BookPastor >> "Becoming Curious" (Casey Tygrett)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on June 23rd, 2017. 

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TITLE: Becoming Curious: A Spiritual Practice of Asking Questions
AUTHOR: Casey Tygrett
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2017, (192 pages).

An elderly once said: "The older I get, I realize I don't have more answers. I have more questions." As our world increasingly gets more complex, questions have become the norm. Whether it is new technology or novel ways to doing the same thing, we need to keep learning, especially when more individuals are empowered to be creative and innovative. There are many different purposes of questions. The main use in this book is about cultivating and practicing the gift of curiosity. It is learning to comb the mass array of choices and information glut to pinpoint the necessary from the rest. Questions can sharpen our focus. It helps us ponder whether the status quo is worth preserving or not. These are "curious questions." Following that, author Casey Tygrett leads us through various ways in which we can put into practice such "curious questions"; what they are; how they look like; when to use them; and how it affects relationships; how it introduces tension especially when dealing with areas in our lives we are afraid to ask. Some tips for asking good questions include:

• Being specific
• Being clear about different uses of imperative and invitation statements
• Being repetitive using different words and phrases
• Being bold about uncertainly
• Being humble
• Practicing "quaestio divina" or divine questioning
• ...

BookPastor >> "Belonging and Becoming" (Mark and Lisa Scandrette)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Jan 25th, 2017.

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TITLE: Belonging and Becoming: Creating a Thriving Family Culture
AUTHOR: Mark and Lisa Scandrette
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (240 pages).

Ask anybody what is the most important thing in their lives, and there is a good chance that it would be this: Family. Who doesn't want to have a closely knit loving family? Who would give anything for their families to thrive? Speaking of family is one thing. Achieving it is another. In fact, many people who wanted to have start a family begin well but spluttered along the way. Perhaps, we just need some help and mentoring to get our own families on track toward thriving instead of mere surviving.  For Mark and Lisa Scandrette, their journey started when they stopped to reflect about choices that they could make for the sake of the family. They took the time to intentionally explore new possibilities. They also resolve to take steps to make that into reality. In two words, they bring out the essence of what it means to thrive: Belonging and Becoming. Give children a sense of belonging and empower them toward becoming the best they could ever be. They define the thriving family as follows:

"A thriving family is a place of belonging and becoming, where each person feels safe, cared for and loved, and is supported to develop who they are for the good of the world."

BookPastor >> "Liturgy of the Ordinary" (Tish Harrison Warren)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Jan 3rd, 2017.

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TITLE: Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life
AUTHOR: Tish Harrison Warren
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (192 pages).

Spirituality is not just something for the clergy or the spiritualists. Neither is it reserved only for the retreat centers and extraordinary circumstances. It is in fact very practical and can be implemented in ordinary spheres of life. It does not have to be difficult in terms of complicated rituals or requiring great theological training. Covering a 24 hour cycle, author Tish Harrison Warren shows us the way to instilling spiritual sensitivity through our daily activities. She helps us turn work into opportunities for worship. In doing so, she helps us avoid dichotomizing the sacred from the secular. She gives us eleven ordinary activities that we do going through the 24-hour clock framework. We begin with waking up in the morning after a night's sleep. She compares this with the act of baptism, how we are birthed from old to new. Each morning begins with dew of freshness. We see the world from this perspective and to realize that God is constantly forming us as new people each day to see fresh perspectives amid the routine and mundane. We avoid the tendency to cut out life and focus only on the exciting and sensational. Warren is convinced that theology practiced in the ordinary is essentially what the Christian life is about. Our ritual of making the bed reminds us that the things we do so regularly are habit forming. Just like many people whose lives have been changed by technology. They wake up and the first thing they check is their social media updates; their emails; or their messages from various apps. While convenient and fast, such digital devices have subversively lowered our tolerance for boredom. Just today, I read about the talk of a new law in France that gives workers the right not to connect or be contacted by their bosses during their break time. I think there is increasingly a need for some of us who tend to hog the digital waves. In brushing teeth, we learn about maintaining cleanliness and the way Christianity teaches the importance of caring for our physical selves. As we prepare to leave our houses, many of us drive. In our rush, there is always a chance of losing something such as our keys. We retrace our steps. We blame our carelessness. We get frustrated when the search is prolonged. Then and only then do we embark on prayer. It is a powerful reminder of how we take God for granted, leaving God out until we most desperately needed Him. We have such a patient and magnanimous God!

BookPastor >> "Paradoxology" (Krish Kandiah)

I've always enjoyed Krish Kandiah's writings. This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Dec 12th, 2016.

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TITLE: Paradoxology: Why Christianity Was Never Meant to Be Simple
AUTHOR: Krish Kandiah
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2017, (288 pages).

Life is viewed like a paradox because of our limited perspectives. Every situation has multiple interpretations. Every interpretation is subject to changing contexts. When we view life as a paradox, it keeps us humble and open to different understanding. This is what author Krish Kandiah has done for us. By looking at key characters in the Bible, he helps us to learn the nuances of Christian teachings throughout the ages. Simply put, there are no simple answers to the difficult questions we encounter through time. Take suffering for example. Can we explain it or understand why it happens? For if we can understand all the things of God, surely, we will be God. The author begins with the following definition of a paradox: "A paradox, just to be clear, consists of true statements that lead to an apparent or real contradiction in logic or intuition." The key thesis in this book is this:

"Paradoxology makes a bold claim: that the paradoxes that seem to undermine belief are actually the heart of our vibrant faith, and that it is only by continually wrestling with them – rather than trying to pin them down or push them away – that we can really worship God, individually and together."

