Calgary Reads Big Book Sale

This is our family's fourth time attending the frenetic Calgary Reads Big Book Sale in the 7 years living in Calgary and I think it will need to become an annual tradition. I met my family there after work. They spent the day downtown already for the Children's Festival.

I have to be very careful not to binge purchase as there are so many books I would love to have on my book shelves. I even put 2 selected books back making my count 11. All were $3 each except my collectible Tolstoy volume which was $8.



For me:

• Something Beautiful for God: The Classic Account of Mother Teresa's Journey into Compassion (Malcolm Muggeridge)
• Thoughts and Meditations (Kahlil Gibran)
• Glimpsing the Face of God: The Search for Meaning in the Universe (Alistair McGrath)
• Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John & the Praying Imagination (Eugene H Peterson)
• Can You Hear Me? Tuning in to the God who Speaks (Brad Jersak)
• Becoming Human (Jean Vanier)
• The Imitation fo Christ (Thomas À Kempis)
• Stories and Legends (Leo Tolstoy)
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Jean-Dominique Bauby)
• Life After God (Douglas Coupland)
• I Am America (and So Can You!) (Stephen Colbert)

I'm sure you can discern my penchant for books on Christian Spirituality.

My family got in on the action too. Blaise was wiped out from the day so he only had the energy to hunt down three books. He is by far the family's most prolific reader. I think he passed me in number of books read before he turned 8. My son carefully picked out 2 books by Jean Little, a reknown Canadian author and one by Gary Paulson, author of a book he recently read and loved called Hatchet.



Acadia is also careful. She's into Bible stories (like her papa) and dogs (not like her papa or her mama).



Amber cost us the least. I think she should have gotten more books. She uses the library better than me.

Book Review: The Case for the Psalms (NT Wright)

I remember hearing in a podcast of Thomas Hopko (Speaking the Truth in Love) about how at one point in history, bishops were expected to have memorized the entire catalog of Psalms (all 150 of them) in order to be ordained as a bishop. In fact it may have been just to enter the priesthood. I have to confess that I have never been into Psalms. I found most of them repetitive, irrelevant, and not as engaging as the gospels, Old Testament narratives, or Paul's letters. So, while I didn't avoid them deliberately, I didn't exactly seek them out. That has now changed.

Anglican New Testament scholar N. T. Wright makes his case for the Psalms in this small and easy to read book. He accurately points out that the biblical psalms have been drifting out of western Christianity's daily life and church life through the introduction of new choruses and by eliminating the liturgy. I would add that most personal devotional books also don't have you singing Old Testament psalms either. Wright points out that we have become impoverished greatly by this omission from our faith.

In essence, Wright gives us context as to why Psalms were so elemental to early Christians, to 1st century Jewish culture and to Jesus himself. The primary features of the Psalms time, space and matter as they relate to the Kingdom of God.

The psalmists and singers of the psalms look forward to the time when God's kingdom would be established on earth, but they also hearken back to the days when God delivered them and often lament the great peril they are suffering now. Time ends up folding, combining the lament with remembrance and promise.

A major theme in the Psalms is God coming to tabernacle (or set up residence) among His people. This is characterized mostly through the temple in Jerusalem, that Holy Mountain. But then, without a clear understanding of Kingdom theology, one might consider a literal establishment of Israel's kingdom - a real belief among some Evangelicals. All we have to do is refer to God taking up resident in our lives to now see ourselves as that Temple the Psalms celebrate as God's space. God now lives with us.

Finally, matter matters to God. The earth itself proclaims the glory of God. Jesus mentions something about this when he enters Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday if you recall. When we read/sing the psalms, we join with all creation in praising God and worship God and looking forward to ultimate redemption.

I lead my first class of the day in a 10 minute devotion which includes 8-12 verses from a psalm. I have been struck repeatedly since having begun and subsequently finishing this book that the truths Wright outlines leap from the couplets. I am far more aware of how each verse points toward the kingdom of heaven (now and not yet) which is the reign of Jesus.

I am now challenged to begin the memorizing and singing of the psalms to bring them into a more central part of my life. They point to Jesus, so this will make Jesus even more central too.

Book Review: The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails (Randal Rauser)

The debate between those who believe in God and those who do not has often devolved into shouting matches or insults. What I have always appreciated about Randal Rauser is that he is as interested in listening as he is at being understood.

I was introduced to Dr. Rauser has been a regular fixture at the ACSI teacher conferences I attend annually and I invariable attend his sessions even though they have nothing to do with my subject. I experience him as a philosopher first and theologian second so the guy can think. His presentations typically deal with controversial subjects like the imprecatory psalms or brainwashing or biblical genocide. What I really like, besides the controversial topics, is that he is able to present thoughtful alternative positions on a topic without mocking or belittling any of the sides.

He brings this generosity to this book on apologetics. The book presents philosophical and theological arguments for and against belief in God and then specifically for and against the Christian God. What is most unique is the setting and characters: it is held entirely in the Beatnik Bean, a coffee shop where he, a fictional atheist character named Sheridan and we the reader sip americanos and discuss flawed arguments and flawed theology. It reminded me of the little I read of Sophie's World - the philosophy best seller of the 90s which was set as a conversation between a teenage girl and a philosophy prof, but The Swedish Atheist is far more engaging.

Rauser initially tackles the more or less weak arguments that the new atheists have used to attempt to debunk belief in God in their assertion that they believe in reason and therefore put them beyond reproach in their epistomology. He then faces some of the more difficult questions specific to YWHY in relation to the ordered mass killings in the Old Testament and the western doctrines of eternal conscious torment in hell. Ultimately, no one has really changed the other's mind, but there is mutual understanding that the other isn't crazy - and that's saying something.

The book is playful, funny, and profound. I'm glad I picked it up and I look forward to reading more of Rausers many books.

