My dad posted this book to me, it arrived yesterday morning and I finished it last night. It's a very easy read, but highly recommended. Roy Godwin tells the remarkable story of the events of the last decade or so at the Ffald-y-Brenin retreat centre in South Wales.
I have to admit I was a little sceptical when I started reading this, having read lots of similar books about 'moves of God', which are usually followed by me longing to see the same happen in Salford, but not having a clue what to do about it, so then feeling deflated and a little jealous!
Over the last few years they have seen miraculous healings, nature miracles (including a dried up spring starting to flow again), apparent angelic visitations and on numerous occasions, random passers by being strangely compelled to come into the retreat centre and finding themselves overwhelmed by emotion and the power of God as they come onto the property, often leading to crying or laughing or deep repentance.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes to read stories of supernatural happenings. It raises in me a deep desire to see this stuff happen, and also some questions:
- is this stuff anything to do with what we do (ie intense prayer, great faith etc) or is it purely a sovereign act of God that we have nothing to do with, and just get to join in?
- could this happen in inner city Salford? (please?!)
- is this one of those things where you go there and 'catch it' or is that just Christian tourism?
Anyway, buy this or borrow it, it's a great read and will broaden your view of who God is and what he does, and perhaps give you a hunger to see more of his kingdom, as it has done for me.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grace-Outpouring-Blessing-Others-Through/dp/1842914049/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296164586&sr=8-1
Thursday 27 January 2011
Washed and Waiting by Wesley Hill
This book is a 'theological memoir' written by a gay man who believes that following Jesus and being faithful to God must involve abstinence from any sexual relationship outside of monogamous, heterosexual marriage. Some Christians will read this and think this is obvious, while others will read it and consider it to be an unnecessary or even oppressive belief.
For me, it was fascinating to read a gut-wrenchingly honest account of what it looks like for a guy to choose to live a life that is faithful to the historic teaching of the Christian church on this controversial and complex issue. Often Christians have a 'position' on the subject without thinking about how the church could and should support those who find themselves longing for an intimate same-sex relationship but choosing instead to remain celibate as a sign of their faithfulness to Christ. Wesley Hill challenges us to do just that - to anticipate 'the end of loneliness' in the way we do community today.
He is also good on how the church should be welcoming and yet be a transformative community - 'anyone who joins such a community should know that it is a place of transformation, of discipline, of learning, and not merely a place to be comforted or indulged'.
This book should challenge, inspire and disturb you. One great thing he does here is combine personal stories with extensive reading and cutting edge theology, to great effect. And his thoughts on 'the end of loneliness' alone are worth the price of the book. This is surely an issue that affects all, single or married, gay or straight, male or female. He says 'I have come to realise my need to take the New Testament seriously that groaning and grief and feeling broken are legitimate ways for me to express my cross-bearing discipleship to Jesus.' In dealing with this one subject, he gives us a theology for addressing all of our brokenness, whether sexual, relational or physical.
Also enlightening are his chapters about well known Christians with same-sex orientation like Gerard Manley Hopkins and Henri Nouwen, and how they processed their struggles in their own contexts.
It is very difficult for Christians to even begin to address this issue without being accused of being judgemental or bigoted, but Wesley Hill, in his openness and vulnerability and with theological acumen, provides a safe arena in which to discuss some of the harder truths of Christian discipleship, and specifically the struggles of many Christians who are wanting to be faithful to Jesus while coming to terms with their sexual desires.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking greater understanding on this subject, whether Christian or not, it is written in a gracious and compassionate way, with great understanding but not with any sort of judgemental attitude.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Washed-Waiting-Reflections-Faithfulness-Homosexuality/dp/0310330033/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296163658&sr=8-1
For me, it was fascinating to read a gut-wrenchingly honest account of what it looks like for a guy to choose to live a life that is faithful to the historic teaching of the Christian church on this controversial and complex issue. Often Christians have a 'position' on the subject without thinking about how the church could and should support those who find themselves longing for an intimate same-sex relationship but choosing instead to remain celibate as a sign of their faithfulness to Christ. Wesley Hill challenges us to do just that - to anticipate 'the end of loneliness' in the way we do community today.
