Finite Wisdom

Confessions of a Young Preacher

2011-07-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

I think it's kind of funny that almost every twentysomething male who is training for pastoral ministry will tell you they have the gift of preaching and teaching. Though it may be true, it's important to realize that preaching is something you only get better at by actually preaching. I've been preaching pretty regularly for about 5 years now in many different contexts and I realize almost every day how much I still have to learn.

I've put together a few thoughts about the things I have learned (and am in the process of learning) about what it means to be a good preacher. I hope this gives some insight and is helpful to anyone else who sees preaching as a part of their current or future ministry:

1. Humility is the posture of a good preacher

People often ask me if I’m nervous before I preach - especially if I’m a guest speaker at another church or event. I always respond with “yes, but in a good way.” If I’m not a little nervous I obviously don’t fathom the greatness of the responsibility of sharing God’s Word. I hope I’m still a little nervous before my Sunday message 20 years from now. I heard a story once about a young preacher who went up to the pulpit to preach for the first time in a new church. He strutted up on stage like a proud peacock. After fumbling through a message that he originally thought was going to change the world, he walked off the stage feeling like the smallest person in the room. A wise old member of the church took him aside after the service and said to him, “If you had walked on to the stage the way you walked off, maybe you could have walked off the stage the way you walked on.” I remember that story every time I approach the pulpit.

2. Preaching is an art, so look to the masters

We must see preaching as an art form. Don’t misunderstand me - I don’t think preachers should manipulate people through clever rhetoric and emotional charge, but I do think preachers should work on their craft as to present the gospel in a clear, engaging and culturally relevant way. Like any art student worth their salt, a preacher should be learning from the current masters of the trade. In a day where almost every church in the western world is giving their sermons away via podcast it’s very easy for a young preacher to learn from the best. By listening to the great preachers of our day we can glean lessons from their method and style of presenting the gospel in different contexts. It’s important to choose several different preachers from different theological convictions, because even if you don’t agree with everything they say, the point is to hear how they say it. Here are a few preachers from whom I’ve learn a lot:

Tim Keller
Mark Driscoll
Bruxy Cavey
Rob Bell
Judah Smith

3. A preacher is not the same thing as a motivational speaker

I’ve sat in too many services where the preacher spends all his time saying things like “you can do it!” “Let’s change the world!” or “God is on the move!” Those aren’t bad things to say, but just being motivational isn’t going to equip the church. Imagine if you wanted to be a carpenter and in trade school all the lectures solely consisted of phrases like “You can be a great framer!” “We’re going to build a awesome house!” “Carpentry is the best!” You may get really excited to build a house, but you’d have no idea how to do it. The best preachers inspire, but they also instruct.

4. Leave it with the Holy Spirit

I remember once when Mark Driscoll was talking about preaching, he said “preach your guts out, then sleep like a Calvinist.” It’s so easy for a young preacher to be haunted by how his or her latest sermon went. There’s always something I forgot to say, or something that didn’t come out as well as I’d hoped. Though I’m not a Calvinist, Driscoll’s advice is great - just allow the Holy Spirit to work with what you preached and move on. I’ve had several experiences where people approach me or email me about one of my messages telling me how they have been impacted. The funny thing is that they often “quote” me as saying something I don’t remember saying. It just goes to show that when I’m preaching, it’s actually the Holy Spirit who is doing the real life-changing teaching. My job is to prepare something biblically sound and engaging to the best of my ability, and then leave the rest up to God.

What do you think? Do you have any other advice for me or other young preachers?

Feel Different?

2011-03-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

Some people feel different, or as though they don't fit in. Newsflash...that's how you should feel. That is, you should feel that way until you realize that you were made for something more than you ever realized:

“The mould in which a key is made would be a strange thing, if you had never seen a key: and the key itself a strange thing if you had never seen a lock. Your soul has a curious shape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular swelling of the infinite contours of the Divine substance, or a key to unlock one of the doors in the house with many mansions” - C.S. Lewis

Grace and Peace

Confession is not for the weak

2011-02-23T21:14:00.000-08:00

Ben Matlock was the king of getting a confession out of a witness in the courtroom. By the end of each episode he had somehow figured out who the true killer was, tricked them into taking the stand, and wrestled an emotional confession out of them for the world to hear. However, I don't think the type of confession seen in Matlock's courtroom is the type of confession the Bible teaches us to practice.