BookPastor >> "Faithful Presence" (David E. Fitch)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Nov 16th, 2016.

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TITLE: Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines That Shape the Church for Mission
AUTHOR: David E. Fitch
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (256 pages).

How do we manifest Christ's love in a world of brokenness and pain? Is there something Christians can do to counter the social injustice and poverty disparities? Can the Church do more than mere handouts? If there is a genuine desire to be part of the solution, how then do believers go about doing it? According to author David E. Fitch, the answer is in the title of this new book entitled, "Faithful Presence." He defines it as follows:

"Faithful presence names the reality that God is present in the world and that he uses a people faithful to his presence to make himself concrete and real amid the world’s struggles and pain. When the church is this faithful presence, God’s kingdom becomes visible and the world is invited to join with God. Faithful presence is not only essential for our lives as Christians, it’s how God has chosen to change the world. In this book I aim to describe what this faithful presence looks like."

BookPastor >> "Reading Your Life's Story" (Keith R. Anderson)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Oct 27th, 2016.

conrade

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TITLE: Reading Your Life's Story: An Invitation to Spiritual Mentoring
AUTHOR: Keith R. Anderson
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (224 pages).

We are relational people. We grow best in a nourishing environment of friendship and honesty. Friendly and open with others; honest and bold about ourselves. We cannot grow on our own. We need others to guide us. We need spiritual direction. We need to be mentored in our own journey of life. Learning to read our life story remains one of the most crucial things we need to do. Unfortunately, this is also one of the most neglected. Some of the most important questions are often either not asked or ignored. This book attempts to boldly ask and to gently illuminate. It is an introductory book on the art of spiritual direction. It tells us about the importance of mentoring, what it is, what it looks like, and how we can go about establishing a mentor-mentee relationship. It shows us ways to:

• start and sustain a dialogue
• cultivate an honest and healthy curiosity about life stories
• appreciating human relationships
• desiring to deepen intimacy with God and others
• learning to tell one another’s stories
• being authentic through honest discovery

BookPastor >> "Impossible People" (Os Guinness)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on July 26th, 2016.

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TITLE: Impossible People: Christian Courage and the Struggle for the Soul of Civilization
AUTHOR: Os Guinness
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2016, (240 pages).

When Os Guinness writes, it is always a challenge not simply to sit down and read but to rise up and do something. Filled with biblical conviction and a faithful desire to be obedient to God's calling, Guinness harnesses his years of experience and knowledge of our culture to raise a battle cry for Christians to take their stand. There are four major challenges not only to the Christian faith but to Western civilization. First, the challenge of being weakened. The Judeo-Christian faith has been weakened and overrun by secularism and modernity. Second, the challenge of internal splits which has two post-Christian forces that threaten to move society toward nihilism on one side and extreme humanism on the other side. Third, the challenge of two major external forces. With a weakened Christian perspective, Western civilization becomes more vulnerable to aggressive secularism and radical Islam. Fourth, the need for courage and bold witness in the light of such obstacles. Can Christians rise up to these challenges?

Guinness compares this present challenging age to the first three centuries clash with the Caesars and the sixteenth Century threats from the Ottomans. He coins the "four infamous S factors" as Secularism; Secularization; Separationism; and Statism. In order to survive against the grand showdown, we need to take a leaf from history. Be reminded about how Daniel and his friends stood up against the idolatry of Nebuchadnezzar; how the early Christians would rather die than deny their faith; and how Athanasius fought the heretics of old. The tragedy of many mainstream WWII German Christians is how easily they cave in to the political ambitions of Hitler. Will the West today commit a similar error of omission? Instead of reforming from within, many are becoming more accepting of the outside world, even compromising their biblical principles.

BookPastor >> "Reading for the Common Good" (C. Christopher Smith)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Sep 15th, 2016.

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TITLE: Reading for the Common Good: How Books Help Our Churches and Neighborhoods Flourish
AUTHOR: C. Christopher Smith
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2016, (179 pages).

What has reading got to do with community? A lot! So says the author and editor of The Englewood Review of Books, Christopher Smith. This co-author of Slow Church continues on the tread of learning to pace ourselves in our reading and our connecting. While his previous bestselling book was on things Church and community, this book is about the general practice of reading and books and how they can cultivate neighbourliness. Smith uses the Church as a "learning organization" as a way to enter the discussion. From reading about DIY manuals to instructions about things essential for daily living, reading can be opportunities to build bridges and to share knowledge of things that matter to our community. For reading is both learning and action. Both must be held together. Learning without action is mere knowledge that does not relate to everyday life. Action without learning will have their superficiality eventually found out. Smith lists the other reasons on how reading can be used for the common good:

• It forms us into a compassionate and faithful people who build bridges;
• It calls us to know God in His Word;
• It guides us to understand the brokenness of the world and how we can be a positive force for good;
•  It helps us discern and develop our gifts and talents.

BookPastor >> "Impossible People" (Os Guinness)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on July 26th, 2016.

