The Little Friar

Good Shepherd of the sheep, by whom the lost are sought and guided into the fold; feed us and we shall be satisfied, heal us and we shall be whole, and lead us that we may be with you, with the Father and the Holy Spirit. God of mercy, we are as Peter; we lose our nerve and deny you in the time of trial. Calm our anxiety, heal our cowardice, take away our shame, and make us free. God of peace, by the blood of the eternal covenant you brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep; make us perfect in every good work, and work in us that which is pleasing and good; through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

My time at Duke Divinity gave me a deep and abiding appreciation for all things Wesleyan.  This week's Friday's Finds are my very small collection of texts around Wesleyan theology (particularly its incarnation as American Methodism).  It's hard for me to choose just one of these books, because all of them, in very unique ways, have played a major role in how I think theologically.  This week I'm going to a text that those who know me best wouldn't think I'd think as influential as some of the others -- John Cobb's Grace and Responsibility: A Wesleyan Theology for Today .  Cobb, after all, is one of the leading theologians in Process Theology, a theological movement that is highly indebted to Alfred North Whitehead. I was introduced to Cobb's Grace and Responsibility in one of Tom Langford's classes as a Duke Div student.  At first, I expected Cobb's book to be like the then-classic Colin Williams' John Wesley's Theology Today .  ...

Eternal Father, through the resurrection of your Son, help us to face the future with courage and assurance, knowing that nothing in death or life can ever part us from your love. Jesus, we believe you; all we heard is true. You break the bread; we recognize you, you are the fire that burns within us; use us to light the world. Almighty God, by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you have broken the power of death and brought life and immortality to light; grant that we who have been raised with him may triumph over all temptation and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen.

Jason Stellman's Misfit Faith:  Confessions of a Drunk Ex-Pastor was not quite the book I had expected it to be.  It was so much better! Jason Stellman was a Presbyterian pastor, but he became a Roman Catholic.  I expected Misfit Faith to be, therefore, a semi-autobiographical work of Catholic apologetics.  I read of Scott Hahn's mentorship of Stellman, and expected Misfit Faith to be a new, milder version of Hahn's scholarship.  But I did not see any defense of Peter being the first pope in Misfit Faith , or any criticism of Sola Scriptura, or an explanation and defense of the Catholic understanding of justification. Instead, I read the story of Stellman's own spiritual journey.  From the opening confession that Stellman had flirted with Christian universalism, I knew this wasn't going to be a Catholic apologetic.  I wouldn't even characterize Misfit Faith as an apologetic at all.  Because if there's one thing Stellman isn't sure on, i...

This week, I'm calling attention in my Friday's Finds to my collection on family ministry.  In seminary, one of the more important classes I took was with Dr Jim Street, "The Church and Marriage and Family Counseling".  Our primary text was Garland's new Family Ministry .  It's a mammoth, practical and at times insightful huge book -- see, e.g., the section on channeling the energies of anger to solve problems not attack people (pages 153ff).  Garland helps families by tackling "the basic engineering of our social systems" (231).  According to Garland, problems are emotional or psychic injury (234), social and economic forces (76, 272, 300), or social stresses and psychological factors (61, 152, 593).  This is an important reference text to which I've returned again and again.

Robert Picirilli's Paul the Apostle:  Missionary, Martyr, Theologian has been a classic in Pauline studies for nearly thirty years.  Now Picirilli's work has been reissued.  Here, biblical students will find an accessible introduction to Paul's life and thought that is at once fair with contemporary scholarship and committed to the richness of the Pauline tradition from the New Testament.  Picirilli does a masterful job creating a portrait of his life and times. Picirilli's Paul the Apostle avoids high theological language in favor of a readable introduction.  Digging deep into the history of the early apostolic period and reading the New Testament with the eyes of a loving critic.  Picirilli is not afraid to deal with controversial discussion on the topic and handles these areas with grace and ease.  Without hesitation, I would recommend this work to the lay or pastoral student of Pauline history and theology. _____________________ I rece...

Paul White's The Vibrant Workplace: Overcoming the Obstacles to Building a Culture of Appreciation explores an important question in stunning, clear detail:  "Why is there so much despair in the workplace?"  White has given managers an informative and creative answer to that question.  And the book is filled with a number of illustrations that give life and breath to those answers.  Those managers will find here most common obstacles to change, as well as the skills to overcome them.  The Vibrant Workplace exposes all the forms of negativity and helps us create authentic appreciation and resiliency in the workplace. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a source of motivation to turn their despair into positivity and therefore have a more enjoyable work experience in a more vibrant workplace! _______________________ I received a free copy of this book from Moody Publishing in exchange for my honest review here.