He is also good on how the church should be welcoming and yet be a transformative community - 'anyone who joins such a community should know that it is a place of transformation, of discipline, of learning, and not merely a place to be comforted or indulged'.
This book should challenge, inspire and disturb you. One great thing he does here is combine personal stories with extensive reading and cutting edge theology, to great effect. And his thoughts on 'the end of loneliness' alone are worth the price of the book. This is surely an issue that affects all, single or married, gay or straight, male or female. He says 'I have come to realise my need to take the New Testament seriously that groaning and grief and feeling broken are legitimate ways for me to express my cross-bearing discipleship to Jesus.' In dealing with this one subject, he gives us a theology for addressing all of our brokenness, whether sexual, relational or physical.
Also enlightening are his chapters about well known Christians with same-sex orientation like Gerard Manley Hopkins and Henri Nouwen, and how they processed their struggles in their own contexts.
It is very difficult for Christians to even begin to address this issue without being accused of being judgemental or bigoted, but Wesley Hill, in his openness and vulnerability and with theological acumen, provides a safe arena in which to discuss some of the harder truths of Christian discipleship, and specifically the struggles of many Christians who are wanting to be faithful to Jesus while coming to terms with their sexual desires.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking greater understanding on this subject, whether Christian or not, it is written in a gracious and compassionate way, with great understanding but not with any sort of judgemental attitude.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Washed-Waiting-Reflections-Faithfulness-Homosexuality/dp/0310330033/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296163658&sr=8-1
Friday 7 January 2011
Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton
Dallas Willard recommended this book to me. Not that I've ever met him, but it was on his suggested further reading list in his superb book The Divine Omission, so I decided I couldn't not buy it. In his foreword, Willard tells us that in the modern world 'someone needs to tell us about solitude and silence - just to let us know there are such things. Someone then needs to tell us it's okay to enter them. Someone needs to tell us how to do it, what will happen when we do, and how we go on from there. For Ruth Barton, that someone was her spiritual director. Now Ruth tells you.'
As an extroverted activist, I was a little nervous about reading this book, thinking it would make me feel really guilty about not liking spending extended time on my own. However, as I read (and listened on my new Amazon Kindle!), I found that the message of the book is summarised well in the title: this is an invitation to solitude and silence, to the rest that only comes from a deep encounter with God. Therefore there is no guilt involved, just the awakening of a deep yearning to know God better and meet him in the ways Barton outlines in the book.
She writes in an autobiographical and accessible style, describing her own experience as a tired, busy and driven working mother, feeling called to a journey of deeper intimacy with God that could only come from carving out some serious time to be with God, to do nothing but rest in his presence. At the end of each chapter she offers advice on putting this into practice in your own life, which is really helpful because as she says, 'silence is the most challenging, the most needed and the least experienced spiritual discipline among evangelical Christians today'.
The book is full of great insight, sometimes not just about silence, for example this quote which has lived with ever since reading it: 'when it comes down to it, many of us do not believe that God's intentions towards us are deeply good; instead we live in fear that if we really trusted him, he might withhold something good from us'. She applies this to our fear of silence, but it is also true in many areas of our lives for many Christians. How many people I meet who are afraid if they fully submit to God, he might make them go to a country they hate, or force them to marry someone they can't stand, or take some terrible job - and yet God is so good and loving, not at all like a cruel teacher wanting to make us learn purely by unnecessary suffering.
As Willard says, the first task when making disciples is to get them to the point in following Jesus when they 'are quite certain that there is no "catch", no limit, to the goodness of his intentions or his power to carry them out'
Great stuff. For me, this book was a bit like reading Celebration of Discipline - after every chapter I thought 'wow - I would love to try that out - but I'll just read the next chapter first'. I would suggest that this book could really affect you if you are willing to stop after each chapter and put it into practice. For me, I think I need to read it again and do exactly that. But there are so many other great books to read...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/INVITATION-SOLITUDE-SILENCE-Experiencing-Transforming/dp/0863475957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294432071&sr=8-1
As an extroverted activist, I was a little nervous about reading this book, thinking it would make me feel really guilty about not liking spending extended time on my own. However, as I read (and listened on my new Amazon Kindle!), I found that the message of the book is summarised well in the title: this is an invitation to solitude and silence, to the rest that only comes from a deep encounter with God. Therefore there is no guilt involved, just the awakening of a deep yearning to know God better and meet him in the ways Barton outlines in the book.
