An unfinished tale by J.R.R. Tolkien has been edited by his son into a completed work and will be released next spring, the U.S. and British publishers announced Monday.
Christopher Tolkien has spent the past 30 years working on "The Children of Hurin," an epic tale his father began in 1918 and later abandoned. Excerpts of "The Children of Hurin," which includes the elves and dwarves of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and other works, have been published before.
"It has seemed to me for a long time that there was a good case for presenting my father's long version of the legend of the 'Children of Hurin' as an independent work, between its own covers," Christopher Tolkien said in a statement.
The new book will be published by Houghton Mifflin in the United States and HarperCollins in England.
Source: here
Friday, September 29, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Sacrafice v. Expression
One week down here at the Wilderness Medicine Institute. It has been a tremendous experience so far. Academically, it is a bit like drinking from a fire hydrant. There is a copious amount of information that comes at us, and we can't really afford to let any of it go because every word of it is information that may very well mean the difference between life and death one day. This weekend, I had my first rotation in the Emergency Room. The ER is a very interesting place. It is, at once, a place where the most amzing things happen, where people are pulled back from the precipice of death, and a place where the most tragic things happen, where people slip over that precipice never to return to life in this age again. Just walking away from one shift gave me a renewed sense of the vaporous life that I have been given to live, and the utter importance of making that life count for more than self experience and self expression.
The people here at the WMI are, for the most part, tremendous human beings who value people, relationships, and life. The lesson that has landed on me especially hard while here is that our culture does not value self sacrafice, it values self expression and self experience. These values are so imbeded in my heart, and I assume most everyone else's, that it is hard to imagine life without them. This, if we are not careful, could turn out to be most tragic because the Coming Kingdom esteems self sacrafice as one of the chief virtues. May our Great Father grant us the grace to be counted among those who live as those who "count others as more significant" than ourselves.
May the Peace of Jesus be upon each of you.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Bread for the World Sunday -- October 29, 2006
Bread for the World Sunday (October 29, 2006) is a time for churches to renew their commitment to ending hunger in God’s world. This growing movement on behalf of hungry people includes major church bodies, religious organizations, and congregations—all participating in an international effort to overcome poverty and disease in Africa, the United States, and around the world. Elected officials, business leaders, and celebrities are advocating increased investments in health, education, and agriculture so that hungry and poor people can earn a living and feed their families.
Hunger Facts
More than 852 million people in the world go hungry.
In developing countries, 6 million children die each year, mostly from hunger-related causes.
In the United States, 14 million children live in households where people have to skip meals or eat less to make ends meet. That means one in ten households in the U.S. are living with hunger or are at risk of hunger.
But we CAN end hunger.
We have the means. The financial costs to end hunger are relatively slight. The United Nations Development Program estimates that the basic health and nutrition needs of the world's poorest people could be met for an additional $13 billion a year. Animal lovers in the United States and Europe spend more than that on pet food each year.
"Is not this the fast that I choose... to share your bread with the hungry..."-- Isaiah 58:6,7
Hunger Facts
More than 852 million people in the world go hungry.
In developing countries, 6 million children die each year, mostly from hunger-related causes.
In the United States, 14 million children live in households where people have to skip meals or eat less to make ends meet. That means one in ten households in the U.S. are living with hunger or are at risk of hunger.
But we CAN end hunger.
We have the means. The financial costs to end hunger are relatively slight. The United Nations Development Program estimates that the basic health and nutrition needs of the world's poorest people could be met for an additional $13 billion a year. Animal lovers in the United States and Europe spend more than that on pet food each year.
"Is not this the fast that I choose... to share your bread with the hungry..."-- Isaiah 58:6,7
Find out more here.
Irish Blessing of the Week
May you have the hindsight to know where you've been,
the foresight to know where you're going,
and the insight to know what you're going for.
the foresight to know where you're going,
and the insight to know what you're going for.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
A fair trade?
Well, I had intended to camp out here in Lander, Wyoming for a few nights before the WMI started, but there is quite a bit of snow on the ground and I don't have a four season tent. So, I decided to stay here at the Maverick Motel ($35 cinderblock room with 1970s carpet and decor). Now, the dictionary definition of maverick is "an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party." Apparently my "Maverick" motel isn't going along with paint, sanitation, or the three decades since the 70s. I like to think of myself as pretty low maintenance so I din't think that was a big deal until...
