William Blake

I was angry with my foe: I told it not, and my wrath did grow.

What I Am Reading-Celebration of Discipline

Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline has sold over one million copies and was named by Christianity Today as one of the top ten books of the twentieth century.  Foster is heavily influenced by the Quaker tradition and the introspective bent of this religion clearly shows in his works.  He has since expanded on Celebration of Discipline by writing Streams of Living Water which is an analysis of different spiritual traditions: contemplative: the prayer-filled life; holiness: the virtuous life ; charismatic: the Spirit-empowered life; social justice: the compassionate life; evangelical: the Word-centered life; and incarnational: the sacramental life.  Foster (along with several others) also wrote the devotional The Life with God Study Bible, which emphasizes the introspective element of Christianity.  Foster clearly has carved his identity in the spiritual formation landscape, and much of that identity shows up in Celebration of Discipline.   

Christians will commend Foster’s book on the major areas.  The goal of Celebration of Discipline is to be transformed into Christ.  This purpose is reiterated and/or reviewed in nearly every chapter of the book.  One of the strengths of Celebration of Discipline is the straightforward clarity encompassed in each chapter.  Foster borrows heavily from saints of all times and all backgrounds: Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant.  On one hand this makes for well-rounded expertise, on the other, such inclusion has been a major critique in Foster.  Another interesting paradox is that Foster does not bring up evangelism explicitly in this work on the disciplines; in fact, the term is not even mentioned.  One wonders what was Foster’s criterion for categorizing the disciplines in this manner?  For instance, he considers submission to be a discipline, but does not include evangelism or encouragement for that matter (using Foster’s criteria for submission could also be used for encouragement).  Another example is that confession of sin is a clear command (one of Foster’s disciplines), but fasting is not a direct command (by Foster’s admission).  Readers will also take what appear to be significant inconsistencies with Foster.  For example, his section on prayer, particularly using child-like imagination seems to contradict his section on the revealed word of God.  Another example occurs in his chapter on guidance through group experience can be severely misunderstood at best and appears contradictory to his section on the word.  Foster’s book should be treasured as a worthy source on the subject.  Granted, he should be read discerningly, but is not good scholarship disallowing “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”?

WhitSunday Prayer

 God, who have taught the hearts of your faithful people by the sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit, grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Savior, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day was originally called “Decoration Day”.  It was a day when people go decorate the graves of their dead friends and family.  Memorial Day actually began after the Civil War to honor the Union troops who had fallen in battle.  The South in turn commemorated their own Memorial Day calling it appropriately “Confederate Memorial Day”.  Even today there are some parts of the South that still do this.  Regardless, this video clip was sent to me a few years ago and it captures the sentiment perfectly.  As a son of a veteran who served his country, all I can say to all veterans is thanks for keeping us the “land of the free, and the home of the brave”.

To The Garden We Go

My pansies which are actually two years old have had a fantastic spring.  I am of the opinion, if you buy pansies in the fall, and they live over winter, they will be twice the size in the spring.  These pansies I bought last spring, and they managed to survive last summer (moderate temperatures) into the fall and over winter (moderate temperatures) and into this spring.  Probably the most robust pansies I have ever had. 

All my roses have bloomed the first bloom of the season and are beginning to go again.  As a rose connoisseur I am not particularly impressed by my roses due in large part that my worthless silver maple shades them too much, so later this year I will be hacking away at the tree to see if that helps their shape.  I use an organic rose fertilizer which I apply every month, and cotton burr compost. 

The strawberries we have already started to harvest.  But the newest addition to our garden has been Noah’s handpicked grow box.  He has become a pretty serious gardener.  He has planted tomatoes in his grow box.  We shall see.

Kids Letters to God

Update on Southern

I am preparing to take one of my jaunts to Louisville.  I will be participating in a seminar with Dr. Bruce Ware on Theological Foundations for Spirituality and another colloquium with Dr. Don Whitney.  They both should be rich.  I am slowly but surely winding down my seminar tracks in the PhD process.  Hard to believe I will have finished up my second year.