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TITLE: Impossible People: Christian Courage and the Struggle for the Soul of Civilization
AUTHOR: Os Guinness
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2016, (240 pages).

When Os Guinness writes, it is always a challenge not simply to sit down and read but to rise up and do something. Filled with biblical conviction and a faithful desire to be obedient to God's calling, Guinness harnesses his years of experience and knowledge of our culture to raise a battle cry for Christians to take their stand. There are four major challenges not only to the Christian faith but to Western civilization. First, the challenge of being weakened. The Judeo-Christian faith has been weakened and overrun by secularism and modernity. Second, the challenge of internal splits which has two post-Christian forces that threaten to move society toward nihilism on one side and extreme humanism on the other side. Third, the challenge of two major external forces. With a weakened Christian perspective, Western civilization becomes more vulnerable to aggressive secularism and radical Islam. Fourth, the need for courage and bold witness in the light of such obstacles. Can Christians rise up to these challenges?

Guinness compares this present challenging age to the first three centuries clash with the Caesars and the sixteenth Century threats from the Ottomans. He coins the "four infamous S factors" as Secularism; Secularization; Separationism; and Statism. In order to survive against the grand showdown, we need to take a leaf from history. Be reminded about how Daniel and his friends stood up against the idolatry of Nebuchadnezzar; how the early Christians would rather die than deny their faith; and how Athanasius fought the heretics of old. The tragedy of many mainstream WWII German Christians is how easily they cave in to the political ambitions of Hitler. Will the West today commit a similar error of omission? Instead of reforming from within, many are becoming more accepting of the outside world, even compromising their biblical principles.

BookPastor >> "Slow Kingdom Coming" (Kent Annan)

This review was first published on June 22nd, 2016 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

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TITLE: Slow Kingdom Coming: Practices for Doing Justice, Loving Mercy and Walking Humbly in the World
AUTHOR: Kent Annan
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2016, (149 pages).

Just like the action movies, our busy lifestyles and activities that we do make us look like people constantly on the move. If we are not putting anything in motion, we may even be accused of idling. For believers who want to let their faith make a difference in their lives, the pressure is on to do something quick, lest we be accused of hypocrisy. If we open our ears and eyes to see what is before us and what is beyond us through the news and media, we will know that the injustice in the world far outstrips the amount of justice we see. Maybe, the bad news receive greater publicity than the good. There is so much to do that we do not know where or how to start. There are racial discrimination all over the world with the rich and poor often separated by privileges both explicit and implicit for certain people groups. There is human trafficking that despicably enslaves women, children, and vulnerable people. There is violence; violation of human rights; lack of basic resources; and immoral practices throughout the world. Besides that, there are needs closer to home, like the lonely people in our neighbourhood, people experiencing unjust treatment; and the ever growing rich and poor divide. How can we see God's kingdom come when the world seems to be heading toward greater brokenness? Where is the healing and the shalom of God? When we pray "Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done," where are the results? The key thesis of this book is that the most effective way to ensure the long-term development of developing societies is when we spend time and resources defending, promoting, and cultivating their freedom and their rights.

BookPastor >> "Strong and Weak" (Andy Crouch)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on April 29th, 2016.

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TITLE: Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing
AUTHOR: Andy Crouch
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (192 pages).

What are we meant to be? If where we are now and where we ought to be are so far apart, what's the reason? These two questions dominate the discussion of this book about the paradox of life. The first question deals with our self-understanding while the second talks about the gaps between who we are and where we ought to be. Essentially, it is about great hopes, great regrets, the human condition, and how one can flourish. The author's key thesis is this: "Flourishing comes from being both strong and weak. Flourishing requires us to embrace both authority and vulnerability, both capacity and frailty — even, at least in this broken world, both life and death."

Andy Crouch is executive editor of Christianity Today and has served for ten years as campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Harvard University. With his keen interest in Christianity and culture, he has previously written books like Culture Making which deals with the Christian in modern culture, and more recently, Playing God which is about the stewardship of power. If "Culture Making" is about the broader engagement of Christians in their existing culture; and "Playing God" about the engagement of Christians in their use of power; this book is about Christians in their personal and honest assessment of strengths and weaknesses, with an eye on personal calling and identity.

BookPastor >> "The Listening Life" (Adam S. McHugh)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on April 8th, 2016.

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TITLE: The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction
AUTHOR: Adam S. McHugh
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (224 pages).

Attentiveness is a much needed quality these days. In a culture where distracted driving is occurring more often than drunk driving, people tend to be talking more and listening less. Welcome to an age of distraction and self-seeking endeavors. According to Adam McHugh, "listening comes first" even before we were born. McHugh, an ordained minister with the Presbyterian Church USA is also spiritual director, speaker, and retreat leader. His first book, "Introverts in the Church" talks about the plight of introverts trying to find their place in churches that tend to appeal more to extroverts. This second book of his attempts to contrast the need for listening in a highly talkative world. Why listen? That is because listening is the foundational discipline for what it means to be human. It is the first step of discipleship. It helps us avoid grabbing too much sound space from others. It prepares us with a disposition to receive instructions from God rather than to tell God what God already knew. For preachers, listening comes before preaching. In this very perceptive book, McHugh provides some challenging questions:

• If we learn to listen first, how will that impact our relationships?
• If we discipline ourselves to listen to God first, how will our relationship with God become?
• What if our default position in anything is listening?
• What will happen if we learn to listen first with our ears rather than to move our lips?
• What about listening to our inner selves?

