Tag: book review

From the Quarries to the Temple

James HoganLeave a comment

Book complete? Yes.

40. Evangelicalism Divided by Iain Murray. Surely one of the best books I’ve read this year. I wish you all could read it, even if one isn’t as interested in church history as I am! This book’s subtitle is “A Record of Crucial Change in the Years 1950 to 2000” and that is indeed a good description of this book. This book can at times be a bit dense, and if you aren’t a huge fan of reading church history, reading this may be a struggle at times. But I am most grateful I read this book.

Murray is one of my very favourite authors and this book definitely doesn’t change that. How can I describe this book? Well, Murray is writing about a change in the wider evangelical church in the past fifty/sixty years. I am struggling to adequately describe this book mostly because again – I want to tell you to read it, not my words! But surely there has been a change in Christian thought in the past few hundred years. First with the advent of modernism and higher criticism, beginning with German intellectualism in the 19th century and the application of modernist thought to the study of theology and the Christian life. Surely that last sentence made things clearer, right? Well, evangelicalism could be said to be a response to the liberalism in the mainline Protestant denominations, also known as “fundamentalism” in the United States. One of the central tenets of the evangelical movement was the assertion that the Word of God is truly inerrant, containing all that is necessary to come to faith in Christ. But as Murray states…in the past half century, things have changed. Prominent evangelical leaders made the decision that they could do more good by working with various Christian churches and organizations, even if there were some disagreements in certain areas of doctrinal thought. The motives of these leaders were often pure, but discernment and wisdom were sorely lacking. So while ecumenicism can seem to be a good thing in certain circles…when it comes to the defense of the true faith that we have been given in the Word of God, the quicksand of compromise quickly imperils the witness of the church. And so even a great teacher like J.I. Packer(whose book Knowing God I plan on reading next!) can think it is a good idea to dialogue and work closely with the Roman Catholic Church(ECT in the mid-90s…something I was excited to read about, because this was something I actually remember being a big deal, Mom and Dad talking about it, the critical comments of MacArthur about it, etc! History that I’ve lived through, I’m now reading about. A bit strange). So a rapprochement with the “wider church” may seem to be a glorious, praiseworthy objective! Yet, in actuality, we are flirting with false teachers who serve the father of lies. Oh woe is us for our arrogance. So in one way, this book is a sad read. It is about the slow slide of the evangelical movement into liberalism and plastic orthodoxy, the specter of apostasy hovering close. But also…this is history and this is important to read because as sad as some of the events chronicled are, knowing that God is sovereign and that He yet works even amidst the chaos is a glorious thought indeed. Murray writes with force, vigor and clear-sighted passion. He understands that Christian unity is essential, but also that unity not based on the foundation of the true gospel is worse than useless. It imperils our witness to the world, weakens our faith, and retards our growth as sons and daughters of God. One of the most important questions that needs to be asked and understood by the leaders of our churches is this: What is a Christian? The answer to that question is what should drive and determine church policy. The lures of pragmatism and church growth theory are flickering candles compared to the bonfire of the true preaching of the gospel as given to us by the inspired and inerrant Word of God.

So I really did write a bit more than I meant to, and obviously my writing is much less clear and stimulating than Murray’s! But one more quick thought before I close. Where shall we go from here? Understanding the drift of the evangelical church, what should be our response? What should we pray for? We pray that God works and brings revival. We cry out for God to send His Spirit to work in us. We pray for the preaching of the true gospel amidst the churches of this land. We pray that the leaders of our churches proclaim with power and might, empowered from on high by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word, in season and out of season. We pray that God has mercy upon us and forgives us our weakness and slackness in obeying and following Him in all things. We pray that God fills us with His love and charity as we yet hold firm to the truth in His Word. We pray that God keep us humble before Him, never thinking we know all things, but always having faith in the One who does know all things. And what is this faith in? Again, what is a Christian?

In the words of Murray, page 299:

There are two ways in which Scripture identifies a true disciple of Christ. The first is by the evidence of a person’s faith in Christ, and the second by the insistence that the accompaniment of true faith is always a new life. On the first evidence enough has already been said in these pages. Faith in Christ, according to the New Testament, is the same as receiving the truth; not, that is, all truth, but certainly the truth of salvation from the guilt and power of sin through Christ alone. The Christian knows that he is a sinner, that Christ is the divine Saviour, and that his salvation comes entirely from what Jesus has suffered for him and in his place. Every such person has ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Cor. 4:6). The content of that knowledge admits of unending progress, but where it does not exist at all there can be no salvation. All true Christian faith rests on the same foundation.

