Freedom and Opportunity

“The Anchoress” blog has a wonderful story about her experience talking with some immigrants to the USA:

Same old America: Freedom and Opportunity
“Can I ask, why here? Why did you come to America?”
As it turned out, the fellow helping me did not speak much English. He turned to his cousin, the receptionist, for translation, and I asked again.
“More freedom,” she said immediately, without first translating. “America has freedom.”
“Opportunity,” said the girl at the next workspace. “We can have small business and grow it and make bigger business. We can be anything.”
By then the receptionist had translated to her cousin and he had responded. He smiled hugely at me while she told me what he had said.
“America is a great country where we can use all our energy, all our knowledge, all our creativity. There is freedom.”
“Opportunity,” the other girl repeated. “Anyone can be anything, do anything in America.”
“Yes,” said the receptionist, who is pregnant. “My son can be president, if he wants.”

My 2007 Book Recommendations

It’s that time of year when lists of recommended books come out. I’ve gone over several of those lists, and see some of the books I’ve read on some of them.

For whatever it’s worth, here is a list of some books I’ve read this year, and my comments on each.

1776, by David McCullough: A captivating narrative history of the critical year in American history. It shows how difficult it is in reality to gain freedom, and then to keep it once gained. Excellent read.

A Mormon in the White House?, by Hugh Hewitt: With a subtitle of 10 Things Every American Should Know About Mitt Romney, it is a friendly look into the character and qualifications of one candidate for President. And of course, it deals with “the Mormon question”. Worth reading, especially as Romney is leading in several states.

America, The Last Best Hope, Vols. I & II, by William Bennett: An excellent narrative history of the United States. It is essential reading for those who have read nothing in American History since high school or those who would like to read something positive about the United States, but still see how we really are, warts and all.

Christianity For The Rest Of Us, by Diana Butler Bass: This could be a beautiful read about “Christian practices” that have been helpful to many and are signposts of some healthy and growing “mainline Christian” churches. I say it “could be” because to get to the beautiful parts you have to endure a lot of negative, polemical, bigoted, and condescending comments about those groups Bass doesn’t like: evangelicals, fundamentalists, the “religious right”, and others she ironically deems narrow-minded. If you fit into one of those categories, skip this book. If you like polemical writing, you may like this one.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling: The last book of a series that is great fun. I loved them all.

My Grandfather’s Son, by Clarence Thomas: This is a truly inspiring story about one of the Supreme Court’s most controversial justices. His rise from a poverty and prejudiced culture that is unbelievable to all except those who have seen it firsthand is a challenge to all of us who complain about whatever roadblocks we may have had to success. I loved it.

Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference, by Philip Yancey: Our Sunday School class did a study of this book early in 2007. You can see some of the weekly lesson guides online here AntleHope.blogspot Prayer Study. It is a most important book on prayer, with no false promises but with a lot of excellent information and advice. A great study!

Simply Christian, by N.T. Wright: This is N.T. Wright’s approach to what some have called an update of C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”. It’s an attempt to present the Christian faith in a manner that will appeal to 21st Century non-Christians and Christians alike. It may be a bit hard to get into for those who don’t understand metaphors. I like it very much, since I’m trying to adapt my approach to “evangelism” to reach those who aren’t steeped in the evangelical Christian culture I grew up in.

The Forgotten Man, by Amity Schlaes: I knew very little about the Great Depression and the FDR administration, even though it’s effect on my parents affected me greatly. I learned how much that era continues to dominate the political landscape and arguments about the role of the Federal government (in Social Security, taxes, health care, etc.). It is a lively readable book that throws light on a lot of people whose names I only vaguely knew. This narrative history of the 30’s is one of the most important books that can be read by those who will vote in 2008—if you believe that “the past is the prologue to the future”.

The Last Word, by N.T. Wright: This book, along with the last one on my list by N.T. Wright, gave me the framework for an extensive study of the Bible that my Sunday School class is doing now (God Speaks To/Through His People, the story of the Bible as a Drama in Five Acts—see more about that here. It is an important smaller work whose value is seen in its sub-title” “Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture”.

The Looming Tower, by Lawrence Wright: This is THE classic (true) story of the rise of Al Qaeda and the road to 9/11. Anyone who claims to have the answer to ending the war that Al Qaeda declared on the United States and has not read this book is only fooling themselves. A MUST READ!

The New Testament and the People of God, by N.T. Wright: This is the more extensive study from which “The Last Word” derives its framework. It’s a big (476 pages), detailed, scholarly book by a pre-eminent New Testament scholar who is also the (Anglican) Bishop of Durham, England. The first of a trilogy, it’s not a book for those with little biblical background; but it is still a great book that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in Christian theology and today’s culture.

Christmas with a capital C

I love these songs and this group “Go Fish”.

Turn sound on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ


It’s About The Cross http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyR0lwO-nXc

God Speaks Session 3: The Human Condition

This is for session 3 of a study on "God Speaks To/Through His People, the story of the Bible as a drama in five acts" for the Koinonia Class at Calvary Baptist Church, Denver, CO. Session 3 is Act I, Scenes 2 & 3 (Genesis 3-11)

Earlier (in the Prologue, Part 1) I called our experience of living in a world of ultimate questions, problems, evil, sin, and eventually death as “The Human Condition”. The subject is not original—many have written on it; and every religion treats it in one way or another.

