EQUIP book club

We are moving!

2017-03-27T09:52:00.002+11:00

Attention loyal readers of the Equip Book Club. We have some exciting news. The Equip website and the Equip Book Club blog have both moved.

The new and improved blog can be accessed via the Equip website.

https://www.equip.org.au/bookclub

It's easy to subscribe. Just scroll down and leave your name and email address and click 'Sign Up'.

We hope that you enjoy seeing the changes and enjoy the upcoming short reviews as we head closer to Equip 2017.

Rachael Collins

Prayer and the Voice of God by Phillip D. Jensen and Tony Payne Part 3

2017-03-05T21:53:00.000+11:00

A Whole World At Work...

My husband and I recently began running together. In the dark in the city this morning we completed our 27th run! We’re not going to break any records, but stepping out into that soft darkness, the air faintly purple when we began our running adventure in summer, now the moon and the stars are still out, it’s something else. The birds just waking up, the traffic just the odd rattle instead of the rumble it will be in an hour or so - I notice all these things that I never would have seen before. The girls lifting skinny white canoes out of the boatshed, their oars plunging into the black water. They sail silently underneath me as I run across a bridge. The bootcampers lined up in tunnels punching bags in the dark. The cyclists and runners navigating the narrow path. All the while the sky is gently lightening. There is a whole ‘early morning world’ at work and it’s exciting to behold. It’s for this as much as the extra energy in the day that I’m running for. It’s hard to get up at that hour but it’s worth it to see the world as I never saw it before.

Prayer is like that too. God is always at work. With or without you. He controls the rising and the setting of the sun. He knows what’s on the menu for you today. But it is an absolute privilege to step into the throne room of God and behold him as he works, to have the ear of the maker of the universe. So why do so many christians struggle to have healthy prayer lives? Just like regularly attending church or bible study, regularly praying doesn’t just happen. We have to make it a priority. How can we do that?

Set The Alarm

“Good”, you may be thinking. “At last we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty. Enough of the theory and the motivation. Give me some practical advice. Tell me how to do it!” (p.71) Towards the end of the book Jensen and Payne helpfully include practical ideas for building a prayerful habit into our lives. Here are some of them:

Begin Again

Perhaps this comment strikes a chord with you: “My prayer life feels virtually non-existent. I don’t even feel like a Christian anymore. What can I do?” (p. 167) The authors identify that we’re in a fight between spirit and flesh and sometimes the flesh wins this side of heaven. Rather than pat the reader on the back and tell us not to feel too badly about it, they encourage the reader to do something with those feelings of guilt:

Persistent, unrepentant ungodliness will exclude us from the kingdom of God. We cannot and must not presume upon God, thinking that our sin doesn’t matter. We will find out one day, to our cost, that it matters a great deal. We must repent of our prayerlessness and start again. Christianity is a start-again life. (1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.) (p. 169)

If your prayer life is non-existent, repent and begin again, he is faithful.

Get Support

“Ask a friend to pray for you as you commit yourself to regular personal prayer.” (p.171)

Choose someone you trust (preferably who has been a Christian a little longer than you) who you can be accountable to. Maybe this is someone who you could catch up with once a week and ask each other this question, “How has God shown up for you this week?” (I heard a minister on the NSW south coast ask his congregation this as a regular sharing part of the service and thought it was brilliant.) When you’re in a habit of praying, you’ll begin to notice God at work all the more, and this will encourage you to keep at it. As Oswald Chambers writes, ‘However much we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that at any minute, He may break in.’ (My Utmost For His Highest January 25)

Set Aside A Dedicated Time to Pray On Your Own

Every growing christian can testify to the difference having a dedicated ‘quiet time’ makes in keeping a close walk with God. I remember being a young adult on Beach Mission and hearing another guy say that even though he attended every christian evening group going, church and bible courses, he found it wasn’t until he started having a personal time alone with his bible and in prayer that he began to move forward and grow in confidence and faith in the Lord Jesus. That struck a chord with me. Quiet times matter.

Decide on a regular, achievable pattern and stick to it. The authors recommend doing this for 4-6 weeks and that seems a good amount of time for a new habit to start to stick. I think ‘achievable’ is an important word. Better to be praying for fifteen minutes regularly than have a plan to do it for an hour that never quite happens.

Whilst the authors don’t give specific examples, not wanting to be legalistic, I know some christians who set the alarm and have half an hour on their own in the morning to read the bible and pray through a list. For others, going to bed at 9 instead of 10 five nights a week gives time away from tv and phones to read the bible and pray before they sleep.

Pray Throughout The Day

One of the most helpful things I watched whilst writing this post was John Piper’s Pray throughout the day on youtube. (A praying friend recommended it to me!) It’s a 3 minute video with a big impact and it has reminded me to pray before and after everything and fleshes out for me the author’s point that, “The best time for prayer is any time and at all times.” (p.187) Piper likens prayer to a mobile phone call with God and says start the day with prayer and leave the green button on, don’t press the red button, keep praying to God before and after every phone call, every shower, every tv show, every email, every meal, every run. They can just be short one sentence prayers, make them count, make them God-honouring. He wants the members of his church to be a praying people who convey their heart to God over and over. It’s advice we would do well to follow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5QeEEdpGGU

The Noticing Power Of A Journal

I am a lover of journals and I have a pretty incredible collection. But the ones that have gotten the most workout for prayer is a plain exercise book which I use for individual prayer and a yellow hardback one I use for bible study, both of which I purchased from the supermarket. By all means, buy a beautiful moleskine journal or a growing faith reap journal or a matthias media growth groups journal but don’t stop there, use it! Write in it. Write down God’s promises and the people who need your prayers and pray for them. And then, look back at it and reflect.

The author A.S Byatt writes, “It is always surprising how people don’t really look at things.” I think that this has never been truer. Do we really look at a text, at words on a page, at colours, at a situation, at a painting? When was the last time you sat back and reflected on a whole book? As my young son peered over my shoulder while I scrolled furiously through my facebook feed last night, he said, “Slow down, I can’t see anything.” I think looking has been replaced by scanning, we try and do things as quickly as we possibly can and then we crash, exhausted, into the couch and binge-watch the next exciting series on Netflix. Then we check our phone again and fall into bed.

The beauty of keeping a journal for prayer is that it gives you a chance to write out a plan for what you’re going to pray when you have that chunk of time alone with God. God is a planner and so should we be too if we are to do what he commands and be faithful in prayer. As well as being useful in the moment, a prayer journal is a wonderful artefact to look back on. You will be blown away by how God has been at work in your life and the lives of others answering your prayers. This lo-fi tool can be a huge encouragement to your faith when you are feeling low.

Make Your Time With God A Priority

If we want to be like Jesus we need to spend time with him. There’s an internet meme I’ve seen that says, “People with no time really have no priorities.” After googling I found an article where a person stopped saying, “I don’t have time for that,” and replaced it with the more honest phrase, “That’s not a priority for me.” We all have limited time but certainly quite a bit of control over how we use at least some of it. What are your priorities? Do we have room in our life for God? I don’t want to make room for God. God made my life. I want God to be my life. My everything. He inhabits every part of it, but often, I’m not really looking.

Pain and Struggle Now But A Day Of Glory And Perfection Is Coming

“One day, in the eternal kingdom of God, we will always feel like praying. Thanks and trust will flow out from us like fragrance from a flower. But in the meantime, our feelings about prayer will be mixed, because we ourselves are ‘mixed’. We have God’s spirit within us, but we still live in the flesh and we still battle against the desires of the flesh - one of which is to neglect prayer!” (p. 176.)

I pray the exploration of this excellent little book has motivated you to keep battling the flesh and make prayer a priority. If you would like to keep exploring this topic more here are a few books I have found immensely helpful:

The Psalms, The Holy Bible
The Songs of Jesus, A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms (Also titled My Rock; My Refuge) by Timothy Keller and Kathy Keller
A Child’s First Book of Prayers by Lois Rock and Alison Jay
You Can Pray, Tim Chester
A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers by Don Carson
John Calvin on Prayer in The Essence of the Reformation by Kirsten Birkett
Prayer by Tim Keller (Katie Stringer has written four essays on this book which you can find here http://equipbooks.blogspot.com.au/search/label/prayer )

About this month's contributor, Katie Stringer
Katie loves writing and has had snippets published in Womankind Magazine and the Guardian Weekly. She leads a Bible Study at her local Anglican church, All Souls Leichhardt and loves being part of the Leichhardt community. She is married to Andrew and they have two school-age daughters and a young son.

Prayer and the Voice of God by Phillip D. Jensen and Tony Payne Part 2

2017-02-26T21:37:00.000+11:00

Has Anyone Ever Taught You How to Pray?

You might have seen the 2013 movie, Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock. In it she plays Dr Ryan Stone, an astronaut, cast adrift in deep space after the Hubble Space Telescope she’s been working on is hit by debris. The space shuttle she has disembarked from suffers catastrophic damage. All the crew are dead save for the astronaut, Matt Kowalski (played by George Clooney) who is tethered to Dr Stone outside of the spacecraft.

They make a plan to reach an International Space Station but time is running out. Kowalski makes a heroic decision to cut Stone free, knowing there’s not enough oxygen for both of them to survive. One moment in the film still lingers for me: Stone is floating alone in deep space, with no bearings except for glimpses of Earth. Her situation seems utterly hopeless. Very quietly, through gulps of precious oxygen, she says, “I’d say a prayer for myself but I’ve never prayed in my life - nobody ever taught me how.” Does this resonate with you? Has anybody ever taught you how to pray?

The Lord’s Prayer

One of the best and most powerful parts of Prayer and the Voice of God is in chapter 6 where the authors break down The Lord’s Prayer and show us in greater depth what it is saying and how it teaches us to pray. This is the bit of the New Testament where Jesus literally teaches his disciples to pray.

The authors go through the prayer line by line digging out rich insight into what Jesus actually meant by each sentence. In my small group this became a wonderful opportunity to learn together the riches of a prayer that is so often on our lips in church, and may be one we’ve known since childhood, but not grasped the full meaning of before. There were life-changing moments for all of us. The authors summarise:

The Lord’s Prayer is a marvellous template for our requests to God. It homes in on God’s desires - on what is important to him and therefore what should be important to us. It focuses on his plans - on the coming kingdom of Jesus the Messiah. It teaches us that God desires and plans:

for his name to be revered and honoured as the mighty Saviour;
for his kingdom to come in all its fullness;
for his kingdom to extend here and now throughout the world in the lives of people as they submit to his rule;
for his people to taste the blessings of that kingdom now;
to forgive our sins and for us to live by forgiveness;
to deliver us from the evil one and his testings.

p.118

Though the basic human prayer is “Help!” or even better, “Have mercy on me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13) The Lord's Prayer shows us that God has so much more planned for us to be a part of after rescue from sin and darkness.

The Psalms

Another vitally important place where we learn about prayer is in the Psalms. Eugene H. Peterson writes, “Most Christians for most of the Christian centuries have learned how to pray by praying the Psalms.” (p. 773 The Message Study Bible) Since becoming an avid reader of Christian books I’ve seen this idea written down numerous times but I’ve never actually had it said to me. And I wonder, is that because we’ve stopped praying the Psalms regularly as we ought? They are often referred to as ‘The Prayer Book’ of the Bible and give us some seriously robust language to talk to God with. The authors use the Psalms to show the raw emotion of the speaker and their ultimate dependence on God, nearly always displayed after working through a problem. See Psalm 89 for a good example, beautifully unpacked by the authors on pages 56-58.

No Special Technique Required: Attitude Is Everything

Jensen and Payne write “The Bible is not very big on technique when it comes to prayer because ultimately prayer is based on and expresses arelationship with God as our Father, and relationships don’t tend to work by technique.” (p.89) That should be a relaxing thought. We’re adopted sons and daughters. We’re talking to a perfect parent who loves us and made us and who died for us to open the way for us to talk to him. But therein lies our problem: We’re imperfect children. Our sinfulness is the number one thing that gets in the road of learning how to pray, doing it with regularity and joy and growing closer in our relationship to Christ.

I’ll never forget one of the first meetings I had with our new pastor who met us in our home and closed by saying: “It’ll take some time for us to get to know each other - we tell ourselves so many lies - it can be hard to break through all that.” Wow, I thought, could he see straight through me? I felt challenged and refreshed by the truth of that sentence. We do tell ourselves a lot of lies. And the only antidote to them is found in the pages of the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ, who gives us truth that will set us free.

After reading this far you may feel moved to pray:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for making us in your image, a little lower than the angels, made for you! Dear Lord forgive us for not living up to all that you require of us.

Thank you especially for sending Jesus so that I can reach out to you and ask you to help me. Please help me to live with Jesus as my master day by day.

Thank you that we can talk to you and ask you for things and work through all that is troubling us. Please help us to model our prayer life on Jesus and the Psalms.

We are sorry for the times we do not pray. Please forgive us.

Please help us to be a model of prayerfulness for those around us, may we support and uphold those we know who need our prayers.

May we learn to depend on you Lord for every breath.

Please refresh us by your Spirit and through the words of the Bible.

Amen.

Katie loves writing and has had snippets published in Womankind Magazine and the Guardian Weekly. She leads a Bible Study at her local Anglican church, All Souls Leichhardt and loves being part of the Leichhardt community. She is married to Andrew and they have two school-age daughters and a young son.

Prayer and the Voice of God

2017-02-18T15:57:00.000+11:00

Introduction to Prayer and the Voice of God by Phillip D. Jensen and Tony Payne

Katie Stringer

Prayer and the Voice of God by Phillip D. Jensen and Tony Payne is a small, ordinary looking book that has had a profound impact on my Women’s Bible Study Group. Can I urge you to consider reading it with some Christian friends this year, you won’t regret it!