Praise God for the encouragement and wisdom granted me in reading this book. All glory to Him.

Apple Pie

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It’s a Friday, at long last! And though I didn’t write yesterday, let me it be known that on October 11th in the year of our Lord 2018…it finally actually felt like fall for the first time all year. Temperatures in the 60s when I walked outside? I was very – most pleasantly – surprised! And today is the same. Fall is here, y’all. FINALLY. Last night, I went to EQ to get some reading time in…and I found out that everyone else had apparently also realised fall had arrived since the porch was full of far too many people and I had trouble finding a spot! Thankfully I did. Had a nice chat with Lea on phone…then eventually Fran and Haley and John showed up and we had good times hanging out in the cool autumnal air. Now, I need to start work momentarily, but as I’m far behind on my book logging…(sorry, I just keep forgetting!), I’ll jot down my last few reads:

31. Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card. Yup, I am fully in OSC re-read mode. No apologies. This book is an interesting parallel companion novel to Ender’s Game. It is definitely interesting to see most of the events from Ender’s Game from a slightly different angle! Probably not quite as good as Ender’s game, but it has some poignant moments that make it totally worth it. Following Bean – a character that definitely grows on you – this was a book that I always forget how much I love. The ending especially is incredibly emotional and a line from the end of this book is currently the front-runner for the title of my next mix CD. So there you go.

32. Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card. The second book in the Shadow series – or the Bean series, as I like to think of it. Honestly, I usually think of Ender’s Shadow as a a book on its own – since it’s set in space! – and the following 3 books as their own trilogy. Because these next books are all set on Earth and deal mostly with the geopolitics of the world following the conclusion of the Formic Wars. Fascinating stuff. I like it because…well, it’s science fiction and set several hundred years in future…but it’s also dealing with recognizable nations and cultures. So you have weary and decrepit America, aggressive Russia, expansionist India, arrogant China…and soon(but not quite in this book), the Caliphate stretching across Africa through the Middle East (and Europe I guess, with Turkey…). I love international relations and so it’s incredibly fascinating seeing Card’s simulated future! Complete with genius children leading them to war! Anyway, this book mainly deals with most of the children getting captured and Bean having to figure out how to rescue them. Finally we get to see much more of Petra, which I love because she’s an amazingly awesome character. And of course Peter Wiggin begins to emerge onto the scene. This is a fantastic book…in my humble opinion.

33. Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card. So…er…yes, this is the fourth book of the series, not the third. Why did I read this one next? Well I was in Chicago this past weekend with John and Daniel. And obviously I brought a travel book – Shadow of the Hegemon. Picked up Shadow of the Giant in a used bookstore in Chicago, because it was the one book I didn’t own and figured I’d read it when I got home. I underestimated my reading speed however, and finished my travel book a few days into trip…so obviously had to read this book since I didn’t bring a backup book. Tragedy. So yes, I’m reading this series out of order. Oops? Anyway! This book is a fitting end to this series…I won’t spoiler it, but I will say I didn’t quite remember how it ended but once I finished it…definitely satisfied. One thing interesting about this book (I suppose I could go into depth, but I will refrain) is you definitely even more so get a feel for Orson Scott’s Card worldview. His Mormon beliefs very obviously inform the themes of this book(and looking back on it, the whole series) – and most obviously, the thought that having children and a family is our main purpose on this earth. By marrying a wife and having children, you “become a part of the human race” and find true meaning. Some of this echoes with my soul – i.e., I do think God designs us with a longing in our hearts for finding a partner and having children (a legacy – as cold and hard as that word sounds). But is that the true meaning of life? I would say not. And I would say it is easy to idolize family above all else, which Card gets dangerously close to. Still – it is rare to see books these days praise marriage and families at all, so I will enjoy these aspects and yet remain wary of seeing perfect fulfillment and happiness in this earthly life. Anyway!! I do go on. This book was fantastic, and once again, I found myself emotional as I finished it.