BookPastor >> "Thumbprint in the Sand" (Luci Shaw)

This review was first published on March 18th, 2016 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

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TITLE: Thumbprint in the Clay: Divine Marks of Beauty, Order and Grace
AUTHOR: Luci Shaw
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (205 pages).

Luci Shaw is a gift to the literary world. Not only is she a master with words, she has a keen eye to observe ordinary things and to let them bounce off reflections of life. She reflects on the coffee mug and how it is used as a symbol of family and hospitality. From within the small world of the coffee cup, she zooms out to the big wide world, anchoring her thoughts from 36000 feet in the airplane and looking at the world God had created. Meandering through "God's graphics," she leaves through photographs, observations, histories, past civilizations, and lands back to earth, having caught a glimpse from God's perspective. From the Pacific Northwest, she is reminded of God's creation and natural wonder, appreciating people, acknowledging beauty, and admiring rocks! Her silent retreat at the monastery is probably one of her secrets in training her powers of observation. More importantly, it speaks of her innermost desire to be closer to God. Here, Shaw's theological engine kicks in. She integrates philosophy with spirituality. She activates the words of her literary friends like Annie Dillard, Madeleine L'Engle, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Eugene Peterson. She includes one of her favourite art journals, Image, and reflects on them equally well, showing us that one does not need to be physically present at any particular place to learn to appreciate natural beauty. For it is not the actual place alone that can trigger one's sense of wonder. It is the admiring heart that paints the world with colour. From theology, we come back to Shaw's TV set. She connects the TV programs with one's sense of identity. From DNA to thumbprints, forensic analysis to police investigations, we are reminded of a world larger than mere crime triggered investigations. Shaw links the physics of the world with the creation of life. Moving in and out from the world of words to the real world, and back again, it can be a challenge to try to capture and to predict where Shaw is going next. My advice: Don't bother. Just enjoy. If you can pace with her, by all means do so. Better to pace it at your own speed. This is not about getting the most out of this book. It is about allowing the best of us to appreciate the best of God's world, seen through the eyes of Shaw.

BookPastor >> "The Radical Pursuit of Rest" (John Koessler)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Feb 27th, 2016.

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TITLE: The Radical Pursuit of Rest: Escaping the Productivity Trap
AUTHOR: John Koessler
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2016, (176 pages).

Is the title of this book an oxymoron? How can an active pursuit in itself be restful in the first place? It's like mixing a bottle of restlessness into a bowl called rest. Which will prevail? According to the author, this book about the "radical pursuit" is not so much about activities and techniques but the meaning of rest is "radical" in itself. In other words, to the perennially busy and constantly preoccupied individual, arriving at the restful disposition is already a radical position in itself. For our day and age, it most certainly require us to be "radical" in our pursuit of rest simply because we have lost the art of rest. The author uses nine chapters to explore the range of rest and restlessness. Beginning with faith, he notices how even the Sunday church services are nowhere near the rest that worship requires. Stuck in the hamster wheel of seeking success, Christian activities are full of advice giving, non-stop working, and wearing soldiering ahead just to do religious stuff. Rest needs to be found and the path to reach that state is not through work but divine rest. The way forward is to depend on the one who knows how best to rest: God. God rests because it is the rest of completion and contentment over the day's work. Remember how God says each day is "good?" Rest is a place where God is present. Rest is dependent not on what we have or not done, but completely on what Christ had done at the cross. Probing the notion of Sundays as that supposedly "day of rest," Koessler laments at the lack of uniformity in the practice of the Lord's Day. Far too often, it has been filled with all kinds of activities. Obviously, with the lack of practicing rest on a Sunday, no wonder the rest of the week is packed with lots of restlessness.

BookPastor >> "Scripture By Heart" (Joshua KANG)

Title: Scripture by Heart: Devotional Practices for Memorizing God's Word
Author: Joshua ChoonMing KANG
Publisher: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Press, 2010, (150 pages)

This book is an easy read, but involves some effort in order to practice it. It invites the reader to begin an age old practice: Memorizing Scripture. The book was first written in Korean. Now translated in the form of 30 short chapters, the author gently guides the reader to begin the long journey of what he calls the 'memorization divina.' Just as the 'lectio divina' implies a slow and intentional reading, the memorization divina implies a perseverance that over time, in short sound bites.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK
The author provides 4 reasons for memorizing the Word.

1) For Knowing God;
2) For Imitating Christ;
3) For Worshiping God;
4) For Fulfilling the Will of God.

I will add that the reasons for memorizing God's word is basically for loving God. How I love thy Word, says the Psalmist. Ps 119 alone should motivate us to put the Word of God in our hearts. For this reason alone, you should read this book and learn some memorization skills. This book can also be used as a companion to Spiritual Formation.

BOOK STRUCTURE

The structure of the book is by itself a representation of the book's philosophy. The 30 chapters may seem long (like the Bible is with many books and chapters), the brevity of each chapter shows us the need to pace oneself in the memorization process. The author is deeply aware of the difficulties and pitfalls of such a massive effort to remember Scripture. Thus, he guides te reader with reminders of the 'sweetness' of the effort, and to encourage one toward persevering toward the very end. The practical ideas are distributed throughout the book.