Book Review: Her Gates Will Never Be Shut (Brad Jersak)

I shall add this book to the small list of books* that has powerfully shaken my grip on my perceived reality only to give me a far greater appreciation for the love of God and His holding together all things.

Her Gates Will Never Be Shut: Hope, Hell and the New Jerusalem by Bradley Jersak is an exhaustive study into the origins of the western doctrine of hell, the biblical understandings of hell, careful analysis of punishment vs. judgement, and finally an inspiring contemplative work on what the New Earth will look like.

Jersak does not only approach the topic of hell theologically. In the opening chapters of the book, he exhausts the historical understandings and uses of the Gehenna (Valley of Hinnom) by comparing Jesus and Jeremiah's prophetic use of the valley laying outside Jerusalem's walls to the presence of Gehenna in the writings in the Book of Enoch - an inter-testamental book of prophecy and history that is not included in either the Jewish or Christian canon. Bringing such light on a word that is often understood as referring to hell where the damned will suffer for eternity is vital - and in fact redeeming to the gospel.

There is also a great element of pastoral concern for Christians. Jersak writes as an evangelical to evangelicals knowing that any challenge to a deeply rooted doctrine concerning the character of God is going to raise some ire. What is remarkable is Jersak's gentleness and caution when drawing conclusions. From my perspective, with God's love in your heart and the call of Jesus to "love your enemies," it would be near impossible to reject the hopefulness, beauty, and life spring that is proclaimed in the final chapters of this book. It is also reckless to not heed the warnings associated with hating your brother or sister as the gaze of Christ is inevitable.


*The other four books are:

• A New Kind of Christian (Brian McLaren)
• Walking with the Poor (Bryant Myers)
• Surprised by Hope (NT Wright)
• The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (Mark Noll)

Book Review: God and the Gay Christian (Vines)

This is the second book I've read on gay theology, along with countless blog posts and articles. The issue of homosexuality within the Christian sphere has been so hyper-politicized that it is difficult for anyone to have a thoughtful conversation on the topic when it challenges the most conservative prevailing view that homosexuality is explicitly condemned in the Bible and that being gay is a choice (and if it isn't a choice, then gays still don't have a choice as they must remain celibate). This book by Matthew Vines is meant to introduce Christians to alternate readings of Scripture and promote an affirming view of gay marriage and homosexuals in general within the Church.

Vines discusses the mandatory 6 biblical references to homosexuality (Genesis 19:5; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-27, I Corinthians 6:9; I Timothy 1:10) and attempts to place each passage in its historical context - a highly patriarchal society where women had very legal recourse and where the Greeks thought of women as deformed men. Vines also focuses on the relevant issues of mandatory celibacy for gay Christians, how homosexuals have been treated within the Church (a demonstration of the fruit of the spirit?), homosexuals being made in the image of God, marriage as a covenant and grace.

All the statements are footnoted with sources and it is clear that Vines has done his research. What is disappointing is that he does not grant any points to his opposition. The issue from my perspective is very grey and both sides of the debate are able to defend their position either through a literal interpretation of the English Bible and church tradition or through a reinterpretation of the Bible through the lens of modern science, historical context, progressive revelation, and a desire to extend communion to a hurting community of believers.

From my perspective, the way Christians have dealt with homosexuals in their midst has been tragic and indefensible. A conversation is necessary and it must be framed with respect and love for the other - not fear and loathing.

Analog Prizes

Advent has a lot of meaning. God sent his Son to Earth to take on physical flesh and blood because He loves this Earth. God's love for Earth is in direct contrast to the Greek dualistic disdain of the physical world as they believe it can not be as valued as the heavenly forms.

So, in honour of the Incarnation, I'm going to share some of the things of this world that have meaning and value to me!

Yo-yo - This might be my only toy. I pull it out every few months and give it a few zips to keep up my skills (which are adequate). Again, I like the weight and feel of the wood and that I can replace the string when required. I could use this yo-yo for the rest of my life - no need for replacement. 

My Wisdom Teeth - Amber is super grossed out by them, but I think they are awesome! I had them pulled in '98 I think. My dentist had me in a headlock so he could yank them out and fortunately, they all came out whole (and beautiful!). I keep them in a little leather pouch I made at summer camp when I was 13.  

Commemorative 400th Anniversary Canadian Silver Dollar of the First Acadian Settlement in 1604 - I don't go for much shiny stuff, but this was a must have coin. I picked it up at the post office in Robichaud New Brunswick in 2004. 

Razor - replacing blades in this solid implement costs me a few cents. I like the weight in my hand and that it gets really hot in hot water. Go stuff yourself Gillette!

Lord of the Rings Box Set - I found this 2nd Edition, 9th Printing, 1965 vintage set in a book store in Edmonton and I couldn't resist buying it. Only one of the books still has a sleeve, but the pages are still very crisp and I would be surprised if anyone has ever read this copy. I just checked eBay and there are 18 copies available there from $75-$405.

Wedding Band - I've been wearing this for over 14 years and I still think it's great. We got white gold just to be different. I like the silver look anyway. I have ECCL. 9:9 engraved on the inside. Amber's choice: Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

Beret - My friend Kiki bought me this wool hat in Annecy, France in 1997. I do feel a little strange wearing this in Calgary where no other men wear berets, but it keeps my head warm and I like how it looks. I got it at a hat store where they make hats. They measured my head!

Billfold - One of the real problems with wallets is that they can get so thick. This little gem fits my drivers licence, health card, insurance card, bank card and 2 credit cards. It also has a billfold for cash or receipts. I love its sleek, leather feel and that it has metal in it.

