Is There Prayer on Mars?

Mars, the Red Planet, has stoked the imagination of stargazers for a long, long time. Could life exist on our planetary neighbor? Most recently, NASA announced that it appears that liquid water, at least occasionally, flows there. A manned landing is certainly within the realm of possibility. It’s exciting.

Andy Weir has captured that excitement in his book aptly entitled The Martian. Most books never make it to the big screen. So when a new book becomes a new movie you can be certain that the story has some pop-cultural clout. The Martian is such a book. Weir has written a near perfect science fiction, or futuristic, novel for nerds. At the same time, he has unintentionally written a deeply religious novel. It’s gotten rave reviews from both scientists, science fiction writers, and now, Hollywood.

Humanities majors, like myself, will probably have to trust the author on some of the science and technology. I’m not the guy to say whether his chemistry is correct. Either way,The Martian spins a good yarn.

The premise is believable. At some point in the not-so-distant future, humanity will leave its mark on the planet Mars. Mark Watney, an interplanetary astronaut with a background in both engineering and botany, is part of the Ares 3 crew. Due to a series of truly unfortunate events, his crewmates believe that Mark is dead. In reality he is very much alive. Mark is literally left behind. In his struggle to survive he must rely solely upon technology and his own intelligence.

Back on earth, the world keeps tabs on Mark. He is observed by satellites circling the Red Planet. A team of NASA scientists work around the clock to find a way to save him. Eventually NASA enlists the aid of the Chinese space program.

In a last best hope for rescue, a wild plan is concocted. It is a plan which includes vast amounts of technological wizardry and personal courage. The whole world is watching. As the plan unfolds, people gather in their homes, in pubs, or stare at the big screen in Times Square waiting, hoping for Mark’s rescue. Mark’s parents are briefly mentioned. They are pictured sitting in front of their television watching with parental anguish, a NASA representative quietly and closely on hand to answer any questions.

At first glance, the novel seems to be devoid of religion. Certainly there is little or no traditional religious significance in the novel, but Andy Weir offers a vision of a future in which there is deep religious faith in humanity.

Never are there gatherings in church, synagogue, mosque, or temple. No prayer meetings in which people plead for divine assistance. However, there are two significant religious scenes. Both of them have to do with another astronaut, the devoutly Roman Catholic Rick Martinez. (When Hollywood bothers to depict Catholic characters, they tend to be Hispanic.)

The first scene takes place about a month after Mark Watney is abandoned on Mars. He desperately needs to make fire. The problem is that everything they brought with them is made of “metal and flame-retardant plastic.” So, he rummages through the personal belongings of the other astronauts and finds, of all things, a small wooden crucifix which Martinez managed to bring with him. So he puts it to “good” use and makes wood shavings from which to start a fire. He jokes that he's left himself vulnerable to “Martian vampires.” In a Promethean moment Mark steals fire from a nonexistent god. The secret fire of technological knowledge the gods have kept for themselves is stolen by Man.

The other significant religious scene occurs when NASA scientists decide to send the Ares 3 crew, the same crew that mistakenly left him behind, back to Mars to save Mark. The ship’s Commander Lewis has a heart-to-heart with (you guessed it) Rick Martinez.

“We need to face the possibility that he won’t make it…,” Lewis said. “If that happens, we need to keep morale up. We still have a long way to go before we get home.” 

“He was dead before,” Martinez said. “It was rough on morale, but we soldiered on. Besides, he won’t die.”

“It’s pretty bleak, Rick,” said Lewis. “He’s already fifty kilometers into the storm, and he’ll go another ninety kilometers per sol. He’ll get in too deep to recover soon."

Martinez shoot his head. “He’ll pull through, Commander. Have faith.” 

She smiled forlornly, “Rick, you know I’m not religious.” 

“I know,” he said. “I’m not talking about faith in God. I’m talking about faith in Mark Watney." 

Even a devout Roman Catholic like Martinez is converted to the new faith in humanity. If we’re to be saved, it will be through faith in human intelligence, technology, and raw determination. This is the ultimate self-help story. The Martian preaches a message of faith in the innate goodness of Man and the inevitability of human progress.

Spoiler Alert: Mark is rescued. He reflects on his ordeal and asks the question “Why” so much time and money had been spent to save a “dorky botanist”? Mark answers his own question.

I know the answer to that. Part of it might be what I represent: progress, science, and the interplanetary future we’ve dreamed of for centuries. But really, they did it because every human being has a basic instinct to help each other out….If a hiker gets lost in the mountains, people will coordinate a search. If a train crashes, people will line up to give blood. If an earthquake levels a city, people all over the world will send emergency supplies. This is so fundamentally human that it’s found in every culture without exception. Yes there are assholes who just don’t care, but they’re massively outnumbered by the people who do.

I read these last paragraphs and realized what had been so blatantly missing in The Martian. There are no sinners. Yes, there are some weak asinine bureaucrats, but even they are basically good. It’s as if the children of Lake Wobegon had grown up to become scientists and astronauts. In The Martian, “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.”