QUOTES I LIKE:

• “We begin memorizing Scripture by taking small steps, then expanding gradually to larger steps. Be patient with yourself, especially whenever you’re tempted to memorize Leviticus in an hour and a half!” (23)
• “A healthy spirituality sends deep roots into a cultivated mind; knowledge is essential to spiritual development. We feel and act upon knowledge because our thoughts affect our feelings. The mind also influences the will because our choices depend on our knowledge.” (32)
• "A cultivated mind produces more insight, possesses a richer sense of the world and enjoys a more attractive experience of reality. Our minds are influenced by what comes from outside of us. We cannot create our own world, and yet we can create our own worldview. The abundance and vitality of the world we live in depends on how we see it. When our minds are cultivated by the Word of God through Scripture memorization, we can see the world that was created by God in the way that God sees it.” (33)
• “one of the most enjoyable spiritual pastimes is drawing a Scripture verse from memory and meditating on it. Often meditation is a joy of its own, but gaining wisdom while doing so leads to ecstasy.” (34)
• "Emotion follows motion." (24)

MY COMMENTS
I am intrigued by Kang's description of how some people who attended his seminar on Memorizing Scripture have their interest fizzle out within the first few minutes of his talk. These are the people who perhaps thought that the seminar contains some quick-fix easy to use formula for Bible memorization. Unfortunately, even if such a formula exist, it may enter the head but hardly influence the heart. Kang makes a good observation saying that:

“it must be remembered that digesting the word is more important than ingesting it; food itself is of no use until it’s converted into energy.” (18)

Right on. We need to make a distinction between 'ingesting' the word vs 'digesting' the Word. The former involves wholesale swallowing; the latter requires bite-size chewing. The former gobbles quickly; the latter nibbles intentionally. Ingesting focuses on the speed of the memorizing process while digesting requires a concerted effort of the whole person. In other words, ingesting is for spiritual formulation whereas digesting is for spiritual formation. Having done Bible memorization, I find myself agreeing with a lot of what Kang is saying. In fact, one of the rewards of Bible memory is to be able to meditate on it when the lights are turned off before I go to bed.

I recommend this book highly not only for meditation purposes, but for loving God more through intentional spiritual formation. You can purchase the book by clicking here.

conrade
[first published at SabbathWalk at http://www.sabbathwalk.org/Home/book-reviews/review-scripture-by-heart]

BookPastor >> "Slow Church" (C. Christopher Smith and John Pattison)

TITLE: Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus
AUTHOR: C. Christopher Smith and John Pattison
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2014, (247 pages).

Our society is infatuated with all things fast and furious. Faster is better they say. Quicker is preferred. From queue lines to traffic congestions, waiting is detested. People want rapid service. They demand express responses. They desire prompt answering of phone calls or timely replies to emails. Speed is king. Really? Authors Smith and Pattison seek to buck this trend by arguing that there are many things in this life that cannot be straitjacketed into a fast-food paradigm. We need to avoid becoming victims of McDonaldization that forces us to be squeezed into a one-size-fits-all mold. The Church needs to be transformed into the image of Christ and not conformed to the world.  Inspired by the Slow Food movement, the authors seek to instill a sense of normalcy to our crazy, fast-paced society that prizes efficiency over effectiveness; calculability over quality; predictability over natural ability; and control over freedom. In true food service fashion, Smith and Pattison offers us a three course meal. The first course is ETHICS (Be Good), which reminds us about the importance of quality over quantity, and how one can cultivate this over the world's infatuation with quantity and speed. It is like saying it's better to do a few things well than to do many things mediocre. The second course is ECOLOGY (Be Clean), which points us toward God's care and concern for the reconciliation with the world. This is the mission we are all called to participate in. The third course is ECONOMY (Be Fair), where we learn about God's abundant provision to us as a Church and how doing God's work requires all of God's providence.

BookPastor >> "The Prayer God Longs For" (James Emery White)

TITLE: The Prayer God Longs For
AUTHOR: James Emery White
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2005, (130 pages).

Books on the Lord's Prayer are plenty. The most popular prayer in the Christian Bible is also the most popular prayer many preachers have preached on. Rightly so, simply because it is so rich with insights that it takes the whole Church together to mine the depths of the spiritual prayer. Like many authors, James Emery White has offered his take on this prayer. Calling it the "Prayer that God Longs For," White shows us that this prayer is essentially spiritual formation, turning pilgrims from people uttering prayers to prayerful persons. What really catches my attention are the words of Evelyn Underhill, the 20th Century English mystic.

"Again and again in public and private devotion the Lord's Prayer is taken on hurried lips, and recited at a pace which makes impossible any realization of its tremendous claims and profound demands. Far better than this cheapening of the awful power of prayer was the practice of the old woman described by St Teresa, who spent an hour over the first two words, absorbed in reverence and love." (Evelyn Underhill)

Firstly, we learn about intimacy. The two words, "Our Father" is one of the most personal address of God anyone can start with. It is drawing near to God. It is being confident of the approachability of God. It is just enjoying being in the presence of God. It is also being reminded that we are coming to God, as children of God.

