Book Club Update

A few weeks ago I announced that I would be starting a book club. I love reading and I love to discuss what I am reading with other people. I have wanted to be a part of a reading club for years; however, there were several red flags to starting one right now. (I was in denial of that for a while but as the date approached, I realized that I was not going to be able to add it to my plate.) It was not going to be wise for me to facilitate another monthly meeting. In addition to that I found out that my husband’s leadership team is beginning some type of reading event as well so that will be an opportunity for reading too.

In the meantime I have morphed my own reading club into a blogging exercise. This blog was originally created to encourage the women that I meet with on a monthly basis for accountability. We are going to start a reading project inspired by the sermon series at FBC, Norco. The sermon series is based on Titus. Consistently we have been exhorted to think about the necessity of sound doctrine in our lives. Sound doctrine keeps us from making decisions based on our culture, our emotions, pressure from others, our own selfish flesh etc., but instead gives us the ability to live life and make decisions based on the safety and strength afforded by God’s Word.

With that in mind we are going to be reading Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem and responding to it on my blog. Our goal will be attainable which might make it look like a small goal but it will be definitely better than nothing! We will read 5 pages a week.

This reading exercise will start on February 19. On that day the pages for the next week will be assigned as a post for which anyone who is reading can comment on during that week. I will write at the end of the week and then will assign the pages for the next week! Thanks to all who commented at our last meeting that they were excited about doing this. I think it will be fun and challenging at points.

Standing Strong

A few nights ago I sat in a home and talked of theology with a group of people from my church. We were discussing the sermon that we had heard the previous week on Titus 2. The verses are about the need for elders to teach sound doctrine. In the group we were discussing how the teaching of sound doctrine effects a congregation.

One of the members said that it strengthens the people of God to think clearly about who God is and then to trust Him even when the world or their own emotions do not agree. As I sat and thought about that I remembered a line from the book Jane Eyre. The context of the quote is as follows: Jane has discovered at the marriage altar that the man she is getting ready to marry is already married. However, the woman he is married to is insane and unable to function like a wife normally does but in fact, has to be under constant supervision and care to be prevented from injuring either herself or other people. Jane desperately wants to marry this man. For the first time in her life she has felt love and acceptance and she desires to be with him badly; however, she does not marry him. She flees the situation because she knows she cannot really be his wife but only a mistress and thus, would be living in contradiction to the law of God. Here is what she says:

“I will keep the law given by God;….I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad — as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is not temptation; they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigor; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth—so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane —quite insane; with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, {speaking of her convictions before this moment} are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I PLANT MY FOOT.”

By far this is my favorite scene in the book. My favorite because by this point in the book I too am happy for Jane, excited at what she has gained in this man (even with his faults clearly defined unlike silly, shallow romantic stories of our day) and I can feel the conflict that she is experiencing. I can also feel my own heart want to make justification for her so it was an amazing and encouraging scene to see her in utter despair fall down safely on the Word of God.

That’s one of the benefits of sound doctrine….it shows us the way when our hearts mislead us (or I could say when our culture misleads us). I am grateful to be among people who want to study it!

Meeting with Sisters

Last night I spent about 2 hours with sisters in Christ sharing life, sharing goals, being encouraged, and just enjoying them. I count myself as blessed, very blessed to have these women in my life. I need them. Their love and presence in my life reminds me that I need them every time we meet.

I need them to gently press me and encourage me to do the things that I know will put me in the path of God’s grace. They help me to think about my life in light of eternity rather than just for the moment. (Sometimes “the moment” can wrongly inform my view of what’s important.) They help me to plan do the things that I know are pleasing to God and good for my soul. They make me laugh, cry, and enjoy God’s goodness.

Thank-you Norco ladies.

And for those of you who have not yet joined our accountability meetings, plan to join us next time, which is February 4. I don’t think you will regret it!

Book Club Update

The book club meeting was scheduled for tonight, Jan. 18, but will need to be postponed. I will post another date soon.

Book Club Info

A few weeks ago I suggested that I wanted to be a part of a book club. A club where you could read a book and then discuss it with a group of people. I’ve wanted to do this for years really, but I begin to feel like it was a worthy endeavor after I watched Collision, a documentary of a debate between an atheist and a reformed Christian. I watched as they were able to articulate the views of other people that they had read. So I blogged about this and have had several interested replies. One reply was from my friend Lawson, who asked why I was only asking women to join me. I had no real reason other than most of the people who hang out with me to talk about such things are women. But I have been mullling over that for a while and today decided that I would ask my husband to join me in this endeavor and help facilitate the group. He will be a better facilitator than me anyway because he has read so much more than me and has a sharper mind than me.

So…..with that I would like to advertise again. The first meeting of the club will be this coming Monday, January, 18. We will meet at our home at 7:00. (If you need to bring younger children, please let me know. My older kids would probably be willing to babysit.) The book up for discussion is How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler. If you have not read it entirely, do not worry. We are starting with this book in order to discuss what we want to accomplish in the reading club. We will be serving coffee and tea, so please arrive a few minutes early in order to get settled in. We plan to wrap up by 9:00 since it is a work/school night of the week.

So looking forward to seeing you here!!!

