Book Review: Running Scared: Fear, Worry and the God of Rest (by Ed Welch)

One of the most helpful books the sheep of my flock have read is Ed Welch’s, When People are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man. Therefore, I was quite excited to get a copy of his new work on fear in general entitled, Running Scared: Fear, Worry and the God of Rest.

I have to admit it took a little to get me interested in this book. The initial observations were quite interesting, but by 54 pages in I was more than ready to hear what the Lord had to say concerning fear. (Now, my mild frustration could also have been caused by the fact I was reading this book by a lake, wind in my face, aware that I had another 30 books or so to go! You read it and decide for yourself.)

I did find this to be one of those books that got progressively better. Moving on from some general thoughts on fear in the world, Welch leaned heavily on the manna event to set a paradigm of sorts for understanding God in relation to fear. From there he dealt with more specific passages on fear and anxiety and did a great job of handling them contextually. The book concluded with a description of God’s peace and how to become the kind of person that sows peace in the world.

The most helpful truth I gleaned from this excellent work was the oft-repeated idea that our fears expose our heart allegiances. For example, in reference to the fear of man, Welch writes:

“Whatever you think you need will control you. If you need something from other people – love, acceptance, approval – they hold the keys to something very valuable to you. You will live in fear that they might not deliver. You will fear those who are gatekeepers to the fulfillment of your needs.” (175)

Thus, we can use our fears to help us uncover our heart’s idols. If I fear my parents, perhaps it is because I have erected an idol called, “Approval of Others.” If I believe life is found in that idol then it is likely my fear of their disapproval will control my actions. Fears can be traced back to show us what we are really loyal to – most of the time, ourselves.

The book is full of great illustrations and is very personal. Welch is not afraid to expose his own battles with fear and not in some hokey, triumphalistic fashion. The reader gets the feeling we are all working on this together.

If you are in a small group that seeks to identify grace in others, and to help them see their sin, then I cannot commend this book to you enough. If fear is a large issue in your life, then I likewise commend it. And if you are just the kind of person that likes to understand how the inner person operates and are after some good tools for your own sanctification and ministry to others, I likewise commend the book.

Buy it. Sit on the dock this summer. And read to the profit of your soul!

Sleepless in America - That's No (Red) Bull

Sleepless in America

From Starbucks, to Red Bull, to No-Doz, Americans are showing signs of addiction to caffeine. Sixty percent of us drink a cup of coffee a day. On average we will drink 52 gallons of soda this year. And Starbucks—they get a whopping $5.3 billion of our collective dough.

Whether we are chemically stimulating because we do not get enough sleep, or whether the caffeine itself is depriving us of precious rest, we are also sleeping less than ever before. Americans get an average of six and a half hours of sleep a night, a 25 percent drop since the early 1900s. No wonder we are stressed. And as if we needed any more help depriving ourselves of rest, scientists may have found a drug that will eliminate sleepiness.

Book Review: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

Freakonomics is one of those books way outside my normal reading pleasure that I have thoroughly enjoyed this summer. “Rogue” economist Steven Levitt has teamed up with journalist Stephen Dubner to produce a remarkable “Seinfeldish” story of correlations and observations – that really has no point, other than the numbers don’t lie (and you do).

Did you know your kids are one hundred times more likely to drown in a neighbour’s pool than be shot by accidental gunplay? Have you ever considered that the lowering of the crime rate in America has more to do with abortion than crime policies? Levitt’s skill is in asking questions of the numbers that others have overlooked and making comparisons that no one has yet considered. For instance, while it is true fewer people die on average in planes than automobiles, that number is based on an unfair comparison of data. What one really ought to do is compare deaths per hour of travel… and you will discover that your chances of an untimely travel death are about the same.

Beyond these somewhat useless (albeit fascinating) comparisons, Levitt makes the best case yet outside of the Bible in proving, “all men are liars.” Exactly what they choose to lie about and what they are willing to risk is all a matter of complex inter-relationships, but all men are prone to deceive and advance their own cause. The same is true with cheating. The numbers don’t lie!

Levitt also draws a careful line between risks that scare us and risks that kill us. We are prone to be horrible risk-assessors, and that’s why politicians get elected and your real estate agent sells for less money than she could.

Quoting J. K. Galbraith, Levitt notes, “…we adhere, as to a raft, to those ideas which represent our understanding.” Hence, I observe, someone can hear the Gospel many times and reject its logic and sweetness all because it does not align with what they already believe to be true. We like what we know, what we think makes sense out of the world. Children with Muslim parents generally stick to Islam – that kind of thing. But our comfortableness with a certain idea or set of ideas is not what makes it true.

This is a great book for preachers who want to prove “by the numbers” our propensity to lie and cheat. And it is a great book for parents who live in fear of things they really should just get over. Watch out for some distasteful language at points but enjoy the humour and debunking by a nice post-modern mind – i.e. a man who is great at identifying our problems and does not fall into the trap of promoting more lame solutions.

Book Review: Experiencing God’s Presence by Matthew Henry

Experiencing God’s Presence by Matthew Henry

Somewhere along my path I either purchased or received a little book by Matthew Henry called, The Pleasantness of a Religious Life. The title was enough for me to put it on the shelf for several years, until curiosity got the better of me. Henry is the acclaimed author of the very useful commentary on the entire Bible, and I couldn’t help but think that a man who had spent that much time in the Word might have something to say worth hearing! How right I was – Pleasantness is now in my top 10 of all books and I commend it to you without hesitation.

So, I was glad to grab this book by the same author now published by Whitaker House. Experiencing God’s Presence is a collection of thoughts on how to walk with God in the nitty-gritty of life. And this is Henry at his best – taking deep truth and working it out in the practice of common folks like you and me.

Chapters cover a range of what to pray for, when to pray, how to visit with your Christian friends, how to live in the common world with a view to Christ, and even how to treat our need for sleep:

“Do not dare to go to sleep in that condition in which you do not dare to die.”

One of my favorite little sections was on thanking God for our clothes:

“Do we have clothes to put on in the morning, garments that warm us? Do we have a change of clothes, not for necessity only, but for ornament? Our clothes are from God; it is His wool His flax that are given to cover us. And the morning when we dress ourselves is the proper time for giving Him thanks for our clothes. Yet, I fear we do not thank God for our clothes as consistently as we give thanks for our food when we sit down to eat, though we have as much reason to do so.”

Henry also addresses Christian fellowship, with a quote I think would be quite fitting to speak aloud to one another at the start of our monthly church lunches at GFC:

“Why should we be strangers to one another, we who hope to be together forever with the Lord?”

With such little insights and probing questions this book becomes a tool of cheerful conviction, urging the Christian reader on to greater godliness and faithfulness. And the helpful updating of language and terminology enables the simplest reader to stay the course and not lose heart mid-course.

I have enjoyed reading portions during family devotions and even chuckling aloud at some of the simple instruction. Reading it will be sure to bless and encourage you.

All Right So Far

The Optimist fell ten stories
And at each window bar
Shouted to his friends below,
“All right so far!”

I expect no surprise landings at the end of it, but sabbatical has been more than all right so far. What a blessing! Just thought I would let you know...

Wright on Time...

This will be my last post for a while. Getting ready to begin my sabbatical and I think that will also include a great absence of blogging.

I thought this was interesting.

My friends at Westminster Bookstore published a suggested reading list compiled by Tim Keller. I was troubled to read his carte blanche approval of NT Wright's, "Surprised By Hope."

Keller writes,

"It's always a little dangerous to recommend a book I haven't read yet, but I suggest it because it is basically a shorter and more accessible summary of his bigger classic The Resurrection of the Son of God (see below), which is wonderful but very long and academic."

The new 9Marks Journal came out today and includes a review of the same book by Tom Schreiner. His conclusion?

"Wright appeals to many because he is brilliant and fascinating, and some of what he says is helpful. Nevertheless, his failure to emphasize the centrality of the gospel is troubling, and pastors who find his work illuminating need to be careful that they do not veer away from their central task of proclaiming the good news to a lost generation." (read the rest of the review for other concerns)

Schreiner hits the nail on the head. Wright can be wonderfully helpful in places... and, in my opinion, winsomely dead wrong in others. It is not pastorally wise to commend his work - especially when you have not read it yet!*

*Keller does say he has read the larger work upon which Surprised by Hope is based.

Feeling Vancouver-ish

globeandmail.com: Toronto teen bowled over by lightning:

"Already this June, Toronto has seen 11 rainy days – double the month's usual amount."

Survey Shows U.S. Religious Tolerance - NYTimes.com

Survey Shows U.S. Religious Tolerance - NYTimes.com:

In the category of, "Not Much Shocking About This... Sadly...

"Although a majority of Americans say religion is very important to them, nearly three-quarters of them say they believe that many faiths besides their own can lead to salvation, according to a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The report, titled U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, reveals a broad trend toward tolerance and an ability among many Americans to hold beliefs that might contradict the doctrines of their professed faiths.

For example, 70 percent of Americans affiliated with a religion or denomination said they agreed that “many religions can lead to eternal life,” including majorities among Protestants and Catholics. Among evangelical Christians, 57 percent agreed with the statement, and among Catholics, 79 percent did.

Among minority faiths, more than 80 percent of Jews, Hindus and Buddhists agreed with the statement, and more than half of Muslims did."

CD Review – "You and You Alone" by Pat and Joel Sczebel

CD Review – Pat and Joel Sczebel

Canadian pastor and son, Pat and Joel Sczebel have released a really enjoyable CD in the Sovereign Grace Ministries Overflow series called, “You and You Alone.” It is well named as the songs of this father/son writing tandem are full of Christ and full of Godward thoughts.

My favorite song on the release is the first cut of “I Surrender All” (there is good reprise at the end of the CD also). Melodically, it is probably the simplest song on the album, but very singable and full of great lyrics.

A close second in the fave’s category is “The Greatest of All,” a robust reflection on the greatest transaction in human history – Christ for His bride. The chorus appears to be a re-work of the old song, “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It.”

There is a good musical mix on the recording, varied tempos and sounds with some numbers perhaps more prone for congregational singing than others. Although that may depend on how you sing at your church.

I think the Overflow series as a whole puts a little less into production, so you will hear the odd little imperfections of a live recording. It gives you a very nice live feel though.

Thanks to Sovereign Grace Ministries for yet again supplying us with robust theology to sing with all our hearts!

Am I Here?

It is Annual Member Business Meeting at GFC this week. That is where I have been.

I love this time of year.

We divide our meeting into three parts:
1. A Sunday night service to look back on what God has done.
2. A members-only business meeting to discuss the nitty gritty of ministry and how to pay for it.
3. A Sunday "after-fellowship-lunch-service" to lay out our plans for the coming year, the Lord willing.

Tomorrow is #2. I can hardly wait!