Great Quote...

“Whatever comes in, when you go to God for acceptance, besides Christ, call it Antichrist; bid it be gone; make only Christ’s righteousness triumphant.”

- Thomas Wilcox, “Honey Out of the Rock“

The Burden of Self-Exaltation

I haven't figured out a lot of things about ministry. One of the things I have definitely not figured out is the tension between spreading the fame of Jesus and spreading the fame of yourself - or your church. It would seem that one must sell yourself or sell your church as a means of "selling" Jesus. At least that seems to be the way things are usually done by "successful" churches.

But I am haunted by a couple of quotes:

"Missionaries are very human folks, simply a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt somebody." - Jim Elliot

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" (Psalms 115:1)

How do I stay in the background while moving Jesus into the foreground? Elliot and the Psalmist agree that self-exaltation is the very thing to avoid. Yet the tribal people had to meet Jesus "through" Elliot - and those that would follow him.

Elliot had a "go and tell" orientation to ministry. When you "go and tell" you have to lead with Jesus. We have a "come and see" orientation. Not a bad thing - Jesus told people to "come and see". But when we market a "come and see" ministry to people we inevitable end up telling them to come and see "us". And so we must market and promote ourselves.

So, how do I spread the fame of Jesus while avoiding spreading the fame of Tom? Maybe the answer is being so caught up with the glory of Christ I am blissfully forgetful of myself as I passionately pursue the renown of Christ. Yes, people may look askance at this "wild man", but they won't look long before they see the one a lot wilder than me!

As Elliot also said:

"Forgive me Lord for being so ordinary while serving such an extraordinary God."

Back in the Saddle

I finished my class on Friday, so I'm back to my normal routine. The class, "Empowering Leaders in Soul Care", was really good, better than I thought it would be. And though I may whine a bit about being in class all week, and though I did come home each day pretty tired, I think I like being in class better than being on vacation!

I am hoping to revisit my class notes and reading list soon so I can better apply the principles to ministry. My hope is that our church will become a more and more emotionally healthy environment where real relationships can thrive.

Not that I want to become Dr. Phil and our church a big encounter group. I just want us to be able to love each other and lay down our lives for one another in a healthy way. I think everyone wants that, some where deep down. Somewhere.

Book Review: “The Last Addiction: Own Your Desire, Live Beyond Recovery, Find Lasting Freedom”Sharon Hersh. Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press, 2008, 240 p.

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

"The Last Addiction" is part "self-help" book and part spiritual memoir. Sharon Hirsh is honest, brutally honest, about her own struggles with addiction as she seeks to offer hope to those also struggling. She offers no easy answers as she weaves insights through the many narratives of addicts she has known. In fact, "self-help" is the very thing she warns against. The last addiction turns out to be an addiction to our own will, our own self, our own ability, our own pursuit of control. As it turns out, addictions are only faced through the gift of getting caught, the gift of surrender, and the acceptance of God even in the midst of addiction.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

One must be careful with a book like this, even in its strengths. Her stories of people with addictions are so powerful and compelling that it might leave the impression that to be truly human one must have struggled in the throes of addiction themselves. In proving to us that we are not gods, addiction is truly a great gift. I appreciated her courageous stance on the power of the gospel. And I think I understand what she means by "[God] desperately hungers for intimacy" and "God as desperate savior". But I am also wary of an approach that makes us feel loved because God makes much of us. Does God show love for us my making much of us or, at great cost to himself, giving us the ability of making much of him?

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

Hirsh challenged me to live more honestly in community with others. She states. "The value of community for those struggling with addiction cannot be overstated. When we see others like us, taking steps toward a new way of living, we begin to believe in redemption – for people like us"

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p.14 "'Their land is full of idols' (Isaiah 2:8). After all, that is what addiction really is – it is worship. No matter how sophisticated or crude, any given addiction is a person, place, substance, activity, or ideology that becomes central to a human being's mind, body, soul, and spirit. Whether it is alcohol or religious activity, addiction is at work when something or someone begins to affect the style and nature of all aspects of a person's life and interacts with all his or her activities. The etymology of the word gives us insight into its idolatrous nature. Addiction is from the Latin word addictus, which means 'to surrender to the gods.'"

Vision – Mission - Values

Between His resurrection and ascension Christ was busy commissioning his church. Our commission gives us our "marching orders" as we look to Christ's return. Last Sunday we looked at how our "commission" is seen in our Vision, Mission, and Values statements:

Our Vision:

 "We will be a community of believers who love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and make Him known in our community and around the world"

Our Mission:

"Our mission is to develop fully devoted followers of Christ who will meet the spiritual needs of our church and our community"

Our Values:

• Worship: We are created to find our joy in worshiping God.
  