34. Rubicon by Tom Holland. I sadly do not have time to fully describe this book. A marvelous historical narrative of the last hundred years or so (really the last fifty in greater detail) of the Roman Republic. I know many of the names and bare facts of the Republic, but reading this gave me so much more knowledge of the actual people that lived during this time!! Villainous Sulla and greedy Crassus and proud Pompey and arrogant Caesar and noble Cato and fearful Cicero and enigmatic Caesar Augustus(nee Octavian)…so many tragic moments and so much bloodshed and oh so much fierce politicking and oh the depths of depravity of humanity how we never change. I simply loved this book. The fall of the Republic is something that was bemoaned even while it was happening yet…man is evil and cruel and so the events fell out as could only be expected – in total war, chaos, fear and shell-shocked resignation. There is so much in this book I could talk about, but I much enjoyed reading this history and discovering more about the Republic that was Rome.

A Postal Service

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Hello friends and happy Saturday!! I did intend to write a nice, long entry today, but I fear it is not to be. I’ve dawdled here in Starbucks long enough and I really must go grab something for lunch soon as well. But must log my latest read(about 4 days late, shocker!):

28. The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Now this is proper sci-fi. Apparently I just need to read older classic sci-fi, because I greatly loved this book published in 1974. Written in “humanity’s future”, it had a great sweeping history (which I love) and also fun characters (despite the somewhat caricatured Scottish chief engineer!), great hulking battleships, fantastic technological wonders, copious amounts of coffee drinking, actual references to Christianity (which is somewhat rare in science fiction these days…)…and truly alien aliens. It even ended with a wedding (which is also somewhat rare in modern sci-fi!). And of course, the hallmark of all great sci-fi…the exploration of the unknown expanse…while at the same time, the examination of humanity’s psyche. What will man do to preserve his place in the universe? I don’t think I can properly do the plot of this book justice – but just know that I enjoyed it (I think that’s already obvious, no?). It was a fun adventurous romp while at the same time being at least mildly intellectual in nature. The descriptions of space were a wonder to behold and almost gave me the urge to go off gallivanting in space myself. Almost.

once Again we Dance

James HoganLeave a comment

This sleepy Thursday morning…a few more books vanquished:

26. The Daring Mission of William Tyndale by Steven Lawson. This was a very little book, but massively encouraging. I got this from Mom & Dad last Christmas…and I do so love biographies, so even very little ones are always worth it! This was a great reminder of Tyndale and the great works of God that were done through him. He lived in 16th century England for a time…but eventually fled to Europe to complete his Great Work – the translation of much of the Bible into English. A truly staggering accomplishment, especially as he was not translating from the Latin, as had been done before. No – he translated from the original Greek & Hebrew…and in doing so, he created a marvelous translation that still is the foundation and backbone of the majority of English translations today. He translated all of the New Testament and much of the Old, coordinating the printing and smuggling of these English Bibles into England so that the common man and woman could read. Before he could finish the Old Testament translation, he was captured by English agents, held in prison in Belgium and eventually executed for the grave crime of translating God’s Word into English so that all could read. Tyndale’s passion for the glory of God and desire that all might know Him through His Word…oh so gloriously inspiring. May the desire for God’s glory to increase fill our hearts this day.

27. They Were Counted by Miklós Bánffy. I don’t even know how to describe this one. Originally published in Budapest in the 1930s, this Hungarian novel(first of a trilogy!!) is magnificent, luscious & depressing…all at the same time. Maybe when I read the next two books in the trilogy, I will talk about them more. But briefly – these books are set in early 20th century Transylvania, when Hungary controlled much more territory than they do now. It is written by a Hungarian politician who lived through the tumultuous early 20th century and actually signed the peace treaty with the US that granted Hungary access to the League of Nations after end of the Great War. What’s fascinating is this book is very obviously a depiction of Hungarian high society in the waning days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire…and a vivid look into the short-sighted and decadent behaviour that was part and parcel of that life. The characters are vividly painted, although so many of their decisions and actions are so terrible. One of the characters that started out as my favourite slowly descended into a bottomless pit of his own making (I have been reinforced in my opinion that gambling is not altogether a Wise Thing) and another character, while honourable for the most part, seems to consider it acceptable to chase after a married woman (who yes, may be married to an evil psychopath, which makes me feel slightly better about it. But still). I have heard this trilogy/novel compared favourably to Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, one of my very favourites. I wouldn’t go quite that far, as I don’t think Bánffy is quite the equal of Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, but I do greatly appreciate this author’s style, as overwrought as some of the prose may be! (Or…maybe that’s why I like it…hm) There are some truly lovely scenes early on (before things get too terrible)…and the descriptions of the great Hungarian estates are a treat for the (imaginary) senses. And one of the things I love about this novel as well, as painful as the reading sometime is…is that the characters are all so very flawed. There are no perfect characters here. People feel deeply…and people err greatly. And the author doesn’t let the characters get away with acting rashly on their emotions. Now, I may be slightly biased in liking this novel, because it has Hungarian characters and written by a Hungarian author…and I do so have a soft spot in my heart for Hungary – having visited there and having dear friends from there. But despite this bias, I think this book has some worthwhile qualities. One of my favourite things is the absurd depiction of Hungarian politics…and it would almost be hilarious if you don’t stop and think that these same political dramas are what set the stage for the soon-coming world war. I love reading about historical events and this book, while fiction, very much educated me on the mindset and political currents that were present at the time. Especially since the book was written by someone who was very much a part of the political scene back then! This mini-review has gotten a bit long. We shall see what I think of the other two books of the trilogy, although I do not have much confidence things will get better. We shall see. Very intrigued to see what happens to Balint, Laszlo, Adrienne, Klara and the rest of the characters I’ve gotten to know so well…as the Austro-Hungarian Empire – and the world – further descends into madness…

