Yes, that’s my boy.

In April 1938 war was looming in Europe. Germany had just invaded Austria. C. S. Lewis wrote to his friend Dom Bede Griffiths:

I have been in considerable trouble over the present danger of war. Twice in one life – and then to find how little I have grown in fortitude despite my conversion. It has done me a lot of good by making me realise how much of my happiness secretly depended on the tacit assumption of at least tolerable conditions for the body: and I see more clearly, I think, the necessity (if one may so put it) which God is under of allowing us to be afflicted – so few of us will really rest all on Him if He leaves us any other support.

Later that year Lewis returned to this theme in writing Owen Barfield:

I had so often told myself that my friends and books and even brains were not given me to keep: that I must teach myself at bottom to care for something else more (and also of course to care for them more but in a different way) and I was horrified to find how cold the idea of really losing them struck. An awful symptom is that part of oneself still regards troubles as ‘interruptions’ as if (ludicrous idea) the happy bustle of one’s personal interests was our real work, instead of the opposite.

I did in the end see (I dare not say ‘feel’) that since nothing but these forcible shakings will cure us of our worldliness, we have at bottom reason to be thankful for them. We force God to surgical treatment: we won’t (mentally) diet.

–The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Vol. 2 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), 225-26, 231-32

Ran across this helpful article from the folks over at The Cripplegate.  It addresses the matter of Christian maturity.  Specifically, the article highlights the intentional nature of the Christian life and growth.  Personally, I have found that I have never become more mature by accident – or by some kind of spiritual osmosis.  While I would never want to imply that there are only “3 ways” to attain maturity because, in reality, maturity, and just about every dimension of life (regardless of how many self-help books – Christian or not – tell you ) is much more complex and inseparably integrated to every other dimension of our lives, the article does highlight some positive considerations of attaining Christian maturity.

Here’s a clip:

In his peculiar short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, F. Scott Fitzgerald supplies a disturbingly fresh look at maturity and social development. What is so curious about Benjamin, is that he is born old, and with the passing of time, becomes young. The novella is a fascinating take on how people mature, love, and grow up, and the ironic infantile state of the infirm elderly.

Sometimes in the church we encounter the curious case of the well-churched immature believer. Often we find that when a person is a baby believer, freshly saved from their sins, their formerly lackluster life suddenly morphs into an Incredible Hulk of untamed enthusiasm. They evangelize zealously, pray constantly, read their Bible devotedly, and enjoy serving in church.

But sadly, it is not uncommon to witness that this verve is but a fleeting sugar rush of novelty. The preciousness of salvation begins to grow commonplace, church becomes a routine, Bible reading a chore, prayer incidental. Sermons they used to relish are now a bland plate of brussel sprouts. As the years grind on, they dutifully trudge through the motions of spirituality, but the light flickered out years ago.

I have met folks in the church who would say they have been saved for decades, but are petty, grumbling, selfish, and pessimistic. They are spiritually grumpy old men.

How about you? Have you grown immature with age? Have you let the furnace of passion from your conversion grow cold? Or have you steadily grown in your knowledge, wisdom, and most importantly application of God’s word?

Read the rest.

Thought this was a good article on the challenge of parenting:

I love the ESV’s subtitle for Psalm 71—“Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent.”

How appropriate for a psalm that describes God as one who saves in his righteousness and is to us a rock of refuge!

This summer a doctor actually told me that my strength was “spent.” I visited an orthopedic surgeon to have him check out my lower back pain. I had leaned over to change a diaper and had my back freeze up a dozen too many times.

The doctor did his evaluation, took some x-rays, then he declared that my back was fine. It was just my strength that was “spent.”

Read the rest.

I’m a visual thinker and I love these kinds of visuals:

Registration is now up and open on the SAMP website for our 2012 Men’s Retreat. 

The theme this year is,  “Be Present,” and, I am delighted to have +Terrell returning to SAMP to lead us through the weekend.

