My review of Alister McGrath’s Faith and the Creeds

“The creeds…far from merely summing up the things of God…are an invitation to explore the wonders to which they point. Like diagrams of cathedrals and maps of landscapes, they are useful as summaries and starting points, but come to life when we let them guide us on a voyage of discovery, in which we see things with new eyes and take things in with a new sense of satisfaction.”

The history of my personal Christian pilgrimage is primarily non-creedal, that is the historic Christian creeds (such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed), were not recited in worship. In fact, the tradition of which I am currently ordained found the creeds were, shall we say, ‘unsatisfactory,’ in the early days of its history. But because of Twitter and blogging and my own pastoral efforts and helping others see the big picture and long history of the Christian faith, I have experienced a new interest in understanding these elements of the faith that were of vital aid to faith in the early days of its life and development.

Alister McGrath’s new work Faith and Creeds, published by Westminster John Knox Press, is going to be an aid to me and countless others in seeing the creeds for what they are, “an invitation to explore the wonders to which they point,” the wonders of faith and God. Written in a simple and conversational style, Faith and Creeds is the introductory volume in a new series Christian Belief for Everyone.

McGrath begins the book with an overview of the series and why it needed to be written – the ‘big picture’ “of the Christian faith that I aim to set out in this series [to make sense] both of what we see around us and what we experience within.” In doing so McGrath makes clear that he writes for the ‘ordinary’ believer and not the clergy. He also acknowledges that he will draw on ‘three great lay theologians of the twentieth century” G.K. Chesterton, C.S.Lewis, and Dorothy Sayers (the last two, you Hobbit and Lord of the Rings readers, were both faith journeyers and fellow writers with Tolkien).

In the chapters which follow McGrath lays out the metaphors of journey and the tools of journey with a rich discussion about the journey of faith and how the creeds are like a map which

“…is there to help us explore the landscape of faith and to find our way back home. It’s a map that distils the core themes of the Bible, disclosing a glorious, loving, and righteous God, who creates a world that goes wrong, and then acts graciously and wondrously in order to renew and direct it, before finally bringing it to its fulfillment.”

As he does so, McGrath brings in illustrative points in his own brief autobiography of faith from childhood upbringing in the Anglican church in Northern Ireland, through a period of doubt and atheism, to return to a vital and personal faith to illustrate the value and purpose of the creeds. Trained as not just a theologian and pastor but also as a scientist, McGrath’s personal story I believe is an additional plus to this book. He concludes the volume with a discussion of the creeds as, chapter four’s title notes, “a public vision of faith” and as chapter five’s title notes, the ‘big picture.’

I was expecting to have more written about the creeds themselves and when I came to the end of the book I was somewhat disappointed. However, McGrath’s ‘big picture’ approach to faith and belief, as well as his own faith journey, I think adds a personal as well as appropriate theological base to the volumes that will follow this book. I liked this book and it was both helpful and inspirational  to me as a follower of God and as a clergyperson.

I rate this book a ‘very good’ read.

Note: I received a galley copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review.

My One Word: Empower

I had fully intended to write before today, two months into 2013, about my journey with my one word for 2013 – Empower. But having waited, I can look back with gratitude in my heart to the Lord for how this one word has already borne fruit not just in my life but in the lives of others.

I am currently taking time during an inter generational Sunday School class to empower people to discover their gifts, values, and team skills utilizing Paul R. Ford’s workbook Discovering Your Ministry Identity (published by Church Smart resources). To see adults and teens begin working through this resource that I highly recommend so that they can begin to discern how and where God is leading them to serve Him  is wonderful!

But I have also seen it happen as a musically talented teenager was able to write down the melody line for me from a video of a praise song that will be used in worship at some point.  I couldn’t do that be he could! And it has happened when someone asked to take on the caring ministry of sending a card for birthdays, anniversaries, sickness, and grief to those in the congregation!

But a major step of empowerment has been to officially through our church leadership empower our teens to lead our Vacation Bible School this summer. With adult support and encouragement, they have already picked the curriculum and will be organizing the week over the next several months!

So I am grateful for the opportunity to ‘let go’ of tasks that others can do better than me and then intentionally empower them to not just those tasks but the mission and ministry God has called them to do!

Empower: My One Word for 2013

I am grateful for the My One Word emphasis which I discovered on Twitter a few years back.

