Not a New Years Resolution, a New Years Story
Donald Miller is one of my favorite authors (and bloggers). His latest, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life, is my new favorite of his, and that says a lot. Miller made a name for himself about 6-7 years ago with his memoir Blue Like Jazz, which gained a large following in the under-35, Christian but bored with evangelicalism, politically liberal crowd. Miller’s books are typically written in a rambling, confessional essay-type style, and populated with his strange collection of Christian and bohemian friends from Portland (”Keep Portland Weird” as the city’s merchants tell us). Through his deeply personal writing, Miller has always had the ability to bring his readers to emotional highs as well as deep depressing depths.
Miller’s books subsequent to Blue like Jazz were less successful (though I happened to regard his Searching for God Knows What as his best work), and having achieved a life goal of being a New York Times best selling author in his early 30s, Miller went into a deep funk. Feeling directionless in career and a failure in relationships, he was stuck. He was snapped out of it when two indie filmmakers contacted him about making Jazz into a movie. Skeptical at first, Miller said yes, and what he discovered while putting the film together was that the movie “Don” was a far more interesting character than the real thing. Wanting to know why this was so, he dove into learning screenwriting and character development, even taking the infamous Robert Mackee writers seminar (as seen in the movie Adaptation). What Don learned about good screenwriting and creating a character for film he channels into life lessons, with great results for his own life and hopefully for the readers too. Incited by his film writing experience, he seeks out the father who left his family 30 years prior, inspired by a young woman he wants to impress, he gets himself in good enough shape to hike the Inca Trail, and finally, in the hopes of creating an epic story, he founds a church-based mentoring program for other fatherless boys, and bikes across the U.S. to raise money for freshwater wells in Africa (I remember this and actually donated money at the time).
Like most of Miller’s works, A Million Miles is engaging, funny, and tear-jerking as well. Don, his Portland friends, filmmakers Steve and Ben, and master storyteller Bob Goff will have you laughing at their bizarre antics. Don may be able to draw some tears when he writes about losing his uncle, who served as a father-figure for troubled youth, and about the man losing his wife to cancer. If you’re a writer, you’ll pick up some good tips about creating characters and a compelling narrative. And if you read closely, you’ll see Don has actually structured the book like a screenplay, with three acts, inciting incidents, character development, and positive and negative turns. Clever devil! (Note also what Don says about the ancient playwrights on comedy vs tragedy and then read the chapter on his uncle’s death again–I see what you did there!). This was a great book to start off the new year. Highly recommended.
Update: See also these two blog posts from Miller on creating a story for oneself, rather than just a list of New Years Resolutions bound to fail.
Prayers in the New Year
Michael Spencer, also known as the Internet Monk, has been a regular blog read of mine for years and we’ve cited him numerous times here at ITA. He gained attention in the wider media earlier this year for his influential article in the Christian Science Monitor about “The Coming Evangelical Collapse.” This article resulted in a book deal, due out in 2010.
The iMonk seemed to be blowing up in 2009, which made it odd when he altogether disappeared from his blog after Thanksgiving. He’s had a host of excellent guest writers but we didn’t hear from iMonk himself. Now we know why–he’s been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, joining Jollyblogger David Wayne and yours truly. And reading through the posts at iMonk’s group blog, the Boars Head Tavern, Spencer seems to have been quite sick before he was finally diagnosed.
So prayers for Michael Spencer and his family in the new year would be appreciated. And if I may be so bold, I’m praying for his quick return to the blogosphere so I can once again read his unique perspective on modern day Christianity and, perhaps, living with a potentially fatal disease.
Update (12/29): iMonk’s daughter Noel is also a blogger and provides an update. Spencer had surgery Christmas Eve to remove a brain tumor, which means the cancer is already metastatic. This is indeed a serious condition and prayers are much needed.
A Timely Advent Lesson
An Episcopal church in Houston is being sued by its neighbors over the service it provides the city’s homeless – namely 400 meals a day.
