Book#4: Thomas Merton's Essential Writings

This book was not necessarily an easy read because of the format. I often find it difficult to read something like an anthology or collection of someone's writings like this. But I hoped it would be a good introduction to Merton's writings. If that was the goal...mission accomplished.

So far...the themes that I'm really enjoying from Merton would include pilgrimage and contemplation.

Here's a great paragraph towards the end of this collection:

I stand among you as one who offers a small message of hope, that first, there are always people who dare to seek on the margin of society, who are not dependent on social acceptance, not dependent on social routine, and prefer a kind of free-floating existence under a state of risk. And among these people, if they are faithful to their own calling, to their own vocation, and to their own message from God, communication of the deepest level is possible.

Certainly one of the things I'm trying to live out right now is this idea of being faithful to my own calling, vocation, and message.

Book #3: The Call

The way that Guinness talks about primary and secondary callings here makes a lot of sense. I wonder if I'm one of the people he talks about who "fell for the temptation..."?

...that Catholic distortion which elevates the spiritual, contemplative, ministerial life over the 'secular' realm of vocation and work?

The connection he makes between calling and the Caller is profound too. Because our calling is not just something to do but a response to some ONE.

Early in the book he 'pegs' me with this: "People in midlife face it when a mismatch between their gifts and their work reminds them daily that they are square pegs in round holes."

Of course, someone else reminded me recently that a round peg will actually fit in a square hole (and vice versa) as long as the hole is big enough.

That discussion is kind of comical to me because it's the way I've been describing myself recently when it comes to ministry, calling, vocation, etc. The church I am a part of is a great place to be with our family...and the vision is potentially captivating and world changing...but my angst is simply with this concept of 'calling.' Is what I'm doing now in my life the "secondary calling" in which God wants me investing myself?

Here's how he describes calling in one place: "Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service."

To close, I'll pass on a quote from Oswald Chambers which Os calls attention to...

"The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him...The one aim of the call of God is the satisfaction of God, not a call to do something for Him."

2009 Book #2: Culture Making

At long last, I've made it through Andy Crouch's book Culture Making. That's not to say it wasn't an engaging collection of words...I just kept getting distracted by other books or pursuits.

Having heard Andy interviewed a couple of times on the Catalyst podcast, and reading smaller recent articles he had publish I found that I was already familiar with much of the content. I think he does make a good contribution here to the way we need to think about culture.

Basically, he suggests that we tend to have a certain posture when it comes to culture (by the way, even defining such a thing as 'culture' is quite a challenge and occupies 2 or 3 chapters). These include: critique, condemnation, copying, and consuming. Each of these responses to culture can limit. He goes on to explain the idea of approaching culture as artists and gardeners. Culture can be created and cultivated...especially effective when collaborating with God and His purposes in the world.

As he concludes the book, he spends some time talking about calling, a concept I've been giving much thought lately. Add to that an emphasis on the need for community (especially a tight group of 3 who share passions, vision, and dreams). Well, let me just quote one of his final paragraphs for an inspirational conclusion to this post:

So do you want to make culture? Find a community, a small group who can lovingly fuel your dreams and puncture your illusions. Find friends and form a family who are willing to see grace at work in one another's lives, who can discern together which gifts and which crosses each has been called to bear. Find people who have a holy respect for power and a holy willingness to spend their power alongside the powerless. Find some partners in the wild and wonderful world beyond church doors. And the, together, make something of the world.

Pilgrammage...Place...and Merton

A friend recently shared this prayer by Thomas Merton along with a lectio experience of Psalm 84:1-8. It was a powerful evening of listening and reflecting on my journey to a place...a place I cannot really describe... or of which I know the exact location. My interest has been piqued by this brief introduction to Merton who speaks a great deal about the idea of pilgrimmage, journey, and Celtic Christian monasticism.


Here's the prayer:

My Lord God I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that my desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

P90X Progress

Whenever you're kicking off some kind of fitness routine or plan, the first few days are extremely important. I find that once I get 3-5 days under my belt the desire to keep the streak going keeps increasing.

Then comes the nutrition challenge. Not everyone mentally responds to this change of diet in the same way. For me, once I've gotten into the routine of working out 5-6 days/week...my tendency to jeopardize the progress by eating garbage gradually decreases.

Unfortunately, typical emotional responses to the lack of physical health and motivation only lead to worse nutritional choices. Whenever I'm not working out, taking care of my body, and also engaged in regular spiritual disciplines...my eating habits are horrible.

When I tried this P90X challenge back in August of 2008, we took a family vacation to the lake during the third week and in spite of my good intentions...it kept me from getting real traction and a routine established early on. Then as I got heavy into the marathon training for October...I overdid it and injured both Achilles tendons.

With the boost of being 99% healthy (once you get tendonitis in the Achilles...they never completely recover) and the added incentive of "new year" energy...I suspect there's a good chance I could finally reach my goal of peak physical conditioning by the time I turn 38 in March. :-)

First Post of 2009

And we're back...

I had a goal of reading a book each week in 2008. Didn't even come close.

Trying again in 2009...
Just finished this book, so I'm glad to report that for 2009 I am completely on track with my reading goals! (I'm not buying another deck of cards though.)

I love the title of this book but not so much the subtitle. Should have read "towards a christianity beyond belief" perhaps (reminds me of an old Petra tune). Having heard Pete Rollins in person at the Great Emergence conference in Memphis (december 2009), my interest in reading something from him had been significantly heightened.

"The relationship between fidelity and betrayal in the Judeo-Christian tradition is further complicated in the Scriptures via stories that seem to suggest that one must wrestle with, disagree with, and even disobey God for the sake of retaining one's fidelity to God."

About the Scriptures...

"The text was written not to be approached as an academic document detailing facts about the life of faith but rather as an invitation in to the life of faith."

"To believe that the words are the Word reduces the text to what can be named, describe, and transcribed. To treat it in this way means that we approach the Word as a thing that stands before us to be examined, poked, prodded, and played with. The Word of God, in this reading, thus refers to something, some thing, some set of things."

As I read his ideas and perspectives on the Scriptures, it gave me hope for a more healthy view of the text...even as it affirms the demise of sola scriptura.

As he concludes the book, he speaks of the need for us to form spaces where "transformance art" can take place...where we can celebrate and live into the miraculous yet often subversive and religion-less experience of Christ and Christianity.