Swiss Army Knife - Who doesn't like these things?! My first one was red and was stolen in Banff, so I replaced it. Then my second one got stolen in Guatemala, so I replaced it in Antigua with this black one. The case is fantastic too - think nylon canvas with a belt loop. I used to carry it on my hip for my Guatemala years. Now, it's frowned upon to be carrying a knife in school... I use it for so much.

Books Reviewed: by Wendell Berry & Lazar Puhalo

Two books by two men from vastly different backgrounds, though still grounded in Christian tradition, tackle the meaning of society and what it means to live side by side with one another through a collection of their essays.

Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community
by Wendell Berry

Wendell Berry is a giant thinker and wildly counter-cultural. He is a farmer in Kentucky, but he is highly regarded by organizations such as Stanford University, Rockefeller  & Guggenheim Foundations, etc. What is lovely about Mr. Berry is that he is living out what he is advocating for in regards to community life, local economies, participating in the restoration of creation, and political activism. Most of all, he is a passionate Christian.

In one chapter, Berry systematically tears down all of the arguments that George Bush Sr. had for attacking Iraq in the early 90s. In another he defends the harvest of tobacco - a coy poke at modern liberalism, though not insincere on the tobacco side either. Another chapter is almost pure satire on the topic of globalization, militarism, and technological progress. Elsewhere he harshly attacks the notion of free trade. These were enjoyable reads, but the real meat in the book were the ones directly addressing the affirmatives in how he believes people made in the image of God ought to live.

Berry is best when he points out nuanced, and sometimes drastically unbalanced, ways we see the world - creation. He points out that a word like environment "is a typical product of old dualism that is at the root of most of our ecological destructiveness." What's the big deal? Well, it removes local responsibility and care. The term "environment" is sterile, like "ecosystem," it is just a scientific concept rather than a reality of the actual ground in our literal back yard or nearby forest or the field that is ploughed in our neighbourhood.

Berry's treatise on heaven and earth is particularly refreshing. Heaven is the New Earth - a fully restored, functioning earth right where we already are. How should this inform a Christian's actions in local economies? He reignites the concept of dualism and how it has destroyed our ability to truly engage restorative actions in our current life since we believe the spiritual soul is certainly of more import than the decrepit body. It isn't

person = body + soul

rather, it is

soul = body + breath of life

Recognizing that the physical realities are indeed spiritually significant changes all paradigms.

Culture, Commonweal and Personhood
by Lazar Puhalo

As I reported earlier, I had the great privilege of meeting Archbishop Puhalo this past summer. To hear him state his qualifications, you would think he is an astrophysics lecturer at the Sorbonne with a part time neurobiology post at UBC. In reality, he is a highly educated, highly respected clergyman who has been able to take part in countless public dialogues with great scientists on the issue of science and faith. He lives at the Monastery of All Saints outside of Abbotsford, BC where he continues in his retirement to serve as a local bishop in the small chapel there as well as the official liaison between the Archdiocese of Canada and the Government of Canada.

This book takes several of its essays from actual talks Puhalo delivered at various conferences in Romania within the last 10 years. He talks through how science is poorly understood and viewed without a patristic understanding of Christian theology. He lays out the pros and cons of ecumenical dialogues. The idea of personalism is analyzed thoroughly in its historical evolution and its contrast with Orthodox principles.

In general though, it is societal, religious, and philosophical paradigms that are defined, shown insufficient, and revealed how they are incompatible with Christian thought. Though the text is very dense, I was able to follow Puhalo's organized stream of consciousness, and learn a few things in the process. I was both affirmed and challenged.

Brew Six-A: Czar's Imperial Stout

In preparation for the two brews I did (check out Brew Six-B), I read up on advanced brewing in my handbook: The Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charlie Papazian. I have the 2nd edition (1991); the fourth came out this year. In it I gained a much deeper understanding of what happens during the mash and the boil.



In the mash (the process with hot water and grains), the starches from the malted grains are turned into sugars with the help of enzymes. Not all malted grains have the enzymes required - these are called adjunct grains. It's important not to have too many of these as not much sugar will appear in the wort (sugar water). Various grains bring different flavours and colours to the beer. The flavours often happen via the way the barley, wheat, oats, rice, etc. are malted - this is where all the names for the barley come from (2-row, crystal, chocolate, munich, black, etc.).

Each grain contributes to the colour of the beer. The darkness of the malt is expressed in ˚L or SRM (Standard Reference Method). I was so surprised at how dark my wort came out with only 2.25 lbs of really dark malt of 17.25 lbs of grain.



Hops are way more complicated. Primarily, they are used in bittering the wort - helping to remedy the sweetness of beer. The more malt (sugar), the more hops are needed. In this recipe, I have extracted an enormous amount of malt, so I have to use some hops with high alpha acids. The longer you boil them, the more the acids attach to the malt.

Then there are the hop oils. The oils dissipate very quickly in the boil, but the hops need to be boiled in order to extract them. To get these oils, hops are added at the very end of the boil for 1-5 minutes. The hop oils are what contribute to hoppy aroma and flavour.

The amount of hops used, the amount of acid and the amount of time they are in the boil determines the IBU or International Bitterness Units of the beer. High IBU doesn't necessarily mean the beer will be bitter, but it usually does. In the case of imperial stouts, a high IBU is needed to keep the malt in check.



One of the other new methods I got to try out was the cooling coil. If a brew is not cooled quickly after a boil, it can be infected with wild yeasts and bacteria which can impact the flavour of the beer. The coil is hooked up to a cold water source (ice water bucket with a pump or in my case, an outdoor tap). The water circulates through the wort in the copper pipe and emerges piping hot. It took about 20 minutes to bring the temperature down to 22˚C. It didn't hurt that it was outside in -20˚C weather.