The first chapter of 1 John exhorts us to "walk in the light" and "confess our sins". Of course, this is only one of the many passages of scripture that teaches - no - commands us to confess our sins. It's supposed to be something Christians do whenever necessary - which is often, because v. 10 tells us that we're liars if we claim to be without sin.

Confession isn't supposed to be only after someone like Ben Matlock has left me with no other dark corner in which to hide my dirty secret. Confession is supposed to happen before everyone finds out - before the "jig" is up. Not as an "ok, you got me...I did it." And since we're supposed to not only confess our sins to God, but also to each other, each of us should not only be prepared to confess our own sins; we should be prepared to receive confessions from others.

I think there's an important perspective we should have on any situation where we are approached by someone who is making a confession: This person is being obedient. This person is actually doing what they're supposed to do! Sure, they sinned, but we all do. But this person is doing the first thing you're supposed to do after you sin. I need to view this person as someone who is courageous, spirit led, and Godly. Sure, they sinned. Sure there are consequences to sin. But the fact that this person didn't wait until I caught them to confess means something very important. They are truly repentant. If I catch someone in a sin how can I know if they're truly sorry? How can I know whether they only regret their sin because they got caught, not because it was just a plain bad thing to do? I will most definitely deal differently with someone who confesses than with someone I catch.

Confession is not for the weak. It's for the strong. It's for those who say "No more!" to their sin. It's for those who take life seriously. It's for those who truly want to answer the call of God. I think God would say to the person who confessed their sin, big or small, "Well done. Welcome to the light."

Grace and Peace

It's that guy's fault!

2011-02-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard a political debate? Maybe you're not that into politics, but if you ever listen to the radio, or watch the news or forget to hit the mute button during TV commercials you've heard one political party talking about another political party. More than likely, they are making their opponent sound like the prince of darkness himself.

But smear campaigns, unfortunately, are not reserved only for politics. Go to the water cooler at work, sit in your friend's living room, or even stand in the foyer of your church, and you'll likely hear someone talking about how some problem is someone else's fault, and that someone needs to be called out and fix the problem. Oftentimes Christians are called judgemental, bigoted and self-righteous, because we have participated in this kind of talk ourselves. And it's often blamed on our religion: We claim to be such moral and upright people, and look down on others who don't make the cut.

I'd like to submit that this type of attitude is shown only by those people who haven't really understood the gospel. The gospel primarily tells me that God loves me infinitely. Secondarily, it tells me that I'm a wretched sinner. So I'm a part of the problem, yet I'm still loved and can do nothing to lose that love. When I recognize that I'm part of the problem I quit my immature smear campaigns, because the finger needs to be pointed, at least partially, at me. When I recognize God loves me I can then move on from my sin without shame and guilt destroying me.

So what happens to my politics when I apply the gospel to my life? Do I immediately join the right wing? Not necessarily. Dave, are you a liberal!? That's not what I'm saying. What happens when you understand the gospel is you GET INVOLVED, and become part of the solution. Knowing you're part of the problem, yet infinitely loved is the best motivator there is to take action to make things better. This doesn't only apply to politics. When there's a problem at work, or in my marriage, or with my (future) kids, I need to get my hands dirty as a part of the solution.

Jesus is the only person ever who wasn't part of the problem; yet, he was willing to get dirtier than us all to be part of the solution. How much more should we recognize the need to get involved? In our church. With out family. At our work. At the polls. Wherever.

