First sentence: Have you ever had an emotional or intellectual epiphany so significant that it changed your way of being for years to come? When I firFirst sentence: Have you ever had an emotional or intellectual epiphany so significant that it changed your way of being for years to come? When I first pulled a book by a puritan woman off some library stacks, I was not ready for what I would find.
The Five Puritan Women being introduced to contemporary readers are Agnes Beaumont, Lucy Hutchinson, Mary Rich (Countess of Warwick), Anne Bradstreet, and Lady Brilliana Harley. Jenny-Lyn de Klerk has chosen to focus on these five women, but not just to give mini-history lessons. She's using these women's stories to focus in on five spiritual disciplines that she feels are beneficial. For example, with Agnes Beaumont's story, she's telling Agnes' story AND emphasizing how Agnes' use of memorization as a spiritual discipline or aide proved most beneficial in her life.
These stories are--for the most part--unexpected and fascinating. These stories are sometimes--though not always--packed with adventures and misadventures.
Before reading this one, I had only ever heard of Anne Bradstreet. Her story might be the most 'normal' or 'typical.' of the bunch. Though her story is no less touching.
I found this an interesting read. I loved learning more about all these women. As I just mentioned, most were unfamiliar to me. Yet even though they were strangers, I soon found myself absorbed in their stories. Absorbed is a good word. There was nothing 'technical' or 'boring' or 'dull' about their lives or the presentation of their lives.
I would recommend this one to those that enjoy biography but also those that like the role modeling of doctrine in practice. ...more
First sentence from the prologue: R. C. Sproul paced and roared when he preached. But by the end of his life he needed to sit on a stool. He relied onFirst sentence from the prologue: R. C. Sproul paced and roared when he preached. But by the end of his life he needed to sit on a stool. He relied on his portable oxygen, which went with him everywhere. He struggled with the effects of COPD. He had long ago sacrificed his knees to the athletic field. The years, but especially the miles, had caught up with him. When he stepped into the pulpit, the athlete that he was burst forth. With passion his game face was on. The stool swiveled. He would clutch the edges of the pulpit, pull himself forward, and lean toward his congregation. He somehow managed still to pace while he preached.
Stephen J. Nichols has written a biography of R.C. Sproul, the founder of Ligonier Ministries. The book is without question a biography of a man (son, student, friend, husband, father, grandfather). But it is also an examination of Sproul as a theologian: preacher, teacher, author, mentor. Nichols examines Sproul's life through the lens of legacy, and perhaps letting his legacy speak for itself.
The book is framed with his final two sermons taken from Hebrews 1 and 2. The prologue places readers there in his last moments as a preacher in a pulpit, and one of the appendices is the text of his two final sermons. (There are plenty of appendices!)
The book will be of the most interest to those who are already familiar with R.C. Sproul--either through his radio broadcasts, monthly magazine Tabletalk, teaching series, preaching conferences, books, or his massive STUDY BIBLE, the Reformation Study Bible. Perhaps you're just a little familiar with his life and work, then this would be a real treat of an introduction.
I think it affirms what some already believe: that his work will continue to help, to minister, to challenge, to comfort, to guide for generations to come. Sproul can continue to be used by the Spirit to help bring souls to Christ and to help disciple new believers. His work lives on.
I loved every minute of this one! I did. I found it an enjoyable, compelling read. I loved learning more about Sproul. If you listen to enough Sproul sermons, you get a sense of his life story--his background, his childhood, his conversion, his romance and marriage, etc. But this book puts it all together as a whole and it's lovely to see it that way. Some facts felt like old friends; others were new-to-me. (Did you know he was converted by Ecclesiastes 11:3?)
There is a timeline of his life which includes his meeting the absolute love of his life when he was in first grade. (She was in second.) Also included lists of his BOOKS, teaching series, conference sermons, etc.
Quotes: R. C. said he thinks he might be the only man in America who outsold a Fuller Brush man on a house call. He would keep a card on his desk that read, “You are responsible to preach and to teach what the Bible says, not what you want it to say.” Precision and clarity, not ambiguity, serve the church best in remaining faithful to its biblical, historic, and confessional roots. Reading was a bloodsport for R. C. And that was all the more true when it came to reading the pages of Holy Writ. He was not casual in his reading or studying of the Bible. R. C. stressed that reading the Bible is one thing, studying the Bible is another thing, and obeying the Bible is another thing altogether. The argument followed a logical chain: (1) We submit to every word of the Bible (obedience), which requires (2) every word of the Bible to be studied, preached, and taught (the whole counsel of God), because (3) every word of the Bible is true (inerrancy), because (4) every word of the Bible is from God (inspiration), because (5) God is truth (doctrine of God). R. C. loved that Mike Horton used the analogy of chocolate chip cookies to explain the importance of imputation. Horton said if you have all the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies but leave out the chocolate chips, then you don’t have chocolate chip cookies. Imputation is to the doctrine of salvation what chocolate chips are to chocolate chip cookies. This prompted R. C. to see that a study Bible would be a strategic tool to propagate the Reformed faith, “to help influence people in their basic education.” While the Scofield Reference Bible was the motivation. It was not the model. Not only was R. C. Calvinist and Reformed, not only did he talk about Aristotle and Aquinas, not only did he use a lot of Latin, but he also used real chalk on a real chalkboard. He even developed a sort of Zoro-like signature move. He would emphatically dot i’s and cross t’s. And he emphatically ended a sentence with a period. And there were times, like a perfect storm, when he had an “i” to dot, a ‘t” to cross, and a period to drill into the board. You could hear the dot, slash, DOT. Zoro with a piece of chalk leaving his telltale mark. To help him, there was a live audience of about thirty people in the recording studio. There was also a lectern with some notes that he never looked at. And there was the aforementioned chalkboard. R. C. was spending a lot of time in this studio. ...more
First sentence: They could not have been more alike. Born five years apart in the waning years of the nineteenth century, both of them were favored, aFirst sentence: They could not have been more alike. Born five years apart in the waning years of the nineteenth century, both of them were favored, at least for a time, with the kind of idyllic British childhood you read about in classic children’s stories. Both were highly intelligent, perceptive, and creative from the start, developing a deep knowledge of and passion for literature. Both attended Oxford University, graduated with honors, and became famous writers of novels, essays, scholarly works, and more. Each went through a period of spiritual rebellion in his or her youth but went on to become fruitful lifelong members of the Anglican church and respected Christian apologists with a theologically conservative bent. They could not have been more different. He lost his mother early and had a troubled relationship with his father. She had both of her parents in her life well into adulthood and was very close to them, though was not always able to be as open with them as she would have liked to be. Her marriage was strained; his marriage, though tragically short, was a very happy one. His was generally a contented spirit, hers an adventurous, even reckless one. His manner was winsome if boisterous, hers just plain blunt. Much of what came naturally to her, in work and in life, was difficult for him, and vice versa.