Surfside

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I have so much I could write about…but so little time…hence, I shall log my latest read(already a few days late on this!):

25. The Works of John Owen, Vol 3: The Holy Spirit by John Owen. And there you go. After more than a year(not exactly sure when I started it, but I think it was in 2017??), with gaps where I took time to read other theological works…I have finished Vol 3 of Owen’s Works. What a masterpiece of a book. I’m not sure how often I’ve written of Owen here, so I guess I should be brief. This book was all about the Holy Spirit and His work (mostly in our lives as Christians – but not exclusively!). Apparently this volume was not big enough to contain all of Owen’s thoughts on the Spirit though…as Volume 4 is called “The Work of the Spirit”! But this book was very encouraging to my soul. I very much hesitate to recommend Owen, as he’s a difficult read at the best of times, and most would probably not get much out of it. I tend to read so quickly though, that when reading many books, I miss out on the truth within because I’m just reading so fast! With Owen though…because of his dense and obtuse writing style, I’m forced to read slower and analyse carefully what he’s saying…and so in a weird way, I am more greatly benefited by his Puritan language than I am by more modern authors(like a Keller or a Piper…both of whom for some reason I’m not really either edified or moved by as much…). But reading Owen’s words on the Spirit of God – and how He indeed actively works in our lives and how this knowledge should drive us to holiness and dependence on God for all things…indeed humbling and thrilling all at the same time. I’m rambling a bit, I know, so I shall close. But one of my takeaways from this hefty tome is the beauty and sheer necessity of our holiness as Christians. When we sin before God, we show God that we despise Him and His words. Is that what we want? As we know that we are sons and daughters of God…as we know that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit…our driving passion should be to honour our Lord God in every word we speak and every step we take. Be holy, as our Father in heaven is holy. We are God’s children, fellow heirs with Christ Himself. Meditate today on what it means to truly abide in Christ. Remain at peace in the love of God, which burns brighter and hotter and more beautifully than anything we can even begin to imagine.

Black Lab

James HoganLeave a comment

Hello friends!! I have been having a nice reading time here on the couch in my room…sipping tea and reading some Owen. Finished the current chapter and realised I have only one chapter to go – 10 pages more and Owens Vol. III shall be conquered! Milestone, y’all.

Anyways upon finishing that chapter, I also realised that I am quite far behind in logging my reading….I have a pile of books that I’ve read recently that I have not chronicled here. Tragedy. I shan’t take too long to describe my thoughts, but I do want the record to show that I have read the following…

18. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. Still making my way through Narnia. And Silver Chair is simply marvelous. It never used to be my favourite(and it still might not be), but each time I read it, I like it more. The adventures of Jill & Eustace & Puddleglum…and their battle against the serpent. So many classic moments.

19. Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold. Another Bujold omnibus, so I technically could count this as 3(The Warrior’s Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning & The Vor Game). But no – I shall count it as one. Anyways, after reading about the magnificent Cordelia, I moved on to the next book in the chronology and finally met the infamous Miles Vorkosigan. This book was a delight…although I must confess, need to take a break from Miles for a bit. Just like the characters in this book, can only take so much Miles at one time!!