It'll cost you to forgive

2011-02-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

Recently my wife and I exchanged our truck for a more family friendly vehicle in preparation for baby Funk to come into the world. Is it just me, or is it a little disappointing when you buy something and the next day a flock of birds dump all over it? At that moment I had a few options:

1. I could track down those lousy fowl and make them clean up their mess. This option posed some obvious problems.

2. I could bring a gun when I track them down and make them pay for their crime (duck hunt flashbacks).

3. I could forgive them and clean up the mess myself.

These are the options we're all given any time someone hurts us, abuses us, or sins against us in any way: Make them fix the problem they caused, hurt them back, forgive them. Notice that in all three options someone pays for the damages. It's either them or you. If I forgive it doesn't mean the problem goes away. In my silly illustration, if I forgive the birds, I'm still left with #2 all over my car which needs to be cleaned. Forgiveness will cost you. But does it cost more or less than revenge?

We sinned against God and he was left with the same three choices we have when people sin against us. Make us fix it, make us pay, forgive us. He chose to forgive us. And it cost him. If something truly wrong has happened it will always come with a cost. That's why Jesus had to die. His death on the cross shows us the high cost of our sin. But his resurrection showed us something even more amazing. When we decide to forgive a death occurs - I have to die to my right for revenge, my desire for justice, and my feelings of unfairness. It's hard. It's painful. It's self destructive. But it's not the end of the story. Just as Jesus rose from the dead after the greatest act of forgiveness ever, we can be assured that when we forgive we will find new life and personal restoration.

...and to be honest, when I think about what he's forgiven me for....and what he's forgiven other people for, do I really think I have a good enough reason to withhold forgiveness?

"Forgive as the Lord forgave you" - Colossians 3:14

P.S. People commonly misinterpret Jesus' message of forgiveness to say that we should just let people get away with sin. This is not the truth. It's ok to call the police. It's ok to kick him out. It's ok to protect yourself from getting hurt. But you will never truly be free until you forgive, absorb the sin, nail it to the cross with your old self, and let Jesus give you a new life.

Congolese Swahili Lesson

2010-12-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hey! Want to learn some Swahili?

A Day in the Life

2010-12-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

Check out the latest from Africa...

Safari

2010-12-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

I went on a Safari! Check it out...

Landed

2010-12-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I've landed in Africa! It's been a few days before I could get this post up because I haven't had quality internet access. I should be able to get a couple posts up to get you up to date on everything that's happened. This first video will fill you in on the trip over...soon I'll post a video of our awesome safari adventure.

I'm going to Africa!

2010-12-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

I'm going to Africa!

What It Means to be Human - Part 1

2010-05-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

I find it strange that I've been thinking so much about this question: "What does it mean to be human?" I am a human, and have been so for over 27 years (That's me on the left shortly after I first started in my present position). If I were a carpenter, or a fisherman with 27 years of experience I might be considered an expert with little left to learn of my trade. Yet there is much to learn for all of us no matter our years of human experience. I think most honest people would say that the older they get the more they learn that there's more to learn than they thought.

So...I don't pretend to be the most credible source on the mysteries of human nature. I won't presume to try to tell you all (actually it's more like "both of you" who read my blog) how to live your life. I do, however, want to stir your thoughts about some fundamental ways in which our nature as human beings, in the image of God, sets us apart as incredibly unique and extraordinary creatures.

I want to start by briefly commenting on the following well known cliche: "I'm only human". We say that phrase when we mess up. We use it to excuse ourselves, because in our minds all humans are flawed and fall short on a consistent basis. Well, of course, in our experience this is true. The apostle John told us that if we claim to be without sin we're liars. But do we really sin because we're human? Is it our humanity that causes us to fall so short? Or is it more true that we sin because we're not even human? And somewhere along the line we lost our humanity so that we're living at a level far less human than we were created to be.

I think the message of Jesus isn't that our humanity isn't good enough and we need to somehow find a way to grow beyond it; he came to show us that by his power our humanity was once again within reach. It's no wonder that he went around healing people's bodies, showing us his power to restore our humanity physically and spiritually.

I won't call what I am "only human." What I am is a new creation in Christ, and by his grace I am pursuing the full humanity that Christ died and rose again to offer me. C.S. Lewis once said "To enter heaven is to become more human that you ever succeeded in being on earth. To enter Hell, is to be banished from humanity forever." I want to be human again.