Gina Dalfonzo's newest book celebrates the friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis. The book examines the lives of both Christian writers paying special attention to their friendship largely carried out through correspondence. The two wrote letters for almost two decades. (Her first letter was a fan letter sent in 1942.)
The book reads like a mini-biography of both writers. If you enjoy the work of either author--Sayers or Lewis--this one might prove of interest. She spends some time examining the idea of male-female friendship. Is it possible for men and women to be friends? Is it beneficial? Is it healthy? Is it dangerous? She argues that their friendship benefited both tremendously. She even goes so far as to say that his friendship with Dorothy L. Sayers helped prepare him to have a relationship with his wife, Joy.
The book provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse at two writers' private lives. Neither was a perfect saint. This sometimes bordered on overshare--not in regards to Lewis or Sayers but when it came to their mutual friend Charles Williams. That being said I am not for covering over or covering up scandals. ...more
The book opens with two different biographical sketches of missionary Amy Carmichael (1867-1951). One sketch is by Carolyn Kurtz; the second sketch isThe book opens with two different biographical sketches of missionary Amy Carmichael (1867-1951). One sketch is by Carolyn Kurtz; the second sketch is by Katelyn Beaty. The remaining chapters of this one are written by Amy Carmichael herself--taken from previously published works. (I believe she did most of her writing in the 1930s).
The chapters address different topics. Some chapters include a great deal of stories about her life, her children, her work; other chapters stay focused on one topic/aspect/subject of the Christian life. Both can prove beneficial to readers.
This was my first time reading Carmichael. I found myself agreeing with some of what she wrote; I also found myself disagreeing here and there, in bits and pieces, with a few things. Like always, use discernment and judge all things by the Word of God.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"Our Lord did not say, “Go ye into all the world if you feel an ardent flame of love to all the people in it.” He just said, “Go ye,” and as we obey, he gives us all we need to lead them to him. And of course as we most of all need love, he gives it to us. I think often we accept the cross in theory, but when it comes to practice, we either do not recognize it for what it is, or we recognize it and try to avoid it. This we can always do, for the cross is something that can be taken up or left, just as we choose."
"Life is a journey; it is a climb; it is also and always a war. The soldier of the Lord of Hosts is always a soldier. He dare not drivel down to any other kind of life. We can’t be entangled in the affairs of this life if we are to be real soldiers. By its affairs I mean its chatter and its ways of thinking and deciding questions, its whole aspect and trend. God forgive us our love of ease. God forgive us that so often we turn our faces from a life that is even remotely like his. Forgive us that we all but worship comfort, the delight of the presence of loved ones, possessions, treasure on earth."
"All the great staining temptations–to selfishness, ambition, and other strong sins that violently affront the soul–appear first in the region of the mind, and can be fought and conquered there. We have been given the power to close the door of the mind. We can lose this power through disuse or increase it by use, by the daily discipline of the inner man in things which seem small, and by reliance upon the word of the spirit of truth."
"It is the eternal in books that makes them our friends and teachers–the paragraphs, the verses, that grip memory and ring down the years like bells, or call like bugles, or sound like trumpets; words of vision that open to us undying things and fix our eyes on them. We are not here, they tell us, for trivial purposes. . . . We are not here to be overcome, but to rise unvanquished after every knock-out blow, and laugh the laugh of faith, not fear."
"More and more as we go on, and learn our utter inability to move a single pebble by ourselves, and the mighty power of God to upturn mountains with a touch, we realize how infinitely important it is to know how to pray. There is the restful prayer of committal to which the immediate answer is peace. We could not live without this sort of prayer; we should be crushed and overborne, and give up brokenhearted if it were not for that peace. But the Apostle speaks of another prayer that is wrestle, conflict, “agony.” And if these little children are to be delivered and protected . . . then some of us must be strong to meet the powers that will combat every inch of the field with us, and some of us must learn deeper things than we know yet about the solemn secret of prevailing prayer."
"Our loving Lord is not just present, but nearer than thought can imagine, so near that a whisper can reach him. You know the story of the man who had a quick temper and had not time to go away and pray for help. His habit was to send up a little telegraph prayer, “Thy sweetness, Lord!” and sweetness came. Do you need courage? “Thy courage, Lord!” Patience? “Thy patience, Lord!” Love? “Thy love, Lord!” A quiet mind? “Thy quietness, Lord!” Shall we all practice this swift and simple way of prayer more and more? If we do, our Very Present Help will not disappoint us. For thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek thee (Ps. 9:10). Prayer in the name of his beloved Son cannot lose its way in the void. It must find the ear of God."
"For prayer is not emotion, it is a traffic between earth and heaven, “a commerce of love.” Our ships set sail for heavenly shores; they do not return empty; it is impossible that they should; but we are not told what tide will bring them back. We think in terms of time; God thinks in terms of eternity. We see the near end of the thread on which are strung our moments, minutes, hours, days, like pearls on a string; the other end is out of view, and yet the thread is one, indivisible. We call the near end time, and the far end eternity, as though somewhere the thread broke (at death perhaps). But it is not so. We are living in eternity now."
"If monotony tries me, and I cannot stand drudgery; if stupid people fret me and little ruffles set me on edge; if I make much of the trifles of life, then I know nothing of Calvary love. If I am inconsiderate about the comfort of others, or their feelings, or even of their little weaknesses; if I am careless about their little hurts and miss opportunities to smooth their way; if I make the sweet running of household wheels more difficult to accomplish, then I know nothing of Calvary love. If interruptions annoy me and private cares make me impatient; if I shadow the souls about me because I myself am shadowed, then I know nothing of Calvary love. If souls can suffer alongside, and I hardly know it, because the spirit of discernment is not in me, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"Often our flash of haste means little. To read a book in an hour (if the book has taken half a lifetime to write) means nothing at all. To pray in a hurry of spirit means nothing. To live in a hurry means to do much but effect little. We build more quickly in wood, hay, and stubble than in gold, silver, and precious stones; but the one abides, the other does not."
