Well… looks like the networks are rearranging things once again, so I’m back. In the hour class I came out of chapters 2 & 3 of The Real Mary. Since this was my first time teaching at BCC, I was planning a one-off event at the end of which I’d float the idea of a 4-6 week class on the rest of the book. (I’ve got enough interest to look into it.) So, in keeping with the Christmas season, I kept to the pre-Nativity Story in Luke 1. Continue reading
So, I was one of those who got in on the ground floor for Scot‘s new book, The Real Mary. (I feel like I can call him Scot, since (1) I was a part of the push for this book; (2) I think we were able to contribute an anecdote to his previous book, Praying with the Church; and (3) I had no trouble remembering to call him Scot with one “t”.) Yesterday, I taught a class based on the first few chapters during both services at BCC. I was pretty nervous going into the morning. It had been a while since I’d taught, so I was feeling a little rusty. More than that, though, I was excited. Here was a chance to share what I’d been learning with my community. BCC has two morning services, and I offered the class during both.
The first class turned our to be mostly my support group: Kerri, a couple who are among our dearest friends, and one young lady whom I didn’t know. The hour went well, and my nerves settled…
…because the announcement made during the first service was effective. I had nine in the second class and didn’t know a one. No problem, though. The hour went well. One nice lady thinks I should teach a class every Sunday! I don’t know about that, but I’ll definitely look into something again.
Studio 60 is about to come on, so I’ll share what I talked about later.
One crappy big budget movie, a jumbo popcorn (It’s only 50¢ more!), Junior Mints, and two soft drinks: $30
Two 5-night new releases and one nearly new release: $5.50
Three documentaries, a dozen kids movies, and more than two dozen books on sundry topics all for three weeks: FREE!
I’m thankful for the Dayton Metro Library.
I can’t wait. July 2007 seems to far away for this one. I just got through listening to Will and Lisa’s podcast, and I heard a lot of my own story reflected in theirs. They are in some ways about a decade ahead of us, and in others just a step or two.
If I remember correctly, Will and I somehow managed to miss each other completely at WALP last year. My loss. Hmmm… might have to find a way to get them up here to promote the book.
Conrad Gempf, whose book, Mealtime Habits of the Messiah: 40 Encounters with Jesus, I loved, has received permission from his publisher to podcast a previous book of his, Jesus Asked.. He’s releasing weekly installments of half a chapter each. He’s only gone through the Introduction and Chapter 1, so far, so you can easily catch up… or just wait and save every episode until the end, since they’re podcasts and you can listen whenever you want.
I love the fact that Conrad is doing the reading himself. He writes with a very playful style, and it’s nice to here him hit the comic timing in his soft-spoken voice. I picture him smiling a lot as he reads it.
Here’s the website, or search the iTunes Music Store for “Gempf” and you’ll find it there, too.
Chris tagged me, so here we go…
1. One book that changed your life: The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out by Brennan Manning
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 25th Anniversary Edition by Douglas Adams
3. One book you’d want on a desert island: The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle (Can I sneak the trilogy?)
4. One book that made you laugh: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 25th Anniversary Edition by Douglas Adams (There’s a reason I’ve read it more than once.)
5. One book that made you cry: Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity by Ron Sider (I don’t cry at much of anything; but this one made be feel sick to me stomach.)
6. One book you wish had been written: It Is Finished! How Grace Fulfilled the Law
7. One book you wish had never been written: None… though a few could use a great big FICTION! stamp on the cover and spine.
8. One book you’re currently reading: A Heretic’s Guide to Eternity by Spencer Burke
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: The Politics of Jesus by John Howad Yoder
10. One book you’d like to write: Let The Children Come to Me: The Story of Tijuana Christian Mission
Now I’ll tag Kerri @ My Name Is Mommy, Hsien @ Cotton-Pickin’ Days, and Rantz @ Keepers of the Truth
Having already shared my thoughts on the book as a novel, now I’ll talk about the religion, the conspiracy, and the hubbub. It’s not hard to see why some people got upset. Accusing the Roman Catholic church of a grand conspiracy to suppress Jesus’ real identity. Claiming that ritual sex acts were performed in the very heart of Solomon’s Temple. Wow! Brown should just be happy he didn’t insult Zizou.
At the same time, I can see why people are fascinated with the story Brown tells. People love to be in on secrets. Couple that with a present predisposition to assume institutions – religious, political, business, etc. – are covering something up, and viola! Instant best-seller. Do I buy Brown’s claims? Let’s see…
Code Claim: Jesus was married and had kids… whose descendants live today!
Bald Truth: So what? I can’t think of how this would materially change anything. I’d always assumed Jesus was single, but what if he was married? What if he had kids? Doesn’t make him less man or less God. Doesn’t call into doubt his sinless nature. Regardless where the historical evidence leads I don’t see where this is a big deal. Am I missing something?
Code Claim: The Catholic Church engaged in a massive conspiracy to cover up and destroy the truth about Jesus.