• Teaching: Knowing and obeying God's Word is fundamental to all true success.
  
• Outreach: Lost people matter to God. He wants them found.
  
• Discipleship: Completing the Great Commission will require fully devoted followers of Christ of all ages.
  
• Prayer: Prayer is the primary work of the people of God.
  
• Community: Building community is essential for church health.
  
• Stewardship: Everything we have belongs to God. We are only stewards.
  
• Growth: Achieving God's purposes involves taking faith-filled risks.
  

These aren't nice items to post and forget. They can shape our ministry and motivate us to Kingdom work. We believe they reflect the vision and mission of God. Do they reflect your vision and mission? Take some time to consider these statements and how we as a church can shape our ministry around them!

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

Book Review: “To Be Told: Know Your Story, Shape Your Future” by Dan B. Allender. Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press, 2005, 227 p.

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

"To Be Told" is Dan Allender's plea to see God as the author of our life who writes each person's story to reveal his divine story. We are urged not to see our lives as random scenes but as the unfolding of God's narrative. As we begin to understand our life story we then join God as a coauthor. Finally as we share our stories with others and listen to theirs, we understand our role in God's greater story. Allendar presses these points home with personal reflections and real life narratives.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

Allender is a solid writer with a flair for the extravagant ("and [God] roars in anger with us and calls us to take up his sword to wage war against that which broke our heart." p.172) and the mystical ("As hunger swirls and the early storm of fasting begins to brew, we have an opportunity to sit in and with our body." p.189). This makes "To Be Told" a compelling read. But at times the melodrama wears a bit thin and one wonders if we are not bordering on self-absorption. Allender is strongest in the early sections of "To Be Told" where the reader is encouraged to stop and think about how the stories of his life have shaped him and fitted him for the future God has for him. Yet I often thought of Chesterton's dictum, "Angels fly because they take themselves lightly". We are happiest when we are most self-forgetful.

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

I found Allender's emphasis on telling our stories to be compelling. We reveal who we truly are by the stories of our lives. I was challenged to draw the stories out of those around me so that our relationships would go deeper than just surface conversation. And I am looking forward to "listening to what moves me" more deeply. His distinction of the ideal self, the ought self, and the real self deserves fuller explanation. And his distinction of Theme and Mission was thought provoking. But that is one of the book's weaknesses. Allender challenges us to write and discover our stories, but I kept asking "How"? Some practical examples or samples of other's work would have been helpful here.

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p. 22 "The ending of my story is how I lived my life toward an aim, a finish that is worth both dying for and living for. If I live my life for me alone, then my story is as dull as my self-absorption, even if I have survived untold adventures. But if I live my life for Someone more important than myself and I have sacrificed, noble risked, been humbled, learned, grown, and given, then my life is heads toward a glorious ending."

Book Review: “False Intimacy: Understanding the Struggle of Sexual Addiction” Harry Schaumburg. Colorado: NavPress, 1997, 247 p.

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

In this book, Harry Schaumburg presents a comprehensive study of sexual addictions and the road to freedom. As the title suggests, "False Intimacy" sees the power of sexual addictions as offering a false intimacy that each of us crave. For Schaumburg, true freedom lies in developing true intimacy with God and with others. Relational pain will then no longer drive the addict to false expressions of sexuality. "False Intimacy" offers the reader an examination of sexual addictions, their behaviors and their causes. Schaumburg then offers hope to affected by addiction, including spouses and the church.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

"False Intimacy" is perhaps the most complete book on the subject I have read so far. Schaumburg integrates insights from psychology and behavioral studies with a rich theology of intimacy with God. He does not shy away from calling the addict to true repentance form the "idols of the heart". But such repentance is not complete without a look to internal and external factors that led to the sexual addiction, including personal history and interior motivations.

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

Schaumburg offers many practical ways to help the person struggling with addictions. I found the section on reviewing one's personal history - breaking your history into segments and asking yourself probing questions about each segment – to be a powerful tool to uncover the roots of such addictions. And because sexual addictions go beyond the person struggling, the sections on helping the spouse of a sexual addict were hands-on helpful and sensitively written. But the section on the church as a healing community was my favorite and the questions for self-examination (p.209) will find their way into our small group discussions!