"Thank God, courage is as infectious as discouragement. Have you not often felt the cheer and strength that seem to flow from one whose mind is stayed on God? I have."
"It matters a good deal that your book-food should be strong meat. We are what we think about."
"Can you find a promise that if we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, life is going to be fairly easy? I do not think we shall find even one. But we shall find ever so many promises assuring us that however things are, we may count on strength to make us brave and peace to keep our hearts at rest. I want you to welcome the little difficult things, the tiny pricks and ruffles that are sure to come almost every day. For they give you a chance to say “No” to yourself, and by doing so you will become strong not only to do but also to endure."...more
Who is the primary audience of this new biography? I would say that it would most appeal to scholars. A strong interest in history, literature, philosWho is the primary audience of this new biography? I would say that it would most appeal to scholars. A strong interest in history, literature, philosophy, the first world war would certainly help. A love of Lewis' writing--his literary essays, his philosophy, his nonfiction, his fiction--would be an absolute must. It isn't enough to merely love and adore the Chronicles of Narnia. One must equally love and adore his other books and articles as well.
The premise of this one is simple, "During his school days, the boy who would grow to become C. S. Lewis formed his most important tastes in music, art, literature, companionship, religion, sports, and almost every other aspect of life. While his ideas and critical thought about what he liked and disliked would change, his basic preferences came together during this period and formed the foundation out of which his later life grew." And..."The questions of C. S. Lewis that began to form in his mind during childhood and adolescence would compel him toward answers that resulted in his conversion to faith in Jesus Christ many years later."
But above all else, this one requires an enormous amount of patience--the patience of a saint, perhaps?! It is tedious, cumbersome work. Unless you are incredibly curious to know about smallest details of his daily life, year after year after year after year...one could probably sum up everything you really needed to know about this time period in his life in about a hundred pages--maybe 112 pages.
This one is idea-driven. What ideas did C.S. Lewis hold during his childhood and adolescence? When did those ideas form? Did those ideas change throughout these years? Did these ideas change as he became an adult? Did they ever change? To what extent did he stay the same and to what extent did he change? What books did he read? When did he read them? Did he reread them? Did he talk about them with anyone? Did his opinions on those books, on those authors change over time? Are there any parallels between his own books that he would later write and those that he read? Are there any similar themes? What relationships were significant to him when he was eight? when he was nine? when he was ten? when he was eleven? when he was twelve? when he was thirteen? ETC.
So many WORDS. It's not that I didn't care at all. It's that I didn't care all that much. For example, do we really need to know how often a young Jack Lewis thought about sex? which friends he discussed sex with? what his sexual fantasies were? who he fantasized about? how Lewis viewed women at this time in his life? where he got his views of women from? I pick on this one issue--which I consider almost non-relevant to C.S. Lewis the author and theologian revered by Christian masses. Almost. I mean, I suppose it shows his fallenness. But still. And this is just one example.
All that being said...I can't deny the book was well-researched. He obviously spent A LOT of time finding out EVERY LITTLE THING he possibly could about C.S. Lewis. And I do believe there are a handful of readers in the world who will care because they share a similar obsession with anything and everything Lewis related. The details go to the extreme. But it's a solid read. ...more
First sentence: "Why, Kenneth has always been a Christian," Ken's mother said to a friend. He and his older brother, Douglas, well they have always beFirst sentence: "Why, Kenneth has always been a Christian," Ken's mother said to a friend. He and his older brother, Douglas, well they have always believed."
I enjoyed reading this children's biography of Ken Taylor. The book focuses on his life, his family, his work, his career, his legacy. He is perhaps best known for writing a bible story book for children, writing a paraphrase of the entire Bible, and starting a publishing house. I speak, of course, of The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes (1956), The Living Bible (1971) and Tyndale Publishing House.
Growing up Ken Taylor struggled to understand the King James Version. He could make sense of the gospels and the book of Acts. But when it came to understanding and appreciating other parts of Scripture--for example, Paul's letters--he was confused and frustrated. He knew that not everybody struggled with this--his brother Doug, for example, seemed to love all of Scripture. But he did. But he grew up, went to a Christian college, entered seminary. But again as a father this time he noticed a need. If people are to love the Word, treasure the Word, live the Word...it is imperative that they first understand it. There needed to be a Bible simple enough to be understood. His paraphrase started out as an experiment and an act of love. He opened up the Bible, read a chapter--I believe it was from 2 Timothy--and set out to paraphrase its meaning verse by verse. He shared this experiment with his family. It seemed to be a good idea. But it would also be a time-consuming one. A project requiring years of hard work and revision. And then there was the whole getting it published and stocked into bookstores aspect of it....
I learned a good deal about Ken Taylor reading this one. It was based on his own autobiography published in 1991. This explains why it was able to include so many personal details. The book also shares reactions to the Living Bible. (It was first published in parts: Living Letters, Living Prophecies, etc.) One thing that helped establish the Living Bible was the fact that Billy Graham supported it. He offered to give away free copies of Living Letters to those that wrote in and requested it. This success helped encourage him to keep going and paraphrase the entire Bible.
The Living Bible was the fastest selling book in 1972 and 1973. ...more
The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler. John Hendrix. 2018. Harry N. Abrams. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentenceThe Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler. John Hendrix. 2018. Harry N. Abrams. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: This book follows the life of the man Dietrich Bonhoeffer. But it is equally a story of the German resistance. It is a story that often goes untold.
Premise/plot: This biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer is told in 'graphic novel' format. As hinted in the above 'first sentence' the book balances the bigger picture with the personal.
The Faithful Spy gives a good overview of Hitler's rise to power and the terrors of the Third Reich and an excellent overview of the German Resistance and a handful of attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler and overthrow the government. The personal story is that of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. From a young age he acted--thought--as a theologian. He grew up to be a pastor at a dangerous time. The "Christian" church was threatened. One had two choices: give in to Hitler's vision of the future and submit to his reign despite/in spite of one's personal beliefs OR resist and defy and stick to one's principles. Or in other words choose between having the Bible as the authority or Hitler. Bonhoeffer saw no choice--one could not in good conscience choose Hitler over Christ. Where Bonhoeffer did have a choice is to stay or to go. Before the war started, Bonhoeffer with help from friends managed to get to America. He could have waited out the war. He could have spoken out against Hitler from afar. He could have written, studied, taught. But after a few weeks in America he decided that he'd made a big mistake. His place was not one of safety in America, he belonged in Germany. Knowing that it very well could cost him everything--his freedom, his life--he returned to Germany. When opportunity came he joined the resistance and became a spy. He was involved to some degree with the failed attempts at assassination. He was eventually imprisoned, tortured, sentenced to death. But Bonhoeffer could not ignore the plight of 'the other.' To live out his beliefs--to put his doctrine in action--meant defying the Nazis and risking it all.