MASH
30 min @ 52˚C; 30 min @ 70˚C; 10 min @ 75˚C14 lbs Canadian 2-Row (2˚L)
1 lb Crystal Medium (45˚L)
1 lb Roasted Barley (300˚L)
0.75 lb Black Malt (500˚L)
0.5 lb Chocolate Malt (350˚L)
BOIL 90 min
60 min 1 oz Northern Brewer 8.6% alpha
30 min 1 oz East Kent Goldings 5.8% alpha
30 min 0.5 oz Fuggles 5% alpha
20 min 1 oz Fuggles
2 min 0.5 oz Fuggles
PITCH
Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale @ 22˚C

23 Litres; 56 IBU; Original Gravity 1.073 (potential of 9.4% ABV)

I am very excited about this brew. It should be packed with flavour and punch. Incidentally, the term imperial is interchangeable with double - so it's a stout that is twice as strong. It's called imperial because the Brits would brew this strong stuff and export it to the czars in Russia.

Monastery of All Saints

During our travels through southern BC, I was able to drop in to the Monastery of All Saints in Dewdney. The monastery has three residents and is presided over by Most Reverend Lazar Puhalo (Vladika), a retired archbishop (his biography is quite fascinating). I have been watching his YouTube videos for 3 or 4 years now, off and on. He is a polarizing figure in the Orthodox community, but I find the depth and breadth of his knowledge to be a great source of wisdom.

We stopped in one Sunday afternoon just as people were clearing out after a potluck. Since we were driving through the area, I thought I would pop in and shake his hand, thank him for his ministry and leave. I ended up having an almost 2 hour visit with Vladika over coffee and cakes. My wife and kids were welcomed graciously and they visited with Bishop Varlaam, a very kind and attentive man. My family also strolled the gardens and watched ducks on the pond.

My conversation with Bishop Puhalo wound through many topics. I explained where I was in my journey and how I am fascinated with the Orthodox Church and its theology and practice and that I am deeply connected to my protestant church and protestant church school. My greatest regret is that I didn't anticipate having his ear and therefore I did not have any really good questions to ask of him. If I did have the time and forethought, this is what I would have brought to the conversation:

Why is there not a more formal pronouncement from the Eastern Orthodox Church acknowledging the validity of the Protestant concerns regarding things like decentralized power among the clergy, separation of church and state, and church abuses of power?

Notwithstanding the offences in western countries despite western church presence there, why have we seen such devastation in traditionally Eastern Orthodox countries - Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Romania, etc.? In other words, has the church not had the influence in its population that it ought to as far as transforming hearts and culture? Why has the church lost its influence/relevance?

How does a protestant (like me) incorporate orthodox practices into his life without become an orthodox christian? Everything is so foreign (sometimes literally in foreign languages) and inaccessible.

The following week, I was back in the area and I attended a Sunday morning service. I was one of 4 attendees of matins (or "the hours"), the preliminary 1 hour service. Everyone except for the elderly or young mothers stands for the whole service (which, including matins, lasted nearly 3 hours). Bishop Varlaam welcomed me and got me situated with a copy of the liturgy. A married couple sang back and forth through the liturgy which consisted of many Psalms which are organized to retell the whole story of redemption from Creation to Fall to Resurrection to Glory.

The main service continued the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and includes many rites and congregational responses that I mostly did not understand. Archbishop Puhalo spoke for about 15 minutes for the homily. I didn't partake in the eucharist as I am neither a member nor did I fast ahead of time.

What was of incredible impact to me was that the whole liturgy is sung - this is a visceral experience where your entire body begins to resonate with the truths you sing and intone. Not only is the music of salvation ringing throughout the room, but your sight is stimulated by the dozens of ikons on the walls, your nose is filled with incense, your mouth takes in salvation if you are partaking in the eucharist and wine, and your flesh contacts holy objects as you enter the room and kiss ikons and crosses and the Holy Bible. It is a time that affirms the importance of the physical realm while infusing it with spiritual truth. This sensory worship is in stark contrast to the strictly intellectual and emotional services in the protestant world.



Upon my first visit at the monastery, Archbishop Lazar blessed me with several books from the monastery's printing press, Synaxis. The books are very scholarly and grounded in quotes from early church fathers. I am excited to read through these as I have read a few of Lazar's books in the past and they have been very helpful.

Book Review: The Naked Anabaptist by Stuart Murray

Ever since I was able to distinguish what anabaptists were from baptists, I have been intrigued by their story and their theology. My interactions and knowledge of anabaptists and their later affiliates have been:

• seeing Hutterites at the farmer's market and out and about
• the movie Witness set in an Amish settlement
• many friends who grew up as Mennonites, or at least have Mennonite parentage
• Paraguayan/German Mennonites to whom my wife taught English
• the incredible, forgiving response of the Amish community after 5 of their daughters were killed
• Daily Digs, emails which I still receive from the Bruderhof network which are some of the most thoughtful quotes out there

So, with this opportunity to learn more of these easily identifiable Christians, I picked up The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith. In the past half decade, I have been drawn more to traditional or more orthodox theological or historical texts, so this is perhaps a little out of character for me. 

The book begins with a tour of anabaptist influence in Britain and Ireland which is odd because there has never been a visible concentration of anabaptists in the British Isles, but that is where the author lives and where his Anabaptist Network operates from. For me, this was the least interesting part of the book. I wanted to know what anabaptism was all about and where it came from and where it is today. Fortunately, Murray takes us there.

To explain the essence of who these fringe Christians are and what they believe, you can simply look to the words of Jesus. They embrace communal living, non-violence, justice, Jesus as the central voice in theology, personal devotion to Christ, decentralized power in the church structure, and the separation of church and state. 