A Methodist church in Phoenix faces a similar challenge from the city government.
As the powerful hymn sums up very well:
There is no meekness in the powers of earth;
led by no star, the rulers of the nations
still fail to bring us to the blissful birth
How shall we love thee, holy hidden Being,
if we love not the world which thou hast made?
O give us brother-love for better seeing
thy Word made flesh and in a manger laid.
Reformation Sunday
“Reformation Day” is almost always celebrated on October 31st, and this post by Zach does as good of a job as any in marking that eventful day. But for many churches “Reformation Sunday” is celebrated on the last Sunday in October, and this year that fell on this past Sunday. I had the pleasure of listening to a sermon by Pastor Walter Ullman of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on that day, and I enjoyed it so much I wanted to embed it here.
Catholics and Anglicans
I suppose it falls to me, the resident Anglican of IntheAgora, to explain, parse, and otherwise spin the recent decision by the Vatican to extend full communion to whole parishes/dioceses of conservative Anglicans while allowing them to maintain their “Anglican identity.”
Having only joined the Episcopal Church three years ago (and only confirmed in it since March) I feel rather inadequate to speculate about the repercussions of what one news agency is calling the “boldest move [by the Roman Catholic Church] since the Reformation.”
Nevertheless, my first reaction upon hearing this concerned the larger Anglo-Catholic ecumenical movement. Though Rowan Cantuar appeared cool in a joint press conference with RC Archbishop Vincent Nichols, one cannot help wonder if this move will stall or advance Canterbury’s effort to gain Roman acceptance for Anglican Orders. Indeed, my current understanding is that Rome does not consider Anglican Orders to be valid and that Anglican priests who wish to convert must be re-ordained. However, if Anglican priests and bishops are admitted into full communion with Rome without re-ordination, today’s news may be a small but significant opening for reestablishing full communion between Catholics and all Anglicans (even the gay ones!)
Secondly, I tend to agree with other commentators who have noted that this move may function as a “safety valve” for the Anglican Communion. If more conservative Anglicans turn to Rome, the move will leave the aggregate Communion more liberal but more unified.
Update: The Episcopal Cafe has a nice round up of reactions to the Vatican announcement, including Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams’ letter to Anglican bishops.
Reflections on the Lutheran Study Bible
This week I received my copy of The Lutheran Study Bible (LSB) released by Concordia Publishing House. I have owned and/or reviewed numerous Bibles, but the LSB is far and away the best and in a category all to its own.
The LSB contains the English Standard Version of the Biblical text, but it isn’t your usual study Bible with the “helps” you might be used to from books like the NIV Life Application Bible. The LSB contains deeper, more substantive notes with extensive theological reflections on all aspects of theology and the church. There are extensive quotes and references from the Church Fathers, Luther, Lutheran reformers, classic works of church history and contemporary Lutheran works, including excellent recent commentaries. It has a massive amount of information and a much greater variety than any other study Bible I have ever seen. Occasionally some notes may resemble traditional study Bibles, but by and large the LSB is unique in a very impressive way.
Nevertheless, I remain disappointed with the title Concordia Publishing House (CPH) chose to give it. Sure, “Lutheran Study Bible” may appeal to people who are members of the Lutheran denomination, but it seems very reasonable to assume that it will also turn away those who are not. Why would an evangelical, or a Methodist, or a Catholic, want to pick up a Bible that seems to scream “For Lutherans Only”? Fortunately the “Lutheran Cyclopedia” was renamed to the “Christian Cyclopedia” in part for this reason. But I think a similar, more universal name would have been appropriate for the LSB. Indeed, this brings up an even larger issue with the denomination itself – should it really be named after its founder? Martin Luther had something to say about this:
“I ask that men make no reference to my name, and call themselves not Lutherans, but Christians.”