As we gave thanks in our small group for 2016 it was one of the things people highlighted as making a big impact. Together we read this book chapter by chapter over ten weeks. We discussed our questions, looked up Bible passages and most importantly - began to pray more! God greatly encouraged us in this endeavor by bringing three new people along to our group during this period. Two of the women have stayed and become cherished members of our group. A third woman came and was with us for a few sessions, but it wasn't for her. However she's come along to church a few times (something she’s never done before) and when I see her has both a Bible (her first one!) and a copy of this book in her bag. I continue to pray that God will draw her into a deep and satisfying relationship with him. And I hope she reads this book!

So what's so special about this little book?

It’s short and it’s easy. Like Guidance and the Voice of God (by the same authors) it distills the Bible's wisdom on one topic, in this case, prayer, in a chatty Australian style. I’m used to reading American and English Christian writers and there’s a certain rhythm to Australian sentences and directness to our speech that is nice to read on the page, and does feel like home. (This may or may not make it easier to share with people in your context. In mine, I think it made it easier.)
It works brilliantly in a Bible study or book club setting. I love reading and will pretty much read any type of book. For example, I stood in line at the Post Office this morning and read a book on computer coding for children. It was the first thing at eye level! But I get that reading is not everyone's cup of tea and we are living in an age where many people are unfamiliar with the experience of ‘deep’ reading. This is a book even a ‘doesn't like to read much’ person can get through. When you combine ‘alone time reading’ with weekly catch ups to discuss each chapter you get the chance to dig deeper into things you didn’t understand, want to talk more about, or find difficult to do. In short, you get to plunge together!
There’s lots of Bible in it. For such a little book, the authors manage to pack a lot of scripture in. There are discussion questions provided at the back of the book and the Bible passages to look up are often quoted in full in the chapter you’ve just read. We found we had enough to chew on here for a ten week term. As a group we then returned to our usual practice of reading a book of the Bible in depth the following term.
You get to open your heart about something that matters deeply. Everybody has opinions and questions about this most fundamental of human spiritual activities. And it's lovely to have a chance to explore your meaty questions: What is Christian prayer as distinct from other types of prayer? Do you do it? Alone? With other people? How often? Does He hear you? What do you pray about? Does it work? Why should I pray? What if God says ‘no’ to my prayer?
You’ll have interesting conversations outside of the group. I love talking about the things I’m passionate about. Reading this book led me to have great conversations with people who weren’t reading the book! I longed to talk to friends who I know pray regularly and learn from them. Do your church going friends have an active prayer life? You might be surprised and saddened to discover that many do not. This should motivate you to pray for them and with them! And tell them about this great little book you could read together. I had interesting conversations with people who weren’t reading the book and don’t pray through Jesus to our Heavenly Father (as far as I know) just because it was a Thursday and they were standing next to me in the playground and they looked at my young son in the pram and said, “What’d you guys get up to today?” And I took a deep breath and said, ‘Well, we’re reading this really interesting book in Bible Study…”
You’ll pray. And you’ll pray more often. Using this book helped each of us in the group grow in confidence to head into the throne room of God and ask Him for things. “In the Bible, ‘prayer’ simply means “asking God for things”. (p13.) Of course we combine that with thanking him and praising him for things and confessing our sins too but it was helpful to learn that the prayer bit is in the asking. Rather than beat ourselves up for the times we don’t pray we grew in our understanding of what happens when we do pray and we learnt to confess our prayerlessness and start again. As the weeks rolled on, a friend leant forward after group prayer time and said, “I think our prayers are getting really really good!”
Prayer can feel good. That’s not the main reason to pray but it is a reason. I thought recently that I spend a lot of my time thinking about what I need to do or buy, but that the truly satisfying moments in my life are not when I tick something off my list. The deep joy in my life comes from connecting with other people. And a lot of those times are in prayer. The authors spend a whole chapter on the fellowship of prayer and write, “Whenever Christianity has been strong, and the gospel has been growing and bearing fruit, believers have been united in labouring hard at prayer.” (p.157) While that sounds like a lot of work, I’d add God has put more joy and purpose in my heart sitting with my friends in prayer than almost any other way I can think to spend my time. I am immensely grateful to have praying friends and learn so much from their deep dependence on God.
Prayer is still good even when it doesn’t feel good. It’s normal to struggle in prayer. The authors write, “If the Bible is any guide, we have to be taught to pray, and then encouraged, exhorted and even commanded to continue doing it.” (p.10) I also appreciate my own pastor’s helpful teaching which is that the devil hates it when the gospel goes forward. C S Lewis’ Screwtape letters come to mind. You can imagine the conversation: “Oh no! She hasn’t started praying regularly has she? Distract her, make her busy, make her too tired, put an amazing new series on Netflix. Remind her what a waste of time it is and then get her to fill up a big list of stuff to do and buy.” Nice one.
You’ll grow. That is the single most memorable thing I continually pray for myself and the women in my group, “Dear Lord please help us grow!” I continue to pray that we will grow in number and that we will grow in maturity. That our love for Christ will deepen and that it will be our great joy to serve him and reach out to others with the life-changing news that Jesus is Lord! The authors write:

“God includes and uses our prayers in his purposes, much as a patient mother will let her three-year-old help with the cooking, even though it takes much longer and produces considerably more mess! God gathers our prayers into his purposes for our sake - to help us learn to trust him and depend upon him for all things.” (p.154)

May we never stop depending upon our good God and saviour, listening to what he says in the Bible and asking him for things.

About this month's contributor, Katie Stringer

Born This Way: Making Sense of Science, the Bible and Same Sex Attraction Part 2

2017-01-29T22:01:00.002+11:00

My worldview is based on the Bible. I believe that God created the universe and the people in it. I believe that humans rebel against God and that He chose to bring us back into a right relationship with Him, through His son dying and taking our punishment for ignoring and rejecting God’s rule over our lives.

Over the years I have been taught very clearly by learned people whom I respect that any sexual relationships outside of marriage are not what God intended for humans. I have looked at the biblical texts and seen a very different attitude to sexuality and individual freedom than the one I see expressed in the media today. It would be convenient if the Bible was silent on how we use our bodies and conduct sexual relationships. But it isn’t.

I haven’t always been a Christian. I haven’t always seen the world the way that I do now. But God showed me love even when I could do nothing to earn that love, even though I had rejected Him. I turned to His Son and now I live as a forgiven sinner who knows how much I am loved. I go through life dealing with the same pressures and disappointments as other people. And sometimes it is easy to blend in, to not stand out too much. But Christianity isn’t just a self-help program. I didn’t go to the supermarket and pick it out like a box of muesli. Even when I don’t always understand why, or when I am asked to live differently to those around me, I am to listen to God’s word.

In “Born This Way: Making Sense of Science, the Bible and Same Sex Attraction” Morrison explains that “we should listen to God first, and then make sense of our thoughts, feelings and experiences in the light of his truth.” He says that a Christian is not simply a ‘good person’, but a person who has had their sin dealt with. And the way that Christians know what that they need to know about God and the world and us is the Bible.

Does the Bible say that God is against sex? No! Sex is good because God created sex. Morrison discusses how sex is viewed in the Old and New testaments. And he suggests that the Bible’s view of sex, of our bodies belonging to our partner, is actually a “reversal from the worldly view of each individual’s sexual rights (1 Cor 7:3-5)”. And does the Bible speak only against homosexuality? No. Morrison reminds us that “God speaks more about the general misuse of our sexual nature than he does about homosexuality specifically.” He reiterates the point that attraction is not the same as lust or as action. In both the Old and the New Testaments, the Bible conveys the same message: that sex outside of the heterosexual marriage relationship is not what God intended.

Morrison says “I wrote this book primarily for Christians struggling to understand the competing and conflicting messages they are receiving on ‘the gay question’.” If you do take the time to read this book, I hope that you will find that he takes scientific evidence, and a thoughtful examination of the relevant Bible passages, and shows how we can understand Same Sex Attraction and temptation.

What he says might feel uncomfortable, or unbelievable, or particularly hard to understand, especially if you are a person who is dealing with Same Sex Attraction. In the last chapter he does talk to those who don’t trust in Jesus, and he also gives practical advice to Christians who are experiencing Same Sex Attraction. He reminds us that what the Bible says, and therefore what God thinks, about homosexuality is at odds with what we hear in the media today. But he urges us to graciously welcome everyone into our churches to hear the gospel.

About this month's contributor, Rachael Collins

Rachael Collins is a Jane Austen fan who often finds it amusing that she is married to Mr Collins who is indeed a minister. Rachael enjoys gardening, drinking tea and moving house every two years. In between planting a new church and making chocolate fudge, she really hopes to read a lot of good books this year.

Born This Way: Making Sense of Science, the Bible and Same Sex Attraction by Steve Morrison

2017-01-21T21:47:00.000+11:00

I wanted to read this book because of the ongoing debate surrounding the legalisation of same sex marriage in Australia. I wanted to think about what I believe and why, and how I can be prepared to explain that. I know that I have had good teaching from people I respect on this issue. But that doesn’t mean that it is easy to respond to the same sex marriage debate when I know that this affects real people who have suffered real anguish and rejection. I know that not supporting the changes to the marriage act is seen by many as judgemental and a denial of human rights. In his book Revolutionary Sex William Taylor quotes Germaine Greer who as saying that “Human beings have an inalienable right to invent themselves.”[i] I know that in the past, Christians have been quick to judge and slow to show love and understanding.

But as I have been reminded by a great preacher this past week, all people are under God’s judgement. If God is who He says He is, and if I have accepted His word and His rule over my life, then I need to listen to what He has to say about every part of life. And I need to keep speaking the truth in love.

Who is this book for? This book is helpful for Christians who want to understand what science and the Bible have to say about Same Sex Attraction. Morrison has looked at the science and he deals with lots of Bible passages that are relevant to the issue. He is clear that science does not have all the answers. But he presents some evidence that is compelling. He urges the reader to put what they have been told about the experiences of others to one side while they look carefully at the Bible and see what God says that He intends for his creation. And he reminds us that we are to love those we disagree with.

Morrison explains the way that ‘tolerance’ has changed in today’s world. Tolerance once meant listening to another perspective and disagreeing, but now it seems to mean that you are intolerant if you do not agree with my way of seeing the world. Christians see the world as created by God, but today we live in a society where most people do not. So Christians are called homophobic when they do not support homosexual relationships and homosexual marriage as natural. Morrison rejects this label being used so broadly. He also rejects irrational or violent reactions to homosexuality. But he feels that it is actually the opposite of tolerant to attach the label of homophobic to everyone who express a differing point of view. And he reminds us that we need to “love and accept each other as human beings”.

But why look at science? Science has been so elevated that many people might expect it to be able to give us all the answers concerning the whys and wherefores of Same Sex Attraction. But it can’t. Morrison says that Science can experiment and observe but it can’t answer ethical questions. There is limited scientific knowledge in this area, and scientists can manipulate studies to push their own agenda. Morrison has looked at a range of scientific studies that were interested in finding out whether Same Sex Attraction is genetic. The science seems to say that, contrary to popular opinion, the genetic component in same sex attraction is minor at best. And that raises the question of same sex attraction being a choice. In my next post we will look at how Morrison applies the Bible and where we go to from here.

I have also been reading William Taylor’s book ‘Revolutionary Sex’ and have appreciated his insights on how differently Christians should view sex, “Our culture has made an idol out of sexual intimacy and suggests that we cannot be truly fulfilled unless we express our sexual desires. The Bible teaches otherwise.”[ii] He reminds us that the Christian community ‘needs to ensure that our churches are not homophobic.’[iii] And he reminds us that all of us are ‘flawed in the area of sexual conduct or thought.’[iv]

Because of the personal nature of this issue, and because of the hurt and rejection that Christians have caused in the past, it is important that Christians today are informed and able to respond in a loving and considerate way when it comes to same-sex attraction. It won’t always be seen as loving, but the Bible equips us to understand the world that we live in, and tells us how we are to live in the light of Christ’s rule over our lives. So I recommend reading Steve Morrison’s book and praying for wisdom, love and courage.

[i] William Taylor, Revolutionary Sex: How the good news of Jesus changes everything, (10 Publishing, 2015), p. 2

[ii] William Taylor, Revolutionary Sex: How the good news of Jesus changes everything, 10 Publishing, 2015, p. 64

[iii] William Taylor, Revolutionary Sex: How the good news of Jesus changes everything, (10 Publishing, 2015), p 65

[iv] William Taylor, Revolutionary Sex: How the good news of Jesus changes everything, (10 Publishing, 2015), p. 4

About this month's contributor, Rachael Collins

Rachael Collins is a Jane Austen fan who often finds it amusing that she is married to Mr Collins who is indeed a minister. Rachael enjoys gardening, drinking tea and moving house every two years. In between planting a new church in Marsden Park, she really hopes to read a lot of books this year.

The Gospel of Luke

2016-12-31T18:39:00.002+11:00

Here's the last of our December reposts of Rachael Connor's thoughts on the Gospel of Luke. I hope that they have been helpful in the midst of this busy season. In January we will be reviewing Steve Morrison's "Born This Way" which has some helpful ideas on how we can look at science, the Bible and same sex attraction.

In Jerusalem: and he was numbered with the transgressors (Luke 20:1-24:53)

Now we turn to the final chapters of Luke’s gospel where a heavy, dramatic atmosphere prevails. There is a showdown in the temple, talk of the destruction of Jerusalem; anguished prayer. They are exhausted from sorrow. Darkness. He is betrayed. There are swords and clubs. They weep bitterly, and mock and beat and shout and mourn and wail. Darkness. And he breathes his last and there is beating of breasts. There are perfumes, spices and… rest, and then, finally, joy.

The narrative speeds up but time slows down. The Passover is approaching, then the ‘day’ arrives, and the ‘hour’ comes; it is the sixth hour, then the ninth hour. From the time Jesus arrives in Jerusalem to the end of the book, only roughly a week passes; only a week, but the week towards which all time has been marching.