The movement was born mainly out of Switzerland in the time of Calvin, early 16th century. They were persecuted for most of their existence. The primary cause of opposition was their insistence that Christians make decisions for baptism as adults. This flew in the face of centuries old theology and the authority of the church, be it Catholic or Reformed. Some of the earliest anabaptists (rebaptized) were martyred by drowning in mock baptisms by other Christians. They eventually spread out through central and northern Europe where strongholds were found in Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Czech Territory (Moravia). They were then scattered during the following centuries and ended up in Russia where they again were persecuted and fled to the Americas mainly.

As I read about their unique attributes, I realized that much of what they brought to the table as they spoke out in opposition to the established church were doctrines and practices that I grew up with in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church:

• Adult baptism
• Foot washing ceremony (as a part of communion)
• Strong bent towards separation of church and state
• Emphasis on service and justice
• Distrust of other Christians, especially Catholics
• Independent (either personal or congregational) interpretation of the Bible

As such, in my journey, I have had to re-evaluate these beliefs, embracing some and not others. One of the greatest things that I have come to embrace is the ancient interpretations of scripture above my own. This is one of the areas where Anabaptists and I part ways. While I am drawn to their humble communal way of life, their hearty rejection of anything traditional prior to their movement makes it difficult to accept their paradigm. This is essentially the evaluation Lazar Puhalo and Ron Dart gave the book.

That said, I think their passion, as muted it is, is commendable and inspirational. I think many aspects of it should spread. And that is the estimation of Stuart Murray too.

Book Review: Turning Points by Mark Noll

The other book I've read by Mark Noll profoundly changed the way I perceive Christianity, and for that I am grateful. That book was called The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind. It chronicled the history of evangelicalism in the United States and Canada from its roots of Methodism, Presbyterianism, big tent revivals, denominational splits and ultimately new doctrines and current fervour. I highly recommend it.

Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity is probably a university textbook read by ministry students at most seminaries at the introductory level. It conducts a survey of 14 key moments in Christianity that helped define what it is today. In order, these are the events he concludes to be key and my very brief synopsis on why they are key.

1. The Destruction of Jerusalem, 70 CE: Christianity burst out of an essentially Jewish culture and became very decentralized. It became more hellenistic as a result and shed much of the Jewish customs which defined it in early years.
2. Council of Nicea, 325: The church leaders met to affirm the divinity of Christ and his place within the Trinity in order to thwart heresies. It also was a massive turning point for Christians as their emperor, Constantine, became a Christian and persecution of Christians basically stopped over night and the empire began to be transformed into what we could call Christendom. New political realities.
3. Council of Chalcedon, 451: Another important council affirming the nature of Christ (both man and God at the same time). This is where the first major split within the church happens and the Coptic Church affirms a different nature of Christ (as a unique substance) and they no longer share communion with the Orthodox Church. Their roots can be found in the Middle East and North Africa today.
4. The Rule of Benedict, 530: As some church leadership slipped into depravity, or at least they focussed more on their temporal power and wealth, a new group of Christian leaders emerges in monasteries. Their devout witness and discipline offer an essential example of humility, service and devotion to lay people and church leaders alike.
5. The Coronation of Charlemagne, 800: The church asserts its authority over the political world by becoming the body who crowns the emperor. Christendom reaches fruition as church and state become deeply intertwined.
6. The Great Schism, 1054: The Eastern Church refuses to accept the primacy of the Roman Bishop (Pope). The Roman Church strikes out on its own and the Eastern Church becomes isolated from the rest of Christendom. 
7. The Diet of Worms, 1521: One of many sparks which started the fire which caused another huge split in the church. The response of Roman Catholic abuses of power and wealth cause some Christians and princes to reject Roman rule and the Reformation begins with Protestant Churches sprouting up all over northern Europe.
8. The English Act of Supremacy, 1534: Another rejection of Roman rule comes when Henry VIII of England is not granted a divorce from the Pope. Fortunately, there are some clergymen and brilliant theologians who are more than happy to establish a revised Church of England, even if the head of the church must be the British monarch.
9. The Founding of the Jesuits, 1540: The 16th Century was a big one in Christianity. This was one of the beginnings of the Counter-Reformation that occurred within the Roman Church. Ignatius of Loyola's new society gets papal approval and coinciding with the new era of imperialism abroad, missionaries are sent and Christianity leaves Europe/Middle East and North Africa for the first time in history.
10. The Conversion of the Wesleys, 1738: Along with some continental movements, the Wesleyan movement towards personal piety in Britain cause revival not only in personal spirituality, but also social movements that ultimately take down the institutions of child labour, slavery, the disenfranchisement of women, and other social ills.
11. The French Revolution, 1789: While the Christian church in all European countries enjoyed a high level of influence over (or at least to the same degree as) the kings and queens for a thousand years, the French Revolution was the beginning of the end. The church sees its authority slip away country after country beginning with the first priests marched up to the guillotine.
12. The Edinburgh Missionary Conference, 1910: The protestant churches recognize its responsibility to bring the Gospel to the far reaches of the world. Bible translations become a priority and women become prominent in their roles as missionaries.
13. The Second Vatican Council, 1962-65: The Roman Catholic church addresses issues of doctrine and practice after realizing they must change to remain relevant. Interestingly enough, they seriously consider many of the issues brought up 450 years earlier by the reformers.
14. Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, 1974: Protestant churches recognize the impact and role of Christian leaders around the world. Africa, Asia and South America take prominent positions in speaking on doctrine and practice.

Noll writes from a markedly evangelical position and is consistent in acknowledging his bias. That said, he writes of Roman Catholicism respectfully and magnifies pre-reformation turning points more than the typical protestant might.

I feel far better suited to focusing on any one of these or other minor turning points as I can contextualize the events and even carry their importance to their current expressions. My favourite part of reading this book was sharing with my son Blaise the various events and hearing his response.

