A weekly review

Books this week:

Machiavelli: A Portrait by Christopher Celenza

For all you history buffs out there, this is a great read. Specifically for any who take interest in Florence and the Italian society during the days of independent city-states. 

Pros: Celenza does a great job of stating the facts clearly, giving excellent background information that helps in our understanding of Machiavelli's own writings, and summarizing the works of Machiavelli for those of us who have not yet picked up his works. Furthermore, if you read this book you will learn about much more than a mere individual. Rather, you will learn about the historical development of a country, the universality of human nature, and the political problems facing society from premodern Florence to the modern world. 

Cons: The one con I might add, which is not exactly a con in my opinion, is that this book is indeed a historical, nonfiction work. This means there will not be any talking vegetables or exploding vehicles to grab your attention. There are authors who seek to write a novel version of historical fact by taking a few liberties in their writing, usually by taking cues from diaries or letters that have been documented. Celenza does not write a novel here but rather a historical work that captures the Florentine society at its best... and its worst. 

You and Me Forever by Francis and Lisa Chan

Having read only a handful of books on marriage and not having completed this one yet, this review is a bit incomplete. However, since it has comprised a notable amount of my reading time this week I would like to give my hearty recommendation that you pick this up and read it. The premise of this book, one quite countercultural, is that the goal of our marriage is not marriage itself. In other words, marriage is not an end, it is a means. Chan, and his wife (also Chan), argues Biblically that our marriage is God's gift to us for our preparation for eternity. As I am only about midway through this book I will leave off with the general description and hope that you readers will seek to discover the depth of truth and height of challenge that this book offers. 

Pros: Chan and his wife are experts at writing realistically to an audience living in the "real world." That being said, Francis Chan is one of the most Biblically saturated authors that I have read on the subject of marriage. When push comes to shove, Chan is not interested in sharing mere personal insights and hand-me-down advice. The point of this book is shaping our view of marriage, and ultimately eternity, around the Bible. If you are interested in being radically challenged (even for those of you who are Christians) as well as delightfully instructed on the subject of marriage, this is certainly a book you do not want to pass you by. 

Cons: There really are no cons I can give about this book (again, I am only midway through). I have not read a large amount of Chan's works, but I do come to this book with a high expectation of what I might continue to find. Chan's works do challenge the traditional mindset with Biblical, radical ideas that can (and very well should) be offensive. 

Tunes of the week:

Mansions by NF

"Y'all look curious, Heath Ledger type of questions Like "Why so serious?" And you want watered down lyrics? Well, I don't carry 'em I dig holes for these tracks and then I slaughter and bury 'em The motivation I got is on a whole different level I treat these line like court case, I don't wanna settle My words are like bullets and they're aiming at you And I ain't talking Switchfoot when I dare you to move"

Read more at http://www.lyrics.com/motivated-lyrics-nf.html#6wS3Q7WUzVjpvim8.99"




Hip hop fans can rejoice- this album is definitely solid. Let me define what I mean by solid. Some reading this will look at me like "Why is this nerdy white guy listening to hip hop?" Truth be told, I grew up listening to southern rock, southern gospel, and country music (notice no hip or hop in any of that). However, that style of music never resonated with me- in fact, I have grown to rather dislike the sound of country music (at least a good portion of it). As I grew older and began developing my own thoughts and preferences in regard to dress, books, movies, and music I was introduced to hip hop from a close friend of mine. This hip hop was not your run-of-the-mill song overdosing on themes of rape or sex or drugs. The song was actually dripping with Scripture and profoundly describing the character of God. The artist was Shai Linne. From that point on I have radically adjusted my standards in music. Lyrical depth became the foundational element in the songs I sought out. I listen to secular as well as Christian music regularly but the artists I listen to all have something to say- something more than catchy repeats or corny love stories gone wrong. NF is no exception to this. Taking the opening track to introduce himself, NF goes on to make an analogy for the rest of the album: a mental mansion. NF lays out throughout this album, room by room in this case, the different thoughts he has been trapped with as he has battled some of life's toughest questions as a Christian. Abuse, family death, and personal failure all fill the halls of this mansion- perhaps you, like me, can relate. In addition to lyrical depth and profound creativity, the music itself is certainly high quality. This does not sound like some karaoke record that you picked up off the streets. NF's flow is fast and hard- matching perfectly the strong emotions he seeks to convey. Certainly worth the $8 for some solid, profound music.


