Reflections on Christopraxis

Understanding the Indwelling God

I am reading Watchman Nee's book, "The Normal Christian Life."  It is a must read, in my opinion, for any Christian.  Today, we so often abbreviate what it means to be a Christian, but we never really get to the important stuff.  Here Nee briefly summarizes one of those important things we need to understand.

We have learned in China that, when leading a soul to Christ, we must be very thorough, for there is no certainty when he will again have the help of other Christians.  We always seek to make it clear to a new believer that, when  he has asked the Lord to forgive his sins and to come into his life, his heart has become the residence of a living Person.  The Holy Spirit of God is now within him, to open to him the Scriptures that he may find Christ there, to direct his prayer, to govern his life, and to reproduce in him the character of his Lord."  p. 198

“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23.

“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:19-21.

 

Reflection on Seeking God

To seek God
means first of all
to let yourself be found by him.
He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
He is the God of Jesus Christ.
He is your God
not because He is yours
but because you are His.
To choose God
is to realize that you are known and loved
in a way surpassing anything you can imagine
long before anyone had thought of you or spoken
   your name.

  - Exerpt from Living With Contradiction: An Introduciton to Benedictine Spirituality by Ester de Waal

 

 

Spending Time with Watchman Nee

I have been on a hermitage retreat this weekend at Pacem in Terris.  While there, I spent some time reading Watchman Nee's book, The Normal Christian Life.  The section I have been reading is largely taken from Romans 6 and 7.  Here are some quotes that spoke to me. It may be helpful to keep this verse in mind as we read these quotes.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.

"Many people think we become holy by extraction of something evil within.  No, we become holy by being separated unto God." p. 102ff

"Presenting myself to God implies a recognition that I am altogether his."  p. 103

"We cannot expect the Lord to live out his life in us if we do not give him our lives in which to live.  Without reservations, without controversy, we must give ourselves to him to do as he pleases."  p. 104-5, rf Romans 6:13

"I must first have the sense of God's possession of me before I can have the sense of his presence with me."  p. 105

"When once we have made the discovery that we are the dwelling place of God, then a full surrender of ourselves to God must follow."  p. 144

"Revelation is the first step to holiness, and consecration is the second."  p.144ff

“In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.” Romans 7:4.

"For our every attempt to do his will is a denial of his declaration in the Corss that we are uttlerly powerless to do so.  It is a misunderstanding on the one hand of God's demand and on the other hand of the source of supply."  p. 168ff

"In the matter of forgiveness we look to Chirst on the Cross; in the matter of deliverance from sin and of doing the will of God we look to Christ in our hearts.  For the one we depend on what he has done; for the other we depend on what he will do in us; but in regard to both, our dependence is on him alone.  From start to finish, he is the One who does it all." p. 172

“for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13.

 

Life Gaps

Sometimes life seems to have gaps.  Not that there are really moments where there is missing data or experience, but at sometimes, time goes by and then I look back and say, "Has it really been that long?"  It is hard to believe my last post on this blog was in April.  In some ways, the gaps are representative of how things seem to be going for me this year, yet I have not been idle. 

Often when I am asked about what I am doing, I answer that I have been busy.   By being busy, one would think there is a lot happening to report on.  However, much of the business is doing routine things:  I go to work, do chores around the house, visit with friends and family, read books, watch TV and movies, and so on.  These are the things of life and we fill our time up with them -- thus we are "busy."

Ironically, being busy often means that I do not have time to do what I really would like.  For example, I have a number of books on my desk that I had good intentions of reporting on in book reviews on this blog.  However, as these things pile up, they become a reminder of what I wish I could be doing, rather than many of the things I spend my time doing.  

I am writing this with the intent to start blogging more consistently.  As a result, I would like to do a quick catch up.