I participated for the first time last year, 2012, and my one word was follow.

In following Jesus, through and with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit, I made decisions that lead to many changes, large and small, that has enabled me to allow the Lord to deepen my faith and change my character as I continue to follow Him.

It also led me to the word for this year Empower.

Being the father of two teenage boys, married to a wonderful wife for nearly 30 years, and a pastor for over 25 (and over 12 in my present congregation), empower is a vital aspect of my life.

There is much talk in the world about ‘empowerment’ on many levels – political, financial, spiritual, and personal. But truly empowering people is a process, and intentional process which takes time and commitment. So for all the talk about empowerment, it must be personal at the core.

To that end, I have made it my intention for this year to empower those closest to me – my world – in order that they will follow God more fully as it is my life’s mission to follow God fully and help others do the same.

So I will be chronicling my journey of empowerment this year and hope that you might be helped by these posts.

To start this is my working definition of empowerment:

To help others accomplish what God has enabled them to already do through their skills, experiences, and giftedness by challenging and helping them discover and then do what they are called to do.

 

We all have faith in something or someone…

English: Cross, anchor, and heart for Faith, Hope and Charity(=Love). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

We all have faith in something or someone but the question is “What and/or who?”

 

Faith is of great importance to me both personally and professionally. Personally because I choose to believe, and keep believing in a Triune God after having what can be called a “spiritual awakening” as an 8 year old child. Professionally I am an ordained clergyperson and have been a minister, pre-ordained and ordained, for over 25 years. In my current place of service I have been here over 12 years.

 

Faith is vital to me because it has been both a stabilizing influence during time of tumult and a progressive force when I have wanted to simply sit and begin to stagnate in it.

Interestingly enough, due to the conversation with a friend who was involved in several twelve step groups, I have found the 12 Steps of AA to be quite helpful on my journey of faith because I believe that a vital part of faith is to transform our character in a more divine, and interestingly enough, human shape.

 

Daily Prompt: 2012 Time Capsule

1. A copy of my local newspaper from a ‘normal’ day. I think that reading it in 50 to 100 years would provide a glimpse into day to day life.

2. A copy of the local high school yearbook. Allow students of tomorrow a peek back at what students did in school would provide some interesting comparisons.

3. A copy of a worship folder (or bulletin as some call it). Worship has changed a great deal for many Christian churches. Putting one in would allow for some interesting comparisons.

4. My 1st generation iPad. It started a new movement and would provide, I think some interesting discussion with ‘geeks’ of tomorrow!

5. Pictures and descriptions of my cars. How far have cars come since the 1912 Model T Ford?

6. A letter from me talking about my daily life and that of my family, my values, and observations about life then, er now!

Great Faith Based Books For Gift Giving

Today I conclude my series on books for gift giving this holiday season with a listing of faith based books. Here they are in no particular order.

I Am a Follower: The Way, Truth, and Life of Following Jesus by Leonard Sweet. A great deal of writing is given today in the Christian community to  the issue of leadership. But Leonard Sweet reminds his readers there is a ‘following’ element to the Christian faith as well.

Here is my review of this book

http://1manandhisbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/review-of-leonard-sweets-i-am-a-follower/

Our Favorite Sins by Todd D. Hunter. “Sin” is one of those words that many people find to be ancient while others take it, and what it implies, seriously. Todd Hunter, founding pastor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in California, invites both kinds people on a journey to more fully understand this important topic for believers and, I think, unbelievers as well.

Here is my review of this book http://1manandhisbooks.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/a-review-of-todd-d-hunters-our-favorite-sins/

Faith Without Illusions: Following Jesus as a Cynic-Saint by Andrew Byers. This book challenges some very important assumptions about the Christian faith and does so on the knife edged line between faith and cynical rejection. One of the surprising reads for me this year as I resonated with some of its themes.

Here is my review of this book http://1manandhisbooks.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/a-review-of-andrew-byers-faith-without-illusions-following-jesus-as-a-cynic-saint/

Breaking Up With God: A Love Story by Sarah Sentilles. This is a book that people of faith need to read as it a very personal account of one person’s story of leaving faith behind. I appreciated Sarah’s honesty in this book.

Here is my review of this book

http://1manandhisbooks.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/review-of-sarah-sentilles-breaking-up-with-god/

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis by Lauren F. Winner. There is a great deal of writing about the beginnings and the end of a faith journey and very few about the middle of one. Lauren, against the backdrop of a divorce, shares about the middle of her faith journey when nothing seemed to make sense.

