Merry Christmas!

Today begins the Christmas Season. No the Christmas season does not start in December (or in November). Christmas officially begins on the 25th and goes for twelve days. So I would encourage you not to just celebrate Christmas today, but for the next twelve. Give to others and celebrate the great miracle of the incarnation. I also would encourage you to remember the words of Paul from Philippians.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
   and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV)


Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve marks the end of Advent and the beginning of Christmas. Advent is about waiting for the coming of Christ. Many of us just pass the time waiting for the holiday. We wait on presents, time off, good food, and time with friends. These are wonderful things and are all a part of this time of the year, but the observance of Advent is about the wait for Christ's first coming and the reminder that we are still waiting for His second coming. Even though the Christmas begins tomorrow and we will celebrate the miracle of the incarnation, we will still be waiting for the second coming of Christ if he does not come tomorrow. I'm reminded of what one of my high school Bible teachers said about the Bible. He said that the Bible tells us, "He is coming, He has coming, He will come again." Tonight we move from the remembrance of when he was coming to the time that he came. As you celebrate the coming of Christ, don't forget that he is coming again.

O Immanuel, our sovereign and lawgiver, desire of the nations and Savior of all: Come and save us, O Lord our God. Come, Lord Jesus.

Review of Finding Our Way Again by Brian McLaren

Why should someone look to the ancient practices of the church? Brian McLaren writes to answer this question in the first book of the Ancient Practices Series. In Finding Our Way Again, McLaren writes an apologetic for why we should look to the ancient practices of the Christian faith. The practices develop character. They help us to be more awake to the work around us. And they help us experience God. All of this happens so that we, as the title of the book states, find our way again. We can find our way back to the roots of our faith and bring the kingdom of God to the world. All this is possible by returning to, or at least learning from, the practices.

McLaren opens the ancient practices series, and does a good job of giving reasons to look to the ancient christian practices. Especially in the third section of the book, he does a good job of explaining what lies beneath. There are also parts of the books the are kind of confusing. I am mostly perplexed as to why he discusses other religions alongside Christianity. While some other religions share similar historical figures, I don't think that it was necessary to include them into a discussion of Christian practices. While I would recommend this book to anyone starting the ancient practices series, I would recommend it with the caveat that you might not always agree with what McLaren says.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review of In Constant Prayer by Robert Benson

The Bible gives us the instruction to pray continually. Many struggle with the idea of how this is achieved. One answer, according to Robert Benson, is in the ancient practice of fixed hour prayer. This practice, also known by names like liturgy of the hours, divine hours, or divine office, has been practice from the before the time of Christ. Jews practiced praying a certain times everyday. This practice carried on into the early church's practices and continued on through the centuries of church history. Benson points out that it hasn't been until recently that much of the church has not practiced fixed hour prayer. In Constant Prayer is the first step into a life built around the rhythms of praying the divine hours. Benson encourages, and sometimes pushes, the reader to a life bathed in prayer. This book teaches the reader how to take the first steps to joining in with all the saints past and present who have built their lives around the rhythms of fixed hour prayers.

This book is part of a series about the ancient practices of the church and is a great way to by introduced into the the ancient practice of fixed hour prayer. While he does not give a complete history of the practice, he spends the majority of the book sharing the affects of prayer in his life and others. This book is a testimony to why we should be participating in some form in regular prayer. Benson does include a sample "office" and a step by step explanation of what part of the office is. If you are interested in the practice of fixed hour prayer and would like to read about it first, this is fantastic place to start. It is easy to read and not very long. I would not recommend this for someone who wants a history of the divine office or who is ready to pray through the office, but this book is great for an introduction into the practice.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Journaling with the Masters

This semester, I am taking a class called History of Christian Spirituality. The major assignment for this class has been reading Invitation to Christian Spirituality edited by John Tyson. This is a book that is a collection of readings from different Christian Writers from every century. It goes back as early as Ignatius of Antioch and as recent as Bishop Desmond Tutu. It is a fantastic read. I would warn you, however, if you decide to read it, that it is not something you just want to pick up and power your way through. It's really something that you will want to chew on.

Although it was assigned to me, I have had the privilege of reading through this book and journaling through it as well. I have spent the last two and a half months reflecting on the thoughts of Christians from the second century all the way through the twentieth century. Not every reading was easy. Some of them were very foreign to my Christian Experience because the include descriptions of visions and practices that I have never heard of or tried. Other readings were hard because they confronted my very comfortable 21st century Christianity and caused me to approach my faith in a new light.

If you haven't ever ventured into Church history, I would encourage you to try reading something from a different time period. It means that you will probably have to read something from a denomination or tradition that is not your own. It is a stretching experience, but you will be better because of it. There is a wealth of Christian wisdom waiting to be discovered in the fathers and mothers of the Christian faith.

I am really excited that my time in church history isn't over yet. My "homework" continues for the next month as I read from a spiritual master. I'll be reading from St. Basil of Caesarea and I'm sure that I'll share some of the wisdom gleaned from his writings.

I hope that you can find or have found someone who has gone before to learn from their wisdom.

The Other October 31st Holiday

St. Patrick's Day isn't the only Church holiday that gets overshadowed by other festivities. Today is actually a church holiday. No, not Halloween (even Halloween was originally the eve of All Hallows or All Saints Day celebrated by the Church). Most people treat Halloween as a chance to dress up and scare people, but October 31st is actually celebrated by many Protestants around the world as Reformation Day. On this day in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This document, even though Luther may not have intended it to, sparked the Refomation of the church in the 16th century. For Protestant Christians, our heritage is traced back to Luther and his teachings.

If you, like me, are apart of the Restoration movement which was started by Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell. We are connected to Luther. Alexander Campbell was a came out of the Scottish Presbyterian church which owes its heritage to John Knox. Knox was trained in Geneva, Switzerland by Calvin and his teachings. Calvin was influenced by Martin Luther's teachings.

Martin Luther is one of the fathers of Protestant movement, so today when you are dressing up or handing out candy, remember what Martin Luther and others did so long ago to try to make the church a better place. Happy Reformation Day!

Review of Saint Francis by Robert West

From a wild youth to a beloved saint, Francis of Assisi had a very interesting life. Francis was the son of a cloth merchant in the 12th century. He lived a wild life and enjoy the wealth of his family. All of that changed after Francis spent a year as a prisoner of war and the illness that followed. Francis felt to call of God to rebuild his church. Francis began by literally rebuilding the church of San Damiano. From there he inspired thousands in his lifetime through his life of poverty and dedication to God's work. He fought for a simple life and peace in the world while preaching the gospel to anyone who would listen, including animals. Francis is one of the great men of the church, and his legacy has inspired generations of Christians to give all they have to serving God.


Robert West does a fantastic job of retelling the life of Saint Francis. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to explore church history or even to someone who is seriously studying the life of Francis. West walks the fine line of writing to the everyday person and also writing for the student of Church history. While this is not an exhaustive biography, it is a great way to step into the history of the Church and the men and women who have made a great impact. This is a fantastic book and will inspire anyone who reads it to live more like Christ following the example of Saint Francis.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”