Rob O'Lynn's Blog, page 2

Book Review: 'Near Christianity' by Anthony Le Donne

While I was working on my doctorate, I traveled back and forth between Huntington, West Virginia (where I lived), and Memphis, Tennessee (where I was attending).  On one of my flights to Memphis, I was seated next to an older gentlemen who was traveling to Memphis for business.  He was a lawyer from Boston, and was traveling to Memphis for a board meeting at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.  As we begin talking during the flight, the question of religion eventually came up.  He discerned quite easily that I was a Christian, probably by noting what I was reading.  He, then, noted that he was Jewish.  As we continued talking, we noted the number of areas that we had in common—a love for God, a respect for creation, a concern for ethical living and social justice, and a desire to meditate on Scripture.  He shared with me that his daily practice was quite simple: Every morning, he rose and read a Psalm.  He would then pray for moral guidance throughout the day.  Not long after, it time to secure our trays and refasten our seat belts.
Ironically, my daily devotional practice is similar: I rise, read a psalm and pray for guidance throughout the day.  The only difference between my Jewish traveling companion and myself is that he is Jewish and I am Christian.  On one hand, my practice of Christianity is the logical continuation of the Jewish religion, as defined by the New Testament (or Christian Bible).  On the other hand, my practice of Christianity is a divergence from orthodox Jewish faith, as defined by the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible).  The question is not necessarily who is correct but can we (Jews and Christians) have open and engaging dialogues about the similarities and differences in our understandings of faith.
This is where Anthony Le Donne’s book comes into play.  A New Testament professor at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, Le Donne is an emerging prolific author who focuses his research on the historical character and mission of Jesus.  As such, Le Donne spends much of his time dialoguing with both Jewish and Christian scholars.  And this volume serves, somewhat, as a summary of the conversations that he has had with both his Jewish and Christian dialogue partners, conversations that are becoming more and more nuanced as scholars and religious teachers continue flowing towards a more inclusive acceptance of one another.
Le Donne finds himself in a quandary.  He was raised in a fairly conservative religious home, one that ingrained a more black-and-white understanding of the relationship between the Jewish and Christian religions.  [Having come from the same denominational tradition, I can certainly “Amen” many of his concerns.]  Armed with a doctorate in New Testament and Christian studies and the humble attitude of a student, Le Donne sought out on a journey to discover the complex and rich nature of the Jewish religion and how Christianity has been deeply influenced by it.  In engaging in these conversations, Le Donne found his faith in God growing deeper as he embraced the values of honesty, integrity, humor and tolerance that undergird modern Jewish faith.  He finds himself growing in faith by living on the “borders” of Jewish and Christian spirituality.
Overall, I enjoyed this volume.  Although it could have easily been constructed as a series of lectures, it is not.  It is crafted more like conversations with over coffee or a meal.  Whether it be a dinner group that has come together to discuss connections between Jewish and Christian adherents, Le Donne is transparent in his concerns and his limitations.  He does not present himself as an expert on these “borders,” nor does he bring theological judgment against either side.  Instead, he offers a model of transparent tolerance and open dialogue with those who stand on the borders of particular religions and (perhaps) faith in general.

Review: "Make a Break for It" by Bill Purvis

Bill Purvis.  Make a Break for It: Unleashing the Power of Personal and Spiritual Growth.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016.  216pp.  $21.99.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, one defines “direction” as “the path along which something moves, lies, or points” or “an order or instruction to be followed.” Both are fitting definitions when applied to the realm of spiritual development.  On one hand, we, from the moment we are born to the moment we expire, are moving along a direction.  We have a starting point (mine was in December 1978, in Huntington, West Virginia), and we have will have a stopping date (still working on that one).  The time in between our starting point and our stopping point is the direction of our life, or “trajectory,” as one of my college Bible professors referred to.  We begin, we move along for a while, then we end.  Direction.            On the other hand, we, from the moment we are born to the moment we expire, are following directions.  Some of those directions are instinctual (crying when we are spanked at birth), some of those directions are intentional (the directions that I give my students in order to complete a paper or project), and some of those directions are accidental (pointing blindly at a wrench when fixing an appliance and your son actually brings you the correct item).  Regardless of the purpose of the direction, we will find ourselves following directions throughout the course of our direction of life.  We begin, we move along for a while, then we end.  Direction.            Yet, should life not be more than simply follow directions as we follow along a direction?  This is the idea that is at the heart of Bill Purvis’ new book Make a Break for It.  As he writes in the introduction, “Do you ever feel as if your whole life is stuck in a traffic jam, on idle as you wait. . .and wait. . .and then wait some more for a lane to open up so you can get on the fast track to where you want to be?  Or maybe you feel more like you’re in a roundabout.  You keep going around in circles, driving past one exit after another because you don’t have any idea where you’re supposed to go next” (p. 11).  As Purvis argues throughout his book, life should be more than beginning, moving along for a while, and then ending.            Purvis’ story begins somewhat like you would imagine a published testimony to start—a young man trapped in a broken life fueled by vices.  Yet Purvis’ story is not your usual testimony material.  His testimony includes being stabbed in the heart by a pimp who tried to murder him and his friend.  Just let that line sink in for a moment.  Escaping that moment led Purvis to a true “come to Jesus moment”—a hospital bed confessional that leads to a young man committing his life to not only follow Christ but seek to lead others to Christ.  However, before you part company with Purvis 20 pages in because you—like me—have a boring testimony, I encourage you to stick with him.  This is not Augusten Burroughs’ This Is How, a brash, abrasive therapy session where you almost feel guilty for not being more broken.  [BTW, I like Burroughs’ book.]  Nor does this delve into sappy sentimental religiosity.  The chapters that follow Purvis’ testimony are carefully-crafted conversations about life, redemption and the self-sacrificial love of God.  It is a book about living well, about moving past excuses and criticisms, about choosing mentors well, and about living the adventure of life. 
This book is about direction—about beginning, about moving along for a while, and about ending.  Yet, Purvis argues, all of this direction should be taken with purpose—purpose which is found in God because it is only God who can give us direction for our direction in life.  So, in Purvis’ words, make a break for it—break away from your direction-less life and allow this redeemed journeyman guide you to a better direction for your life.

DC Movies: First to Worst

Last week, I ranked Marvel's live-action films (at least the 37 I have seen) from first to worst. Thanks to everyone who read the list and have asked me about it since.
This week, I'm tackling the DC films. As I mentioned last week, I am more of a DC guy. I grew up with Batman, Superman and the Justice League, and so I feel more invested in their comic universe. However, I am by no means a "comic nerd," meaning that I do not know every single thing about every single character in every single story-line. I just like the stories and the characters.
That being said, I have to admit something: DC, overall, is much better at animated films that live-action. They just haven't done that many, and the non-Batman or early-Superman ones have just not been that good. In short, this list is live-action films...and I basically just gave numbers to the ones after 10 in order to make a publishable list. So here goes:The Dark Knight (2008) -- This film is so good for so many reasons: Bale was at this best as Batman, Heath Ledger gave us one of the great screen villains of all time, and Nolan proved to a larger audience that he is a mater filmmaker.Superman (1978) -- Christopher Reeves in that plain-style Superman suit squaring off against Gene Hackman in a role he was born to play (Lex Luthor) with John Williams' incredible score playing in the background. You know you dressed up at least once as Superman for Halloween because of this movie. Also, it set the bar for everything that has come after, only to be outdone by the aforementioned The Dark Knight.Batman Begins (2005) -- In a lot of ways, this served as a reboot not only for the Batman film franchise but for superhero films in general. If you don't believe me, just look at what came between Batman Returns (1992) and Iron Man (2008) and honestly tell me those were some glory years (the Tobey McGuire-Spider-Man films aside).Batman (1989) -- This is the film that captured me as a Batman fan and drove me to the comics to learn more about this silent guardian...this masked vigilante...this caped crusader...this dark knight. Whether they say it or not, this is the film all comic-book and superhero filmmakers look to for both inspiration and challenge.Superman II (1980) -- The empire struck back that same year, which overshadowed Superman's return a little. Thankfully Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) was there to enchant audiences back to Metropolis.The Dark Knight Rises (2012) -- Of Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, this is my least favorite simply because it is not as good as The Dark Knight. It feels rushed in spots. It's still better than the rest of the films on the list and many on the Marvel list. Yet it was a letdown in terms of ending Nolan's epic storyline.Batman Returns (1992) -- You could make a case that this is better than The Dark Knight Rises. You could probably make a strong case. It's a really good sequel to the 1989 Batman film and a good overall sequel film in general. Danny DeVito does a good job as Chester Cobblepot/Penguin; yet the Penguin is just a hard-to-believe character that it comes in just a step behind TDKR.Batman: The Movie (1966) -- The was campy Batman (and campy 1960s movie-making) at it's finest.Batman Forever (1995) -- I realize that I am probably going to catch some flack for this because Joel Schumacher directed this. However, if you pretend almost anyone else directed this, then you see that it's actually pretty good. It's right on the border of campy, and it suffers from it's own inflated ego due to the casting choices of Jim Carry (Riddler) and Tommy Lee Jones (Two-Face) in superbly fun roles. However there was little to not like about this film.Watchmen (2009) -- This is arduously long and difficult to stick with (especially if you have not read the graphic novel), however it's better than everything else on this list.Man of Steel (2013) -- Yes, there are a lot of problems with this film. However, like Watchmen, it's better than everything else on this list.Superman Returns (2006) -- Bryan Singer left X-Men: The Last Stand to direct this? Are we sure that actually happened? Maybe Brett Ratner tricked Singer into thinking he was directing X-Men: The Last Stand. Regardless, this film is just flat and just flat boring. Even Kevin Spacey's well-played turn as Lex Luthor (in a way very much that draws from Hackman) couldn't help Sups soar here.Swamp Thing (1982) -- Just let this sink in for a moment, remind yourself you probably saw it on USA or SyFy once, and let's move on.The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) -- After seeing this and realizing that it only had a limited release, you wonder how the rest of the films on this list ever saw a single silver screen.Superman III (1983) -- After-school special about the dangers of tobacco and how smoking can ruin your dreams...in the form of a Superman film that tried really, really hard to be a comedy.Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) -- Getting scratched robs Superman of his power? Really? On a lighter note, the "Honest Trailer" for this is hysterical.Steel (1997) -- You can't actually prove that I saw this. I mean, I did...and I felt horrible as a result. But you still can't prove that I saw it.Green Lantern (2011) -- I'm just finishing off the list at this point. And DC was scrapping the bottom of the barrel here. Martin Campbell's stellar directorial career still hasn't recovered.Catwoman (2004) -- (sigh)Batman and Robin (1997) -- When your cast and director apologize for making the film, you know it's going to be awful.Supergirl (1984) -- I hear the new series is actually good...so we'll pretend this didn't happen.So there you go. My opinion of the DC films. Got something you would like me to review or list next week? Leave me a comment.

Leadership Lessons I Learned from "Jurassic World" (With Apologies to Alissa Wilkinson)

I am luke-warm when it comes to my opinion of Jurassic World, the recent and 4th installment of the Jurassic Park franchise. I had issues with when I went to see it, issues that were validated when I saw it.  This, however, is not a review of Jurassic World. Alissa Wilkinson gave a great review of the film.  [You should listen...it is hysterical.] That being said, there are a few lessons that I learned related to leadership from the film, lessons that I offer here:
1.  Don't Lead Out of Your Experience-Level
One of the big problems with the JP storyline is that humanity is re-creating dinosaurs simply because they can. As we see in each of the films, an idealist (or greedy accountant) thinks they can control these wild, confused creatures. Then reality sets in through some form of catastrophe that eventually leads to a larger catastrophe. Let's be honest...humanity has no experience when it comes to creating, controlling or corralling dinosaurs!
Yes leaders need to push themselves to grow and develop in their craft. Yet, in order to not bring the organization down in a flaming disaster, we must lead out of our limits. There are areas of leadership that I am just not good at. I need to be mature enough to delegate or collaborate with another leader to make sure the vision stays on track. There are times for jumping off the deep-end and launching out in faith. Yet, when we do that, we are actually trusting that God will guide us. From a day-to-day basis, however, we must lead out of our experience rather than trying to convince everyone that we know how to corral man-earing dinosaurs.
2.  High Heels Don't Work in the Jungle!
Now, don't get me wrong: Bryce Dallas Howard is an excellent actress (Lady in the Water and Twilight aside...we all make mistakes). Even when playing Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man 3, she has always come across as an articulate and intelligent woman. Her pedigree is solid. However...wearing high heels in the jungle or running through corridors from a dinosaur? Uh, no. That's just silly.
A scientist wearing sneakers or boots walking through the jungle is useful; a scientist wearing high heels walking through the jungle is a liability. When facing conflicts or challenges, leaders have a limited number of tools available, and we must use the ones that will be serve the situation. That also means that we may have to "go barefoot" because what we have with won't work. 
3.  Choose Your Team Wisely
The "alpha male" concept is huge in Hollywood. It's huge in self-help psychology. And it's huge in some streams of evangelical Christianity. However, an "alpha male" as a velociraptor trainer? Uh-huh. Let me know how that works out for you. As we see in the film, the only reason why the velociraptors allow Owen (Christ Pratt) to dominate them is so that they can gang up on Owen and the other humans and eat them (BTW, just like they did in Jurassic Park). Additionally, N-Gen are the bad guys in the JP universe. So why do these guys keep working with them?
What this means for leaders is that we must be careful in picking our teams and careful is whose support we draw from. Often leaders, especially when they are new to a organization, will fall prey to the "velociraptors" present -- those who got the last leader ousted, those who are looking to advance themselves through your failures or those who are jaded because you got the position they wanted. Additionally, we need to be confident enough in our own personality, training and experience to be courageous enough to lead. There is a place for trusting enemies, however we must always do so cautiously. Personally, I have been burned by those that I disagreed with because I thought they supported my vision only to be caught in a crossfire when their true motives came out.
I hope this list is helpful. Got another idea that you want to share? Leave me comment below or send me an email.
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Semicolon Theology

Did you hear?  RNS columnist Jonathan Merritt got his first tattoo yesterday! Okay...that might not be the most startling news from yesterday. [Although, to be honest, I have a friend who is still waiting on me to get my first one...17 years later.] And, in all reality, Christians getting tattoos shouldn't even raise an eyebrow.

So why mention this little personal tidbit from Jonathan's life? Well, it's because of why he decided to get the tattoo specifically. He decided on a semicolon, and did so because it "is a reminder that there are times in a story when the author could choose to quit, but decides instead to go on." There is a lot of truth in that statement, spiritually speaking.

We are the authors of our own stories, and some of out storytelling is good and some of it is not so good. My comment back to Jonathan came from my favorite prayer in the Bible -- Psalm 30. We see the fascinating reality of faith demonstrated for us in a single verse: "By your favor, O LORD, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face, I was dismayed" (NRSV).

Did you see what happened there? In the space of a semicolon, the poet's life changed from success to failure, from living high on the mountain to languishing down in the valley. And in just the space of the semicolon. The New Living Translation separates these as two sentences, which helps us see the idea here a little more clearly -- our life can change in just the space of a moment.

Whether it being in a traffic accident like I saw on Friday, walking out of a job interview or leaving someone at the table at Starbucks because we just broke up with them, our lives can change in just a moment. In one moment, life is stellar -- like Christopher Nolan/The Dark Knight stellar. Then, without any warning, the bottom falls out and we beg for God to intervene -- like I might have done when I saw the recent Fantastic 4 film with my son.

The point is, change is the one constant to life. That does not mean, however, that God is not present. It simply means that life happens. It means that we decide to go forward rather than quit when life gets too hard. Because, as we see at the end of Psalm 30, if we endure, then we will see God turn our mourning to dancing and clothe us with everlasting joy.

Marvel Movies: Best to Worst

I know, I know.  It's been awhile since I've "shared."  Hey, that's life for some of us.  However, after watching the latest "in-stall-ment" of the Fantastic Four movie franchise, I would offer my opinion on how it ranks against the 35 or so other Marvel films that I have seen.

Note to the Nerdlings: 1) I am actually a DC fan who enjoys Marvel films.  2) I have almost no stake in any of these films, except the Captain America and Cap affiliated films.  3) This is simply my opinion -- I am not Kevin Feige!

With all of this in mind, let's look at the list.  I have broken it down into chunks for readability.  I should note that I am using the list that is available on Wikipedia, and I am only ranking the films that I have actually seen (so there are a couple of early films, direct-to-video sequels, and some TV films that I am not including).

The Best of the Bunch (#1-10)
Iron Man (2008) -- Yes, I said it.  It is the best stand-alone Marvel film.  It set the bar and is, therefore, the best.Spider-Man 2 (2004) -- This film proved that sequels can be better than the origin story, and is # 2 only because it is a sequel.Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) -- Absolutely better than the original...even "Rotten Tomatoes", "Cinema Score" and "Screen Junkies" thought so.  This is one that I will watch just because I own it.The Avengers (2012) -- Hands-down one of the best ensemble films around!Spider-Man (2002) -- Marvel learned that "With great power, comes great responsibility" when it comes to making comic-book movies.X-Men (2000) -- For better or for worse, Fox's only successful superhero franchise (to date) has been an important cultural, political and spiritual talking point.Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) -- This one is just plain fun, and, I think, set some new standards for science fiction films.Ant-Man (2015) -- Surprise! Marvel took one their darker characters and stayed truthful to the origin and evolution of this character in a way that even my 9-year-old (non-comic-book fan) daughter absolutely loved.The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) -- After seeing it three times, I realized that while it is better than the other 25 films on this list, it just was not as good as the original films.  I liked the evolved interactions between the team, the James Spader-voiced Ultron was superb, yet it also came across at times at trying to be better than the original.Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) -- Cap is essential to the Marvel Universe in so many ways.  And while the origin story was slow in parts, this was certainly a Joe Johnston film: it was respectful to the origin story, it was respectful to the "gosh, golly wilikers" era, and it told a decent story.  Yes, the "crashing the plane in the ice rather than landing it safely in NYC" rather silly, but the movie, overall, was great. Not as Good, But Better than Others (#11-20)
Iron Man 2 (2010) -- Better known as "Nick Fury: Origin Story"Thor (2011) -- Not bad...definitely better than several others...but not stellar either. X2 (aka, X-Men 2: X-Men United) (2003) -- Foreshadowing...lots of foreshadowing.X-Men: First Class (2011) -- Post-Brett Ratner.X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) -- Maybe my memory is starting to get a little hazy.  There have been so many X-Men movies.  It's almost like Fox is trying to milk this franchise for all it's worth...Thor: The Dark World (2013) -- Again, not bad...definitely better than several others...but not stellar either.The Incredible Hulk (2008) -- The non-Ang Lee one.  Pretend Bill Bixby is playing Banner and it's actually not bad.Blade (1998) -- Actually, not a bad film.  Mythology is about as bad as the Underworld mythos, yet watching Wesley Snipes go all Wesley Snipes on some vampires is pretty cool.The Wolverine (2013) -- Storyline aside, this is a decent stand-alone superhero film.Iron Man 3 (2013) -- Let's be honest...this was simply to pass the time until Cap and Thor got their sequels made. When Executives Make Dollar-Based Decisions (#21-30)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) -- Did we really need a new Spider-Man this soon?X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) -- Are we completely sure Brett Ratner didn't make this?  I mean, a Deadpool who can't speak?  Where's the fun in that?Spider-Man 3 (2007) -- It's got to go somewhere on the list.Blade II (2002) -- Fun fact: Guillermo del Toro directed this one.  *Ding*X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) -- There was nothing "last" about this...Brett Ratner is still making movies somehow.Hulk (2003) -- The Ang Lee-directed one.  R.I.P. Bill Bixby.Fantastic Four (2005) -- Sympathy vote, plain and simple.Howard the Duck (1986) -- A really bad movie that we really like.The Punisher (2004) -- sighThe Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) -- Unnecessary hipster reboot. Scrapping the Bottom of the Barrel (#31-37) Blade: Trinity (2004) -- When Ryan Reynolds actually steals the show (and not as Deadpool).Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) -- So...who was the film actually supposed to be about?  And that's the best Fox could do with Galactus?Fantastic 4 (2015) -- The trailer was literally better than the movie.  Most of the scenes in the trailer weren't even in the movie...and they were better than what made the movie!Ghost Rider (2007) -- I still have not actually seen all of it...I can't force myself to finish it.Daredevil (2003) -- Hey, I hear the television series is excellent.Elektra (2005) -- Jennifer Garner grew up in West Virginia...I was born in West Virginia...that was my justification for seeing this and I then promptly repenting of my cinematic sin.The Fantastic Four (1994) -- I have only seen clips...and they are awful.So, there you go.  My ranking of the Marvel films from best to worst.  Sorry about the numbering; code-writing is not my thing.  
Feel free to leave me a comment below!

Review: "More: From Messes to Miracles" by Tammie Head

There is an ancient practice in Celtic Christianity called the “soul friend.”  Essentially, it was the earliest systematized form of the contemporary practice of mentoring where one Christian seeks guidance, instruction or discipline from another Christian.  In many ways, Tammie Head’s book More functions like a “soul friend.”  Head, a Christian woman who has overcome a great deal of adversity in her life, including a teenage shotgun marriage and escaping the sex trade industry, does not offer a treatise on Christian theology nor does she offer an organized plan for spiritual growth.  What she does offer is a conversation, a conversation about faith.  She is honest about her faults and struggles, especially those about her marriage and pride in ministry.  She does offer some thoughts and reflections on some spiritual disciplines that have been helpful to her, like intercessory prayer and reading scripture.  However the bulk of the content comes in the form of stories collected over a lifetime of spiritual peaks and valleys.  The ultimate goal of her book is simple: God can redeem any messy person and turn him or her into a glorious spiritual miracle.  The chapters do not necessarily follow any particular progression but function more like informal conversations around a dinner table or in a coffee shop.  There is a lot of good stuff here, a buffet of stories and insights that can benefit readers in only one chapter doses or in reading the entire book at once.

As basic and conversational as this book is, there are a few faults that I had with it.  For the most part, these are fairly small details, however I think they are worth noting.  First, there are a few places where the author refers to her readers as “daughters of God.”  Now, I get it—very few men are going to read this book; it is written more for women.  However, as a male reader and as one who gets aggravated when male writers assume only men will read their books, I think Head does herself a disservice by assuming that only women will read her book.  As I mentioned above, there is a lot of good stuff here that can benefit any reader, regardless of gender.  Second, the author gets a little repetitious in some of her comments and stories.  This was not so much of a returning to stories in order to continue telling them as much as it was repeating stories as if that particular story had not been told previously.  Third—and this one is a little theological—the author mixes or equates the roles of God and Jesus in a way that made me scratch my head a time or two.  From an evangelical perspective, I can understand the blurring of Trinitarian personalities because we teach them as one in the same.  However, from an academic perspective, this reflects a lacking in biblical and theological competency that is problematic, especially for skeptical, unchurched readers.
Overall, I think this is a good book that will a helpful read for those who are looking for some encouragement on how God can turn our messes into miracles.

Membership Matters

Note: This post originally appeared as my 25 January 2015 church bulletin article.

In his wonderfully brief yet profound book I Am a Church Member, Thom Rainer, a church-based researcher in Nashville, surveyed nearly 600 congregations to get an idea of the shape of the American church.  His research demonstrated that 90% of these congregations were declining, a statistic that has been verified in other studies.  He deals with this research in his book Autopsy of a Deceased Church, which we be looking at later.

However Rainer also found six common characteristics of members (not ministers) in the 10% of congregations that were healthy, vibrant, stable and/or growing.  First, healthy churches have functioning members.  It is not just a one-man show; everyoneplays a part in the work of the congregation.  Second, healthy churches have members who seek unity.  We do not have to all like or agree with what goes on around here (that’s conformity); yet we should strive to unify in our support of the vision because we believe it is where God is leading us.
Third, healthy churches have members who put the mission of the church ahead of their own preferences.  This one is touchy, I know.  However, remember the words of the Paul to the Philippians: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves” (2:3).  Our whims and fancies about what should go on should also be second to the vision that God has given our congregation.
Fourth, healthy churches have members who pray for their leaders.  I personally appreciate how many of you tell me that you pray for me on a regular basis.  Fifth, healthy churches have members who make church a family affair.  Membership is not a Sunday-only commitment but carries over in to every aspect of our lives.  And sixth, healthy churches have members who treasure their membership.  This means we put aside our sense of entitlement and live with the understanding that salvation (and church membership) is a gift that has been gracious given to us.  May we never abuse this wonderful gift from God!

Books I Read in 2014

Each year, I offer the list of books that I read in that calendar year.  In keeping with this tradition, here is the list of books that I read in 2014.  For reviews of most of these, you can check out my Goodreads page or past posts on this blog.  Hope these may inspire your reading habits in 2015!

Books I Reviewed in 2014

Henry Cloud, Never Go Back: 10 Things You'll Never Do AgainSharmila Ferris and Hilary Wilder, The Plugged-In Professor: Tips and Techniques for Teaching with Social MediaRandy Harris, Life Work: Confessions of an Everyday DiscipleMarybeth Hicks, Teachable Moments: Using Everyday Encounters with Media and Culture to Instill Conscience, Character, and FaithBob Hostetler, Life Stinks...And Then You Die: Living Well in a Sick WorldMike Neary, Howard Stevenson and Les Bell, Towards Teaching in Public: Reshaping the Modern UniversityJohn Ortberg, Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of YouRobert Pazmino, A Boy Grows Up in Brooklyn: An Educational and Spiritual MemoirGlenn Pemberton, After Lament: Psalms for Learning to Trust AgainCarl Prude, Anchored in Light: Understanding and Overcoming the Five Deadliest Threats to Your Faith Books I Read for Classes I Teach

George Bullard, Every Congregation Needs a Little ConflictDave Hansen, The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers (revised edition)Timothy Keller, Walking with God through Pain and SufferingThomas G. Long, What Shall We Say? Evil, Suffering, and the Crisis of FaithDaniel Overdorf, One Year to Better PreachingAndy Stanley and Bill Willits, Creating Community: 5 Keys to Building a Small Group Culture Books I Read for My Last Doctoral Class

Dave Bland and David Fleer, Performing the PsalmsDavid Brooks, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and AchievementRoger Fisher and Daniel Shapiro, Beyond Reason: Using Emotions as You NegotiateGlenn Pemberton, Hurting with God: Learning to Lament with the PsalmsFleming Rutledge, And God Spoke to Abraham: Preaching from the Old Testament Books I Read to Strengthen My Ministry

Mark DeVine and Darrin Patrick, Replant: How a Dying Church Can Grow AgainDavid Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word TodayTimothy Keller, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's WorkErwin McManus, The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of ArtThom S. Rainer, Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours AlivePhilip Yancey, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? Books I Read Because I Like a Good Story

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451Gillian Flynn, Gone GirlGayle Forman, If I StayJohn Green, An Abundance of KatherinesJohn Green, Paper TownsLois Lowry, The GiverYann Martel, The Life of PiCormac McCarthy, The Orchard KeeperCormac McCarthy, The RoadArthur Miller, Death of a SalesmanFrank Miller, The Dark Knight ReturnsGeorge Orwell, Animal FarmAyn Rand, We the LivingRick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians 1: The Lightning ThiefRick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians 2: The Sea of MonstersRick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians 3: The Titan's CurseRick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians 4: Battle of the LabyrinthRick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5: The Last OlympianThornton Wilder, Our TownSun Zhu, The Art of War

Teaching Notes: What I've Learned (So Far) from Teaching a Course on the Pentateuch

A couple notes of context: I teach at a private, faith-based university.  It is a university that was once a "Bible college," a school that specifically trained ministers.  That changed a few years ago when my university adopted more of a liberal arts approach, offering degree programs in various fields while offering said instruction from the perspective of a Christian vocational worldview. 

Thus, along with the expansion of our athletic programs, our student body began to change.  Previous student bodies were predominantly Christian.  Over the last several semesters, at least since I have been employed by the university, the demographics have changed.  As the programs that the students study have diversified, the level at which our students engage in spirituality has diversified.  Mine is still very much a Christian, faith-based university, although how we engage in that mission is changing

Additionally, I am primarily a ministry professor, specializing in homiletics, pastoral care and leadership.  My first couple of forays in university teaching were by teaching Bible courses.  In fact, my first semester at my current university was spent teaching courses on John's gospel and the Pastoral Letters.  That was in 2009.  The next time I taught a Bible class was in the summer of 2013 when I taught a course on Luke's gospel.  It was online. . .as were the next couple of Bible courses that I taught.

Until this semester.  This semester, I am teaching a traditional, in-seat course on the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament [or Hebrew Bible]) to 40 students from across our various academic programs.  As a preacher, I have spent several years teaching the Bible to various groups, both Christian and non-Christian.  I have spent years trying to discern contemporary meaning from ancient texts.

Teaching a course on the Pentateuch has proved to be no different.  There are several students in my class who come from strong Christian homes.  They have learned the stories contained with the Pentateuch over and over again in Sunday school and through sermons.  Some of them are even courageous enough to engage in classroom discussion about the morality, history, mythology and literary contexts of these wonderful and winsome stories of faith.  At one time the majority of students on our campus, their percentage is moving closer and closer to the center with each consecutive semester.

Other students come from moderately to less-moderately religious homes.  They have wandered in and out of church for most of their lives.  They wonder why people like me get so giddy when talking about Adam and Eve or Abraham negotiating with God or Moses striking rocks, yet they wonder if they are not missing something by not knowing the stories better than they do.  They have heard of Noah and Joseph.  They may have seen a Bible-based film on documentary on television.  They are at our school for a variety of reasons, too many to go into hear because they reasons are as diverse as the students themselves.  However, when class begins, they perk up in attention because mysterious is being discussed.  As in most religiously-affiliated schools across the country, these students are quickly becoming (or may already be) the majority.

A smaller yet growing number of students in my class are hearing these stories for the first time.  They come because of the chance of leaving a difficult life behind.  Maybe their expectations are too high; maybe they just want to do something different.  Whatever their reason, they are sitting in a Bible class in eastern Kentucky and listening to a young professor ramble on about ancient stories of heroism and tragedy.  Maybe they become interested like some of the students at my last university appointment who decided to give this religious stuff a chance.  Maybe they don't.  The point is that they are there and they must be taught something.

So, with all of this in mind, here are a few tips that I have picked up this semester from teaching a course on the Pentateuch.  Maybe you'll find them useful; maybe you have some of your own to offer.  I do not offer these as professional standards for teaching this subject.  Despite my RateMyProfessor.com rating (it's only 1 score), I am not asserting myself as the guru on teaching Biblical studies.  [That honor should go to Harding University's Kevin Youngblood or Hendrix College's Robert Williamson.]  Please feel free to leave comments below, tweet me ideas of email me for a lengthier
Make them read from their Bibles.  This one is hard to accomplish in class.  I know it seems strange to say this, yet I have found it to be true.  It's like asking for volunteers at church.  You can hear the crickets already.  So, how do I accomplish this?  I assign a portion for them to read each week.  "Sure, but are they are actually reading?" you may ask.Require a reading journal.  "Yes, they are," I would respond.  I know because I require the students in my Bible classes to keep a reading journal, regardless of subject.  It is a simple guided journal, asking questions about the content of the passage assigned, what the learned from the assigned commentary reading and how it relates to the passage assigned, and what spiritual truths or devotional practices they may have picked up from the passage assigned.  "So, you just teach the Bible, then?" is probably your next question.Don't get lost in mythology or history.  "Well, mostly.  It is a Bible class, after all," would be my response.  There is certainly a place for walking through the Epic of Gilgamesh when discussing the creation and flood stories, just as the story of Exodus loses some of its cultural relevance when we avoid looking at the connections between Moses and Sargon the Great.  However, in my context, I think I do my students a disservice if I focus most of our attention on ancient mythology and cultural history rather than looking at the Old Testament text.  Connections must and should be made to other ANE cultures, but not at the sacrifice of God's story.  "So, you just preach then, don't you?"De-sanitize the Sunday school lessons.  "Yes and no," I would respond.  Yes, I have a tendency for "preaching" in class.  I am, by nature, a preacher.  However I am also a scholar.  As a preacher, I tell stories, yet I am not glossing over them as we may do in church.  Notice how Abraham and Isaac's relationship changes after the sacrifice.  Notice that Jacob does not punish his sons after they slaughter an entire family.  How do we rationalize the plague of the death of the firstborn?  These are the questions that fuel the conversations and content of my course.  "Huh," you might say.Liberally use technology.  My last tip is an "easter egg" in that it is simply something that I would recommend for any teacher in today's techno-friendly culture.  There is a lot of really good stuff that is easy to find on the Internet that will benefit any Pentateuch teacher.  Whether it is a breakdown on the Documentary Hypothesis (I NEVER thought I would ever teach this), a map of the various Exodus routes, a to-scale rendering of the tabernacle or stacks of high-quality classic Christian art, the Internet really can be your friend.  Also, see how you LMS can enhance your teaching outside of the traditional lecture material format.  My students broke up into groups and are writing Wiki pages on each book of the Pentateuch rather than writing research papers.  And they, mostly, seem to be enjoying the challenge.I am looking forward to the rest of the semester.  Putting this course together week-in and week-out has been one of the more challenging courses that I have ever taught.  Yet engaging students in hearty discussions and learning their stories of faith has been worth it.