Books of 2011

Here are the books I read in 2011. I'll list any book which I read at least 50% of in 2011. Books only partially finished will be noted with an * and books read on my Kindle will be noted with a "k." I'll comment on the books as warranted:

1. What are People For?, Wendell Berry - a Kentucky farmer who looks at life from a much needed perspective. You won't agree with everything he says, but you will look at rural areas and people with a new appreciation and question some of your most basic assumptions about Western life. Everyone should read something by Berry.
2. Christianity and Liberalism, J. Gresham Machen - A classic. Machen rips off the facade of liberal Christianity and calls it what it is; a different religion. 
3. To Change the World, James Hunter* - I didn't finish To Change the World, but I did drive Dr. Hunter to the airport after he lectured at RTS. He is very engaging, passionate, and brilliant. It was a real treat to spend 30 minutes chatting with him.
4. Culture Making, Andy Crouch
5. Christ and Culture, Richard Niebuhr
6. Handbook on the Prophets, Robert Chisholm
7. Doctrine of the Christian Life, John Frame
8. Bioethics and the Christian Life, David VanDrunen* - VanDrunen is an advocate of Two Kingdoms theology and it presents itself in his bioethics by seemingly advocating for a type of morality for believers and an ambivalence toward the actions of unbelievers.
9. Making Biblical Decisions, Franklin Payne*
10. In Living Color: Images of Christ and the Means of Grace, Danny Hyde - Does the 2nd Commandment apply to Jesus? 
11. The Death of Adam, Marilynne Robinson
12. Republocrat, Carl R. Trueman
13. Justification, James Buchanan - a great book on justification (this must come as a surprise given the clever title) written in the 19th century.
14. Justification, NT Wright - a not as great book on justification. Maybe from here on out we can all just agree that if you write a book on justification, you need to come up with a better title than just "Justification."
15. Sex, Economy, Freedom, & Community, Wendell Berry*
16. The Deep Things of God, Fred Sanders - Sanders unpacks (as much at mere mortals can) how the Trinity affects everything and why this is a central and crucial doctrine of the Christian faith. If you don't believe in the Trinity you aren't Christian (this means Mormons are not Christian. Period.)
17. Living in God's Two Kingdoms, David VanDrunen
18. Concise Reformed Dogmatics, J. van Genderen* - Okay, I didn't really read 50% of this because it is a really big book. I mostly just wanted to be able to put it on the list because a books that contain the word "dogmatics" in the title always look impressive.
19. The Making of a Leader, J. Robert Clinton (no relation to #42 or the Sec. of State)
20. To Be Told, Dan Allender - Allender helps you discover the story God has been writing in your life and how to get in step with him in crafting a beautiful ending. 
21. Tilt, Small Shifts in Leadership that Make a Big Difference, Erik Rees, Jeff Jernigan - not worth your time
22. Why We Love the Church, Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck - k (that second k wasn't a typo, I read it on my Kindle)- I really liked this book and think more evangelicals ought to read it.
23. Ten Myths About Calvinism, Ken Stewart - Or ten ways I want to distance myself from "those" Calvinist and still be friends with Arminians. There were parts of this book that I really liked and other parts seemed like an unnecessary apology to a non-issue, kinda like water apologizing for being wet.
24. Prodigal God, Tim Keller 
25. Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People Vol. 2, Michael Craton - Best history of the Bahamian people you'll ever read...heck, who are we kidding, you're never gonna read a history of the Bahamian people. But if you do...this is the one.
26. The Rage Against God, Peter Hitchens - I thought this was going to be the story of Peter Hitchen's journey from atheism to belief. It really was Peter Hitchen's argument for why atheism leads to socialism and then why that's a bad thing, interspersed with his personal anecdotes from living in Moscow in the eighties. Nonetheless, it was an engaging read from the brother of the recently deceased archbishop of atheism, Christopher Hitchens.
27. Who Chose the Gospels?, Charles Hill - This was written by one of my professors from RTS. If you want an easy to read book that completely debunks the theory that the early church just picked out the four gospel account which were most politically expedient...then look no further.
28. God So Loved He Gave, Kelly Kapic and Justin Borger - This is a really great book if for no other reason than I made the Acknowledgments (Justin is one of my closest friends from seminary). This is a look at the Redemptive Historical story of the Bible through the lens of generosity. It is a much needed adjustment to our consumptive American evangelicalism.
29. The Art of Prophesying, William Perkins - not what you think. Perkins was the Father of English Puritanism and this was his text book on preaching.
30. The Book of Exodus, Brevard Chiles* - best technical commentary on Exodus
31. Exodus, NIV Application Commentary, Peter Enns* - best overall commentary on Exodus
32. Living for God's Glory, Joel Beeke - k
33. The Gospel in the Pentateuch, Henry Law - k
34. A Golden Chain, William Perkins - k
35. Beer if Proof God Loves Us: Reaching for the Soul of Beer and Brewing, Charles Bamforth - k - if you like beer, this is a really neat read. Bamforth is a professor of brewing at UC Davis (who knew you could major in Brewing?) which means he is an organic chemist who loves beer. The spiritual aspect of the book is blech ...but when he talks about beer it is fascinating. 
36. The Doctrine of the Covenant in Reformed Theology, Geerhardus Vos - k
37. Provocations, Soren Kierkegaard - k - I'm not really sure how to get that "o" with a slash through it.
38. Affirming the Apostles' Creed - JI Packer
39. The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism, Kevin DeYoung and Jerry Bridges - Another good one from DeYoung and somebody else.
40. Renewing Your Mind, RC Sproul