20. A World Lost by Wendell Berry. I really cannot describe this one. I forget if I’ve talked about Wendell Berry here, but his books are truly some of my favourites. Harkening back to a simpler time. Describing the beauties of the Kentucky countryside…yet also acknowledging the true hurts and loss that reside in each and every person. Few writers touch my emotions as deeply as Berry does. This book was rather short, but no less beautiful for that.

21. Timescape by Gregory Benford. I don’t really know how to describe this one. It was recommended as one of the classic sci-fi novels, it was a delight when reading…as much as I don’t know if I can unhesitatingly recommend this one. It was a fantastic – yet dark and depressing – novel involving characters from both the ’60s and the ’90s…and this book was written in 1980!! Obviously it was fascinating to read about the author’s predictions for the “far future” 1998!! And it was just as interesting reading about his description of academia in the 1963…which was a time the author has lived in(and I have not!), so I feel as if I learned a lot about that time period. Still, the characters themselves sort of depressed me. Despite the fun time-twisting science bits, the characters cynical and immoral nature…was not the most fun to read about. Alas. So will probably not read this one again.

22. Death’s End by Cixin Liu. Another epic sci-fi novel which I shall probably not read again!! This is the third book in a trilogy by Liu…and as much as I admire Liu’s prose and his grand and sweeping tale of life, the universe and…everything(truly, this book fits that phrase better than most), the book’s worldview(er…universe-view?) was quite depressing. Truly – without God, all is dull and all are lost. And this book reflected that truly. I shall write no more about it now, as it’s making me sad thinking about it.

23. Persian Fire by Tom Holland. Finally a book I can recommend!! This book was simply amazing. Robbie recommended it to me…and yup, I need to read more of his recommendations. It’s a historical narrative about the Greco-Persian Wars of the fifth century BC…and if that doesn’t whet your interest, then you’re hopeless. Seriously though – I do love history, so I guess this is right up my alley, but even so…it was incredibly interesting. The author started by giving the history of the Persian Empire(I had no idea of most of it – reading about their conquests was riveting), then gave the history of the Athens & Sparta city-states…then slowly moved the pieces in place for the beginning of the Greco-Persian Wars. We obviously don’t know all the details(as the author stated upfront – there is much disagreement on the finer points, especially as the primary sources are all on the Greek side…and even those are limited!)…but what we do know make a wondrous account. As much as the history of the battles and political wranglings is incredibly interesting, one of my main takeaways is that all the people involved in this were…actual people. People who laughed, cried, had great passions and emotions…and most definitely were not as noble and/or savage as some of the popular conceptions. And even the great heroes in these wars…they may have had great moments, great battles, great years…but did that mean their lives were set from then on? Not necessarily. Some of the heroes on the Greek side…ended up eventually getting cast out of their cities and years later going and living with the Persian court. From praise and adulation to ostracism…pride indeed proceeds a fall. Anyway – this book was great. Very much recommended. I can’t wait to read Holland’s next book that is currently sitting on my coffee table…Rubicon. Guess what it’s about.

24. Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Alright. I’m not sure if this book technically counts…since it is…sort of a comic book?? But whatever, I shall count it! And I am partly shamed, as I really don’t read comic books!! But when I was in Denver with Robbie and exploring book stores…I saw this and couldn’t help but pick it up. Mostly because I love Edgar Wright’s movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Neither the book nor the movie are always entirely appropriate…so I can’t whole-heartedly recommend this. The characters and dialogue are quite well written though…I do love some classic high school drama!! Also, I now realise why the movie is so good. Pretty much all of its best lines are ripped wholesale from this book!! There are apparently 6 volumes of Scott Pilgrim’s adventures…not quite sure if I’ll pick up all the rest yet. But I did enjoy this one. (What that says of me, I shall let you decide on your own!!)

Right – so that was far too much of me talking about books. I am very relieved that I’ve finally logged all these books though. I can now go back to my current reads – Owen & my Hungarian novel…which you will have to find out about at a later date….because I have written too many words now and I want to go back to my tea…and pondering life and how much my God has blessed me abundantly in all things. He really, really has blessed me oh so much more than I deserve, y’all.

Peace and love.

