Wesley on time

Though I am always in a haste, I am never in a hurry, because I never undertake more work than I can go through with perfect calmness of spirit. 

 John Wesley
gosh.

Strong pastors

Is it healthy or biblical for the church to cultivate an eldership of pastors (weak in the Word) and an eldership of professors (strong in the Word)?

John Piper, Brothers....p.84

(commenting on surrendering responsibility for in depth technical knowledge to the academy)

Keller: the gospel and sympathy for the poor

[Jonathan Edwards says] "The Christian spirit will make us apt to sympathise with our neighbour when we see him under any difficulty...we ought to have such a spirit of love to him that we should be afflicted with him in his affliction."   Christ literally walked in our shoes and entered into our affliction.  Those who will not help others until they are destitute reveal that Christ's love has not yet turned them into the sympathetic persons the gospel should make them....

...We all want to help kind-hearted, upright people, whose poverty cam upon them through no foolishness or contribution of their own, and who will respond to our aid with gratitude and joy.  However, almost no one like that exists.

Generous Justice, p69-71

The Books #3

I'd be lying if I said I remembered al the essays in this book.  But I do remember clearly reading through and perhaps this was the first book of essays  (other than Lewis) I had read.

What particularly stuck out for me were the ones entitled "Hot Tub Religion: towards a theology of pleasure" and "Joy: a neglected discipline" -  because I really think up until then that it had not occurred to me that Christianity was directly related to happiness.  I don't mean I wasn't ever happy;  just that the link between Christianity and happiness wasn't something that crossed my mind (which either says something about me or the churches I attended, or both).  For the first time I realised that saints of old had pursued joy, and that this was something intimately involved with knowing God, and outstripped earthly fun on every count.  No longer was it incidental, but something God was interested in. And it was something to be taken seriously.

It also had helpful chapters on issues of the (my) moment: guidance and healings etc.  But the two essays above were the ones that effected me and formed a preparation for the big bombshell of Desiring God some years later.

Planning for the end

When a believer acknowledges that he is headed toward death (tomorrow or in 50 years), he can stop expending the tremendous energy it takes to deny his mortality and start living into his eternal destiny, here and now. And he can be intentional about investing himself in the things he wants to be with him at the end...

Carolyn Arends, CT

John the Baptist's better approach to work

The major centre of the Dead Sea community was located near John's activities.  Tax collectors or soldiers who sought membership in the Dead Sea community would be required to sell everything, drop out of society, and join the ascetic life of the holy congregation. After a probationary period of testing, and if they proved worthy, they would be accepted.   According to Luke, John the Baptist gave a different answer to people who desired forgiveness.  When the tax-collectors asked John, "What shall we do?" they were seeking a true relationship with God through repentance.  They wanted to renew proper relationship with their Father in heaven.  John said, "Collect no more than is appointed you" (LK3:13).   The soldiers asked him the same question...He challenged them with the exhortation, "Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages" (LK3:14).  In stark contrast to the religious community at Qumran, John did not even ask tax-collectors and soldiers to leave their questionable occupations and drop out of society...Instead his prophetic message implored the people to live  a holy life in the mainstream of society.  The religious mindset at Qumran could not tolerate John's approach...

Brad H Young, Jesus the Jewish Theologian, p16

The Books#2

I bought this one on holiday in Austria and started reading it one evening instead of going to the evening meeting (Oak Hall, in case you're wondering, 1988 or 9).

I really think it needs to be seen as one of the great books of the 20th Century.  And read by a good many very serious people who seem to go through life thinking Christians don't struggle.  Here is one of the all-time great serious people saying: actually we do have problems that get us down, and joylessness is a bad thing, and here's how the gospel deals with it.

It's just great, and so much more powerful coming from someone definitely in the serious-reformed-we-can't-call-him airy-fairy department.