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p.211 "Loving those who are sexually addicted in the power of God's love entails a process of offering them what is not deserved so they might be restored to our Lord, to others, and to us. Properly understood, love is the greatest gift each of us can offer. When love is given to those held captive by the sins of sexually addiction and spiritual adultery, it reaches out with God's power to astound sinners. It destroys the power of sin over their lives. It contradicts al the false intimacy within sexually addiction and calls forth sinners to express true love because the have been loved so deeply"

Book Review “The Healing Path: How the Hurts in Your Past Can Lead You to a More Abundant Life”Dan B. Allender. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press, 1999, 259 p.

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

Through case study stories, first person reflections, and philosophic musings, Dan Allendar seeks to guide the reader to a place where he can see the hand of God in the hard places of life. "The Healing Path" is shaped around the Biblical triad of Faith, Hope and Love. Betrayal, powerlessness, and ambivalence lead to the loss of these virtues. The allure of redemption, however, is that God can use my past to awaken these virtues again. Allendar concludes with a section on how to bring the healing path into relationships and into the Christian community.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

The "Healing Path" could have been called "The Honesty Path" for much of Dr. Allendars prescription lies in facing boldly the past pain in your life. I must admit I had a hard time wrapping my mind around this book. I found the use of evocative metaphors ("Who are we? We are the rivulets from many high-mountain springs that merge into a fuller stream rushing down the tumult of a rushing river"?) did not evoke anything in me. I need something more concrete. I kept looking for rubber-meets-the-road practical guidance. And though he shared some very powerful stories from past clients (and finally, one from his own life), I found it hard to relate to his heart-wrenching house hunting trauma!

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

Allendar was at his most helpful when uncovering the idols of the heart that lie behind many of our struggles. And when I was about to write the book off, he hit me with his chapter of "Inviting Others to Live". In that chapter, Allendar shares a story of an airplane conversation with an electrical engineer that was full of pathos and nerve. If I could learn to courageously probe and interact like that, I would be a better pastor and a better friend. I was challenged to "enter into the stories of others in a way that invites them to embrace the hunger of their heart (dignity) and their flight from God (depravity)".

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p. 20 "Each day we either live for God or for other Gods. In each moment of hardship we fear God or man. When we choose to worship gods and fear men our lives will suffer an emptiness and turmoil that is not much different that trying to fill our bellies with dirt. At first we may feel full. But in short order our violation of God's plan will lead to torment"

Book Review: “Spiritual Mentoring: A Guide for Seeking and Giving Direction” by Keith R. Anderson and Randy D. Reese. InterVarsity Press, 1999, 191 p.

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

"Spiritual Mentoring" offers the reader a guide to giving spiritual direction that is both contemplative/meditative and hands-on practical. Anderson and Reese draw from ancient guides (Augustine, Aelred of Rievaulx, John of the Cross, Julian of Norwich, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, and Madame Jeanne Guyon) as guides to the stages of spiritual direction: Attraction, Relationship, Responsiveness, Accountability, and Empowerment. Interspersed with first person mentoring accounts, "Spiritual Mentoring" not a history of spiritual direction but a field guide to contemporary practice.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

I've got to say that "Spiritual Mentoring" was one of the best books I've read in a while. Talk of "making disciples" often runs the risk of a manufactured, cookie-cutter spirituality. Anderson and Reese take the best of historical traditions (yes, with specific exercises and disciplines) and weave sensitivity to the unique work of God in the individual "mentoree". The blending of ancient and contemporary voices in one very nicely presented compendium on spiritual direction is a definite strength! One the other hand, I was left wondering at some of the particular theological proclivities of the Ancients that may modern day protestant would find incompatible with a reformed world-view.

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

The chapter on "Developing Trust and Intimacy" was a challenge to become a person of transparency and vulnerability. The insights into essential functions for developing friendship and hospitality were probing and practical. Holy Listening, Holy Seeing, and Wholly Listening are ways to apply the truth that spirituality is learning to pay attention to the presence of God in everything. And the "questions for reflection" in every chapter were enough to fuel deep level conversations for hours.

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p. 129 "On the sailboat, the disciplines necessary to catch the wind are never seen as onerous tasks or empty rituals of work unless one dislikes sailing or forgets the purposes of life on board the boat. The rituals of getting a boat ready to sail are the equivalent of the spiritual disciplines we will describe throughout this chapter – they are the practices necessary to catch the wind of the Holy Spirit. We excersize such disciplines to make it possible for the winds to blow into the sails of our lives."