Pros: The level of talent displayed by NF both in creative lyricism and passionate performance is amazing. There are few rappers that I have ever heard put out so much emotion and truth as NF has in this album. The words connect on so many levels- those facing hurt and loss, anger and abuse, fear and failure. It's hard to make a comparison to this album because, in my experience, it is quite unique.


Cons: For those who do not listen to hip hop/ rap in general the unique play on words and clever analogy made by NF may be lost in the speed with which he delivers it. Even with several rap albums in my library I discover new word plays and analogies as I listen to it now. The speed is not exactly a con as it serves to define the flow that NF uses, however, I suggest this because there are those who do not take much interest in this particular genre of music.

Chaos and the Calm by James Bay

As I mentioned in my previous review, I listen to both secular and Christian music on a regular basis. I tend to pride myself on an enjoyment of a wide variety of cultures which encompasses my choice in food, movies, and music. I love pop music in general (Coldplay to Dave Moisan) and also enjoy singers with an edge in their voice (Gavin Degraw) as well as lyrical story tellers (Ed Sheeran, Andrew Osenga, Birdy, etc..). Recently I have been wearing out this particular album on Spotify (sorry James I don't have the extra $10 just yet) due to its acoustic pop vibe and lyrical storytelling. Granted, the songs are mostly written around the theme of relationship difficulties and desires (as you might guess from the album title) but it carries with it more meaning than Bieber's "Baby" (which song doesn't?) You will find yourself humming or straight out bellowing the tunes of "Craving" or "Hold Back the River" throughout the day. I'm sure the customers at The Fresh Market have rather enjoyed my solos (kidding... somewhat). If you are a fan of acoustic music, catchy percussion flow, and soulful singing, James Bay delivers an excellent album that will likely be put on repeat. 

Pros: Bay does a praiseworthy job of balancing acoustic ambience and vocal flare. The album delivers some lyrical depth while maintaining a light-hearted feel. Delving into the issues of relationship trouble or relationship aspirations has not been this stylistically performed by many of the artists I've listened to. 

Cons: There aren't many cons that I can list here as the album is quite solid. Those looking for something high-octane will probably not like the acoustic vibe that James Bay takes. This is, however, a matter of preference rather than a weakness. 

Community: do I have to?

Sacrifice or Stronghold?

Community calls at early hours

It's 6:00 AM, room is cool but the bed is comfy. All is right in the world until an obnoxious beeping noise invades my dreams and wakes me from blissful slumber. Work is scheduled for 4 PM so why is the alarm so cruel as to rip me from sleep at this early hour? I open my eyes slowly and try to silence that blasted alarm without dropping my phone in the floor. Success. Now why am I getting up again? Community. Yep that's what it is- 6:30 meeting at Chik-fil-a. I could lay here, excuse myself from meeting with my brothers in Christ because I "worked late" or "felt sore" or a myriad of other unsubstantial reasons. After all, wouldn't a little more time with my wife before she leaves for work be a good, responsible path to take?

Perhaps you've been on the same mental path yourself- pondering the real value of community and viewing it as a sacrifice that you are making for God. I'll admit- in the past I've had a few occasions where I've viewed my participation in a community setting such as a prayer meeting or Bible study as some type of favor that I'm doing for God. "Okay, God I'll sacrifice my morning, my precious sleep, to go talk about the Bible. I'll take my pat on the back now."

Where's it at in the Bible?

However, as God has matured my thinking in regard to community, specifically through bringing my wife and I into fellowship with Integrity, my thoughts on community have changed. In fact, God has brought my attention to how essential community is by pointing me to Scripture. Think about Paul's first letter to the Corinthians: 

12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by^c one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1 Cor. 12:12-14 [copied from biblehub.com])

In the context of explaining spiritual gifts to a church battling a very sensual and carnal culture, Paul gives a stunning revelation: fellow believers are gifts too. Your brothers and sisters in Christ, however different or difficult they may be, are given by God for your growth and His glory. In fact, we are not to view them as some sort of special gift to us as if this were all about me- instead, Paul gives us the picture of all being a part of the same body- all of us have a part to play in God's story. And, as if to combat the interruption we were all bound to make, Paul goes on to point out how each member matters to the local body:

15Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body. [copied from biblehub.com]

Through this passage Paul combats two errors that we may struggle with in our thinking. One is the underplaying of our part in the body of Christ. Typically known as the "spectator only", this kind of mindset will lead us to do the minimal of anything. We go to church, sit in a seat, listen to the sermon, show up at life group, etc... but nothing more. In this mindset there is a problem truly participating in worship and service on the outside because it is fueled on the inside by the thought, "Better safe as a spectator than sorry as a participator." Maybe you see yourself as someone who holds no real usefulness to the body of Christ, best to just blend in to avoid making any mistakes. To you Paul is saying that if you are truly bought by Christ you have a place in His body- you belong here as more than a spectator. You may not be gifted in music, or as Paul would say, you may not be an arm or leg but you have a function as an eye or ear. Be encouraged by that and seek to find the place in your local body that you can minister the gospel!