Unfortunately Lutherans have either forgotten, or chosen to rationalize away, this wise advice from Luther himself. There are efforts underway to rename the “Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod” to something without the “Lutheran” designation, but such efforts are unlikely to be successful.
Finally, on a minor note, I noticed that the LSB has what virtually every other modern Bible has – a “Presented by/to” page to indicate who gave the Bible and to whom it was given. But what if you bought the Bible yourself, as I did? The elegant, glossy, full color page will now sit empty at the front. Sigh.
Ultimately, despite these nitpicking points, the LSB remains one of the finest Christian publications I have ever owned. Any serious Bible scholar should own it.
Update: Pastor Larry Peters responds to the “Lutheran” point, though I’m not sure he fully addresses the concerns. Still, I agree with his conclusion: “So don’t buy this study Bible if you are looking for a Lutheran Bible. Purchase this study Bible if you are looking for Scripture honestly treated, faithfully interpreted, and carefully preserved so that it may speak with its own voice, as it has over time, the saving message of Jesus Christ.”
Hello, world!
I have participated as a commenter in several very good weblogs for quite some time, and have been kindly invited by Josh to begin writing for In The Agora myself. I agreed, and this decision arises mostly from a desire to practice at writing and thinking, but also because now is a very exciting time to write online essays on matters of importance as well as triviality. I don’t expect to have much of anything original to say on politics, but I will say it nonetheless. I will also try to contribute something of use to the world of blogging on scientific matters. I plan specifically to write on neuroscience, biochemistry, pharmacology, evolutionary biology, astronomy, and physics, as well as on culture, politics, philosophy, religion, international affairs, news, and whatever else springs to mind.
Death and Dying
David Wayne is a Presbyterian minister in Maryland who blogs here as the JollyBlogger. The name comes from a C.S. Lewis passage which reads, “Grace substitutes a full, childlike, and delighted acceptance of our Need, a joy in total dependence. We become ‘Jolly Beggers.’” I met David in person in 2005, though I had known and interacted with him well before that through our blogging. We met at a Christian blogging conference in California, and much to my delight, David was giving a seminar there. Though I cannot recall the specifics of his presentation, I will never forget David’s incredible kindness, humility and genuine warmth. He truly lived up to the name of his website – he was a jolly man whose joy was surpassed only by his intellect.
Sadly, last December, he was diagnosed with aggressive colon cancer. The statistics are grim – most people in his condition die within 3 to 3.5 years. Nevertheless, David seems to be facing death and dying squarely in the face with a sense of purpose and resolve that should give anyone pause. I have been reading David on and off for years now, but since his diagnosis, I’ve found his writing to be a particularly fascinating window into a world that awaits us all, one way or another. Thus this post is in part a recommendation to add JollyBlogger to your RSS feed if you haven’t done so already. But I also want to highlight a moving video about David by a friend from his church. God bless you David.
Meet Bruno’s Pastor
Plugged In, a publication of Focus on the Family which examines popular entertainment, has an interview with Jody Trautwein, the Alabama youth pastor who was duped by Sacha Baron Cohen who–posing as Bruno–convinced him he was a homosexual seeking to change his sexual orientation and become a Christian.
From what I have read, Trautwein showed extraordinary patience with Bruno, despite his persistent attempts to provoke a reaction from the pastor. In reading his story, I am reminded of Genesis 50:20–”You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Cohen and his producers aimed to make a mockery of Trautwein and his beliefs, and the they certainly edited the 2 hours of footage they took to make Trautwein look as foolish as possible in the short time he appears in the film. Nevertheless, in Trautwein’s words: “Millions of people all over the world who may never darken the doors of a church will pay to go see this perverse, deceptive film and actually hear the pure, truthful message of Jesus Christ.”
Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Sinaiticus, a 1,600 year old manuscript of the Christian Bible featuring the oldest complete text of the New Testament, is now online. Scholars digitized the various parts of the codex and reassembled them online for public viewing. The site appears to be having some traffic problems right now, but should be worth checking out.