Book Review: Heresy by Michael Coren

I was interested to see what rebuttals to such accusatory statements about Christianity like

• Christianity is against science
• Christianity supports slavery
• Hitler was a Christian
• Christianity is anti-intellectual
• Christianity resists progress
• Jesus never existed
• Christians are overly concerned about abortions

There are ten chapters each addressing one of these lies. I personally did not take any issue with any of his arguments to the contrary of these lies. Nearly everyone of his arguments were made in the affirmative. For example:

Lie: Christianity supports slavery

Rebuttal: Christians led the fight for abolition, therefore Christianity does not support slavery.

or

Lie: Christians are anti-science

Rebuttal: Here are a dozen examples where Christians were the leading scientists in their fields. 

While I appreciate the rebuttals, many of which are nice 2 page bios on important Christian activists or intellectuals, Mr. Coren rarely lends any credence to the origins of the lies and therefore never really counters what would be the honest statements by Christianity's detractors. For instance, I would have appreciated an acknowledgement that there were Christians at one point who profited greatly from slavery, but why those Christians were not living out a historical Christian faith. Or acknowledging that there continues to exist an anti-intellectual segment within the Christian population and simply explaining why that is and why it should not colour the entire faith as anti-intellectual.

It was an easy read, but not entirely helpful as an apologetic text or even as a contemporary analysis of how Christians ought to be viewed.

Power Thought Debunked

"I am perfect just the way I am."

I read this in a little book called Power Thoughts by Louise L. Hay. Hay is an inspirational writer specializing in little quotes to help people deal with life.

I think she's dead wrong. I think she's filling people's heads with total nonsense. Why? Because we aren't perfect just the way we are. We aren't deserving of love or riches or self-affirming platitudes. I don't believe we need to repeat "I suck!" as we gaze into our mirrors each morning, but we sort of do.

We should daily acknowledge what is good about us (we are loved by God and people, we have talents and gifts to use to contribute to the world around us and to praise God with, we are alive), but we absolutely must acknowledge that we do selfish things everyday. We let people down. We make excuses.

Take for example Luka Rocco Magnotta. A few weeks ago he filmed himself killing and dismembering a Chinese student in Montreal. Louise L. Hay is telling Magnotta to remind himself that he is perfect just the way he is. Does Hay believe this? Why should Magnotta tell himself this? Is this the path to recovery for this monster? Is it just that he didn't remember how perfect he was when he murdered Mr. Lin? I don't think Magnotta is beyond redemption, but affirming who he is is not the road to recovery.

Today's Daily Affirmation from Hay's website is "Today I don't have to fit into anyone else's emotional atmosphere." Gosh! I don't want any of her disciples crossing my path today - they can be as grumpy as they want to be.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012)

Touching tweets on the loss of Maurice Sendak a couple days ago:

"We'll be roaring our terrible roars today."
-Timothy McSweeney

"'Please don't go.... We love you so.' RIP Maurice Sendak"
-St. Martin's Press 

"Maurice Sendak.. Your mom has dinner waiting .. RIP."
-leearenberg

Also got this great quote from the Wild Thing himself  in my perusing of articles on the late author. From a Newsweek Article (Oct 2009):

What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary?
Maurice Sendak (author): I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate. 

Because kids can handle it?
Maurice Sendak: If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it's not a question that can be answered. 

Spike Jonze (director): Dave, you want to field that one? 

Dave Eggers (producer): The part about kids wetting their pants? Should kids wear diapers when they go to the movies? I think adults should wear diapers going to it, too. I think everyone should be prepared for any eventuality. 

Maurice Sendak: I think you're right. This concentration on kids being scared, as though we as adults can't be scared. Of course we're scared. I'm scared of watching a TV show about vampires. I can't fall asleep. It never stops. We're grown-ups; we know better, but we're afraid. 

Why is that important in art? 
Maurice Sendak: Because it's truth. You don't want to do something that's all terrifying. I saw the most horrendous movies that were unfit for child's eyes. So what? I managed to survive.

Seven Epic Journeys [I'd like to make]

Appalachian Trail, USA (on foot)

I've been planning to do this 6 month hike with my son as his rite of passage into manhood since before he was born. I will have to take a spring semester off in 2018, fly Blaise and myself out to Georgia and start walking north 3,507 km along the peaks of the Appalachian Mountains through 14 eastern states. It will certainly be epic.

St. Petersburg, Russia to Istanbul, Turkey to La Rochelle, France (by train)

In this doubly-trans-European train journey, I would explore both the great capitals and some small villages of Eastern Europe. Then make my way from the Bosporus Strait to La Rochelle, France where Louis and Estienne Robichaux set out to settle in Acadia in the mid 17th century. The first leg of the trip would take me through Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and into Turkey. Setting out from Istanbul, I would wind WNW through Greece, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, northern Italy, and along la côte d'azure, through Bordeaux and up to La Rochelle, France.

Western United States of America (by car)

This 10,000 km road trip would take our family through and 10 states and would probably take us 7 weeks to complete. Some highlights:

• Montana: Glacier National Park, American Indian reservations and culture (Blackfoot, Flathead, Salish, Crow) 
• Wyoming: Yellowstone National Park
• Utah: Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City (Mormon Tabernacle, Olympic Centre)
• Colorado: Dinosaur National Monument, Denver (and it's microbrew pubs)
• New Mexico: Los Alamos (to visit the Manhattan project), Carlsbad Caverns, Artesia (to visit my relatives), Albuquerque (and it's tex-mex food)
• Arizona: Grand Canyon
• California: Joshua Tree National Park, San Diego, Los Angeles, Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, San Francisco (see friends), Napa Valley (drink wine), 
• Oregon: Forest districts, Portland (visit relatives)
• Washington: Olympic National Park, Seattle, Walla Walla (visit friends)
• Idaho: Moscow (visit friends)

Corners of India (by train)

#11 of my Life Goals is to Ride the Train around India. I would have to somehow define what around India would be, but I think hitting the North, East, South and Western corners of the country would suffice. I would be able to see Mumbai, New Delhi, the cutoff eastern provinces, and the southern tip. The entire trip would be between 10 and 12 thousand kms. I'm told I should ride in 1st class - we'll see what the pocket book says.