Glorious Lord of Life, we praise you, that by the mighty resurrection of your Son, you have delivered us from sin and death and made your whole creation new; grant that we who celebrate with joy Christ’s rising from the dead, may be raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousness; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Jesus Christ our Savior, you have delivered us from death and sin. You have brought with the dawn a new beginning and an empty tomb; grant us strength and humility to enter into life. Living Christ, you are risen from the dead! Love reigns! You are life stronger than death; raise our eyes to see you as the new day dawns. Almighty God, through your Son Jesus Christ you overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life; grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one Go...

Lord of the passover, you have lit this night with the radiance of Christ; renew in us our baptism, and bring us through the Red Sea waters to the promised land. Lord God, you have made this night bright with the radiance of the risen Christ; may we who have been raised with him in baptism reflect the light of his glory, and live with him for ever. Amen.

We remember, O God, the grief of the disciples when Jesus died. Lead us beyond our fear of death to the joyful knowledge of eternal life in him who lives for ever. Eternal God, give us a sure and certain trust for those who are with Christ. When our loved ones come to die, beyond our sorrow, grant us confidence and hope. Grant O God, that we who are baptized into the death of your Son Jesus Christ, may continually die to sin and be buried with him, that through the grave and gate of death we may pass to our joyful resurrection; for his sake, who died and was buried and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Robert Hutchinson's The Dawn of Christianity:  How God Used Simple Fishermen, Soldiers, and Prostitutes to Transform the World continues Hutchinson's historical investigation of earliest Christianity that began in his Searching for Jesus .  Hutchinson draws on personal knowledge of the Holy Land as well as historical sources to craft a "narrative retelling of the founding" of Christianity, as documented by the New Testament and complementary secondary sources.  Like a biography, the book paints a convincing portrait of Jesus.  Architectural and archaeological details -- about the Temple Mount, for instance -- allow for vivid recreated scenes.  Jesus' last week of ministry and death take up roughly half of the book. This is a beautifully written book that draws in debates over topics such as how Jesus and various scholars have interpreted "the kingdom of God".  Since this is best conceived as a companion to Searching for Jesus , The Dawn of...

This week's selections are of my collection of church mission and evangelism books.  The one I want to highlight is Newbigin's Foolishness to the Greeks . I first read this book as an incoming Duke Divinity student -- it was the book the faculty had chosen for our incoming class to read as a whole, the book that was meant to introduce us to our studies and for shaping our theological imaginations as incoming Duke students. Lesslie Newigin's Foolishness to the Greeks:  The Gospel and Western Culture has a theme that remains one of my primary life concerns:  "What would be involved in a missionary encounter between the gospel and this whole way of perceiving, thinking, and living that we call 'modern Western culture'"? (page 1)  Newbigin quickly turns to defining the important terms of contextualization, culture, language, and "the gospel".  Then he dives into "the issues raised by the cross-cultural communication of the gos...

Gracious and eternal God, look with mercy on this your family for which our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed into the hands of his adversaries and to suffer death upon the cross; and grant us to rejoice in the benefits of his passion; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Lord Jesus Christ, as we kneel at the foot of your cross, help us to see and know your love for us, so that we may place at your feet all that we have and are. Lord Jesus Christ, crucified for us, we kneel at the foot of your cross to watch with you. Help us to see the cost of our forgiveness so that we may be made new through your love. Almighty and everlasting God, by your Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified; hear the prayers we offer for all your faithful people, that in the particular ministry to which you have called us, we may serve you in holiness and truth; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Crucifi...

Gracious God, we praise you for this sacrament, the gift of your Son to his Church. As we share this supper together may we know his strength and enter the fullness of his life and love. Infinite, intimate God; this night you kneel before your friends and wash our feet. Bound together in your love, trembling, we drink your cup and watch. Gracious and merciful God, in a wonderful sacrament you have given us a memorial of the passion of your Son Jesus Christ; grant that we who receive these sacred mysteries may grow up into him in all things until we come to your eternal joy; through our Savior Jesus Christ. Everlasting God, your Son Jesus Christ girded himself with a towel and washed his disciples’ feet; grant us the will to be the servant of others as he was servant of all, who gave up his life and died for us, yet lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen.

