative is presented. It is certainly a moving account of a short but powerful (powder-keg) existence.

Part of the wealth of the book lies in the heavy reliance of James upon Ann’s letters and journals. In this was, the author lets Judson speak for herself (and Judson’s thorough and eloquent prose paints vivid pictures for the reader of things that would be challenging to portray secondhand). One caution to the reader would be to recall the older usages of some of Judson’s vocabulary – words like “pagan” that have certain connotations today had less weighted (or differently weighted) meanings then. The letters and journal entries illustrate some of the inner thoughts and struggles of the author who penned them, and the sincerity of Ann’s faith and her devotion to the many tasks to which she was caled, shine through these portions to inspire readers. For example, after severe illnesses, no converts in Burma, and a 7 month separation from her husband without word as to whether he still lived:

“…my dear sister Mary, a little sacrifice for the cause of Christ is not worth naming; and I feel it a privilege, of which I am entirely undeserving, to have had it in my power to sacrifice my all for hims who hesitated not to lay down his life for sinners. I rejoice that I had a pleasant home, dear friends, and flattering prospects to relinquish, and that once in my life I had an opportunity of manifesting my little attachment to the cause of Christ. I know you often wish to know certainly, whether I still approve of the first step I took in the missionary cause; and whether, if I had the choice again to make, with my present knowledge and views of the subject, I should make the same. Well, I frankly acknowledge that I should do just the same, with this exception; that I should commence such a life, with much more fear and trembling upon account of my unfitness; and should almost hesitate whether one so vile, so poorly qualified, ought to occupy a sphere of so much usefulness. I do, at times, feel almost ready to sink down in despair, when I realize the responsibility of my situation, and witness my short-comings in duty. If I have grown any in grace since I left America, it has consisted entirely in an increasing knowledge of my unspeakably wicked heart. As to my real religious enjoyment, I think, generally speaking, I have not experienced more than when in America. I do hope, however, vile as I am, to obtain an inheritance in that far better world, where Jesus has prepared mansions for this followers, and will introduce them there himself, sprinkled with his blood, and clothed in his righteousness…” (p. 102-103).

Ann was given grace for the many ministries she carried out during the time in Burma. Among her major accomplishments are: (along with Adoniram) founding the church in Burma; preserving Adoniram’s life and that of other missionaries (during his imprisonment when he was mistaken as an English spy during Burma’s war with the British — Ann built him a dwelling in the prison, fed him daily, and pled for his release daily with the local governor, and even followed him to a more torturous prison in which she camped in a shed nearby for several months with their infant daughter, contracting the illness which weakened her siginifcantly thereby leading to a premature death later); (along with Adoniram) became the first American Baptist missionary sent overseas; made strides in advocating and funding the education of women in Burma; was a more than sufficient partner in marriage and ministry to her husband; used her acute language skills to begin conversational discussions with the Burman people, and to help translate the Bible into Burman and Thai; her letters and journal, when published, inspired a movement of missionaries in America; she provided an excellent example of God-centered theology and spirituality in her personal devotional life.

All of this, through a remarkable amount of suffering — she lost all her children to death (except one, who later died six months after she did). She endured long and treacherous illnesses, and at times unthinkable living conditions. She had to leave Burma for a couple of years at one point to regain her health. She endured long separations from Adoniram, who was both husband and closest companion. She left for Burma expecting never to see her family again. Throughout these sufferings, she managed to open her heart and home to others, particularly the Burmans she desired to see converted to Christ. She adopted a couple of orphans, took good care of the staff who helped her manage their home and ministry area, and made every effort to educate the Burman women who were generally treated like imbiciles in their own homes – and she often befriended the local governing authorities, who seemed charmed by her personailty. Her intelligence was also remarkable, as she had adept skills with both written and conversational language in Burman and Thai. Her quick wittedness saved her husband’s life and the lives on others on more than one account. During Adoniram’s initial arrest, she locked herself and her house staff in a back bedroom despite the angry locals screaming threats at her in their front yard, and would not be persuaded to come out of the room until she had burned all of the Judsons’ journals and letters (anything that contained what might potentially look incriminating concerning their connections in England), sparing only the translated Burman New Testament, which she entrusted to a house servant for safe keeping.