Secondly, we learn about expectancy. The key thought behind the words "in heaven" is that it is less about place, and more about the meaning. The place matters less as the meaning takes on more significance. It shows us the transcendence of God, and that we can be reconciled to God there in Christ. We move from mere natural to a supernatural domain. This is precisely what happens, for when we prayer the heavenly prayer, we get lifted out of our puny earthly worries, and to glimpse the heavenly kingdom, which in turn, puts all of our earthly concerns in perspective.

Thirdly, we adopt a position of reverence as we pray "Hallowed be Thy Name." It is because God's name represents God himself, we need to honour, to revere, to hallow that name in worship. White gives the example of the Old Testament story of Araunah's threshing floor. When King David offered to pay for the property, Araunah flatly refuses to accept payment. Amazingly, as I reflect on this story, Araunah gives away his threshing floor freely, and David freely chooses to pay the full price for it. Reverence frees us and one another in a way that we let love and honour rise above obligations and rights.

Fourthly, we learn submission as we pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."The trouble with many people running on circles around themselves, and coming out empty is simply because they are more concerned with self-will rather than God's will. Taking a leaf from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's five stages of grieving, White shows readers what it means to die to self. Stage One is about denial where our loss of our own will and dreams seem suicidal. Stage Two is anger as we start to ask "How long" or questions God about our state. Stage Three comes bargain, in which we serve or love God more conditionally than we thought. Stage Four is where we experience depression, in which God's will to us seems more like death than life. Stage Five is acceptance, where we learn that as our human will send, our spiritual will begins. White suggests a Stage Six where one moves from acceptance to worship, where we start to enjoy the pursuit of God to heaven and in heaven.

Before moving to the fifth aspect, White pauses to show us the need to pray less about ourselves or our world, but to ready ourselves for something bigger.

Fifthly, we learn dependence on God for "Our Daily Bread." White observes that the hardest thing to ask for sometimes is for the most ordinary and mundane stuff. Through this phrase, we learn what is necessary. We learn to be content with what we need, and not be distracted by non-essentials. God will provide. Sometimes, I wonder about those of us who are genuinely praying this prayer. If we get to the bottom of this, we will be less concerned with our plenty, and more concerned with the lack of others.

Sixthly, we learn honesty as we pray "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Debt is a Jewish way to talk about sin. This prayer shows us the need to be honest, to practise the golden rule of relationships. Just like bread is necessary for the body, so is forgiveness for the soul. The key to closeness with God is intricately connected with our closeness to one another. In forgiveness, we learn this connection in ways no other methods can provide.

Finally, we learn to be humble as we pray, "and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." We cannot depend on ourselves in spiritual warfare. We are vulnerable and easily tempted. We need to be delivered from sin. We need God. This particular prayer is an admission that without God, we are helpless.

White has a section on a common question regarding unanswered prayer. He provides three answers: God hears, God cares, and God answers. It is how God answers is the thing that concerns us. When we truly learn the Lord's Prayer as above, we will learn to handle unanswered prayers better. We learn that God is someone who knows what is best, when is best, and in what manner is best.

This is a great book to add to your prayer resource library.

conrade

BookPastor >> "Sanctuary of the Soul" (Richard J. Foster)

TITLE: Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey into Meditative Prayer
AUTHOR: Richard J. Foster
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2011, (170 pages).

This is not just a book about prayer. It is a book that guides us toward a JOURNEY into meditation and prayer. Using the teachings of various spiritual pilgrims through the ages, Foster helps us to read them as guideposts in our spiritual pilgrimage. Foster calls this book as "Entering the Experience." He asks readers not to rush into the whole exercise, but to be patient to listen. Learn to recognize the still small voices outside and inside us. In three parts, Foster shows us the way by first laying the foundations of faith, stepping through meditative prayer, and finally, to deal with the difficulties of everyday distractions and problems surrounding our devotional lives.

Part One lays the foundation of learning to be still, to pause, to wait, and to listen for God who is speaking, who is teaching, and who is acting. The two Hebrew words "haga and siach" can be understood as "to mutter, to moan, to whisper, to reflect, to rehearse, to muse, and even to coo like the dove (Isa 59:11)." It calls us to cultivate a delicate familiarity of Jesus, that we are totally dependent on God to transform our heart. The central reality is this: "God is the ultimate form-er and trans-former of the human heart" (29). Three things accompany our seeking.

1. We are always ASKING for God to change our heart to be more like Him.
2. We are always LISTENING for the still small voice of God.
3. We are always OBEYING the Spirit in all circumstances.

Learn to use imagination in prayer. Learn to read spiritually using practices like the Lectio Divina. Learn to affirm the centrality of Scriptures in our lives.

Part Two shows us the steps forward to meditative prayer. It is not a jump or a leap. It is a step. We begin where we are, and aim toward God with a sense of collectedness. Romano Guardini teaches:

"Prayer must begin with this collectedness. As said before, it is not easy. How little of it we normally posses becomes painfully clear as soon as we make the first attempt. When we try to compose ourselves, unrest redoubles in intensity, not unlike the manner in which at night, when we try to sleep, cares or desires assail us with a force they do not possess during the day. When we want to be truly 'present' we feel how powerful are the voices trying to call us away. As soon as we try to be unified and to obtain mastery over ourselves, we experience the full impact and meaning of distraction. . . Everything depends on this state of collectedness. No effort to obtain it is ever wasted. And even if  the whole duration of our prayer should be applied to this end only, the time thus used would have been well employed. For collectedness itself is prayer. . . Finally, if at first we achieve no more than the understanding of how much we lack in inner unity, something will have been gained, for in some way we would have made contact with that center which knows no distraction." (61-2)

It requires us to give a ready surrender, to repent and to confess of our sins. Then we learn to accept the ways of God. In our pristine humble posture, we learn to behold the presence of God. Our inward attentiveness to our soul helps us to discern God's voice and whisper, to enter into the sanctuary of God.

