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.”