One last excerpt from Ann (taken from the back of the book):

“I am a creature of God, and he has an undoubted right to do with me, as seems good in his sight…He has my heart in his hands, and when I am called to face danger, to pass through scenes of terror and distress, he can inspire me with fortitude, and enable me to trust in him. Jesus in faithful; his promises are precious. Were it not for these considerations, I would sink down with despair…”

Definitely worth a read.

Book Review: “Confessions…”

My posts have been few and far between for the past few months. The blog was the first thing to go when I started working full time. Posting will be sparse for the next several months, but I’ll do my best to keep this alive somehow. (And by the way, I am still trying to figure out the right size to post pictures at, mac users out there, so if you have any tips, do let me know). Thanks.

Confessions of a Reformissionary Reverend: Hard Lessons from an Emerging, Missional Church (Mark Driscoll)

It wasn’t really my intention to buy Driscoll’s book at the last national conference. But after volunteering at the bookstore and stacking Confessions into three foot swirls for a few hours, I broke down and bought a copy…and read it in about a week. It’s not a hard read, but it is certainly a fascinating look at the city that Driscoll describes as a pagan wasteland. I admit, I was not a huge fan of Driscoll before reading this book (and still don’t know that I’d call myself anything but a sympathetic outside observer now), and the only thing I’d ever written by him was a blog entry in which he was bashing another Christian leader (to whom he apologized to later, to his credit). Driscoll is painfully honest about his own mistakes in his work, while still managing to articulate clearly the things he did well, or biblically, and God’s blessing of those things.

What I was expecting when I picked up the book was a fresh, frank, and humorous, if somewhat crass, account of this history of Driscoll’s church plant, Mars Hill church — and the book certainly delivered that, managing to be both provocative and convicting at once. For example, Driscoll’s account of an outdoor Bible study:

“A few weeks later, I again noticed that no one was looking at me while I preached and turned around to see a few well-endowed young women lifting up their shirts like Mardi Gras princesses as they flashed our Bible study. I used the moment to say something about choosing the location because of its natural beauty but not anticipating that much natural beauty and went on to say something about total depravity and how only in our city would we be flashed at a Bible study.

Not surprisingly, the Bible study did grow for two main reasons. First, our people and their friends liked the fact that they could smoke during the Bible study since it was outdoors. Some people got saved at the study, including three people who later became deacons and one person who became an elder, all because they could smoke at church. Two of the people who got saved were a stripper and her live-in boyfriend, whom I later married on the same dock. Second, the word got out that there were naked women at our Bible study, which seemed to be a plus when inviting lost friends.”

The above captures quite well both the provocative aspect as well as the convicting aspects of the book (how many people do you know who are bending over backwards to get social misfits and pagans into the kingdom of God as in the Luke 14 parable)? My West Coast upbringing helped me to appreciate Driscoll’s rough sense of humor, though I doubt everyone would appreciate it (people are abundantly nicer and less “earthy” herein the midwest).

At any rate, I was expecting the above. I was not expecting to enjoy Driscoll’s unaffected explanations of why, as a pastor and a new Christian, he chose certain theological leanings and not others, and why he made certain strategy and church growth/spreading decisions. I found that aspect of the book most engaging as I was challenged to reconsider why I’ve chosen certain views myself. I had certainly not thought of church vision, strategy, and planning in the manner that Driscoll described before. (I am still not sure how I feel about the “corporate” feel that it has at times, but reading Driscoll’s book helped me to understand at a deeper level the challenges faced by leaders of a megachurch or almost-megachurch.

Perhaps the thing I was least expecting, however, was the depth of Mark’s passion for Christ (and, a Christ-centered church), the depth of his passion for people (and therefore evangelism and discipleship). His heart for pagans is clearly a gift of grace from God, as he has, at great cost to himself, loved people that most would turn away from in disgust. The last paragraph of the last chapter expresses this heart well:

“I wish I did not have to suffer demonic attacks that include seeing raw and real footage of the times my people were raped and molested that plays in my mind like a film even though I was not present [he is referring to recurring dreams that he has about incidents that have happened to people in his church that he would otherwise be unaware of]. I wish I did not have to sometimes struggle so mightily to be intimate with my wife. I wish I did not feel so completely alone, especially when I am in a crowd. I wish I was not a target for critics who seem to put me on a pedestal only to get a better aim. I wish I did not have the responsibility of standing before God to give an account for the church that I lead. I wish I did not have to continually weep while watching people I love dearly shipwreck their faith and lives through folly, rebellion, sin, and hard-heartedness, and deception. I wish I never had to climb on another airplane to preach the gospel, because the picture of my children crying as I drive away haunts me while I am away from them. I wish I knew the future and how Jesus will prune me next so that I could wince to lessen its sting before the blow lands. But Jesus has called me to trust him by faith and to endure more pruning so that more fruit can be harvested for his kingdom. And for this reason, it is my deepest wish that Jesus keep pruning me, because I love him, want to be with him, want to be like him, and enjoy being on mission with him more than anything.”

Well, my review of Sharon James’ My Heart in His Hands (a biography of the life of Ann Judson) will have to wait until tomorrow, since I’ll need to spend a little more time on it while I’m awake in order to do it justice.

Ta-ta for now!

For the Bibliophile: Book Lists

For those of you, who, like us, tend to salivate when hearing about a well-respected thinker’s booklist, check out Desiring God’s recommendations on topics such as the arts, education, marriage, and various theological topics here, and Justin Taylor’s long and expansive book list  on cultural engagement.  Also, for those who may have missed it, see Justin’s blog for several leading Christians thinker’s current “most influential” list of books (you may have to scroll down a little bit).

Book Review of “Dominion and Dynasty”

Stephen Dempster, in his provocative book Dominion and Dynasty, argues that the Old Testament canon develops around the twin themes of “dominion” (geography) and “dynasty” (genealogy). These two themes are particularly prominent at the beginning (Genesis) and end (Chronicles) of the OT ; thus the lion’s share of his effort is devoted to these books, particularly Genesis, so as to clarify the Text’s overall “plot.” I will briefly summarize Dempster’s argument then articulate several commendations and reservations.
Genesis begins with God’s creative action, and “humanity is crowned the royalty of creation” (Dempster 57). Man and woman are made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-28), signifying that they are to rule as God’s vicegerents with God’s created paradise as their kingdom (59). The “cosmic tragedy” of their “flagrant rebellion” against the Creator in Gen 3 sets the theological and literary stage for the rest of the Story in which dethroned, exiled humanity will seek to regain lost glory in God’s land (geography) through the seed of the woman (genealogy) (66-69).

The tarnished hope of Adam is resuscitated in God’s covenantal promises of land, descendents, and universal blessing to Abraham, who is the “divine answer to the human plight” (77). Several hundred years after the patriarch’s death, God liberates Israel from Egyptian bondage with the goal of setting her in the land of promise (100). Israel’s persistent rebellion against God’s commands at Sinai highlights the need for a new covenant (104, 121). Moses, the “servant of Yahweh,” anticipates a new kind of leader for God’s people, a king: not Saul with his “height” and human approval but David with his “Torah heart” (123, 138-39). Yahweh covenants with David to build his “house,” and Dempster points out that David’s “house” brings together his dynasty (genealogical) and the temple (geographical).
After the Davidic kings repeatedly fail to lead Judah in the commands of Yahweh, the land promised to Abraham is taken away, Solomon’s temple is pummeled, and the people are thrust into exile. During the exile an eschatological expectation of a new David begins to emerge, a priest-king who would rule by service and represent the people by dying that they might live (178-79). The partial return from exile in Chronicles brings the Story to an incomplete end and anticipates profoundly the coming of the suffering servant Jesus, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matt 1:1).

Strengths
Dominion and Dynasty is on the whole an excellent attempt at the difficult task of summarizing the heart of OT theology. Two strengths in particular should be highlighted. First, Dempster masterfully navigates the reader through the “forest” of the OT while carefully pointing out inter-textual allusions and literary devices in the “trees.” His argument for unity around genealogy and geography is compelling, particularly in his treatment of David’s “house.”
Second, Dempster helpfully points out that the dynasty that Yahweh blesses is not based on birth order, physical prowess, or popular opinion; rather, it is a dynasty of humility, suffering, and an obedient heart. This shows that God is in total control of human history and continues to guide it in his wisdom, which culminates at Calvary’s cross, the epitome of human folly and divine power and wisdom.