Here is my review of this book

http://1manandhisbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/review-of-lauren-f-winners-book-still-notes-on-a-mid-faith-crisis/

Mondays with My Old Pastor: Sometimes, All We Need Is a Reminder from Someone Who Has Walked Before Us  by Jose Luis Navajo. I tell you first hand that being a pastor is one of the most complex professions in the world. This book I found to be a very inspirational and helpful read as Navajo, himself an experienced pastor, shares wisdom gained from his pastor.

Here is my review of this book

http://1manandhisbooks.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/review-of-jose-luis-navajos-mondays-with-my-old-pastor/

Sunday Sermon: Who does this guy think he is?

Scripture Passage – Mark 3:1-19

Description – The sixth sermon in the series through the Gospel of Mark, Fall 2012

 

When William Henry Harrison died a month after taking the oath of office as our ninth President (the first to die in office), way back in 1841, John Tyler, Harrison’s Vice President took the oath of office and assumed the Presidency for the remainder of the term. This was the age in American Politics of Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster all of whom were strong leaders and most of whom wanted to be President. Many expected Tyler to step down after Harrison’s death, namely Clay. But Tyler did not and well… the rest is history.

John Tyler’s resoluteness to be the President of the United States on the heels of an unprecedented Presidential death in office was, I believe, a defining one for the office of the President. It would be over 120 years later before the 25^th amendment that outlined the order of succession would be fully ratified. And I have no doubt that someone probably said at some point, “Who does this guy think he is?”

 As we come to the beginning of Mark chapter 3 in our fall series through the book of Mark, I think that the same question is being asked about Jesus, “Who does he think he is?”

 

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.  Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Who is this guy? And who does he think he is?

 

The agenda that Jesus lays out in chapter 2, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners,” continues to gain momentum as we enter chapter three and this time the growing opposition, namely the Pharisees and their allies the Herodians, becomes an intentional plot to murder Jesus and silence Him.

Why?

He is challenging and threatening their agenda and more specifically their power and their control. So, as the text says, “some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.”

I have to ask, “Accuse him of what?” Of healing on the Sabbath! He has already done it once after He forgave a crippled man his sins, and it got this group upset. And then He ‘worked’ on the Sabbath by taking some grain out of the fields and eating them right then and there!

Who does this guy think he is?

 

And so the issue of what constitutes the keeping of the Sabbath has become an issue between the religious establishment and Jesus. If you remember from last week I shared that the scribes who saw Jesus heal the man on the mat were known for adding to the requirements of faith. Jesus would eventually call them out on it in the final days before His arrest and crucifixion as we read in Matthew 23:1-4 “Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:  “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”

Notice that Jesus tells his audience here “be careful to do everything they tell you, but do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” It is not the essence of the faith Jesus is telling His audience to reject, it is the leadership’s practices, or lack of practices, He is telling them to avoid. And more precisely, based on verse 5 in our main text it, was their stubborn hearts which deeply distressed Him that was source of the conflict.

The issue then is the attitude of the heart Jesus observes in these men…

… and…

…in us…

I do not and I cannot stand here and determine what is in your heart today. But God can and He does. He knows what you are thinking and feeling this morning. He has complete clarity regarding your disposition.

And mine too!

 

Now, let’s briefly contrast this segment with the next segment, verses 7 -12:

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.

What a contrast this is from the scene and attitudes within the synagogue!

The people are running after Jesus because they know that He can help them, He can heal them, He can deliver them!

And now the word is out…

many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.

Idumea is in the extreme southern end of Israel, Tyre and Sidon were seaports to the west of Capernaum. So there were people coming from other parts of Israel to not just hear Jesus but to seek and experience His healing power. This is a scene that is repeated throughout Mark and the other gospel accounts of Christ’s ministry.  And again, as we have already read, there were those demons being cast out who recognized Jesus for who He truly was and being ordered to remain quiet.

So what do we do with this segment of scripture? As we prepare for communion where must our focus be?

First and foremost it must be drawn to Christ because as we partake of the elements this morning we are remembering His death and resurrection on our behalf. However I think that we get a very important look at Christ’s heart in verse five as He was “deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.”