Niger River (by river boat)

Beginning at the source of the great Niger River in northwest Africa in Tembakounda, Guinea, I would float northeast into Mali travelling in the rich river basin through the capital city of Bamako and the legendary outpost of Timbuktu. After coming close to the Sahara Desert and maybe even taking a side trip to experience that a bit, I would continue the float south east through Niger (and it's capital Niamey), the board of Benin and into politically unstable Nigeria. The trip would finish in the Niger Delta.

England Coast to Coast (on foot)

A friend of mine, Jon Schmuland, did this 11-15 day hike last year and I followed his journal as he did it. It is surprisingly demanding on the body. The Coast to Coast journey goes through three major natural areas in England: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors. These areas are reminiscent of vet and author James Herriot and the stage for Wuthering Heights (one of my least favourite reads - maybe I'll see Heathcliff's ghost wandering in the moors...).

Circumference of Australia (on motorbike)

Almost 18,000 km on a motorbike. I'm not sure I want to do this, but I could knock two of my life goals off: #12 Motorbike around Australia and #13 Climb Ayer’s Rock (Uluru) (with permission of the aboriginal people of course). My biggest concern: water and fuel. I'd probably need to pull a little trailer with extra supplies which means I'll need a bigger bike which means I'll need to spend more money. I can picture myself cruising along the coast though - I'll have to grow out my hair for this one.

Non-Fiction Reading List

I'm a book collector. But I like reading my books too, albeit slowly and steadily. I finished three great non-fiction books this fall and if I did New Years Resolutions, I would determine to spend more time reading.

These are the books I plan to read in the coming months.

VIOLENCE by Slavoj Žižek
Popular philosopher Žižek engagingly discusses the roots of violence rather than surface issues. And by violence, he means even the passive violence and class struggles against sexism, poverty, and ideology.

MINDSET: THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS by Carol S. Dweck
This is required reading at work so we can coach our students to approach challenges with a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. Recommended by a psychologist who both attends my church and is working with our school.

THE NAKED ANABAPTIST: THE BARE ESSENTIALS OF A RADICAL FAITH by Stuart Murray
Since receiving daily emails from the Bruderhof communities (Mennonite Communes) in 2005 and watching the Amish response to a slaughter of 5 school girls in 2007, I have been fascinated by the Anabaptist expression of Christianity. This should flesh it out for me. It carries endorsements from Brian McLaren and Shane Claiborne.

THE TIPPING POINT: HOW LITTLE THINGS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE by Malcolm Gladwell
I enjoyed Blink by Gladwell a couple years ago, so I plan on continuing to read his popular books. This one focuses on how certain people, usually ordinary, have greater influence on people than others do.

YOU'RE NOT AS CRAZY AS I THINK: DIALOGUE IN A WORLD OF LOUD VOICES AND HARDENED OPINIONS by Randal Rauser
I first heard Dr. Rauser (philosophy prof) speak at our ACSI Teachers Conference when I started working in Calgary. I only ever attend his seminars now. Lately I have followed his blog with great interest as he duels with Atheists, Calvinists, and Fundamentalists.

THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN: ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY AND MODERN PHYSICS by Lazar Puhalo
I recently completed Archbishop Puhalo's The Soul, The Body, and Death and was impressed at his scholarship and how this ancient theology is so engaging and still so relevant. My friend Chris lent me these two books, so I had better read this one too. I've been watching Archbishop's regular YouTube videos too.

WHAT IS YOUR BELIEF QUOTIENT? by Tennyson Samraj
I found this on my father's bookshelf. The author was my philosophy professor in university and I quite liked him. His book questions why Christians believe the way they do.

SWEET HEAVEN WHEN I DIE: FAITH, FAITHLESSNESS, AND THE COUNTRY IN BETWEEN by Jeff Sharlet
I found this book on Tony Jones' blog and read the the first chapter online and was hooked. Got it for Christmas from my sis. It is a collection of essays on what he has found on the faith frontier in the USA. I think the title of the first chapter is pretty rockin' too.

SCRIPTURE AND THE AUTHORITY OF GOD: HOW TO READ THE BIBLE TODAY by N. T. Wright
I've mentioned how Anglican Bishop Wright has quite turned my head around after reading his Surprised by Hope a couple summers ago. I plan on reading more of his books (and collecting them) as time passes. Great faith grounding material.

THE SECRETS OF FACILITATION: THE S.M.A.R.T. GUIDE TO GETTING RESULTS WITH GROUPS by Michael Wilkinson
This is assigned reading from the Process Team in our Cohousing Project. I have been recruited to be one of the groups six facilitators and now I must read this book. So far, I haven't had anything to complain about (ask me if I've started it).

20 Dwarves (coming 2012)

Behold Thorin, Ori, Dori, Nori, Bombur, Bifur, Bofur, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, Fili and Kili.

I've been doing my best not to spend too much time checking out Peter Jackson's latest project - the prequel to The Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit. But I have wandered over to check out some of the updates and peruse production stills. This picture of the 13 dwarves is one of my favourite images so far (this is the other one I like).

Behold Napoleon, Grimm, Wolf, Butcher, Half-Pint, Grub, and Chuckles:



Then last night some friends of ours returned The Fall, a great film that didn't cash in at the box office. They told us that director Tarsem Singh is working on a Snow White film so I checked that out - another 7 dwarves in goofy outfits (which I like).