One of the books I finished reading is "Love Alone is Credible" by Hans Urs Von Balthasar, a Catholic theologian.  I have run across Balthasar a few times in my studies, and had him on my wish list.  A while back Misty Edwards posted a quote from him, and that pushed me to go ahead and read some of his books.  This book is about what makes Christianity credible.  When looking at what is uniquely distinctive of the Christian faith, he concludes that its teachings of love alone stands out as making Christianity credible.  Balthasar explores this in detail in this book.  It was an interesting read, though Balthasar has a way of making prenthetical statements within his sentences, which makes the book a difficult read.  I don't know if this is typical for his writings.  The book is definitely worth reading, if you are wanting to explore the topic of love and the Christian faith.

Another book I read was "Following Jesus:  Biblical Reflections on Discipleship" by N.T. Wright.  Wright explores what it means to follow Jesus in this excellent, easy to read, book.  The book is in two parts.  Part One explores Jesus, as revealed in the New Testiment books of Hebrews, Colossians, Matthew, John, Mark, and Revelation.  These chapters are devotional in nature, exploring Jesus from the perspective of the writer's primary thematic emphesis on Jesus.  Part Two explores the topic of Jesus as a living sacrifice.  Wright includes chapters on the ressurection, renewal of the mind, temptation, hell, heaven and power, and new life-new world.  I found Wright's book to be fresh and exciting.  I highly recommend it to all who seek to be followers of Jesus.

One more point about Wright's book.  His chapter on Hell was very interesting, as he brought in some correctives to certain common ideas of hell that are not exactly supported by scripture.  It was refreshing, and actually practical.  It prompted me to explore some related theologies more.  I have a couple books in my "stack to read" waiting for me to find the right time.

I am currently re-reading Watchman Nee's, "The Normal Christian Life."  It has been a while since I read this book, and I am still working through it.  In it, he discusses the exhchanged life, as taught by Hudson Taylor.  This prompted me to read the Book "Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret" by Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor.  Wow, awesome book!  Taylor, a 19th Century missionary to China, was a man of prayer and faith.  He repeatedly, trusted all that he had and needed to God in prayer.  As a result, his life powerfully shows the power of prayer and the faithfulness of God.  In his total surrender to God, Taylor found the key to abiding in Christ.  The book ought to change any Christian's life, and I also recommend it for those considering missionary work.

"God does not give us overcoming life:  He gives us life as we overcome."  To him the secret of overcoming lay in daily, hourly fellowship with God; and this, he found, could only be maintained by secret prayer and feeding upon the Word through which He reveals Himself to the waiting soul." p. 238

Taylor took to heart the promise of the Lord to give us living waters (John 4:14).  That living water spring up out of his his daily walk with God, and through them, he found all he needed in the face of the many trials he faced in that life. 

"Hudson Taylor stopped at no sacrifices in following Christ.  "Cross-loving men are needed..." p. 214

It is not possible to do this little book justice in this short review.  It is inspirational, challenging, simple, and yet, profound.  It is a must read for any Christian.  I am looking forward to starting Watchman Nee's "Changed into His Likeness" soon.  Watch for the review.

Another book I have been reading recently is "The Fire of God," by John Michael Talbot.  This hard to find little book is proving to be wonderfully good and very pratical.  I have enjoyed every book of Talbot's that I have read.  It is about the work of the fire of God in our lives and overcoming the "fires" of this world.  I have been going through this book quickly, and hope to be done soon. Of course, I am reading a number of other books, which I will report on when I get done with them.

I guess as I refect back, I find that I have accomplished many things over the last few months, even if life's business has seemly pushed me forward in a way that causes me to lose track of time. 

Book Review: Deep-Rooted in Christ

This is a book review for Joshua Choonmin Kang's book, Deep-Rooted In Christ: The Way of Tranformation. 

The book title caught my eye, though I had not heard of Joshua Choonmin Kang, the pastor of Oriental Mission Church in Los Angeles, California.  However, he is one of the many people endorsed by Richard Foster.  

I enjoyed this book very much.  It's focus on being deep-rooted in Christ resonated well with where the Lord has taken me in my walk.  It reminds me of Ephesians 3:14-21 and John 15.  Writing from the perspective of the contemplative tradition, Kang shows how the various spiritual disciplines can come together, along with the work of the Holy Spirit in us, to form Christ in us and to root us deeply in Christ.