My use of this term situates chapters 3 through 11 of Genesis as Act II in the 5-Act Drama of the story of the Bible. Act I is creation—of the world and finally of humans as those who are created “in the image of God”. Act II shows what happens when the actors don’t follow the Director’s directions.

In Genesis 3 Eve is tempted by the personification of evil to disobey God. She ate the forbidden fruit and then tempted Adam to join her. He did, and life has not been the same since.

Apparently, being created “in the image of God” included having the ability to choose and to be responsible for one’s choices. Free Will it is sometimes called. It’s not just that we are free to choose whatever we desire. Choices result in actions. Actions bring (sometimes unforeseen) consequences. Having the ability to choose also means being responsible for the consequences.
In biblical terms, Adam and Eve sinned against God. They chose to put themselves and their will ahead of their Creator and his will. In essence they said, “I want to be in charge of my life. I want to be a god myself.” The consequence was that God let them have their wish.

The paradise in which God had placed them was now off limits to them. They wanted to be their own god and create their own paradise. We know how successful they and all their descendants have been. The consequence of their sin (and ours) can be seen in the news every day.

Fortunately, the play does not end at Act II. God may have let us have our own way, but He has not left us alone. God’s desire for a loving fellowship with His creatures did not change. Act II, Scene 2 introduces the subplot of a covenant which continues throughout the rest of the drama. Even in the worst of times there is good news. We are not alone—God loves us and wants to reconcile us to Himself. Moreover, God provides the means for that reconciliation.

More about covenants next week.

God Speaks Session 2: Purpose in Life

This is for session 2 of a study on "God Speaks To/Through His People, the story of the Bible as a drama in five acts" for the Koinonia Class at Calvary Baptist Church, Denver, CO.

Recently I’ve seen several things which bring to mind the complexity and miraculous nature of Creation: NASA photos taken with the Hubble Telescope—sights so beautiful, awesome, and inspiring that it’s difficult to believe they are really of galaxies so many light-years away; a program about how the Rocky Mountains were formed by some tectonic plates subducting under others and pushing up the mantle of the earth; and another program about archeological discoveries giving evidence of people over 15,000 years ago inhabiting what is now America.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote in the Prologue, Part 1 of this Bible study entitled “God Speaks To/Through His People” that we seek answers to the questions Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going when this life is over? Why am I here? What is the purpose of life? Why is there evil? Why do I do things which I know are evil? Is there any hope for forgiveness and for a happy future? Is there a solution for this human condition that I myself am in?

This week we are looking at two of those questions—the one that asks Where did I come from? and another one, Why am I here? From astronomy we might get an answer that tells us something about all matter on Earth having come from exploding stars. Even that fact is predated by the formation of the stars from the Big Bang billions of years ago. Biology might say we are here because of our ancestors having evolved over millennia to produce the species homo sapiens.

A number of the sciences might together be able to piece together a partial explanation of how we physically got here. It can only be a partial explanation, though, because none of them can get prior to the theoretical Big Bang. That, they say, is for metaphysics (or religion) to propose. One theologian/philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, offered five “proofs” for the existence of God, one of which (expanding Aristotle’s concept of an “unmoved mover” is that since there is motion, there had to be a prime mover (that is, something or some being that started it all in motion), and he said that the One we call God was that prime mover.

None of these arguments answers the “why” question though. That answer we can find in the Bible. Genesis, chapters 1 and 2, tells us that God created all that is, including us; and that He created us for fellowship with Himself. Being created “in the image of God”, we find our ultimate happiness and purpose relating to and working in partnership with God.

If you’ve been wondering why you are here, perhaps a re-reading of Scripture can give some clues—especially if you ask God to show you what He wants of you. God didn’t create us in His image without a reason for doing so.

Prologue, Part 2: The Story of the Bible in Five Acts

In the Prologue, Part 1, I wrote, “To get to specific answers to particular questions, it helps to get the big picture first—to see the overall theme in the Bible. There is a grand story or plot that will keep us on track as we look at the smaller sections.

Simply put, the theme of the Bible is that the same God who created us loves us, and keeps reaching out to us even though we rebel against Him. Having reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ (see II Cor. 5:18-21), God makes us partners in extending His love to others and in helping to make right what is wrong in the world.”

Today we start to see the details of how we will look at that theme. There are 66 books in the two major sections of the Bible, the Old and New Testaments. More than 50 different writers, inspired by God, wrote these books that cover a timeline from Creation to around 100 A.D. It helps to use some kind of mental device to pull all these diverse works together and see the thread that runs through all of them. We will borrow the device of a play, developed by N.T. Wright as seen below.

In his masterful work The New Testament and the People of God,[i] N. T. Wright details his concept of seeing the Bible as the foundational story of Judaism, and therefore of the early church. Here he expands on what he just outlined in his much smaller book, The Last Word: Scripture and the Authority of God--Getting Beyond the Bible Wars [ii], the big picture of the Bible can be seen if the Bible is presented as a five-act drama.[iii]

Those five acts are Creation, the Fall, Israel, Jesus, and The Church. As we get into our study, it might seem strange for the first Act to encompass only two chapters of Genesis and the second Act covering only nine chapters of Genesis while the third act encompasses the rest of the Old Testament. The drama is not balanced in length.