No one wrestles with greed, or jealousy, or lust. The world is ruled by selfless, sainted scientists. It is this one-sided, shallow, overly optimistic to the point of unrealistic portrayal of our new Robinson Crusoe and the good people who try to save him which ruined the novel for me. I’ll take Brave New World, 1984, The Martian Chronicles, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength, or Dune over this sterilized utopian vision in which there are no real human beings. There are only very smart, very nice, very funny, very kind people all working together in a world without sin, only technical difficulties. The Martian is an extended tract for this new religion.

Thoughts on Reformation

What Reformation Is Not

There is a strange notion among many Protestants that the spirit of reformation is the spirit of rebellion. In other words, reforming the church means rebelling against church authority. Put simply, that is untrue. The Reformers, most notably Luther and Calvin, wanted to reform the church as an act of obedience, not rebellion. That is, they sought to obey God’s Word.

The fact that the Reformers’ obedience to God meant rebellion against Rome was accidental to their cause. The substance of the Reformation was and still is obedience to the Lord, not rebellion against authority.  Moreover, if the Bishop of Rome, or any other church authority, merely commands obedience to God’s Word, that authority should be humbly obeyed. There’s no need to reform that which is rightly formed.

Another strange view of reformation is that it is the triumph of the individual conscience. A true reformer, it is thought, is one whose conscience can override God’s moral law as it is contained in the Scriptures. This, too, is untrue to the spirit of the Reformers, whose consciences were formed and bound by God’s Word.

There is much talk about “bound conscience” among Christians, but the question that needs to be asked is, “Bound by what?” Luther’s words at the Diet of Worms are instructive for anyone who wants to engage in true reformation: “I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God.”

Individual conscience matters, but conscience can err. God’s Word does not err. True conscience is that which is open to being corrected and reformed by God’s Word. And true reformation is that which is captive not to the spirit of the age, but to the Spirit of God (who also just so happens to be the Author of the Bible!).

What Reformation Is

True reformation is reforming the Church so that she is in greater accordance with the Word of God. Why is this necessary? Because there is an obstinate tendency in the Church to make the traditions of men more important than the commandments of God. Reformation fights against this tendency. It labors to elevate the inspired Scriptures over and above – and, if necessary, against – man-made precepts.

There is great freedom that comes from the gospel. Because of Jesus Christ, there is no need to earn one’s salvation, no need to follow ceremonial laws (even if those ceremonies were commanded by God in the Old Testament, because the purpose of those ceremonies was to point to Christ), and most notably, no need to follow the traditions of men.

Yes, spiritual disciplines instituted by men can be good ways to cultivate faith. For example, the observance of Advent or Lent can serve to emphasize and cultivate a particular element of the Christian life. However, such man-made disciplines are not necessary for Christians to observe. Helpful? Yes. Necessary? No. Why? Because God never said, “Thou shalt observe Advent.”

Reformation means making sure that even good things instituted by holy men never turn into necessary things, as if they were instituted by God. Making good things necessary obscures the freedom one has in the gospel. It reduces faith in the living God to nothing more than a bunch of petty traditions passed on by men.

No matter how religious such man-made precepts may appear, they carry no weight in comparison to that which is actually commanded by God in his Word. A true reformation, therefore, is reforming Church teaching and practice to be evermore closely aligned with the Word of God.

Anything less than this is just a petty rebellion, to which the words of Hebrews should be applied, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls.” (Hebrews 13:17)

One Last Word

The Reformation – the period of reform in the 16^th century that splintered the Western Church into hundreds of sects – is not something to be celebrated. Sectarianism runs contrary to the unity for which Jesus himself prayed. (Cf. John 17) Divisions between Christians are perhaps the greatest detriment to Christian witness, meaning the Reformation should be lamented as a tragic (though perhaps necessary) occurrence.

What is to be celebrated is the desire and the courage to labor for the Church’s faithfulness to God. That kind of reform is something to be sought for in every age.

Strategy #3 for Making Life Miserable - Being Judgmental

The last two posts on this blog were part of a series on how to make life miserable. Strategy number one was Carrying Expectations, and strategy two was Playing the Victim. Now comes strategy three, Being Judgmental.

A judgmental attitude is a surefire way to make life miserable. Before noting a few ways to cultivate a judgmental mindset (and thereby become increasingly miserable), it’s worth saying what being judgmental is not.

Namely, it is not judgmental to know that some things are sinful, nor is it judgmental to tell someone they’re sinning. Indeed, one can be very discriminating between that which is good and that which is evil, and one can also speak to others about good and evil, all with great love in his heart.

What makes someone judgmental is not the ability to discern right from wrong, but the desire to hate and damn others. A judgmental spirit is one that perversely enjoys the sins of others, if only because the sins of others give one the opportunity to prosecute others, as if life is one big courtroom. (Never mind that “Satan” literally means “accuser,” and hence those who want to accuse and condemn people are thereby joining the ranks of Satan.)

So that is what it means to be judgmental, and being judgmental makes life miserable. That said, here are three ways to make oneself increasingly judgmental and, as a consequence, increasingly miserable:

Make Assumptions

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to know all the factors that have played into someone else’s actions. In order to be judgmental, it is highly important to assume that you know more than you really do. That is, assume that you do know all the factors (even though it’s certain you don’t!), and therefore there is no excuse for someone’s behavior. The only rational explanation? They are evil.

