Word & Way: Conservative and Liberal Belief

Jul 18, 2012

Conservative and Liberal Belief

Last weekend, two articles came to my attention that I would say "caught" my attention. One caught my attention because it was in the New York Times. (links below). Both articles spoke primarily of the Episcopal church's rapid decline in the last couple of decades and both suggest something closer to hemorrhaging in the last couple of years. It makes me sad. See, I love the church and I always want to see the church in all its forms do well. But herein lies a problem: one would be hard pressed to call the Episcopal Church, at least at the national level, a church. Yes, to be sure there are local churches in the Episcopal as well as other main line denominations that are healthy and biblical, but at the national governing levels, it's a different story.

The most fundamental founding moment of the church was when Peter said to Jesus, "You are the Christ (messiah), the son of the living God." (Matthew 16:6). As the New Testament continues to unfold, there are other core matters regarding Jesus that are foundational to Christian belief. One is the bodily resurrection, another is that Jesus is the only way to salvation - the only way to God. This latter statement is not a matter of dogmatic exclusivism but practical reality for those who understand sin and atonement. And then there is the doctrine of the Bible itself, forged through the centuries of witness, testimony, study and councils - all of which could be summarized in the word "canon" - those books that comprise the inspired word of God which is authoritative for doctrine, life and practice. Well, at the national level of the Episcopal Church, these foundational beliefs are not upheld. In some corners they are ridiculed. There are similar bells sounding in other main line (old line) denominations in the U.S. as well.

It was in 1995 that I finished my doctoral thesis, writing very much about these issues that are before us today. My case study was main line Presbyterianism, but the issues and declines in all the main lines are very similar. In that study, I concluded that if the main line churches didn't recover a commitment to orthodox belief, that they would die out like the dinosaurs. If they did recover orthodoxy, they may rise like a phoenix. Unhappily, I suggested that the course of drifting belief seemed irreversible, which led me to suggest that the day may come when some of the main line denominations merge. This will be done with the fanfare of the victories of ecumenism, but in reality organizations rarely merge unless one or both of them needs help. This would be the reason for merging. Such a church might be called something like what exists in Australia - "The Uniting Church of Australia." If it happens, it may become a bastion of liberal beliefs that the church calls Christian, but which in reality are not. There will be lots of obfuscated vocabulary which are the words of ivory towerism, all intended to sound erudite and scholarly (i.e. convincing) but they will not be the words of Christianity at all. They are the words of generalized spirituality that sometimes refer to Jesus, but are not talking about the Jesus of the Bible. In this regard, it is important to get it out on the table - that these words are not Christianity at all, and calling it such is euphemistic and deceitful.

Religion at its core is about belief. Belief, to mean anything has to have clarity to it. There have to be things held to be true, within a framework of an orthodox doctrine. To depart from clarity, from foundations of core beliefs is to depart from Christianity and morph into the amorphous world of new-age spirituality - a mixture of religions, of beliefs, of spiritual words - but without clarities of any kind that would comprise a defined doctrine. Many have said it, but to believe everything is to believe nothing really - it is a vacuous system of wanting religion without commitment, intellectual or volitional. In this regard, it lacks character or integrity - and also courage.

Christianity at it's core is a religion for living life. It's doctrines, while philosophically significant are not philosophical at root. They are practical. The resurrection gives hope to people both for the living of their daily lives, and more profoundly - for their dying. This is so markedly different than the jaded words of pseudo enlightened erudition that pour forth from those who are proponents of unbiblical Christianity. See, Christianity is about changed lives due to coming into a personal relationship with the risen son of God. Changed lives is an imminently practical concept, not one of philosophical word games.

I've never really liked the labels "liberal" and "conservative." They have become laden with targets and pejorative connotations intended to malign opponents. I prefer to make it clearer than that - let's call it "biblical Christianity" or "unbiblical Christianity." And then let's have the guts to say that the latter is not Christianity.