The power of the storyline in this drama is not dependent upon the number of scenes in each act, however. Without Act I, Act II doesn’t make sense. And without Acts I and II, the rest of the drama would be incomprehensible. In fact, without the foundation given in Acts I and II, we would have no way to understand the life we live or the universe we live in.
Those are bold claims, but they start to ring true when we see how Wright presents his concept of the story of the Bible as a drama.

Seen from the perspective of a first-century Jew…the basic story concerned the creator god and the world, and focused upon Israel’s place as the covenant people of the former placed in the midst of the latter.

Thus, the call of the patriarchs was set against the backcloth of creation and fall. Abraham was seen as the divine answer to the problem of Adam. The descent into Egypt and the dramatic rescue under the leadership of Moses formed the initial climax of the story, setting the theme of liberation as one of the major motifs for the whole, and posing a puzzle which later Jews would reflect on in new ways: if Israel was liberated from Egypt, and placed in her own land, why is everything not now perfect? (page 216, emphasis mine)

Here we see the key insight of the drama: the “backcloth” (Wright is British; we would say “backdrop”) of creation and fall set the scene for all that follows. Behind every scene in the drama is the Bible’s depiction of the human condition. We experience suffering, hatred, war, greed, death, and all the other problems of life because of rebellion against our Creator. However, in spite of our rebellion, that Creator loves us and wants to have a personal relationship with us. The Creator (the LORD or God, a single god who revealed himself to Moses and said his name is Yahweh) chose one faithful man (Abraham) to be the other party in a covenant so God could bless and restore the rest of His creation to Himself.

The rest of the drama, then, is the story of how God reaches out to restore His fallen world to a loving relationship with Himself. A covenant with Abraham and his descendants, and a new covenant later with the community of faith Jesus established as His “church”, would be the means by which God would effect that reconciliation.

What we will try to do over the next 30 weeks or so is to firmly grasp the storyline of the drama (get the big picture) so we can understand the smaller stories or subplots that give the Bible its richness and depth as the Word of God. The subplots are comprehensible when we look at them in the context of the overall story.

Our approach to getting the overall view will be to expand on N.T. Wright’s theme of the Bible as a drama in five acts. We will see the five acts as:

Act I Creation, and Made In God’s Image
Act II The Fall, and Fallout From The Fall
Act III Abraham And Israel—Chosen To Keep And Proclaim God’s Covenant
Act IV Jesus—The Word Incarnate Institutes A New Covenant
Act V The Church of Jesus Christ Spreads The Word

There is a lot more in each of these Acts than can be grasped in one week, of course; so we will further divide the longer Acts into several Scenes, one for each of the Sundays from September 16, 2007 through May 2008.

One more thing. God is the author, playwright, producer, director, and even takes roles on stage periodically—especially in the starring role.

We get to play a role of our own today. We will have opportunities to improvise that role; however our best performances are when we follow the script.
_________________________________
[i] “The New Testament and the People of God”, by N. T. Wright, (Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 1992)
[ii] “The Last Word: Scripture and the Authority of God--Getting Beyond the Bible Wars”, by N.T. Wright (HarperSanFrancisco, New York, 2005)
[iii] For a lecture that briefly summarizes what's in his book, go to http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Bible_Authoritative.htm

Prologue: The Story of the Bible as a Drama in Five Acts, Part 1.

From where I sit every morning I can look out and see my wife’s flower garden and the tops of some mountains. I’m reminded daily of the beauty in this world. Life is good.

I’m also reminded of something else every morning—my body is not as fit and flexible as it was. The warranty on this body seems to have expired, and one by one its parts are wearing out. Some day it will need to be turned in for an upgraded version.

It’s not only my body that seems to be falling apart. I see or hear the news and note that most of it is bad. Local television news operates on the principle of “if it bleeds, it leads”. National and world news focuses on war, weather, political fights, and scandals.

Since I’ve read some history, I know that it’s the same “news” that has been recycled in every generation. Every now and then, though, we read or hear of heroic and inspiring actions. Blessedly, some good news is included or we would despair.

Good and bad. Beauty and ugliness. Inspiring truths and depressing “news”. What’s going on? Is there any way to make sense of all this?

This is The Human Condition. We experience what every generation has experienced. We seek answers to the same questions everyone else asks: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going when this life is over? Why am I here? What is the purpose of life? Why is there evil? Why do I do things which I know are evil? Is there any hope for forgiveness and for a happy future? Is there a solution for this human condition that I myself am in?

Fortunately, there is a solution. And, there is a source to which we can go for answers to all of these “ultimate questions”.[i] The source which has provided answers for millennia is the Bible. The answers we seek are there. Sometimes they are explicitly stated. Sometimes they are imbedded in stories, and we have to discern them as we read and re-read those stories at different stages of life. Sometimes the answers are hidden from plain sight, and can only be found with careful study and reflection.

To get to specific answers to particular questions, it helps to get the big picture first—to see the overall theme in the Bible. There is a grand story or plot that will keep us on track as we look at the smaller sections.

Simply put, the theme of the Bible is that the same God who created us loves us, and keeps reaching out to us even though we rebel against Him. Having reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ (see II Cor. 5:18-21), God makes us partners in extending His love to others and in helping to make right what is wrong in the world.