Assume also that you know people’s motives and intentions. True, you have no idea what’s really going on inside someone else’s heart. But to cultivate a judgmental attitude, you have to ignore your lack of insight. Act like you can see the unseen, and then draw a picture of the worst motives you can imagine.

Most actions are motivated by a variety of things, both good and bad. To be judgmental, assume that the motives of others are purely bad. Assume that other people intend to wrong you. This will make you quite judgmental and miserable.

Use Totalizing Language

Rather than simply stating the truth about a particular action (i.e. “John was very short with me in our conversation today”), use totalizing language that extrapolates one action into all actions (i.e. “John is always short with me, he never wants to talk”).

Someone who uses totalizing words like “always” and “never” is not really telling the truth, but that’s the key to being judgmental. To condemn people, you need to build a case against them. And to build a case, you need to ignore evidence that contradicts your accusation. Hence, words like “always” and “never” are very handy. If someone “always” does something wrong or “never” does something right, then there’s literally nothing they can do to escape your condemnation.

For anyone who’d like to have a judgmental (and miserable) spirit, don’t confine yourself to the truth. Remember that your job is to build a case against others and to justify your condemnation of them. A good prosecutor doesn’t bring up evidence that may excuse the defendant. Be a good prosecutor. Use totalizing language.

Label People

Labels take certain actions (i.e. “John was very short with me in our conversation today”) and turn them into an assessment of one’s character (i.e. “John is an a**hole”). Labels are very easy to come up with when you’re already adept at using totalizing language (i.e. “John is always short with me, he never wants to talk. Therefore, John is most certainly an a**hole”).

Labels blind oneself to reality and help build a case for condemnation. Put simply, once you have placed a label on someone, you’ll be very unlikely to notice things that contradict it. Or if you do notice such things, you’ll be likely to interpret them according to your preexisting label. For example, if John is most certainly an a**hole, then even the kind things that he does will seem suspicious to you.

Labels are perhaps the finest tool of a judgmental spirit. If you really want to be judgmental, use the actions of others to make negative assessments of their character. Label people as “idiots” or “jerks” or, best of all, “evil.” You will thereby feel completely justified in your hatred of them. And your hatred, of course, will make you quite miserable.

Final Word

So there they are: Three ways to cultivate a judgmental mindset and, in turn, make oneself miserable. There's just one last piece of advice for anyone who wants to be judgmental. Namely, ignore the words of Jesus:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you get.” – Matthew 7:1-2

Strategy #2 for Making Life Miserable - Playing the Victim

This is the second post in a series on making life miserable. The first strategy recommended was living with expectations. Now comes strategy number two:

Playing the Victim

What does it mean to play the victim? In short, it is to focus as much as possible on how you’ve been wronged. It is to perseverate on the difficult circumstances and/or the difficult people you’ve encountered.

Life can be hard, for sure. Everyone knows that, but professional victims set themselves apart by talking incessantly about how hard it is. Want to join their ranks? Then convince yourself that you're the only one who faces adversity. Moreover, become expert at focusing on things you'd like to change but over which you have no control.

Of course, focusing on things we can’t control leads to frustration, and frustration is, in fact, a miserable thing. That misery of frustration can be cultivated by keeping our gaze fixed on that which we cannot change, the goal being to feel as powerless as possible. To that end, never truly pray and trust that God hears you. If you want to stay frustrated and miserable, then you need to act like God has no control over life, either.

Ultimately, the victim’s life is all about “getting through” and always feeling wronged by life. As a result of that mindset, the victim never truly lives. He doesn’t enjoy the gift of life, doesn’t make personal change, doesn’t forgive, and doesn’t reconcile himself to reality. Misery indeed.

“Why does this always happen to me? Why is life so unfair?” It can be very comforting to play the victim. It’s much easier to blame others than take responsibility and ownership of one’s life. Life is meant to be lived, but those who’d rather be miserable can easily stay that way. The key? Persisting in the age-old blame-game.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. “It’s this woman’s fault! It’s that serpent’s fault! I’m a victim of circumstance! I’m a victim of someone else’s bad choices!” No one took personal responsibility, but instead played the role of victim. The bliss of Eden was lost immediately.

It is recovered only in Christ Jesus, who, instead of playing the victim and looking for someone to blame, willingly took the sins of others upon himself. To the question of Cain – “Am I my brother’s keeper?” – Jesus gave the answer, “Yes, I am.” This is the only way out of misery. That is to say, forgiveness is the only way back to Eden.

And so, to those who truly want to be miserable, all of the above can be summarized in just two words: Never forgive.

Strategy #1 for Making Life Miserable - Carrying Expectations

I’ve decided to write a series of posts on how to make life miserable. Yes, I know that no one really wants to be miserable. Okay, I’ll speak just for myself: I know that I don’t want to be miserable. Nevertheless, writing about how to make life miserable is helpful for avoiding just those things that lead to misery.