Book Review: The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship that Actually Changes Lives, Peter Scazzero & Warren Bird. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003, 223 p.

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

Through a very painful season as a pastor and a husband, Peter Scazzero discovered how emotionally unhealthy he and his church were. He writes "The Emotionally Healthy Church" from his journey to emotional health himself. He urges contemporary Christians to look beneath the surface at their emotional life, understand how our pasts affect us and break from its power, live in brokenness and vulnerability, construct healthy boundaries by receiving the gift of limits, embrace grieving and loss rather than suppressing it, and making the incarnation of Christ our model for loving well.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

Scazzero is honest, painfully so at times. But his personal stories and the stories of those in his church put flesh on his principles and allow the reader to enter into their lives. I found myself agreeing with most of Scazzero's points and seeing myself in some of his anecdotes! His strengths lie in his real world experience and his desire to integrate Biblical truth with contemplative introspection.

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

At a recent function I was sitting with a group of college students who asked me what I was reading. I explained the principles of the book to them and asked them the questions in Scazzero's "Emotional/Spiritual Health Inventory". They were fascinated. The interaction could have gone on for hours! So I see a hunger for a deeper emotional and spiritual pilgrimage. Scazzero's book offers many sign posts for the journey. His chapter on living incarnationally has many simple tools for entering other's worlds through conversation and interaction. Personally the chapter on "going deeper" was the most probing. Simply developing an awareness of how I am feeling at any given moment and then asking "why am I feeling this way?" is easier said than done!

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p.50 "I believe the thesis of this book – that emotional health and spiritual health are inseparable – will amount to Copernican revolution for many in the Christian community. It is not possible for a Christian to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature."

Book Review: “The Pornography Trap: Setting Pastors and Laypersons Free from Sexual Addiction” By Mark Laaser and Ralph Earle. Kansas City, KS: Beacon Hill, 2002, 144 p.

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

Pornography may be the least discussed and yet most pervasive addiction in our culture. Laaser and Earle suggest that not only are Christians (and especially pastors!) not immune, but may be even more susceptible to this malady because of our fear to "air it out" in the church. In "The Pornography Trap" the authors delve into the causes of pornography addiction asking why pastors are particularly vulnerable. They then turn to the path of spiritual healing by addressing the physical, behavioral, emotional, and relational dimensions of the struggle.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

Laaser and Earle are to be commended for broaching a very sensitive subject. They do so with practicality and grace. Pornography addiction is not going to be broken by sheer will power, so the authors look into the many dimensions of the issue so that it might be addressed in a holistic way. I was especially intrigued with the discussion of the physical dimensions of pornography addictions. However, this section was far too lean on research and documentation. One glaring omission from the "spiritual healing" chapter was a focus on healthy inward repentance and a turning Godward to find the "pleasures at his right hand". What will dislodge the hold of pornography than a more powerful desire?

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

"The Pornography Trap" is very practical in its approach. I can see myself using many of the tools the authors suggest, from exploring family of origin issues to tests for couple intimacy. The seven principles of accountability articulated in "The Behavioral Dimension" was the most complete account I have encountered so far. Laaser and Earle also offered many suggestions to help people explore trauma reactions and past victimizations. In this way, "The Pornography Trap" will serve well as a handy resource book.

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p.96 "Pornography creates sexual isolation. Intimacy is about revealing yourself emotionally to another. Manipulation and intimacy do not go together. Intimacy is never about finding pleasure by looking at another person or fantasizing outside of a healthy relationship. One major challenge with pornography is that its desire leads us away from intimacy to what becomes a need for new types of experiences."

Book Review: “Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave”, Edward T. Welch, Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2001, 299p

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

In this book Ed Welch seeks to address addictions of all kinds. He sees addictions coming in different forms from the obvious (alcohol, cocaine, pornography, gambling) to the more subtle (exercise, people, success/winning). His desire is to think theologically about addictions. He first looks at the roots and causes of addictions and then he turns the questions of dealing practically with addictions. His approach integrates insights from psychology, sociology, addiction therapy, but most of all he seeks to begin with Scripture.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

Welch is not the most creative writer I have encountered. But he proceeds in a workman-like way, capably addressing the issues. He is strongest when looking at the spiritual roots of addictions. He suggests that addiction problems are worship disorders – we have set our affections on things other than God and these things have become idols in our lives. The solution is to seek the one who has "pleasures at his right hand" (Ps.16:11). He reviews AA approaches favorable, yet with strong cautions that our "higher power" must be the one living and true God, and that AA Meetings must not replace the Body of Christ. The book could have benefited greatly from case study examples of those who have found freedom through his ministry and approach. He includes bits of "dialogue" but they seem to be contrived to make the point. Having said that, no other book I have read seeks to be as relentlessly Biblical.

