The Little Friar

CS Lewis once remarked : True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. When it comes to humility I think a lot of Christians tend to work with the wrong idea. The idea that many seem to have is that humility involves thinking less about yourself, to have a negative or even morbid self-concept. Justification for this sort of thing comes from texts like Philippians 2.3: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Humility, it seems, is considering others as "better" than yourself. And if others are better than you it stands to reason that you are "worse".  Humility, in this view, is having that sort of morbid self-concept:  Others are "better" than me. But is that what Paul is saying in Philippians 2.3? The word translated as “better” in this text is hyperechontas from the root hyperecho . The word (in various forms) occurs only four other times in t...

I could (which you cannot) Find reasons fast enough To face the sky and roar In anger and despair At what is going on, Demanding that it name Whoever is to blame: The sky would only wait Till all my breath was gone And then reiterate As if I wasn't there That singular command I do not understand, Bless what there is for being , Which has to be obeyed, for What else am I made for, Agreeing or disagreeing? -- WH Auden, from his poem "Precious Five"

Melanie Shankle's Everyday Holy:  Finding A Big God in the Little Moments is one of those quiet, little books that's deceptively challenging.  Just when you're sure you know what to expect from devotionals, Shankle offers a challenge in the form of spending 100 days learning to recognize God in the small parts of life !  In those mundane places where you're sure you know just what to expect. Everyday Holy has both challenged and changed me.  It's taught me that the biggest thing God calls us to do in this life is to look for him right where we are, instead of always waiting for that elusive next thing.  He has each of us where we are for a reason and a purpose. My hope is that you'll find it a reason to laugh, to cry, to think, but most importantly to hope.  To draw your eyes closer to all those places where God is already at work in your life. ______________________ I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my hon...

I was reading the Parable of the Sheep and Goats again (from Matthew 25).  It's a Parable that most of us who've heard about judgment and hell have heard quite a few times, I'm sure.  But something jumped out at me in the parable.   The King puts the sheep on his right hand and says this to them: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." The sheep are shocked.  Consulting their memory, they don’t ever recall seeing the King on earth: "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and cloth...

Doubtless by now, so many folks have heard Bishop Curry's royal wedding sermon.  If you haven't, you can see it here . As a preacher, I can't recall the time that a sermon had so many talking about it.  By all accounts -- including mine -- it was a wonderful sermon precisely in what it did:  It treated preaching as if it mattered, and that gathering as if it were a congregation and not a wedding. Why did so many connect to that sermon?  As Curry and his friend, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, both mentioned in  this fascinating interview , it was "after all, just the Gospel". And yet, when something connects so well, it's important to ask why it connected so well.  Especially for preachers, who regularly practice the craft we saw Curry practicing last Saturday. Here are some of my thoughts.  In addition to preaching the Gospel during that message, Curry did at least five things that really connected with people in the room and around...

...there must be Power, Wisdom, and Goodness, subsisting in one Degree or other, in every Government worthy to be so called, let the exterior Form of it be whatever it may. For Example, without Power the very Idea of Government is annihilated; and there are no traces of it left. Without Wisdom to conduct this Power towards some certain End, or Object, the Thing itself would not be Power, in a moral sense, but blind Impulse, or mechanic Force. And without Goodness to influence and incline the Operations both of Wisdom and Power towards some benevolent Uses, conducive to public Happiness, the Efforts of Wisdom would in effect be Knavery, Trick, and Cunning; and the Display of Power mere Tyranny and Oppression. There must therefore be a Coalition, or Cooperation of all three, in order to form a Government fit to rule over such a Creature as Man. -- Josiah Tucker, A Treatise Concerning Civil Government (1781), Part II, Chapter III.

Dan Stanford's Losing the Cape:  The Power of Ordinary in a World of Superheros builds on a central truth:  "As bad as the world is right now, we don’t need a superhero to come save the day".  And in its twenty-one chapters, Stanford explores a number of people -- both biblical and everyday -- who live lives that are ordinary miracles of divine work.  Stanford encourages us to focus on our sphere of influence, use what we have on hand, rely upon God and not our works, and to stop expecting works of great importance to look big and earth shattering -- sometimes the biggest thing to someone may come in the form of a small, seemingly insignificant gesture.  To the person, however, it means the world. Losing the Cape is an easy read -- each chapter is just a few pages.  And Stanford's conversational style make it a comfortable book to explore a very timely message.  There are places you'll find encouragement -- and others where you'll find chal...

Philip Britts' Water at the Roots:  Poems and Insights of a Visionary Farmer offers the reflections of faith and farming from an early twentieth-century English farmer who joined the Cotswold Bruderhof community.  For those readers who don't know:  The Bruderhof was -- and is -- a connection of intentional Christian communities who live together, share the land and resources, in a witness to the Peaceable Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Britts lived that English experience during the days of World War II -- when Germans (the Bruderhof started in Germany) were part of this pacifist community, sharing with the English all the daily needs in a communal life.  The English were none-too-impressed.  The pressure for the Germans to be expelled was tremendous:  Either they emigrated or the community faced even more pressure.  So they chose -- as a community -- to leave England and settle in Paraguay. It was never an easy life.  Farmland had to be tilled, ...