A major theme in this section is the different expectations of the Christ. Jesus's understanding of the Christ is so much greater than theirs, and yet, he must suffer, which is the last thing they expect of the Christ. Indeed, his disciples struggle to understand how he could suffer if he were the Christ. Luke’s answer is clear. He suffered because it was written. He suffered because it is God’s triumphant plan for the salvation of his people.

We may believe with certainty that Jesus is God’s anointed one even though he suffered and was killed. We may believe with certainty that Jesus is God’s anointed one because he suffered and was killed, because that is what was written; and because he was raised to life again, just as it was written. Luke finishes his book with these words,

“He told them, ‘this is what was written, The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. And repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’” (Luke 24:46-47)

We have seen in Luke’s gospel that Jesus is the Christ. He suffered and he rose from the dead. Repentance and forgiveness of sins has been preached in his name. But not ‘to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem’. Not yet. That’s another story for another time!

Rejected? (Luke 20-24)

I identify with the people in Luke’s gospel. They have flocked to Jesus from all over Galilee and Judea, to hear and to be healed. They have traveled with him to Jerusalem and he has been teaching them in the temple. They come early, listening, hanging on his words. His enemies cannot touch him for fear of them… until Judas provides a time and a place away from them and He is arrested. What will the people do? They, who hung on his every word? They cry out, ‘AWAY WITH HIM!’ They shout, ‘CRUCIFY HIM!’

One day they marvel, the next they mock. Sunday morning worship becomes Monday morning weariness. Can you see yourself in the crowd? What can we learn from them?

1. The Christ must be rejected. Satan could not tempt him from this path; Judas could not force his hand; Peter could not protect him; and the people cannot fight for him. First, Jesus must suffer; for it is written. It is God’s plan for the salvation of his people. Second, he must suffer; blood must be shed. There is no other way to bring forgiveness. Third, he must suffer because only he is able to do this work. No one else and nothing else can be the sacrifice before God that will atone for sin and bring forgiveness.

2. We also would reject him but for the work of the Spirit in our lives. The work and worth of the cross is spiritually discerned. Unless God shines his light into our hearts, filling us with his Spirit of wisdom, we also are one of that crowd. We also would desert him, deny him, betray him, mock him.

3. We also will be rejected if we follow him. In inviting people to follow him He said, ‘bear your own cross’ and ‘count the cost’. He warns, ‘You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death (Luke 22:16).’ This is not a word only to the apostles, but also to us, as ‘everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted’ (2 Timothy 3:12).

4. We will be rejected if we do not follow him. If fear of men and their swords keeps us from following Christ, Jesus warns that He will reject us on the day of Judgement.

Will you fear the crowd, or will you fear God?

About this month's contributor, Rachael Connor

How did you come to faith in Christ?
I was saved, by the grace of God, through children's ministry. This began in a family which knew God and served him. We went to a Sunday School where my teachers faithfully taught God's word and genuinely loved us with the love of Christ. I remember heeding Christ's call to follow him and submitting my life to him at a Girl's Brigade Camp when I was ten.

What book(s) has helped you most in growing in your knowledge of God?
I have a confession to make. I don't read theological books very well. I have begun many and finished few. So in my case, the answer is, indisputably, the Bible.

The Gospel of Luke

2016-12-28T21:21:00.001+11:00

To Jerusalem: He who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 9:51-19:48)

Last week, as we read about what Jesus did in Galilee, I encouraged you to think about who Jesus is. We were reminded that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. He is the Servant promised in Isaiah, as his work also demonstrates. Significantly, Jesus never uses these terms to describe himself, instead referring to himself as the Son of Man. I wonder what else you discovered about Him? Remember, all this may be clear to us, but at the time, some were confused.

At the end of the last section we read that the time of Jesus’ departure is about to be fulfilled (9:31), and so now he heads to Jerusalem (9:51). He knows that his work will find its fulfilment in Jerusalem and so he goes there; his arrival recorded at the end of chapter 19. While there is mention of his journey throughout this section, it is not primarily about the journey but about what Jesus taught on the way.

There is a great deal of teaching in this section of Luke. There are only a few passages of extended narrative and even the miracles come with significant teaching points. Jesus speaks in parables, he gives sermons and he pronounces woes. He answers questions and he asks questions. He teaches his disciples, he teaches the experts, he teaches the people. He teaches men, he teaches women. He teaches on the road, in synagogues and in homes. He teaches and the people listen. He teaches and we also ought to listen.

A big theme throughout Jesus’ teaching is the Kingdom of God. He talks about what the Kingdom of God is like, when it will come and how. He talks about who will enter it; who will have life, who will be saved, who will be exalted. A related theme is who will be excluded and why, particularly those who were leaders, who should have been taking care of the people, managing, as it were, God’s possessions.

Jesus speaks also of his destination at Jerusalem, where everything that is written about him must be fulfilled. The disciples do not understand what he is saying, for while they have understood that he is the Christ, they have not understood that the Christ must suffer; they have not understood all that has been written.

As we read this section, I want us to think about what Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of God, particularly focusing on who will enter, and who will be excluded.

Questions to ask yourself as you read.

• What does it tell me about the Kingdom of God? Think about what it is like, how to enter, who enters, the character of those who do, and about those who don’t.
• What does it tell me about leaders of God’s people?
• What does it tell me about Jesus and what he is doing?

Recommended Daily Readings.

• 9:51-11:13 The Unexpected Kingdom
• 11:14-53 Three ways to respond to Jesus.
• 12:1-13:9 Fear God, not Man
• 13:10-14:35 Who, then, will be saved?
• 15:1-32 These, then, shall be saved.
• 16:1-17:10 Bad Managers.
• 17:11-19:48 Will he find faith on the earth?

Heavenly Treasure (Luke 12:22-32)

I wonder what the Rich Fool would have stored up in the barn had he been a woman? Or, what is it that you are working hard to acquire now so that your life will be easy later, your future secure? A larger house? A new washing machine? A second car? A better education? I would really like a few more solar panels. Then life would be easy…

But as the parable shows, earthly possessions cannot give us security. Storing them up is really just another form of greed. I was really challenged by this; and thankful that Jesus goes on to explain how we can be on our guard against this form of greed, the greed that finds security in possessions.

It’s about trusting our Heavenly Father. Our heavenly Father knows what we need and cares about us, so he will provide us with what we need. Trust him and do not worry. Our heavenly Father holds our lives and our days in his hands. Our future is secure in his hands. No matter what happens to us here in this life, our future is secure in heaven. Life is more than what we can see and touch here. Trust Him and do not be afraid.

It’s about rejoicing in our Heavenly Treasure. Earthly treasure, while fleetingly pleasurable, will not last. It’s heavenly treasure that lasts, and this is what we need to set our hearts upon, to seek and have in abundance. But what is this intangible treasure? Stored up and waiting in heaven for us is the inheritance we receive because God has adopted us as his children. There’s a heavenly dwelling being prepared for us. There’s the crown of life, the crown of righteousness, and even the crown that is the very people whom we have served in the gospel.

Then there is the treasure that, while it is of heaven, can be ours now. There is the treasure of belonging and the treasure of the gospel by which we enter that kingdom. Above all, our heavenly treasure is God himself;

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26

About this month's contributor, Rachael Connor

The Gospel of Luke

2016-12-21T22:03:00.000+11:00

It's only a few days to go now. Last minute presents to buy. Ticking off everything on the to-do list. But in the midst of the busyness, (and the school holiday whinging) here are some more thoughts on the Gospel of Luke to help us to take a moment and reflect upon the reason that we celebrate.

In Galilee: the year of the Lord’s Favour (Luke 3:1-9:50)

Last week we read about how God had begun his great work of salvation. After a long wait, He has come to his people to comfort and restore them, to forgive their sins and to bring in His kingdom; salvation not only for his people, but for Gentiles too. All this began in the birth of two small babes, the one who would herald these things and the one who would accomplish them - the one who was the Christ, the Saviour, the Son of God. This week we see these babes grown and their work begin. The year of the Lord’s favour has arrived.

The historical detail Luke records at the start of chapter three grounds the momentous events which follow in history; real time, real people and real places. They take place in Galilee,during the reign of Tiberias Caesar. This detail is not only significant for its historical value, but it also reminds us that God’s people are waiting to be redeemed, waiting for their own King who would save them from this foreign rule, a King who would restore the Kingdom to Israel and show that God had finally forgiven their sins. Not surprisingly, therefore, these chapters of Luke address the question of whether Jesus is that very King.

Throughout these chapters we read of Jesus travelling around Galilee proclaiming the Kingdom of God (e.g. 4:43) and performing miracles. He heals the sick (e.g. 4:40) and the lame (e.g. 5:22-25), he casts out demons (e.g. 4:33-35, 41), raises the dead (e.g. 7:11-15) and proclaims forgiveness of sins (e.g. 5:20). He teaches with authority (e.g. 4:36). People flock to see, to hear and to be healed (e.g. 6:17-19). They crowd around him (e.g. 5:1) and are amazed by him (e.g. 4:36, 5:26).

Luke shows that all this happens in fulfilment of what was written (Luke 4:21); drawing particularly and deliberately from Isaiah 61:1-2 (other Old Testament passages to keep in mind are Psalm 2:1-7; Isaiah 35:5-6; 42:1-7;Daniel 7:13-14). The miracles and the proclamation of the Kingdom of God occur in fulfilment of what had been promised, showing us both who Jesus is and what he came to do.

There are two questions I want us to focus on this week;
Who is Jesus?

What did he come to do?

As we work out who he is, this will tell us what he will do. As we see what he does, this will tell us who he is. As you read, think about what the prophecies had said, think about what he says about himself and about what he does, and think about what others say about him.

Other questions to think about as you read

· What is God doing through Jesus here?

· What does it tell me about the Kingdom of God?

· How do people respond to him? How do I respond to him?

Recommended Readings

· 3:1-4:30 Beginnings (also read Psalm 2:1-7; Isaiah 42:1-7)

· 4:31-5:26 Miracles (also read Isaiah 35:5-6)

· 5:17-6:11 Questions

· 6:12-49 Teaching

· 7:1-50 Is he the One?

· 8:1-9:6 Hear and Obey the Word

· 9:7-50 Who is this? (also read Daniel 7:13-14)

A story of love and the heart (Luke 7:36-50)

I love the story of the incident at Simon’s house.

I love the raw emotion of it, the way it shakes me from my academic and theoretical analysis and makes it personal, the way it forces me to ask myself, ‘do I love him?’

I love the way it reveals my sinful, self-righteous heart. I see the woman, her hair uncovered, kissing his feet and I respond as Simon does. I am embarrassed, squirming in my seat. I don’t know where to look! Like Simon, I have become a judge with evil thoughts, judging not just the woman but also the one who will not send her away. Like Simon, I think they are unclean, but I, the one who judges, am clean. I am like Simon, in danger of rejecting God’s purpose for myself (7:30).

I love the way it gently but unmistakably rebukes Simon, and me. Jesus says, ‘He who is forgiven little loves little’ (7:47); or she who does not think she needs to be forgiven, loves little. And he gently reminds me of all the hidden thoughts and desires that no-one else sees. He gently reminds me of my sin.

I love the way it reveals the Saviour’s heart. The saviour, the friend of sinners (7:34) who will not send away the sinful woman, but accepts and affirms her love and assures her of her forgiveness. Jesus, the friend of sinners, the one who forgives sin (7:49), the one who came to seek and save what was lost (19:10).

I love the way it shows me a truly repentant heart; a heart so full of sin and sorrow that it has burst open with love upon being forgiven. A heart that recognises its sin, and being truly sorrowful, turns to the saviour in faith for forgiveness. A heart that, in recognising and loving the saviour, is greater than John (7:28). A heart that, by God’s grace, is also mine.

I love this story. But do I love him?

And how would I demonstrate such love? What do you think?

About this month's contributor, Rachael Connor
How did you come to faith in Christ?
I was saved, by the grace of God, through children's ministry. This began in a family which knew God and served him. We went to a Sunday School where my teachers faithfully taught God's word and genuinely loved us with the love of Christ. I remember heeding Christ's call to follow him and submitting my life to him at a Girl's Brigade Camp when I was ten.

What book(s) has helped you most in growing in your knowledge of God?
I have a confession to make. I don't read theological books very well. I have begun many and finished few. So in my case, the answer is, indisputably, the Bible.

The Gospel of Luke

2016-12-15T21:48:00.000+11:00

It's Christmas again. Can I hear that big sigh? Of course Christmas means busyness, crowded carparks, preparing food and too much to do. But as Christians we know that this is our celebration. This is our time to worship God and the saviour that He brought into the world. I hope that you are finding time to enjoy reading the well known story in the lead up to Christmas. In December we are reposting Rachael Connor's thoughts on the Gospel of Luke from a few years ago. I hope that you find them encouraging and challenging. Thanks for being a part of the Equip Book Club this year. Merry Christmas! Rachael Collins

Beginnings: Things Fulfilled among us Luke 1-2
Christmas. It comes around so quickly now. But remember when the wait was so long? Remember your anticipation as the tree went up, as presents appeared, as your Mum baked… You knew what was coming and you looked forward to the joy of its arrival. Well, imagine a four hundred year wait. Imagine one thousand years. And then, an angel appears… and then another… and then the barren is with child… and the virgin… and you know what is coming. Wait. Anticipation. Joy. This is the atmosphere of these first two chapters of Luke; the very first Christmas.

Luke is careful to show that God is working in the events of this first Christmas in order to accomplish what he had promised. Luke, companion of Paul, made a careful investigation and produced an orderly account of ‘the things fulfilled among us’ (1:1). He has not just recorded amazing things, nor even just amazing things God has done, but things whose beginnings reach far back into history. At the end of the book, we find that Jesus himself understood that these things happened in fulfilment of what was written (e.g. 24:27; 24:44). The whole book is recording for us the fulfilment of God’s great and precious promises, and these first two chapters ground the book firmly in these promises and leave us without doubt that their fulfilment has begun; without doubt, so that we may believe with certainty.