LIVE! This Tuesday

2010-04-23T09:04:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone! Don't miss Colwood Young Adults LIVE! This Tuesday (April 27) @ 6:30pm. Mayflower is coming to play for us and Mike Boomer is going to share about an incredible missions opportunity.

Mike is developing a project that will help the poorest (literally) people in the world (in the Gongo, Africa) find ways to make a living. You're going to be inspired by his vision and heart for this potentially nation-changing project. You'll even have an opportunity to support him as he and his wife Amy spend the next year on location. Why is he doing it? Because the gospel IS good news to the poor!

See you Tuesday night

...oh, and you hockey fans...if the Canucks are going to game 7 we'll be showing the 3rd period on the projection screen at the end of the night.

Pi's view of doubt

2010-03-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

I've started reading the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Early in the book the main character, Pi, shares his view on doubt. Here's the quote:

“I’ll be honest about it. It is not the atheists who get stuck in my craw, but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” then surely we are also permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”

I'll let you know the rest of my thoughts when I'm through.

grace and peace

CPC Young Adults LIVE!

2010-02-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

Want to know what's happening for Young Adults at Colwood Church? Here's an overview of what you can get involved in:

1. Small Groups - It's so important for Young Adults to be building relationships with each other and finding a support network. At no time in your life is it easier to lose track of your values and struggle in your faith than when you're a young adult. Small groups will be at the core of what we do with CPC Young Adults as we meet weekly for discussion, prayer, outreach and fun. Right now we have two groups going strong and we're looking to grow to five groups this year. To join one, or start one, just email me (dave@colwoodchurch.com).

2. Get Connected at CPC - Young Adults ministries are often created as a very separate group from the rest of the church community with time commitments that cause young people to have to make a choice between church and Young Adult ministry. Young Adults are full of vision, passion and talent and they will be the next generation of leaders in our churches. One of our goals is to help our Young Adults be fully integrated into the CPC community, enabling them to participate and serve in whatever way they feel called. This means that anything we do specifically for Young Adults will be a supplementary ministry adding to the overall CPC community experience. That's why we're not going to create a weekly worship gathering for young adults - we already have one on sunday mornings!

3. LIVE! Gatherings - once per month we will plan to get everyone together for a LIVE! Gathering...Live - the adjective - because we acknowledge that life happens in real time - it's always LIVE! The purpose of these gatherings will be to discuss relevant issues facing Young Adults in their every day experiences. Young Adults are in the period of life when they're discovering how to apply their core values to every day life. We want to focus on living out our faith daily instead of just adding another worship service to our Christian schedule. LIVE! Gatherings will be interactive with several elements including guest musicians, guest interviews, Bible teaching, multi-media, and obviously, coffee. Our first LIVE! Gathering is this Tuesday, February 23rd at 6:30pm in the multipurpose room at CPC (check the above graphic for more details).

So if you're a Young Adult at CPC or in the West Shore area, we want to get you connected. Come on out to LIVE! this tuesday and/or email me (dave@colwoodchurch.com) to find out more.

grace and peace

Haiti: Pray and Do

2010-01-27T14:24:00.001-08:00

Two weeks ago we were finishing our teaching series on prayer. The final message was all about how our conversations with God need to be applied with action. There's a time to pray, and there's a time to do. In the wake of the Haiti disaster I have been reading a few blogs and articles and the comments people are making about them. Many Christians are being criticized for making the comment "I'm praying for Haiti." Why are they being criticized? Is it because prayer is not a good thing to do? No, it's because prayer is not the only thing we should do. Haiti needs more than prayer.

In Matthew 10:2 Jesus says "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Here Jesus is giving his disciples a prayer request. There was a great need and so God's people were called to pray for that need to be fulfilled. But what are Jesus' next words? v. 3 "Go! I am sending you..." Jesus gave his disciples the opportunity to be the answer to their own prayer! What does Haiti need? Prayer. Haiti also needs money, people, resources, and help of all kinds. How can we be the answer to our own prayers? There's a time to pray and a time to do. I think Jesus might say "Pray for Haiti...now open your hearts and your wallets and give."

Here's one option among many: ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas). Every dollar donated before February 12, 2010 will be matched by the Canadian government. Click this link and follow the instructions to direct your money to relief efforts in Haiti. Let's pray and do.