And so, without further ado, here is Strategy #1 for robbing life of its joy:

Living with Expectations

If you want to lead a miserable life, then carry around the expectation that everything should go well. Expect the weather to be good, expect daily tasks to be easy, and most of all, expect people to be lovely, to read your mind, and to treat you just the way you like.

Of course, at some point (and perhaps quite frequently) these expectations will not be met and you'll experience disappointment. That’s the first step toward misery. Now if you can manage to wallow in your disappointment, that’s the key to making your life truly miserable.

It’s helpful to dwell on this equation: Contentment = Reality minus Expectations. Hence, having huge expectations will greatly diminish your contentedness. The converse is also true. If you have absolutely no expectations, then your equation is: Contentment = Reality. In short, if you really do want to be miserable, then make sure your expectations always exceed reality.

In relation to that, avoid the realization that life is a gift. That is to say, ignore the fact that you did not give yourself this life and that your existence is totally superfluous. Pure, undeserved gift: That’s what life is.

But ignore that. Pretend instead that life is something you wrought and earned for yourself. More than that, pretend that not just life, but life going well, is your right. No-one and no-thing should interfere with your right to have life go smoothly.

With that mindset, life’s interferences will make you complain vigorously. Verbal complaint is the fruit of a thankless and miserable heart, the opposite of which is a grateful heart.

“We thy people, the flock of thy pasture, will give thanks to thee forever.” (Psalm 79:13) It is best to avoid those words, and instead sit down at the bitter water of Meribah and join the age-old complaint of man against God:

“Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place?” (Numbers 20:3, 5)

Whether Jesus Abolished God's Law - Thoughts on Ephesians 2:11-22

In many churches this weekend, Ephesians 2:11-22 will be read at worship. Verse 15 is especially noteworthy: “…by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he (Jesus) might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace…” (ESV)

Undoubtedly many will interpret the above text to say that Jesus has abolished God’s moral law and, therefore, we are welcome to live as we please. Let us sin boldly so that grace may abound! Those with more sense will say that Jesus has indeed abolished the law and we can live as we please, but only insofar as we don’t violate the law of love.

That’s true, so far as it goes. But those who offer this interpretation seem to have trouble defining the law of love. The question that needs to be answered is this: Can we violate the moral law of God (e.g. “You shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, covet, etc.”) and still fulfill the law of love? In other words, can we murder, fornicate, steal, covet, etc., and still be loving people? The answer is obvious: By no means!

Three Types of Law: Moral, Civil, and Ceremonial

Then what law did Jesus abolish? If not the moral law of the Ten Commandments, then what law is Ephesians talking about? It is helpful to note that three types of laws are present in the Old Testament: moral, civil, and ceremonial.

God’s moral law is that which pertains to right and wrong, good and evil. That law has not been abolished by Jesus. I will return to its place in the Christian life toward the end of this post, but for now it suffices to say that Ephesians is not talking about God’s moral law. It speaks of a law that put a barrier between Jews and Gentiles. (Reading the entire passage shows this.) God’s moral law did not erect any such barrier. It always has been, and always will be, universal.

There is also God’s civil law, which was meant to govern ancient Israel. That type of law was strictly for that people and that time period. That's why Christians don't stone people to death, for example, even though the Old Testament civil law calls for it on certain occasions (e.g. Deuteronomy 17:5). 

God’s ceremonial law, meanwhile, was meant to instruct ancient Israel in worship. The ultimate purpose of that ceremonial law – and this is worth emphasizing – was to foreshadow Jesus Christ. For example, the unblemished Passover lamb (Exodus 12) was meant to point to Jesus, the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Ephesians Speaks of Ceremonial Law

Now here's the main argument of this post: This is the type of law that was abolished by Jesus. Since the ceremonial law was a foreshadowing of Christ, it is no longer needed. Once the reality has come, we don’t need to follow the shadows anymore. Yes, the shadows can certainly be helpful in understanding more fully who Jesus is and what he came to do, but they’re not to form the basis of our identity.

The Ephesians passage in question speaks of the abolishment not of God’s moral law (as some would have it), but of the ceremonial law. That’s why Christians don’t need to be circumcised (that’s a ceremonial law that pointed to the circumcision of heart wrought by Jesus), but do need to refrain from fornication and robbery (those are moral laws, which the Spirit of Jesus does not abolish but actually writes on a believer’s heart).

The Role of God’s Moral Law Among Christians

If Jesus does not abolish God’s moral law, then what role does that law have in the Christian life? Three. One is to restrain sinful inclinations, much like a dam restrains the flow of a river. (Timothy 1:9-10.) Another is to reveal one’s own sinfulness, much like an internal mirror showing us the blemishes of sin on our hearts. (Romans 7:7-13)

A third and final function of God’s moral law is to instruct a believer in true righteousness and holiness. (Notice how so many of Paul's letters begin by proclaiming the gospel and then conclude by commanding moral obedience. Those commandments are examples of this third use of the law.) Put simply, a Christian doesn't get to make up the kind of righteousness he practices. Instead, God commands a particular kind.

And, among the elect, God not only commands his moral law but also writes it on their heart so that obedience happens freely and joyfully. (Jeremiah 31:31-34 is worth reading. “I will put my law within them…”) This obedience is certainly not the cause of a believer's righteousness before God, but it is the necessary effect and shape of it.