Part Three of the book is particularly interesting. It deals with three major themes. Firstly, it deals with the distracting or the wandering mind. For this, Foster urges us to go easy on ourselves, to be patient and wait for the dust of distractions to settle down. When that happens, we let our thoughts flow like appreciating poetry. Learn to appreciate the economy of words in poetry. Learn to go over and over again the phrases and words we read. More meaning can be gleaned through multiple readings. Learn to see a metaphor forming as we read. Move from words outside to forming a thought or an impression inside. Secondly, be aware of spiritual warfare. Learn from Jesus on how he manages the forty days being tempted in the wilderness. Totally resist the occultic practices the pagans and the demonic forces espouse. Beware of people who claim to be able to exorcise evil spirits. Do not give Satan too much credit. Pray instead for protection. Thirdly, Foster deals with some common questions about prayer and meditation. He gives practical answers like where and when to pray, and how physical demands on new parents can hinder meditative praying, how to meditate on select verses, and to recognize that every place can be sacred to God. What is most pertinent is to recognize that not every question need to be answered. Not every answer needs to be given. We need wisdom and discernment to know which question to ask, and which answer to discern for us.

My Thoughts

This is a simple but well thought out book, laid out in a way that promotes meditative reading and praying. Foster shows his deep knowledge of spiritual classics and devotional literature. Like a gentle spiritual guide, he offers easy steps to follow, and examples to illuminate the salient points. He shares a personal "Entering the Experience" to show us that the teachings are also applied to his own life. Personally, I like this book for the very inviting way it offers for readers to enter into the experience of meditative prayer. It does not list a time schedule. Instead, readers are free to plan their own. It does not fix our minds on any system. Instead, it frees us to move in or out of the practices of prayer and meditation. Above all, it is a lamp that lights up the path for us. When the path is well lit, the next step is ours to take.  Let me conclude with the words of Toyohiko Kagawa.

"Since I learned how to enter the forest of meditation, I have received sweet dewlike drops from that forest. I have found that the door to meditation is open everywhere and any time, at midnight, or at noonday, at dawn or at dusk. Everywhere, on the street, on the trolley, on the train, in the waiting room, or in a prison cell, I am given a resting place of meditation, wherein I can meditate to my heart's content on the Almighty God who abides in my heart. . . Those who draw water from the wellspring of meditation know that God dwells close to their hearts. For those who wish to discover the quietude of old amid the hustle and bustle of today's machine civilization, there is no way save to rediscover this ancient realm of meditation. Since the loss of my eyesight, I have been as delighted as if I had found a new wellspring by having arrived at this sacred precinct."

conrade

BookPastor >> "Evil and the Justice of God." (NT Wright)

This book review was first published at Yapdates here on June 5th, 2007.

conrade

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TITLE: Evil and the Justice of God
AUTHOR: Nicholas T. Wright
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2006, (176 pages).

No theologian is ever a theologian if he/she does not tackle head on, at some point of their life, the problem of evil and the goodness of God. NT Wright, a world renowned scholar is one who recently tackled this in his book "Evil and the Justice of God" (IVP, 2006). At 176 pages over five chapters, Wright gives a broad overview of the past attempts by different quarters in explaining the problem of evil. He bemoans the present postmodern ideas of dualism and progressivism (that things will get better and better), arguing that they are inadequate. He challenges Christians at the present to think Christianly in terms of three recognitions:

1. To recognize the flaw that assumes Western type democracy is perfect, complete, or a climax of a long drawn process of wise noble libertarianism.
2. To recognize that there is a deep dimension of evil in this world.
3. To recognize the line between good and evil is not simply between 'us' and 'them' but through everyone of us.

An interesting suggestion Wright makes is in terms of imagining a world without evil. This is a cogent thought as it broadens our typical approach to 'explain' into the realm of imagination. Our imagination needs to be educated, and one way is through the arts which can help us to integrate heart, mind and soul on the matter.

Art at its best not only draws attention to the way things are but to the way things are meant to be, and by God's grace to the way things one day will be, when the earth is filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea. And when Christian artists go to that task they will be contributing to the integration of heart, mind and soul which we seek, to which we are called. They will be pointing forward to the new world God intends to make, to the world already seen in advance in the resurrection of Jesus, to the world whose charter of freedom was won when he died on the cross. (p128)

Finally, Wright urges for the understanding of evil in the light of the cross of Christ, of which we see a forgiveness in ourselves and others. Wright recommends three books, namely Miroslav Volf's Exclusion and Embrace, Gregory Jones's Embodying Forgiveness and Desmond Tutu's No future without forgiveness. Volf's argument is that one must face and name evil head on when dealing with international relations or one-to-one personal relations, to identify and then embrace. Jones touches the pastoral and personal details while Tutu brings in practical and political perspectives. Wright concludes by mentioning three ways to be able to be delivered from evil.
1) The death of Jesus of Nazareth at the cross has confronted and dealt with evil once and for all, that evil has already been defeated once and for all.
2) At the cross of Jesus, lies forgiveness that will release (not relief) us from guilt
3) The cross of Christ is the final victory over the forces of evil, and will usher in the new world eventually, a world with a future.