This theme has been communicated in many different ways over the centuries. We will borrow a device from a modern scholar, N.T. Wright, and look at the Bible as if it is a play—a drama in five acts.
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[i] They are “ultimate questions” because they are the questions everyone ultimately asks. They are the foundational questions for our philosophy of life, our “worldview”, or more simply, “How we look at life.”

"E Pluribus Unum"

Last night I wrote a piece I called “E Pluribus Unum”, and planned to post it this morning. Prior to posting it, though, I saw a blog article by Chuck Colson on Townhall with the same title. In his "E Pluribus Unum", Colson makes the same point I’ve made, and points to another author (Robert Putnam) with the same concept in an article entitled “Bowling Alone”. Here is my treatise on the glorification of “Diversity” to add to what they have said.

In our church we often hear, “We celebrate diversity”. We come from many denominations in addition to Baptist—and we even come from a variety of Baptist backgrounds. Our recent survey showed that only about 60% of the respondents grew up in Baptist churches.

In the Sunday School class my wife and I teach the results were even more dramatic. One Sunday I took an informal poll. Out of 21 present that day, two grew up in American Baptist churches, four in Southern Baptist, and one Independent Baptist. The other two-thirds of the class were from Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic , and various other backgrounds.

We are diverse in age as well, although in recent years skewing more toward an older demographic. With almost half of the respondents in that survey claiming membership for twenty years or more, it is inevitable that the membership would be ageing.

Theologically we see a lot of diversity. That is understandable given the wide range of religious backgrounds of our members. Although the majority is moderate to conservative in its beliefs about Jesus, the Bible, and salvation, a sizeable minority is fairly liberal. For example only 74% said they believe the resurrection was an actual event.

I could cite other areas of diversity, but the point is clear—we are a diverse congregation. That seems to be the major factor in establishing our corporate identity for some. In a presentation by our Pulpit committee, a tentative theme mentioned unity in Christ, but emphasized and elaborated on our diversity and the latitude we extend to others to pursue their own spiritual journey.

The tentative theme has some appropriate elements, but a shift of emphasis would make it more biblical. Going back to the “We celebrate diversity” statement, a more biblical approach would be, “We welcome diversity. We celebrate unity in Christ.”

We have diversity. That’s a given. The more we emphasize our differences, though, the more difficult it will be to come together to both call a new pastor and move forward towards a unified mission goal.

After all, in John 17 Jesus did not say, “I pray that they may all be diverse”. He said, “I pray that they may all be one…even as you and I are one.” (from John 17: 21,22).

If we are truly disciples, or followers, of Jesus Christ, let’s work toward the answer to His prayer. We do that, not by emphasizing diversity, but by focusing on what unifies us. From many different and very diverse backgrounds comes one unity in Christ.

The Abduction of Churches?

In the Summer 2007 issue of City Journal Heather Mac Donald writes about The Abduction of Opera. (Read the whole article, but be warned, the language explicitly describes the vile and base extent to which European, and some American, opera directors have taken classical opera.) The vivid description of what some have done to Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Strauss, and others is necessary to show how low some will go to elevate their opinion above that of the genius of a former era.

Mac Donald’s last three sentences in the article are especially worth noting, “But Gelb should remember that he is the guardian of a tradition that generations have built. That tradition approaches the magnificent works of the past with love and humility, recognizing our debt to them. The Met will remain a vital New York and world institution for another century if it allows those works to speak for themselves.”

In addition, the article shows the end result of Postmodernism on popular culture. All the past is irrelevant; only my own experience today matters. What someone in the Enlightenment (i.e. “modern”) period thought or intended when they wrote music, or an opera, or a play takes second place to what we think today. We must transform the message as well as the medium in order to appeal to today’s audience.

This is exactly the problem churches face today. Churches have to decide whether to appeal to this generation by using different technology (such as PowerPoint projections on a screen above the pulpit); by changing the worship experience through more contemporary music; and by changing the message of the Gospel to one that is more in line with multiculturalism, moral equivalency, religious pluralism, and diversity politics; or to use whatever technology and methods of presentation are helpful in communicating the one Gospel that has transformed lives and cultures for centuries.

I’ll paraphrase Heather MacDonald’s last three sentences above. But churches should remember that they are the guardian of a tradition that generations have built. That tradition approaches the magnificent gospel message of the past with love and humility, recognizing our debt to it. Churches will remain a vital American and world institution for the future if they allow that message to speak for itself.

There is a reason that certain Christian denominations in the U.S. have been on a steady decline for the past two or three decades while others are growing. Trends and political themes come and go. The traditional message appeals to the felt needs of people, regardless of to which generational group they belong. Changing the message may be trendy in some circles, but changing the core of the Gospel message leaves it hollow, shallow, and ineffective. Churches today that do well follow Paul’s example in saying, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16 NIV)

Moral Equivalency at CNN

Check out this example of what is called "moral equivalency". Is it really true that some people think that there is no difference between Christian "fundamentalists" and Islamist "fundamentalists"?