People who are living their lives and coming to church looking for hope, deserve leaders who have the courage to say they either believe or they don't - so these people can draw their own conclusions from clear statements and navigate their eternity accordingly. To play word games with people's lives is a form of leadership to which I am opposed. This having gone on for some time now, is what is leading people to leave these unbiblical organizations, taking their faith and their hope to places that believe in the biblical Jesus.

So, in conclusion - I don't write any of this triumphalistically. I am very aware that the church struggles through the centuries and has risen and fallen throughout history for reasons too numerous to name. I write it because I love the church and I'm grieved when people who don't believe are pretending they do. Saddened. That's all.

To read the articles I mentioned in the first part of this post, see:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Home-Page-News-and-Views/Why-is-the-Episcopal-church-near-collapse.aspx?p=1

and

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/opinion/sunday/douthat-can-liberal-christianity-be-saved.html?_r=3&hp

BOOKS

The Great Divorce by CS Lewis

A friend asked me years ago if I had read this book and when I said "no," he couldn't believe it. So I tried reading it and when I did, it felt like drinking sand. I've had this experience with books before though, and I've learned ways to come back to a book later on, perhaps when I'm in a different place. So about a month ago, I tried again and found this book full of insight - which is typical when I read CS Lewis. At the same time, I would still say it's not easy reading. That too can be typical of Lewis for me. The book is a metaphor essentially, so by definition it will not satisfy some who want more literalism. The stunning part of this book to me is the way Lewis explains selfishness and self-centeredness as that which keeps us from God and other people. His way of explaining and exposing this is at once remarkable and also startling. The overall theme he suggests is that hell is the place of utter selfishness, utter self-centeredness. When this grows up to maturity it's an agonizing aloneness. This book is like going for a good run. Hard to get into. Worth it when you finish. Really.

The Deeper Journey by Robert Mulholland

I appreciate what this book teaches about how people tend to use religion. The book uncovers subtle ways that in our sin and needyness, we are apt to employ religion. As a result, rather than grow deeply and truly through our faith, we use religion to fill our holes and thus practice a religious form of sin rather than a secular form. Mulholland speaks frequently of "our false selves." I understand what he means, but where I part with him is that he can't seem to bring himself to speak of the concept of sin and our participation in it. That said, I found the book helpful for examining my own heart, faith, and motives, and perhaps having a better understanding of others'.

Our Hope for Years to Come by Martin and Micah Marty

This devotional book was given to me about a year ago and I hadn't really spent time with it until about a month ago. It's a book of thoughts and pictures about hope. I have found it immensely meaningful. It's not fancy, it's not a best seller - but it's beautiful to me. The articulation of words mixed with the images is rich food for the soul. Like some of my favorite books, this one is better sipped than gulped. It's not currently in print but it's easy to find on Amazon.

Spirituality According to the Apostle Paul by Rodney Reeves

This is an in depth book that examines the teaching and writing of the apostle Paul - teaching and writing which like anyone's comes from the intersection of his experiences, his personality, his training and upbringing. Rodney Reeves refreshingly breaks through the current mode of populist Christianity to make the point that Paul's mode of Christianity was the victory of Christ made most visible through Paul's own weaknesses and failings. In other words, it wasn't Paul's conquests that revealed Christ as victorious - it was his weaknesses and struggles.

The beauty of this exposition is that it's real and it's where the majority of people live - in their struggles and challenges. Most people don't feel victorious every day and making that the benchmark for understanding that Christ is real is a paucity of current American Christianity. No - it's when we are weak that Christ proves himself strong and victorious - and herein lies the victory. Rich reading; better sipped than skimmed.

Calico Joe by John Grisham

I really like novels, but I confess that once I get a feel for what's going on and who's who in most of them, I put them down. A friend gave me this book and said I'd like it. He was right. It has the stuff I like: Sports, relationships, redemption. Is there anything else? Okay - just kidding. Lighten up.