Courage, Dear Heart

James HoganLeave a comment

Happy Thursday, friends!!  It is a nice evening thus far…and soon I shall proceed onto the dinner portion of the night.  But now, let me write just very few words.  Mostly I’m writing because I’ve gotten a bit behind on my book logging and thus…here are a few I’ve read lately(honestly I’ve finished all four of these in the past week, so I’m not that far behind!!):

14.  Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life by Nick Lane.  Alright, so a brief preamble.  That title(and the shockingly pink cover!) are extremely attention-grabbing and lurid…but the contents of the book are a bit more dry.  (And fantastic!)  I’d been in a science-y mood lately for some reason…and I’ve always been fascinated by cell biology and energy generation in the cell, ever since AP Bio back in the day I guess?  I’ve been meaning to find a educational work on this subject for a while now and finally a few months ago, found this on Amazon and thought – why not?  It’s probably a bit too technical and dry for a casual read, but I much enjoyed it.  Yes – once again proving I’m a nerd.  *takes a bow*  It gave a fascinating overview of mitochondria and then delved into its (speculated) origins and (perceived) functions in the eukaryotic cell and thus in the majority of life on earth.  While this book is coming from a very obviously secular perspective, I was awed again and again by the rich and gorgeous complexity of the inner workings of the mitochondria.  And I was a bit surprised – but maybe I shouldn’t have been? – to see how much of the research cited in this book was relatively recent…we are still learning so much about life!!  And again and again the author made disclaimers to say that what he was discussing wasn’t known for a certainty, but something that he strongly believed was likely.  Sometimes we laymen think that all in the scientific realm has been rigorously proven and defined, sure without a shadow of a doubt.  But nay – there is surely much uncertainty and much that is unknown.  The origin of the eukaryotic cell is something we can’t with confidence deduce!  I say all these words just to underline the fact that this world in which we live is swimming with wonderfully complex and intricate forms…and these endless forms most beautiful are not fully known by any of us who live on this gorgeous earth.  But they are known by their Creator.  And that – the fact that there is a Creator – is something that was most definitely not stated in this book, but it was something which I was richly reminded of as I was stunned anew on almost every page by the utterly fascinating facts contained in this book.

15.  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.  Mm, this book.  Well a few weeks ago, I was in a reading mood.  And I wanted to read something (fairly) light and also warm and encouraging.  The problem is…my current books at that time were my mitochondria book and Owen.  So…yeah.  I perused my shelf and as my eyes passed across Narnia…I couldn’t resist.  I don’t want to talk too much about the Narnia series now (because I could go on far too long!), and while there are certain pitfalls contained in this series – which I will most certainly not go into now! – the beauty and truth in this series are profound.  There are few authors who can express as much in as few words as Lewis.  This first book I shall not give a full review of, except to say it is a wondrous introduction into a wonderful world.  Read and weep.

16.  Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis.  Sensing a theme here?  Caspian is a wonderful book and reading it reminded me of when I read it long ago as a child.  I enjoyed it just as much now as then…if not more so.  The mark of a truly great book, I think.  The introduction of some great characters in this one…namely…Reepicheep the Mouse!  And I guess Caspian himself is ok too.  Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy all return and once again…some profound truths in this book.  I have tried to type out some of those truths several times in this paragraph and have failed miserably, so I will not continue as I am not Lewis.  But will mention the section when Lucy meets up with the Lion and discovers what she must do regardless of the cost…beautiful.  If only we all were so conscious of the great worth and joy of obedience.

17.  The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis.  I sometimes hesitate to say it as the first four Narnia books are all spectacular…but if I had to pick, this is my very favourite.  Eustace Scrubb, my favorite character in Narnia.  The dragon sequence.  The voyage on the sea, in beauty and peril both.  The random and spectacular various islands discovered in their adventure.  The interactions between Eustace, Edmund, Lucy, Caspian, Reepicheep, et. al…and then the reaching of the End of the World and the glimpse into Aslan’s country…I cannot properly describe this book and I shall not try for fear that I will spoil it for the rest of you.  It is beautiful.  In the darkest shadows and absence of all light, there is yet Hope.  As I texted my friend last night as I finished this book, “…it’s a simply lovely book, with truth that reflects a greater Truth and beauty that reflects a truer Beauty.”

You will notice I have of purpose kept my summation of these books fairly brief as you really need to read these yourself to understand why they are marvelous.  Lewis’s work is most definitely not for everyone, as his intermixing of myth and legend and very Truth is something that may be off-putting to some.  And when reading, we must be very careful to beware the sin of idolatry…for truly, Aslan is not Christ and his words are not God’s Words.  But there is something here that warms my heart as I think on the true far country for which my heart longs.  There is something in these pages that spurs me on to love and great deeds as I ponder my duty to the God whose son I am.  There is something in these books that reminds me of the great love which fills my heart –  through the work of the Holy Spirit – because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ Himself for us.  Remind yourself of these truths and meditate on the love of Christ.  Abide in Him and all shall be well.  Thus sings my soul.