The second mindset that Paul combats in this passage is an overplaying of one's value in which self instead of Christ is exalted.  You can think about this as someone who thinks of himself as God's gift to the planet. (If a guy comes in sporting the Bible man costume it may be a good sign he's battling with this.) The root issue, quite obviously, is pride and fills us with the thought that we don't need community, community needs us. Again Scripture combats that rationale by pointing out that each member is a part, and only a part, of the body of Christ. We have different roles to play but each of us is placed in the body by God, not ourselves, and each has a place in God's story.

Conclusion

To sum it up, I've battled a Biblical view of community for years, and perhaps you have too. The real fear that I have about community is that I'll have to open up and share things I'm ashamed of. For years I was part of this group of people who seemed all but opposed to the idea of confessing our faults to each other. If there was any sin you were struggling with you take that to God and get a grip on yourself. You're struggling with pornography or bitterness at family? Well you best keep that quiet before someone hears you. Things changed drastically as my wife and I began attending Integrity and began living out in practice what James admonishes believers to do in James 5:16:

16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. [copied from biblehub.com]

No, community is not a sacrifice I made to God this morning. Community is His gift to me- a means of growing me in the gospel of His Son, building unity among His body, and exalting His name through it all. Its no sacrifice, it's a stronghold where I am guarded, corrected, loved, and instructed. Praise God for the gift of community!

Wake up time

Wake Up

Back to the blog

    I've spent many months without so much as a glance at my own blog, much less making a post. Any who read the few posts I have made in the past may wonder, "What's the holdup here? Is this guy a blogger or what?" Truth is I have a poor habit of picking things up that I have a hard time sticking with. Case in point: you ever get into a good book, maybe a classic or a series, and after several chapters (or the first book in a series) you put the book on a shelf to collect dust? Any gamers out there probably know the feeling of excitement and anticipation in making a new purchase (I've been a big open-world RPG type of guy myself) and after hours of trying and failing to beat this game you move on to something else. (Some specific examples: I've read half of War and Peace, half of Les Miserables, played most of Dark Souls 2, and, of course, posted like two posts in my blogging history).

Is there a point?

     What's the point I'm making here? Well I picked up a new album recently that touches on the struggle I've been going through and maybe you can relate. Recently married, working two jobs, sitting home most morning waiting for my shift to begin- that's my routine. I play games, read a little, watch ridiculous amounts of TV or Youtube. The fact is I've begun to notice that I'm missing out on life- my perspective has been completely twisted by a constant focus on media and entertainment. As NF point out here in his song, you can be at the top of the financial ladder living in luxury or just getting by each month and miss out on true satisfaction- on real life. For me, God has been opening my eyes to my media addiction and how I've been losing grip on reality, especially the grand reality of the gospel. There are others, maybe some reading this, that so value their position in work or status in school or maybe you make your identity dependent on possessions.

Coming out of the coma

You're not alone. I lived there before Christ, and even now I battle to find joy in Christ rather than in things. Circumstances, good or bad, have a tendency to divert our focus. NF phrases this type of "head in the sand" lifestyle as living in a coma, never waking up. Paul point out this type of mindset to the Romans over a thousand years ago (no TV's, no corporate ladder like we see today, no Mercedes to gain, no house on the lake to build). How could those people without the modern advances and possessions we have today struggle with a lack of focus? It's not like they were playing Mario (it's old but not that old) till two in the morning. How could they not focus when there were no huge mansions to boast about or cars to show off? The reason is because the problem we have is not our stuff- it's our hearts. The way we respond to this will look different because we are all in different situations; however, what will be the same is a radical step in ordering our schedules around Christ, which in turn will bring us to make time for others. The real call I am making here is for others like myself to wake up and look around you- who are you living for? Answer that question not based on what you should be living for or who you should be focusing on- answer it based on the facts, based on who you are right now. We are called to make war on sin- time is short, eternity is long. Let's make note of our priorities and live out what we are confessing. Look at this text of Scripture and listen to NF sometime today- I pray that this Scripture will penetrate your heart and mind and cause you to awaken to the Christ-centered life.

"11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." (Romans 13:11-14 [copied from biblehub.com])