Bonhoeffer defining "church"

The church is the church only when it exists for others... the church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving.


From Page 203-4 of Letters and Papers from Prison

Relative truth?

Closed-minded - Adam4d.com

Eric Liddell on running a race

When asked how he ran so fast, [Eric Liddell] often told people that he ran as fast as he could for the first half of a race and then asked God to help him run even faster for the second half.


From Page 43 of Letters and Papers from Prison

Review: The Seven Laws of the Learner

The Seven Laws of the Learner by Bruce H. Wilkinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read about three books each month, and this has to be one of the most impactful and convicting for the year 2015. (The other book that had such a profound impact on my life and worldview would be Clowney's Unfolding Mystery - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...)

I had taken on an attitude that it is not my problem to motivate the unmotivated student, be it in secular or Christian circles. I’ll just find those who are interested in having God’s will done in their lives, and then we’ll take it from there.

Chapter after chapter, I am compelled to reconsider many of my perceptions (most of them had been cast in stone after extensive teaching experience). I have caught a little of his seemingly bottomless passion to see students walk life face-to-face with the living God. The impartation of knowledge is simply the vehicle to see about revival.

In the religious-persecution-free society in Singapore, believers often feel no need for God or his commands. It is painful to see Christians and churches engage in self-sustaining and consumeristic practices. The only time we want to follow in his ways, is when we demand that he answers our prayers and solve our problems. As I closed the book, tears welled up in my eyes and my heart was overwhelmed with a desire for revival - to be part of a gospel community of continually repented and loving believers. The catalyst would have to start with me, because having counted the cost, it would be crazy not to give up my life for such a cause as this.

For this to be a balanced review, I have to discuss what was not so fantastic.

There were some theological references that I was uncomfortable with. For example, his refer to the parable of the talents is tricky because in his parable Jesus used 'talents' in the context of money, not to refer to a person's giftedness (p408-409). He also has to explain (p420-432) in what way is the prophet Nathan like a teacher before he can use that as a starting base for the section on revival. Thankfully these theological ambiguity came toward the end of the book and not at the beginning, otherwise students who are hermeneutically wired may be quickly (and wrongly) dismiss that the book is filled with eisegetical assertions.

These errors do not subtract from the message Wilkinson is trying to impart to us readers. We receive from what he is gifted in, and that is teaching. For a more meaty theological diet, one can simply read this book in conjunction with a more scholarly and biblical title.

On the topic of teaching, this has to be one of the first I would recommend to teachers.

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Review: Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore: And How 4 Acts of Love Will Make Your Church Irresistible

Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore: And How 4 Acts of Love Will Make Your Church Irresistible by Thom Schultz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The book's exciting layout with the many diagrams and eye-catching design was novel at first, but after 150 it became kind of kiddy. Not too appropriate for a book address a serious topic. The hard selling of the lifetree cafe eventually turned me off, and I could not read past 120 pages, after which i just sped read through the headlines of each section. If the authors mentioned the lifetree cafe concept only a couple of times in the book, it could have gotten maybe a few more stars. But it way way overkill. Perhaps if they were more honest in their ambush marketing (by perhaps having more information on the subtitle), to warn us readers of what it is to come, we would not feel like we had been taken for a ride. But then, the book probably wont have too many buyers picking it up. =D

I cannot recommend this book.

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Review: You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes: And Other Great Advice from an Unlikely Preacher's Wife

You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes: And Other Great Advice from an Unlikely Preacher's Wife by Lisa McKay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

McKay writes in a highly engaging manner such that it was a breeze to keep reading on and on and on! I sensed her larger than life personality and great passion for the topic jumping out the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed her authenticity and wisdom; her frank and insightful sharing has opened my eyes to the scary reality of the unrealistic expectations of a pastor's wife (and children). It has also encouraged me to face these challenges head-on, because at least now I am aware and can take pre-emptive action, for example, preparing my family for what is to come by assuring them they can be whoever God wants them to be and not pretend to be somebody that they think they are expected to be.

McKay's strength is not in theology -there were several questionable sections where she dived into the meaning of biblical terms in their original languages and engaged in putting her own interpretation into Scripture. While her target audience would not be too bothered by these, and should enjoy the insight and advice from this battle-hardened preacher's wife. I'd nevertheless have to subtract a star from an otherwise 5-star book until these issues are ironed out.

I read this book in 2015 and wrote the following: "While I am no preacher's wife, I am a male seminary student. I recommended it to my girlfriend, and she thoroughly enjoyed the read. That says alot, because she absolutely not a book person (she claims that reading books hypnotise her to sleep). It generated a couple of things to deliberate and discuss about, as I prepare to enter into my beloved Christ's service!"

Now I am re-reading it in 2018 as a married man with graduation from bible school in a couple of weeks. Whereas the 2015 me came away with a positive and can-do attitude, I am ashamed to admit that I was rather angered by the audacious demands that some congregations made of ministers' wives. The 2018 me is more pragmatic and realistic, knowing that I have to firmly establish the expectations and limits of my family's involvement before accepting any ministerial position.

All things considered, I'd think that this is still a rather good gift especially for women dating or engaged to men about to enter into pastoral ministry.

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Review: The Top Ten Leadership Commandments

The Top Ten Leadership Commandments by Hans Finzel
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

As a seminary student trained to think in a postmodern education system, I did not like the legalistic title one bit. But I decided to give the book a chance and rate it for its content. The introduction was pretty good, but then I arrived at the real stuff. Just as I had expected, to base an entire book (or sermon) on why we should be like one of the bible characters is to miss the entire point of the grand narrative of the book or the bible as a whole. No decent bible scholar worth his salt would go on that tack, and true enough, Finzel supplied plenty of eisegetical material to last you for a long long time. Moses is definitely the main character of whatever book he appears in, and the application definitely is not that we should model ourselves after him.

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