The Eastern Orthodox Way

For much of my life, Christianity was defined by my church tradition: Seventh-Day Adventism. It took just over two decades to begin to recognize and even appreciate other protestant denominations. I attended conferences, seminars, and worship services put on by Baptist, Vineyard, and non-denominational groups ultimately leading us to work with Impact Ministries in Guatemala. Amber and I embraced non-denominationalism as we were not able to find a single denomination that suited our belief system to that point. Our move to Calgary led us to attend a Christian Reformed Church where we continue to enjoy the Reformed Tradition.

During all these years I have taken a Protestant position towards Roman Catholicism, though more mildly than other protestants to be sure! I'm not Northern Irish Protestant. My objections to RC were doctrinal, structural and practical so I had little interest in exploring for gems. I should note that I have enjoyed many relationships with Catholics and I have no doubt that I have much to learn of God from Catholic theologians and much to learn of piety from Catholics.

My attitudes, right or wrong, towards Roman Catholicism extended to the Eastern Orthodox Church because for some reason I equated the two, the Orthodox just didn't follow the Pope. Because of this, my knowledge and experience with Eastern Orthodoxy was extremely limited:

• Characters in Crime and Punishment by Russian Orthodox author Fyodor Dostoevsky were either practicing Orthodox or practicing vogue atheism.
• My visit to Ukraine in 1993 took us on a small tour of Orthodox churches in a little village in Kiev.
• I visited a tiny Russian Orthodox Church in Nice, France because it was on the city tourism brochure in 1997.

I had classified the Church as a cultural vestige of eastern Europe that had just about been decimated by communism.

Then my sister-in-law dated then married a Greek Orthodox man. I have to admit that I revealed a pronounced Evangelical/Protestant/North American bias in my half dozen dialogues on Christianity with Gabriel.

Then a couple summers ago, my new friend Chris from Regina passed me a book: The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality by Kyriacos Markides. Sociology professor Markides returns to his native Cyprus to dialogue with a high ranking monk who spent years on Mount Athos, a haven of Orthodox monks for many centuries. It was an informative and fascinating introduction to this Christian faith, if not a little challenging.

Then this past year, Chris sends me a link for a YouTube video of this retired monk named Lazar Puhalo who broadcasts talks on pop culture, ancient Christianity, and dialogues with an Anglican scholar. His voice is refreshing and gives clarity to the differences between western and eastern Christianity. I frequent his videos through the winter.

Then in July, I spent a couple weeks at a summer camp in Saskatchewan where Chris and his friend Marc from Ottawa bring me to an Orthodox church in Regina. The liturgy is in English (as opposed to my two previous light encounters). The priest is jovial. I pick up some "hey, you should become Orthodox" brochures in their lobby and read through them quickly because so much of it is new and old at the same time.

Discussions with Marc and Chris bring more clarity to some of the foggy patches and I drop my guard toward this unfamiliar, yet affirming faith. I ask Chris to send me links to the podcasts he keeps telling me about: Our Life in Christ by two Protestant ministers turned Orthodox priests and Speaking the Truth in Love by scholar and priest Thomas Hopko. Chris left me three books to read too while he's away in Kuwait for the next couple years.

I have learned that Eastern Orthodoxy and I share many of the same issues with western protestant Christianity. Some of these include protestantism's low view of the physical world and body (dualism), a lack of respect for authority in the church, a weak emphasis on the incarnation and resurrection, a literal/inerrant view of the Bible, an independent spirit of interpreting the Bible, an unhealthy view of the church's relationship with the state, a trifling method of manipulating science to support "biblical" views, an ignoring of Christian history prior to the reformation, the purpose and cause of Christ's death, eschatological emphases on end times, and the purpose of man.

I've listened to dozens of podcasts now and my appreciation for Eastern Orthodoxy has only grown. I still have many questions and reservations, but the depth of tradition and the ways of interpreting Holy Scripture are unsurpassed in the Protestant world. It is a generous and yet bold expression of faith.

N.T. Wright gets it

I read N.T. Wright's astounding book Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church last summer. It's the best dissertation on the topic that I have come across.

I've happened upon these great small bite interviews with Wright on the 100 Huntley Street YouTube Channel.

On Break, At Home

It's Tuesday. I've been off work for 11 days now. I still have 5 left.

I was kind of envious of some of my colleagues and students who left for California, Arizona, China, Guatemala, Vancouver, Germany, London, Québec, etc. while I stayed at home in cold Calgary. But I'm really glad I'm home!

• I hit the bottle depot.
• I went to a friend's talk on sustainable and energy efficient building.
• I went to the doctor.
• I'm half way through a novel by Douglas Coupland.
• I went for tea* with a friend.
• I've spent hours on my latest documentary, completing the script and rough edit and I even got a famous singer to do a song for the film.
• I helped plan a benefit concert for Ubuntu.
• I spent a couple hours at a pro recording studio owned by a friend to record some of the narration for my movie.
• I cleaned out a couple drawers.
• I wrote 12 posts for my movie blog.
• I built snowmen with the kids (and pelted them with snowballs, the snowmen and the kids!)
• I went to church a couple of times.
• I did a dozen crossword and sudoku puzzles.
• I'm going to the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller tomorrow (the kids are overthetop excited about this).
• I spent a wonderful night at some friends house for dinner and playing games.
• I spent some time on the project manager search for cohousing.
• I'm going to a movie this afternoon with Amber.
• We're taking the kids to Aggie Days (Agricultural Days in Calgary) later this week.
• We had some friends over for supper.
• I watched 5 movies so far.
• I shovelled our parking spots, twice.
• I'm doing an info session for cohousing in a couple nights.
• I attended a cohousing general meeting (and I have another on Sunday).

I'm happy I stayed because almost none of this would have happened if we had gone on a trip (plus we'd be a couple grand poorer too!).

*I gave up coffee for lent. ;)