Book Review: Under the Predictable Plant by Eugene H. Peterson

Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness (See all Christian Pastoral Counseling Books)
by Eugene H. Peterson
Published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1992

Summary: Eugene Peterson, famed for his Bible translation The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language : Numbered Edition (See all Other Bibles), was first a prolific author really focused on helping Christian's regain a connection with the mystery of God; but before he was an author he was and is a pastor.  All of his books , including the translation, come out of his role as pastor.  Along that journey he began to realize that the nature of being a pastor was subtly changing from the one who represents the mystery of God to the world to more of a corporate program director.  He saw that not only in the lives of other pastors, but equally in the mirror so he set out to change his life.  In a conversation with his church board when asked "what do you want to do?" he replied, "I want to study God's word long and carefully so that when I stand before you and preach and teach I will be accurate.  I want to pray, slowly and lovingly, so that my relation with God will be inward and honest.  And I want to be with you, often and leisurely, so that we can recognize each other as close companions on the way of the cross and be available for counsel and encouragement to each other."  This book is in essence a road map for how to get to that place as a pastor.  He uses the story of Jonah as the lens through which he paints the picture of how to escape the trappings of Tarshish religious programs to Ninevehish obedience as a pastor.  Peterson interweaves anecdotes from his own life with his lively interpretation of scripture to challenge us to think differently about what it means to be called by God to the pastorate.

Review: While anyone can read this book and benefit from its message, it is truly aimed at pastors.  It is written to challenge us to return to our roots in scripture, prayer and presence so we can be fully engaged with our congregations.  If you have read any of Peterson's books before you will immediately recognize the style and be quickly drawn into his slow, methodical pacing as he activates our imaginations as only a preacher and story teller can do.  The book at times gets a little slow and cumbersome, he could have pulled this off in 140 pages instead of 197, but overall it is a thought provoking book that if you let it can truly inspire some passion.  I can remember reading the line I quoted in the summary thinking with tears in my eyes, "that is what I want to be as a pastor."  Pastors read this book, especially if you are longing to get off the religious program treadmill; but also encourage the leaders of your personnel committee to read this book to help them understand who they should want you to be, and perhaps together you can get there.

Recommendation: A must for pastors and for church personnel board members, but everyone can benefit from a glimpse into what religious vocation should look like.

Sermon: Sunday, September 11, 2011

Greetings All,

Here is the partial audio file from Sunday's sermon.  Unfortunately the recorder cutoff before the sermon was complete.  It is titled Why We Need to Share Jesus! and the text is Mark 5:21-34.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Sermon: Sunday, September 4, 2011

Greetings All,

Here is the audio file from Sunday's sermon.  It is titled Why Do I Come to Church? and the text is 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:7.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Recipe: Plantation Crunch Recipe

Greetings Everyone,

Recipes come from all kinds of places, some of them end up being yummy, some "interesting," and some just downright gross.  This is a recipe that came from of all places the package backing from white almond bark and it goes beyond the yummy category to something more like "crack!"  This stuff is fabulous and since it is impossible to keep up with a two inch square cut from the aluminum packaging I thought I would save it for eternity by posting it on the blog.  You all are welcome to try it and experience its addictive yummy goodness, but the main reason it is here is so I can make it anytime and anyplace I want!  Enjoy!

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Plantation Crunch Recipe

Ingredients:
16 oz. of vanilla almond bark
1/4 c. of creamy peanut butter
1 c. of salted Spanish peanuts
2 c. of crispy rice cereal

Instructions:
1. Melt the almond bark and the peanut butter in a microwave safe dish.
2. In a separate bowl mix the peanuts and the cereal.
3. Pour peanut/cereal mix into the dish with of melted peanut butter and almond bark.  Mixing thoroughly.
4. Line a rectangle cookie sheet with wax paper and spread the mixture to cover the sheet, approximately 1/4 inch thick.  Let stand.
5. Once it has cooled and hardened, cut into squares and Enjoy!
6. Keep the number on hand for a twelve step program to help you overcome the addiction that will occur on about your third piece.

Sermon: Sunday, August 28, 2011

Greetings All,

Here is the audio file from Sunday's sermon.  It is titled Why Am I A Christian? and the text is John 8:1-11.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Sermon: Sunday, August 14, 2011

Greetings All,

Here is the audio file from Sunday's sermon.  It is titled Defiling or Defining? and the text is Matthew 15:10-28.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Book Review: Love Wins by Rob Bell

Greetings All,

Well I have been absent from blogging for anything beyond sermon posts for quite a while now, but the good news is that the remodel project is complete, the kitchen looks fabulous and even more important is super functional from a cooking standpoint; so I am back.  I have not stopped reading in my absence, so in the next few weeks you will find a bunch of book reviews, but I thought I would jump back in the water with the one I finished yesterday.  It is a book that has been making a bit of a stir in the evangelical Christian community since it came out in March.  The fundamentalist side has reacted to it with much venom and defensiveness, but I have to admit I really liked it.  The books Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived by Rob Bell.

Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived (See all Religion & Spirituality Books)
by Rob Bell
published in 2011 by HarperOne

Summary/Review: Many of you may know Bell from his video series NOOMA where he uses short movies to explain Christian principles in a contemporary and catching way.  He has also written a number of other books, his most popular being Velvet Elvis.  This is his latest authorial release.  The challenge in a book review of this sort of theological land mine is to get side tracked into commenting on the theology rather than reviewing the book, but they sort of go hand in hand.  Let's start with the book.

Bell is a gifted communicator regardless of the medium and Love Wins is no different in that respect.  He has written a book with dense theological concepts in a very accessible and readable way.  He intermingles Bible, theology, stories and interpretive applications into a very quick read that if nothing else causes the reader to spend some time thinking about their personal beliefs about God, heaven and hell.  The book is rooted in Bell's rejection of the theological doctrine known as "eternal punishment," the belief that if a person dies not having accepted Christ that God will punish and torment them in hell for the remainder of eternity, which since eternity has no end is forever!  Bell cannot reconcile a God who loves us in the way the father loves the Prodigal Son with a father who would punish and torment His children forever.

From that foundation he makes a Biblical and theological case against eternal punishment and for the love of God.  He positions the exclusivity claims of Christ, "no one comes to the Father except through me," as a general reconciling of the world.  That the work Christ is doing on the cross is what makes it possible for any of humanity to be able to once again draw near to God, rather than it being a claim that you must accept Jesus as Lord and Savior to go to heaven.  This isn't new theology, in fact in many ways it is a restatement of C.S. Lewis' beliefs as espoused in The Great Divorce and in fact Bell credits that as a source for his positions at the end of this book; Bell has just incorporated contemporary language and stories to connect with a modern audience.

The book is well worth a read.  We can have a discussion about the theology of the book in a separate post, but being that this is a book review.  I would encourage everyone to read this book.  While the fundamental evangelicals are up in arms, I cannot imagine anyone reading this book and not wanting to enter a relationship with Jesus Christ and isn't that what the fundamentalists want? So read this book without fear that it will cause some harm to your belief system, in fact read it in a way that allows it to challenge your belief system either causing it to shift or causing you to reinforce your foundations.

Reading Recommendation: Absolutely YES!!!!