Christopher's Meanderings

Although I finished this book earlier last week, I wanted to sit with my thoughts a while before writing this review.   Learning from My Father: Lessons on Life and Faith  is a reflection on a life formed from a relationship with a Christian father.  Specifically, David Lawther Johnson's father served Presbyterian churches as a minister for most of his life.   The lessons learned in the book are nothing startling. However, it contains a number of almost proverbial quotes with which I resonated.  Here's one from the chapter on being a good witness: "Just because many people fail to discuss faith in a credible or welcome way with others doesn't mean we get a pass from doing it (140)." This quote speaks to the point of witness in the Christian life, demands an answer, and sets up good discussion.   The problem arises from what follows the quote. The author makes it clear he does not really share his faith consistently.  Thankfully, the author pai...

This is a short review of American Evangelical Protestantism and European Immigrants, 1800-1924  by William J. Phalen.  American Evangelicals often forget, or don't even know, just how many of their current practices started. For example, the association of evangelicalism with the Republican Party seems like something natural for many Americans.   However, there were historical and sociological reasons for such associations that often escaped religious reasons.   In this text, we get a glimpse of quite a few historical associations.   Phalen uses primary documents from both sides to make his points, and there is much to be learned here. Speeches, sermons, and articles used by evangelicals get to speak for themselves.   Much time is spent specifically on the plight of Irish American immigrants and the struggles they faced as they came to the United States.  German and Chinese immigrants also get some attention, but the focus is definitely on the ...

Last night, I had dinner with a friend I hadn't seen for a while. The meal was nothing spectacular, although it was one of my favorites. We are nearing the end of a media series with my youth group, and he had come to share about his visual media company with my students.  After group, we crossed the road and went to a great local restaurant .  We ate and talked about our lives. On the drive home, I got to thinking about what sharing a meal with someone means. It's hard to dislike someone when you eat with them, especially if the food is inviting.  We ate Mexican food last night.  My friend commented on something we both enjoy about this type of dining- the chips and salsa.  When you share food like that, more family style, it's extremely hard to dislike someone.  The only way I could fake that is by not eating the chips and salsa.  We ate guacamole too. If I'm thinking about things I don't like about someone, I am not going to enjoy my meal, and ...

This post comes from my youth ministry blog ; we are celebrating Good Friday with a modified Seder meal this coming Friday, April 6th.   _____ I don't know if you are familiar with  Passover  or not.  Growing up as the son of a pastor, it was something I was fairly familiar with. My family participated in a few Seder meals over the years, and we read the story of the Exodus many times throughout each year (you can read the whole book of Exodus, but I would recommend starting by reading 3:7-10 ).  Today, I spent about 2 hours making my own matzah (unleavened bread) for our Seder meal we will celebrate on Good Friday.  It was the first time I had done so, and I was surprised at how much I learned through the experience.  First, the process really does get you thinking about what it means to follow God when He tells you to move.  The Israelites were told to prepare their food quickly, eat it, and be ready to leave the land of slavery ...

( This post was written for my youth ministry blog and also appears there. ) Rejection. It’s such a harsh word isn’t it?  And yet we all experience it at some point in our lives.  In movies and television shows, it has often been portrayed as something overcome with a “feel good” ending. Finally, the ugly kid triumphs over the beauty queen and is accepted by his peers. Or maybe the shy girl, who has never been asked out because people make fun of her, winds up getting treated like a princess by the most sought after guy.  The actual experience of rejection is rarely like the movies. It’s the reason even a game of dodgeball can be depressing.  After all, who wants to be last one picked for a team? It definitely stinks of rejection. It is what we fear and what drives us towards The In Crowd. The In Crowd usually stands for the cool people, those who are popular and favored by their peers. At the same time, rejection may alienate us from other people....

It is refreshing to read a meditative work born out of life experiences. Although written for Christians and non-Christians alike, Addison Hodges Hart's Taking Jesus at His Word  will appeal most to people who already believe in the message of Jesus.  Jesus is presented as a teacher, but also as Lord.  Every chapter reads easily.  This is not to say that Hart has softened the message of Jesus.  Rather, his writing style invites readers to sit and ponder the words of the Messiah. And yet we have much more than introspection.  There is also a call to action.  Some readers may be off-put by the pragmatic leanings of Hart.  From my perspective, this is one thing I agree wholeheartedly with the author about.  Orthopraxy in its proper context is always appropriate.  On the other hand, I do have my methodological concerns with the book.  Throughout, there is an implied approach to hermeneutics and exegesis with which I do not agree...