Currently, almost all of my books are in storage in a container somewhere in Orlando. I miss them. Soon, we'll actually end this transitional period and have a home in New Jersey. Until then, all my books sit in a box which is in a bigger box which is stored in a yet bigger box somewhere in Central Florida...kinda like the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones only nobody's face will melt off when they open up my books.

The Places of 2011

I haven't posted in quite some time. The main reason is reflected in the variety of places of 2011. This has been quite the transitional year: a new baby, graduating, moving overseas, candidating for pastoral positions, accepting a call, moving back to the US, and leaving Florida for good. Here are my places of 2011. Again, the rules are that I must have spent at least one night during 2011 for it to make the list.

-Orlando, FL - This was home base for most of the year.
-Winter Park Hospital, Winter Park, FL - Okay, Winter Park is really just a neighborhood in Orlando, but it gets a special mention because we kicked off the year with the surprise early delivery of our youngest, William Oliver. Highlight of the year!
-Virginia Beach, VA - PCA General Assembly
-Freeport, Bahamas - After graduation I accepted an interim pastoral position at Lucaya Presbyterian Church in Freeport. What a tremendous blessing! Who knew I'd spend 5 months after graduation in the Bahamas?
-Alamogordo, NM and El Paso, TX - What a unique part of the country! The desert and mountains were gorgeous.
-New Providence & Summit, NJ - This part of NJ must be why it is called the "Garden State." What a lovely area! I came to New Jersey twice this year to candidate at Covenant Presbyterian in Short Hills, NJ. Kim and I are super excited to be moving there in 2012.
-Plant City, FL - The Strawberry capital of the world. If you have strawberries in your fridge they probably came from Watsonville, CA (these are probably poisonous and have been shown by "science" to cause a condition known as "hot-dog fingers.") or Plant City, FL (sweet, juicy, and delicious). My sister and brother-in-law live in this quaint little town.
-Brandon, FL - Visiting the folks
-Chattanooga, TN - the Motherland. We're here in Chattanooga until we move to New Jersey around the end of January. It has been so good to be around mountains again.

The First Next Step

Seminary is over. Perhaps the most difficult part of the last few weeks has been accepting the fact that this chapter has concluded. I liked this chapter. Some chapters of books can stand alone as great works in and of themselves. I think of the “Grand Inquisitor” from Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamazov. That chapter was Dostoyevsky’s dealing with his own lack of faith in a haunting and chilling way. It is brilliant and you can read that chapter without reading the whole book. But it, like any single chapter, is better in the context of the whole book. The seminary chapter of my life was great. I’d like to think it could serve as a stand alone story, but it is better in the context of the whole.