What about forgiveness in terrible evils done in the past, like the Holocaust? Wright puts it very pastorally, saying that the present ill-feelings over the evils committed will also be healed in the eschatological future. One will indeed find true forgiveness eventually in our new resurrection bodies. The physical, the mental pain of unresolved anger and bitterness will be dissolved, as one allows oneself to be forgiven and to forgive. I like his articulation which I reproduce below:

"The quest for a solution is not a quest for the intellectually satisfying answer to the problem of why evil is there in the first place. Rather, the quest for a solution to the problem of evil is a seach for ways in which the healing, restorative justice of the Creator God himself - a justice which will one day suffuse the whole creation - can be brought to bear, in advance of that ultimate reality, within the present world of space, time, matter and messy realities in human lives and societies." (p149-150)

In a nutshell, forgiveness is only possible in the power of the Cross. I agree.

ks

"The Crime of Living Cautiously" (Luci Shaw)

TITLE: The Crime of Living Cautiously: Hearing God's Call to Adventure
AUTHOR: Luci Shaw
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2005, (146 pages).
Reviewed by: Conrade Yap

I have been more conscious that one of the biggest causes of boredom is the lack of risk taking. In fact, I will venture to say that one of the reasons for apathetic believers is due to the lack of faith-based risk living. This is the core conviction of Luci Shaw, a writer, poet,  and wonderful friend of Regent College. As creatures of comfort, we are used to retreating behind safety barriers into our cocoons of mere believing, instead of venturing ahead toward risk taking. Shaw begins with an insightful quote from Helen Keller which sets the tone of the book, that living cautiously is not what we are called to be.

"Security is mostly superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either daring adventure, or nothing." (Helen Keller)

Using her bungee jumping experience, she confesses that life is far too precious to be lived cautiously. Her poem about her daddy is a touching tribute on how a man has boldly lived his life to the full. Such bravery is evident in missionaries such as her father in the uncharted islands in the Pacific.

She urges the reader to make a distinction between human impulses versus God's calling. The key difference is that God's calling avoids the extremes of "reckless foolhardiness" and "fearful timidity."Even the popular CS Lewis confesses that he himself is a "safety-first creature." We are not created to be comfortable in a happily ever after mode, but to risk in a manner that brings out the best person we have been created to be. The fear barrier needs to be broken to be replaced by a Spirit-filled imagination and a faith-filled trust in God exemplified by St Patrick's Breastplate of Christ over and in all of us. One of the first things to prepare us toward greater faith living is to relinquish our hold on ourselves. We need to say no to the accumulation of power for self, toward the empowerment of others for Christ. We need to get a better sense of our mobility that is not defined by the world. We need to empty ourselves of ourselves and to fill ourselves with Christ.

Shaw also deals with the impediments to risk-taking. For instance, challenging the status quo or the social and societal norms. It can be a lonely experience, just like how the prophets of old have been sidelined, ignored, and left ridiculed. Taking risks also involves the risk of relationships, when we go against the general flow. Shaw makes a firm case for us to take risk taking into the unknown through a close relationship with the known God in heaven. Every chapter begins with a memorable quote. Every chapter ends with a poem, and some questions for reflection and discussion.

Closing Thoughts

The book can be used as guide to help us for meditation and faith growth. It can also be used as a Bible study to lift us above any level of mediocre living. I like especially the reflective tone throughout the book, packed with wise observations of life. I appreciate the many biblical images and references used together with the poetty that combines the best of prose and powerful narrative, with a rhythmic poetry that weaves truth and beauty together.

"As Roger Housdon has said, 'It is precisely the crack in our lives that can let the light pour through' (in risking everything). Adventure breeds adventure. Once experienced, it cries out to be lived again in different realms." (112)

Shaw's writings and reflections brings back wonderful memories of my time at Regent College, and the experiences that I hear regularly from the professors and students. More importantly, Shaw has given us an example of how important it is to live beyond ourselves. Is living cautiously a 'crime?' I do not think it is so. Yet, there is something that Shaw has hit upon that deserves to be carefully considered. When God's calls, it is usually to learn to trust Him, by risking the temporal for the eternal.

Let me close with this excellent quote:

"The kind of life Jesus lived would appear to be foolishness to any uninformed onlooker (he had no money, no home, no car, no organizational support). His close friends proved unreliable (with the exception of a few women), and his death was a scandal, a scandal that turned the world around forever. The cliff edge of our anxiety about the future may indicate that God is calling us to a new and different level of faith. When we walk, praying for guidance, to the edge of all the light we have and breathlessly take that first step into the foggy mystery of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen: either God will provide us with something rock-solid to land on and stand on, or He wil teach us how to fly." (137)

If you feel bored about Church, or lethargic in your faith, pick up this book. Read it and let it point you to the Scriptures. May your heart than burn with a passion that increasingly believes that while living cautiously may be a crime, risking all for God may become a joy. Unspeakable joy.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade