The Triumphant Cross (from: The Mystical Language of Icons, Solrunn Ness, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2005). 

The Last Supper (from: The Mystical Language of Icons, Solrunn Ness, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2005).
 

Entry Into Jerusalem (from: The Mystical Language of Icons, Solrunn Ness, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2005). 

Pupdate

The search for a puppy continues as we haven't been able to find one yet. We're looking for a Havanese but they're somewhat rare so there aren't many breeders to choose from. And, it seems that most breeders wait until spring before they let their dogs stud. Don't you love that phrase? I can just picture all these male dogs eagerly marking the days off their calendars waiting for their day to get busy!

Am I An Evangelical?

Back in January I said I was going to write about a few topics, one of which was my struggle with evangelicalism. What does it mean to be an evangelical and am I still one? Aside from all of the coverage in the media in the wake of George W’s re-election, it was a personal incident that first raised the question. Let me ‘splain…

My wife was on reception at our church when she received a call inquiring if our church was evangelical. She assumed the answer would be yes, but went to check with one of the pastoral staff just to make sure. It turns out that no; the Mennonite Brethren Church does not consider itself evangelical because it grew out of the Anabaptist tradition. Even though all of our core beliefs and practices are the same as any evangelical tradition, I suddenly found myself NOT attending an evangelical church. On one hand, I thought about all of the people who would be concerned about my eternal salvation. On the other hand I thought, “Hmm…cool.”

Since that time I’ve done a lot of thinking and even some praying over what it means to be an evangelical and does it even matter, especially when that term has been hijacked by right-wing power brokers in the U.S. and misused by uninformed media types in Canada. In addition to my own thinking, I’ve been reading a lot about postmodernism and what the postmodern church will look like (notice my two latest books read on the sidebar) which has influenced my thinking too. We’ve had some great discussions at work as well about postmodernism and the “emerging church” that is such a hot topic in some circles. My conclusions, of which there are many, can be summarized in a few points:

1) Terms like Evangelical, Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Catholic, Missionary, Free Methodist, Mennonite Brethren, etc. that we use as identifiers to segregate ourselves from mainstream society and from other believers are becoming less and less relevant as we head into the postmodern era. As Christians, we spent a good portion of the last 100 years removing ourselves from the populace around us. We’ve been so successful that we are now on the same level as sideshow freaks or ancient pottery in a museum. The Christian subculture we’ve created may be safe but it sure doesn’t help us accomplish our mission of being the hands and feet of Christ in the world.
2) We have been so concerned with having correct doctrine, theology, and practices that we have forgotten the importance of being in right relationship with God, with friends and neighbours, and with the world at large. In the words of Paul the apostle, “I count myself the chief of sinners” in this area. I know that I’ve hurt people and made some harsh comments because I put correct doctrine ahead of loving relationship. Jesus built loving relationships with everyone, regardless of their worldview, with one exception…the Pharisees…the religious leaders who were more concerned with proper practice than with the heart.
3) There is much to be learned from other Christian traditions outside of conventional evangelicalism about worship. As we begin to identify ourselves simply as believers rather by our denominational distinctives I believe we will enter more fully into a true spirit of worship as the united body of Christ. Worship is more than intellectual ascent; it involves the whole person – all five senses, the intellect, the emotions. What can we learn from the more liturgical traditions about the quiet reverence of God? How can the spiritual disciplines of the early church fathers impact my walk with God today? Do icons, candles, and Taize services have a role to play in postmodern worship? I believe they do, right alongside some of the evangelical traditions that we hold so dear.

I recognize that in some respects these points are sweeping generalizations, but this is a new journey for me; somewhat of a personal reformation that I am still working through and expect to do so for a very long time. This is a lifelong journey that will not end on this side of heaven’s door and I have much to learn.

There is so much more I could write but I think I should stop for now. Please leave me comments as I’d welcome dialogue with anyone who is on the same journey.

Book Review: The Christian Culture Survival Guide

I was expecting a bit of a slapstick look at the evangelical Christian subculture in this book and while it has its humorous points, it really tries too hard to be more of a serious guidebook for negotiating the odd, sometimes bizarre subculture of evangelicalism. Unfortunately, this is where the The Christian Culture Survival Guide breaks down. An amusing 'insider' look at the subculture would provide endless comedic fodder but author Matthew Paul Turner instead has chosen to include serious musings on what true a believer looks like as if he needed to justify the funny bits. That’s too bad because there are an endless number of books like that already. In the end, the author and the book end up becoming that which they are mocking. YY

Book Review: Transforming Bible Study

I picked up Bob Grahmann's book 'Transforming Bible Study' expecting to give it a quick skim before starting a small group Bible study on Romans. Little did I know I'd be reading it cover to cover. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that this is the best book on how to do Bible study that I've ever read. It is not a "how to lead a Bible study in three easy steps" kind of book; it really digs into how I as an individual do a study that can then be applied in a group setting using the same principles. As someone who's been leading Bible studies and in some form of leadership role for about 20 years, Grahmann's book has really made me rethink what it is that I call Bible study versus what is truly a transforming experience in God's Word. Highly recommended! YYYYY

New For 2005: Book Reviews!