A Believer’s Hope

Today as I ran an errand for one of my daughters, I heard this song on the radio and it encouraged me so I thought I would share the video and the reasons that it encouraged me. The Christian life will not be problem, pain-free. It is discouraging to hear Christians try to help their brothers and sisters by saying that pain is caused because we do not have enough faith or trust in God. That’s not true. Jesus never promised that he would make us immune to the troubles of life but that he would give us the strength to endure and bring Him glory as we do so. He promised that He would send the Comforter…the Holy Spirit…God…to be with us. He is with us. He is walking with us and able to guide us and help us so that we can stand. Even if we must weep, He is with us…..such hope, such faith, such encouragement.

Some brief samples from the Word:
“And lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.”
“I will never leave you or forsake you.”
“The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.”
“In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world.”

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Recently I was given a CD for Christmas by one of my students. I brought it home and placed it on my kitchen desk….too busy to unwrap it and listen to it though I really love the band that produced it, Casting Crowns. A couple of days later a friend of mine picked it up and stated how much he loved the first song on the CD (AJ King). He went to his computer and found the youtube video for me to watch and listen to. (It’s embedded at the end of the post.) I agreed that it was musically beautiful. Then he proceeded to give me a history lesson on the song. After listening to him, I did a little more reading and found out that the entire song is usually not listed in the hymnal (most hymns are shortened in hymnals….and for those of you who do not know what a hymnal is, it is a book of songs that some churches use that includes the music and the words to Christian songs).

The fourth and five stanzas are left out in most printings. I have listed the entire song here because it tells a story of hope. The words to the song were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863. It was written when the country was deeply divided by the Civil War. It was a time of unrest and fear and sadness. The song mentions the sounds of the war and the disheartening theme of hate that he felt ran through this country coloring his world with anything but peace.

My favorite verse is the last. :“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail. With peace on earth, good will to men.”

I am so grateful as look forward to 2010, as I look at a world that is more and more defined by selfishness, that God is not dead, inactive, or absent. I am grateful that He is not asleep or disinterested but is actively bringing about His redemptive plan to His people for their joy and His glory. May you experience His peace this year in 2010 and may you truly enjoy working for the King in whatever capacity He has called you to.

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

On a different note, I gave the CD to my Dad for Christmas, he is a Civil War historian but more importantly, a servant of Christ!

Global Warming

This is not one of favorite things to talk about for a variety of reasons. The most prominent reason is given in the following blog. (This guy is one of my favorite bloggers. I do not know him personally but my love for math and using math correctly makes his blog so much fun to read!

Anyway, he points out how political the topic of global warming is and that is why I don’t like to talk about it. I am convinced by the hypocrisy of people like Al Gore that speak so decisively about it that it’s next to impossible to really figure out if there is a true problem and if there is, what should we do about it that’s REASONABLE!

Book Club Beginnings

On January 18, I will be opening my home to all ladies that would like to begin reading in a book club.

We will meet at 7:00 p.m. and begin our discussion at 7:30. It will most likely end at 9:30. I will be facilitating the discussion by providing some questions for consideration but all will be given the opportunity to respond to the author of the book.

The first book is How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler. Please try to have finished the book by that date but if you have not, come anyway!

Be sober-minded

This week I’ve been mulling over the admonition in 1 Peter 1:13. It says this, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

This verse was the topic of discussion last Sunday, then on Tuesday night I watched a great debate between an atheist and a Christian, and on Wednesday we discussed Sunday’s sermon in a group of 16 people….I might add one of my very favorite things to do.

For the most part I have been thinking about the admonition to be “sober-minded.” What does that mean? The opposite of sober is intoxicated, but the context of the verse is not dealing with alcohol intoxication. The context is concerning your thinking. What could I be intoxicated with that would prevent me from using my mind well? In a nutshell, me and my passions.

The gift I have been given in being able to believe God’s word is not for me and my comfort and my selfish ambitions. It’s for God’s glory and His service and that plays out in living for Him in an otherness ethic.

So to be sober-minded I should fill my mind with understanding of His ways. Some of the ways I do this is by reading…..reading some difficult and sound doctrine and really dealing with the meat of the word. I am ashamed to say that I have not read Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis. I have not read The Reason for God nor the book that it was written in a response to. There are times that I am not prepared to give a sound reason for why I think a particular way because I have not done my homework.

And the reason for a sound mind, one that is prepared to discuss the meat of the word, is not so I am be “intelligent” or even respected but so that I can serve. I can serve God by serving my brothers and sisters in Christ with love and compassion (as opposed to selfish motivation….you know a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” mentality) and I can serve those who don’t believe by lovingly and gently pointing to the cross as the way of peace of with God (as opposed to being haughty, embarrassed, or simply unconcerned). Though I might add, even when the convictions that come from God’s Word are said with love and with concern for the individual, they are not always welcomed by the listener.

Why does a sober mind promote this type of living? Because a sober mind works as a result of the principles of God’s word. I loved watching the demeanor of Douglas Wilson when Christopher Hitchens ridiculed his belief in an ancient text. He was not rattled at all. He answered with the quiet assurance of a man whose mind is sober.

I do not think that I live up to Scripture’s admonition because I am not exercising my mind enough and I want to improve. So……anyone want to start a “book club” with me? I am thinking..meet once a month to discuss a “book of the month.” I know everyone is busy….me too….but I think it will help me to actually read if I know I get to talk to someone about it!!!