Apologetics 101

2010-01-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

Below is an audio clip from the most recent session of the Apologetics course I'm teaching at Colwood Church. Apologetics is the study of how we rationally defend the things we believe in. We're two weeks into a free 7 week course so there's no reason you can't still join in Sundays at 6:30pm at the Church.

This two minute audio clip is from the session that discussed "Does God exist?"

Christmas Ponderings Part 3

2009-12-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

One final thought on the theme of Christmas for you.

I've been reading through Exodus recently and once you get past the story of the amazing miracles, plagues, and subsequent escape from Egypt you suddenly find yourself in the middle of lists of laws and instructions. Several chapters are dedicated to listing the instructions God gave to Moses for the building, furnishing and management of the Temple and its activities. It seemed like a lot was required in order for the people to experience God's presence on earth. It seemed like a lot had to happen just for God to be able to reside near his people. Is it because the people wouldn't be able to handle the power of God's presence without the veil of the Temple? Is it because the people wouldn't understand how to relate to God without the structure of a meticulous religious system? Possibly yes, and yes, and also more. Regardless of all the reasons, complex preparations had to be made to make possible God's presence among the people. When the people were ready, God came among them.

Galatians 4:4 says "When the time had fully come, God sent his Son..." In Jesus God once again lived among his people. This time he came through relationship rather than through religion. He came as a person, not just a presence. But he only came when the time had fully come. The world was prepared for his arrival. The Old Testament prophets had written about him, John the Baptizer had prepared the way for him, and angels had sung of his arrival. Beyond that, the world was prepared for his message to spread. Throughout the known world there was a common language: Greek. What better time to spread a message than when everyone speaks the same language? The Romans are also famous for their road system which extended throughout the empire, and the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) which enabled people to travel long distances in safety. The world was ripe for the rapid spread of the gospel message. The time had fully come so God sent his Son.

Today, God still wants to reside among his people. However, the Temple is destroyed and the incarnate presence of Christ has returned to the heavenly realm. We live in the age of the Holy Spirit. God presence can indwell any believer. We are his Temple, and his Spirit can live in us. This is how God's presence can reside among his people today.

Now, I don't think there are religious preparatory requirements for God to give us his Spirit other than the need to ask. The Spirit is offered freely to us because of the work of Christ on the cross. However I do think that preparation can help us to be more connected to the presence of the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." "Be filled" is a command, therefore we have a say in whether or not we will be filled. Being filled in this context speaks of control. What are you allowing to influence you? Alcohol? Or God? So one can choose what they are filled with: alcohol, selfishness, greed, lust, anger, pride, self esteem, etc. All of these are of the flesh - the sinful nature. The only other option is the Holy Spirit.

To prepare for God's Spirit what do we do? We need to empty ourselves of everything else through humility and repentance. It's like Moses building the Temple, or the Father preparing the world for his Son. We prepare our hearts for the complete takeover of the Spirit, and He can walk us through life in a way unimaginable without Him.

Grace and Peace

Christmas Ponderings Part 2

2009-12-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

Scripture tells us that when the angels came to announce Jesus' birth the shepherds were "living out in the fields" (Luke 2:8) This is one of the indications that Jesus birth did not in fact take place on December 25, 0. It would have been a little bit cold outside at that time for the lonely shepherds. Jesus' birth most likely occurred sometime in the spring.

Does this matter? Does this ruin the celebration was have every winter? I don't think so. In fact, I think the true story of why we started to celebrate Christmas on December 25 challenges us to be creative in our worship.

The week before Christmas was originally a pagan holiday called Saturnalia. That time of year commemorated the rebirth of the sun, since days begin to get longer after winter solstice. It was a holiday of the "Unconquered Sun". Around the time Christianity was sweeping across the Roman empire, Emperor Constantine decided to re-baptize the pagan holiday as a Christian one. People already had time off work, they decorated their homes with holly, and they were throwing parties. Constantine decided that this celebration would be much better if it was focussed on the greatest gift the world ever received, the baby Jesus Christ.

The challenge for us, I think, is how can we make something about Jesus that isn't already about Jesus? Constantine changed the meaning of a holiday to be a celebration of Christ. What in our lives are we keeping separated from him? What isn't about him that we could "re-baptize" to be about him?

Grace and Peace

Best of YouTube

2009-12-14T13:15:00.001-08:00

Here's a video I put together for our Sunago Christmas party. It's some of the best YouTube videos I could find. Enjoy!

Christmas Ponderings Part 1

2009-12-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

The Christmas story is the incredible announcement that God is in fact deeply concerned and involved in human history. That God was willing to empty himself of his divinity and humbly live with and serve his fallen creatures is the unique beauty of Christianity.

But there are a few different other ways people view God. Some believe there are many gods who share the responsibility of managing the world and it's inhabitants. Others believe that everything is one, so everything is God. You're God, I'm God, the table is God, your cancer is God and the cigarettes that caused your cancer are God too. There's no good or evil because everything is one. Another group of people believe that God created the universe but then became disinterested and hasn't bothered with us since. He's not present, he doesn't care about his creation, he doesn't want a relationship with humanity, and he won't miss us when we finally all nuke each other. This is called Deism. Deism, and any other view of God, makes God distant, uninvolved and unable to sympathize with our tragic state.

Of course, the Bible tells a different story about God. He is creator (Genesis 1:1), he loves us (John 3:16), and he wants a relationship with us (Colossians 1:20). But I think a lot of Christians live like Deists. 2 Timothy 3:5 tells us that some people will have a form of godliness but they will deny God's power. They'll believe in God, but there's no reason to live a godly life since God doesn't care how they live! The result is living for self.

As always, our belief about God is central to how we live our life. If we are Christians living like Deists we may find some of these characteristics in our life.

1. Judgement: A distant God doesn't care about justice, so we take justice into our own hands. We judge the world based on our standards. It's like when someone cuts you off in traffic and there are no cops around to see it, so you find yourself with your high-beams on while kissing bumpers with the offender. When someone sins we don't think God notices, so we become judge, jury and executioner. Someone cheats us, we cheat them back...it's only fair. After all, we have rights...

2. Despair: If God really did create the universe and is no longer active then we literally have no hope beyond this existence. The universe will slowly lose energy, the sun will die, the earth will freeze and all the accomplishments of humanity will be lost in eternal emptiness. What's worse is that for some people there's no hope in this life either. Dreams get dashed, things can fall apart, people get lost or just desert us. Life really isn't fair for the majority of people on the planet. With no God orchestrating a plan of redemption and vindication, and no God who lives and suffers with the oppressed, there's no hope in this life or the next.

3. Functional Saviors: Without an understanding of the real Heaven and Hell we tend to create our own versions along with a savior to keep us from our Hell and get us into our Heaven. All advertising is based on this assumption. "Change your T.V. change your life" - Sharp "Everything you ever dreamed of and more" - Chevrolet. The idea is that your old T.V. is terrible and you're in T.V. Hell. If you get this new T.V. your life will be wonderful and you'll be in T.V. Heaven. Some people look at singleness as a type of Hell and get a boyfriend or girlfriend as their "savior" so they can be in the Heaven of relationship. There's a real Hell and a real savior who can offer us a real Heaven, but we trade all these in for our own versions.

These things and more can characterize the life of a Christian who is actually living like a Deist. The great message of Christmas is that God IS present. God IS interested. God IS working on a plan for our redemption and vindication. Jesus with infinite knowledge of every circumstance will take his seat as judge on the last day. This frees me up from having to work so hard to make sure everything is "fair." I can just trust in Jesus because if anyone is going to judge the world I'm glad it's him. There is hope in this life and in the next. God can fill even our deepest pain with incredible transcendent meaning. AND he has a future for us that won't even compare to our present sufferings (Romans 8:18). Let's examine our lives to see if they represent a life lived in relationship with an ever present God.

God is present and we should live like it's true.