Sometimes our anger comes out because we care about somebody. Jesus loved these educated and passionate men. But He hated their stubborn attitudes that caused them to reject Him and His message.

How dangerous it is for our heart and our soul to grow hard when we think that God, as these men did, only works in certain ways. Jesus came, and as we continue our journey through Mark we will see this more and more clearly, to help spiritually sick people get well. He was not there to uphold traditions and practices that made it hard for people to follow God. He was there to liberate people and simplify the way to God. We dare not stand in His way. He will bypass us.

As we prepare for communion, let us admit the truth about what is in our hearts. And let us allow Christ to come in, clean it, and dwell within it. Amen.

A Review of Four Views on the Apostle Paul

“Evidently, Paul was a controversial figure… You do not get beaten, flogged, imprisoned, and stoned without saying and doing things that are deemed controversial, offensive, and even subversive… Beyond the image of Paul the controversialist, we must remember that Paul was responsible for shaping the early church in a significant way. His key theological motif, that the Gentiles are saved by faith without adopting the Jewish way of life, won the day… It is not too much to say that Paul-the man, the mission, and the martyr-was arguably the single, most driving intellectual force in the early church, second only to Jesus.” Introduction, page 9

“I would like to wring Paul’s neck,” a late parishioner once said to me. She had issues with Paul.

Many people have issues with Paul.

And yet we cannot ignore him nor his mark on Christianity.

And Michael F. Bird’s edition of Four Views on the Apostle Paul , provides us with some challenging and illuminating views on this key figure of early Christianity. Published by Zondervan, this book is part of their Counterpoints: Bible and Theology Series.

Written, primarily for an academic audience, this book was a challenge for me to read because, quite frankly, I have not done much academic reading in any form of theology for a while. But I am glad I did.

The format of the book is a major chapter written by established scholars representing four different view points, followed by responses to that chapter. For this review, I read only the four main chapters and the introduction which must be read to understand the main part of the book.

In the introduction Bird notes that “it was decided that each of the contributors would touch on four key areas in their respective essays.” And those four areas are represented with four questions:

• What did Paul think about salvation?
• What was Paul’s view of the significance of Christ?
• What is the best framework for describing Paul’s theological perspective?
• What was Paul’s vision for the churches?

Responding to these four questions are Thomas R. Schreiner writing from a Reformed Baptist perspective, Luke Timothy Johnson writing from a Catholic perspective, Douglas A. Campbell, representing a mainline scholar at Duke representing what is called a “Post-New Perspective on Paul,” and Mark D. Nanos, who brings a unique and important Jewish perspective to the discussion.

Each of these men focus on different aspects of Paul’s writing as they answer the questions. Schriener focuses on the grace of God in Christ and the “Christ-centeredness” of Paul’s theology. Along the way he brings along the well-known discussion of election, grace, and justification by faith that is common to a Reformed Theology.

Johnson brings to view an “older and broader tradition” from with his Catholic framework and he includes all of Paul’s letters as part of his discussion. In doing so he highlights the emphasis Paul had not of “abstract thought” but “religious concern” as not just a missionary or scholar but as a pastor.

Campbell begins his essay with a historical perspective on how to read Paul “in relation to Jews” given the reality of the Holocaust that came into play in academic circles, notably in the 1970′s. As such Campbell, whose views are labeled “Post-New Perspective” brings a two pronged view to his writing as per the “new” perspective – regarding  Judaism and the other on Paul by way of response to that view of Judaism. In doing so Campbell brings what he calls “an ecumenical account of the gospel in the best sense of that word…” but he focuses on Romans chapters 5 through 8 as he goes along.

Nanos brings a perspective to the study of Paul that I had never considered – a Jewish one. And he opens his remarks with a clear outline of “why a negative view of Paul is so widely held among Jews.” He goes on to state that “I think Paul is generally misunderstood and misrepresented by Jews and Christians.” The key distinctive is Nanos’ separating the demands of the non-Jewish converts to adhere to the Jewish customs as a sign of commitment (such as circumcision), which Nanos argues Paul vehemently disagrees with and the demands of the Jewish believers (or what I believe he calls Jewish believers) to be “Torah- faithful.”

I liked this book because it gave me some good scholarship to ponder and process as I continue to serve as a minister who seeks, with God’s help, to faithfully interpret scripture each week. I valued the academic depth of this book though I will admit that I, at times, was ready to give up on it!