You can look at the table of contents to get a sense of the message it has (see the link to Amazon.com). I found the book to be an easy read, which was good as a devotional.  It is not exactly a how-to book, but then it connects the spiritual disciplines with the process of being rooted in Christ.  In some ways it is very practical.  I suspect it is one of those books I will have to read a few times.

I am struck by how Kang writes from experience, not just intellectual knowledge.  He reflects on the ways of God and the person who God wants us to be.  This can be both exciting and challenging, as we fall short of the goal.  Tranformation is a process, and this book is about that process.  

At one point he reflects about the wilderness.  "Where does God devleop a servant?  In the wilderness." (p. 73)  "In the desert those who have trusted only in themselves and others learn to put their faith in God.  The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are the teachers.  Yes, the curriculum is devoted to suffering, but that's where the lambs become lions.  That's where ordinary people become extraordinary men and woment of God."  (p. 74)

I highly recommend this book, and being deep-rooted in Christ is very much a part of what it means to practice Christ.

Divine Ethos Does Not Operate Without Pathos

I have been reading Abraham Heschel's "The Prophets."  In the section on Justice (great stuff!) I found some interesting observations. 

"The prophets did not conceive of the ethos as an autonomous idea, as a sovereign essence, higher in the scale of reality than God Himself, standing above him like a supreme force.  God to them was more than a more principle or a more exemplar." 

"There are no ultimate laws, no eternal ideas.  The Lord alone is ultimate and eternal."

"Mercy, grace, repentance, forgiveness, all would be impossible if the moral principles were held to be superior to God.  God's call to man, which resounds so frequently in the utterances of the prophets, presupposes an ethos based, not upon immutable principles, but rather His eternal concern.  God's repenting a decision which was based on moral grounds clearly shows the supremacy of pathos."  (p. 217)

"Divine ethos does not operate without pathos."  (p. 218)

"To the biblical mind the implication of goodness is mercy.  Pathos, concern for the world, is the very ethos of God."  (p. 219)

It seems that Heschel has identified a key to understanding the God of the Bible -- especially in the OT.  He refutes the hellenistic idea of justice and being unbiblical, and shows how all of God's concern for justice and morality is rooted in his pathos for man. 

"Cain, slaying his brother, does not receive the punishment he deserves.  Though justice wouuld require that Able's blood be avenged, Cain is granted divine pardon and protection."  (p. 220)

"A father is disqualified to serve as a judge.  Yet the judge of all men is also their Father.  He would be unjust to His own nature were He to act in justice without being compassionate."  (p. 220)

It seems so clear, yet we do not see.  "God is Love" (1 John 4:16).  He always has been and always will be.

Book Review: Hearing God, by Dallas Willard

Dallas Willard's book, Hearing God:  Developing a Conversational Relationship With God is an excellent book that I recommend to all who want to understand what it means to have a conversational relationship with God.

This book is a definitive work on hearing God.  Willard touches on all aspects of hearing God, from "Can you hear from God?" to "How do we hear from God?" to "What if we not hear from God?"  It is an easy read, and I found it to be enjoying and edifying.  It is the kind of book that deepens one's walk with the Lord.  Highly practical, this is not an ivory tower theology book, though Willard's theology is sound, and Biblically balanced.  This is also not a book that will give you "formulas."  He draws from his own experience, as well as the rich tradition of others who have written on the topic.

There is so much here, I do not think I can do it justice to quote from it.  The fundamental premise is that God does communicate with men and women, and that we can learn to discern that communication.  In turn, we can communicate with Him.  Willard cautions that "God does not exist to solve our problems."  He also notes that there are times when God want's us to make decisions, so we should not assume that there is a specific thing God wants us to do in every situation.  Yet, Willard lays a framework in which we can develop a conversational relationship with God.

