An Umpire's View

Heard about how three umpires called strikes based on their different worldviews.

Which statement reflects your perspective?

• The pre-modern umpire says, "I call 'em as they are!"
• The modern umpire says, "I call 'em as I see 'em!"
• The postmodern umpire says, "They ain't nothin' 'till I call 'em!"

I think I know what my answer is supposed to be, but it wasn't my first response. That's because I've probably been influenced by the culture of my upbringing more than I'd care to admit. We all have.

I grew up in the transition between modernity and what has come to be called postmodernism. We may still be in that transition. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Modernism trusted in its own rationalism to the exclusion of experience and mystery, hallmarks of the emerging worldview, and a longing for many.

Good news is, the life we have in Christ speaks to this yearning. Engaging postmoderns, however, requires an honest and humble recognition of the tension between mystery and information, hope and skepticism, confidence and doubt and truth and relativism.

These dualities are dealt with in just such a manner in a recent book by Craig Loscalzo. Apologetic Preaching - Proclaiming Christ to a Postmodern World (IVP) isn't just a book for preachers. It's a helpful guide on understanding our current context and how we might lovingly communicate the message of Jesus to others.

The strength of this book is that it is accessible to those who are not familiar with the philosophical and historical issues behind the Enlightment (modernity) and what is now called postmodernity. A good primer and practical guide for believers who want to understand and participate in the changes going on around them.

Although Loscalzo hits a foul ball or two, he does connect for a hit - not quite a home run, but a solid triple. You may disagree, but then, I simply call 'em the way I see 'em.

It's Not About the Bike

The human spirit surprises me.

Aware of the devilish and awaiting the heavenly, I often overlook a simple matter: Our mortal soul is a remarkable thing. Lance Armstrong's battle and victory over cancer, his well-documented racing comeback, and his unfathomable 7 consecutive Tour de France wins is a moving saga, reminding me that courage and struggle are profound human virtues.

Lance's first book, It's Not About the Bikeis not just for dedicated athletes or survivors of the disease. For the race in which we find ourselves is really a metaphor for life; it is not limited in scope to sports or sickness. In fact, it's a human race - full of tragedy and disappointment, surely - but buoyed by triumph and celebration. Armstrong's perspective is a crucial part of the story of the human spirit and I appreciate his candor in sharing it. It inspires me to dig deep and work through some of my daily and often mundane struggles.

But there's more to this story. I pray that Lance will one day experience the next chapter, or sequel, and taste true victory in and through Jesus Christ.

After reading this inspiring book, I get the impression that Armstrong knows that death and defeat don't deserve the victory lap. Yet in life's race and at this point in his personal tour it seems he believes that the best we can hope for is to confront death "straightforwardly, armed with nothing but courage." (p. 272) In the final analysis, any triumph we experience is due to a reliance upon the self.

But if ultimately, in this dangerous race through mortality, it is simply a matter of standing firm in the face of adversity, then I fear our hope is built on something less than lasting. In the end, death wins. Yellow jerseys fade. Courage expires. Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. (from Ecclesiastes 1.2)

Except the eternal. This is the victory that Jesus offers. Life now and life eternal. Yes, as Armstrong states,

"People die. That truth is so disheartening that at times I can't bear to articulate it. Why should we go on, you might ask? Why don't we all just stop and lie down where we are? But there is another truth, too. People live." (pp. 4, 5)

Again, this part of the story - our pursuit of life - is an inspiring story that he tells fairly well. And yet I long for Armstrong to keep reading, keep listening for the rest of the story. The message that, not only do people live, but people Live. This triumph does not rely on self or courage or grit or luck. It comes as a gift, one that can't be earned, for it is a victory over Death that has already been won for us by Jesus Christ.

Maybe I'll be able to talk with Lance about this someday. He already knows it's not about racing; I just want to tell him that it's really about Life.

Guest Review: YOU!

by Rick Stilwell* at Caffeinated Adventures

Pastor Ed Young has written a book to recapture a sense of real self-esteem and properly placed self-worth. Unfortunately, YOU! (copyright 2005, Howard Publishing Company) feels more like a sermon series that moves one powerpoint slide too long to really hold the congregation's attention. If someone needs this book to find a way out of self-loathing depression, let them skip to chapter ten, p. 127 - where the truths of scripture, when balanced in context with a real focus on the Lord, are laid out pretty plain and clear. The rest of the work leading to that point falls short in book form. There's a deeper book in there somewhere, and I was hoping for more.

My first thought, while reading the introduction and first chapters, was that the title and cover art will probably not grab the interest of the people who would benefit from this type of encouragement. Instead, if this book caters to those who already think too highly of themselves or place too much value on Me/Myself/I will find in this book something for YOU to make more of YOU then YOU really should be doing. I know folks who need to be able to learn that God loves them, that He values and appreciates them as a part of His creation, as His workmanship.

But there are some inconsistencies that bothered me. One of them is the use of sermon bulletpoints: I always abhor all alliteration, and when chapter one speaks of the Treadmills of Style, Status and Success, it was too much for me. Another place where it just felt mish-mashed for me was in making the point that God wants to use us, dsiplay us for His glory. After writing about how those three paths for finding value will leave one still insecure and feeling unloved (style, status and success do not work - he's right in putting that in print), there's another illustration later on of what we would do with a priceless work of art. "... would you keep that painting buried in the basement covered in cheesecloth? No! You'd hang that painting in the most prominent area of your home so it could be enjoyed by everyone who saw it" (p. 31). But wouldn't that be somewhere close to the style/status/success thing we're trying to avoid? A third type of inconsistency for me was the under-usage of scripture - not that the Bible is left out, but that it's not a bigger part of the discussion and presentation from the beginning.

That's just me - I'm being picky, I know, and I apologize. I wanted to like this book, to have it rise above where I just knew it would be going. We live in a feel good society that already thinks it's all about YOU. But as I wrote earlier, I know people who need this book, those self-aggrandizing and those self-hating - I just think they need it written in a different way. Young's statement that the biggest question we're asking in life is "Do I matter to anyone?" (p. 13) is probably too narrow, feeds too much on the self-centered selfishness that's at the root of what we do wrong in this world. While the advice is good, it's just that: advice, to be taken or not taken. There's no weight beyond the alliteration and storytelling. What if we'd been able to dig together a little more into biblical stories of David and Moses, maybe followed their journeys of discovery and self-worth in the eyes of God.

Final recommendation: if YOU are drawn to the title YOU, then YOU probably don't need to buy this book. If however, you feel like you don't matter and everyone including God has passed you by, then pick this book for a good week of reading, taking the time in reading to also dive into the scriptures and the stories there of people being valued beyond themselves by the God who loves you deeply, too.

(*Note: Review posted here by permission. Thanks, Rick. Good word. I'll refrain from chanting You You You and pointing to your blog in acknowledgement. lgp :-)

Beethoven Discovered at My Alma Mater

LONDON (Reuters) - A unique manuscript by Ludwig van Beethoven that was lost for more than a century will go on sale in London in December priced at over one million pounds.

Discovered in July at the bottom of a dusty filing cabinet at a religious school in Philadelphia, the manuscript is a work in progress for the composer's Grosse Fuge in B flat major -- one of his most revolutionary works.

"This is an amazing find," said Stephen Roe, head of auction house Sotheby's manuscript department. "The manuscript was only known from a brief description in a catalog in 1890 and it has never before been seen or described by Beethoven scholars."

Not only is the 80-page document a working manuscript for the only piano version of a major work by Beethoven, it is one of his few compositions for a piano duet.

Sotheby's, which will auction the document on December 1, said it was the most important Beethoven manuscript to have come to market in living memory and would prompt a complete reassessment of his works.

It is the second time very rare musical documents have been found by chance at the former Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary -- now renamed the Palmer Theological Seminary. A Mozart manuscript was discovered there in 1990.

"At that time we called it the 'Mozart miracle'. It seems appropriate that this time we are thankful for the 'Beethoven blessing,'" said seminary president Wallace Charles Smith.

Wild, eh? For more information, click the link.

Thought Renewal is Going Weekly

Hey there fellow readers . . .

After connecting with many of you via the Evangelical Bloglines and elsewhere (made some neat friends, too) , and after putting in a huge effort at linking and being linked in order to become a Slithering Reptile in the TTLB ecosystem (if you're a blogger, you know what I'm talking about), I now need to step back for the next couple of months as I get my non-blogging life back to full speed. I'm sure you understand.

What this means is that instead of every other day or so, I'll probably post a book review every week or two from now on. Just to stay fresh. So feel free to visit, but know that Thought Renewal is slowing down this fall and winter. I'll be in touch.

Lyn

American Baptist Exodus

It saddens me to share this information, but in order for me to ask you to pray you need to know a bit of our struggle. Our denomination (The American Baptist Churches, USA) is finally starting to splinter and collapse. I didn't want to see it happen, but I must stand with Biblical Authority and side with the Pacific Southwest Region, which is pulling away from the ABC.

Here's a bit of the press release at ChristianityToday.com (see link below):

The Pacific Southwest region of the American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) has begun defecting in the largest church exodus from any denomination over the presenting issue of homosexuality. Underlying issues, according to leaders, include the authority of Scripture and church discipline....

The ABCUSA officially states that "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching." However, gay-affirming congregations remain affiliated with the denomination. When conservative regions have disfellowshiped such congregations, those congregations have simply affiliated with a more liberal ABCUSA region.

Why this is a sad time for me is that I helped form a renewal movement in the ABC 13 years ago. We've met, we've implored, we've tried to implement change. But we've not fulfilled our mission. We suspected that one day we would see the demise of our denomination. And now, that day is upon us.

Continue to pray for the many, many evangelical churches in the ABC that remain faithful to the Gospel but are confused about the underlying issues. Some denominational leaders paint this as an issue of power and divisiveness, wheras it truly is a matter of scriptural authority. Will we remain faithful to the whole counsel of God or not?