My thoughts: The Faithful Spy is a compelling read. (I read it in two days.) I haven't read much nonfiction written and illustrated in graphic format. The format worked well. I wouldn't say it added drama to the story--how could it? But it paid tribute perhaps to the natural drama of the story.
The book did not shy away from Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a theologian. Not many books published by a non-Christian (aka secular) publisher openly and unashamedly talk God from cover to cover. This one did. Bonhoeffer was a theologian. He was a believer, a student, a teacher, a preacher, a writer. His story could not be told accurately without talking doctrine, faith, God.
Some readers may not embrace the book because of the religious/spiritual aspects of it. But his legacy is intimately connected with his theology. There were many "spies" and many members of the resistance. Many died in Germany as prisoners. Not all were theologians.
There are other books written about his life that focus solely on his story and not on the bigger picture. I think this is an important book....more
First sentence: It is unsettling to me now to know that people who are making a tour of South America can take a short, easy side trip and see the ColFirst sentence: It is unsettling to me now to know that people who are making a tour of South America can take a short, easy side trip and see the Colorados.
This one was originally published as THESE STRANGE ASHES.
Made For the Journey is a memoir written by Elisabeth Elliot. In the book she recounts her first year as a missionary. This was before her marriage to Jim Elliot. Elisabeth worked with several other single women--some trained to be doctors/nurses--in a small jungle in Ecuador. Elisabeth's mission was to learn the language of the Colorados and translate the New Testament.
In the jungle, you might say, Elisabeth Elliot learned to wait. Things certainly weren't working according to her own time table.
In the book she shares the many lessons she learned--often the hard way--in the jungle during her first year.
The book brought to mind one section of Scripture.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10,11
I wish I'd read this book before reading her fiction novel, No Graven Image. If you do read Made for the Journey, it would be worth your time to seek out the other as well. The books complement one another well....more
First sentence: The letters AD form the abbreviation for the Latin phrase anon Domini, which means "in the year of our Lord." It goes hand in hand witFirst sentence: The letters AD form the abbreviation for the Latin phrase anon Domini, which means "in the year of our Lord." It goes hand in hand with another abbreviation, BC, "before Christ."
I enjoyed reading Sinclair Ferguson's In the Year of Our Lord. I'll get straight to the point and ask the questions I'd want answered: IS IT INTIMIDATING? and IS IT WORTH THE EFFORT?
Is it intimidating? Church history can be--though it doesn't have to be--intimidating. There's so much that could be included in any volume of church history. Do you include everybody and everything? Do you focus on people or ideas? Do you select the most influential theologians? What if the theologians were very influential but also wrong? Do you spend time correcting their theology?
This is how Ferguson approached the subject: "In the Year of Our Lord is intended to be a very simple (but I hope) informative, encouraging, and enjoyable introduction to some members of "the Christian family"--the worldwide, history-deep, eternity-long church of Jesus Christ. It is a book of people, stories, words, and songs--a kind of family narrative accompanied by a songbook. It is not a history of the church, but simply fragments of her story. It is not the work of a professional historian but of a family member." I found his approach to be a good one. I did not find the book intimidating. That's not to say I found it super-easy-going. I found it substantive and meaty. That's just how I like my theology. I don't want my theology to be so easy that it requires absolutely no effort on my part, so easy that nothing new is communicated. It is written for readers. It isn't necessarily written for scholars and academics.
Is it worth the effort? I'd say YES. Call me crazy, but, I found it almost devotional in nature. Perhaps the average person wouldn't come to that conclusion. (But I did). I loved, loved, loved how each entry ended in a hymn--a hymn written during that century, I believe. I also appreciated that each entry--or chapter--was an excerpt from a work from that century. These excerpts vary in difficulty or ease-of-reading. Some were accessible and well worth the effort. Others not quite as much. Ferguson's summary or introduction to a century was always worth reading. Ferguson makes church history applicable and relevant. Makes is definitely the wrong word. REVEALS does a better job of saying what I mean.
For example, in chapter two on the second century, Ferguson talks about persecution and false teaching. He writes, "The early Christians knew that martyrdom could never ultimately kill either the believer or the church. But false teaching always does. We modern Christians tend to assume it is the other way around. We have little fear of false teaching but considerable fear of persecution. And yet, of all generations, perhaps ours is the one that should have learned to think most clearly and biblically."
First sentence from the introduction: The best way to learn about Lewis “on the Christian life” would be a book club. If I had my druthers, every persFirst sentence from the introduction: The best way to learn about Lewis “on the Christian life” would be a book club. If I had my druthers, every person reading this book would join me in a small group (about ten or so individuals) to read and appreciate what Lewis can teach us about the life of faith.
First sentence from chapter one: “Begin where you are.” This little phrase, tucked away in one of the letters to Malcolm, is the right place to begin our exploration of Lewis on the Christian life. Lewis calls this a great principle, and it is implicit in almost everything he writes. Again and again, he wants to bring us back to brass tacks, to awaken us to the present reality, to help us feel the weight of glory that presses on us even now. This is the real labor of life: “to remember, to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake.”
Crossway publishes a series titled Theologians on the Christian Life. Lewis on the Christian Life by Joe Rigney is one of the books in that series. It examines the life and works of C.S. Lewis. Rigney purposefully chooses not to focus on the main works of Lewis: Mere Christianity, the Chronicles of Narnia, and Screwtape Letters. He chooses instead to draw inspiration from his other books, the books that readers are less likely to have read and reread.
Rigney writes: In everything he writes, his aim is to remind us that we are here and now, that God is here and now, that this God makes total demands of us, and that therefore we must choose to bow the knee or to bow up, to surrender and join our wills to God’s or to resist his will and insist on our own way. In short, Lewis is ever and always attempting to clarify for us the nature of the Choice.