Grace and Peace

The Lost Symbol

2009-12-05T23:52:00.000-08:00

In Bible school I was encouraged to pick up the book The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I had no idea what I was getting into. I was fascinated by the fast-paced story telling with twists on almost every page. However, if you've read the book, or even heard about it (or maybe you're an "I'll wait for the movie" kind of person), you know that it sparked a huge international controversy regarding a religious conspiracy theory. The theory basically claims that the gospel writers didn't tell the whole story about Jesus. He actually got married and had some kids and meant to leave his wife, Mary Magdalene, in charge of the Church, but Peter usurped her (what a chauvinist). Anyway, it caused a stir, but after some time everyone realized...IT WAS JUST A NOVEL!

Because The Da Vinci Code was such a page-turner I picked up the prequel Angels and Demons (the movie takes place after the events of Code but the book was before). A & D features the first adventure of Harvard Symbologist Robert Langdon. It was also a fun read, but I quickly became very disappointed. It wasn't because the book was less well written or because it lacked the kind of controversy that brought a tense restlessness to my thoughts; it was because it was basically the same book. Langdon's character was literally the same in both books of course; however, even though the other characters had different names their archetypes were exactly the same. There was the cute young professional woman who's daddy (or daddy figure) died at the start of the book leaving a trail of mystery and intrigue. There was the mysterious unidentified villain who lay hidden until a late and shocking plot twist exposed him. Then there his the dark and brutish minion--a religious zealot--who was sent out to accomplish sinister tasks and stalk the every move of the protagonists. All the same characters led to all the same plot and a disappointed reader. My recommendation would be to pick one of the two books, and don't bother with the other.

HOWEVER! I gave Dan Brown one more chance to redeem his ways. I recently picked up his new book The Lost Symbol (lucky for him it was on sale), which is the third thrilling adventure of Dr. Robert Langdon. I'll try not to spoil anything, so I'll just let you know that I was pleased. Brown showed some new creativity in his newest book, but did not lose any of what made his previous books so thrilling. It's definitely worth the read.

Like A & D and Code there was some serious religious controversy. This is probably why I read Brown's books, because I don't normally read any fiction. They pose a good challenge for those with the kind of mind that likes to chew on thoughts and to figure out answers to questions they've never been asked before. The Lost Symbol followed Robert Langdon on a race around Washington D.C. in search of a secret and long hidden treasure buried by the Stone Masons. The biggest surprise of the book, however, had nothing to do with plot twists and who-dun-it scenarios. The biggest surprise was the large volume of pages Brown devoted to outlining Masonic Doctrine (or at least an interpretation of it). Once the mystery had been solved, the villain defeated, and the heroine saved, Brown spent more than 20 pages preaching! The gist of the message? We are all gods, but we've forgotten it. If only we'd remember our divinity the world would be a better place.

I think the truth is that too many people do believe they are God. We've believed that "man is the measure of all things." The immediate question after that is "which man?" Hitler though he had an answer. It was when Adam and Eve were told in the garden that they could be like God that everything started to fall apart. Scripture teaches us that we're not supposed to look within to find divinity; we're supposed to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus (to our death--that's what happens when you take up a cross). Did you know that Jesus doesn't want your life? He doesn't want you to commit your life to him. He wants you to die so that he can live through you--not literally die of course--die to our old way of living. Yes, I can have divinity inside of me, but it's only when I acknowledge that there is a God, but I'm not him! That's when we truly start living.

If you pick up the book expect to be challenged and have fun while you're at it. Oh ya, don't forget IT'S JUST A NOVEL!

Grace and Peace

Here we go...

2009-12-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to get this blog going. I've meant to start one for so long and now is the time! You can expect at least a couple of posts every week. I'll write about things like what I'm learning in life, love and work. I'll review books I'm reading and share what the Lord is speaking to me. Hopefully you'll learn some things with me, be challenged and even amused at times.

Tonight I'm sitting on my couch smelling the cookies my wife is pulling out of the oven and enjoying the glow of our recently decorated Christmas tree (our first real one as a married couple).

In the coming weeks I'll share some Christmas thoughts and make some comments on the book I'm currently reading: The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. AND the last book I read: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (author of the Da Vinci Code).

Grace and Peace