It's true, you can figure out where this one is going pretty early on - but I stayed with it because it's relatively short, and Grisham didn't disappoint. He threw in some details that made it come to life even after you know what's going to happen. Given that yesterday was Father's Day - this book has a strong but sad father son relationship in it. When the son is old enough to speak truth to the father without fear, the father in his own proud way comes to accept it. A very enjoyable summer read.

Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose

I have long appreciated Ambrose and his writing of history - particularly WW2 history. This book speaks powerfully of the relationships among battlefield comrades in E company of the 101st airborne division. Dropping into the German held territory behind Normandy beach on June 5, 1944 and fighting their way toward Germany for the next year - the book details the struggles of the war, particularly in the winter of 1945. It's hard to overstate the challenges faced, and the guts and perseverance of those who fought for freedom. Every time I read books like this I'm reminded of how much we who have not been to war, owe to those who have.

Can you Drink the Cup by Henri Nouwen

Well you can see that Nouwen is one of my favorites, and for the season of Lent, I have found this book to be very rich. He reflects on the cup of communion, the blood shed by Christ as a result of his obedience and for our forgiveness - and how at the outset, the disciples didn't get all this. While it is deep, they were thinking of themselves - thinking about who would get a higher rank in Heaven and so forth. Then Jesus said, "Can you drink from the cup from which I drink?" They didn't get it, kinda said, "Sure we can," having no idea the depth of it all. Nouwen takes us to those deeper places in this book. If you appreciate Lent and lenten aspects of our faith - this book is one I enjoy very much. Particularly at this time of year.

Building Below the Water Line by Gordon MacDonald

This is one of the better books I've read in a long time on leadership. Maybe it's that I'm getting older and this book is Gordon's reflections from many years of experience, but the book stresses character over charisma and motives over methods. In a world where sadly, we now have lots of celebrity among Christian leaders, this book is a strong call to the inner core of the quality of the leader's inner world. In a world where Twitter, Facebook and YouTube can make anyone famous in short order, this book warns against the flashy, and exhorts toward the quality of the leader's heart.

The Only Necessary Thing by Henri Nouwen

I like most all of Nouwen's writing. His earthy and heartfelt spiritual seeking of Jesus is encouraging to me. This book is thoughts on prayer and the spiritual life that are compiled from his other writings. Each entry is about 3 paragraphs and offers enough rich food to ponder for a day or maybe a lot more. It has particularly meaningful thoughts on the Holy Spirit - who He is in our hearts and souls.

Twilight at Monticello by Alan Crawford

This is a very interesting read about Jefferson's life after his presidency, when he returns to Monticello. I wouldn't say it's very flattering of Jefferson, so those who love him might not like it. It has a ring of realism to it, but at the same time chooses to pick out a good bit of the down side to Jefferson and his life - particularly his inability to control his spending and manage money. One could argue that it's an uncharitable book, but to be honest it makes me appreciate Jefferson more. It shows some struggles and family difficulties and other things about him that were not strengths. He is so revered in Virginia that this book moves him from icon to human - and I can love a human better than an icon.

The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

This is my #1 book on living the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. It took me 18 months to read it because I needed time to process it and consider it, to sip its thoughts and to re-think again and again, the things Willard was saying. I have never read a book that states things with this much freshness of perspective. I have more pages of this book dog-eared than any other book I own.

Some people have told me they found this book to be heavy or weighty. I didn't. I found it like fresh air. I think some found it to be heavy because he says things differently than I've ever seen them before and for some people this is hard to understand because it can be so unique. For instance, one of many examples is Willard's sentence when he says, "I'm learning to try to live my life as Jesus would live it if he were me." Most of the time this concept has been put the other way around, "to live as if I were Jesus." But Willard says no, "what if Jesus were me?" You have to think that over for a while. That's one reason why it took me 18 months to read this book. My #1 favorite.

The Long Journey Home by Os Guinness

This is one of the best books I've read for the philosophical seeker. Where Tim Keller writes on the platform of apologetic truth, this book comes more from the position of helping a philosophical person process the questions of who God is. It's an intellectual book but not burdensomely so. It deals with truth and our will and throughout the book Guinness references many great thinkers. This is a terrific book if you are asking these kinds of questions or know someone who is.