Toward the end of the book, Willard makes the following excellent observation:

We must ultimately move beyond the question of hearing God and into a life greater than our own -- that of the kingdom of God.   Our concern for discerning God's voice must be overwhelmed by and lost in our worship and adoration of him and in our delight with his creation and his provision for our whole life.  Our aim in such a life is to identify all that we are and all that we do with God's purposes in creating us and our world.  Thus we learn how to do all thing to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17).  That is, we come in all things to think and act so that his goodness, greatness and beauty will be as obvious as possible -- not just to ourselves, bu to all those around us. 

God's speaking will always be an essential part of this... For those who come to this point, their life will be theirs -- irreducibly, preciously so -- and yet also God's; and through them will flow God's life, which is also theirs.  This is the life beyond, and yet inclusive of, his guiding word.  It is the life that has its beginning in the additional birth and its culmination in the everlasting, glorious society of heaven."  (p. 211)

This book covers a foundational aspect of the practice of Christ, and is very complementary to the other works I have referenced on this blog relating to practicing the presence of God.

Mini Book Reviews: 12 Marks and Prophetic Imagination

This post is to provide a couple mini reviews on two books that I have recently finished reading.

A while back I read Walter Brueggemann's book, The Prophetic Imagination.  I have referenced the book and concepts in numerous posts on this blog, and will likely continue to do so.  Brueggemann's hypothesis is:

The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture. (p. 3)

He explains that the "alternative consciousness to be nurtured, on one hand serves to criticize in dismantling the dominant consciousness. ... On the other hand, that alternative consciousness to be nurtured serves to energize persons and communities by its promise of another time and situation toward which the community of faith may move."   Later he clarifies the alternative toward which prophetic imagination energizes is God's freedom and justice.

Prophetic Community relates to the Christian faith and Christopraxis in that the Church is called to be such a prophetic community.  Jesus' teachings of the Kingdom of God is such a prophetic imagination.  Many groups such as the New Monastic communities are attempting to life out prophetic community.

Another book I just finished reading is Schools for Conversion:  12 Marks of a New Monasticism, edited by Rutba House, which is itself a New Monastic community.  This book is a collection of 12 chapters, each written by some of the proponents of contemporary New Monasticism. These 12 marks provide a general framework that defines New Monasticism.  It will not tell you how to live out prophetic community, but will lay out some guidelines that are consistent with the teachings of Jesus and the Christian tradition for such a community.  It strikes me that this book would best be read and discussed in some kind of small group.  I am hoping to do this with some of my own community.  As I do that, it might lead to future posts on this blog.

Book Review: The New Friars

This is a book review of the book, The New Friars: The Emerging Movement Serving the World's Poor, by Scott A. Bessenecker. 

I purchased the book, The New Friars, to learn more about the New Monasticism movement, where people live in poverty, in an attempt to live in the practice of Christ.  The movement is called "New" monasticism, because it was inspired by traditional monasticism.  Where the desert fathers left the affluence of society, living in poverty and the desert places of this world, the new monastics are moving into the margins of today's society, which are the slums and areas of poverty in the world.  Where the traditional monastics sought to practice Christ and to be united with God in love, the new monastics seek to live in love by loving the unloved, the poor, oppressed, and afflicted who God particularly loves (cf. Isaiah 58, 61:1-3).  Where the traditional monastics lived in community under a rule, the new monastics often live in intentional Christian community with some kind of covenant rule. 

Bessenecker's book focuses particularly on individuals who have moved into the slums of the world to minister to the poorest of the poor.  Bessenecker not only describes contemporary "Friars," male and female, but he also chronicles the stories of those saints of the past who often inspired them.  The book explores many of the issues of poverty, as well as various aspects of this new monasticism, such as being incarnational, devotional, communal, missional, and marginal.  The book does not attempt to teach the reader all they need to know.  However, it does provide a good idea of what this movement is about, and the Appendices provide information on various organizations and movements that one can connect with if you want to explore such a call of your own.

Warning, this book is hard to read.  Not hard, in the sense of being academically complex.  Indeed, the book reads quite easily, and keeps your interest well.  It is hard because the lives and commitments described stand in stark contrast to our relatively prosperous lives here in American and the developed nations of the world.  The book stands against our narcisism.  The slums often described in this book are on the extreme margins of society. They may be in garbage dumps, or some cast away area.  Bessenecker describes the very real struggles of such a life, and of the lives of those who go into these areas to live and minister.  My initial reaction was shock and horror.  There was no romanticism to be found.  Still, the book keeps your interest, because deep down, you know that there is something of Jesus, and God's heart, reflected in the stories in the book. 