Bald Truth: First off, I’m on the more skeptical side when it comes to institutions. Second, no one can deny that the Christian church in general, and the Catholic Church in particular, have been on the wrong side of the argument from time to time over the last two thousand years. That said, I’m not buying what Brown is selling. I think something went wrong when the church allowed itself to be adopted by the state under Constantine, but the fundamental doctrines were already in place. Furthermore – and I’ll admit this will sound flimsy to some – I think God has had a hand in preserving the faith through all the make up we’ve tried to slap on her… and not thru some secret society. Jesus was God’s ultimate revelation, and that revelation has not been secreted away.
Code Claim: The ultra-secret Priory of Sion has preserved an alternate “history” throughout the millennia.
Bald Truth: Could be. People love a secret. What I dispute is the claim that this alternate “history” bears resemblance to reality.
Now, I’m no expert. There are enough other sites that weigh in on the historical evidence and claims. I’ll highlight one: mark Roberts has an extensive series of posts under the heading, The Da Vinci Opportunity. I haven’t read everything – there’s lots! – but I’m willing to bet he and I would be pretty much on the same page.
I finish the greatest and mostest controversial novel since the Bible!!! Or something like that. Because your dying to know what I think, I’ll start with the fiction.
It was okay. I don’t read much fiction, but I kept turning the pages. It helped to have the Special Illustrated Edition. I got annoyed with Brown a couple times. First, he spent to much time preaching to me. He’d launch into these long inner monologues where Teabing or Langdon would expound on the Grail Conspiracy. Basically, it felt like an excuse for Brown to preach at me. At least wrap it up in dialogue, so i pretend you’re not talking to me! Oh, wait… he does that a bunch, too. Oh well.
[SPOILER]
Finally, the ending was weak and cliché. The book assaults you with the lost divine feminine and a great patriarchal conspiracy; yet at the end we have a young, attractive Sophie Neveu expressing her attraction for the much older and bookishly handsome Robert Langdon, complete with the promise of sex the next time they meet. So much for female empowerment. I fully expected to find a remark about Langdon’s throbing manhood in there.
Finally, Teabing, the world’s foremost expert on the Grail legend, and Langdon, an internationally known symbologist, seem awfully dim at times. Whatever. Let’s just chalk it up to a lack of sleep, since the novel begins late one night and races thru one or two frantic days.
Bald Truth: A fair, fluffy summer read.
I’ll put my comments on the religious stuff in another post.
On the Bedside Table: I’ve got a ton of books from the library, so it’s a good thing I’m not watching much TV. I’ve started Supernanny: How to Get the Best from Your Children, which I’m reviewing for another of my blogs.
I’ve also started on The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. I saw the author, Tom Friedman, on Charlie Rose a couple weeks back, and it reminded me I wanted to have a look. Have you seen this book? Am I the only one thinks it’s ironic that a book called The World Is Flat is really damn thick?
I finished a book earlier this week, and strangely enough that’s an accomplishment. I absolutely love to read, but am not particularly fast. many books wind up being returned to the library half completed. This one, however, was not going back unfinished. Credo is a collection of quotes by the late William Sloane Coffin. Bob introduced me to Coffin a couple months back with his memorial tribute. After reading that I had to see if my local library had anything by him, and sure enough it did. Go Dayton Public Library!
The book is fantastic. Don’t get me wrong: Coffin’s politics are transparent. For example, he’s anti-war and pro-homosexual rights, and that will put some folks off him… to their loss, in my opinion. There is much wisdom contained in those pages. Coffin’s convictions are born of a deep commitment to both a gospel of radical and universal justice and a gospel rooted in nonviolent resistance. Our world could do with more of both. I’m thinking about posting a few quotes for discussion over the coming weeks, but I’m not sure I can narrow it down. (Reposting the entire book would probably be frowned upon.) I still have the book, so I may yet. Needless to say, even though my local library owns the book, this is one I wouldn’t mind having as well as a reference.
Next up: The Da Vinci Code. I’m curious about all the fuss. Besides our wonderful library has a nice illustrated version that shows off a lot of the art and architecture mentioned in the book. I like pictures.
Catching up on my Bedtime Reading…
Last night I finished The Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight. Briefly, its a book on spiritual formation thru the lens of the Jesus Creed.
What’s the Jesus Creed? you ask.
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
There is no commandment greater than these.
This, McKnight argues, is the summation of Jesus life and ministry and the basis of spiritual formation for the Christian. The Jesus Creed is the summation of what he did and what he calls his followers to do. This is the lens thru which everything else is filtered.
The book has five parts, each with a half dozen chapters:
Part One: The Jesus Creed
Part Two: Stories of the Jesus Creed
Part Three: The Society of the Jesus Creed
Part Four: Living the Jesus Creed
Part Five: Jesus and the Jesus Creed
For my money parts One and Three were the best. (This shouldn’t be construed to mean the other parts weren’t good.) In laying out the Jesus Creed, he gives me a clear framework to express Christianity, for example my conversation with Samantha a couple nights ago. I like this. Further, I think it addresses the Jewish origins of Christianity far more than many books of this type. Most of the time you’d barely know Jesus was a Jew. McKnight places him firmly in his context. Finally, his discussion of kingdom, the Society of the Jesus Creed, is fueling thoughts about home church.
This is a book I’d highly recommend to all.