I had just gotten out of the shower and was standing nude in the room staring at the TV wondering why Texas A&M wasn't beating the red, white, and blue out of Army when quicker than you can say "Touchdown!" I heard a key go into the lock and a strange man walked into my room with me wearing my birthday suit. Instead of retreating quickly he said, "Is this your room?" I don't know exactly what I said, but somehow I communicated that I believed that it was indeed my room. He then said, "Well, she gave me the key to this room." Again, I don't remember exactly what I said, but he relinquished his claim on the room and went back to the office. I sat on the bed feeling very violated.
A few minutes later nice "Mrs Bonnie" called the room and apoligized for giving a another man the key to the room, and said I could have a meal at the motel's resturant for free. I said "Thank You" and hung up the phone. I have spent the time since then trying to decide if it was worth letting a strange man have a full frontal to get a free meal at the Maverick Cafe. I still haven't decided. They might have good buffalo burgers.
I had just gotten out of the shower and was standing nude in the room staring at the TV wondering why Texas A&M wasn't beating the red, white, and blue out of Army when quicker than you can say "Touchdown!" I heard a key go into the lock and a strange man walked into my room with me wearing my birthday suit. Instead of retreating quickly he said, "Is this your room?" I don't know exactly what I said, but somehow I communicated that I believed that it was indeed my room. He then said, "Well, she gave me the key to this room." Again, I don't remember exactly what I said, but he relinquished his claim on the room and went back to the office. I sat on the bed feeling very violated.
A few minutes later nice "Mrs Bonnie" called the room and apoligized for giving a another man the key to the room, and said I could have a meal at the motel's resturant for free. I said "Thank You" and hung up the phone. I have spent the time since then trying to decide if it was worth letting a strange man have a full frontal to get a free meal at the Maverick Cafe. I still haven't decided. They might have good buffalo burgers.
Revelations
Today, I headed out from Rapid City, South Dakota for the Wilderness Medicine Institute in Wyoming. As I drove through a snow storm in the Bighorn Mountains I was jammin the new Audioslave album Revelations (don't worry, I was driving carefully), and I found some of the lyrics to the song Wide Awake to be very provacative:So come pull the sheet over my eyes
So I can sleep tonight
Despite what I've seen today
I find you guilty of a crime, of sleeping at a time
When you should have been wide awake
As I listened to the song several times in a row, I began to realize that this accusation could be true of almost any one of us. Despite living in a world with no shortage of starvation, injustice, dirty water, unreached people groups, AIDS, racism, greed, orphans, and darkness, we medicate with ultimately unimportant things like golf, skeet shooting, cars, houses, football, shopping, and new toys. Despite what we see each day, we continue to pull the sheets over our own eyes so that we can sleep at night. We are guilty of sleeping when we should be wide awake. God help us to wake up and stay awake. May we be people who push back darkness, and not just conveniently ignore it.
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?" -- Matthew 26:40
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Can't Live With War; Can't Seem to Live Without It
People who start wars don't fight them.
People who fight wars don't like them.
At best, the peace that wars buy is temporary.
The suffering and injustice caused by war is often just as bad, if not worse, than the suffering and injustice the war intended to prevent.
(Note: I am not a pacifist, these are just some observations that I have made)
"You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it to peace." -- Michael Franti
People who fight wars don't like them.
At best, the peace that wars buy is temporary.
The suffering and injustice caused by war is often just as bad, if not worse, than the suffering and injustice the war intended to prevent.
(Note: I am not a pacifist, these are just some observations that I have made)
"You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it to peace." -- Michael Franti
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Michael Franti
Michael Franti is a singer, songwriter, folk musician, and peace activist that I stumbled across recently thanks to my beautiful girlfriend Jenny. His music is pretty dang good, and he also has a documentary that is worth checking out called I Know I'm Not Alone. He has toured with U2 and become something of a protest music icon. He signed for a little while with a major record label, but then retreated from the major label treadmill to recenter himself. He sings about justice, peace, the dignity of human life, international corporations, etc. etc. I think you get the idea. Check him out.
Health, Wealth, and Prosperity?
For those of you who haven't seen the cover of the recent Time magazine, here it is: "Does God Want You to be Rich?" If you are short on time, I'll go ahead and give you the short anwer: No! Even if He does want you to make lots of money, He wants you to give it away. If you want a longer answer, I think Al Mohler and Justin Taylor have some good thoughts.Don't buy into this "Live Like a King's Kid" deal. Remember, the King's Kid already came, and he showed us how to live, and it doesn't look anything at all like the things the Prosperity Theology Movement is spouting.
Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Is it my Birthday already?
All 25 years of John Piper's preaching are now available in audio form and are free. Booyah!
Into the Wild
Just a few days now until I head off to the Wilderness Medicine Institue to get certified as a Wilderness EMT. I am pretty excited about the whole deal because 1) I feel like it will be a rewarding skill to learn, 2) IT will be useful where ever I go for the rest of my life, 3) it will hopefully provide a way to begin paying off those darned school loans. Class starts Monday, and hopefully I'll have some fun stories to tell.