I have a love-hate relationship with C.S. Lewis. I love all but one of the Chronicles of Narnia. I DESPISE The Last Battle. I love the Screwtape Letters. Mostly. I like some chapters of Mere Christianity. Some of the ideas in Mere Christianity are true--biblical. Other ideas found within Mere Christianity are not biblical...at all. Lewis can quite honestly be quite mistaken and just plain WRONG on doctrines of the Christian faith. Every Lewis quote is--in my opinion--to be weighed carefully and thoughtfully in light of the Word of God. Anything that disagrees with the revealed word of God--no matter how lyrical, no matter how appealing--is to be rejected.
Lewis believed in purgatory. This book discusses Lewis' ideas on purgatory. It doesn't seek to correct Lewis' flawed theology. It just presents it as Lewis' own idea not drawn from scripture. Lewis' views on hell also appear to be STRANGE.
The table of contents:
Introduction The Choice: The Unavoidable Either-Or The Gospel: God Came Down Theology: A Map to Ultimate Reality The Gospel Applied: Good Infection and Good Pretending The Devil: The Proud and Bent Spirit The Church: Worshiping with Christ's Body Prayer: Practicing the Presence of God A Grand Mystery: Divind Providence and Human Freedom Pride and Humility: Enjoying and Contemplating Ourselves Christian Hedonics: Beams of Glory and the Quest for Joy Reason and Imagination: Truth, Meaning, and the Life of Faith Healthy Introspection: The Precarious Path to Self-Knowledge The Natural Loves: Affection, Friendship, and Eros Divine Love: Putting the Natural Loves In their Place Hell: The Outer Darkness Heaven: Further Up and Further In Orual's Choice: Discovering Her True Face Conclusion
Did I like the book? No. Yes. No. Maybe. I enjoyed some chapters more than others. Some chapters were more accessible and straightforward than others. All the chapters were packed full of quotes by C.S. Lewis. But not all Lewis quotes are supported or drawn from Scripture. The book seemed--in my opinion--to be more about Lewis' theories and imaginative ideas than biblical doctrines.
At times the book provided much food for thought.
Our little decisions, when gathered together, turn out to be not so little after all. We are always sowing the seeds of our future selves. Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before.
Death is both a punishment for sins and a mercy that delivers us from the hell of our own gnawing self-centeredness.
Real forgiveness means not only forgiving someone seventy times for seventy offenses but also forgiving someone seventy times for a single offense.
“As long as you notice, and have to count, the steps, you are not yet dancing, but learning to dance.” The best worship service is one in which our attention is fixed on God, not on our steps.
I just finished reading Lloyd-Jones on the Christian Life. The two books couldn't be more different from one another, perhaps because these two men couldn't be more different from one another.
Lloyd-Jones worldview seems--upon some study--to be drawn solely from the Word of God. Lewis' on the other hand seems to be drawn from a broad variety of sources in addition to the Bible: mythology, philosophy, sociology, literature, his own imagination. One source doesn't seem to carry more weight or authority.
To read Lloyd-Jones on the Christian Life is to have central doctrines of the gospel clarified, amplified, expounded for the glory of God. To read Lewis on the Christian Life, on the other hand, is to have the gospel--the central doctrines of the Christian faith--muddied and confused....more
First sentence: Doctrine and life are fuel and fire, not oil and water. The combustible combination of doctrinal precision and experiential power creaFirst sentence: Doctrine and life are fuel and fire, not oil and water. The combustible combination of doctrinal precision and experiential power creates an explosion called the Christian life. No theologian explains the explosion better than Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The thesis of this book is that according to LloydJones, the Christian life is doctrine on fire.
This book is one of the books in Crossway's Theologians on the Christian Life series. I have read a good many books in the series. This one is a GREAT addition to the series. I loved, loved, LOVED it. It wasn't a surprise I loved it. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is one of my favorite-and-best theologians.
Lloyd-Jones on the Christian Life would be an EXCELLENT introduction to his life and work. I can't sing its praises enough. I think what I loved most about this biography was how it lets Lloyd-Jones speak for himself. So many quotes!!!!!
Not that the author had nothing to do but cut and paste, I imagine it takes a lot of work--a good amount of wisdom--to organize, arrange, select, and layout everything so that it flows perfectly and does justice to the subject. His observations are also worth noting. "If Sherlock Holmes had been a pastor instead of a private investigator, he would have looked a lot like Martyn Lloyd-Jones... Both Sherlock Holmes and Martyn Lloyd-Jones exhibit fine-tuned diagnostic acumen. In fact, the preaching ministry of the one affectionately known as the Doctor reflected all the marks of a medical cast of mind. His preaching would start with symptoms in society and then diagnose the root disease (i.e., the sin) and prescribe a gospel cure."
The premise of the book is simple yet profound: Doctrine should start in the head, catch fire in the heart, and create a life aflame with true obedience in the will. The Christian life as doctrine on fire must have all three realities. The abundant life comes only from a fully baked “both–and” combination of head and heart, light and heat, doctrine and life.
How Lloyd-Jones defines doctrine: Biblical doctrines are “particular truths” that the Bible “wants to emphasize and to impress upon the minds of us all.
Why is doctrine so important? He writes, "Divorcing doctrine and life is not a minor misstep but a deadly departure from the Bible. There is nothing which I know of which is more unscriptural, and which is more dangerous to the soul, than to divide doctrine from life...Impure living flows downstream from polluted doctrine."
Five dangers of 'the great divorce' of life and doctrine: 1. We dishonor God. The great divorce of doctrine and life means we deny him with our lives and insult the living God. “There is nothing which is more insulting to the holy Name of God than to profess Him with your lips and deny Him in your life.” 2. We quench the Spirit and hinder the work of God. The great divorce of doctrine and life leads to a situation in which “the Spirit is always quenched” and the work of God “is always hindered.” 3. We destroy holiness and joy. The great divorce of doctrine and life not only dishonors God; it destroys holiness and joy. It destroys holiness because it removes the direct association of doctrine to life. Holiness is like a cut flower apart from the soil of doctrine. Lloyd-Jones says that there “is no holiness teaching in the New Testament apart from this direct association with doctrine; it is a deduction from the doctrine.” 4. We become flimsy and shaky. If only those who endure to the end are saved (Matt. 24:13), then Christians will put a premium on a pattern of life that will last and stand the test of time. The whole purpose of doctrine is to help us endure by making us unmovable and unshakable; “not merely to give us intellectual understanding or satisfaction, but to establish us, to make us firm, to make us solid Christians, to make us unmovable, to give us such a foundation that nothing can shake us.” 5. We are highly susceptible to disaster. A shaky Christian life is susceptible to disaster because of the high winds of false teaching and temptation. You cannot separate what a man believes from what he is. The book first gives a brief overview or biography of Martyn Lloyd-Jones life. (The book ends by examining his legacy). But the heart of the book focuses on doctrines--specific doctrines essential to the faith--and how to apply them.