It only makes sense since I work in publishing that I would post my thoughts on some (not all) of the many books I read. So this year I'm going to put up as many mini-reviews I can. As with any review these are totally subjective but I hope it might give you an opportunity to have some insight into a book I've read instead of just a list of titles down the sidebar. Feel free to leave a comment if you agree or disagree with my assessment. Watch for the number of Y's out of 5 to know how much love I'm giving my latest read.

Speaking of comments...great news! You no longer need a Blogger account to leave a comment on one of my posts so comment away my friends!

It's Been A Long Time, Been A Long Time...

Has it really been almost three months since my last post? When I first started this blog I was afraid I wouldn't have much to post because I wouldn't have much to say. As it turns out, I've had lots of things to post but no time to do it. Work has been all-consuming since the middle of November and will continue to be until at least mid-February. Even as I write this I've got another window open checking my work email that arrived overnight. So even though I haven't posted, here are just some of the things that are kicking around my brain for future postings:

1) What does it mean to be an evangelical and am I still one? Do I want to be?
2) It looks like a puppy is going to be in our near future if we can just make some decisions.
3) The pure joy of listening to your favourite music.
4) Some stuff I've learned.

Yikes! Now that I've told you I'm going to write about this stuff, I better do it. So watch for more consistent updates coming again soon. And check out the new look to my lists for what I'm reading, watching, and listening to.

Terry Fox, 1958-1981 

Real Live Book Review

I just wanted to pass along that there is an interview with Gordon Atkinson of reallivepreacher.com as well as a book review at Christianity Today. As the review points out, there is a lot of profanity to wade through but if you can manage to do that, you will find a book both thought provoking and heart warming. Atkinson brings a raw edge to his faith that is rare but his doubts will only serve to strengthen the faith of his readers. Although the book may be an affront to those of us who have grown up as conservative Christians, it is refreshing to read such honest reflections with nary a trace of propaganda or proselytizing. Just read it (or the blog) and see if it doesn't touch a place somewhere deep inside.

Science on Saturday

I spent this past weekend awakening my inner scientist. On Saturday I went to the grand opening of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo (see photo below.) I know, not exactly how most people would want to spend a lazy Saturday morning, but this was truly an amazing opportunity to have a look inside what is likely to become one of the leading physics research labs in the world.

I attended a lecture by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Steven Weinberg of the University of Texas on “Cosmology and the Origins of the Universe.” As a Christian, I knew that this would be a loaded topic. I fully expected to have issues with what Dr. Weinberg had to say, but I didn’t expect the verbal attack on my faith that I experienced.

Let me begin by stating that I have not done a lot of technical research into the origins of the universe. I have a passing interest in cosmology but that is where it ends. I don’t accept that the universe is 16.2 billion years old as Dr. Weinberg states, nor do I accept the concept of a 6,000-year-old earth that I have heard from some creation scientists. If you were to press me on it, I suppose I would fall somewhere in between the two extremes, but then again, the Nobel folks haven’t exactly been knocking on the door asking for my opinion! The Biblical account of God creating the earth in 6 days is good enough for me. Whether those days were 24 hours or 24 million years makes no difference. My faith doesn’t rest in cosmology or in mere intellectual arguments. As Donald Miller says in Blue Like Jazz, “Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don’t believe in God and they can prove He doesn’t exist, and some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove he does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it’s about who is smarter, and honestly I don’t care.”

Dr. Weinberg’s presentation was fascinating and I managed to keep up with most of what he had to say, even if I didn’t necessarily agree. And while I am not qualified to critique the good doctor’s science, he certainly didn’t use any restraint in critiquing religion and issues of faith in general. To conclude his lecture he called for a world of more scientific heroes and fewer religious prophets because “it is because of religious prophets…the Bible…the Koran…that this world has become the dangerous place that it is.” Of course, this met with a vigorous round of applause from the audience. When asked during the Q&A period after the lecture “where does God fit into Cosmology?” by what appeared to be a Muslim student (sorry for my ‘racial profiling’) Weinberg promptly replied, “That sir, is a hypothesis I choose not to accept.” While he admitted that science doesn’t really know much about the “inflation” period prior to the Big Bang, he took the opportunity to launch several more verbal shots at those who would hold to a religious world view to even more vigorous applause.

Now, I am not completely oblivious to this sort of intellectual assault, and while I hesitate to call it persecution when I am aware that Christians all over the world are being tortured and murdered for their faith, I most definitely felt very vulnerable sitting in the auditorium not applauding Weinberg’s attacks on religion. I felt no bitterness or anger toward the man, just a deep sense of sadness.

For no matter what your background or training, whether a Nobel Prize winning cosmologist or a bookseller with a Bachelor of Religious Education, we all have an epistemology – a world view – that triumphs over and determines our choices in life. Dr. Weinberg’s theories may be grounded in hard science, but his world view spoke louder than any of his charts and diagrams on Saturday.


P.S. For an interesting article on the battle to teach Intelligent Design in the classroom in the United States, check out Wired magazine’s October edition.