Finding My Way Home by Henri Nouwen

I find that as Nouwen got older he wrote more about the journey into weakness. It's profound reading - because aging means we are all headed toward weakness. Having just spent time with my father who is very much showing the years, this book had my attention. Nouwen writes about how we might take this journey and embrace it as a way of growth, and a place of grace - something we are able to move toward with acceptance and trust in God. Then he goes on to say that dying is the ultimate destination of the journey toward weakness, and he writes about how we might be able to die well, with grace, full of hope, embracing the better eternity of the full love of God. To me, it was very moving. A theme of the book is that in order to take the journey of weakness well, we have to really receive the love of God. This of course is a journey in its own right; and one magnificent benefit of accepting the love of God Nouwen says, is that we are freed from the insecurities that make us feel a need to keep proving ourselves - proving that we are valuable, capable, worthy of admiration. That's a beautiful freedom.

Epic by John Eldredge
This book does a great job rendering the big story of who God is, who we are, and what we're a part of. This perspective is much needed in contemporary Christianity which has largely been reduced to people saying to God "what have you done for me lately?" Talk about shrinking the faith! As if that was the summation of why God exists and what our life with him is to be. Only in getting captivated by the larger story, do I find that my heart is engaged; and a larger story it is - a love story, a battle, a glorious ending. This book may also be helpful to give to someone who is not a believer. It describes the faith well, and it invites people to come into the story. It's also a relatively quick read - which makes it even more helpful as a giveaway book.

Sabbath by Wayne Muller

This book speaks of "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." If you feel fried by life, the demands, the incessant assault of information, internet, news, email, etc... this book may be a drink of cold water. Wayne Muller is a liberal Christian who is embracing of other religions in ways that feel syncretistic to me. While I don't share those sentiments with him, there is much in this book that I find deeply meaningful. He has a way of speaking about sabbath in ways that I have never read before. Sometimes, to me, his words and descriptions are elegant, other times they are evocative and emotional - in appealing ways. And while I don't embrace other religions to the same degree he seems to, I found his telling of the way other religions practice sabbath and rest to be meaningful. Some might say this book is deep water, but it's very in touch with the realness and hardships of life. I found it very, very, meaningful - and if you can hang with his buddhist tendencies and do some deciphering - I think it's a remarkable book.

Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson
My favorite all time devotional book is My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I will never forget staying in a mission house in Japan with Christians who's travels had them coming and going to all points of the globe - when each morning the host of the mission house would read "Utmost" at breakfast to everyone. The clear and simple teaching of this book was speaking to all the souls of all these different Christians from lots of different cultures, denominations and churches. So, I guess I'm actually starting this little review with an endorsement of "Utmost." That said, my second favorite devotional book is "Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice." For some reason, the things Dallas Willard talks about, and the way he says it, speak powerfully to me. This book isn't quite a daily devotional, but it's 52 chapters of short devotional readings. Call it a weekly devotional. It's great.

Love Wins by Rob Bell
I find Rob Bell to be a somewhat confusing guy. When I read this book, honestly, I felt that he is a somewhat confused guy. In the past I have appreciated his willingness to provoke evangelical convention and challenge some of the unfortunate trappings of evangelical culture. I have resonated with some of that. And, while I have never connected with, or liked, the Pneuma videos, I know many have. Rob is passionate and emotional, and in this book, very A.D.D. As I read I kept thinking, "where's the editor?" This book is a kind of stream of consciousness that wanders from point to point and covers lots of thoughts, many of which felt impulsive and shallow. I read the book in one sitting, which always helps - and one theme I picked up was his repeatedly strong words about abuse. I can appreciate this, abuse is bad and it's wrong, but the book reads as though there are numerous unresolved feelings for him in this area.