Luke also shows us that God is acting in these times because of his tender mercy (e.g. 1:50, 72, 78). It is not because of the righteousness of his people, but because of his love and faithfulness that he looks again with favour on his people and now acts to bring to fulfilment that which was promised.
God is working in these times because of his tender mercy to fulfil his great and precious promises. But what exactly is it that He is doing? What is it that he promised to do? This is what I want us to look for as we read these chapters.

Recommended Readings

1:1-4 Introduction (Isaiah 11-12; 52:13-53:12; 61:1-3)

2:1-40 The birth of Jesus (Isaiah 9:1-7; Isaiah 49:1-6)

1:5-25 The birth of John foretold (Malachi 2:17-3:5; 4:1-6)

1:26-38 The birth of Jesus foretold (2 Samuel 7:1-16)

1:39-56 Mothers (1 Samuel 2:1-10)

1:57-80 The birth of John (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:17-21; Isaiah 40:1-11; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 31:31-34)

2:41-52 The boy Jesus

Questions to ask yourself as you read.
· What is God doing here in these times?
· What do we learn about what God is like?
· Consider the people who are part of these events. What are they like? What are they expecting will happen next?
· Consider your place in these events. Few of you are Israelites. How are you spoken of? What has God done for you?

Learning from an older woman Luke 1:39-45
I have learnt a lot from Elizabeth. Old Elizabeth, barren for so many years, is now with child. When her younger relative arrives she welcomes her; not with begrudging bitterness at stolen limelight, but with joyful humility. I can’t say what Mary learnt from Elizabeth, but I would like to share what I have learnt from this lovely older woman.

Elizabeth teaches me about Joy. The angel had said that her baby would be a joy and delight to them (1:14). But the joy Elizabeth speaks of is more than the joy the birth of a baby usually brings to its parents. John leaps in the womb upon hearing Mary’s greeting, and Elizabeth, filled with the spirit, tells us that he leapt for joy. He leaps for joy because of the one Mary bears. Here, even before birth, John is paving the way for the Lord; preparing our hearts for the Christ, whose coming is a joyous occasion.

Elizabeth teaches me about Humility. Mary’s coming to her is special because it is the Lord’s coming (1:43) and she wonders, ‘Why am I so favoured?’ She wonders because she knows that she does not deserve such a visit, recognising her own sinful, humble state. Although ‘upright in the sight of God, observing all the commandments and regulations blamelessly’ (1:6), she is humbly aware that she is un-deserving. As am I, as are you, because we are all sinners, and it is this humble recognition that will fill us with joy at his coming.

Elizabeth teaches me about Blessing. Twice Elizabeth blesses Mary. Imagine being chosen to be the mother of God! Blessed indeed! And so, when the woman later calls out…

‘Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you!’ (11:27)

…I am surprised that Jesus replies,

‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’ (11:28)

But I should not be so, for Elizabeth had explained,

‘Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said will be accomplished.’ (1:45)

Mary heard the word of God and obeyed for she believed he would do what he promised; and so she was blessed. Hearing, believing and obeying are all part of the response of true faith.
Let’s also believe that he will do what he has said, and so be blessed.

About this month's contributor, Rachael Connor
How did you come to faith in Christ?
I was saved, by the grace of God, through children's ministry. This began in a family which knew God and served him. We went to a Sunday School where my teachers faithfully taught God's word and genuinely loved us with the love of Christ. I remember heeding Christ's call to follow him and submitting my life to him at a Girl's Brigade Camp when I was ten.

What book(s) has helped you most in growing in your knowledge of God?
I have a confession to make. I don't read theological books very well. I have begun many and finished few. So in my case, the answer is, indisputably, the Bible.

Job The Wisdom of the Cross by Christopher Ash Part 4

2016-11-30T21:53:00.001+11:00

Goslings and Foxes

One night channel surfing I land on David Attenborough’s Life Story. Cosy on the couch with the kids snuggled into me I catch some amazing footage of barnacle goslings, only a few hours old. High up in the cliffs of Eastern Greenland they ready themselves for their first jump. They inch towards the ledge and hurtle 400 feet down, the rock face flashing brown and black behind them as they fall - they look like fluffy amateur sky divers! Their little wings are too new to kick in and they land with the most awkward splat into the sea. We laugh! They look so cute and silly. But as it goes on we see that many are not so fortunate. Some land with a terrific thud on the rocks below or in the grassy marsh. Their little bodies so still, are they dead, concussed? Then they rouse - they’re alive! They shake themselves off and waddle quickly with tiny little steps toward the shore. But there in the grass is a red fox. One gosling has missed the mark and not landed in the safety of the sea. Even though he’s survived his first jump, he’s in dangerous territory. The fox pounces and the scene cuts to a family of foxes higher up in the cliffs feasting on goslings that didn’t survive their first jump. “That’s awful,” my middle daughter says. “Yes it is,” I say, “But the fox needs to eat too.”

As we come to our last look at Ash’s commentary on Job we have to acknowledge that there is a strange wisdom governing the universe that involves tragedy and pain. We may not like it, but if we examine the world with honesty, it is there. In today’s blog post we will focus on God’s response to Job and the answer to the question, “Where is wisdom found?”.

The Blueprint Called Wisdom

Ash writes, “When God built the universe, he did so according to the blueprint called wisdom. Wisdom is the fundamental underlying order according to which the universe is constructed. This is deeper than just an order in its material composition (which is the subject of the study of the material sciences); this order extends also to the moral and spiritual dimensions of existence. It is metaphysical as well as physical. For the idea that this world might just have order in its material aspect (the subject of the physical sciences) but not in its moral aspect would be unthinkable to the ancient (or modern) believer.” (p. 280)

Job knows that God holds the blueprint to this world. He asks God his maker to rewind the tape of his life in chapter 3 after tragedy strikes on that awful day. Fast forward to chapter 28 and Job has made it through his friends’ awful speeches and is in philosophical mode. He’s looking at the mines and the minerals hidden below the earth’s surface. A hunted, haunted man, he asks softly, “But where is wisdom found? And where is the place of understanding?” (28:12) Earlier on Job has cried out for an answer to why the wicked prosper and the innocent suffer. Now he wants to get to the bottom of it finally. Job is asking, “Can I have a conversation with the person holding the blueprint please?”

Job doesn’t have access to the blueprint but he knows it exists, as we all do, from looking at the tiniest plant, to the way our blue Earth shines from space, the only known habitable planet in the universe. There is a good order holding our good creation together. And yet, it’s broken too.

Elihu

Before God responds, Elihu, a young man waiting his turn to speak, steps forward. Ash, controversially makes a good case for regarding Elihu not as an arrogant and inflated version of the friends but as a prophet of God, a John the Baptist figure, who with rough handling, prepares Job for his meeting with God. Whilst this is a departure from traditional scholarship, I think Ash’s argument can fit with the Bible text as Elihu doesn’t make the same arguments as the friends and does point out the ways that Job has spoken incorrectly about God and calls him to repent of that. Job also makes no reply to Elihu and God does not ask Job to pray for him as he will his friends.

God Breaks His Silence

When God responds “out of the whirlwind” he says, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” And tells Job to “Dress for action like a man...” It feels like an episode of Homeland and not at all like the scene of explanation and vindication Job has longed for. What’s next for this poor person? How much more can he possibly take?

As it turns out God’s speech is peppered with questions rather than answers. For four chapters God gives Job a lesson in perspective. He invites him to consider the storehouses of snow and the storehouses of hail that he has reserved for the times of trouble and the day of battle and war. (38:23) To consider the way that sunlight is distributed and wind carried across the earth. My mind casts back to the fox and the gosling when the Lord says, “Can you hunt the prey for the Lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket?” (38:40)

Job is humbled and silent.

When God challenges Job to demonstrate his power by defeating the Behemoth and the Leviathan (two beasts, representing dark spiritual forces and the Satan) Job admits that he spoke without understanding “things too wonderful for me” and repents now that he has truly seen the Lord.

In the epilogue God vindicates Job and says of the friends, “You have not spoken of me what is right,” and has Job pray for them. With wonderful Christlike overtones Job is the means by which his friends can repair their relationship with God. Job has maintained his trust in God, and by that I mean, he has kept his face turned toward God. He may have said things at times that were not quite right but his posture towards God has been correct and he has kept a conversation going, even when it has been an agonizing scream. Job gets his longed for vindication and the Lord dishes out a double portion of blessing on top. It all feels like a Hollywood ending right?

Unsatisfying Answers

And yet ... I’m still unsettled. Job’s new children surely don’t take away the pain of losing the first ten. And what about all those servants, they were real people, they were a part of his life. What about the abandonment by his wife and his illness. Surely he’d have PTSD symptoms after all that? The answers are still unsatisfying. I text a friend,

“Why are we made so fragile?”

“You do often wonder why things need to be this way, really.”

“Innocent suffering and our capacity for evil is something we all need a saviour for, that’s for sure.”

“Pricking pins into the sky here and hoping to catch a glimmer of an answer…”

Truth be told, I feel crushed at the end of reading Job. I feel depressed that God has evil on a leash even though I am thankful for the leash. I feel right back at the start. I have reached and I have not learnt more. Or have I? Perhaps that’s the point. There were moments there where I got a glimmer of an answer - it was too wonderful for me.

Ash writes, “The wild things that happen in life are God’s wild things, and all their wildness is under his control.” (p.368) I think back to my second post on Job - can I trust him to be the King even when it looks like he isn’t?

The End Comes At The End

At the end of the book Ash asks, “When we wake up in the morning, what do we expect our day to be like? … What do we expect of a normal day? For a Christian, what ought to be our idea of the normal Christian life?” (p. 426) Does it include the embattled soldier in Ephesians 5? Does it include warfare and waiting? Does it include Jesus and his disciples? Does it even include Job? Ash says, “The end comes at the end. And this is important because although we have reached the end of the book of Job, in our lives we are not yet at the end.” (p.425)

Fighting On

On the 26th of November this comes up on my Facebook feed - a memory from 7 years ago:

So impressed with my brother’s amazing spirit. He is still fighting on!

It was four days before the end. “Those were amazing days,” my brother’s friend writes in the comments. She sat in that room quietly, respectfully, supportively. I ate the same quiche every day in the hospital cafeteria with her and somehow the circumstances seemed transformed, we were not keeping vigil on death row. We were just two young women eating lunch together.

What a mighty effort. His spirit still impresses me. And his life continues to bring glory and honour and praise to our God. But I close my eyes and shake with tears because it takes me back there and no nineteen year old should have to refuse palliative care and request instead more chemo to try and blast this thing that is killing him one final time.

I remember some of the words I said as I left the hospital room that day, he couldn’t respond because speech was so difficult for him in those last days. “I’m not walking out of here crying tonight mate, I’m continuing to pray for a miracle for you, you’re amazing. Keep fighting, we’re all fighting with you.” I don’t remember everything I said but I know how I felt. Awed. Uplifted. Just for one night.

My brother knew there was life beyond the grave because while he was on earth he found life in Jesus. But this life on earth is precious too and the people God has placed us with are dear to us and we don’t want to cut it short, though there is pain and sorrow here.

Our God is Still The God Who Can Do Anything!

Job says at the end, “I know you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (42:2) Our God is still the God who can do anything! While there is life, there is hope. Never stop praying for a miracle, for healing, for conversion. I am counting on my God to raise me from the dead, to raise my brother, a believer, from the dead. He’s already performed a mighty work in my life and in the lives of millions and millions. Set your heart on the risen Christ. He will not fail you.

About this month's contributor, Katie Stringer

Katie loves writing and has had snippets published in Womankind Magazine and the Guardian Weekly. She is working on a book about her brother. She leads a Bible Study at her local Anglican church, All Souls Leichhardt and loves being part of the Leichhardt community. She is married to Andrew and they have two daughters and a son.

"Job: The Wisdom of the Cross" by Christopher Ash - Pt 3

2016-11-23T22:19:00.001+11:00

Flung On the Rubbish Tip

I’ve read a lot of fluffy things while I read Ash’s book on Job. I’ve read books on makeup and pottery, I’ve read chick lit I’ve found on the street. I feel a great need to balance the heavy subject matter of Job with lighter things.

Edmund de Waal’s “The White Road” catches my eye. Three pages in I’m becoming engrossed in a story about broken tea cups, taken on a tour of hillsides of ancient shards in China … when all of a sudden I see Job. It seems there’s no getting away from him! I can almost feel the broken plate in his hand. There he is perched on top of a giant smoking rubbish tip, scraping his sores with a piece of broken pottery. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. He must be in agony. But his friends have arrived. Maybe this changes everything?

From A Distance

In this blog post I want to explore what real friendship is. What did it look like in Job’s day and what does it look like now? The friends' speeches are such a big part of the book of Job. And they require careful handling. I love how Ash weighs everything, including the first act of the friends - which is their silence.

What must Job have looked like to his friends as they approach and spot him in the distance? Ash writes “ ‘Is that Job? We may imagine one saying to another, ‘so thin, so pale, so harrowed with pain and grief?’ “(p.60)

Ash’s handling of the arrival of the friends is brilliant. I read only recently in a Christian newspaper of this very section of Job being held up as a wonderful picture of empathy. “A ministry of presence”. But Ash blows this out of the water. The friends may come with kind intentions, they travel far and are determined to bring sympathy and comfort but instead, they sit next to him, rather than with him, in silence for 7 days - the length of an ancient funeral. They mourn for him rather than with him. They are appalled. There are no embraces, no kisses or hugs, there is no cool drink, no wiping of tears. They do not hold his hand. They say not a word to him. In the face of Job’s immense suffering they have no way to reach him.

The Gulf Between Job and His Friends

When the first friend opens his mouth to speak to Job, it is kindly meant, however it turns out to be not very helpful. Why?

The friends bring with them a very fixed world view that good people are blessed by God and bad people are punished. Therefore, their thinking goes, if all these terrible things have happened to Job he must have some unrepentant sin in his life. In other words, he’s brought it all on himself.