Last Word

For anyone who would interpret Ephesians 2:1-22 as an abolishment of God’s moral law, I hope the above points would give pause. And if they don't, let Scripture interpret Scripture, and let Jesus’ own words in Matthew govern our interpretation of Ephesians:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:17-19

Summer Reading - A Few Good Books

An increase in daylight and a decrease in life’s pace make summer a good time for reading. In case your summer reading list isn’t complete, here are a few good books for consideration:

1.       The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

I first read the Narnia series while on summer break during seminary. Long a fan of Lewis’ writings (many of which have been foundational to my formation in theology), I had nevertheless avoided his fiction. After all, what could be gained by reading a children’s book?

Much, in every way. The symbolism of Narnia has incredible depth that can instruct even the most mature of Christians. Lewis is masterful in casting biblical themes into new light. Indeed, it's hard to read the story of Aslan without developing a deeper understanding of Christ.

The Chronicles of Narnia is a relatively easy (albeit long) read. More importantly, it is immensely enjoyable and edifying. If I could suggest only one book for summer reading, this would be it.

2.       The Book of Concord

Somewhere I can hear my seminary friends laughing. The Book of Concord is a compilation of Lutheran writings from the Reformation of the 1500s, and most of the time no one chooses to read it. (Much more often it is assigned.) These writings tend to be polemical and theologically dense. An easy read this is not.

Read it anyway. True doctrine is life-giving, and The Book of Concord is chock-full of such doctrine. Perhaps the best sections to read are the Large Catechism (written by Martin Luther, covering Christian essentials such as the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer) and the Formula of Concord (written principally by Martin Chemnitz, covering a number of important doctrines such as original sin and predestination).

There are no guarantees The Book of Concord will be comprehended with ease, but to anyone who would put in the effort and "chew the cud" of doctrinal precision, the benefits are well-worth it. These writings are a good corrective to the juvenility and shallowness that pervades much of American Christianity.

3.       The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards: A Reader, Jonathan Edwards

Edwards was a Puritan pastor in colonial America and perhaps best known for his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” (Less known is that he served briefly as President of Princeton University.) That sermon is included in this collection, but it is by no means Edwards’ finest work.

I’ll mention just two of my favorites. First, “Heaven Is a World of Love” beautifully describes the wonders of God’s Kingdom, including how one can participate in such wonders even now. It offers great encouragement to walk in the way of love. Second, “The Pleasantness of Religion” demonstrates how following the way of Christ Jesus is an enjoyable endeavor. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to obeying God is that it seems like it will ruin one’s life, but Edwards shows that it's precisely the opposite: Not obedience, but sin ruins one’s life. True, wholehearted obedience - that which is born of faith - is “exceedingly pleasant.”

Edwards’ sermons follow the typical Puritan form of “doctrine” followed by “use” or “application.” This lends his sermons a clarity that is sometimes missing in modern preaching. It also evidences a conviction (with which I agree) that doctrine is directly related to life, and life to doctrine.

This book is a good read for anyone who’d like to be taught by perhaps America’s most creative and brilliant theologian.

4.       The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan

Another book by a Puritan, The Pilgrim’s Progress is a classic in Christian literature. It’s written as an allegory of the Christian life, giving its characters and settings self-revealing names: Pilgrim (the main character), Mr. Fear, the Hill of Difficulty, the Delightful Mountains, Vanity Fair, etc. Each person and place has the potential to hinder or to help Pilgrim on his journey.

The allegory is pretty easy to follow: Pilgrim’s journey is a journey of faith, following the “straight and narrow way” to God. Potential readers who are walking in the same “straight and narrow way” – the way of Christ Jesus – will see in Pilgrim’s journey the story of their own life. They’ll meet many of the same difficulties and distractions as Pilgrim, and hopefully receive the same graces that kept his journey on track.

I remember hearing that in the field of Christian literature, The Pilgrim’s Progress is second only to the Bible in importance. I hesitate to go that far, but I agree that it should be read by anyone who takes seriously the call of Christ Jesus, “Follow me.”

5.       Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis de Sales

I tend to dislike books that are intentionally “devotional,” but this one is different. Many devotional books are consciously trying to be therapeutic (trying, that is, to induce a certain feeling in the reader). In contrast to that, St. Francis de Sales seeks to truly edify his reader through sound instruction and constant encouragement.

Devout Life begins by describing what true devotion to God is, and then outlines ways in which a life of devotion can be cultivated. This book is eminently practical. It’s also filled with thoughtful illustrations that cast new light on the Christian life. One example will suffice:

“The bees approach some plants and flowers even when they produce bitter fruit, but they draw out the bitter juices and turn it into honey…In the same way, devout souls encounter great bitterness in their works of mortification, but by performing them they change them into something beautiful and delightful.”

Finally, one thing remarkable about St. Francis de Sales is his kindness. It might sound strange to call an author kind, but in this case it's entirely true. The writing in this book conveys a heart that cares deeply about the well-being of the reader. That care, along with the profundity of de Sales’ mind, make it easy to trust him as a spiritual guide.