I would have like to have read a Wesleyan- Armenian perspective, which is my basic theological construct, and quite frankly found Johnson and Nanos to provide some fresh perspective on view Paul. But I am appreciative of the contributions of each of the contributors.

I rate this book a ‘good’ read.

Note: I received a galley copy of this book via Zondervan through Net Galley. I chose to write a review of this book and was not required to write a positive review.

Sunday Sermon: A Believers’ Pursuit

Scripture Passage – John 15:5
Description – Communion Meditation for July 1, 2012

With my love of history I am always looking for interesting stories and two of the most recent stories I have encountered are the history of The first is Abraham Lincoln and his family’s burial “issues” for lack of a better term. It is one of the most bizarre stories I have ever heard.
Basically, Lincoln’s casket was buried, exhumed, reburied, nearly stolen, and then because the mausoleum originally built to house Lincoln and five other members of his family was falling apart, he had to be temporarily re-buried while it was rebuilt. Finally, in 1901 Abraham Lincoln’s remains were finally laid to rest in the tomb that is visited by nearly one-half million people a year.
I encountered the second story as I prepared for this morning. I decided to research the history of The Declaration of Independence after it was written. And I discovered something as I did.
It seems that, according to Pauline Meier author of American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence that “It wasn’t taken care of very well in the early years. It was sort of rolled up, carried around with the Second Continental Congress. And then the State Department kept it, and if people came, they’d pull it out and show it to them. None of this, you know, enormous–What do they call it?–at the Library of Congress–argon caskets, you know, these heavy metal, glass cases that have gas in them without oxygen so that the documents don’t decompose. And the Library of Congress keeps them sort of in a refrigerator. It’s the most precious documents–none of that.
I mean, they just pulled it out and showed it to you, the real thing. And then they got tired of pulling it out, so they pasted it up on a wall in what was then the patent office, and there it remained for 30 years near a very bright window. It faded. And they spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out what they could do with it. Modern preservation techniques are really a quite recent development.”
Here is this document, composed and dated for July 4, 1776, that lead to the creation of this county, has had a major impact on our national development and really the world as well, being rolled and unrolled like a common document. And yet it continues to impact us today nearly 236 years later.
There are three words in this document that are often quoted when we start talking about what our nation is about then and now: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Many are understandably concerned today that liberty is being taken away. Many are bothered by the lack of a respect for life these days as well. And happiness, for some, seems to be getting further and further away from their reach.
I like what Winston Churchill said back in 1947 in a speech to the House of Commons in England. “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
Though our form of government is really a republic of representative government, I believe that we are living in a period of time when democracy and faith are at odds with one another. There are laws being passed and actions being taken that are against what many believe go against what the Bible is believed to say (and I say ‘believed to say,’ because there are differing interpretations of certain Bible passages held by Christians). But democracy still remains even when things are said and done we disagree with. And I am sticking with democracy!
But, there is a higher power to which I am ultimately accountable – God. And while Jesus said, “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” my ultimate loyalty is to Christ.
And as we prepare for communion this morning I want us to consider three other words that Jesus mentioned in His final moments with the disciples before His arrest and crucifixion. I believe these three words are what constitute the believer’s pursuit of a fuller and deeper life of faith just as the Declaration of Independence has lifted up the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.
The first comes from our main text for this morning, John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
​Older translations uses the word “abide” in place of remain. But the idea is still the same.
​Very important to our ongoing relationship with and faith in Christ, we must continue to remain in Him. To read scripture and to pray for understanding and help in obeying scripture is one way to abide in Him. To choose to keep believing and trusting in Him is another way to abide in Christ.
​Jesus gave a clear and understandable image of the vine in a vineyard to underscore the need to abide. If a branch of a tree or a vine or if a flower gets clipped off from the flower bush, they all eventually die. To abide in Christ and keep abiding in Christ is a daily choice to stay alive in Christ.
​And one of the ways we abide, we stay alive in Christ appears further down in John 15 and verse 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
​This is the second word I suggest we pursue in our walk and faith in and with Christ. Love is central to our faith. The God we worship and serve is Love. Jesus made clear that to love God and neighbor is the greatest commandment.
​Marriage is about abiding in a relationship to one person, and one only person, and abiding in love. And this love is more than the romantic love that is so commonly focused on these days. This love that is part of our pursuit as a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ is a love that ultimately requires to not just pray but live through doing “not my will but your will be done.”
​It requires a sacrifice of my way and my time and my agenda. Jesus makes this clear in John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
​And while this kind of love, this sacrificing “you first” love is important, Jesus in this segment of John’s gospel adds third way to this pursuit of a deeper and fuller faith.
​It is implied in the word “command” that appears throughout verses 9 through 17. It is the word “obedience.”
​This is one of the most difficult words to face in the Bible. Quite frankly, we do not like to obey… anybody!
​Verse 14 says “You are my friends if you do what I command.” To do what someone commands is to do what they say, it is to obey them.
​Jesus calls the disciples, and us to obey Him by doing what He commands us to do and in this passage that requires two things – abiding and loving.
​So as we prepare for communion this morning I ask you, Do you want to have a fuller and richer faith in Christ? Are you willing today to abide, love, and obey the Lord no matter what that means?
​I am grateful for the freedoms I have in this nation. They have enriched my life in ways large and small.
​But I am even more grateful for the freedom I have in Christ. They have enriched my soul. They have saved my soul. They have liberated my soul from sin and death and hell!
​I purpose again this morning before you and in God’s presence to abide in Christ, to love as Christ would have me love, and to obey Christ. This is my ultimate pursuit.