Friday, September 08, 2006
God's Powers and Meteor Showers
Of all the mind-blowing displays in God's creation, a meteor shower has to rank among the top. If you have never seen one, now is your chance. The Perseid meteor shower reaches full effect this weekend. Caused by debris shed by the Comet Swift-Tuttle in the early 1990s, the shower has been ramping up since mid July.
The bits of ice and dust left behind by the comet collide with the earth’s atmosphere as speeds up to 144,000 miles per hour! These collisions create ionize trails and sometime fireballs, igniting a display of brilliant streak and “shooting stars.”
According to the American Meteor Society, this weekend is the best time to view meteors this summer. Still, during this viewing time, the moon could cause problems; it was full only a few days ago, and while waning, will still cast a fair amount of light, thus potentially reducing the number of visible meteors.
On a good year, spectators could expect to see 60 to 100 meteors per hour, but the moon’s interference could reduce the visible activity by at least half, Robert Lunsford, operations manager for the American Meteor Society, told MSNBC.com.
Prime viewing time will occur after midnight both Friday and Saturday nights. The peak effect will be the night of August 12 into the morning hours of August 13. The American Meteor Society suggests viewing during the last few dark hours before dawn on August 12 for maximum meteor coverage.
The Perseid is the best-known meteor shower, according to MSNBC. But it is not the best. This year, the Geminids, which peak between December 12 to 14, should produce the best viewing shower.
May your imagination be expanded and your worship of the One God be deepened.
The bits of ice and dust left behind by the comet collide with the earth’s atmosphere as speeds up to 144,000 miles per hour! These collisions create ionize trails and sometime fireballs, igniting a display of brilliant streak and “shooting stars.”
According to the American Meteor Society, this weekend is the best time to view meteors this summer. Still, during this viewing time, the moon could cause problems; it was full only a few days ago, and while waning, will still cast a fair amount of light, thus potentially reducing the number of visible meteors.
On a good year, spectators could expect to see 60 to 100 meteors per hour, but the moon’s interference could reduce the visible activity by at least half, Robert Lunsford, operations manager for the American Meteor Society, told MSNBC.com.
Prime viewing time will occur after midnight both Friday and Saturday nights. The peak effect will be the night of August 12 into the morning hours of August 13. The American Meteor Society suggests viewing during the last few dark hours before dawn on August 12 for maximum meteor coverage.
The Perseid is the best-known meteor shower, according to MSNBC. But it is not the best. This year, the Geminids, which peak between December 12 to 14, should produce the best viewing shower.
May your imagination be expanded and your worship of the One God be deepened.
Church Burned Down in Indonesia
Voice of the Martyrs-Canada sources say a Muslim mob burned down the Indonesia Evangelical Mission Church building in the Singkil area of Aceh six nights ago. Word of a planned revival meeting spread amongst the radical Muslims in the community. The church is now meeting for worship in a local home. Earlier this year, the Indonesian province of Aceh became the first to institute and enforce Shariah law. Pray that the believers of this church will be steadfast in their service for the Lord.
The preceding information is from the daily newsletter from Mission Network News.
The preceding information is from the daily newsletter from Mission Network News.
Appreciate Preaching (Say That Ten Times Fast)
Mark Driscoll offers some helpful thoughts on how he prepares for preaching. If you are/want to be a preacher, then this is a good lesson. If you are not and don't want to be (most of you), this will help you appreciate preaching:
1. I prayerfully choose a book of the Bible (and sometimes a thematic theological series) that bites me and plan on spending months, sometimes years, studying that book in preparation to preach it. A book like Genesis will take me over 1,000 hours of work to study, write commentary, and preach.
2. I continually pray for the Holy Spirit to teach me His Word as I am studying the Scripture. No amount of theological training can overcome the deficit of a preacher who is not led by the Holy Spirit to understand and proclaim the very words that He inspired.
3. As I study, I wrestle with tough texts as Jacob wrestled Jesus. I find that preaching tough texts such as gender roles, the flood, hell, etc., are much like driving a car into a steep curve. If you hit the brakes in fear you will lose control, but if you accelerate into the tough turns, gravity actually slingshots you through smoothly. In the pulpit, momentum and authority come through accelerating into tough texts in the study and then driving the church through them.