Your Suggestions?

Those are my suggestions. I’d love to hear your own in the comments section. I’ve read all of the above books and wouldn’t mind filling-out my summer reading list with a few more good ones.

Happy reading.

Why the Doctrine of the Trinity Matters

First, the Doctrine of the Trinity in a nutshell: There is just one true God, and his name is the Lord (YHWH). The Lord is one God in three Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is fully God; the Son is fully God; the Holy Spirit is fully God.

Since this Sunday is "Holy Trinity Sunday" in many churches, it seems good to consider why the Doctrine of the Trinity matters. Three reasons immediately come to mind (feel free to add your own in the comments):

1. Because God is Love

Frequently quoted is 1^st John 4:16: “God is love.” Less frequent is the recognition that this statement could not be true without the Doctrine of the Trinity. How so? Briefly put, in order for God to be love, there must first be someone or something for Him to love. There can be no love without a beloved.

Before He created the world, who or what was there for God to love? That is, who or what was God’s beloved? The Doctrine of the Trinity answers: The Father has loved the Son for all eternity, the Son has loved the Father for all eternity, and the Holy Spirit is the eternal bond of love between them. God is - always has been, and always will be - love.

If God were not triune, then love would not be his eternal nature. But since He is triune, it can be said without reservation or logical contradiction: God is love. And why does that matter? Because this divine Fellowship of Love is the fellowship into which a Christian is baptized – “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” – meaning the truly Christian life is the one lived in God's everlasting love.

2. Because Denying Divinity Has Logical Consequences

If Jesus Christ is not God, then those who believe in Him are not saved. Why? Because only God can save. No mere man can overcome the unholy trinity of sin, death, and the devil. Jesus Christ is not merely a man. He is God, and that means He can save.

Likewise, if the Holy Spirit is not God, then we are not saved. (Again, only God can save.) If, in having the Holy Spirit, we do not have God himself, then we are still separated from God. However, because the Holy Spirit is God, having Him inside is having God inside. It can be said that the Spirit is salvation Himself, living within.

Frequently the New Testament admonishes us to entrust our lives to Jesus and to receive the Holy Spirit as our guarantor of salvation. If Jesus were not God, and if the Holy Spirit were not God, this would be foolish advice. However, the lived experience of many Christians is that entrusting one’s life to Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit brings salvation. Is this not a sign that Jesus and the Spirit are indeed God?

3. Because It’s True

Maybe this is obvious, but it should be stated nonetheless. The Doctrine of the Trinity matters because it is true. Perhaps this is offensive to those with post-modern sensibilities, but truth matters. It has consequences for how we live, and living contrary to the truth never works.

To use a mundane example, someone looking for a tropical vacation would be foolish to book a flight to Antarctica. Antarctica might be a very lovely place, but the truth is that it won’t provide much in the way of balmy weather and drinks on the beach.

Just so, someone looking for God would be foolish to look for Him outside of Christ Jesus and outside of his Holy Spirit. The truth is that God has revealed Himself as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One whose desire is for God (and truly, everyone’s ultimate desire is for God) should be told to cling to Christ Jesus, and to receive and live by the Holy Spirit. Only then will God be found and the human heart satisfied.

Three Benefits of Weekly Communion

1. Holy Communion can shape the sermon.

It is all-too-easy for preachers to turn Christianity into something we do for God, rather than something God does for us. Celebrating weekly Communion fights against that. It is a frequent reminder that the gospel is about Jesus and his work, not about us and ours.

Yes, there are implications and imperatives for how the faithful are to live in response to the gospel, but those imperatives are rooted in and flow from what Christ has already done: “This is my body, given for you…my blood, shed for you.” That gospel message, conveyed so concretely in Holy Communion, can and should shape every sermon.

*Note: While Holy Communion can shape the sermon, that does not guarantee it will. And yet even if Communion does not shape the preacher’s message, it will always shore-up his deficiencies. Said differently, Communion proclaims the gospel even when the preacher doesn’t.

2. Holy Communion can kill self-righteousness.

A weekly reminder that Christ died because of your sins is a great antidote for self-righteousness. Indeed, it can be severely deflating to the ego when coming to the altar of Jesus not as spiritually elite and morally magnificent, but as a repentant sinner in need of grace.

Perhaps this would be better communicated if our confession of sin before Communion were more prominent, less rote, and more personal. (One of the many reasons I’m an advocate of private confession.) But even so, hearing “Christ died for you” and receiving weekly his body and blood for the forgiveness of sin should change one’s self-perception. It's hard to be self-righteous when there's a weekly reminder that you crucified Jesus.

Ultimately, Christians are to think of themselves not more highly than they ought to think, but with sober judgment. (Romans 12:3) Weekly Communion can help with that.

3. Holy Communion can calm troubled hearts.

When I first became Christian, I attended non-denominational churches wherein the celebration of Communion was infrequent and, even when observed, downplayed to the point of insignificance. Moreover, most of the sermons were focused on living a Christian life. As a result, I became genuinely worried about the state of my soul. Was I saved? I wasn’t so sure anymore.

