Of Books and Bookclubs, Part I

In the past couple months, I've read three books about evangelicalism by evangelicals. I had planned on blogging about them, but the tyranny of the urgent always seemed to get in the way. I've decided that I will review these books- David Kuo's Tempting Faith, Randall Balmer'sThy Kingdom Come, & Tony Campolo's Letters to an Evangelical. If nothing else, it gives me a lesson plan for the next three days. I also have a proposition. I came across this book online:
So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore.

Apparently, the authors (Jake Colsen is a pseudonym) decided to keep their identity secret for a while. So here's the deal. Want to start an online book club? Say by next friday anyone interested reads the first chapter and then we'll decide whether to continue. If nothing else it could be an engaging dialogue (and accessible to all!).

Today's meditation comes from a different source: the Qu'ran (just kidding), it's from A Celtic Lent:

"God is encountered in the ordinary. "Like the ancient Hebrews, the Celts were earthy people who led simple lives. Believing God was involved in all ordinary events of their lives, they prayed constantly asking God to bless whatever they were doing...These prayers often asked for a particular grace for the one praying as evidenced in this prayer accompanying the kindling of the hearth in the morning: 'Kindle in my heart within a fire of love for my neighbor. May the light of love shine out to my foe, my friend and my kindred.' "Surround the routine things of your life with a prayer. As much as possible follow Paul's advice to 'pray constantly,' lifting each thing you do and each person you meet to God for blessing. Bless your children as they leave for school, your colleagues as they work, other commuters on the road. Say a blessing each day for one of the common, everyday things in your life, and ask that as you are blessed, you may in turn be a blessing" to all you come in contact with this Lent, as the days lengthen into Easter.

pax,
jefe

Lent , Lost, & a Letter from Clement

So today is the first day of Lent and I have decided that I would attempt to do another 40 days of blogging about "stuff" for the season- in hopes of maybe geting rid of this spiritual malaise that has gripped me. it's tough though, why does lent have to come on Lost Wednesday... I meanAsh Wednesday? i continue to believe this is the best friggin show on television. anyway, i am going to blog more tomorrow. I think it'll be about mennonites. and ipods. Until then here is the scripture that I am going to try and meditate upon before I go to sleep.

Repent

From a letter to the Corinthians by Clement, 1st century

Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognize how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.

If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached God's message of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they repented, their prayers gained God's forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God's people.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God's grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe himself spoke of repentance with an oath: As I live,I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance. He added the evidence of his goodness: House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people: If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, "Father", and I will listen to you as to a holy people.

pax,

jefe