Finally, the obvious - the disturbing lack of theological clarity. The book is very non-committal on the question of 'Jesus as the only way.' It was very selective in how it handled the Bible and it was very shallow in explaining how a person is saved through Jesus; i.e. how our sins can be forgiven through Jesus in ways that no other religion offers.

There is a God by Anthony Flew
Anthony Flew may be described as England's most influential atheist throughout the second half of the 20th century. Now in his 80s, this book describes how he came to believe in God. Flew's personal axiom has always been Plato's "We must follow the argument wherever it leads." In his later years, simply put, the argument led him to believe in God. For a man who championed atheism and published countless books and essays in support of that position, he has held honestly to Plato's axiom, and as an honest atheist, he's become a believer in God.

The book has a lot of philosophical language and dressing, but also enough clearly described material to illumine the search for the honest seeker. More than I liked the book, I think the book made me like Anthony Flew.

Radical by David Platt
I liked this book, but I find myself a little sideways with its impact. People have said to me, "This book is amazing! You gotta read it." "This book will rock your world." So I read it and I liked it, but I wasn't sure what was so radical about it. To me, David Platt is writing about the life we live if we take Jesus seriously. Perhaps that's the concern - perhaps it's challenging us that what we have been doing is "some Christian thing" but not really Jesus-centered living as followers of the master himself. If we read Acts and take it seriously, I think we see this call to the life of serving God. The book of Acts is probably "Radical Part 1." Perhaps Platt has made the book of Acts real again. That's a good thing. I'm grateful for it.

Tell it Slant by Eugene Peterson

This is a book to read slowly - I suppose it's best to sip it. Only Peterson seems to be able to say things the way he does, with insights and language that is at once elegant, alive and earthy. His rendering of "storyless teaching" is helpful - especially when so many of us have been taught to be technical teachers.

The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeshel
This book puts a finger on a brand of American religion that is a real challenge. Groeshel says that millions of us believe in God, but this apparently has no real effect on our lives, our personalities and our living. We believe, but we live as though we don't. Full of worry and anxiety, living without distinction to the norms of culture - we want God, we believe, but we are in a sense practical atheists. Very helpful.

Why Faith Matters by David Wolpe
David Wolpe is a Jewish rabbi. This book talks in a rather laboratory kind of way about the difference faith makes in life. He talks about faith making a personal difference, and a social and civic difference. Most intriguing to me however was his study of the influence of faith on nations and governments and the treatment of peoples. Contrary to the argument that religion has been responsible for violence, Wolpe studies the violence wrought in the name of "non-religion" which in the 20th century alone he suggests is responsible for the killing of at least 100,000,000 people by their own governments. While the history of religion is not without its scars, Wolpe clarifies that the history of atheism is a history of killing fields as far as the eye can see. To me, this is a good read to be informed and able to engage in the cross currents of debates about the "harm" religion causes. On the contrary, Wolpe is clear that the absence of religion has created much more startling ghettos of oppression.

The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
The Unlikely Disciple is a great light spiritual read written by a very winsome young guy. Kevin Roose is either still in college or just graduating. I liked this book because Kevin's search reminds me of my own and I found common ground and memories. I was raised in a northeastern environment where religion was silly stuff for unenlightened people. Kevin has some of that. He's engaging and funny - sometimes I'd burst out laughing at something he said or saw. It's a book about a young guy who goes to Brown trying a grand cross cultural experiment by spending a semester at Liberty. Really enjoyed it.

The Reason for God by Tim Keller
A very insightful book - similar but different than other apologetics books. More of a dialogue than a diatribe. This book could be very helpful to share with a friend who has doubt-interests about faith. He covers the big ideas and questions in a way that is written for a person who wants to think through the possible plausibility of Christianity. Another book that might appeal in a similar vein is "Finding God at Harvard" ed. by Kelly Monroe

The Shack by Bill Young
Liked it. I read it as a fantasy novel so didn't have a problem with some of the theological stretching. I understand he wrote it as a parable for his kids. Sometimes I've given a sermon and a person may object - but I might feel "that wasn't the point I was trying to make." I think the book runs into this. Two likes: Sarayu is working in the garden - it's messy but she points out its beauty to Mack, then says, "This is your soul Mack." Appreciated the answer to Mack's question, "how can you justify this?" Papa says, "I'm not justifying it Mack, I'm redeeming it." One didn't like: I thought the message about forgiveness could have gone deeper so that Mack could have understood Jesus Christ taking the injustice and paying the price. "Taking your hands off his neck" is helpful but needs more, I think.