Holy Communion offers the assurance of salvation that no sermon on “Christian living” can. Jesus Christ – given in, with, and under the consecrated bread and wine – is confirmation of the fact that God is love. Communion declares that God will save anyone who comes to Him. Wounded sinners, take heart: Salvation is by grace, not works. (How easily that is forgotten and trampled underfoot!)

“Then shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound? By no means!” (Romans 6:1-2) But even so, neither shall we continue in fear and worry as if our lives are irredeemable. The God of Israel is gracious and merciful. Christ came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32) Nowhere is that more clearly stated than in Communion.

A Final Question

The weekly celebration of Holy Communion is a good and salutary thing. The question I will leave for anyone with ears to hear is this: What “more important” things are preventing churches from receiving this gift more often?

Is It Bad to Fear Hell?

Scared Into Obedience

Should we live with a fear of hell? Lately I’ve come across a few Facebook posts and comments intimating that the fear of hell is quite unnecessary. No, it is even bad to fear hell and quite contrary to the Christian faith.

Why? Perhaps because one does not even believe that hell exists. But a more faithful reason is that the fear of hell has been used to “scare” people into obedience. And scaring people into obeying God is not what God himself wants. God wants our obedience to be free and born out of love, not forced and motivated by fright. (For the record, I agree. However, some people fear hell for a much deeper and better reason than being “scared of punishment.” More on that below.)

There is certainly legitimacy to this idea. 1^st John 4:18 in particular seems to support it: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” In other words, when one actually becomes perfected in love – sanctified by God and molded into the image of Christ – any fear of being punished by God will diminish and eventually vanish.

A Better Reason to Fear

But even so, there is a type of fear that isn’t related to punishment. The distinction between servile fear and filial fear is helpful here. Servile fear (i.e. “I fear hell because I want to avoid punishment”) is due to selfishness and does not please God. But filial fear (“I fear hell because I love God and want to be with Him”) is motivated by love for God, which is what God himself commands.

A filial fear of hell is inherent to the Christian life. It is, in fact, a good and salutary thing to fear hell because of love for God. In order to understand this, it is important to note that hell is not merely a place of eternal pain, but a state of irrevocable separation from God. Given that definition of hell, those who love God would also fear hell. That is to say, they would fear missing out on life with their Lord.

The Lord himself, not just some blissful place called “heaven,” is the true inheritance of the saints. To miss out on God and be separated from Him is misery indeed, and that misery is what the Church calls “hell.” That means that hell most certainly should be feared – not because punishment is so “scary,” but because God is so loved. One who walks in this kind of fear walks with his heart fixed on Christ, resolved to die to sin so that he might live to God.

Two Reasons I Won't Be Seeing Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey premieres this Valentine’s Day weekend. There are plenty of people pleading that no one see the movie. And rightly so: It is a pornographic film that degrades women and attempts to normalize sexual perversion.

Truth be told, I’ve thought that it’s not worth saying anything against Fifty Shades. Most people have made up their minds. You’re going to watch it and this blog-post isn’t going to change a thing.

And yet those who say nothing will be held accountable for the sins of others. (That’s Ezekiel 3:18, for those keeping track of such things.) And pastors who say nothing? Even more so. (James 3:1) Thus, I’m going to say it: Don’t see Fifty Shades of Grey. Choose something else – something better, something more salutary for your soul, more beautiful and satisfying to your mind.

Say “no” to Fifty Shades. Why? There are many reasons, but here are two of my own:

1. It is bad art. Yep, that’s right: Fifty Shades of Grey is just a flat-out poor attempt at artwork. Truly artistic books and movies tell a story that needs to be told. They lend insight into the human condition and treat creatively our struggles, joys, and passions.

Fifty Shades does none of this. Somehow I doubt that anyone involved in the production of the movie ever said, “Wow, this is a story that really needs to be told!” Nope, there is nothing truly artistic or insightful about the story told by E.L. James. It would’ve been better left untold, rotting in the impoverished imagination of a bad writer. Which brings me to my next point…

Anyone who appreciates good literature would probably cringe at the writing in Fifty Shades of Grey. Allow me to quote a few lines to demonstrate its artistic poverty:

“Finally, my medulla oblongata recalls its purpose, I breathe.” (Anyone else think this line was stolen from Adam Sandler in The Waterboy?)

“My scalp prickles as adrenaline and fury lance through my body, all my worst fears realized.”

“My inner goddess is beside herself, hopping from foot to foot.”

You can’t make this stuff up, folks. This is truly stupid material, not worthy to be called art and definitely not worth two hours of time and $9.25 for admission. Reason #1 I will not be seeing Fifty Shades of Grey: It is simply bad art.

2. It is an ugly story. I almost wrote “a sinful story,” but most people have a definition of sin that does not do justice to the ugliness of sin. Thus, I’m sticking with ugly. Fifty Shades of Grey is a very ugly story.

How so? Let me count the ways. First, say hello to your main character, Christian Grey. He is foppish, self-infatuated, and emotionally immature. He likes to lure weak-willed, equally immature women into sexual exploitation. Enter Anastasia Steele. This young woman, a virgin when she meets Grey, is demeaned and objectified. That is, she is turned into a mere object for Christian Grey’s sexual gratification. Somehow she finds this thrilling.