For more information or to register, click here.

“Religious people read thin, superficial books of religious sentiment, but do not meet face to face the strong, exacting, masculine pages of their Bibles.”

How true.

What books would you place on this list of “thin, superficial books of religious sentiment?”  I’d begin with these three recent books: The Shack, The Secret and Heaven is for Real

Ran across this at the UCC website, of all places.  Pithy.  I liked it.

On airplanes, I dread the conversation with the person who finds out I am a minister and wants to use the flight time to explain to me that he is “spiritual but not religious.” Such a person will always share this as if it is some kind of daring insight, unique to him, bold in its rebellion against the religious status quo.

Next thing you know, he’s telling me that he finds God in the sunsets. These people always find God in the sunsets. And in walks on the beach. Sometimes I think these people never leave the beach or the mountains, what with all the communing with God they do on hilltops, hiking trails and . . . did I mention the beach at sunset yet?

Read the rest.

My friend, Danny, passed along this wonderful article.  It hits the mark.  We think, often, of how the values of the “world” shape the Christian, and, when we do, we almost always refer to morality.  Yet, the values and ambitions of our culture influence and shape us in subtle and significant ways beyond our morality.

I’d love to know your thoughts on this.

Meet Larry, a thirty-six year old Science teacher. Larry married Cathy 12 years ago. They love each other and enjoy raising their two sons. Larry’s life wouldn’t hold out much interest to the average citizen. His Facebook account doesn’t draw many friends and nobody ever leaves a comment on his blog. In fact, most people would summarize Larry’s life with one word—boring. But not Larry. Teaching osmosis to junior high students, playing Uno with his kids, and working in the yard with Cathy is paradise to him. But the real love of his life is Jesus. Larry’s a Christian. He’s been walking with the Lord for more than 20 years.

Larry’s Christian friends all employ the same word to describe their companion—faithful. He’s faithful to his local church where he’s been teaching Sunday School for nearly a decade. He’s never ignored a legitimate financial need within the body of Christ. He gives sacrificially, but secretly. Larry devotes himself to his wife and family, lovingly shepherding them through every season of life with the Scriptures. He’s faithful to his job and fellow colleagues. He’s managed to share Christ with nearly every junior-high teacher at Oakwood Academy. And although they mock Larry behind his back, all the teachers respect him. It won’t shock you to know Larry pays his taxes and never misses an opportunity to serve his community. Larry’s life commends the gospel. He’s faithful, but he’s unremarkable. Or, is he?

If you’re bored with Larry’s Christianity, it’s probably because you’ve been influenced by a very different idea of the Christian life. Larry’s not radical, or wild at heart—not in the sense of taking careless risks, jeopardizing the stability of his family, or pursuing a life of adventure. You could say Larry is quite content with his station in life, a station given him by God. He aspires to live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. Sound familiar?

Read the rest.

Did anyone make a New Year’s resolution to read through the Bible in a year?  I hope so.  Of all of the spiritual disciplines, I have found this the most fruitful.

If you’re still looking for a plan, or to get started but don’t know where to start, Nicky Gumbel at HTB has put together a great Bible reading resource.  It’ll take you through the entire Bible in one year and he offers a bit of explanation and application with each daily reading.  Best of all, you can have it sent right to your phone, iPad (or whatever), computer.

Here’s a snip from today’s selection:

The Bible has a great deal to say about walking with God.  It is how we were intended to live.  It was only Adam and Eve’s sin that made them hide when they ‘heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day’ (Genesis 3:8).

God’s desire for each of us is that we should walk humbly in a relationship (Micah 6:8).  This is what Jesus has made possible – for us to walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:6).  Now we stumble, but one day we will walk with him dressed in white (Revelation 3:4).

Each of the passages for today tell us something more about what it means to walk with God.

Click here to read the rest of today’s entry, and, if you wish, to sign up.