So, the question is…what’s the next chapter? I’ve been praying about the next chapter ever since I started the previous one. And the Lord, in His graciousness, has provided the first “next step” for us. In a few weeks time, our family will pack up and move to Freeport, Bahamas.

I have accepted an interim pastoral position at LucayaPresbyterian Church (EPC) in Freeport, Bahamas. We will be there at least through the end of August. They are currently searching for a full-time pastor and I will help them fill in the gap until the right man is found. This is a great opportunity for me to get some more experience preaching and beginning to exercise the gifts the Lord has given me. And while we would have made the same decision if the location had been in, say…Iowa (nothing against Iowa, Kevin Costner thinks it’s darn near “heavenly.”), it doesn’t hurt that the church is located mere miles from some of the most beautiful water in the world. Make no mistake, though, this is not a vacation, I’m there to work…but we’ll manage to find time for some fun too! I will be preaching weekly, leading a Bible Study and prayer meeting, and doing some pastoral visitation.

I do solicit your prayers. I’ve never preached on a weekly basis. It will be a totally different kind of work week for me. Please pray that God’s Word would fall on fertile ground (first in my heart and then in the hearts of the people) as I preach each week. But even before we begin this, we have to pack up our house in Orlando, say our goodbyes, and prepare to leave for several months. Leaving is always a difficult thing. We are made to live in time and space. We are made to occupy a particular place. One can’t help but develop roots in a place and every move requires those roots to be dug up. It is a bittersweet time. We are so excited for this next chapter. But starting this chapter means that the last one is done. We’re excited for the what lies ahead but we mourn what we’ll leave behind.

And we’ve only been given this first “next step.” We don’t know where the Lord will take us after our time in the Bahamas. We’ve applied with several churches. We trust the Lord that there is a church looking for us as we look for them. But we don’t yet know where that is. Again, we solicit your prayers. We are learning how to trust the Lord in new and exciting ways. That’s the positive way of saying that we are living in anxiety producing times. Like many lessons, however, experience is the best teacher. But all things being equal, I wish I could just read about it in a book. Thankfully, God is a good story-teller. He’s writing a great work in my life and I’m hopeful that this next chapter will outshine the previous one. 

The End is Just a Means to an End

So, this is it? I finished my last exam of my last class of my last semester of my last year of seminary. It is finished. To be honest, it was kind of anticlimactic. You’d like to hear sirens, bells, or whistles go off…but no such luck. I turned in my final and shook the Registrar’s hand. He whispered, “Congratulations.” I whispered back, “Thank you.” There you go. I’m done. I milled about the school for a little while, not really wanting to acknowledge that it was over.

I’m really going to miss that place. RTS has been really good to me. I’ve come to love the professors, administrators, and staff. I love the library. I love the bookstore. I love hanging out with all the other students. And I’ve done well there. I’ve received grades that far exceed my acquisition of knowledge (maybe I shouldn’t admit this until after graduation). I’ve been given great leadership opportunities. I’ve made connections with some of the brightest minds in the Church. But now it’s over.

I was walking toward the door to leave…and I couldn’t do it. I made a detour into the bookstore. I didn’t need to go into the bookstore, but I had to delay my walking out the door and finalizing the end of my student days at RTS.

Going into seminary I knew that it is a means and not an end. Seminary is path to be trod and not a destination. But I got comfortable there. Life was pretty good there. Why would I want to leave?

I’m struggling with the reality that the dominant metaphor of life is a pilgrimage. We are all pilgrims on a journey. In John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, the protagonist, Christian, is relieved of his burden of sin early in the book. The vast majority of the book is not about Christian’s need for forgiveness of sin. It is about Christian’s journey through this world to the world which is to come. While it would be easier for him to stop and live in one of the many places along the way, those are not his final destination. Those stops will never satisfy.