Gracious and merciful God, for our sake your Son became incarnate and suffered death upon the cross; give us grace to choose him as master and king who for us was crowned with thorns and died in shame, and now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Jesus the anointed, teach us to honor those who need our help, and we shall give without condescension, and receive with humility. Jesus, receive our love and worship. Show us how to give you what we have, for nothing is too big or small for us to offer, or for you to use. Amen.

When all we are and everything we do are called into question, grant us dignity and direction, grant us patience; Jesus, be there then. Gracious and merciful God, for our sake your Son became incarnate and suffered death upon the cross; have mercy on all who have not known you or who deny the faith of Christ crucified, and take from us all hardness of heart and contempt of your word; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ. God, you have made known your love through Jesus’ life and words. Help us to receive his teaching, to find the fullness of that love and bring its fragrance to others. Amen.

Teach us, Jesus, how to live and worship without being worldly or greedy. Drive from our lives what spoils them and make us temples of the Spirit. Jesus, you spoke with passion, you acted without fear, and we remember. Help us when we have to speak out, to speak the truth and without malice to speak. Gracious and merciful God, for our sake your Son became incarnate and suffered death upon the cross; purify our hearts and grant us zeal in your service; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

Jesus, when you rode into Jerusalem the people waved palms with shouts of acclamation. Grant that when the shouting dies we may still walk beside you even to a cross. Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love towards us you sent your Son to take our nature upon him, and to suffer death upon the cross; grant that we may follow the example of his great humility and share in his glorious resurrection; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Lord Jesus, acclaimed as king, crucified as a criminal, teach us to accept our sufferings and triumphs for your glory alone. Assist us mercifully, Lord God of our salvation, to contemplate those mighty acts by which you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Eileen Workman's Raindrops of Love for a Thirsty World is one of those self-help books that seem to flood the publishing market these days. It's another of those know-yourself-transformational-enlightenment-journey books that is similar in content and writing-style to so many other books. While Raindrops of Love for a Thirsty World is really penned by "LIFE", it reflects more of the middle-age American experience than it does the richness of life itself.  While there's a certain degree of organization here -- organization that often is missing in so many self-help books, that organization utilizes the theme of Christian surrender, mixed in with some mystical messages, and a nod to the other faiths. In the end, though, while Raindrops of Love has some bits of wisdom, I was left rather dry.  ______________________ I received a free copy of this book as part of the Speakeasy Blogger Review program in exchange for my honest review here.

Benjamin Riggs' Finding God in the Body:  A Spiritual Path for the Modern West offers those who are " spiritual, not religious" a fresh look at the Christian spiritual tradition for those who also have affinity toward the practices of Buddhism or other Eastern religions. Riggs writes:  " The spiritual path is the mind’s return to the naked awareness of the body ...  It is about dropping the narrative, relaxing the tension, and taking refuge in our True Life".  Readers will find here the voices of Joseph Campbell, Fr. Thomas Keating, Thomas Aquinas, Rabbi David Cooper and M. Scott Peck blended together into a unique perspective.  Finding God in the Body offers instruction in a spiritual practice that helps embody the mystery of God that lives within our body. In the end, while Riggs believes he's offered a way to develop a personal relationship with God, living in the Will of God, I was left feeling that the "God" be finds in his body looks ...

Becky Bond and Zack Exley's Rules for Revolutionaries:  How Big Organizing Can Change Everything offer pointers on how to start the next movement -- or perhaps continue the one they started.  Both, after all, served as senior advisers to the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Bond and Exley, members of a team of "go-for-broke irregulars", did much to propel the Sanders movement in their daily work, much of which hinged on old-fashioned principles of campaigning.  As they note, "when you look at the actual campaign results, the gold standard for moving voters in elections is a volunteer having a conversation with a voter on the doorstep or on the telephone".  How do you get volunteers inspired?  How do you organize them, especially when they're working for an out-of-the-mainstream candidate and may incline to the anarchic? How do you keep the bossy ones from cowing the more sheepish among the crew?  Bond and Exley, alternating chapters and anecdotes,...