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

The greatest value of the book was in evaluating the idols of my own heart. We all have addictions of some kind and they will not be defeated without "the expulsive power of a new affection". I was challenged in the persistent pursuit of truth in dealing with addictions, whether my own or those to whom I pastor. His chapter on "Respecting, Listening, and Inviting" was a call to deal gently and compassionately with those struggling. And I was greatly encouraged to create an environment in the church where dealing with addictions can take place in a Christ-centered, Church-centered, Gospel-centered environment.

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p.35, "Addiction is bondage to the rule of a substance, activity, or state of mind, which then becomes the center of life, defending itself from the truth so that even bad consequences don't bring repentance, and leading to further estrangement from God"

Christ’s Resurrection and Ours

The resurrection of Christ, along with His crucifixion, is a cornerstone of the Christian faith. We affirm our faith in the resurrection of Christ when we say in the Apostle's Creed, "On the third day He rose again from the dead". But be careful not to leave the resurrection there. Christ's resurrection is not only the ground and hope of our resurrection on the last day, but of the very life we have with Christ right here and now.

The Bible tells us that the beginning of our life in Christ is a product of the empowerment of Christ's resurrection. It's as if the impact of Christ's "re-birth" from the dead empowers the rebirth of His people. We have various words and images to describe this power: conversion, regeneration, new birth, "born again". The apostle Peter describes it like this:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" 1 Peter 1:3

Peter links the resurrection of Christ with our "new birth". The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that resurrected your dead heart to a living faith and hope! Truly this is an amazing mystery, one that goes beyond my capacity for explanation. So I will leave it to a poet to frame this mysterious connection (Mary Karr, "Descending Theology: The Resurrection" Poetry, January 2006):

"From the far star points of his pinned extremities,
cold inched in—black ice and squid ink—
till the hung flesh was empty.
Lonely in that void even for pain,
he missed his splintered feet,
the human stare buried in his face.
He ached for two hands made of meat
he could reach to the end of.
In the corpse's core, the stone fist
of his heart began to bang
on the stiff chest's door, and breath spilled
back into that battered shape. Now

it's your limbs he comes to fill, as warm water
shatters at birth, rivering every way."

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

Spiritual Conversations

At our elder’s meeting on Wednesday evening we discussed 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-14)

We talked about the importance of laboring “among” God’s people, being with people and building shoulder to shoulder relationships. We shared some ways to have spiritual conversations with people. Some good ideas for conversation starters were;

• “How can I be praying for you?”
• “Let me tell you what the Lord is doing in my life…, how about you?”
• “What is feeding your soul these days?”
• “How goes it with your soul?”
• “What are you reading these days?”
• “How is the battle going?”
• “What are you learning about God.., what are you learning about yourself?”

Questions like these can help us know the hearts of our people so we can “labor among” them better. These are good questions to ask each other as well!

My Daily Resolve

My Daily Resolve

“Preaching the gospel to myself each day nourishes within me a holy brazenness to believe what God says, enjoy what He offers, and do what He commands. Admittedly, I don’t deserve to be a child of God and I don’t deserve to be free of sin’s guilt and power. I don’t deserve the staggering privilege of intimacy with God, nor any other blessing that Christ has purchased for me with His blood. I don’t deserve to be useful to God. But by the grace of God I am what I am and I have what I have, and I hereby resolve not to let any portion of God’s grace prove vain in me! And to the degree that I fail to live up to this resolve, I will boldly take for myself the forgiveness that God says is mine and continue walking in His grace. This is my manifesto, my daily resolve; and may God be glorified by this confidence that I place in Him.”

- Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer for Christians (Focus Publishing, 2008), 52.

Book Review: Telling Secrets by Frederick Buechner. San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1991, 106 p.

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

"Telling Secrets" would be placed in the genre of "spiritual memoir". In it Buechner takes the reader though some of the significant, though traumatic events of his life. He talks about his beautiful, yet fragile mother, his father's suicide when he was a boy, growing up in Bermuda, his daughters traumatic anorexia, and his surprising stay at Wheaton College. As a spiritual memoir, Buechner writes for himself, yet with an eye to encouraging the reader to go deeper into the investigation of how the events of our lives shape us. In "telling our secrets" we become more whole people.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

After the recent spate of young authors bent on spiritual musings, I found it refreshing to read a spiritual memoir written by someone past his twenties! Buechner writes well, and I have enjoyed everything I have read by him ("Godric", to name a noteworthy volume). He is frank and honest about his experiences, even the unflattering ones. Yet he never strays into the emotional exhibitionism some writers seem to exploit. The book is very subtle – Buechner never seeks to preach, yet almost subliminally urges his readers to great self-discovery and self-disclosure.