The vast majority of our lives is not about the removal of our sin. Don’t misunderstand, that is crucial and without it none of the other stuff happens. But the vast majority of our lives is a pilgrimage to the Holy City. We live in what is called the “Already and Not Yet.” We are already citizens of that city. We are already in Christ. We are already fully justified in Christ and adopted by the Father. But we are not yet in that city. We do not yet see things are they are. We look through a mirror darkly. We are not yet free of this body of sin. We are not yet glorified with new bodies. We do not yet have every tear wiped away by Jesus himself. We are already and not yet.

Kim and I came to seminary because we believe that the LORD has gifted and called me to shepherd his flock by pastoring in the local church. To stop at seminary because it is comfortable, because it is nice, because we’re happy is to miss the whole point. Similarly, to stop in my Christian life once I’ve experienced the forgiveness of sin is to miss the whole point. Yes, Jesus came to die for your sins…but there is so much more! There is a pilgrimage to be made. There is a greater goal than your personal happiness and well-being. There is the greatness of our God and His kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven! This is not the end.

God Never Wastes Suffering

This is an article I wrote for our church in light of our situation with Will(which has been resolved) and several other situations in our church family. I continue to be saddened by the suffering that those around me experience and yet hopeful for what God is doing in its midst.
____________________________________

The past few weeks have been trying for our church family. I have been so impressed by how we have rallied around the ICU; for Kim and me with Will’s premature birth and now for the Owen family as Nick battles for his life. These could be added to various trials many others are facing, such as the Butterfield’s year-long ordeal with a whole host of issues. Every one of us is probably dealing with some sort of suffering in some manner or another. These events try our faith and test our belief in a good and sovereign God.

What are we to make of suffering? This is an issue with which philosophers and theologians have always wrestled. The Biblical truth is that God never wastes suffering, and neither should we. When the early Church Fathers were formulating the Apostles’ Creed, they summarized the whole activity of Jesus’ life by saying “He suffered.” This is hard for our American Christian ears to hear. So much of our culture is predicated on the avoidance of suffering. Think about all the advertising with which you are bombarded on a daily basis. Every bit of it tells you that you don’t have to suffer if you would only buy this product or use this service. But God can use suffering to tear away the façade and to teach us lessons that would otherwise be unheard.

Suffering has a purpose. “The testing of our faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-4). “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:1-4). The idea that suffering is out of the ordinary for Christians is a concept foreign to the pages of Scripture. Suffering and trials are a part of our life. And God intended it that way. He uses it to work out faith in the lives of His people. And we would do well not to short circuit the process. Rather, we need to see our sufferings as a conduit to faith. This doesn’t necessarily dull the pain we feel or the heartache we experience but it does give a purpose. Suffering should point us to the ultimate reality of God. When our ultimate reality is God our perspectives are changed. The minor things in life no longer seem so important. Our hearts are more captivated by that which is major. In the midst of suffering the truth of the Gospel takes on a depth that is otherwise unknown. Halfway through our NICU stay a nurse pulled me aside and said, “You know, this experience is going to make you a better pastor.” I replied, “Sure, but I wish I could have just read about it in a book.” We don’t like suffering, but God uses it for His glory in our lives. Suffering is a reality of living in a fallen world. As believers we can either run from it or seek the LORD in it. John Piper wrote a book “Don’t Waste Your Life,” and when he was diagnosed with cancer, he wrote an article titled “Don’t Waste Your Cancer.” I have been struck by Piper’s idea of not wasting our suffering. God doesn’t waste suffering and neither should we. Here are three ways to assure that our suffering is not wasted.