4. As I study Scripture I steep in the verses/phrases/words/pictures that bite like tea flavoring in hot water. Too often the principles of Scripture are preached when the images and word pictures are far more impacting and memorable. For this reason other movements have even adopted the biblical images so that a dove now represents peace, not the Holy Spirit, and a rainbow represents gay rights, not the Flood, by which God killed people for sin (including sexual sin). I find that sermons are memorable if the images in the Scriptures can be drilled into the imaginations of people. Perhaps the master at this was Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who would not just describe a scene of Scripture, but actually put you in it through your imagination.
5. Only after I have spent considerable time in the naked text do I check my studies with trusted teachers to ensure that I have not come to heretical conclusions. I try not to pick up the commentaries until I have had many months in the Scripture I am preaching to ensure that I do not get lazy or simply rely on another man's walk with God. I will read it repeatedly in multiple translations, and read every decent commentary from every theological persuasion I can find to examine the book from every angle.
6. I live what I learn, teach it to my family, and spend a lot of time repenting of sin and seeking to obey God's Word by the grace He provides. Much of my sermon is simply explaining what the Scripture says, how that has changed my life, and how that is transforming my family and those people with whom I live in community. In this way I hope to demonstrate to my church what it means to come under Scripture; by talking about my own sins and flaws, they see me struggling through Scripture and not just preaching my tidy answers at the end of my studies. Because of this my sermons are long, anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.
I find myself continually coming back to five questions that shape every one my sermons:
What does Scripture say?To answer this we need to check translations, do our word studies, and find out exactly what words best convey the meaning of Scripture.
What does Scripture mean?Here we need to interpret what is said, which requires commentaries, cultural background studies, etc. At this phase John Glynn's Commentary and Reference Survey is a must-have for every preacher and teacher as he rates all of the best commentaries and other reference material on various books of the Bible and theological topics.
Why do we resist this truth?Here we are assuming that people will not simply embrace God's truth but fight it with their thoughts and/or actions because they are sinners who, like Romans 1:18 says, suppress the truth. So, we attempt to predict their objections and resistance so that we can answer them and remove their resistance to get them to embrace God's truth for their life. This part of the sermon must be confrontational and often ends up in people walking out, standing up to argue, and sending nasty emails, all of which indicates you've hit a nerve like God wants you to. The real fight begins at this point and a preacher needs to come with his hands up looking for an opening much like a boxer.
Why does this matter?We need to connect all that we have said to a missional purpose for our lives, families, church, and ultimately God's glory. Something may be true but if people do not find it to also be important they tend not to act on it. On this point I like to connect Scripture a lot to the character of God, nature of the gospel, our mission in our city, and the quality of our lives both individually and collectively as a city of God within our city.
How is Jesus the hero?The Bible is one story in which Jesus is the hero. Therefore, to properly teach/preach the Bible we have to continually lift Him up as the hero and any sermon in which the focus is not on the person and work of Jesus will lack spiritual authority and power because the Holy Spirit will not bless the teaching of any hero other than Jesus.
1. I prayerfully choose a book of the Bible (and sometimes a thematic theological series) that bites me and plan on spending months, sometimes years, studying that book in preparation to preach it. A book like Genesis will take me over 1,000 hours of work to study, write commentary, and preach.
2. I continually pray for the Holy Spirit to teach me His Word as I am studying the Scripture. No amount of theological training can overcome the deficit of a preacher who is not led by the Holy Spirit to understand and proclaim the very words that He inspired.
3. As I study, I wrestle with tough texts as Jacob wrestled Jesus. I find that preaching tough texts such as gender roles, the flood, hell, etc., are much like driving a car into a steep curve. If you hit the brakes in fear you will lose control, but if you accelerate into the tough turns, gravity actually slingshots you through smoothly. In the pulpit, momentum and authority come through accelerating into tough texts in the study and then driving the church through them.
4. As I study Scripture I steep in the verses/phrases/words/pictures that bite like tea flavoring in hot water. Too often the principles of Scripture are preached when the images and word pictures are far more impacting and memorable. For this reason other movements have even adopted the biblical images so that a dove now represents peace, not the Holy Spirit, and a rainbow represents gay rights, not the Flood, by which God killed people for sin (including sexual sin). I find that sermons are memorable if the images in the Scriptures can be drilled into the imaginations of people. Perhaps the master at this was Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who would not just describe a scene of Scripture, but actually put you in it through your imagination.
5. Only after I have spent considerable time in the naked text do I check my studies with trusted teachers to ensure that I have not come to heretical conclusions. I try not to pick up the commentaries until I have had many months in the Scripture I am preaching to ensure that I do not get lazy or simply rely on another man's walk with God. I will read it repeatedly in multiple translations, and read every decent commentary from every theological persuasion I can find to examine the book from every angle.