In Fifty Shades, true intimacy is reduced to bodily intimacy, and love is reduced to lust. What about self-sacrifice? Gone. Self-giving? Only in the most crass sense. Lifelong commitment to the well-being of another? Apparently we’ve evolved beyond such antiquated things.

Fifty Shades portrays an ugly relationship. It is ugly not primarily because of what it has, but because of what it lacks. The truly beautiful relationship contains intimacy not just of body, but also of mind and soul. It entails lifelong faithfulness, self-sacrifice for the sake of love, and a deep willingness to bear the sins, the struggles, and the shortcomings of another.

All of that is to say, the truly beautiful relationship between a man and a woman reflects the relationship between Jesus Christ and his bride, the Church. That is the true and eternal standard of beauty, a standard of which Fifty Shades (and much of our post-modern American culture) seems quite ignorant.

Contrast Christian Grey with Jesus Christ: Grey was a rich man who wanted more; Christ was a far richer man who emptied himself for others. Grey wanted to take; Christ wanted to give. Grey wanted to exploit as many women as possible; Christ, to be faithful to his one bride, the Church. Grey wanted to put on chains; Christ, to take them off. They both required submission, but submission to Christian Grey enslaved, while submission to Jesus Christ set free.

The two could not be more different, and only one of these characters is beautiful. Only one is worthy of admiration and imitation. Christian Grey is not it. Fifty Shades is an ugly story, pretending to be “hot” and “sexy” when in fact it degrades true femininity and bastardizes true masculinity.

Final Word

With all of that said, it’s worth mentioning another movie premiering this weekend as an alternative to the stupidity and ugliness of Fifty Shades. It is titled Old Fashioned and its trailer can be seen here: Old Fashioned.

Have a blessed Valentine’s Day. Celebrate marriage; celebrate true love; celebrate all that is good and beautiful. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:2

Optimist or Pessimist?

The ultimate goal is to answer which approach to life is Christian. But first things first: What is an optimist? And what is a pessimist?

An optimist is one who expects that good will come. Even in the worst circumstances, he holds onto a hope that all will turn out well. Some are tenacious optimists, expecting great good to come even as everything is falling apart. Others are more cautious, sticking only to the mantra that “everything happens for a reason” (and that reason, of course, is some unseen-but-certainly-coming good).

In contrast to the optimist, the pessimist expects the worst. He has seen the inevitable downfall and dissolution of all good things, even those that seemed most permanent. As a result, he thinks his view is more realistic than that of the optimist. The optimist, in the pessimist’s eyes, is a naïve chap who needs to learn from the school of life. To paraphrase G.K. Chesterton, a pessimist is quite pleased to witness the bad that he expected, if only because it gives him the chance to say, “I told you so.”

Which is Christian?

So, between the optimist and the pessimist, which disposition toward life is actually Christian? It seems that pessimism is by no means a Christian view of the world. A religion that claims to offer hope to its followers would be difficult to classify as pessimistic. How could one believe that “God makes all things work together for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28), and yet still expect the worst to come? How could a religion with a radio station like “positive, encouraging K-LOVE” be classified as pessimistic?

And yet, the classification of Christianity as pessimistic does indeed fit in some ways. Christianity takes very seriously the fact that all things fall apart and that death and dissolution eventually overtake all. Very rightly so, the Christian expects not worldly triumph and glory, but loss and humiliation. That was, after all, the end met by the pioneer of the Christian faith, Jesus Christ.

But Christianity is no pessimistic religion. Though it does expect “trials and tribulations” to come, and though it refuses to deny the reality of death, it still retains hope that good will prevail in the End. However, this is no worldly optimism, as if being Christian means overcoming the odds on your way to becoming successful and comfortable. Triumphalism has no place among a people who worship a crucified Lord.

Hopeful Realism

The Christian disposition toward life can best be termed hopeful realism. It retains its realistic view of the world, but also believes in and hopes for a reality greater than that which we see. We walk by faith, not by sight. And that faith is placed in the Lord who, yes, was crucified, but also was raised. This gives rise to the unshakeable hope of Christianity. Such hope is rooted not in a silly or superstitious optimism, but in the God who raises the dead. Death and dissolution are not thereby avoided, but redeemed and overcome.

Of course, this is an eschatological hope. That is, it is a hope that all will be well in the world to come. In the meantime, this world is a mix of good and bad – not meaningless good and bad, but good and bad meant to conform God’s people to the image of Jesus Christ. Such conformation to Christ is preparation for the Day on which the Christian hope will have its fulfillment – all will be made well, rectified and redeemed so that those who have been conformed to Christ can enjoy everlasting glory and communion with Him.

Neither optimism nor pessimism is a Christian approach to life. Hopeful realism is. In his realism, the Christian might come across to the optimists as quite pessimistic. But in his steadfastness of hope, he may seem absurdly optimistic to the pessimists. But really, he is neither. He sees reality as it is, and he hopes for the redemption of reality in the world to come. Such hope is the salvation of his soul, “For we are saved by hope.” (Romans 8:24, KJV)