Weaknesses
I am puzzled by Stephen Dempster’s decision to adopt an OT “canon” with a different ordering of the books from either the Septuagintal tradition, now preserved in our English Bible, or the Masoretic order, preserved in the standard modern editions of the Hebrew Scriptures. Dempster’s order, for example, puts Jeremiah and Ezekiel before Isaiah, and it is based primarily on the claims of one passage from the Talmud, which dates to the 5th-6th centuries A.D. and thus its claims should be treated somewhat cautiously.

Despite these questions over canon order and literary setting, Dempster’s book is a careful piece of scholarship that adeptly captures the repetition of the twin themes “dominion” and “dynasty” in a way that heightens the reader’s appreciation for God’s patience with a disobedient people and his wisdom not expressed by human height but by the humble triumph of the “Servant” who would give his life as a ransom for many.

Am I “Blue Like Jazz”?

I usually don’t read books like Blue Like Jazz, but I wanted to see what all the hype was about. A few brief reflections on Donald Miller’s immensely popular book:
(1) It is “honest” and “authentic.” This book says no to fake, “we’re all doing great,” made- for- TV Christianity, which I appreciate. It reads like Don Miller’s journal and is very soul-searching and self-reflective. One of the pivotal points in the book is the author’s story of the “confession booth” during the party week at his former college, Reed. Don and several of his Christian friends, in an effort to break through to a flagrantly pagan school, set up a booth in the middle of campus in which they confess their own sins and the sins of Christianity to their classmates. The result is a real spiritual breakthrough on that campus and also in Don’s life personally, as he feels that it was a “coming out of the closet” experience as a real Christian. The “confession booth” is a very moving story and offers a helpful picture of dealing very openly with sin. However, this does not seem to be a full and accurate picture of Christian spirituality and evangelism. Peter and Paul in Acts do not usually begin their sermons by reading from their sin journals but by lifting up the glory of Christ and calling for the people’s repentance. Don’t get me wrong, the Christian life is characterized by continual repentance from sin and pursuit of holiness. But in the New Testament we are not addressed as dirty sinners trying to live right but as saints washed by the blood of Christ, born again to a living hope, called to leave behind the life of sin. Don’s book tends to prize “honesty about sin” over “Jesus’ payment for sin” and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to give us victories over sin.
(2) It is “nonreligious.” Don Miller’s chapter title “Church: how I go without getting angry” sums up his perspective on the church as an institution. His perspective is that pastors tend to be salesmen, Republican recruiters, and liberal bashers, and there is an element of truth that must be heard in his critique. In the churches he puts forth as ideals, the pastors say cusswords (see Ephesians 4:29 and James 3 for why this is actually not virtuous) and chew tobacco. He finally finds a church that he can go to without getting angry because it is spiritual, it values the arts, and it emphasizes community and authenticity. I like those four qualities also, they are important. Yet none of those four criteria distinguish a group of people as being followers of Jesus. He could be describing an AA meeting, a book club, a drama group, or a yoga team. Christians are distinguished in the New Testament by faith in a crucified savior, love for God and neighbor, and the Spirit’s transforming work in their practical holiness. A second critique: though it is very trendy in our generation to be down on the church (which Don claims he is not) it is the “institution” that God has chosen as his future bride. It is inconceivable reading the New Testament that there would be followers of Jesus that kept an arm’s length from the church.
(3) It is a helpful book to read. This point might seem utterly disconnected to my first two pessimistic comments, yet Blue Like Jazz made me think alot. It pushed me outside the box, which is a good thing. One example of this is in chapter one, entitled “Problems,” when Miller comes to the realization that the real “problem” in the world is not with the president’s foreign and domestic policy or with the threat of terrorists but it is the darkness of the human heart beginning at the personal level. He writes very boldly, “I AM THE PROBLEM,” and I resonated with this honest statement that seems to live out the spirit of Matthew 7:1-3, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” This book was also helpful and worth reading because it gave me insight into the mind of many “postmodern” Christians who are dissatisfied with a fake, political Christianity and want something new and fresh. We can work with these “Blue Like Jazz” folks as we avoid some of the trappings of cultural Christianity and orient our lives around a personal, transforming relationship with the Living God through his Son Jesus Christ as revealed in his Word. Thus, I give Blue Like Jazz a qualified recommendation. Posted by Brian