Meyer follows the same three-fold format for each chapter: (1) introducing the doctrine, (2) defining the doctrine, and (3) applying the doctrine....more
First sentence: Crowds lined the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the olivewood casket as it made its way through the streets of south London.
SpuFirst sentence: Crowds lined the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the olivewood casket as it made its way through the streets of south London.
Spurgeon on the Christian Life by Michael Reeves is one of the books in Crossway's Theologians on the Christian Life series. It is divided into four parts: "Charles Spurgeon," "Christ The Center," "The New Birth," and "The New Life." It blends the formats of biography and theology. Readers learn a bit about Charles Spurgeon--his life and the times in which he lived--and a lot about what Spurgeon believed (taught and preached).
In the introduction, Reeves writes: This is a book about Spurgeon’s theology of the Christian life, and those were the concerns that lay at the heart of it. Spurgeon was unreservedly Christ-centered and Christ-shaped in his theology; and he was equally insistent on the vital necessity of the new birth. The Christian life is a new life in Christ, given by the Spirit and won by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross... What I have attempted here is to let Spurgeon’s theology of the Christian life shape the very structure—as well as the content—of this book. This is not a comprehensive analysis of Spurgeon’s overall theology, nor is it a biography, though it should help readers get to know both the man and the broad brushstrokes of his theology. Reeves decided to let Spurgeon do most of the talking for himself. He says, "In my own experience, I generally find reading Spurgeon himself like breathing in great lungfuls of mountain air: he is bracing, refreshing, and rousing. I want, therefore, to try to make myself scarce and let Spurgeon leap at readers himself."
I would say that Reeves was successful.
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Spurgeon on the Christian Life. I found it to be packed with great insight. It almost goes without saying that it's relevant as well. Every page of this one has treasure. Most pages have treasures in heaps. That is how good Spurgeon is. But it is also how good Reeves is. He organized, clarified, and wove everything together into a lovely book.
I already loved Charles Spurgeon. This book made me love him even more. It definitely whet my appetite for MORE Spurgeon in 2018. I think this one would be a great book to introduce Spurgeon to new readers and/or new believers. Spurgeon is not an intimidating author--neither is Reeves. And he packs more truth per page--I stand corrected, packs more CHRIST per page--than most any other author I've read. This makes for rich reading indeed. How could you read it and not find it delightful?!...more
First sentence: Brother Andrew. What do you like most about going to church? Bible stories? Singing? Meeting friends? Did you know there are some counFirst sentence: Brother Andrew. What do you like most about going to church? Bible stories? Singing? Meeting friends? Did you know there are some countries in the world where Jesus' friends aren't allowed to meet together, or read the Bible, or tell other people about Jesus?
Premise/plot: If you're looking to introduce your child to heroes of the faith, then I'd recommend sharing Everyone A Child Should Know with your family. "There are loads of Christian biographies around for older children and adults, but almost none for younger children--yet it is never too early to introduce the next generation to some of the heroes of the faith. Here we meet fifty-two Christian men and women (one to read every week of the year...) from all walks of life, who wanted to live for their friend Jesus." Each hero is given a two-page spread. One page is an illustration with a bible verse; the other page is a brief biography. There is a lot of variety; the book spans centuries.
My thoughts: I liked this one. I think it would be hard to choose just fifty-two. If I'd been choosing the list, it would be slightly different. I'd definitely want to include Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and maybe James Montgomery Boice. Jerry Bridges. Oh, also A.W. Tozer. And J.C. Ryle. And are there really enough Puritans on the list?! I don't think so!!! Every one's list would be different. I think there's room for a sequel....more
First sentence: THERE are certain facts in history which the world tries hard to forget and ignore. These facts get in the way of some of the world’s First sentence: THERE are certain facts in history which the world tries hard to forget and ignore. These facts get in the way of some of the world’s favourite theories, and are highly inconvenient.
Premise/plot: Five English Reformers is a collection of six sketches or essays. The first essay is "Why Were Our Reformers Burned." It gives an overview of this period of history focusing not just on the who, the where, the when, the how--but THE WHY. (It highlights nine martyrs).
The collection also includes five sketches of individual reformers: John Hooper, Rowland Taylor, Hugh Latimer, John Bradford, and Nicholas Ridley. These sketches could be read independently of one another. Each does stand on its own. The book gathers together likeminded writings on the English Reformers.
Many sections of the sketches (Hooper, Taylor, Latimer, Bradford, Ridley) are just excerpts from Foxe's Book of Martyrs with some light commentary by Ryle. He also includes a few quotes--as he sees fit--from the English Reformers themselves.
My thoughts: If you enjoy reading history and biographies, this one may be a good fit for you. The first essay is, in my opinion, the best because it tackles the why. I think so often we forget about the why when we're reading history. This is set during the Tudor period. Henry VIII has died, his heir Edward has died still a boy without an heir of his own, the question is which sister will reign next...and what religion will the country be.
Ryle argues in this one that the main reason the Reformers burned was the conflict--the disagreement--over communion or mass. Ryle writes, "The doctrine in question was the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated elements of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper." He examines this point of debate in terms of past and present. Was it worth dying for then? Also is it worth standing up for and defending now? Should protestants remain firm on this issue. Or is there a lot of wiggle room. Is this a major issue or a minor one.
Truth is truth, however long it may be neglected. Facts are facts, however long they may lie buried.
A right diagnosis of disease is the very first element of successful treatment. The physician who does not see what is the matter is never likely to work any cures.
Take away the Gospel from a Church and that Church is not worth preserving. A well without water, a scabbard without a sword, a steam-engine without a fire, a ship without compass and rudder, a watch without a mainspring, a stuffed carcase without life,—all these are useless things. But there is nothing so useless as a Church without the Gospel.