As a lady in my Bible Study pointed out, this is not so far from the thinking that permeates today when people argue against the welfare state, “If only they worked harder, then they wouldn’t have all those problems or be in that situation…” With no allowances made for the kind of wealth or support networks people are or aren’t born into, orr the kind of tragedies that strike and the different abilities of people to cope or not to cope.

Ash writes, “The controversy in these heated cycles of speeches is between what I have called The System and Job’s anguished discovery that The System doesn’t work. The System represents the default understanding of all morally serious men and women, which is that the universe is moral and that whoever or whatever power (or powers) there may be in the universe rewards good behaviour and punishes bad behaviour. This seems obvious to us by nature and utterly necessary if we are not to be cast adrift into the theatre of the absurd.” (p.177)

But as Ash argues, this view does not take into consideration the work of the Satan, or the cross. With no room for innocent and undeserved suffering, the friends have no room for undeserved grace. For twenty four chapters (4-27) Job and his friends “have a blazing row”. Ash asks, “Who is right to be angry?”

No Room for Innocent Suffering

I remember well writing into the newspaper after reading a heartbreaking story of a couple with cancer who felt pushed out of their church after they had prayed for a miracle and not received one. Of all the pain to go through: to face up to a life cut short, the horrific nature of the treatment, to have your Christian family turn their back on you because you had not prayed with sufficient faith or had some sin blocking your healing was galling. I felt so angry and hurt for them.

I too was feeling raw and disillusioned. Twelve weeks after burying my brother my letter appeared in the paper, “I cried reading your story… I, too, have found it challenging to live with the reality that 'just because you have faith doesn’t mean everything will work out fine'. How hard we prayed for my brother to be healed. Knowing he is in heaven now is not as comforting as it should be and doesn’t take away the pain of losing him on earth at just 19.”

Not As Comforting As It Should Be

As the friends' speeches prove utterly unhelpful to Job it becomes clear that there are times in life when it is just you and God.

Looking back I think, why didn’t the truths I knew about God comfort me more?

I kept going to my Bible Study group. We were doing Mark. It was so hard! Jesus performing miracle after miracle - it just made my heart break! Why didn’t God answer our prayers with a “yes”?

I curse, I exclaim, I withdraw, I meditate, I argue, I talk to the dead. I skulk into church hoping my heart won’t crack in two while I’m there.

I don’t pray for a long time. I see friends. I go for long drives with Coldplay blaring and cry alone outside the cemetery, or on Bondi Road, as soon as I can smell that salt air, I’m crying. This air, brother. Our air. I breath it in. I write. I have amazingly nutritious conversations with strangers. I keep going to church and Bible Study. I keep reading book after book. Fiction mostly. One day I pray again. I take tiny steps.

Nutritious Friends

Reading Ash’s commentary on Job has been one of the most profoundly personal encounters with the Bible I’ve ever had. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like that. Reading the friends' speeches makes me incredibly grateful for the good friends God provided me with at a time of great sorrow. He blessed me with childhood friends who proved trustworthy and true as well as providing new relationships with people who never knew my brother. Some of those friends came from the park where I live, many from church and Bible Study. I can testify that God is good, and he provides.

So what do we do with the friends' speeches? How do their most unhelpful speeches help us to be a better friend?

Don’t Be Like Job’s Friends

Don’t be like Job’s friends who bring only judgment. Ash writes, “God’s truth fits with God’s world.” (p.93) Always look and speak with honesty. Job’s comforters are slaves to incorrect dogma and they have no honesty.

Presence matters. Showing up when someone is in a dark place is very important. Surprising people showed up at my brother’s funeral, and I was very grateful.

But be prepared to bring more than presence. Be prepared to weep with those who weep, to enter into their experience with them. Have a listening ear and allow people the space to be wrong and right at the same time as they grapple with what’s happening. Job’s friends are so quick to shut Job down that they never really listen to him.

Be practical. Bring food. Offer to look after children. Be generous with your time. Be flexible. It is a time of change, and the strength of your relationship will be tested.

Pray. I remember with great thankfulness the many many people who prayed for my brother and prayed with my family. It is noticeable that Job’s friends never pray with him or for him. Pray for your friend. Pray for yourself, that out of you would flow rivers of living water.

Bring Grace, Bring Hope, Bring Peace, Bring Jesus

If there is one thing I walked away with after reading this book it is: Don’t ever let the gospel of grace leach out of your teaching and your convictions (pp.185-186) - that’s where the joy is! My yoke is easy and my burden is light. That’s where the sensitivity and kind words are. That’s where sacrificial love is found. The thankfulness, the humility, the surprise - what wonderful news! - there is a heaven indeed and King Jesus himself will fit us for it’s royal courts. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev 22:20)

About this month's contributor, Katie Stringer

The Hope in Job’s Story

2016-11-15T15:18:00.000+11:00

'Job: The Wisdom of the Cross' by Christopher Ash - Part 2

We need stories to hold on to hope. There have been times in my life where the right story has come along at just the right time. Finding a second-hand copy of Shantaram (by Gregory David Roberts) in a Jerusalem bookshop shines out to me. That book helped me survive a tough trip in Egypt and I relished every stinking bus and train journey to read more of it. I sobbed into the grey pillow of an overnight train when my favourite character - Prabhaker, a slum-dwelling taxi driver - died. He had been my uplifting companion and the soul of the book! Reading Little Women (by Louisa May Alcott) is another shining example. I opened that book for the first time in the weeks after my brother died and it struck a chord of powerful connection. Especially the beautiful poem Jo writes about her little sister Beth, who they lose at just nineteen. I felt it was God at work putting that book into my hands for the first time for that moment. Stories can be so healing.

A lot of people in their distress are drawn to the book of Job. I remember well a Christmas card from a relative that read, “There was a time when all we could read was the book of Job.” There is something raw and honest here that speaks to people in their pain and connects.

Job’s Story Is Real

Let me be clear: Job is not fiction. Ash spends time helpfully placing Job in a historical context (before the promises to Abraham, before the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and outside the promised land). He shows how Job could possibly be a contemporary of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. That Uz was a real place mentioned elsewhere in the Bible (see Lamentations 4:21 and Jeremiah 12:20). And that the friends have geographical locations rooted in history. The New Testament certainly doesn’t treat Job as fictional or an allegory and nor should we. Job’s world is real.

Beginning With A Well-Run World

Ash begins his commentary of Job by welcoming us to a well-run world. It is a world in which a great man is a good man and all around him, life is wonderful.

Ash so rightly emphasises how this is a story of extremes. Job was so great, so blessed, so happy. There’s a little bit of anxiety there at the start that one of his children may have sinned and cursed God in their heart, so Job makes daily morning sacrifices on their behalf. The scriptures tell us that he did this “continually”. (Job 1:5) Job is a God-fearing man.

And then, “There was a day…”

And then, “There was a day…” Ash writes, “And what a day!” Job falls so far. He loses all his servants and his livestock, all the oxen, all the donkeys, all the sheep, all the camels to raiding terrorists and natural disaster. His wealth and all the people tied up in that livelihood are gone in a single day. He’s bankrupt. Worse still, another messenger arrives to tell him that his ten precious children are dead. Feasting in their eldest brother’s house, a cyclone strikes, lifting the foundations of the house and crushing the young people inside. Ash writes, “The world he thought was safe has been turned into a killing field.” (p. 47)

Job stands up, tears his robe and shaves his head (as was the custom), then falls to the ground, his face in the dirt and does something incredible - he worships God,

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

What a moment.

This is how God treats his friends?

It’s hard not to ask, why does God do this to a righteous person? Or as Ash puts it, “This is how God treats his friends?”

We know that Job isn’t perfect. The New Testament and the Psalms tell us, “There is no one righteous, not even one...” (Romans 3:10, Psalm 14:3). There is only one perfect person that ever walked the earth, and he hasn’t come into the picture yet at the time of Job.

Job himself, is acutely aware of sin. Has there ever been a more devoted father, making continual sacrifices for his ten children every morning in case one of them had cursed God in their heart? Has there ever been a Father who could fall on his knees to worship the God of the universe right at the moment when his ten beloved children are taken from him, each and every one of them, on the same day?

A Heavenly Scene

As we shall see, Job’s suffering is not to do with personal sin, (though this is what his friends will claim - more on that next week!) it is to do with faith. We know something that Job doesn’t. As the readers of Job, we are given privileged information into how the universe is run, as the curtains are peeled back to reveal a heavenly conversation. Here we get a glimpse into how the world is governed - and it’s pretty surprising!

Satan shows up in God’s heavenly cabinet, “From roaming to and fro on the earth.” (Job 1:7) What is the Satan (or the Accuser) doing in God’s heavenly cabinet? Ash gives a helpful analogy by looking at the Westminster system of Government and pointing out that Satan is working against God, as an opposition. Though God is still in control, Satan is at work to bring down God’s government. Just as in the Westminster system, the opposition labours to bring down the government but paradoxically this makes the government stronger. Even with Satan “prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8) God will still work all things for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28) Even Job.

Job suffers because he loves the Lord. Satan wants to crush Job, he wants Job to curse God and die. Job’s wife says those very words to him and Job is so gentle and respectful in declining.

God grants Satan’s request to remove the hedge of prosperity and security He has placed around Job. But with limitations. When Satan demands “skin for skin”, God allows Satan to attack Job’s health, but still with a limitation: “only spare his life” (Job 2:6). God allows Satan to do these things, but still, it is the Satan’s fingers inflicting the pain and destruction on the household and person of Job.

Why does God allow it?

Which brings us to the tough question, why does God allow it? Why does God put Job in the crosshairs and take aim at everything? Ash writes, “The glory of God is more important than your or my comfort. It matters for the glory of God that there should be a man who worships God because he is worthy of worship, and for no other reason.” (p. 54) God wants Job to glorify God in his suffering and is confident that he will. Job suffers for being a Christian, (God calls him, “My servant”) not for any particular sin. Though he does not suffer perfectly, he certainly suffers heroically and echoes the embattled soldier of Ephesians 5 and the ultimate suffering servant, Jesus Christ, our savior.

A Journey Through Darkness

Though the extraordinary humility displayed by Job in chapter 1 is the place most people want to linger, the next forty one chapters are the rugged journey Job has to go on. He is cut off from everything that was good about his life but still tethered to God. He will withstand the (understandable) discouragement from his wife. He will endure the initially well-meaning sermons from his friends. He will pour his heart out to God and wrestle with his grief in the darkness. He’ll endure personal illness as well as scorn from his initially well-intentioned friends piled on top. He’ll ask God to press rewind on creation and long for the day of his conception to be wiped out. Job will be sifted like wheat. The dross will be separated from the gold. And as the layers come off, we will see the heart of a believer. God will affirm his friend Job and bless him even more than at the start.

Courage is Encouraging

One of the very best things I heard a friend and minister say to my brother as he was enduring his cancer treatment was, “...your courage is so encouraging.” It was such a thoughtful and honest thing to say. And it imbued all those months in hospital with meaning.

No matter the circumstance Christians can face things with a unique courage and purpose because we have hope that goes beyond this life. We have Jesus. And we can trust him to be the King as he works out his purposes in this broken world.

Thank God for the book of Job and for Christopher Ash’s amazingly detailed and exciting analysis of it. It has made me love the Bible more! Job’s story is so full of honesty and courage. Here is a man who honours God not because he is blessed but in spite of having every blessing taken from him. He will unravel but he will not break. He honours God because he is God and Job is not. Job wants more than anything else an audience with God. He wants to see his face. And that is ultimately so encouraging.

About this month’s contributor, Katie Stringer

'Job: The Wisdom of the Cross by Christopher Ash'

2016-11-07T20:45:00.000+11:00

Christopher Ash’s commentary on Job is extraordinary.

Here are five reasons why you should read it:

It’s satisfyingly long. I’m actually a bit suspicious of books on suffering that are short because the answers aren’t easy. Just like Ash, I’ve heard a sermon series on Job shrunk to three or four weeks. “But God has given us forty two chapters!” The problem of Job’s pain cannot be shrunk to a postcard or a tweet. Ash says, “We need to read it, read it all, read it slowly.”

You will dig deeper into a book of the Bible. And what a book of the Bible! There are so many questions I have about suffering that I long to have answered. Mine has been the last light on in a dark house, Ash’s book in my hand, while my family sleeps. I keep a conversation going with myself, with Ash, and with God through my purple spirax notebook. I've cried, I've said, “Ah hah!” I've copied down perfect phrases longing to hold that difficult explanation for why God allows all this to happen to his friend, Job - to a good, God fearing man - long enough before it slips out of my hands again.

You will face your fears. Job is a terrifying read. It is no exaggeration to say I've picked up Ash’s solid white hardback with a sharp intake of breath, reading the New Testament verse on my bookmark for courage. It’s bleak. And still, Ash’s writing is so good, so personal - I laughed out loud during one of the bleakest chapters when he writes about wondering whether his computer is demon possessed. I could so relate. Ash handles the reader well. He handles Job well. And he puts together a convincing case that the book of Job makes no sense outside of the cross of Christ. This is both the landing strip and the lamp in your hand as you enter the shocking prose and gut wrenching poetry of Job. And Ash gets us there.

Job is not always handled well. His friends' speeches are confusing, some of what they say is right but their tone is arrogant. How do we understand Job as part of the whole Biblical canon that finds fulfilment in Christ? Ash is such a helpful guide! It made me excited (and scared) to look at the book of Job in my women’s Bible Study group. I’m a bit afraid of poetry, and Job is 95% poetry, but I am less so after reading Ash’s treatment. Ash emphasises the personal nature of poems and the need to spend time absorbing them “into your bloodstream”. Poems “are always a personal ‘take’ on something, communicating not just from head to head but from heart to heart.” (J. I. Packer) Ash writes, “We need to let a poem get to work on us.” And I do desperately want to let God’s word - through the poetry of Job - work on me.