1. Acknowledge that God is sovereign and he allowed whatever suffering we face for our good. This truth can be hard to swallow. It becomes impossible to accept when we fail to see our lives in the light of eternity. But we must remember that not a single molecule of the Universe is outside of the sovereign control of God. What others may intend for evil, God intends for good (Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28).
2. Seek our comfort in God and not in relief from suffering. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Ps 20:7). In our day and age, we are blessed with such amazing medical advancements. Medically, we can do things which were only dreamt of a generation ago. And yet suffering remains. God will use this to remind us that He and He alone is our comfort. If we find our comfort in doctors and medicine or in anything else that offers relief, we will only be disappointed.
3. Take the opportunity to join with those who suffer by giving. The early church saw tremendous growth through its willingness to sacrifice for those who suffered. When babies were abandoned in ancient Rome, the Christians would rescue them and raise them (much to the consternation of the Roman officials). When plague and disease ran rampant in communities, the Christians stayed and ministered to the sick and dying. The Church was and continues to be built through generous giving. In the midst of suffering you and I have the privilege of giving our time, our money, our skills, and maybe even our lives to join with those in need. This is what Christ did for you. This is what it means to be generous with your life. This is what it means to live out the Gospel for others.

God never wastes suffering. If we do not look for the LORD in the midst of trials then we will miss that purpose and we will waste our suffering. You are not alone. Christ has given himself to enter into our suffering and he will supply every one of your needs (Phil 4:19). May God be glorified in our suffering.

All are Home and Accounted For

Our days in the NICU are over. Praise the LORD!
Kim and I went in this morning and Will had met all the benchmarks to be discharged. It was weird actually putting him in real clothes and his car seat today. He only looks like he was strapped in for a space shuttle launch. In reality it's just a Chevy Venture...but it does have leather seats and cruise control. But it was good to say a final good-bye to the nurses. They were great, but it's nice to not be seeing them on a regular basis. It was sad that I started to figure out the work rotation schedule.We're thankful for this process. Kim and I have been so encouraged by how so many friends and families rallied to watch Hunter and Millie, cook meals, and just generally do anything we needed. I'm pretty sure I could have started making completely random requests and someone would have done it.
"Hey friend, remember when you said call if we needed anything? Well, I need a fake mustache just like Tom Selleck's."
"Sure thing. Do you want it like Magnum PI or the new one with touch of gray like Blue Bloods?"
"Magnum PI."
"Give me twenty minutes."
I mean, I never needed a fake mustache much less one that looks like Tom Selleck's, but if I did you guys would have gotten it to me. I can't really say how much you all mean to us. I haven't even mentioned how you prayed for us. I know you prayed for us because when I made jokes at inappropriate times, Kim laughed.We are so glad to be home. It is a little weird, though. Around 5pm, I started getting that feeling like I was running late. Usually we were getting ready to head back to the hospital at that time. We've also been letting the nurses change all the diapers. Well, the nurses ain't around no more. So we're back to the diaper changing routine. Sometime when I'm feeling especially excited about changing diapers I'll post Martin Luther's comments on diapers. It'll make you rethink baby poo...but in a good way.
Now the real fun begins. We're so blessed that the LORD has allowed us to have Will. Kim and I have the privilege to raise him and his brother and sister in the fear and admonition of the LORD. I was encouraged at church on Sunday as I led the congregation in reading Psalm 127. The second half of the psalm says:
³Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
⁵Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Tomorrow Is The Day (We Hope)

If all goes well tonight, Will is going to be discharged in the morning! He's been feeding well. Several of the nurses told us that often the nursing just clicks for the baby. One time he struggles and the next time he guzzles. They didn't say it like that, but maybe I'll pass it on to them. It's kinda catchy.
Kim and I left the hospital around lunch time. My mom was coming back from Tampa with Hunter and Millie. I told Kim, "Let's grab lunch somewhere." Kim said, "I'm not that hungry. I think I'll just get something at home." I replied, "You could do that, but this is going to be the last chance for a long while when you and I can eat out alone." She quickly replied, "Panera it is." I'm in a little bit of panic mode right now. We've got a baby coming soon. We're still nearly three weeks ahead of schedule.
We've got the car seat out of storage. I found another small box of newborn clothes. We been slowly accumulating diapers. I think it will all come together. Cause the lil' dude is coming home whether we're ready or not. And I couldn't be happier.