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

The most probing sections of "Telling Secrets" were those in which Buechner challenges ministers to become witnesses of the presence of God in their own lives. Sadly many ministers become "professionals who have mastered all the techniques of institutional religion and who speak on religious matters with what often seems a maximum of authority and a minimum of personal involvement". As a result our sermons are "as bland as they are bloodless". I was challenged to a more moment by moment awareness of the work of God in my own life and an authentic disclosure of that to others.

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p. 38 "In these pages I tell secrets about my parents, my children, myself because that is one way of keeping track and because I believe that it is not only more honest but also vastly more interesting that to pretend that I have no such secrets to tell. I not only have my secrets, I am my secrets. And you are your secrets. Our secrets are human secrets, and our trusting each other enough to share them with each other has much to do with the secret of what it means to be human."

What does a Cross-Centered Church look like?

We speak a lot about the power of the Gospel to set us free. We speak often of being "free in Christ". We believe whole-heartedly that the message of the cross is a liberating message. But from what does the gospel set us free? The simple answer is, the cross sets us free from our selves. And that looks a lot like humility!

To a church that seems to be so enamored with its prestige and presence, the apostle Paul writes:

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

The Corinthian believers were puffed up with pride, boasting of their own spirituality. Paul reminds them that at the foot of the cross, none of us have anything to boast about. The marvelous secret of the gospel is that we are set free from a relentless gaze upon ourselves to boast in Christ! C.S. Lewis puts it this way:

"The pleasure of pride is like the pleasure of scratching. If there is an itch one does want to scratch; but it is much nicer to have neither the itch nor the scratch. As long as we have the itch of self-regard we shall want the pleasure of self-approval; but the happiest moments are those when we forget our precious selves and have neither but have everything else (God, our fellow humans, animals, the garden and the sky) instead."

And nothing helps us to "forget our precious selves" better than gazing at the cross. Tim Keller, echoing Lewis, says this:

"The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less."

Thinking of ourselves less? What a concept! How do we do that? Get close to the cross and be liberated from the bondage of self-consciousness to the liberation of self-forgetfulness!

The well wisher of your soul's happiness,

Pastor Tom

"Behold, I make all things new"

“There are children of God who need this text, ‘Behold, I make all things new,’ whose sigh is that they so soon grow dull and weary in the ways of God, and therefore they need daily renewing. After a few months a vigorous young Christian will begin to cool down; and those who have been long in the ways of God find that final perseverance must be a miracle if ever it is to be accomplished, for naturally they tire and faint.

Well, now, dear friends, why do you and I ever get stale and flat? Why, it is because we get away from him who says, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ The straight way to a perpetual newness and freshness of holy youth is to go to Christ again, just as we did at the first. A better thing still is never to leave him, but to stand for ever at the cross-foot delighting yourself in his all-sufficient sacrifice.

They that are full of the joy of the Lord never find life grow weary. Getting near to Christ, you will partake in his joy, and that joy shall be your strength, your freshness, the newness of your life. God grant us to drink of the eternal founts, that we may for ever overflow.”

—Charles Spurgeon, “Sermon for New Year’s Day”

Thoughts worth pondering from the Desiring God blog...

Reading Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ classic Spiritual Depression would be a strong way to start the new year.

The title can be a tad deceiving. It’s not merely a book for those with a pronounced sense of spiritual depression. It’s a book for all Christians—for the daily spiritual depressions we all face this side of heaven.

Lloyd-Jones ends his second chapter with these challenging and refreshing words:

Would you like to be rid of this spiritual depression? The first thing you have to do is to say farewell now once and forever to your past. Realize that it has been covered and blotted out in Christ. Never look back at your sins again. Say: ‘It is finished, it is covered by the Blood of Christ’. That is your first step. Take that and finish with yourself and all this talk about goodness, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only then that true happiness and joy are possible for you. What you need is not to make resolutions to live a better life, to start fasting and sweating and praying. No! You just begin to say:

I rest my faith on Him alone
Who died for my transgressions to atone. (35)