You will learn to weep with those who weep. I fellowship with people in real pain. And I bet you do to too. Women who have lost children, many of them young, some of them in horrific ways. Some, like me, have lost a sibling in childhood or as a young adult. Some have family members in prison. Some have been abused. Some suffer from addiction. Some have battled cancer or are battling it right now. People will tell you their sad story when you tell them yours. And that is a great privilege and responsibility. Job is not just about suffering well. It is also about being a good friend and what absolutely not to do. Read it. We are all walking around with so much pain. Staggering through a broken life. And we need each other.

Why I wanted to read Ash’s book

On the 4th of May, 2007 my world changed forever. I was in Dick Smith Electronics on the ground floor of a Westfield with my brother Dave when I got the call. Our little brother had gone to the GP with mum that morning. He had a cold he couldn’t shake. From there he’d gone to emergency at Prince of Wales Hospital where they admitted him straightaway. Now he was in a hospital bed about to have a lumbar puncture. I didn’t know what that was at the time. But from this vantage point I can picture him: my tall, handsome teenage brother. Fit and suntanned from a childhood mucking about on Bronte Beach. The odd gold streak in his straight brown hair. His lovely easy manner. In totally alien circumstances now, wearing a backless white hospital gown, curled up in the fetal position, holding incredibly still, while a doctor inserts a large hollow needle through the skin in his lower back. The procedure takes almost twenty minutes as the needle passes carefully between the vertebrae and into the spinal canal collecting fluid. “It looks like he’s got leukemia,” my Dad says. He was seventeen.

The casualness of that afternoon evaporates. Filled with urgency, we run, my other brother and I, through the shops. Shoppers shopped, the world kept turning, but our world was spinning on a different axis.

Over the next few weeks I hope to explore answers to questions I’ve carried around with me for almost seven years. There is a sense in which the book of Job, possibly the oldest book of the Bible, is all of our stories. And a sense in which it is not. It is a story of extremes. It is utterly epic and extremely human. It is about a blameless man suffering, flung onto the rubbish tip. But more than that it is about a God, our God, who is at the heart of the universe, who provides surprising answers to our ultimate questions and restores Job so lovingly in the end. I hope you will be glued for every second.

About this month’s contributor, Katie Stringer

Know the Heretics by Justin S. Holcomb Part 3

2016-10-31T21:59:00.001+11:00

Mysteries and Mindsets

I remember as a youngish teen asking my father to explain the Trinity to me. He sat for a minute then went to the study, took out his copy of An Australian Prayer Book (you know, the green one from the 70s), turned towards the back of the book, handed it to me, and told me to read the Athanasian Creed.

Anyone who knows my father would know that his not utilising this opportunity to talk at some length odd. He would explain to me the scientific principles behind anything and everything. And, as an avid reader, he would talk to me about his favourite poets: T.S. Eliot and Gerard Manly Hopkins. He would talk and talk and talk.

So it was odd when he didn’t.

As an adult I’m really thankful, though, that he didn’t talk. That he didn’t attempt to explain the Trinity in terms of an analogy (which, as it turns out, generally leads more to explaining than any understanding of the Trinity), but that he left it to the Athanasian Creed to explain the Trinity.

I remember at the time being a little confused by my father’s choice, but greater still was my confusion when I actually read the Athanasian Creed. Sure, it had been translated into English, but it may as well have been in the original Latin. Over the years my understanding of the Trinity has grown, and I have come to terms with the fact that, this side of Heaven, I will not be able to fully understand the Trinity, but, as Holcomb writes, that is ok, “Though we can apprehend the doctrine of the Trinity, we cannot fully comprehend it. Despite that fact, it is vital to maintain a Trinitarian faith.” (p. 96)

The second half of Know the Heretics can be divided into three focus areas: Trinity, Christology and human sin, looking at various heretics who erred in one (or more) of these areas. I don’t know a Christian who would say that they completely understand the Trinity and Holcomb looks at heretics who struggled, often with pastoral concern, to come to terms with the Trinity. Unfortunately, they came to the wrong conclusions. But born out of these struggles came orthodox theologians who worked hard at a doctrine of the Trinity that came closest to understanding its mysteries.

Holcomb is fair, clear and utilises primary and secondary sources at an appropriate level for such a book. He writes winsomely and with humility. Here are explanations of the Trinity, which you may have previously heard in a piecemeal fashion, presented in their historical context. Furthermore, Holcomb treats his reader (who may, through ignorance, hold heretical views themselves) with warm, pastoral concern.

In Holcomb’s ‘Conclusion’, he reiterates the stated purpose of his little book, going further to emphasise that the command is to love God with our entire person, including our minds. Yes, our faith is simple, but we are to use the way that God has made us, as intellectual beings, to know Him, and in that knowledge, to love Him.

As an educator, I have been reading recently about fixed and growth mindsets. A fixed mindset is someone who accepts the label (whether it be “smart” or “dumb”) about themselves and never seeks to change. They will avoid trying anything that may have them fail. A growth mindset, in contrast, will try new things, seeing every opportunity, whether it brings success or failure, as a chance to learn. In thinking about these two mindsets it has made me wonder about our propensity to shy away from developing our understanding of difficult, yet vitally important doctrines, such as Trinity and Christology. It requires effort, we may struggle (even fail) along the way, we may see ourselves as unable, as if pursuing knowledge of God is only for an academic elite. It isn’t. It is for everyone. Maybe it will take longer for you, or require more effort to grasp things, which for others is easy. It doesn’t mean we don’t try.

So, I’ll keep trying to understand the Trinity, pursuing its mysteries, knowing that on the Last Day all will be revealed. For as I do, I not only acknowledge my limited capacity, and therefore my dependency upon God, but I also get to know Him, and because of that I can love Him more.

About this month's contributor, Sian Lim
Siân enjoys reading, talking about literature, writing and helping people to do these things. She is delighted that she can earn an income doing this as a high school English teacher, whilst continuing to develop herself professionally by attending theatrical performances with her husband, and reading by herself and with her three boys. She is thankful to God for words: that he created by His word, that Jesus came as the Word incarnate, and that by the Spirit she can say “Jesus is Lord”.

Know the Heretics by Justin S. Holcomb Part 2

2016-10-23T21:27:00.000+11:00

Each chapter of Know the Heretics is broken up into five parts: the historical background to the heresy, the specifics of the heretical teaching, the orthodox response, the contemporary relevance (or resonance), and discussion questions and further reading. Some of the chapters look at heresies that are associated with specific people or groups (eg. Marcion, Judaizers, Manichaenism), whilst others look at theological tendencies (eg. Gnosticism and Docetism). In the first section of the book (Chapters 1-5), the heresies tended to be an incorrect understanding of the following issues: the Old and New Testaments and their relationship to each other; that salvation is by grace alone, and not by our works; that God has revealed himself completely through his son; and that Jesus is fully human (and not just God).

In thinking through the orthodox position on each of these topics, I was reminded how important they are to my faith. For instance, in the chapter on the earliest heretical group, the Judaziers, I was reminded that as a church (and I mean both generally and the church I attend specifically) we can exclude people on the basis of their behaviour, only welcoming those who practice our particular brand of Christianity. We can also open ourselves up to the sin of pride if our focus is on how we demonstrate our obedience to Christ: “In fact, since obedience can become a point of pride, doing good can even be detrimental- we must sometimes repent of our virtues as well as our vices.” (p. 30)

The chapter on Docetism looked at a general heretical theology that “taught that Jesus Christ was totally divine and that his humanity was merely an appearance. Although he seemed to have a human body, he was not subject to any kind of human experiences. This included being immune to human ‘birth, fatigue, thirst, hunger, suffering [and] death.’” (p. 56) As Holcomb points out, a lot of popular liberal theology, particularly of the 19^th and 20^th Centuries had a similar spirit, wanting to remove the miraculous and supernatural elements of Christ’s life and ministry, going so far as to deny the bodily resurrection. The danger of Docetism for us is found in its motivations, as we look for ways to communicate the Gospel to seemingly ever-widening cultural divides: “The root of Docetism was the desire to make Christ more palatable to a world that sees the cross as foolishness. But the more they tried to please the world, the farther they strayed from the truth contained in Scripture.” (pg. 59-60)

In reading these chapters, they affirmed for me what Holcomb established in his introduction: that heresies, in the end, lead people away from Christ, not towards him. The danger for us, as Holcomb touches on at the end of each chapter in the section on ‘contemporary relevance’, is that in our efforts to engage with the (various) cultures we find ourselves in, we will be selective. We might downplay certain parts of the Bible (maybe we don’t preach very often from the Old Testament, or avoid a Bible Study series on it), or aspects of Jesus Christ, or we may start to believe that it is what we do as Christians that makes our salvation secure. In the end, we are never very far from heresy in our lives as Christians. We should continue to pray Paul’s words to the elders of the Church at Ephesus “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:28-31)

About this month's contributor, Sian Lim
Siân enjoys reading, talking about literature, writing and helping people to do these things. She is delighted that she can earn an income doing this as a high school English teacher, whilst continuing to develop herself professionally by attending theatrical performances with her husband, and reading by herself and with her three boys. She is thankful to God for words: that he created by His word, that Jesus came as the Word incarnate, and that by the Spirit she can say “Jesus is Lord”.

Know the Heretics by Justin S. Holcomb

2016-10-16T21:17:00.000+11:00

Introductions

This year, after a long season of having babies and completing an MA (which I sometimes refer to as ‘the other baby’), I have returned to teaching. In doing so I have been reflecting upon the importance of introductions. I have spent many a lesson focussing my students’ attentions upon the opening of a film, the first lines of a poem, the beginning of a novel, or the introduction to their essays. Whether in a novel, essay, film or poem, introductions are vitally important. It is where the author imparts to the reader (director to the viewer) what they want to say and outlines how and where they will take us. A good introduction, like a good first date, should give us an accurate picture of things as they are and, hopefully, make us want to take them up on their offer for more.

Justin S. Holcomb offers us a clear example of a good ~~first date~~ introduction in Know the Heretics, the companion to Know the Creeds and Councils. Holcomb is very systematic in laying out his topic, defining the terms and parameters for his book. In defining heresy, Holcomb made the point that it was not the questions the heretics were grappling with that were the problem, but the answers they arrived at. Heresy is a choice to deviate from orthodoxy (right teaching). Looking through the history of Christianity, Holcomb notes that at times it has been the powerful and influential who have been the heretics, and that there is no straightforward ‘line’ to trace, except if we go back to Christ. For Holcomb, orthodoxy “is the teaching that best follows the Bible, best summarizes what it teaches” (p. 11). Thus heresy, as it is defined by Holcomb, is that which deviates from this (p. 12), but he does go on to show how the Catholic and Reformed traditions have noted that there are “three ‘zones’ between strict orthodoxy and outright heresy” (p. 16).

Holcomb also uses his introduction to establish the importance of this topic for contemporary Christians, touching upon our own, often poor, usage of the word ‘heresy’. He takes a broad sweep at two groups. The first “who think that heresy is anything that does not agree with their own interpretation of Holy Scripture.” Holcomb sees these people as making everything “central, [so] nothing is.” (p. 17). Holcomb also looks at a second group who, seemingly influenced by pluralism, want to be rid of the terms orthodox and heretical in descriptions of the early church altogether. Holcomb is at pains to stress that orthodoxy is demonstrably that which leads us back to Christ himself, something which “heretical groups were not particularly interested in doing likewise” (p. 19).

It would serve us, the readers, well if we stopped to consider which of these two groups we find ourselves straying into. In my own reflection, I could actually see elements of both!

In thinking back to the only time when I really did consider heresy in any detail, it was during Doctrine lectures while I was at Theological College. Various heretics would be examined to show how a particular doctrine was developed, “When teachers began to lead movements that were blatantly opposed to the apostolic tradition, the church was forced to articulate the essential elements of the faith(p. 19) This is the last point Holcomb makes, that the importance of knowing the heretics, is in knowing our past, knowing where we have come from:

Learning how Christians throughout history have wrestled with the tough questions of our faith gives us a valuable perspective and keeps us from assuming that our own know-how, pat answers, or inspiring platitudes are best suited to solving the problems of the world. (p. 20)

Confidence in the midst of tragedy

2016-09-30T20:42:00.000+10:00

Lady Jane Grey: Nine Day Queen of England by Faith Cook

How would you respond if someone came and told you they’d decided you would be the next King or Queen? Would you feel flattered? Excited about the power and prestige that would soon be yours? Maybe a little intimidated? Following King Edward’s death in 1553, the King's protectors chose Lady Jane as his successor. The alternative was Lady Mary, daughter of Henry VIII, but they were concerned that as a staunch Catholic, Lady Mary would undo all of the changes made by the reformers if she were to ascend the throne. A young woman of 16, from a respectable and powerful Protestant family, and a direct Tudor descendant, Lady Jane Grey could be used as pawn in these political decisions.

Jane’s response was not what these powerbrokers wished to hear – she immediately refused to become Queen, stating that Lady Mary was the rightful heir! Sadly though for Jane, as with most decisions in her life, she had very little say and in following days was taken to London in a procession and announced as the new Queen of England.

Over the next week, a power struggle emerged between those loyal to Mary, and those willing to support Jane. The reluctant new queen was completely at the mercy of those who had manoeuvred her into power and promised to provide military support to keep her there. What an uncertain time it must have been for Jane! It is an encouragement to continue to read of her steadfast faith in God, and her trust that whatever the future held it would be in his control and by his will.

As you might have expected, those who had earlier pledged support for Jane each left her side and after nine days it was clear that Mary would be proclaimed the rightful Queen of England. Sadly for Jane, this resulted in her being imprisoned in the Tower of London and charged with treason. It seems that at first Jane’s good character and standing with Queen Mary worked in her favour. However, Mary’s advisors, keen to repeal any influence of the reformers, pressured her into agreeing to the death penalty for Jane and her husband Guildford Dudley.