God has always had a heart for the poor, oppressed, and afflicted.  Shane Claiborne, in his book, Jesus for President, note that Jesus' "platform" was that of Jubilee.  The New Friars describes how the kingdom of God can break into the misery of this work, so God's will can be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  In small ways, it is the story of little moments of jubilee.  It is the story of prophetic imagination in action, where the reader is engergized toward God's freedom and justice.  It reminds us that God identifies with the poor (cf. Matthew 25:31-46). 

As Francis Schaeffer challenged us, "How shall we then live?"  The intent of this book is not to call all Christians to live in the slums.  I think the intent is to challenge the reader to reflect on how they live.  Do we live in a way that reflects Jesus?  One of the Appendices has some "Suggestions for Simple Living" we can use within the context of our live situation (as an initial step).  I encourage you to read this book.  We are living in a time where it is good for us to take a step back and re-frame our lives within the context of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."  Ephesians 5:1 – 2

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’"  Matthew 25:40 NLT

Isaiah 58

Book Review: The Jesus Creed

I just finished Scot McKnights's book, The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others.  This book is going to be one of my all-time favorites!  I added it to my Favorite Books on this blog.

When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, he quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and then a added Leviticus 19:18.  McKnight defines this as the Jesus Creed.

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."   The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  There is no commandment greater than these.  (Mark 12:29-31, cf. Matt 22:37-40)

McKnight's book is about spiritual formation.  Each of the major parts of the book focuses in on different aspects of how someone who practices the Jesus Creed is shaped by it. 

• Part One, The Jesus Creed: A spiritually formed person loves God by following Jesus and loves others.
• Part Two, Stories of the Jesus Creed:  A spiritually formed person embraces the stories of others who love Jesus.
• Part Three, The Society of the Jesus Creed:  A spiritually formed person lives out kingdom values.
• Part Four, Living the Jesus Creed:  A spiritually formed person loves Jesus.
• Part Five, Jesus and the Jesus Creed:  A spiritually formed person participates in the life of Jesus.

McKnight's book is easy to read book that is written in a way to promote personal reflection and application.  Each chapter has a couple scripture references, which McKnight explores throughout the chapter.  Points are illustrated with easy to relate to stories and antidotes, but he avoids the trap of excessively belaboring his points.  He sometimes draws from the Christian tradition, and other times he examines how scripture and theology reflect the core premises of the Jesus Creed.

At one point McKnight observes the best apologetic for existence of God and the Christian faith is to tell the story of Jesus.  The subtitles of his book emphasize love -- "Loving God and Loving Others."  McKnight helps the reader look at Jesus' life and teachings through the lens of the Jesus Creed.  What emerges is a beautiful picture of God and Jesus, and a way of life that reflects love and hope. 

You can quickly tell McKnight is a theologian.  He handles theology well, and is careful to ground theology in the historical context of the original scriptural revelation.  Jesus' choice of Deuteronomy 6 was not obscure.  The "Hear O Israel..." is the Shema, which is recited in synagogues weekly.  The people would be familiar with those verses.  Yet, Jesus puts his own unique twist on things.  He adds Leviticus 19:18.  McKnight notes how the "twist" Jesus often adds reflects loving God and loving others as well as the context of how He is -- the Son of God.  These acts of loving are relational, and bring healing, restoration, and transformation.

It is hard to capture the whole of the teaching of Jesus in a concise way.   How do you tell someone what it means to be a Christian -- a follower of Jesus?  Yet, McKnight's book does an excellent job at capturing much of what it means to be a follower of Jesus in a way that is timeless.  I think that is why I like the book so well.  It is something that I could give to someone who is new the the Christian faith, and say, "Besides reading scripture itself, this is an excellent summary of what following Jesus is all about."  I definitely recommend this book!