To the Reformation Englishmen owe an English Bible, and liberty for every man to read it.—To the Reformation they owe the knowledge of the way of peace with God, and of the right of every sinner to go straight to Christ by faith, without bishop, priest, or minister standing in his way.—To the Reformation they owe a Scriptural standard of morality and holiness, such as our ancestors never dreamed of.-For ever let us be thankful for these inestimable mercies! For ever let us grasp them firmly, and refuse to let them go! For my part, I hold that he who would rob us of these privileges, and draw us back to Pre-Reformation ignorance, superstition, and unholiness, is an enemy to England, and ought to be firmly opposed.
Let us read our Bibles, and be armed with Scriptural arguments. A Bible-reading laity is a nation’s surest defence against error.
The principal reason why they were burned was because they refused one of the peculiar doctrines of the Romish Church. On that doctrine, in almost every case, hinged their life or death. If they admitted it, they might live; if they refused it, they must die. The doctrine in question was the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated elements of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper.
It is a broad fact that during the four last years of Queen Mary’s reign no less than 288 persons were burnt at the stake for their adhesion to the Protestant faith.
First sentence: There is no beginning to the story of Martin Luther.
I have read a good many biographies of Martin Luther in recent years. Some have beFirst sentence: There is no beginning to the story of Martin Luther.
I have read a good many biographies of Martin Luther in recent years. Some have been short. Some have been long. Some have focused on the historical. Some have focused solely on the theological. Some have been compelling. Some have been boring.
I'll be honest. Concise isn't always better. There is such a thing as keeping Luther's life story so basic, so simple, so compact that it becomes dull, dry, BORING. The problem isn't that Luther led a dull life with hardly anything ever happening. Far from it! The problem is that putting Martin Luther into context--historically, spiritually, theologically--takes a lot of words and details. Rob a biography of good, substantive, meaty details, and it becomes dull. Metaxas' biography thrives on details. Readers need details--not just about Martin Luther himself--but about everything. Luther cannot be understood apart from his times, apart from his contemporaries, apart from his writings. Can Luther be understood fully? Can any man--or woman--be understood fully?! Any biographer who thinks they have grasped everything there is to grasp and know everything there is to know, and can explain the inner workings of Luther's heart and mind from birth to death aren't to be trusted. Luther is not simple. His biography shouldn't be simple either.
I would definitely recommend this one. I found it a compelling read, though not a quick one. The bad news: Metaxas' chapters are super-long. This almost forces you to slow down your reading--to take time with the text. That's also the good news. There is something to be said for going slow and steady through a book. Martin Luther is worth spending time with, worth engaging. And you just don't get that when you rush through a book.
In a world in which we nearly always associate the Bible with churches--and churches with the Bible--it is difficult to imagine a time when the two had almost no connection. That this changed so dramatically is yet another measure of Luther's immense impact on history. (52) By the time Luther entered the monastic life, the one book that novices were allowed to read was in fact the Bible. We know that immediately upon entering the monastery, Luther was lent one that was bound in red leather, for he recollected this often in his later years. It seems that Luther did not receive the book lightly, for he not only read it but almost devoured it. (53) Strangely enough, once a novice became a monk, he was no longer allowed to keep his Bible. At that point, he must limit himself to only reading scholarly books, and those while in his cell. It seems that only in Luther's private time in the library of the monastery did he have access to the Bible after his novitiate. Staupitz saw that for Luther the Bible was not a book like Aristotle's Ethics or like a volume of Livy or Cicero. It was the living Word of God and therefore could not be read like any other book. It was inspired by God, and when one read it, one must do so in such a way--with such closeness and intimacy--that one fully intended to feel and smell the breezes of heaven. If one missed this aspect, one missed the whole point. For Staupitz, to read any other book like this was to be a fool, but to read the Bible in any other way than this was to be twice the fool. (68) Therefore, one must not merely see what the devil could see, which is to say the words on a page, but see what only God could see and would reveal to those who desired it, which was in the words and around them too. (77) The difference between Luther and many other Christians in this is that he is not afraid to make explicit what is clearly implicitly understood. The idea that all Bible verses are technically equal by dint of being part of the "Word of God" should not prohibit us from saying that some verses are more important than others. Some would say that we can somehow find the Gospel in every jot and tittle of Scripture, because it is alive and should not be read the way we read other books, but even if this is the case, we will look much harder in some verses than in others, where it is on the very surface for everyone to see. (293)...more
First sentence from the introduction: Luther was a problem. Certainly for the pope and the emperor, but often he was also a problem for his fellow refFirst sentence from the introduction: Luther was a problem. Certainly for the pope and the emperor, but often he was also a problem for his fellow reformers. Prone to outbursts of rage and coarse language, Luther was frequently stubborn and undiplomatic, even with allies.
First sentence from chapter one: God, the Devil, and death were everyday topics in the world into which Martin Luther was born. As a child, Luther learned that God was a Judge more righteous than merciful. The Devil was out to snatch your soul and turn women into witches. Death was not the end of life, Luther was taught, but instead it was the moment you appear before God and enter purgatory. With these dour lessons firmly in his head, is it any surprise that years later Luther would say that every mention of God was “as a clap of thunder in [his] heart”? The god that Martin Luther was told to believe in as a child was a god who signaled his righteousness chiefly through punishment.
Premise/plot: Herman Selderhuis has written a spiritual biography of Martin Luther. He balances writing about Martin Luther's life with letting Martin Luther tell his own story by sharing quotes from his books, letters, sermons, pamphlets, etc. Even if you've read half a dozen books on Martin Luther in the past, I'd invite you to read this newly published biography. Selderhuis' narrative style is compelling.
My thoughts: I loved this book. I have read a handful of books on Martin Luther. Perhaps I should amend that to read, I've struggled my way through a handful of books on Martin Luther. I've almost always found them dull, intimidating, repetitive, or simplistic. Perhaps that isn't fair. Perhaps a fairer description would be not quite ideal in terms of reader appeal or approachability.
I loved Selderhuis' biography because it was packed with information, with detail, but the presentation was such that everything fit together and created a big picture context. It included plenty of information--some of it new to me--in a fascinating narrative. Nothing was dumbed down or made to be concise. The book was not yet another basic outline of his life. There's a passage in Ezekiel that I think applies here.
Ezekiel 37:1-10 reads, "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army." Other biographers have given readers the dry bones of Martin Luther. But it is Selderhuis' biography that has given Martin Luther flesh and skin in my opinion.
I loved LEARNING. There were so many things I did NOT know about Luther even though I've read up on him.