It is sad to read that many of those who had embraced the truths of the reformation and become Protestants at this time quickly renounced their change and returned to Catholicism. This even included Lady Jane’s father and father in law, who were so influential in the plot to make her Queen! It is clear from Cook’s narrative that the temptation to place our trust in worldly power and security was as attractive then as it is today.

I have read and reread Jane’s final letter to her sister the night before her execution a number of times. It is emotional, honest and yet full of confidence in her salvation. Here are just a few sentences:

“Rejoice in Christ, as I do. Follow the steps of your Master Christ, and take up your cross: lay your sins on his back, and always embrace him… For I am assured, that I shall, for losing of a mortal life, win an immortal life, the which I pray God grant you, and send you of his grace to live in his fear, and to die in the true Christian faith, from the which (in God’s name) I exhort you, that you never swerve, neither for hope in life, nor for fear of death.”

Lady Jane Grey indeed lived a tragic life with so much of it outside her control. Reading about how badly she was treated, even by her own family, is difficult. Yet she continued to put her faith in God, and trust in Christ Jesus’s death and resurrection for her salvation. Reading Christian biographies like this one is a great way to see how God has continued to work in the lives of his people throughout history. It is an encouragement to live for Him, no matter the circumstances we face in life. It also helps us to appreciate the sacrifices Christians have made so that we can enjoy the freedom and ability to worship Jesus publicly, in our own language, and without fear of persecution. Those who came after Queen Mary established Protestantism as the official religion in England, and encouraged the key reformation truths which Jane had so boldly held herself. Lady Jane Grey’s life, and the witness to Christ of others at the time, is something to give great thanks to God for.

About this month's contributor, Sarah Cameron

I love to read, but don't get much time at the moment as looking after my toddler keeps me on my toes. I’m thankful to be part of the St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield and Bossley Park church family, where Gus my husband is an Assistant Minister. Not originally from the South West, our free time is spent exploring the local area, experiencing new foods and getting to know people from different backgrounds.

Appreciating the past

2016-09-23T21:23:00.001+10:00

Lady Jane Grey: Nine Day Queen of England by Faith Cook

Faith Cook weaves two intriguing narratives through her book Lady Jane Grey: Nine Day Queen of England. The first is an account of the political and religious events of the 1500s. Alongside these events we get a very personal picture of what living during this turbulent time was like, through the life of Lady Jane Grey. A genuine Christian, we follow Jane as she tries to live as a Protestant among many (including her own parents) who were only interested in improving their political and economic standing.

One of the explanations of historical events of the time that I found most thought-provoking was how the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) was introduced by Thomas Cramner in 1549. Maybe you attend a church meeting that uses the green prayer books? Or maybe your church has a congregation who use them on a regular basis? While the language has been updated, the structure and content of this way of Christians meeting together has largely remained unchanged for 450 years!

It’s hard to imagine now, but the BCP caused considerable outrage when it was introduced. For many, it King Edward’s clearest attempt to make England a Protestant nation. I found it encouraging to read about Edward’s intent for all people to be able to worship God in English (rather than Latin) and read the Bible for themselves (where previously it had been exclusively the role of clergy). So many generations of people have been brought to a saving relationship with Christ through his Word as a result. I think that it has given me a better appreciation of the BCP, and the richness of it’s wording too.

Conflict and upheaval was reflected in Lady Jane’s life too. As Jane grew closer to becoming a teenager, her family’s quest to find her a suitable husband intensified. Yes you did read that right – a teenager! Really, the search had begun when she was still a small child. Sadly, Jane had little choice and wasn’t consulted in the decision. Her parents, motivated by political greed, wanted to position Jane as a Protestant alternative to succeed King Edward. The teenage king seemed frail and the possibility of Henry VIII’s eldest daughter Mary, a staunch Roman Catholic, ascending the throne if Edward died young was a constant threat. So it was decided that Jane would marry Guilford Dudley, a family friend also from an influential Protestant family.

These were particularly hard times for Jane. However, as Cook shares, it was these experiences that further refined her faith in God:

“Such circumstances sent Jane ever more frequently to that strong source of consolation for the Christian, the presence and sustaining power of Christ… The truths of the gospel were all important to her; she read the Scriptures diligently, using her Greek to help her understand the New Testament. Through the harsh experiences in her life, she was learning the way into God’s presence in prayer, seeking him for the strength she needed.” (p101).

These convictions would be extremely important in the events of Jane’s life yet to come. Because while there were genuine Christians interested in reforming the church and encouraging the faithful teaching of the Bible, others were only interested in these changes for their own political and economic gain. But either way, a Roman Catholic Queen on the throne would present serious problems for all those interested in the Reformation’s continued progress.

Only a few months after Jane’s wedding, the 15 year old King Edward died. I appreciated Cook’s poetic description of the afternoon Edward died:

“A violent thunderstorm broke over London that afternoon, as though symbolic of the stormy years that lay ahead, particularly for the men and women who were faithful to the great truths of the Reformation – those truths that had transformed the lives of many in all parts of the land”.

That statement would indeed ring true in Jane’s life.

About this month's contributor, Sarah Cameron

Tumultuous Times

2016-09-16T20:25:00.000+10:00

Lady Jane Grey: Nine Day Queen of England by Faith Cook

You’ve probably heard of Henry VIII, King of England, but how much do you know about his niece, Lady Jane Grey? While people might (rightly) question Henry’s commitment to genuine Christianity, it’s remarkable to read about the genuine, steadfast faith of someone in his family.

That is how I felt reading Faith Cook’s book “Lady Jane Grey: Nine Day Queen of England”. Odds are that if you have read about English history, you’ll know about the reign of Henry VIII from 1509 – 1547. The period of the Tudor Dynasty was one of the most tumultuous times in England’s history. That’s because Henry VIII is best known for a decision that significantly changed the course of England’s history – a split with the Roman Catholic Church and establishment of the Church of England. The catalyst for the split? For Henry, it was the desire to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon (he went on to have five more wives, making him a very infamous king!). But at the same time, religious reformers in England and Europe were also challenging the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, bringing about a period of great spiritual renewal.

It was into this turbulent time that Lady Jane Grey was born and raised. Faith Cook’s book helps bring her interesting and, ultimately, tragic life out of the shadows of those who came before and after her. Jane was the great niece of Henry VIII and the same age as Henry’s son and heir Prince Edward.

What struck me the most about Cook’s opening chapters that explain Jane’s early life was just how different growing up as a young woman in the 1500s was to today. A high born woman was seldom seen as more than a way for her family to gain advantage and influence at court. But as a potential bride for Prince Edward, Jane Grey received a far more thorough education than others her age. Through the influence of the Christian Queen Katherine Parr (Henry’s last wife), her tutors taught Jane the reformation truths of grace, forgiveness of sins and acceptance with God based on the work of Jesus, and she also studied one of the first authorised English translations of the Bible.

The 1500s saw great uncertainty across England and Europe. Behind the scenes power struggles and intrigue were common place. And all the more when a King died. Following Henry’s death in 1547 his son Prince Edward became king. But being only 9, a group of men made decisions on Edward’s behalf. Brought up as a staunch Protestant, Edward and his protectors continued the far reaching political and religious changes that his father had started. However, being so young meant instability continued to hang over England. Sadly for Jane, this instability would see her become an innocent victim of her family’s desire for power.

So why read about a young woman who lived over 450 years ago? If you haven’t read much about this period of history before, Cook does a good job of explaining the key people and events in a straightforward and fascinating way. I found it encouraging to read about Jane’s authentic faith and how she sought to know God better and follow him as best she could, even when she wasn’t in control of the circumstances and decisions in her life. These verses from 1 Peter come to mind as I reflect on the first chapters in Cook’s book:

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:6-9

About this month's contributor, Sarah Cameron

EQUIP Short - Different by Design by Carrie Sandom

2016-09-03T19:58:00.000+10:00

Many years ago I was at a beach mission on the far north coast. I have fond memories of teaching little kids ‘My God is so big’; of singing with gusto in the massive tent as we washed up after dinner; of visiting local residents and sharing life with them. Another distinct memory at beach mission was an event that helped me to begin to understand what it means to work together as men and women.

I was moving a table in the massive tent and a guy came up to me and offered to help. I was quite adamant. “That’s fine, I can do it”. I was trying to be patient but I was thinking, “Who does he think I am? Does he not think I’m capable to move a table? Just because I’m a woman!” He said to me, “It’s not that I don’t that think you can do it, but I want to serve you.” That was quite a humbling experience!

Different by Design has reminded me, once again, of the goodness of being made differently as men and women. We live in a world where feminism has reshaped our thinking about who we are as men and women and seeks to undermine our differences. Being a Christian chaplain at a university means that this topic comes up a lot! These educated, capable women are told that they can do it all and in fact, they have a right to do so! This book helpfully shows how this worldview could actually be damaging our families and our churches.

Different by Design shows how our differences as men and women are not only biological but essentially theological. The relationship between men and women is actually a reflection of who our Creator is. In God himself (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) there is perfect unity and yet diversity and perfect equality and yet order. What a privilege to reflect God’s image in the world as we relate as men and women! I’ve been reminded that this isn’t something to be ashamed of but to be thankful for.

“To be made in the image of God necessitates being made in relationship with others, just as God himself is in relationship with other members of the godhead.”

Carrie Sandom offers such a thorough and engaging exegesis of Genesis (it’s worth reading just for this!) to show what it means to be men and women, distinct yet dependent on each other. She shows the goodness of God’s order in Adam leading and Eve helping him in the task of having dominion over creation, and yet how devastating it is that Adam and Eve overturned the order in which God has made them. We are no longer complementing each other but competing with each other, we are no longer appreciating our equality under God but seeking to be supreme over each other. And I think we can clearly see this in our world today! The world wants us to believe that women are superior to men and that they can do things better than men. Yet I was reminded that God is not pleased when we despise or belittle or mistreat the opposite sex (page 60). We are not supposed to be competing with each other, but being thankful for each other and for the different roles we play.

I was particularly struck in the book by the way that Jesus perfectly exemplified how to treat men and women, with respect and dignity but also understanding their different roles in the church and in the family. He called men to follow Him and to be leaders of God’s people, while He treated women with respect and high regard and understood their physical and emotional vulnerability, “Here, then, is complementarianism demonstrated by the Master of its design.” As we are transformed by the Spirit of God, we are to be people who reflect the Lord Jesus. This has opened up new possibilities for me to examine the life of Jesus in the gospels to show how men and women are to be treated.

Different by Design goes on to show how this redeemed design as men and women is to be played out in our families, churches and workplaces. I particularly appreciated Sandom’s thoughts on the relationships of men and women in the workplace, which is often a tricky issue to work out. She says that the order of relationship is particular to relationships where there is a covenant in place, “Within the familial or covenant contexts of marriage and the church, there is a diversity of role that demonstrates the relationships within the relationships within the covenant community of God Himself” (page 191). This means that this order doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace environment, and yet she helpfully suggests that, as women, we need to understand that the men that we work with have positions of authority in the church and in the family and we need to be careful not to undermine them.

Sandom asks some thought provoking questions throughout the book. She asks whether “our (women’s) eagerness to help and be involved actually makes it harder for men to lead us” (page 61). She reflects on the trend that less and less men are in churches and ponders the possibility of women actually driving them away. It makes me question whether I am encouraging the leadership of men in my church or am I taking over their responsibilities and not giving them enough freedom to lead? How am I helping them to fulfill their God given responsibilities of leadership?

I’ve come a long way since my early beach mission days. I now know the privilege of being made as a woman, to be unique from men and yet to complement men. What a privilege to be made in God’s image. I’m thankful for books like this that have helped me along the way and offer such a rich biblical theology of the relationship between men and women. At university, I often recommend God’s Good Design by Claire Smith but now I have another book to recommend! And as we ponder these things and learn from the wisdom of God, ‘may we learn to serve the God who loves us, and forever rejoice in the knowledge that He has made us different by design.”

About this month's contributor, Elissa Moran

Elissa has the privilege of working as a Christian chaplain at UNSW. She loves chatting to students about Jesus and training students to keep serving him joyfully. She loves to play any kind of sport (although, frisbee is her favourite!) and to spend time in the bush. Other than that, she’s also very happy to have a nice cup of leaf tea while reading the newspaper.

Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch - Part 2

2016-08-29T22:08:00.000+10:00

It should break our hearts to see Syrian refugees fleeing from cities of rubble. It should break our hearts when we hear revelations of yet another case of child abuse. It should break our hearts when we see homeless people and when families break apart. Because we have so much access to news these days, we are painfully aware of the effects of sin in our broken world. But too much information can lead to paralysis because there are so many who need help. We might pray and we might give. But a lot of the time we just move on to the next news story on the next day to protect ourselves from drowning in a sea of hopelessness. As Christians we do have hope that the battle has been won, and that one day we will see an end to suffering. And while we are here there are certainly big ways and small ways that we can be God’s hands and feet to a suffering world. But if we allow ourselves to get too caught up in working for, buying and decorating a comfortable life, then we are really ignoring God and missing out on opportunities to let Him be God. It’s not all too hard and it’s not all up to us. We just have to say yes.

“I can see clearly that I’ve become like my culture, living for myself, my family. Wasting a lot of time and money on things that simply don’t matter to me anymore. Choosing ignorance over truth. Pretending poverty isn’t my problem or my responsibility. I’ve asked God to reveal a new normal, to take this personal revelation and my everyday life and mix them together, creating something entirely different. And I’ve given Him the heavy burden that comes with such a revelation. His burden is easy and His yoke is light, so it’s a pretty good exchange for me.”

I don’t know what you make of this extract from one of Kristen Welch’s blog posts that she wrote in the weeks after she returned from Africa. I am hoping that if you are reading these reviews and that if you read her book then you too will find what I found. A challenge for Christians in the West to wake up from their sleep. I first read Rhinestone Jesus two years ago. I had been reading Kristen’s blog and wondering about how I might say yes to God. When your husband is starting out in full time ministry, you have kind of already said a very big yes to giving over your life to serving God. That was affirming. But I also needed to hear some truths that we all need to be reminded of often. That I have the human bias that always turns me back to looking after me and ignores the needs of others. That great poverty and inequity exist in the world. That buying things will never satisfy me. That I need to be content with what I have. That I can do something about the suffering of others. That God uses us to help in big ways and in small ways.