To Dream

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Just had a beautiful hour walking down to EQ in the (now slightly too warm) afternoon sunlight and reading on the porch.  Finally finished:

13.  Lamentation by Ken Scholes.  This is a book that I discovered via an online article some time back…found the book itself in Half-Price Books not that long ago and now have completed it.  It’s…an interesting book with interesting ideas and I want to say I liked it.  The idea of it intrigued me(mix of fantasy and ancient technology and whispers of Earth) and indeed the ideas and the plot is the best thing about the book.  The writing itself is a bit rough, and as I started reading it, I was very much not impressed.  Figured I’d finish it for the sake of it but not read any more of the series.  Half-way through, I found it getting slightly better, but still doubted I’d want to read any further books.  Then somehow today, as I finished the book…realized I actually do want to read more of this series now.  Good job, Scholes – you’ve hooked me!!  Why didn’t I like it at first?  Well, I suppose I can say that I’m not a fan of the way the author handled the characters.  As some of you may know, my very favourite books feature characters so rich and deep that they seem almost real.  This book…does not have characters like that.  They all seemed a bit one-dimensional.  A few chapters in, you instantly understand who the heroes are, who the villains are…and…that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the characters themselves just seemed flat.  No layers, no growth.  The prose was also a bit dull and predictable at times, but I suppose I can’t complain too much, as my own writing is far worse!  Nonetheless, not impressed.  But…the world itself, and the evident detail that has gone into the world-building and plotting gave the story a richness that saved it from the lacklustre characters and mediocre writing.  Very much have to give the author props for creating some seriously fascinating history and backstory!  And at the end of the day, I am curious to see where he takes the story from here and I’m hoping(as this was his debut novel) that the second book improves and grips me even further.

Now as I don’t have the aforementioned second book yet…I need to decide which book I’ll read next.  It’s going to either be a scientific work or a biography or a sci-fi novel…hmm what shall it be I wonder….??

I suppose now it’s time to shower and then get ready for dinner.  And thank God yet again for all that He has made.  Reading Exodus today and Moses’ relationship to God filled my heart with a desire to know God more.  My heart burns for this.

Peace and love.

Waiting

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My latest read:

10.  The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan.  Finished reading this last night on the porch of EQ, sun shining bright.  Now already on to the third book in series!  But…this one was great fun and once again I forgot how many dramatic events happened in this book!  Rand’s first real duel with swords(goodbye Turak), Egwene’s experience with the Seanchan(horrifyingly scary), Ingtar’s salvation(“Shinowa and the Light!”  …this moment is still one of the most tear-inducing sequences in entire series – no one is so far gone that they cannot yet be redeemed…), the Heroes of the Horn, the Portal Stones, Lanfear’s grand entrance…alright, I’ll stop now since most of you have no idea what any of this means!!  Just know it was a brilliantly written book that almost never stopped for breath.  Love it.  Also sad since this one is the last book we get with relatively “normal” Rand.  Now his descent into madness begins…

And since I’m writing, might as well also share my encouragement at my latest readings.  Reading Psalm 77 & 78 and then further in Genesis this morning.  And I do so love Asaph’s psalms because he is so real and honest about his emotions and how he is feeling.  He didn’t always feel the presence of God – just as we don’t always – and sometimes he wondered if the goodness of God was even real.  “Will the Lord reject forever?  And will He never be favourable again?  Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?”  And on and on in this vein he goes.  And then he pulls himself together and resolves to remember the deeds of the Lord and ponder all the things that God has done in his life…and confidently declares that the way of the Lord is indeed holy.  Might we remember this in our dark moments when it seems as if God is not working at all.  Meditate on what God has done in your life in days past…and hold on to the truths of who God is.  God is faithful and loving and holy and good and sovereign and magnificent and glorious and He is God.  And in Psalm 78 we get the counter-example of the nation of Israel…even though they did eat the bread of angels and saw with their own eyes the glories of God, they still committed the most serious sin of unbelief.  They did not believe what God had said despite seeing His works with their own eyes.  Might we tremble as we think on the fact we have so often failed to believe in God in our own life.  Despite the fact that He loved us.  He loves us!  How can we yet fail and fall so many times.  But we do and although it is a terrible thing that we would doubt God…our Lord is loving and faithful to forgive us our sins, because He is our Father who loves us dearly.