6. I live what I learn, teach it to my family, and spend a lot of time repenting of sin and seeking to obey God's Word by the grace He provides. Much of my sermon is simply explaining what the Scripture says, how that has changed my life, and how that is transforming my family and those people with whom I live in community. In this way I hope to demonstrate to my church what it means to come under Scripture; by talking about my own sins and flaws, they see me struggling through Scripture and not just preaching my tidy answers at the end of my studies. Because of this my sermons are long, anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.
I find myself continually coming back to five questions that shape every one my sermons:
What does Scripture say?To answer this we need to check translations, do our word studies, and find out exactly what words best convey the meaning of Scripture.
What does Scripture mean?Here we need to interpret what is said, which requires commentaries, cultural background studies, etc. At this phase John Glynn's Commentary and Reference Survey is a must-have for every preacher and teacher as he rates all of the best commentaries and other reference material on various books of the Bible and theological topics.
Why do we resist this truth?Here we are assuming that people will not simply embrace God's truth but fight it with their thoughts and/or actions because they are sinners who, like Romans 1:18 says, suppress the truth. So, we attempt to predict their objections and resistance so that we can answer them and remove their resistance to get them to embrace God's truth for their life. This part of the sermon must be confrontational and often ends up in people walking out, standing up to argue, and sending nasty emails, all of which indicates you've hit a nerve like God wants you to. The real fight begins at this point and a preacher needs to come with his hands up looking for an opening much like a boxer.
Why does this matter?We need to connect all that we have said to a missional purpose for our lives, families, church, and ultimately God's glory. Something may be true but if people do not find it to also be important they tend not to act on it. On this point I like to connect Scripture a lot to the character of God, nature of the gospel, our mission in our city, and the quality of our lives both individually and collectively as a city of God within our city.
How is Jesus the hero?The Bible is one story in which Jesus is the hero. Therefore, to properly teach/preach the Bible we have to continually lift Him up as the hero and any sermon in which the focus is not on the person and work of Jesus will lack spiritual authority and power because the Holy Spirit will not bless the teaching of any hero other than Jesus.
Tattoo Number Two
For my graduation present Jenny got me this tattoo. It is the Hebrew word ger which means pilgrim, sojourner, or stranger. I chose this particular tattoo because from this point forward I will no longer be a full time student and it will become more and more appealing to behave as if this world were my home. It is my hope and prayer that this tattoo will be a constant reminder to me that I am a pilgrim and a sojourner here, and I need waste no time building a little fiefdom for myself because one day I will die, be painted up like a clown, and covered with dirt. God grant me the grace to remember my true home.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Back in action
Sorry it has been a while since I posted. Ever since I finished college I have been spending quite a bit of time making up for lost time with my lover -- the beautiful Jenny. It has been one adventure, lesson, or romance after another for us lately, and as a result the blog has taken a bit of a backseat. Much has happened lately: new thoughts, a new tattoo, a new season of life, and a new place to live. But...I'm back and I'll be reporting on all of it as time permits. Thanks for your patience.
Microfinance, Kiva, and You
One of the biggest problems facing people in developing countries who are trying to get out of poverty is the first step out of the hole. Often enough, if a person had just a little capital to get themselves started, they could do the rest. Enter micro-loans, one of the most creative poverty reduction tools in the last 50 years. It has been very successful in many parts of the world, and provides those in poverty with that hand up (not hand out) that they need. But how can you and I be a part of all this? Enter Kiva:
This is a big deal. We're talking about letting the average Joe get involved with making a serious difference in the battle to eliminate severe or absolute poverty across the globe. You better get excited. Kiva (which is Swahili for unity) lets you loan to the working poor through unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.
Kiva partners with existing microfinance institutions. In doing so, they gain access to outstanding entrepreneurs from impoverished communities world-wide. Their partners are experts in choosing qualified borrowers. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva.org, partners upload their borrower profiles directly to the site so you can lend to them.
This is legit (endorsed by The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, the BBC, The Village Voice, and CNNMoney), unspeakably exciting, and has jaw-dropping potential.
www.kiva.org
This is a big deal. We're talking about letting the average Joe get involved with making a serious difference in the battle to eliminate severe or absolute poverty across the globe. You better get excited. Kiva (which is Swahili for unity) lets you loan to the working poor through unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.
Kiva partners with existing microfinance institutions. In doing so, they gain access to outstanding entrepreneurs from impoverished communities world-wide. Their partners are experts in choosing qualified borrowers. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva.org, partners upload their borrower profiles directly to the site so you can lend to them.
This is legit (endorsed by The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, the BBC, The Village Voice, and CNNMoney), unspeakably exciting, and has jaw-dropping potential.
www.kiva.org
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