ART

Admittedly I neither appreciated nor knew anything about art until I married an artist. She taught me that art is about much more than representation. Once I began to grasp this, then appreciate it, art became a whole world of interest and fascination - observation and perception. I've even come to like various expressions of abstract art!

Learning to appreciate art is a journey, so it correlates nicely to the Christian life. Particularly, it invites us to inquire about the meaning of a piece of art, and about the heart and life of the artist. Sometimes you can look at a painting and not really like it - but if you hear the story behind it, you can begin to appreciate it. This is often the way it is with people. We may have an initial impression and not really like someone, but if we come to know their story - we can usually appreciate them.

Then, art of course is all about expressing and about creating. Since God is a creator who expresses Himself, I think a growing appreciation for art parallels a growing appreciation for God.

Brilliant Fall by Joseph Kote

In January of 2013 Elisabeth and I found ourselves in St. Augustine Florida. I was there for a board meeting and it was a rare occasion where she could travel with me. We found St. Augustine to be lots of fun. One thing we didn't anticipate was the number of art galleries. So, when we had a break in the meeting schedule we would explore some of the galleries. In one of them we saw a painting by Joseph Kote. We'd never heard of him but we were blown away by how much we liked his work. I think I've mentioned that I increasingly prefer art that tilts toward the abstract, but there's a balance point for me. Joseph Kote's painting hits that balance point in a wonderful way. Seeing the original of this painting in the gallery, Elisabeth and I looked at it for about half an hour. We changed the light in the room to see it in different light, and we pretty well fell in love with it. We talked (fantasized) about buying it, but guessed it would be expensive. Tentatively we inquired. We were right. Way more than we could, or in this stage of life, would, spend. But, nonetheless, it was stunning. It's the first time Elisabeth and I have been in a gallery together when we both fell in love with the same painting. Visiting the gallery's website recently, I see that the painting sold. I hope the person who bought it loves it and gets great joy out of it.

Bahamas Sloop by Winslow Homer

These days, I'm finding art in various forms to be a kind of haven and a form of solace and retreat. I'm finding that I'm drawn to people who look at life as artists do. That said, the painting above is from one of my favorites - Winslow Homer. I probably have more of his art than anyone else's. He loved the outdoors, he loved to fly fish. He lived in Maine by himself. This painting depicts a simple and hard life as a Bahamian fisherman. I've been to the Bahamas a number of times, and when there I've read as much as I could about this country and its history. The Bahamas are where land and sea, boats and water are inescapably connected to life. The natural beauty of the Bahamas is what I enjoy most there. So in looking at this Homer painting and others, I usually have a visceral reaction that says, "I'd love to be there - right there in that painting." Homer's renderings of the sea with its power and mystery, and sometimes loneliness, have an inviting draw for me. I have always loved the ocean, being on it or in it - since I was a little kid.

Pablo Picasso

I recently visited the Picasso exhibit while it was in Richmond - the only location east of the Mississippi that had it. I felt that I had to see it even though Picasso's work doesn't appeal to me. As my sister said, "Yes, but even if you don't like his work, he's an artist to be reckoned with. We have to pay attention to him." "Sure enough," I thought, so I went. To me, his work is unresolved and often distorted, it is provocative and leaves you with tension. I can't help but wonder if this "almost" quality speaks of the man. His human figures are not very lovely. He apparently had a fascination with the female physique. His work leaves me feeling dissatisfied and that things aren't the way they ought to be. Then of course I have to wonder if that might be his main point. As a human being, he sees the world as less than we hope it to be. Somewhat distorted, disjointed, and while emotionally inviting, his work has a way of leaving one emotionally dissatisfied. That's how it is for me at least. And if he has provoked me to consider the distortions of life and how they leave us feeling less than fulfilled, then perhaps as an artist he has accomplished a great deal. Just my perspective as I try to enter and interpret what he has created.

Aslan

The Narnia series depicts the Jesus figure in the form of a lion. The Bible speaks of him as "The Lion of the Tribe of Judah." I remember years ago in Tanzania, being closer to a lion than I had anticipated. I was fully alert, kind of scared and totally watching his every step. My African friend whispered, "Have you ever seen one before?" I said, "Only in a zoo. Oddly he looks the same." My friend replied, "Don't think he's tame. He'd kill us if we moved fast." He was regal, massive, and unto himself. This sculpture made me think of Aslan, and the lion I was too close to in Tanzania.

Guatamalan Regal by Hyatt Moore

Hyatt Moore may be most known for his painting of the last supper with people from different ethnicities around the passover table with Christ. His use of rich and earthy color immediately gets my attention because somehow it gives a dignity and humanity to all the people he paints. Most of us have impressions of different kinds of people. In his paintings, Moore's people have character, dignity, and a story. Each person I've seen in a Hyatt Moore painting looks like a person I'd like get to know, a person who's story I'd love to hear. His subjects usually appear to be "close to the earth" kind of people. That's different but similar to saying "down to earth" kind of people. Whenever I see a painting that intrigues me; when the subjects are appealing; the main thing I'd like to do is get to know the artist and ask him or her questions. Every artist has a style and that style represents a lot about the artist. "Why do you paint people this way?" I'd like to ask. "What are you trying to express?" This makes a pretty quick leap to theology I suppose - because looking at (a) creation, makes me curious to know the creator better.

Sacrificial Grace by Makoto Fujimora

Over the years, I've had a chance to visit Japan a number of times. I find the culture and history of Japan to be engaging and mysterious. It's so different than our western way. There is a way of peace and reflection in the east that I like, and eastern art has it's own form and style that renders some of this. Well it was a little over a year ago when I had the serendipitous experience of meeting Mako Fujimora at a retreat center in the hill country of Texas. Mako is warm and welcoming and his personality is humble and kind. He was willing to talk about my novice art interests and observations and it was a pleasure to get to know him. His work is now highly acclaimed and he has received remarkable honors in Japan, though he is not native born Japanese. In the Japanese culture, and the history of traditional Japanese art forms this is a very significant endorsement of Mako's talent. His style is more along the lines of abstract and modern. To me appreciating abstract art has taken the turn of looking for essence. Do you know what I mean? Essence to me is what's under, behind, and in the midst of what we see with our eyes. In this painting, he is rendering the grace of God. In looking at it for a while I found numerous references to Jesus, both as sacrifice and as beauty. A while ago, when thinking about God's grace, it occurred to me that not only does God give us grace, but He does it gracefully. That's not trying to spin a cute phrase, it's an insight that means so much to me. You see, sometimes I give grace, but I do it sort of begrudgingly. I might give something to one of my children, but perhaps not happily. This may not so much be grace and love as much as a stilted amnesty. But God gives us grace, and He does this based on his love - not law. It's a learning place - perhaps for all of us.

WORDS

"Somnambulant"

You can kind of figure this one out with a little puzzle work. "Somn" has that root of "insomnia" which most of us know is related to not being able to sleep. Then "ambulant" is related to "ambulatory" or "walking." So Somnambulant as an adjective means "in a sleep walking way." You could say of an athlete, "Wow, he played a somnambulant game tonight. He couldn't hit one ball the whole night - seemed totally out of it." You get the picture.

"SALUBRIOUS"

How can you say this word without smiling? Come on, really? Salubrious? My wife Elisabeth and I were reading the other day and she called this word out. "I have no idea what that word means," I said. We looked it up. The gist of it; "healthy, that which contributes to health and well being." Have a salubrious day!