The article is a post on PowerlineBlog "Fundamentally Flawed"

"On Tuesday evening, CNN will debut a three-part series called God's Warriors. The series, devoted to an examination of "religious fundamentalism," is created and hosted by Christiane Amanpour; the first segment, to be aired Tuesday, is called "Jewish Warriors;" Wednesday's show is "Muslim Warriors," followed by "Christian Warriors" on Thursday.
While these three topics are treated as though they were on a par, there are some obvious distinctions. Like, the Christian "warriors" are home-schooling their children, while the Muslim "warriors" are blowing people up. If this Associated Press account is accurate, CNN's series is devoted to obfuscating such obvious differences rather than elucidating them."

Critique of "god Is Not Great"

Christopher Hitchens has a top-selling book called “god is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything”.  It’s a book you may want to know about, but probably won’t want to buy it. For an analysis, read this at http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/godisnotgreat.htm (it’s a series about the debate between Hitchens and Mark D. Roberts on the Hugh Hewitt show and then Roberts’ critique of Hitchens’ book).

The Mission of the Church

Mark D. Roberts has started a new series on the mission of God in the world, and how we can be involved in it. I have enjoyed and appreciated several of his prior series (DaVinci Code, Can We Trust the Gospels, etc), so I'm looking forward to this one.
I like his concept of laying out the broad biblical context for mission--it is something I've also picked up in N.T. Wright's The Last Word. In this new book Wright placed today's church in Act V of a drama through which God uses His Word to effect His will.
To check out Roberts' series, click on The Mission of God and the Missional Church.

The Fine Line

There is a fine line of distinction between cynicism and submission in adding the phrase “Thy will be done” to our prayers. As our class was studying the chapter on “Prayer and Physical Healing” in Philip Yancey’s book “Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference” some in the class expressed their cynicism. The chapter was disappointing to them because it essentially said, “Answers to prayer for healing are so random and unpredictable that we can’t prove that prayer has any effect upon the sick.

On one side of the line is cynicism and skepticism—prayer is ineffective and unnecessary, even irrelevant. It has no discernable effect in curing the illness, so the phrase “Thy will be done” is a cop-out. It’s something to say as an escape clause one can use to excuse or explain away God’s inaction.

On the other side of the line is faith and submission—prayer is essential and invited, even though in the end God, who sees the big picture, my not grant the request as prayed. God may answer differently from what we desire, but we accept the fact that he knows best, and we acquiesce to His will.

This line of distinction is important. If we know there is a line, we can discern on which side of it we stand—and on which side we want to stand. We then have a choice.

If we don’t know the line exists, we may think that where we stand is the way life always must be. So the cynic must remain cynical. The person of faith must never become cynical.

But to believe is a choice. To ask in prayer is a step of faith and of humility. We ask. We don’t demand or presume. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (II Cor. 5:7)

In the end, then, “Thy will be done” is either a cop-out or an act of submission. The end of the journey depends on where it begins and which direction one takes. On which side of the line do we stand when we say it? And do we move toward faith or away from it?

Hope for the future is the destination of those on the side of faith. Despair is the destination for those on the side of cynicism. The fine line is important—for our future.

Prayer Study-Session 12 (4/1/07)

Study Guide for Chapter 19: “What To Pray For” in Philip Yancey’s book, “Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference?”

When you are at a loss about what to pray for, remember these suggestions. For this week, write out a sentence prayer for each of the sections of Chapter 19.

A. A verse to memorize: Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

B. Book/Bible Study

1. Heart’s Desire: “God invites us to ask plainly for what we need”. It’s OK to pray for what you really want, instead of just praying for what you think you should want. What do you want to ask of God today?
   
   
2. Lament: There is a time to grieve and weep.
   
   
3. Confession: Self explanatory.
   
   
4. Peace: John 15 suggests we can only produce spiritual fruit when we rest (abide) in Christ, not when we go it alone apart from the vine. What burden are you carrying?
   
   
5. God’s Presence: Don’t pray for God to be with you. Pray thankfully that He is with you and trust that He is.
   
   
6. Compassion: Pray that God will enlarge your heart and expand your circle of His love as you pray for others.
   
   
7. Gratitude: What are you grateful for today?
   
   
8. Faith: Ask for faith (fidelity), not just “bold childlike faith” that some desired change will occur. Ephesians 2:8,9 says even faith is a gift from God.
   
   
9. Grace: In this sense, ask for God’s gift of strength to live victoriously in whatever situation you find yourself.
   
   
10. Preparations: Are you ready for death? Pray for help in living life in preparation for your inevitable death.

Prayer Study-Session Ten (3/18/07)

Study Guide for Chapter 16: “Unanswered Prayer-Whose Fault?” and Chapter 17: “Unanswered Prayer-Living With The Mystery”. (in Prayer—Does It Make Any Difference?, by Philip Yancey)

These two chapters start a new section on “Prayer Dilemmas”. One dictionary defines “dilemma” as a “situation with unsatisfactory choices” or “a situation in which somebody must choose one of two or more unsatisfactory alternatives”.

We are thus forewarned that this will be a difficult section. We are not likely to finish it with the one thing we want—a clear, convincing, settled, and satisfactory doctrine of prayer.

Nevertheless, just as preparing a delicious meal also involves the chores of clearing the table and washing the dishes, there are some things we have to expect to do in order to complete the entire task. To get the whole picture, we can’t ignore this section.