She writes in an autobiographical and accessible style, describing her own experience as a tired, busy and driven working mother, feeling called to a journey of deeper intimacy with God that could only come from carving out some serious time to be with God, to do nothing but rest in his presence. At the end of each chapter she offers advice on putting this into practice in your own life, which is really helpful because as she says, 'silence is the most challenging, the most needed and the least experienced spiritual discipline among evangelical Christians today'.
The book is full of great insight, sometimes not just about silence, for example this quote which has lived with ever since reading it: 'when it comes down to it, many of us do not believe that God's intentions towards us are deeply good; instead we live in fear that if we really trusted him, he might withhold something good from us'. She applies this to our fear of silence, but it is also true in many areas of our lives for many Christians. How many people I meet who are afraid if they fully submit to God, he might make them go to a country they hate, or force them to marry someone they can't stand, or take some terrible job - and yet God is so good and loving, not at all like a cruel teacher wanting to make us learn purely by unnecessary suffering.
As Willard says, the first task when making disciples is to get them to the point in following Jesus when they 'are quite certain that there is no "catch", no limit, to the goodness of his intentions or his power to carry them out'
Great stuff. For me, this book was a bit like reading Celebration of Discipline - after every chapter I thought 'wow - I would love to try that out - but I'll just read the next chapter first'. I would suggest that this book could really affect you if you are willing to stop after each chapter and put it into practice. For me, I think I need to read it again and do exactly that. But there are so many other great books to read...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/INVITATION-SOLITUDE-SILENCE-Experiencing-Transforming/dp/0863475957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294432071&sr=8-1
Tuesday 4 January 2011
Hannah's Child by Stanley Hauerwas
This is one of 6 books I have finished over the Christmas/New Year holiday, and the one I enjoyed the most. Stanley Hauerwas was described by Time magazine as 'the best theologian in America', so I thought I'd better read this to get an idea of what he's all about.
It's a fascinating, inspiring and at times disturbing autobiography. Hauerwas is brutally honest about his life, including his difficult marriage to his first wife who suffered severe mental illness, and about his relationships with his colleagues at the academic institutions he has worked in. It is also great to watch his journey into academia, and how he gradually realised that he was a Christian, and all that entailed.
I really enjoyed the challenge of reading someone from a very different church background to my own. At one point he nearly converts to Catholicism, and is very much into high churchmanship - liturgy, the Eucharist - but he sees a real beauty there that is eye-opening at times, and something I had not considered before.
The other main thing I was impacted by was the story of his friendship with John Howard Yoder, and his subsequent developing of firm pacifist views as a result of this. His thoughts on how Jesus' teaching of non-violence should affect the whole of our lives and not just our views on war are potentially life-changing.
The biggest problem I had with this book was the amount of other books he referred to, which has made my Amazon basket reach ridiculous proportions!
All in all, a highly recommended book - it's led me to buy two of his other books already!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hannahs-Child-Theologians-Stanley-Hauerwas/dp/0334043689/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294175002&sr=8-1
It's a fascinating, inspiring and at times disturbing autobiography. Hauerwas is brutally honest about his life, including his difficult marriage to his first wife who suffered severe mental illness, and about his relationships with his colleagues at the academic institutions he has worked in. It is also great to watch his journey into academia, and how he gradually realised that he was a Christian, and all that entailed.
I really enjoyed the challenge of reading someone from a very different church background to my own. At one point he nearly converts to Catholicism, and is very much into high churchmanship - liturgy, the Eucharist - but he sees a real beauty there that is eye-opening at times, and something I had not considered before.
The other main thing I was impacted by was the story of his friendship with John Howard Yoder, and his subsequent developing of firm pacifist views as a result of this. His thoughts on how Jesus' teaching of non-violence should affect the whole of our lives and not just our views on war are potentially life-changing.
The biggest problem I had with this book was the amount of other books he referred to, which has made my Amazon basket reach ridiculous proportions!
All in all, a highly recommended book - it's led me to buy two of his other books already!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hannahs-Child-Theologians-Stanley-Hauerwas/dp/0334043689/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294175002&sr=8-1
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