In the second half of the book Kristen goes on to outline how saying yes to God in Kenya changed her family and how hard that journey has been. She is at pains to stress that she isn’t an extraordinary woman and she doesn’t have the perfect family. Living a God-sized dream is really scary, even when you know God’s got it covered. She talks about how to get your family serving, all rowing together and seeing beyond your own schedule and wants and busyness to serve God. And she talks about how to tackle the guilt, loneliness and doubt which will beset you at times when you are trying to say yes. She talks about practical ways that people who are transformed by Jesus can change the lives of others – buy Fair Trade, give money and goods to those you know who are in need, sponsor a child, adopt an orphan. One person can make a difference in the life of another. Start small, give and be faithful.

“He continues to show me how He can take a small yes and make it enough. My faith has been forged in fire. It may not be as sparkly as a Rhinestone pin. But it is real. And it shines”

About this month's contributor, Rachael Collins

Rachael Collins is a Jane Austen fan who often finds it amusing that she is married to Mr Collins who is indeed a minister. She is an English/ History teacher who has taken a break from teaching in order to devote more time to reading children's literature. Her three children are the happy beneficiaries of this decision. Rachael enjoys gardening, drinking tea, baking and sorting her wardrobe according to colour. She endeavours to read her old books before she buys new ones, but occassionally she loses that battle.

Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch

2016-08-16T22:06:00.002+10:00

Have you ever stumbled across a really great blog? A couple of years ago I started reading the musings of the wise and humble Texan Kristen Welch. In “We are THAT family” she writes about motherhood, about serving, about poverty and about saying ‘Yes’ to God. And I was really excited when she crystallised a lot of her thoughts and her life story into “Rhinestone Jesus” published in 2014. This book is actually a great follow on from Lauren’s review of The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller, because Welch urges us to take a good look at our comfortable, self-focussed lives and realise that “sparkly, safe faith is no longer enough”. Like David Platt in Radical, which I reviewed last year, Welch urges us to take the gospel seriously and to put God’s kingdom before ourselves. But like Michael Horton in Ordinary, Welch also wants us to realise that we don’t need to be focussed on creating an extraordinary life to be proud of, rather we need to be faithful and content with where God has placed us right now. Not complacent, but rather content. And then when we are focussed on Him, we can say yes and rely on God as we take our place in sharing His love and spreading His kingdom. We don’t need to wait until we have it all together, we can say ‘Yes in our mess’.

“I slowly discovered that God didn’t require me to get my act together before

He would reveal His God-sized dream; He was just waiting for me to say yes in my mess.”

A few key events in her Christian, good-girl, rhinestone Jesus pin wearing life unsettled Welch and forced her to see that God wanted her to put aside her own comfort and security (which was really no security at all), and cling to Him in faith as she stepped out in small and big ways to share the love of Jesus with a dying world. She is now the founder of a maternity home in Kenya that rescues, houses, educates and gives medical attention to pregnant girls who are poor and desperate and who desperately need to hear and see the love of Jesus in their lives. Check out Mercyhouseglobal.org to find out about the amazing work that they do. And in her spare time (while not flying to Kenya, blogging, and parenting three children) she works with refugees. Kristen’s floors may be sticky, but she has helped to save and transform the lives of many girls and their babies.

Kristen Welch grew up in a Christian home and was a strong witness throughout her school years. She actually did wear a sparkly Jesus pin to school. But marriage to her college sweetheart was put to the test when he revealed a struggle with pornography and they had to work through tears and forgiveness to put the shattered pieces of their marriage back together. And then it was when she travelled to Kenya with Compassion that Welch’s world really fell apart. She visited a slum in Mathare Valley and what she saw there caused her to cry out to God:

“Where are you? These are your people; You created them. How can you allow so much suffering? For a moment, time stood still. I stopped and closed my eyes. I saw God’s finger pointed at my chest as He asked me the same question: ‘Kristen, how could you allow this?’ In that exact moment, I knew my life would never be the same.”

We are not all going to go out and rescue many people from poverty, exploitation and desperation. We might feel called to world mission or full time ministry, and we might not. But Welch challenges Christians not to give up on the dreams of reaching a world for Jesus. Dreams that might have faded and been buried under the weight of mortgages, nappies and washing. God wants to use us in our weakness to bring glory to Him. Maybe we need reminding that we can make a difference. We can serve where we are and use what gifts we have to bring glory to God and not to ourselves. Welch reminds us that striving to be the perfect Mum will only lead to guilt and entitled children. Striving to find contentment in our homes, our jobs, and in our goal of perfect parenting will never really satisfy. Sparkly, safe faith that focuses on what I do and forgets what He has done will never satisfy.

“I thought I was going to Kenya to help . . . But I was the one drowning in all that I had. I was the one who needed help. I was the one who was spiritually poor. . . God used a day in hell to rescue me.”

About this month's contributor, Rachael Collins

EQUIP Shorts

2016-07-31T20:58:00.000+10:00

The Freedom Of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller

I installed this app on my phone recently, which I had a sneaking suspicion would change my life. Called Moment, this app has one main function, which is to track the amount of time you spend looking at your phone each day. My hope was that the findings might persuade me to change my habits dramatically. So as the app installed, I envisioned myself being liberated from the endless (and largely boring) social media scrolling, being more present in my relationships, and more mindful in everyday moments.

But what actually happened? I deleted Moment within a week. The amounts of time tracked each day were confronting, far surpassing my estimates. It all got too real. Changing my habits felt too huge a task, so I favoured a return to ignorance instead. With this feeble, failed attempt, I had hoped to turn aside habits that both fuel and are fuelled by narcissism.

Navel-gazing is a habit we are all inclined towards. We'll dwell on anything about ourselves, good or bad. Add in a social media-saturated culture that allows us to showcase ourselves while evaluating others' lives compared to our own, and being anything but a bit of a narcissist feels like an uphill battle!

Tim Keller's (exceptionally!) short book The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness draws out how our standing before God remedies the fears about ourselves that fuel self-centred navel-gazing. Keller builds an argument, drawn from 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7, that the truly gospel-shaped person is self-forgetful rather than self-hating or self-loving. This is explored in three phases - 1) the natural condition of the human ego, 2) the transformed view of self, and 3) how to get that transformed view of self.

One element of The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness that I found most helpful was the correctives it offers surrounding secular wisdom on self-esteem. For some time before reading this book, I had felt convinced that the Bible’s answer to issues of low self-esteem isn’t that we should cultivate high self-esteem. But I was unsure what the Bible’s answer really is. I’d heard pithy lines about 'not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less', but I still questioned how my identity in Christ actually helps me to do that. In exegeting 1 Corinthians 4, Keller shows how the Christian is freed not only from being concerned about others’ opinions about us, but from being concerned about our own opinion. He explains that “He [Paul] is saying that the problem with self-esteem - whether it is high or low - is that, every single day, we are in the courtroom.” Seeking validation through self-esteem puts us back on trial. Keller explains that constantly assessing our worth and others’ assessments of us is out of place for the Christian. The verdict is already in. We have been united to Christ who has won us a verdict of not guilty, before the only important judge. We are liberated from the courtroom of comparison, free to love God and love others with wholehearted abandon.

There could be one pitfall to pursuing self-forgetfulness in rejection of self-condemnation and narcissism, which Keller doesn’t canvas in depth. We could find ourselves returning to the same old self-condemning patterns by beginning to assess whether we are self-forgetful enough. What a tricky cycle! But there is wisdom to an amount of thoughtful self-reflection. Elsewhere we read Paul ruminating on his failings and weaknesses, describing himself to Timothy as ’the worst of sinners’. But what is the purpose of this rumination? Not to berate himself for these failings, but to point us all back to the breadth and depth of God’s love for us in Jesus. This love needs to be the first port of call when our failings confront us.

More than apps showing me the colossal amounts of time I’ve wasted ignoring the real world in pursuit of virtual validation, I need the word of God showing me how liberated I am. We all need it to show us that we’re truly freed from the condemnation we deserve; freed from the courtroom of comparison; freed to spend life loving God and loving others.

About this EQUIP Shorts contributor, Lauren Mahaffey
Lauren is in her third year studying at Moore College, working at MTS as Communications Officer, living in Newtown, and loving being part of Summer Hill Church. Her spare time is usually all about catching up with friends and family, nerding out over podcasts, and cooking.

EQUIP Shorts - Engaging with Muslims by John Klassen

2016-07-12T22:29:00.000+10:00

What must it be like to be a Muslim living in Australia today? Ongoing conflict in Africa and the Middle East coupled with outbreaks of violence in the West continue to generate fear. What this book does is break through that to equip a Christian person to make friends with a Muslim person. Reading it reminded me of the joy of making a new friend and the good news of Jesus’ gospel that we have to share.

The book is split into two parts: Understanding Muslims and Engaging with Muslims. Each chapter contains helpful content and reflection questions, interspersed with true stories of how people of Muslim faith came to know Christ. Some of them are quite incredible. One story tells of a new arrival in the US, who wrote to a local church, “Just send me someone to tell me about Christianity. I will pay for them to come to me. I don’t need anything; just send me someone.” He became a Christian six months later.

Understanding Muslims

Our culture likes to paint Muslims as one thing. But the reality is more opaque. Just like you and I, all Muslims are different. The book helpfully points out differences between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims. It explains a bit about the five pillars of Islam. And it reminds you that some Muslims will be culturally Muslim but not believe in God. The rubber hits the road though when Klassen states, “All Muslims are lost without Jesus.” And the Bible backs that up. In John’s gospel Jesus refers to himself as the gate, and later boldly proclaims: “I am the way and the truth and the life, no-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Lest we be arrogant instead of heartbroken over our friends who don’t know Jesus, see Shwan’s story at the end of chapter three: ‘When my Kurdish friends asked me why I kept on going to Bible Studies and Church Services, I told them I felt like a beggar who had found food and now I wanted to tell everyone about where they could find it too.” Be humble. God will use you if He chooses to.

Get To Know Each Other

James Salter said, “Life is meals”. Sharing life and Jesus with Muslim people is on the one hand like sharing with anyone. On the other hand, without at least some basic cultural awareness, you could offend your new friend. Most chapters end with a short list of specific dos and don’ts to help you love your Muslim friend intentionally and avoid unnecessary pitfalls.

One of the differences which I found helpful to have pointed out was that for non-Westernized Muslims, presence is felt. “You need to be in their homes and they need to be in your home.” The fast pace of Western life often means we see people for short grabs of ‘quality’ time. You should expect to spend lots more time with a new Muslim friend than you might with your Western friends. Generally speaking, a small number of close friends are valued over maintaining a large number of shallower friendships.

Fruitful Engagement

I loved the chapter on the four keys to fruitful engagement. Really this is the essence of how to share the gospel with anyone! It was a good reminder that people come to faith through one-on-one attention, care, prayer and sharing the good news of Jesus.The book contains a pyramid with four key words: Prayer; Presence; Proclamation and Persuasion. I liked that persuasion was the pointy end of the pyramid and that prayer was the bed underneath.

I’m a word person and not a visual person so if I had to transform the pyramid into a few sentences it would be: Pray for an opportunity, pray, pray, pray. This is the most important aspect of the pyramid. It’s God’s work, he’s in control. Second, spend loads of time with your friend - share meals, listen to their story. And thirdly, when you share your story, hitch it to a Bible story. You want to tell your story through God’s story. The book suggests you can condense the Bible story you want to use but stresses you don’t add anything to God’s word. Then fourthly, when you’re in a deep relationship keep praying like crazy for God’s word to attract and convict them of their need for Jesus and for your words to be gentle and persuasive.

Tell your story through God’s story

I’m going to zero in on the tricky bit of evangelism here: proclamation. I’m actually pretty good at making friends but less good at sharing God’s word with my friends who don’t know Jesus. Using the Bible’s own words to connect with your personal testimony is a really good idea! Frankly I wish I’d thought of this in the times I’ve had to share my testimony. After reading this book I will definitely share it differently when God gives me another opportunity.

The book encourages you to tell your story by attaching it to a Bible Story that speaks to you. I saw this wonderfully done at a women’s breakfast recently where the speaker gave her testimony by sharing a small passage of Scripture about God’s love from 1 John. “When I see this verse,” she said, “It’s meant so much to me, parts of my life flash before my eyes.” She connected this verse further by saying, “Love is the vital thread running through my life, and it all started with my parents who loved Jesus.” It was a very impactful way of giving a testimony because the words of God, a word that is living and active and sharper than any double edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), are front and centre. It’s a good reminder too, that it’s God’s word that will attract or repel your friend in the end, not you. You need to give them the chance to hear God’s words.

Final Thoughts

I felt this book encouraged me to be looking for ways to share my faith with my friends who don’t know Jesus by giving me a more practical framework for engagement. It also encouraged me to seek a greater variety of relationships and to look out for the new Muslim mother in the playground who may be looking for a friend, rather than stick to people I’m comfortable with.

It’s not naive about the very real dangers Muslims face converting to Christianity but there’s a lightness of tone that comes from a refreshing reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives by the grace of God. Klassen is honest about the messiness of life and the imperfect ways we get to know each other, but strong on exhorting us to get on and do it for the sake of the gospel.

As Klassen says, “Have fun; love your neighbour; see what God does through you to reach your friend with the gospel!” In my neck of the woods here in Sydney, God is bringing the nations to us. Books like this are enormously helpful for the task.

About this month’s contributor, Katie Stringer

Katie loves writing and has had work published in Womankind Magazine and the Guardian Weekly. She is working on a book about her brother. She leads a Bible Study at her local Anglican church, All Souls Leichhardt and loves being part of the Leichhardt community. She is married to Andrew and they have two daughters and a son.