Chapter 14: “Unanswered Prayer-Whose Fault?”

A verse to memorize: Mark 11:24 (NIV) Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. and James 4:3 (NIV) When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Book/Bible Study

1. It appears that for Yancey and others there is a problem with both unanswered prayers and with the inconsistency of how God answers prayers. Which is more troublesome to you?

2. What are some of the factors in unanswered prayers that may be “our fault”?

3. We’ve all heard “Be careful what you pray for, you may get it.” What can be some blessings of unanswered prayer?

4. Respond to the last paragraph on page 231.

Chapter 17: “Unanswered Prayer-Living With The Mystery”

1. List some aspects of your life today that make you predisposed to be less patient and less tolerant of having to wait.

2. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (made into a song by Pete Seeger and recorded by numerous artists in the 60’s and later) is this truth, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”. How does this truth fit in with the concept of waiting?

3. Why might God answer our prayers differently from what we desire?

4. Look at Yancey’s conclusion on unanswered prayer in the last paragraph on page 247. Could this be a satisfactory answer for you?

C. Class Discussion

1. How do you deal with the dilemma posed by a loving God inconsistently answering prayer?
   
2. Your questions and comments

Extra: From a blogger who calls herself "The Anchoress" comes a link to this delightful piece on faith and prayer in the midst of pain.

Prayer Study-Session Eight (3/4/07)

Study Guide for Chapter 12: “Yearning for Fluency” and Chapter 13: “Prayer Grammar”.

This week we enter Part Three of “Prayer—Does it make any difference?”, by Philip Yancey. Coming after Part One, “Keeping Company With God” and Part Two, “Unraveling The Mysteries”, this section, “The Language of Prayer” brings us back to earth. Less theological and more practical, it offers some insights that can help us develop a more consistent and satisfying prayer life.

Because they don’t answer our most immediate questions about prayer, we could be tempted to slide over these four chapters and get to the “good stuff” in the next part , “Prayer Dilemmas”. I’m reminded of the brief time I took piano lessons (as an adult). I wanted to understand the theory behind chords and harmony; and I got bored with the routine of practicing every day.

Much like learning to play an instrument involves practice, Yancey treats learning to pray like learning a foreign language. It takes practice, a routine, and eventually submersion into a world where that language is spoken. Still, as one who has a learned a “second language”, I know that what is “second” to me is native to someone else. Without moving to a French-speaking country, I could never be able to converse fluently with someone for whom French is their native language.

The two chapters for this week help us start to develop fluency in prayer with the One for whom it is the native language.

Chapter 12: “Yearning for Fluency”

A. A verse to memorize: Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

B. Book/Bible Study

1. Write out the Henri Nouwen quotation at the head of the chapter and respond to it.

2. What expectations might one have about prayer that are unrealistic and need to be adjusted?

3. Distinguish prayer (as Yancey describes it in the last sentence on page 166) from the secular meditation technique of emptying the mind.

Chapter 13: “Prayer Grammar”

A. A memorized verse: Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

B. Book/Bible Study

1. Yancey talks about the prayers of the Bible as templates for prayers. How could you use them as templates for your prayers?
   
2. Have you ever used any of these other templates to aid you in prayer? [hymns, poems, formulas for prayer like “A.C.T.S.” [Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication]? If so, how did they help?

C. Class Discussion

1. Explain the title of this chapter as Yancey describes it.
   
2. Your questions and comments

Prayer Study-Session Seven (2/24/07)

Study Guide for Chapter 10: “Does Prayer Change God?” and Chapter 11: “Ask, Seek, Knock”.

Chapter 10: “Does Prayer Change God?”

A. A verse to memorize: Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "

B. Book/Bible Study

1. After setting up the argument with come contrasting verses and giving some history of the debate about whether prayer changes God, Yancey gives “the Bible’s view”. What is it?
   
2. Explain the concept of life being like a play that is in the process of being created and describe how it relates to prayer.
   
3. Explain the quotation from Charles Finney on page 134; “If you ask why he ever answers prayer at all, the answer must be, Because he is unchangeable.”

C. Class Discussion

1. In what way does the last paragraph on page 144 give you an answer to the question in the title of this chapter?
   
2. Your questions and comments.

Chapter 11: “Ask, Seek, Knock”

B. Book/Bible Study

1. The theme of this chapter can be stated in one word: _________________
   
2. “God hears all, but doesn’t grant all.” Last week Lindsey referred to a movie which dramatically shows why God doesn’t grant all prayers. What was the movie and how does it explain the issue?

C. Class Discussion

1. The last section of chapter 11, “Winning By Losing” is paradoxical. How would you explain the paradox to someone else?
   
2. Your questions and comments

I also want to make sure you know about a movie coming out this Friday (the 23^rd). It’s called “Amazing Grace”—the story of how William Wilberforce and John Newton (the author of the song) were instrumental in abolishing the slave trade in the 19^th century. See more about the movie and some actions that can be done today to abolish the slave trade going on in the 21^st century.

Most importantly, go see the movie this weekend. Go to http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/ and enter your zip code in the box on the right side where you can find a theater near you. Theaters and movie distributors are influenced by the first weekend’s box office; and whether the movie sticks around for more than a week will be determined by how many see it the first weekend.

Prayer Study-Session Six (2/18/2007)

Chapter 9: “What Difference Does It Make?”

1. Why do you think bad things happen, and what is our role when they happen?
2. Yancey makes one major point in this chapter. Describe it in your own words.
3. Your questions and comments.

C. Class Discussion

1. After reading these chapters, describe why prayer makes a difference.
2. Read Rev. 8:1-5 in light of Yancey’s explanation on page 130. Does his explanation make sense to you?

Prayer Study-Session Five (2/11/2007)

Study Guide for Chapters 8 & 9: “Partnership” and “What Difference Does It Make?”

Both of these chapters bring together the dual partnerships of God & us and prayer & action. God chooses to do His work by partnering with us. We cannot do God’s work without partnering with Him by prayer. Prayer is the weapon of choice in the fight against evil. We must pray to fight; and we must fight sustained by prayer.

A. A verse to memorize: Prayer & action
James 2:14-17 (NIV)
¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

B. Book / Bible Study

Chapter 8: “Partnership”

1. God working with & through us is an unbalanced partnership. What makes it work?
2. From reading pages 101-106, fill in the blanks: God’s pattern of partnering with us is not as a ___________________, but as a ____________________.
3. List Yancey’s “three stages of prayer”. Do you think they are accurate? Where would you place yourself?
   
4. Your questions and comments.

C. Class Discussion

1. After reading these chapters, describe why prayer makes a difference.

Slavery, Sojourner Truth, and Us Today

In chapter 7, "Wrestling Match", Philip Yancey quotes Sojourner Truth. Her prayer was haunting, so I had to see if it was online. Here is a part of her prayer as she was trying to retrieve her son (who was sold to an out-of-state slaveowner).

'Oh, God, you know how much I am distressed, for I have told you again and again. Now, God, help me get my son. If you were in trouble, as I am, and I could help you, as you can me, think I would n't do it? Yes, God, you know I would do it.'

You can find the quote of her prayer in this chapter of her online biography: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/truth/1850/1850-19.html.
I read the entire biography, located at The Narrative of Sojourner Truth website, trying to locate the quotation. It was so intriguing that I couldn’t stop. Then, when I read in Christianity Today about the movie "Amazing Grace" that’s coming out February 23rd, I decided to get more involved. Click on "The Amazing Change," here or in the linked article to find out about it. Slavery is evil and it is here today. Let’s see what we can do about it.

Prayer Study-Session Four (for 2/4/07)

[See "Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference?" icon in the left panel.]

Study Guide for Chapters 6 & 7: “Why Pray” and “Wrestling Match”

In chapters 6 & 7 Philip Yancey raises some of the most common questions about prayer: What should I pray for? How many times? Will one person praying have as much effect as many praying together? Do I just need more faith? What about unanswered prayers? Does prayer really matter? What if I gripe at God?

Fortunately, here and in the rest of the book, he addresses those questions honestly. The study guide for this week helps probe chapters 6 & 7 and helps us formulate our own answers to these perennial questions.

A. A verse to memorize: Prayers by Jesus

Luke 22:31-32 (NIV)
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

B. Book/Bible Study

Chapter 6: “Why Pray?”

1. Yancey’s primary answer to the title question is, “Because Jesus prayed.” List at least three things you can learn about prayer from reading about Jesus’ prayer life.
2. The last paragraph on page 79 lists “three rather large assumptions”. What are they, and how do they influence your attitude toward prayer?
3. Your questions and comments:
   
   

Chapter 7: Wrestling Match”

1. With which of the “God-wrestlers” mentioned in this chapter do you identify?
2. “The opposite of love is ________________”, Yancey says. Do you agree with him on this? Why or why not?
3. Your questions and comments
   

C. Class Discussion

1. How does the “key principle” stated on page 82 fit with your concept of prayer?
2. Your comments

Prayer Study-Session Three (for 1/28/07)

Study Guide for Chapters 4 & 5: “The God Who Is” & “Coming Together”

This is our third session studying “Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference?”, by Philip Yancey. These two chapters explore two related questions: Who is God, and how can we connect with Him in a personal relationship? You can get a copy and study with us by clicking on the book’s icon in the left panel.

A. A verse to memorize: Prayer and the Holy Spirit—Romans 8:26 (NIV)

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

B. Book/Bible Study

1. While prayer is universal, concepts of God vary widely. How does one’s practice of prayer reveal his/her concept of God (including what Yancey calls “afterimages”)?
2. What kind of being is the One we call “God”? How do we know?
3. If God is everywhere, unlimited by time and space, how can we detect His presence?
4. According to Yancey, why did Jesus pray?
5. Compare other personal relationships you know of with Yancey’s description of how we can have a personal relationship with God.
6. Explain “My feelings of God’s presence—or God’s absence—are not the presence or the absence.

C. Class Discussion

1. Select one of the 6 questions above that you would like to hear someone else answer.
2. Your questions and comments

Prayer Study-Session Two (1/21/07)

Study Guide for Chapter 3: “Just As We Are”

(If you are new to the study and do not have a book, you can order one by clicking on the icon in the left panel.)

With twenty-two chapters and only thirteen weeks in our study, we will look at two chapters most weeks. This week we will study only one chapter. It is packed with information and challenges. [Correction: last week’s verse to memorize was Mark 9:24, not Luke 9:24.]

A. A verse to memorize: John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

B. Book/Bible Study

1. Yancey describes us “Just As We Are” with six terms. Only two of these are positive virtues. Is this a good way to describe us? Why not use more positive terms?
   
   
2. Which of the six terms (the section headings) comes closest to describing your most common state of mind as you pray?
   
   
3. If God knows us at our core and loves us anyway, why spend so much time on our sin and confession?
   
   
4. Notice the quotation (page 35) from a character in an 1884 novel by Henry Adams: “Why must the church always appeal to my weakness and never to my strength!”
1. Is the church any different now than it was seen in 1884 by that character?
2. How do you respond to this complaint?
3. What would be the result if the church always appealed to our strength and never to our weakness?
4. What do you think of Yancey’s answer to this complaint?
   
   

C. Class Discussion

1. This chapter suggests we come to God in prayer “just as we are”. Recall “Just As I Am” the “invitation hymn” sung at every Billy Graham Crusade. Compare the text of that hymn with the various selections for the “Hymn of Invitation” sung at worship services you’ve attended over the past weeks or months. What is the “invitation” presented in each hymn?
   
   
2. Compare these four items in Chapter 3: (1) the F. Buechner footnote on page 32; (2) “Bearing Secrets” on pages 34-35; (3) the Rilke poem on pages 38-39; and (4) the footnote on page 43 on Milton’s “Paradise Lost”. What do they all have in common? Which speaks best to you?
   
   
3. Your questions and comments.

Prayer Study-Session One

This is the first week of our study of “Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference?” by Phillip Yancey. If you still don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one by clicking on the icon on the left panel.

Last week we introduced this study and distributed the books that were ordered. This coming Sunday we will discuss the first two chapters. As noted previously, we will follow an ABC pattern to try to get at the heart of each chapter in our preparation for discussion.

Chapter 1: Our Deepest Longing

A. A verse to memorize (or meditate on): Luke 9:24

B. Book & Bible Study (Outline or summarize the chapter and ponder these questions)

1. Did this chapter whet your appetite for the rest of the book or leave you less interested?
   
   
2. What is your response to the last paragraph of the chapter (on page 17)?
   “If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why doesn’t God act the way we want God to, and why don’t I act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where those themes converge.”
   
   
3. One of the best features of Yancey’s book is his honesty. He admits that his consistency in prayer and his level of satisfaction both fall short. How would you describe your own experience with prayer?
   
   
4. Your Questions and Comments:
   
   
   

Chapter 2: View From Above
A. A verse to memorize: Psalm 46:10

B. Book & Bible Study: We saw in chapter one that “prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet”. This chapter shows the different perspectives of the two parties who are meeting.

1. Recall your own experience on a mountain (or a tall building). How did you feel looking up from below versus looking down from above?
   
   
2. Picture rivulets of melting snow joining together to form a rushing stream . How can this help you see the flow of God’s love and grace?
   If you want water, how does the “view from above” help you find it?
   
   
3. Meditate on Psalm 46:10. Describe in your own words the two parts of that sentence that are separated by the word “and”.
   

Your Questions and Comments:

Why Learn About Sharia?

Yesterday I posted “Islam—Definitions” with a link to an article about radical Islam. One of the terms to be defined is “sharia”. This link to Sharia In Action shows why it is imperative that we know what Sharia involves; and that we are prepared to stand against those whose goal is to impose Sharia in every country in the world. It’s hard to believe this from PowerLine:

“Nazanin Mahabad Fatehi is an Iranian teenager who was sentenced to be hanged for murder by an Iranian court. I had been unaware of her case until I read about it in the Power Line Forum last night. According to her account, Nazanin was with her sixteen-year-old niece and their two boyfriends when they were approached by three men who tried to rape them. The boyfriends fled, and Nazanin defended herself with a knife she carried in her purse. She stabbed one of the men, who later died. So far, at least, I haven't seen any version of the facts that differs materially from Nazanin's account.

Nazanin was prosecuted for murder and sentenced to hang. The verdict was apparently set aside by an ayatollah, and she is due to be retried tomorrow, January 10.”

Islam--Definitions

A wise professor of mine once said that definitions are the key to mastering any subject. If you can accurately define these terms, you have a very good handle on Islam and who it is that attacked the U.S. on 9/11 (and whom we will be fighting for years to come). If you can’t define more than 25% of these terms, you need to read this article

The War Against Global Jihadism, which is a brief introduction to Islam (and especially to the radical elements of Islam that have declared war against us). [Hat Tip to Hugh Hewitt] Hint: go to the article, and for each term you don’t know, hold down the control key and type F to bring up the “Find” window. Then find each term as it is mentioned in the article. If you still have trouble defining the term, go to http://www.wikipedia.com/ or check our some of the sources listed at the bottom of the article.

1	Islam
2	Muslim
3	Jihad
4	Jihadism
5	Jihadi, jihadist
6	Shia, Shiites
7	Sunni, Sunnites
8	Wahhabism
9	Twelvers
10	Imam
11	Ali
12	Koran, Qur’an
13	Caliph, Caliphate
14	Mahdi
15	Khomeini
16	Sharia, Shariah
17	Golden Age
18	Ottoman Empire
19	Andalusia
20	Sayyid Qutb