Sermon: Sunday, April 22, 2012

Greetings All,

Here is the audio file from Sunday's sermon.  The recorder's batteries must have run down because all we have is the first six minutes of the sermon.  It is titled Are You Ready to be a Shepherd? and the texts are John 10:11-14; 13:31-38 and 21:15-19.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Book Review: An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches by Ray S. Anderson

An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches
by Ray S. Anderson
Published by Intervarsity Press in 2006

Summary and Review: The emergent church movement goes back more than a decade now and has grown from some of the early innovators in the movement like Brian McLaren and Dan Kimball, but Anderson makes a very valid observation that this movement has sort of divorced itself from a compelling theological base for their actions.  This book is an attempt to address this "lack of a theological underpinning" for the emergent church movement.  Anderson, at the time of publication, was a senior professor of theology at Fuller Theological Seminary and a prolific writer.  He has been a student of church for a very long time and has found the ideas of the emerging church movement of having a new kind of church, a new kind of Christian, a new kind of spirituality for this new world that we live in quite compelling.  At least compelling enough to engage these ideas in theological discussion.  That is what this book is about, looking at the theology behind the ministry practices that we are seeing in the emerging church.  I love his premise, "theology matters" and we need to make sure we understand it before we march off in this new direction and suddenly find ourselves so deep in the weeks that we cannot find our way back.

The book isn't so much a critique of the emerging church movement as it is a resource for the movement and any pastor that is implementing the ministry ideas espoused by the movement.  Anderson makes contrasts in most every chapter; Christ versus Christology, Spirit versus Spirituality, Gospel versus polity, mission versus ministry and the list goes on.  It is not that he is saying one is more important than the other, but more that you can't have the one without the other.  All ministry practice must be under girded by theology.  Just because a movement is producing numerical success doesn't mean that they have it right.  What makes it right is to have the right theology supporting that success.  We don't want to end up with thousands of people coming to Christ with a heretical understanding of Him.  The book has a strong premise that I really enjoy and it is readable, but I would not suggest for a moment that it is a must read.  It is however a refreshing take on the emerging church.

Reading Recommendation: Maybe, the book had a few compelling points that make you pause and the premise that "we need to understand theologically what we are doing practically" is incredibly important, but overall the book isn't a must read.

Book Review: Devil's Gate by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown

Devil's Gate (The Numa Files)
by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons in 2011

Summary and Review: This is the first book in some time published from the Kurt Austin series previously written by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos.  Despite combing the Internet for an explanation as to why these two quite co-authoring, I have failed to find any reference.  Regardless of the reason, Paul is out and Graham Brown is in.  Prior to this release I had never heard of Graham Brown, but once again Cussler has done a fine job in selecting a co-author.  Brown does well to retain the original flavor of the series while adding a depth to the characters that was previously missing.  The relational aspect of Kurt, Joe, Paul and Gamay that was present but shallow in the earlier novels has been introduced in much the same way that Cussler introduced Pitt's children in that series.  There is an intimacy and honesty to their relationships and feelings of honor and fear.  This story is about the dictator of a small African country who is using technology to create a super weapon that is indefensible.  Austin and Joe stumble onto his first test of the weapon and are quickly drawn into the drama.  The story has everything you need for a good sea read, pirates, beautiful damsels in distress with Russian accents, history and bravado.

When I first started reading the Kurt Austin series more than a decade ago, I wasn't sure if I could ever like it as much as the Dirk Pitt series, but by book three I was hooked on Kurt, Joe and the gang.  When we went a couple of years after Medusa was published without an installment, I was beginning to worry what was happening to the series and was truly missing the silver haired fox and his dueling pistol collection.  The pause was due to the break-up of Cussler and Kemprecos and the subsequent finding of the new partner in Brown.  The series picks up right where it left off with not only all of the flare of the old books, but lots of potential for all of the installments to come!

Reading Recommendation: Yes, a good re-launch of a long standing series with a new co-author.

Book Review: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath
by John Steinbeck
Originally published by The Viking Press Inc. 1939

Summary and Review: This is Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize winning epic depiction of the Great Depression and its effects on individuals, families, communities and the nation.  It tells the story of the Joad family, homestead farmers from Oklahoma, who are driven from their land by the banks, drought and the depressed economic times.  They have seen a flyer claiming there is abundant work in California with beautiful country and plenty of opportunity, so they head west in pursuit of a better life than the one they have been existing in Oklahoma as of late.  The novel is basically a travelogue of their journey.  As they encounter people, both good and bad, false hopes, flat out lies, death and attitudes of defeat.  Family roles change to adapt to the dynamics of this new life, but the core values of God, family and hospitality remain an anchor in an otherwise drifting life. 

I thought I read this book in high school or college but the more I read the more I didn't recognize, so now I am not sure if I had read it before or not.  At a minimum I was reading it through a new lens of being a pastor and if you have read this blog at all you know what an impact the book has had on me as it has inspired numerous blog posts!  The book is a compelling read as you are brought into the intimate lives of these characters and you are driven to turn the next page to find out what happens to them.  My favorite parts are the "mini-chapter" commentaries on life itself during the Great Depression.  This classic stands as a work of literature, but even more as a chronicle of an incredibly challenging time for our country and for those who endured the Great Depression.  I always thought if funny that my grandmother would buy two of everything and was told that it was a product of her being placed in an orphanage during the Depression because her parents couldn't afford to feed the kids so she was going to make sure she always had what she needed to care for her family.  This book gave me new insight on to how that time could have such an impact in her life.  We will probably never encounter a time like the Great Depression again, but we must never forget the dramatic effect it had on families and communities so that we can embrace the strength those that endured displayed and reject the evil that always rears its head in such times.  The Grapes of Wrath is a chronicle that will never let us forget.  If you haven't read it before, you really need to place this on your must read list!

Reading Recommendation: Yes!  Put it on your lifetime "Must Read" list.

Sermon: Sunday, April 15, 2012

Greetings All,

Here is the audio file from Sunday's sermon. It is titled Yes, It is Really Me! and the texts are John 6:1-14; 21:1-14.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Sermon: Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012

Greetings All,

Here is the audio file from Sunday's regular worship service.  It is titled More Responses and the text is John 20:1-18.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Sermon: Sunday, April 1, 2012

Greetings All,

Here is the audio file from Sunday's sermon. It is titled Lessons from Mark: The Wilderness and the texts are Mark 1:35-39; 11:1-11.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron