Dr. Bryan Chapell has put together a wonderful collection of essays from well known established Pastors who often are called upon to preach the tough sermons at funerals that have devastated a family, a church or a community. How do we as faithful Pastors respond in such times of crisis? How do we write and preach sermons that will be tools in the Redeemer's Hands to bring comfort and care, show empathy and compassion, and yet preach the Gospel in all situations?
The books is broken down into five sections, they are;
Part One: Preaching in Response to Tragedy
Part Two: Preaching after the loss of a child
Part Three: Preaching funerals with Especially Difficult Causes or Circumstances
Part Four: Preaching funerals for Public figures
Part Five: Preaching after Suicide
Then there are three Appendixes to help the pastor deal with putting together these sermons and helping families to cope with the stresses they are facing.
Within the Five Categories listed above there are twenty-five chapters written by people such as John Piper, Bryan Chapell, Tim Keller, Michael Horton and others. The combined wisdom of these men and the years they have spent in preparing and teaching these difficult sermons gives them a unique perspective and they provide us with guidance that is difficult to find almost anywhere.
If you Shepherd a Flock of any type you will eventually be faced with a difficult crisis. I'm convinced that this will be the first reference book that you will reach for when you sit down to start writing that sermon that you desire to bring hope and healing to your congregation.
I want to thank Dr. Chapell for putting this together and believe he has given a very valuable gift to the Body of Christ.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
The Hardest Thing to Do, by Penelope Wilcock
First of all I want to thank Crossway Books for sending me an advance copy of this book to read and review. I am grateful to them for this and was profoundly blessed by Penelope Wilcock's latest novel.
The Hardest Thing to Do is the fourth book in "The Hawk and the Dove" series. It follows one week after book three has left off. The St. Alcuin monastery is awaiting their new Abbott, Father John who will be replacing the recently departed Abbott Peregrine. So, this is a story of transition. It is a time for the monastery to welcome a new leader, to have some new beginnings, to celebrate the previous ministry of a faithful Abbott and to ask God's blessing on the new ministry of the new Abbott.
St. Alcuin is know for it's grace, mercy and peace that it bestows on any visitor that happens to need a place to stay. It is also a loving community that is faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and loves the people of the areas surrounding their monastery. It is a vibrant place with a great new group of young men who have entered the monastery and are learning the ways of the Monks.
But not only is this going to be a time of transition for the monastery but it will be a time of learning for them as well. While they have done a great job of growing in Christ they are still needing to learn. This shows itself in that when they hear the news that St. Dunstan's has burned down many of the Monks are grateful that those at this spiteful monastery have died and will cause no more trouble. This takes Abbott John by surprise. They should not be joyful over the death of other Monks or the lost of a monastery. But it is true that that community treated others very poorly and took advantage of the people who lived around the monastery. Also their Abbot Prior William was no friend to Abbott Peregrine and actually abused him verbally on many occasions. So, good riddance to him.
But then the news comes that there is a traveler at their door who is seeking assylum. It turns out to be Abbott William, the man that many at St. Alcuin's dispise. He is seeking refuge in their monastery as no other monastery or community will give him refuge. His hands and arms are badly burned and need tending to and he just needs a quiet place to live.
The turmoil this request will invoke is amazing. Immediately Abbott John finds himself at odds with the majority of Monks in his monastery. He wants to be loving and provide a place for William to heal and to also grow. But the others want nothing to do with him (almost all the others, there are three who agree with John).
This sets up the novel to weave the story of how a group of Monks will have to come to terms with their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and their belief in grace, mercy, peace and love. How will it be lived out? How will they respond? How will the Lord reach each of them and help them on their journey? Oh, and what will happen with the hated Abbott William?
Wilcock does a wonderful job of weaving the story, building each of the characters and addressing so many of the hurts that many of us carry with us. She will show how forgiveness and love can overcome bitterness and hatred. If you have ever thought of being involved in Peacemaking Ministry this book will give you a great example of what is involved and how it is a difficult ministry but highly rewarding.
I completely enjoyed this book and found myself underlining so many nuggets of truth that I forgot that I was reading a novel and not reading a true story about the loving work of Jesus Christ. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did and learn as much as I did about what our response to difficult circumstances ought to me.
Thank you Penelope for this wonderful work of love.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl
I was reading a counseling book on the "Search for Meaning" and in the introduction Dr. Gary Collins stated, 'For a number of years Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning was required reading for all incoming freshmen at a Christian Liberal Arts college where I taught.' The statistics showed that students who read this book upon entering college did better in their academic life because it helped prepare them to understand what their true desire in life was.
So, before I finished that book I purchased this book and read it. I was amazed at all of the lessons that are taught, all of the theories that made sense and the purpose that it gives towards the work of a counselor that was so practical.
The first half of the book talks about Fankl's time spent in a Nazi prison camp. He talked about how there was only a 1 in 28 chance that the prisoner would survive the camp. Most either died from disease or malnutrition or they were sent to the ovens where they died. Many more died by their own hand. Their lack of hope for a future drove them to suicide.
Frankl took his observations of human nature and the experience in the war camps to think through the best way to provide counseling for people who are stressed, anxious, depressed, etc. The counseling he came up with is called 'Logotherapy.' He states that "Logo" is a Greek word which denotes, "meaning," and therapy is the method used to help people learn to deal with their neuroses.
So, 'Logotherapy' focuses on the future, that is to say, on the meanings to be fulfilled by the patient in his future. In other words, what is the meaning of life for the individual that is being counseled. As a counselor you must remember that the meaning of life for each of your patients will differ. There is not one easy answer that works for everyone. Each person is different. One of Frankl's favorite quotes is from Nietzche and it is, "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." The point of that statement is that people can endure any suffering, any disease, any hard life lesson if they know that they have a reason to live for.
This is why a patient with cancer may beat all the odds, in other words, he is told he has only two months to live, but because he desires to see his child graduate from college he might actually live for 9 more months until that accomplishment is fulfilled and then the person takes a turn for the worse and dies. There was meaning for life, so life was lived.
The second half of Fankl's book expresses his thoughts on why Man's Search For Meaning is so powerful and so necessary for each person. The subject is not fully discussed, this is a summary of his overall therapy method and learning. But it gives you a great introduction to what he believes is a good therapy format.
After reading through this short book I can see why Dr. Collins and others felt that this was a good book for college freshman to read. The statistics gathered by George Barna were that upon entering college when asked what they hoped to accomplish, students answered 84% of the time that they wanted to find the meaning for their lives. The other 16% stated they wanted to gain a degree to earn more money and satisfy their desires.
So, let's help our students and others learn more about the meaning for their lives. From a Pastor's point of view I was amazed at how well Viktor Frankl's thoughts weave right into Holy Scripture and are so pertinent.
I think all serious students will gain much insight from this short work.
Enjoy!
So, before I finished that book I purchased this book and read it. I was amazed at all of the lessons that are taught, all of the theories that made sense and the purpose that it gives towards the work of a counselor that was so practical.
The first half of the book talks about Fankl's time spent in a Nazi prison camp. He talked about how there was only a 1 in 28 chance that the prisoner would survive the camp. Most either died from disease or malnutrition or they were sent to the ovens where they died. Many more died by their own hand. Their lack of hope for a future drove them to suicide.
Frankl took his observations of human nature and the experience in the war camps to think through the best way to provide counseling for people who are stressed, anxious, depressed, etc. The counseling he came up with is called 'Logotherapy.' He states that "Logo" is a Greek word which denotes, "meaning," and therapy is the method used to help people learn to deal with their neuroses.
So, 'Logotherapy' focuses on the future, that is to say, on the meanings to be fulfilled by the patient in his future. In other words, what is the meaning of life for the individual that is being counseled. As a counselor you must remember that the meaning of life for each of your patients will differ. There is not one easy answer that works for everyone. Each person is different. One of Frankl's favorite quotes is from Nietzche and it is, "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." The point of that statement is that people can endure any suffering, any disease, any hard life lesson if they know that they have a reason to live for.
This is why a patient with cancer may beat all the odds, in other words, he is told he has only two months to live, but because he desires to see his child graduate from college he might actually live for 9 more months until that accomplishment is fulfilled and then the person takes a turn for the worse and dies. There was meaning for life, so life was lived.
The second half of Fankl's book expresses his thoughts on why Man's Search For Meaning is so powerful and so necessary for each person. The subject is not fully discussed, this is a summary of his overall therapy method and learning. But it gives you a great introduction to what he believes is a good therapy format.
After reading through this short book I can see why Dr. Collins and others felt that this was a good book for college freshman to read. The statistics gathered by George Barna were that upon entering college when asked what they hoped to accomplish, students answered 84% of the time that they wanted to find the meaning for their lives. The other 16% stated they wanted to gain a degree to earn more money and satisfy their desires.
So, let's help our students and others learn more about the meaning for their lives. From a Pastor's point of view I was amazed at how well Viktor Frankl's thoughts weave right into Holy Scripture and are so pertinent.
I think all serious students will gain much insight from this short work.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?, by C. John Collins
Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?
By, C. John Collins
The subtitle for this book gives us a quick glimpse as to why this book was written. It states, “Who they were and why you should care!” There has been a real controversy lately that revolves around the aspect that Adam and Eve were not real people but instead are figurative / symbolic of humankind.
Should it matter to us whether they were real or symbolic? YES! There are very solid reasons why it is important that Adam and Eve were real historical people whom God created as the first man and woman.
The book of Genesis reads as though they are real people, not just figurative. God gives them life and they have personality. God gives them instruction and they learn from walking in the garden with God. God gives them free will and they take that free will and abuse the privilege by eating of the fruit that was forbidden.
Bottom line, they sinned! Through their sin all mankind to follow will enter this life in a state of fallen sinfulness.
Maybe the best way to help you understand this books intent is to quote the beginning of Chapter 6, “Conclusions.” C. John Collins states, “What I think I have shown; I do not claim to have solved every problem or to have dealt with every possible objection. But I trust I have shown why the traditional understanding of Adam and Eve as our first parents who brought sin into human experience is worthy of our confidence and adherence. It does justice to specific Biblical texts, and suits the Biblical story line, with its notions of representation and covenantal inclusion; it also provides a meaningful explanation for everyday experience. It is the view articulated or presupposed in Genesis, in Paul, and, above all, in the Gospel presentation of Jesus. The alternatives are less satisfactory, and possibly even disastrous, on all these counts.”
Collins accomplished that conclusion in the text of the book. His chapters headings are as follows;
Chapter 1, Introduction
Chapter 2, The Shape of the Biblical Story
Chapter 3, Particular texts that speak of Adam and Eve
Chapter 4, Human Uniqueness and Dignity
Chapter 5, Can Science Help us pinpoint “Adam and Eve?”
Chapter 6, Conclusions
Collins takes a good bit of time taking about the book of Genesis. He then traces the references to Adam and Eve through the Old Testament. He follows that by addressing how the Apostle Paul viewed Adam and Eve in his epistles and also had Jesus referred to Adam and Eve through his teachings as shown in the Gospels.
Further there is some reference to Adam and Eve drawn from Revelation to give us kind of the bookends of the Bible. Genesis starts with Adam and Eve and Revelation sums up why God had to do what He did to bring mankind back to a place where the sin of Adam and Eve has been dealt with and man can now live a life free of sin.
Chapter 5, Can Science Help us pinpoint “Adam and Eve” starts out by referring to the crux of debate that has happened. That crux is that scientist believe that human DNA “points to a population of several thousand people from whom all humans have descended, not just two.”
Collins will work through that discussion and draw on the material he has laid out in the first four chapters of his book to express why he doesn’t believe that is an appropriate belief.
If you are going to deal with any people who question the reality of Adam and Eve or who question that the Bible really addresses them as historical accurate figures rather than just symbolic figures used for the sake of story, then you need to read this book.
C. John Collins does a good job of giving us well thought out logical material to help us lead our ‘skeptic’ friends to further understand their Bibles and see the true storyline that God has woven through history and that He shows us in His Word.
Enjoy!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Why O God? Suffering & Disability in the Bible and Church
Here is another great book put out by Crossway. The editor is Larry J. Waters. Below is my review;
This new book from Crossway is one that every Pastor of Pastoral Care or every Pastor of Disabled Ministries is going to need to purchase and keep on hand. The essays are amazing. They are not so much academic in nature as they are personal and practical in nature.
Each of those contributing to the book have either dealt with their own disability (Joni Erickson Tada) or are the care giver for someone who is disabled (Gregory Hatteberg for his wife Lisa). Their experiences give them a platform from which to write with passion, grace, understanding and insight. Each of the authors also comes from a very deep Biblical Commitment to the truth of God's word and the truth of God's love for His creation, man.
I think one of the major things that struck me was the love each of these people has for their spouses. Often times you find the author referring back to the marriage vows that were taken when they first married. Those vows of in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better or worse. . . . these vows really come home to people who have a spouse who is dealing with a disability. They see how those vows are important. They are a commitment that they made before God and need to be fulfilled. When God made vows with man he made a commitment to always fulfill those vows, His Covenants were promises that were and are always fulfilled.
The statistics that get pointed out often are that many spouses abandoned or divorce their disabled spouse because it is too difficult to deal with. This is not what they signed up for. But low and behold the authors remind us that no, really, this is what they signed up for. This is how they will show the world the Love of Christ, how they respond to this crisis and to their loved one.
Further the book gives many practical suggestions to us the church about how we should minister to the disabled. How we should treat the handicapped. How we need to be careful that we don't treat these people as though they are broken or sinful or (can I really say this) dumb. Yeah, several times it is pointed out that we at times treat the handicapped as though they don't have any IQ or cognitive abilities. That is not always the case. So there are good practical notes for us to take as we develop our ministries and reach out to our communities.
One last major section that I appreciated was the discussion often to us about the Biblical aspect of Suffering. How do we respond to people who are in pain? How do we respond to people who are disabled? How do we answer their honest questions of, WHY ME?
How do you help people to move past the bitterness and anger at God and help them to honestly see the blessings and gifts that God has given to them. I really think the best chapter for me was Chapter Five. Gregory Hatteberg tells of the terrible development in his marriage with Lisa when they discovered that she had MS. She gave birth to four fabulous children and had a husband who was in Seminary and wanting to go into ministry. What would the MS do to their dreams. Well, you need to read it for yourself. But Gregory's selfless love for his wife and family are the things that we Pastors wish we would see in all couples who get married in our churches.
Well, I have gone on to long. Do you realize by now that I loved this book? I think we all need to read it, think about it, and gain all of the insights we can from it. If nothing else please learn about how God wants you to keep the VOWS that you make.
God bless and Enjoy!
This new book from Crossway is one that every Pastor of Pastoral Care or every Pastor of Disabled Ministries is going to need to purchase and keep on hand. The essays are amazing. They are not so much academic in nature as they are personal and practical in nature.
Each of those contributing to the book have either dealt with their own disability (Joni Erickson Tada) or are the care giver for someone who is disabled (Gregory Hatteberg for his wife Lisa). Their experiences give them a platform from which to write with passion, grace, understanding and insight. Each of the authors also comes from a very deep Biblical Commitment to the truth of God's word and the truth of God's love for His creation, man.
I think one of the major things that struck me was the love each of these people has for their spouses. Often times you find the author referring back to the marriage vows that were taken when they first married. Those vows of in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better or worse. . . . these vows really come home to people who have a spouse who is dealing with a disability. They see how those vows are important. They are a commitment that they made before God and need to be fulfilled. When God made vows with man he made a commitment to always fulfill those vows, His Covenants were promises that were and are always fulfilled.
The statistics that get pointed out often are that many spouses abandoned or divorce their disabled spouse because it is too difficult to deal with. This is not what they signed up for. But low and behold the authors remind us that no, really, this is what they signed up for. This is how they will show the world the Love of Christ, how they respond to this crisis and to their loved one.
Further the book gives many practical suggestions to us the church about how we should minister to the disabled. How we should treat the handicapped. How we need to be careful that we don't treat these people as though they are broken or sinful or (can I really say this) dumb. Yeah, several times it is pointed out that we at times treat the handicapped as though they don't have any IQ or cognitive abilities. That is not always the case. So there are good practical notes for us to take as we develop our ministries and reach out to our communities.
One last major section that I appreciated was the discussion often to us about the Biblical aspect of Suffering. How do we respond to people who are in pain? How do we respond to people who are disabled? How do we answer their honest questions of, WHY ME?
How do you help people to move past the bitterness and anger at God and help them to honestly see the blessings and gifts that God has given to them. I really think the best chapter for me was Chapter Five. Gregory Hatteberg tells of the terrible development in his marriage with Lisa when they discovered that she had MS. She gave birth to four fabulous children and had a husband who was in Seminary and wanting to go into ministry. What would the MS do to their dreams. Well, you need to read it for yourself. But Gregory's selfless love for his wife and family are the things that we Pastors wish we would see in all couples who get married in our churches.
Well, I have gone on to long. Do you realize by now that I loved this book? I think we all need to read it, think about it, and gain all of the insights we can from it. If nothing else please learn about how God wants you to keep the VOWS that you make.
God bless and Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
ESV Student Study Bible, Crossway Books
I received a notification from Crossway Books last week that they had just released their latest ESV Bible and that it was Students Study Bible version. I immediately ordered one since I work with some college students and young adults just starting their careers (I use to be the Youth Pastor at our church).
I am very pleased with this new version of the ESV Study Bible. In addition to the regular study notes and topics that are included, along with the Outlines and Introductions to each book of the Bible there are several new features. In the Student Study Bible they have included 120 new Bible character profiles. These profiles are short (just a few paragraphs each) but they are well done and help the student get a thumbnail sketch of important characters of the Bible.
There are also 900 New 'Did You Know" facts that are listed throughout the Bible. An example from page 34 is the "Did you Know" fact about "Cherubim (Genesis 3:24) are angels who guard holy places. They appear in various places in the Bible. 'Cherubim' is the Hebrew plural form of 'cherub'." These little facts help a student to come to an understand about a term that they might not be familiar with if they are new to Bible reading.
Also included in the Bible are the plan of salvation and many topics that will help a new Christian navigate their way to a better understanding of the Bible. The color maps are well done and give just the right information when needed to go along with stories that the student is reading.
Then there are the regular notes (commentary) at the bottom of each page that give the students information regarding the text that they are reading. There is also a great concordance in the back that is well done and will help students to search out topics that they are interested in.
Finally, all of this in the Bible you purchase your student plus an authentication code that will allow them to register with ESV.org so that they will have full access to the ESV Study Bible online as well as the printed edition they have. Today's students are so computer oriented that you will find that many of the students will become so adept at using the online Bible that they won't have to carry their study Bible with them, instead they can sit down in an internet cafe or at a library and sign on and start reading and studying anywhere.
I think that Crossway Books has done a great job in putting this Bible together and just when you thought, how can they improve on the ESV Study Bible, well they do it with the Student Version. So, thank you Crossway for developing this new study tool for students.