Becky Kopitzke's Generous Love:  Discover the Joy of Living "Others First" explores the spiritual practice at the heart of every other Christian spiritual practice:  Living in loving ways toward others first. Kopitzke reminds us how often we get in the way of such loving -- how our sins cloud that love to others.  And she reminds us the importance of our attitude in loving.  So this isn't a book simply to assume you know the ending.  Working through it can be difficult and painful.  Precisely because it explores all of the ways in which we put ourselves before others. Then Kopitzke moves on to provide knowledge and strategy, the tools I need to intentionally bless others.  She reminded me that the actions may be simple but the results life changing.  She also reminded me that the little choices we make are so important. The questions at the end of every chapter open what you're reading into your own life -- so spend time there.  Don't...

Marsha Trimble Dunstan's The Complete Guide to Dream Interpretation:  A Simple, Step-by-Step Process to Biblical Interpretation is the most thorough, and accessible, guides to dream interpretation I've ever seen.  It's filled with practical wisdom, and will challenge Christians to pay attention to dreams -- one of the most neglected spiritual disciplines in this overly-psychologized eras. Dunstan shares many of her own dreams, and walks readers through the process of spiritual interpretation of them.  She explores the differences between dreams and visions , and the extended dictionary of dream symbols will help readers to make those distinctions in their own spiritual lives. This is an excellent source for those who want confirmation that God is still alive and active in our lives.  Dunstan is cautious, though, to insist that everything you find in your dreams demands confirmation not only from the Spirit, but also from another source.  This is not anothe...

NKJV Minister's Bible offers a number of pastoral resources -- conveniently tucked between the Old and New Testaments.  It's a compendium of "how-to" resources that include materials for weddings, baptisms, communion, and other worship materials.  The Bible comes with the NKJV text printed in two columns.  It's designed for regular use in pastoral leadership in a variety of contexts.  Complete with three ribbons for marking various texts, this Bible would make a great gift for the young, newly-ordained pastor. ____________________ I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review here.

Karl Vaters' Small Church Essentials:  Field-Tested Principles for Leading a Healthy Congregation of Under 250 builds upon a central thesis:  "Your church is big enough.  Right now.  Today, at its current size". Vaters' wisdom in this little book goes against so much of the "accepted wisdom" of church growth "experts".  A healthy church grows numerically , we're told.  Small Church Essentials counters the popular wisdom with honest, faithful best practices for churches with smaller memberships. As a former small church pastor, I can personally speak to the demoralization that occurs when the church growth expectations are too closely followed.  Vaters experienced that same demoralization -- until he had an epiphany:  " We are always striving to increase our capacity for effective ministry" is a more healthy approach.  Small Church Essentials isn't anti -big church by any stretch of the imagination.  By the same token, t...

A friend recently -- and honestly -- asked on Facebook: "The question is not whether or not there is a god. The question is, why do we care?" I think his question deserves an honest Christian response -- which, sadly, would be more than a Facebook comment might allow.  So here goes. First, it's important to recognize something essential about atheism:   Christians, Jews, Muslims and atheists have one thing in common.  They don't believe in gods .   Indeed, Christians were atheists for the first 400 years .  For the Roman and Greek pagans, the Jews and the Christians of the first centuries were pagans.  They had no God whose name others recognized.  They were "without" gods.  Even now, we Christians may seem like atheists in the eyes of people of other religions. It's very important to recognize that when Christians use the word God , we're not describing merely the exemplary among a class of things.  God isn't the apex of pantheon...

Ruth Schwenk's The Better Mom:  Growing in Grace Between Perfection and the Mess is an amazing book for mothers -- whether they be mothers-to-be or seasoned ones. Nearly every woman who is "mother" knows how difficult the task is in the modern world.  Motherhood is tough, messy and exhausting.  But at its heart, The Better Mom offers wisdom for growing in grace -- moving beyond the weary life and into the worthy life.  There's practical wisdom here for how to organize your home, focused on God.  For overcoming the unhealthy emotions -- most often anxiety and anger -- often associated with parenthood these days.  And for cultivating the friendships outside the home that make both those things possible. In short, The Better Mom is must reading for any woman who nurtures others in daily life.  It is a book that helps those women nurture their own spirit for the purpose of exercising the spiritual vocation of motherhood.  Schwenk is a mother o...

Yesterday was local election day.  I didn't vote, yet again.  Some folks always end up asking why I refuse to vote (be that candidate Democrat, Republic or Independent).  So I thought this might be helpful in understanding where that criticism comes from.  And might be helpful the next time voting rolls around.  This list is far from exhaustive, but it’s a start: Christian politics begins with one simple claim:  Jesus is Lord. 1.  Remember, if you’re a Christian then you’re part of a pilgrim people who ought never really feel at home in this world because we have been made for another.  Jesus is Lord and King, and his Lordly Kingdom is not of this world. 2.  No matter which government is in power, the Church’s charge remains the same — Jesus’ lordly challenge to preach the Gospel.  This will include, among other things, at least a 4-fold word:  (a) challenging the structures of our society that demean humanity made i...