A Review of Andrew Byers’ Faith Without Illusions: Following Jesus as a Cynic-Saint

The brokenness of human misery before God may recede into bitterness, but healing comes when we bring our maladies to him and check into his healing ward. We do this not by avoiding him in disillusionment but by crying out to him from the depths and striving with all our might to grasp onto something hopeful from his hand.  Andrew Byers Faith Without Illusions, page 175-176

As a pastor who has been in full-time parish ministry for not quite 25 of the past 31 years, I have read books, attended seminars, and had numerous conversations, face to face and in writing, regarding those who either become disgruntled with the Christian faith and church or have been for quite some time whether having been a part of a church or not. Cynicism has never been in short supply just ask St Paul… and Jesus.

And Andrew Byers does, in a manner of speaking, as he addresses the issue of walking the line between despair and cynicism in a new book published by InterVarsity Press in 2011, Faith Without Illusions: Following Jesus as a Cynic-Saint.

He begins with a first person account of how  ”we fall into” cynicism with a grade school love story. He then goes on to state something that all of us know to be true, namely that, “cynicism often arises from painful disillusionment-when the rug gets violently jerked out from under us…” and then he turns to the focus of the book  ”What if we are disillusioned by the church- that one safe harbor of community on which Christians are told to rely on when all else comes crashing down? What if we become cynical toward the faith that is supposed to sustain us through all life’s trials?…what if the object of our disillusionment is…the God we worship?

Focusing then on this last question, Byers takes us  into a review of what he calls “pop Christianity” which he claims makes us cynical and chapters related to the common themes found in his view and discussion of pop faith: Idealism, Religiosity, Experientialism, Anti-Intellectualism, and Cultural Irrelevance. Along the way, he challenges some very common view and assumptions that are part and parcel of common and wide spreading thinking across the Church such as “just follow your heart” when he reminds us that scripture reminds us that the “heart is deceitful.”

Then, as a solution, Byers offers “hopeful realism” and supports his solution with a walk through the Old and New Testaments as he draws line between cynicism and a hopeful realism based in God’s grace through Christ that does not side-step questions which come from hearts of disillusionment, pain and brokenness. Along the way he reminds the reader of the passionate angst of the Psalms and the anguished cry of the prophets which are ultimately sent God ward for resolve. And he makes a case that Jesus Christ himself had every opportunity to become a cynic because of the hostility and disillusionment that he faced as he walked this earth.

I, too, have been at times, a cynic of the faith and the church. And in my journey I have had to face the truth that my cynicism was based on some of the assumptions and views presented in this book. And what I like about this book is that Byers addresses the pain and the disillusionment I too felt and understood when the rug was pulled out from under me, by my own poor and flawed attitudes and choices, that had made me a disillusioned cynic.

If you are cynical about the “popular” claims of Christianity today and have found your faith wanting, I recommend this book. If you know someone who is dealing with doubt, despair, and cynicism, I recommend this book to you to share.

I rate this book a ‘great’ read.

Note: I bought the Kindle version of this book for my own personal reading and thought it worthy of a review.