"INSOUCIANT"

I bet you have never used this word to say what it means - "Laid back, relaxed." The word seems to come across as the very opposite of what it means. Would you ever say to someone, "C'mon, let's be a little more insouciant about this." I doubt it. We'd say, "Hey bro, chill." I think that would be closer to insouciance than "insouciant."

"INCARN"
Jill Carritini writes for Ravi Zacharias ministries and in a recent email she mentions the word incarn. I have long been fascinated with the Christian concept of the incarnation, and of course "incarn" is a root to this word. The latin "carn" is the root for the word "meat" or "flesh." Thus the incarnation is when God became human and "put on flesh" in Jesus Christ. Carritini says that centuries ago, the word incarn was a more medical word - it was the word that described the flesh that grew over a wound and thus was the mark of healing. This was actually the meaning of the word for centuries, but time and use have morphed it somewhat. Well, the incarnation of Jesus Christ, now takes on richer meaning. He has come in the flesh as God with us, and he came to bring healing and forgiveness of sin. With the ancient sense of the word incarn, I see him in much fuller ways - not just God in the flesh with us (which is vast and thrilling in its own right), but Jesus the healer of our wounds.

"IATROGENIC"
Reading in one of Eugene Peterson's books recently, he mentioned that churches are susceptible to giving people "iatrogenic" illnesses. I looked up this word in the dictionary and also read further to see how Peterson described it. Essentially, an iatrogenic illness is an illness someone gets when they have gone somewhere to be healed. For example if you go to the hospital for minor surgery, but while there contract a staph infection that makes you seriously sick - the staph infection is an iatrogenic illness. You went to get healed of something, and in the process - contracted something else, and in this case - something more serious. Peterson says churches are at risk of this dilemma whereby a person comes to seek healing in their life, and indeed they do. They find forgiveness, truth, and new life. But later, in a churchy environment, the person becomes a self righteous person - with an attitude of superiority, often toward those who are in the same places he used to be. Healed of one thing, he's now contracted something else - a serious illness called self righteousness - which like a germ in the air, is waiting to infect. Hospitals aren't the only place where iatrogenic illnesses happen - churches have to be take care to avoid this problem too.

"RECEIVE"
The word receive is crucial to the Christian life. It's implications are vast. This word is the word which describes the posture of our will related to Jesus in order to become a Christian. "To all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

To receive is to be in a posture of "yieldedness." When you receive something, you must open yourself to it - you make yourself subject to it, not the other way around. We don't master Jesus, we don't claim him, we don't call him our homeboy. We receive him. This means we are moving and acting in response to his leading. In a more intimate description, we are responding to "where he is." And the Christian life is a daily experience of receiving him in all experiences, occasions and circumstances. What if you called a friend and invited him/her for dinner and said, "Let's just go out for a nice dinner and 'receive' each other for a few hours." Do you get it? This would be an evening of listening to each other and responding to where the other is. I think it would be an elegant evening of relating hearts and lives. Receiving Jesus then, can be a daily experience - elegantly interacting with him and responding to his initiative.

"JESUS HEALS"

Okay, so sometimes words translate from one language to another pretty well, sometimes they don't. That concept alone is cool - cuz it means people who speak one language may have a fuller or less full understanding of a thing, than people who speak another language. So most people have heard "Jesus saves." To me, that phrase has become jargon to the point that it doesn't have any grab. But the word the Bible uses that gets translated "saves" is a very full word. It would mean something like a combination of "heals, restores, reconciles, forgives, makes whole." I don't know too many people who wouldn't like to be healed, restored, reconciled to God, forgiven, made whole. Might be time for a new bumper sticker, "Jesus Heals."

"DIALOGUE"
It was some time ago that I learned the word dialogue came from the greek "dia" "logos" conveying the idea of words going back and forth. Most of us I think, have internal dialogues as a way to sharpen our thoughts - words going back and forth in our heads. A way we think things through. If that's an internal dialogue, a blog seems like an external dialogue.