A Stubborn Darkness

Ed Welch, with CCEF, has a very helpful book titled, Depression–A Stubborn Darkness: Light for the Path (you can also read chapter 1 by following that link).

This book came highly recommended to learn and understand depression during a time when someone I love was struggling with deep depression. Welch is not only biblically grounded but he is also compassionate and loving with his approach. Watch the video below to get a sample of Ed''s perspective and own background with depression.

We don't know where we are....

“In 1952, a young woman named Florence Chadwick stepped off Catalina Island, into the Pacific Ocean. Her goal was to swim to the shore of mainland California, 21 miles away. It was foggy and chilly. She could barely see the boats alongside her. Florence swam for fifteen hours. She begged to be taken out of the water. Her mother, in a boat alongside, told her she could make it. Finally, physically and emotionally exhausted, she gave up and stopped swimming. They pulled her out. Then, when Florence Chadwick was on the boat she discovered the truth: the shore was less than half a mile away. She was 98% of the way home. At a news conference the next day she said this: “All I could see was the fog. . . . I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.” Can you relate to those words? We live our lives in a fog of trouble, worry, doubt, depression, health problems, unemployment, financial uncertainty, strained relationships…and loss of loved ones. We have times of joy and celebration. But let’s face it—we live in a world of struggle, suffering, and death…the recent devastation of the earthquake and tsunami in southern Asia has been a terrible reminder. Our problems may be small compared to theirs. But some of us here have faced personal earthquakes and emotional tsunamis in the last year. All these things create a fog. It’s difficult to see in front of us. We end up focusing on the fog because we can’t see the shore. Sometimes we feel like giving up because we don’t have the strength to stay afloat any longer. This is where the people of God throughout the ages had a source of strength and perspective that for some reason we don’t talk much about today: Heaven. It was their north star by which they could navigate their lives. It was their great reference point. But Heaven has fallen off our radar screens today. We don’t know where we are and we do not know where we are going. "

(From Heaven by Randy Alcorn)

The Tension we Face

“So we who live between the two comings of Jesus live in the ‘in-between’ times, when the kingdom is ‘now but not yet.’ It’s here in some ways, but the kingdom will only fully be here when Jesus returns in glory. The resurrection has begun in the sense that the first one has already happened in the person of Jesus. Yet the rest of the resurrection will happen only at the end when Jesus returns and the trumpet blows. The Holy Spirit has already been given to us, not as a full payment of the kingdom but as a down payment and promise to ‘pay off the balance’ when the kingdom arrives in its fullness at Jesus’ return.”

- Allen Mitsuo Wakabayashi, Kingdom Come

(ht: Of First Importance)

My Cameo in the Movie "Office Space"

A People's History of Christianity

Currently I am right in the middle of Diana Butler Bass' book, A People's History of Christianity. (full review forthcoming)

This has been a great book detailing the people and stories throughout Church history that exemplify acts of justice, mercy and increased devotion. This book fills in the historical gaps with inspiration and hope. This is often in contrast too much of church history that simply highlights the struggle for power, religious conquests and corruption. But before I post a review, I wanted to share with you this interview which I believe will illuminate you on Dr. Bass' views on history and give you a helpful context for this great book.

NT Wright on Blogging and Social Media

NT Wright on Blogging/Social Media from Bill Kinnon on Vimeo.

What do you think? Is there a danger concerning disembodying our communication? How does that issue effect and speak to "virtual church"?

Rob Bell's Latest Nooma - Whirlwind

You can see a limited time viewing of the latest Nooma video, Whirlwind, online.

How can we worship a God who is immune to pain?

God isn't a distant God, as portrayed by other faiths such as Islam. Certainly it is true that God is transcendent (wholly other than His creation), but also God is immanent (near). Philippians 2:6-8

Listen to how Mark Driscoll discusses this..

"...the Spirit-filled perspective of Jesus allows us to remain Jesus-centered in our thinking, Spirit-led in our practice, and humble in our hardships. This is made possible when we realize that because being Spirit-filled means being like Jesus, such things as poverty, sickness, and hardship are not incompatible with living a Spirit- filled life. Indeed, the most perfectly Spirit-filled person who has ever lived, Jesus Christ, worked a simple job, lived a simple life, and died a painful death as a flat-broke, homeless man by the power of the Holy Spirit and in so doing perfectly and fully glorified God the Father and tasted pure joy.

Sadly, the Eastern religions see God as so detached and distant that God is in no way our savior, example, or power for new life. According to Islam, God cannot suffer, and so their scholars teach that the Holy Spirit left Jesus before he suffered on the cross as a mere man. However, one of my favorite Bible teachers, John Stott, asked a most pointed question in his book The Cross of Christ (which I would commend for your reading): “In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?”

-Mark Driscoll, Death By Love, p. 211

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. -Hebrews 4:14-16

Two Free Online Resources

In celebrating John Calvin's 500th Birthday, two ministries are offering free resources to commemorate this event. You can see the video below for more details.