Book: The Whispering Walls

The Whispering Walls
J. E. Hunt

A friend of mine, Josh Hunt, is currently releasing a four-part book series called The Wanderers. What follows is a review I posted on Amazon.com. You can find out more about the series at Carius Books.

When you read book one of a four-part series and enjoy it, you're instantly ready to move on to book two. The problem with reading book one of a NEW four-part series is that book two isn't available. I guess that's also part of the fun.

The Whispering Walls is beautifully written. The places, events, and people are compelling and believable. I think Hunt is especially good at explaining the feelings and motives of his characters. Many times, I found myself thinking, "What a perfect description!"

The further I read, the more I wanted to read. I finished the last four or five chapters in one sitting. My only serious complaint is that I want book two, and I want it NOW! So while I wait for book two, I'll be encouraging as many others to read book one as I can. Misery loves company.

Questions and the Quest

Brian McLaren
Minneapolis 2010.04.15

I attended the Twin Cities Emergent Cohort meeting this month for the first time. Brian McLaren was in town to speak at the Westminster Town Hall Forum the next day, and he was good enough to spend a few hours with the cohort on Wednesday night, speaking and fielding questions. I'm guessing there were about fifty people in attendance. I enjoyed bumping into some old friends and meeting some new ones.

McLaren got things started by giving a thumbnail overview of his new book, A New Kind of Christianity. The book is organized along ten critical questions he believes it is important to ask as we consider the future of the Christian enterprise. The first five are more theological in nature, and relate to: the overall message of Scripture; Biblical authority; the character of God; Christology; and the Good News of the Kingdom. The last five are more practical in nature, and relate to: the Church; personhood and sexuality; the theology of future; Christianity in relationship to other religions; and practical ways to turn questions and conversation into constructive action.

After this quick overview, McLaren spent the rest of the evening entertaining questions. The questions were very thoughtful. In most cases, they revealed the questioner's desire to find ways to experience authentic Christianity and live it out in the world. There was a real sense that the people gathered really wanted to find a Christianity that could change the world.

While McLaren's answers to these questions may be controversial, it is clear that every one of the questions resonated with his audience. My own pastoral experience over the last 20 years confirms the importance of these questions. They are questions the world is asking, and with good reason. Christians may not all arrive at the same answers, but we must wrestle with the questions. We must be willing to think and talk about these questions with each other, even those with whom we may not agree.

Music in Minneapolis

Parker Quartet
I enjoyed an evening of wonderful live performances last night. First, I caught an early show, The Parker Quartet, at the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown with my son, Tyler.

I got quite a shock when we walked into the Varsity; it has been completed remodeled and redecorated à la Loring Pasta Bar. The transformation is impressive. We got some comfy seats about halfway back, but the acoustics and PA system buzz were annoying me, so we moved to seats right next to the stage.

I first heard the Parker Quartet perform at the SPCO's Music Room on the third floor of the Historic Hamm Building. They played Dvorak's string quartet in E-Flat, Op. 51, and I was blown away. They play with such energy, feeling, and precision! They played two Dvorak pieces last night as well. The second Dvorak piece was my favorite of the concert.

The PQ hail from Boston, but we've been blessed to have them in the Twin Cities for the past couple years. They have played with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and are just completing a stint as Artists in Residence for Minnesota Public Radio. I hope they will stay with us for a long time to come. I think they make the Twin Cities a better place.

Ben Rosenbush / Brighton
Later, I went over to the 331 Club where Tyler was playing a set with Ben Rosenbush / Brighton. I have listened to Ben's CD many times, but this was the first chance I've had to hear him perform live. It turned out to be a fantastic show.

Ben's songwriting and singing is absolutely fantastic. The band of players he pulled together for the night was just great. The word needs to get out about this guy! Buy his CD and go to his shows before the rooms get too packed and the tickets get too expensive.

Books: The Jesus Creed

The Jesus Creed
Scot McKnight

40 Days Living the Jesus Creed
Scot McKnight

During Lent and Easter this year I preached a series of sermons I called The Jesus Way. The whole series of sermons was based, just as McKnight's books are, upon two short passages of scripture: The Jesus Creed (Mark 12:29-31) and The Jesus Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

I encouraged people in our church to use McKnight's 40 Days of Living the Jesus Creed as a Lenten devotional guide. We also made The Jesus Creed available for purchase in our resource center.

You can only teach so much in weekly 30-40 minute sermons. That's why I frequently package my sermon series in ways that encourage people to read good books. I try to write and preach sermons that cover the same topics and themes as the books, but with a different approach. The intent is for the preaching I do and the reading I encourage to serve as good companions. I hope that my sermon series will enhance the reading of the books, and that the reading of the books will in turn help people get more from my sermon series.

Concert: St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
March 21, 2010
Benson Great Hall - Bethel University
Conductor - Roberto Abbado
Violin - Dale Barltrop

Program:
Requies for Chamber Orchestra (Luciano Berio)
Violin Concerto in D Minor, WoO 23 (Robert Schumann)
Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120

An amazing afternoon of music. Dale Barltrop's execution of Schumann's violin concerto was simply stunning. It was the first presentation of this piece for the SPCO, and the crowd responded with a long and loud standing ovation.

Abbado's introductory comments preceding the performance of Berio's Requis were helpful and served to make the piece more accessible. The performance of Schumann's Symphony No. 4 was flawless. I left the concert hall feeling happier and more alive than when I arrived.

Have you purchased tickets for the 2010-11 season? Now is the time. You won't be disappointed.

Poetry: A Glass Half Full

A Glass Half Full
Felix Dennis

TED Talks is one of the podcasts I enjoy. That's where I first heard Felix Dennis reading selections of his poetry. Dennis is an enigmatic character to say the least. His poetry is thoroughly 21st century in it's content, but is written with the meter and rhyme you would expect from a nineteenth century poet.

The poems range from profane to profound--from provocative to proverbial. There were more poems in the collection that I enjoyed than not. The book also comes with an audio CD of Dennis reading his poetry.
________________________

All men know themselves a fraud,
Society or hoi polloi;
Strip the polish off a lord,
You will find a frightened boy.
from The Mask, p. 45

And wise the man who will not lend,
But in the dead of night will send
A gift. And thus, will save a friend.
from "Neither a Lender...", p. 153

Book: Manhood for Amateurs

Manhood for Amateurs
by Michael Chabon

Last November, just a few days after I heard Michael Chabon interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air, I saw this book strategically blocking the entrance to the Barnes and Noble store in Apple Valley. I happened to have a gift card in hand and so made my purchase. Score another one for the book marketing machine.

Chabon is a gifted writer. These essays, all framed from the vantage point of manhood, come across as part confession, part memoir, and part social commentary. I really liked it for the most part. There were parts that disappointed and others that made me squirm, but overall I was glad to be reading. I laughed. I learned. I was moved and even inspired. My favorite essays were: The Binding of Isaac; The Wilderness of Childhood; Faking It; Sky and Telescope, and Normal Time.

"...Maybe my children will just look up and remember the weight of my hand on their shoulders as they stood beside me on a warm summer night, the rasp of my beard against their cheek, my voice soft at their ear, telling them, Look."
--from Sky and Telescope

Michael Spencer 1956-2010

Our good brother, Michael Spencer, has died. My prayers are with his wife Denise and his children, Noel and Clay.

The Internet Monk, as Michael was known to most of us, was a constant wellspring of conversation and inspiration. His website, articles, and podcasts were thought provoking, life-giving, and just plain fun.

His passing is a Kingdom loss that will be felt far and wide, but his work and words have not died. The impact he his has made, is making, and will continue to make are beyond death's grip. By faith, though dead, yet he still speaks.

In Memorium

Mourning the Passing of a Friend

Book: Stumbling on Happiness

Stumbling on Happiness
by Daniel Gilbert

This was a very enjoyable and interesting book. Gilbert is a winsome and clear teacher. I learned a lot. I hope many of his insights make a lasting impact on my ability to think and choose wisely. I'm sure I will be able to make good use of a number of his concepts and illustrations in pastoral teaching and counseling.

"If humanity is a living library of information about what it feels like to do just about anything that can be done, then why do the people with the library cards make so many bad decisions?" (p. 235)

Documentary: Herb and Dorothy

I watched this wonderful documentary last night. What an interesting couple, what a surprising and unassuming way to live, and how amazing to see the massive impact people can make in this world by choosing to simply focus and be.


Herb & Dorothy
2008
NR 87 minutes

Chronicling the story of unlikely art collectors Herb Vogel and Dorothy Vogel, filmmaker Megumi Sasaki demonstrates that it's not necessary to be wealthy in order to build a significant collection in this fascinating documentary. A postal clerk and a librarian, the Vogels share a passion for art, which they pursued over decades, becoming two of the most important collectors of minimalist and conceptual art with more than 4,000 pieces.

Cast: Dorothy Vogel, Herb Vogel, Will Barnet, Robert Barry, Lynda Benglis, Chuck Close, Robert Mangold, Sylvia Mangold, Lucio Pozzi, James Siena

Director: Megumi Sasaki

Genres: Documentary, Art & Design, Sculpture, Social & Cultural Documentaries

Sad News from Denise Spencer

Michael Spencer, affectionately known as iMonk to many of us, has been suffering with debilitating illness for some time now. Today, his wife, Denise, posted some very sad news about his condition.

"It is with a heavy heart that I bring my latest update on Michael. We have learned that his cancer is too advanced and too aggressive to expect any sort of remission. Our oncologist estimates that with continued treatment Michael most likely has somewhere between six months and a year to live. This is not really a surprise to us, though it is certainly horrible news. From the very beginning, both of us have suspected that this would prove to be an extremely bad situation. I don’t know why; perhaps God was preparing us for the worst all along by giving us that intuition." Read More

I'm very downcast about this. A cold gray rainy day in Minnesota just got a little harder to take. I have never met Michael, but have counted him a good friend and brother. His podcasts and blog have been an ongoing source of encouragement and thoughtful stimulation to me for the last couple of years.

Please join me in praying for Michael Spencer, his wife Denise, and their children Clay and Noel.

Valley Lenten Teaching and Reading

I'm currently preaching a teaching series I'm calling "The Jesus Way." While we're in this series, I'm encouraging Valley people to read Scot McKnight's book, 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed.

The book will compliment much of what I'll be preaching about. It also serves as a wonderful plan for daily devotions during the season of Lent. For a complete outline of the teaching series with a suggested Lenten schedule for reading the book, CLICK HERE.

Meaningful Differences

Yesterday I posted a link to a "conversation" between Christopher Hitchens and Marilyn Sewell that appeared in the Portland Monthly. It stirred up quite a few comments on Facebook, which, as usual, went a lot of different directions.

My main point of observation was a simple one. I agree with Hitchens that if one is to call one's self a Christian and expect that to mean anything, the word Christian must have some meaningful definition. If one refers to one's self as a "person of faith," there must be some defined object of belief.

You can't just take hold of a label--any label: atheist, republican, socialist, fundamentalist, optimist--and divorce yourself from the commonly understood definition of that label. I understand that labels are frequently misunderstood and very often need clarification and nuance. However, if you tell me you're a bicylist, but have no real interest or experience in riding bicycles, you will understand my bewildered annoyance.

Beyond the whole "I'm a liberal Christian" assertion made by Sewell, I found it equally amusing that her assertions to be in agreement with Hitchens failed similarly. She flattered and agreed and admired, but he would have nothing of it. I'd caricature much of their conversation as:

Sewell: "You're a brilliant guy, and we agree on so many things."
Hitchens: "You're a nice person, but you simply have no idea how many light years we are apart from each other. Please stop confusing yourself to be someone who agrees with me or with Christians."

If you're a christianish, atheistish sort of "person of faith," you will have to get used to neither Christians or atheists mistaking you as one of their own. You should not be surprised at their chagrin when you hijack their name.

In contrast to the Hitchens/Sewell conversation, you might want to check out Christopher Hitchens' relationship and dialogue with Douglas Wilson. These two guys know that their perspectives are in direct opposition to each other, and they both deeply appreciate the other's ability to recognize and confront their collision of ideas in honest argument.


A 'Collision' Of Beliefs: Atheist Vs. Theologian
NPR: All Things Considered - October 25, 2009

COLLISION: Christopher Hitchens vs. Douglas Wilson (DVD)

Hitchens on Christianity

In addition to debating the credibility and value of Christianity, outspoken and well-known atheist Christopher Hitchens apparently finds himself in situations where he has to explain Christianity to people who call themselves Christians.

The Portland Monthly recently invited Hitchens to participate a conversation with "a liberal believer"—the recently retired minister of the First Unitarian Church of Portland, Marilyn Sewell. Formerly a psychotherapist and teacher, Sewell has also authored a number of books.

In this exchange, Hitchens, the atheist, demonstrates a clearer understanding of orthodox Christianity than Sewell, the person who claims to be a Christian. Ouch!

Sewell: The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make and distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?

Hitchens: I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.

Sewell: Let me go someplace else. When I was in seminary I was particularly drawn to the work of theologian Paul Tillich. He shocked people by describing the traditional God—as you might as a matter of fact—as, “an invincible tyrant.” For Tillich, God is “the ground of being.” It’s his response to, say, Freud’s belief that religion is mere wish fulfillment and comes from the humans’ fear of death. What do you think of Tillich’s concept of God?”

Hitchens: I would classify that under the heading of “statements that have no meaning—at all.”