Tina Schermer Sellers' Sex, God and the Conservative Church:  Erasing Shame from Sexual Intimacy is a ground-breaking book that brilliantly blends psychology, therapy and theology into one of the best criticisms of Christian fundamentalist "sex shaming" culture that I've ever read.  Schermer is able to articulate a rich sexual ethic that is grounded in research, with all the validity and robustness of a deep Christian spirituality. Schermer's vision of human sexuality is one rooted in justice, mutuality, and an infinitely relational God.  For those who have a background in the fundamentalism and its sex denying ethic, Schermer highlights how the Church must move out of the deep shame about our bodies and discomfort with the opposite sex, thereby opening a way forward for healthy Christian marriages. This book is filled with spiritual wisdom and practices that help people on their journey toward greater freedom from shame and more authentic connection to God...

Robert Morgan's Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation:  Finding True Peace in Jesus explores that kind of biblical meditation which can be a great addition to your walk with God, and will lead to a better and deeper faith. Morgan shows you how to focus your meditation time so that you go into it being prepared and having the ability to get the most out of your time.  His writing is grounded in scripture and he leads you back to the Bible. There is also a 10-day study guide at the back of the book that can get you jumpstarted on your path to biblical mediation. Overall, this is a wonderful little book. ________________ Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers < http://booklookbloggers.com > book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 ...

Craig Groeschel's Chazown:  Discover and Pursue God's Purpose in Your Life draws it the title from the Hebrew word meaning a dream, revelation or vision (and pronounced khaw-ZONE).  The word is found in Proverbs 29.18, "Where there is no vision (Chazown), the people perish", the key verse of the book. The book does an excellent job of leading the reader to discover his or her life's vision.   Readers consider past experiences, spiritual gifts, and core values while searching for life's Chazown. Craig Groeschel not only gives readers insight on how to discover their Chazown, but he takes the audience even further offering advice on what to do after they have discovered their vision.  And in this revision, he offers even richer resources for readers to live out their Chazown in your relationship with God, your relationship with people, your financial health, your physical health and your life's work. Anyone looking for purpose in life or enc...

Some years ago, I completed training in spiritual direction/friendship at Shalem Institute .  It was one of the most meaningful programs I've ever been a part of, and had a huge impact on my own spirituality and on my practice as a pastor. This week's selections come from my brief collection on spiritual direction.  And I want to highlight a lesser-known book that was part of my studies in spiritual direction both at Duke and later at Shalem:  Thomas Hart's Art of Christian Listening . This deceptively small book is one of the best ever written on the practice (art) of spiritual direction.  Hart describes the Christian listener as a helper and uses the first half of the book to describe the gentle, subservient, and very holy relationship the helper occupies in the ministry of "listening" to the soul of fellow sojourners.  I dearly loved the beautifully uncomplicated descriptions of each facet of listening direction the helper must be attuned to.  The...

This hymn was written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in a concentration camp, shortly before his death -- on this day in 1945.

Most merciful God, by the passion of your Son Jesus Christ you delivered us from the power of darkness; grant that through faith in him who suffered on the cross we may be found acceptable in your sight, through our Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus crucified, despised and suffering, you made yourself one with us. Help us to follow you and bear the shame. Jesus, they hung you on a cross because you love sinners. Save us from our self-righteousness and from our contempt for those who differ from us. Amen.

Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie:  An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson turns 20 years old this year.  And it's still as beautiful treat as it was when I first read it in 1999. Imagine counting your breaths to figure out how much life you have left in you.  A healthy adult can exhale while counting to about 70.  A dying man may not be able to get much past 15.  That is one of the many things Mitch Albom learned on his Tuesday visits with his former professor Morrie, who had been diagnosed with ALS. I've watched and accompanied others over the years as they've made a similar journey with those dying from disease.  Tuesdays with Morrie was the book that helped me gain perspective and shaped my empathy in that journey with them -- both those who experience their loved one's dying, and those who are dying. Tuesdays with Morrie gives a glimpse into that world.  Morrie shares with Albom that "ALS is like a lit candle: it melts your ner...

Joe Thorn's The Heart of the Church:  The Gospel's History, Message, and Meaning is the first of a three-volume set on the Church, written from a free-church perspective.  Here, Thorn breaks down the very foundation of the Church, that which orients all of its life and work:  "The gospel is the heart of the church.  It's not simply one thing we believe, but the defining truth for the Christian and the church" (p. 105). The Heart of the Church approaches the Gospel from three directions:  The History of the Gospel, The Doctrine of the Gospel and The God of the Gospel.  In a few short pages for each of those topics, Thorn gives meaning to the mission and message of the Church in a way that is both approachable and Christologically formed. The entire series is one churches will want to provide in their libraries, and books that pastors should use regularly in training congregational leaders. _________________ I received a free copy of this book fro...