And one further reminder of how it is good to be still and wait on God even though we oft don’t believe He is working.  Abram received the promise of God that He would have a son from his own seed.  And this is a grand promise and one that Abram did indeed believe – “He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  But later on…did Abram doubt?  I think he did.  Some time later, he still had no child.  And he must have thought – “Well, I suppose God wants me to take matters into my own hands?  Maybe I’m supposed to do something different.  I’m oh so tired of waiting.” Alright, I’m sure he didn’t put it exactly like that…but when his wife Sarai suggested that he have a child with the maid Hagar instead…Abram agreed.  What a terrible idea, right??  “Well, I can’t have a child with my wife…so I suppose I will have one with my wife’s maid instead.  That’s surely what God has in mind.”  And it is definitely a bad idea and there is much fallout from it yet God uses it as He uses all things.

But don’t we so often do the same thing?  We are tired of waiting for God.  And we think that if we just took matters into our own hands…then things would work out the way they were supposed to.  Right?  We rationalize an ill-founded decision because we think it will get us what we want.  We stop believing in God.  We start believing in ourselves.  I will forge my own destiny and I will obtain my heart’s desires.  Oh us of too little faith in God and too great of faith in ourselves. 

Think and ponder and meditate on the glorious nature of God and on what He has done in your life.  Be thankful and rejoice in the works of the Lord in you.  And although waiting is irksome and tiring at times, it is good to be still and wait on our Lord.  Rest in the knowledge of the most perfect love of Christ.  Forever and always.

Ashes

James HoganLeave a comment

And another Tuesday rears its head.  I have a few minutes in which to write, so write I shall!  This morning a tragedy befell me.  After a long and happy life, my cafetiere(or french press, if you want to use the coarse wording…) finally died the final death.  The crack that has been worrying it for some time finally finished propogating all the way around the glass and so when I began to try and pour my coffee into the mug…let’s just say quite a bit of coffee went in a direction other than the mug as well.  But this cafetiere has had a long and full life since I bought it in…2011 I think?  I still remember being shamed by Pastor Dominic back then when he found out I drank instant coffee!!  A rough paraphrase of his words, “James – my estimation of you has somewhat lowered hearing that.”  Thereupon I immediately went to John Lewis and bought this gorgeous little cafetiere and indeed it has served me well.  Now…I’ve written far too many words memorializing this coffee-making device and so I shall end with the happy news that because I am silly, I actually bought a back-up cafetiere from JL when I was in Aberdeen back a year and a half ago now.  So…now I’m excited to put that one into service!  May it last seven years as well.

And I suppose I should also log my latest read, which again – should not surprise you if you’ve been following my chronicles:

9.  The Life and Diary of David Brainerd edited by Jonathan Edwards.  Yesterday as the weather was still somewhat nice( Houston is heating up drastically though and I am sad!), I walked down to EQ and finished up this book on the porch, basking in the sunlight and the gentle breeze.  But better than those external factors…finishing up this book chronicling the life of a man who loved God and longed for His glory.  Oh how I wish I could make every one of you read this, but truly – what a wonderfully convicting and heartening work.  I looked it up on amazon just now and the version I read is only $13.58 and it is worth every cent.  So…buy it please.  And read.  I don’t remember this book affecting me quite as much the last time I read this, but I suppose I am in a different place now(emotionally, spiritually, geographically, whatev – ) and thus I should not be surprised at the change.  But I can now say with confidence this is surely in the top three of my all-time favourite biographical/autobiographical works.  I am a history nerd, I know…so partly the reason I love it so is the window into 18th century American Christianity, of course.  And I am a theological nerd(surprised?) and so reading the doctrinal thoughts and convictions of Brainerd(along with the notes by J. Edwards!  Brainerd actually died in the home of Edwards, so Edwards has quite a few first-hand comments regarding Brainerd and his circumstances) is supremely fascinating.  But…the reason I love this book the most is because it is a glimpse into the mind and heart of a man who loved God passionately and desparately.  And this book is the story of a man who poured himself out to the utmost, even to death.  All for the glory of God.  And so my heart cries for similar passion and love.  May I live such.  I am nowhere close.  But may I strive and may I cry.  If only I could live in such a humble, broken manner.  All for the love of my God.