For example, did you know that Martin Luther once promised his wife fifty guilders if she would read the Bible cover to cover during the period of early October to Easter? (She was SUPER busy being a mom and wife) Selderhuis writes, "Apparently, Käthe accepted this arrangement because on October 28, Luther mentioned to a friend, “She is taking this seriously, because she has already reached Deuteronomy.”
I was aware of Martin Luther's many stomach ailments. But I was NOT aware of the ringing in his ears. I found out I have something else in common with him!
OR did you know that on his deathbed Martin Luther kept quoting Psalm 31:6?
Favorite Selderhuis quotes:
The Middle Ages may not have been as dark as they have often been portrayed, but from a spiritual perspective, the world in which young Martin Luther grew up was more like a haunted house than a playground.
Whoever reads the Bible must be very careful not to wander, Luther insisted. One can expand on the Scriptures, but this should never be directed by feeling. Instead, one must allow the Bible to lead back to the source, that is, to the cross of Christ.
Luther did not have an agenda, and he did not have a system of theology. He had a thesis: that God gives grace and does not require merit. The consequences of that thesis were so enormous that they ultimately led to a different Europe.
In a sense, October 31, 1517, could be called the birthday of a new world, a world in which life looked different in every context for those who followed Luther’s lead. A society that was based on the conviction that people have to restore their relationship with God changed radically when a new foundational conviction emerged: that God in Christ accomplished everything.
The Psalms for him were the key to a life with God. Those who want to obey the first commandment can do that best, Luther believed, by reading through the Psalms, to learn them and to pray them.
Despite the constant medical issues, Luther was able to accomplish much work. In 1521, he was sick for seven months but still published thirty treatises, wrote a hundred letters, and preached seventy times. In 1530, he was sick for ten months but produced thirty treatises, one hundred seventy letters, and sixty sermons. In 1536, he was ill for eight months and produced ten treatises, ninety letters, and fifty sermons. In 1545, again sick for ten months, he nevertheless produced thirteen treatises, eighty letters, and thirty-five sermons.
Favorite Luther quotes:
This letter [Romans] is the most important chapter in the New Testament and is the purist gospel. It would be worth a Christian’s effort not only to memorize this letter word for word but also to work with it on a daily basis like daily bread for the soul. One can never read or reflect on it too often or too thoroughly. The more frequently you engage yourself with this letter, the more valuable and appetizing it becomes.
We are doing our best to translate the Prophets into German. God, what a huge and tiring task this is to force the Hebrew writers to speak German. They do not want to abandon their Hebrew singularity to follow the barbarian German.
From a book you will never learn to pray well. You can read in it and receive instruction how and in what way you should pray. And you can let it motivate you to pray, but the prayer should come from the heart, without all the words that have already been written, and you should use words that your heart desires
“The letter to the Galatians is my little letter, and I am married to it. It is my Käthe von Bora.”
Every preacher must be so sure and should be so convinced that he has and that he preaches the Word of God that he would be willing to die for it, specifically because preaching concerns life.
First sentence (from the foreword): Much of the discussion about Martin Luther these days seems to focus on his flaws rather than his faith, and that’First sentence (from the foreword): Much of the discussion about Martin Luther these days seems to focus on his flaws rather than his faith, and that’s a pity. ~ John MacArthur
Premise/plot: The Legacy of Luther is edited by R.C. Sproul and Stephen J. Nichols. It has many contributors including: John MacArthur, David B. Calhoun, Joel R. Beeke, Steven J. Lawson, Stephen J. Nichols, Michael S. Horton, Guy Prentiss Waters, Sinclair B. Ferguson, W. Robert Godfrey. Gene Edward Veith, Aaron Clay Denlinger, Scott M. Manetsch, Sean Michael Lucas, Terry Yount, Derek W.H. Thomas, and R.C. Sproul.
The book is divided into three sections: "Luther's Life," "Luther's Thought," and "Luther's Legacy."
My thoughts: If you're looking to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, this would be a good choice. I'm not sure it's my favorite new book on the subject of the Reformation, but it is solidly good.
The first part of the book is a biography of Martin Luther and gives readers context. The second part of the book focuses on the five solas of the Reformation: Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone, The Glory of God Alone. The third part focuses on Luther's legacy. ...more
First sentence: Gladys Aylward sat in a hard, high-backed chair across from a square desk.
I first heard of Gladys Aylward in the 1958 movie, The Inn oFirst sentence: Gladys Aylward sat in a hard, high-backed chair across from a square desk.
I first heard of Gladys Aylward in the 1958 movie, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. After reading this biography, I've learned that she really did not approve of the movie...at all. I'm not sure I'll stop liking the movie, but it's given me food for thought. WHO is telling your story and WHY can definitely influence the outcome. It makes a weird kind of sense that Hollywood would be more interested in DRAMA and ROMANCE and even COMEDY rather than highlighting a humble woman who was all about serving and glorifying the Lord above all else. That doesn't necessarily make it right.
When Aylward first returned to England--after the second World War--she did not come seeking glory or fame for herself. She did not see herself as a hero. She did not see her story as being worth telling or sharing. Her story was coaxed out of her and shared with the world via Alan Burgess.
Her story is worth telling because it is a TESTIMONY of the Lord's working wonders in her life. Gladys Aylward was a woman who felt called by the Lord to service. She was confident the Lord was calling her to China. Not everyone shared her confidence. In fact--few did. She was rejected by the China Inland Mission--because she was "too old" to learn the Chinese language. She didn't feel 'too old' however. She would continue to serve the Lord where she was--London--and save up money to send herself to China. Perhaps she could be an assistant to an older--established--missionary. She would end up going to China and serving alongside Jeannie Lawson--a missionary who was becoming increasingly senile though no less stubborn.
The book tells of her years in China--as an innkeeper, as a foot inspector, guardian of orphans--in the 1930s and 40s. She was unable to stay in China after the Communists took over; but she settled in Taiwan and continued serving the Lord.
Quotes: When Gladys reflected on her new job she realized it was a gift from God. To think she had resisted. She had the opportunity to travel all over the Mandarin's district and meet every woman and girl of the many thousands in the district. It really was miraculous now that she accepted it. Why had she ever hesitated? Probably because she was single-minded and she could think of nothing but spreading the gospel to the male guests at the inn. But here is yet another way to spread the gospel and to women. (99)...more
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