Enjoy and God bless!
I am very pleased with this new version of the ESV Study Bible. In addition to the regular study notes and topics that are included, along with the Outlines and Introductions to each book of the Bible there are several new features. In the Student Study Bible they have included 120 new Bible character profiles. These profiles are short (just a few paragraphs each) but they are well done and help the student get a thumbnail sketch of important characters of the Bible.
There are also 900 New 'Did You Know" facts that are listed throughout the Bible. An example from page 34 is the "Did you Know" fact about "Cherubim (Genesis 3:24) are angels who guard holy places. They appear in various places in the Bible. 'Cherubim' is the Hebrew plural form of 'cherub'." These little facts help a student to come to an understand about a term that they might not be familiar with if they are new to Bible reading.
Also included in the Bible are the plan of salvation and many topics that will help a new Christian navigate their way to a better understanding of the Bible. The color maps are well done and give just the right information when needed to go along with stories that the student is reading.
Then there are the regular notes (commentary) at the bottom of each page that give the students information regarding the text that they are reading. There is also a great concordance in the back that is well done and will help students to search out topics that they are interested in.
Finally, all of this in the Bible you purchase your student plus an authentication code that will allow them to register with ESV.org so that they will have full access to the ESV Study Bible online as well as the printed edition they have. Today's students are so computer oriented that you will find that many of the students will become so adept at using the online Bible that they won't have to carry their study Bible with them, instead they can sit down in an internet cafe or at a library and sign on and start reading and studying anywhere.
I think that Crossway Books has done a great job in putting this Bible together and just when you thought, how can they improve on the ESV Study Bible, well they do it with the Student Version. So, thank you Crossway for developing this new study tool for students.
Enjoy and God bless!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Deity of Christ, edited by Moran & Peterson
I want to thank Crossway Books for sending me a copy of this wonderful book to review for those who follow my reviews and blog page.
I usually go through a book fairly quickly, but must admit that this book I have taken more time to go through and find myself going back over sections at a time. It’s not because the book is difficult to read, it is because the material is so valuable and there is much to digest.
The book is a compilation of short Essay’s on the topic of the Deity of Christ. Each Essay is well done and touches on a different aspect of the Deity of Christ. Chapters include the following;
The History of the debate on the Deity of Christ
Christ in the Old Testament
Christ in the Synoptic Gospels
Christ in John’s Gospel
Christ in the Apostolic Witness
Christ in John’s Letters and Revelation
Towards a Systematic Theology of the Deity of Christ
The Deity of Christ and the Cults
The Deity of Christ for Missions, World Religions and Pluralism
While the book is going to delve into the reasons that we can believe in the Deity of Christ we need to understand an underlying principle that was used in bringing this volume together. That principle is this, “We are writing from the perspective that we believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, inerrant and useful for teaching.” If you doubt the inerrancy of scripture or that it is truly the Word of God then you will need to tackle that subject in another text before going through this book.
That said, this book is well done, easy to understand for both laymen and clergy. There are a huge number of Biblical references that you can use to develop good teaching outlines for Sunday School classes as well as small groups. Pastors will find this a good resource book for sermons they plan to preach on the Deity of Christ.
My favorite two chapters are Chapters 3 and 4 on The Deity of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. They caught my attention and I read each of those chapters two or three times each and kept my Bible handy to be cross-reading as I went through the text. It was a wonderful study experience.
With today’s culture debating whether Christ was truly the “Son of God” this book is a treasure trove of information to help you develop your understand of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Some of the information will be old news that you have heard before, but it is presented in a fresh way that will stimulate your thinking about the topic and push you to be more pro-active in sharing the truth about Jesus Christ.
This book can be read in different ways. You can read it straight through one chapter after another, or you can pick and choose chapters based on discussions you may be having with people regarding Christ.
But whatever way you read through this text you will be happy you purchased this book and took the time to thoughtfully work your way through it.
Enjoy!
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