A little background. Sheldon Vanauken and his wife “Davy” had the opportunity to get to know C.S. Lewis at Oxford who was very influential in their becoming Christians. Van and Davy had a wonderful marriage and in the midst of it Davy began struggling with an unusual illness that eventually took her life. In the midst of his grief Van sought out Lewis and they exchanged letters. Eighteen of those letters are published in Vanauken’s very poignant book, A Severe Mercy. One of my favorite scenes in the life of Lewis takes place when Lewis and “Van” are parting ways in England. It ends with a line that I have used many times (it is a gracious reminder at funerals).

On that last day I met C.S. Lewis at the Eastgate for lunch. We talked, I recall, about death or, rather, awakening after death. Whatever it would be like, we thought, our response to it would be, “Why, of course! Of course it’s like this. How else could it have possibly been.” We both chuckled at that. I said it would be a sort of coming home, and he agreed. Lewis said that he hoped Davy and I would be coming back to England soon, for we mustn’t get out of touch. “At all events,” he said with a cheerful grin, “we’ll certainly meet again, here–or there.” Then it was time to go, and we drained our mugs. When we emerged onto on to the busy High with the traffic streaming past, we shook hands, and he said: “I shan’t say good-bye. We’ll meet again.” Then he plunged into the traffic. I stood there watching him. When he reached the pavement on the other side, he turned around as though he knew somehow that I would still be standing there in front of the Eastgate. Then he raised his voice in a great roar that easily overcame the noise of the cars and buses. Heads turned and at least one car swerved, “Besides,” he bellowed with a great grin, “Christians NEVER say goodbye!” (A Severe Mercy, p. 123)

Pastor Jeff

I have had the opportunity to see Christopher Hitchens debate a number of times–one of those times in person. If you have watched him then you know one of the first things he tries to do is to be as religiously obnoxious and offensive as possible. I happen to think that is more of a “shtick” than anything else. Before the one debate I saw live I was able to speak with him and I even had my picture made with him (isn’t that great–one of the world’s most renowned atheist and the preacher side by side). He seems to be a fairly personable guy. In fact, there was a national event (the Ft. Hood shooting) that had really affected him and he spent his entire opening statement at the debate (which by the way was held before an overwhelmingly evangelical Christian crowd at a seminary) addressing that–in a very kind and cooperative tone (out of character, granted). And, yes, I realize that is not the tone he takes in his writing.

I am also aware that this will be read by a number of atheists who disagree as vehemently with me as I do with them. They think they have made a rational, evidence-based decision and I have not, and I hold the very same opinion regarding them. And I even hear from some of them (which I am very glad I do and therefore have the opportunity to interact on our very different ideas and approaches). As evidence of the tone that most of our conversations take I will point out that up to this point in time i have received 210 comments and there is only one that I felt was inappropriate to post (which was because of tone, not language). With that as some “stage setting” I would to share with you two quotes. These come from a book review of Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and It’s Fashionable Enemies, by David Bentley Hart. The first quote is from the reviewer and the second is from the book itself.

In this quote the reviewer is referring to the work of the “new atheists.”–those would be men like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Sam Harris:

In their clumsy hands, Christianity is always treated as a poison rather than an elixer, a weapon rather than an olive branch, denaturized through pride and prejudice, unrecognizable to scholars and adherents of the religion.

This second quote which is a bit more measured in tone comes from Hart, the author of the book:

There are many forms of atheism that I find far more admirable than many forms of Christianity or of religion in general. But atheism that consists entirely of vacuous arguments afloat on oceans of historical ignorance, made turbulent by storms of strident self-righteousness, is as contemptible as any other form of dreary fundamentalism.

I agree with these statements for two reasons:

1) If you have read books like The God Delusion (Dawkins), God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (Hitchens), or The End of Faith (Harris) then you will understand the accuracy of the first statement.

2) So often this discussion (Atheism/Agnosticism vs. Theism/Christianity) is not had at the level of ideas or the merits of the arguments. It can be more dismissive than anything else; i.e. “let’s talk about the evidence for the Bible/existence of God/Intelligent Design.” Response–”There is no evidence.” End of discussion. Or, and I think Christians/Theists can be as guilty of this as any atheist, we simply approach this issue from the perspective of a stereotype–so I will set up a caricature of Atheism/Theism which I will then proceed to debunk, which is, of course, disingenuous at best.

There is some reflection that ought to be done on both sides of the argument.

Pastor Jeff

A.W. Tozer was a pastor with the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C & MA) and also a prolific author. Because of his books he has become known far outside the C & MA. One of the most amazing things about his writing is that if you realize he has been dead for 40+ years and yet how relevant his words are for today, then you might appreciate the prophetic nature of his words. One of the reasons for that (arguably the most important reason) is that he was also a man who spent many hours a day in prayer. One of the pieces he is best known for appeared in the C & MA magazine (which then was called “The Alliance Weekly”) in 1952. Since that time it has been published in a book by the title of This World: Playground or Battleground? I think you will find it to be worth reading:

In the early days, when Christianity exercised a dominant influence over American thinking, we conceived the world to be a battleground. Our fathers believed in sin and the devil and hell as constituting one force; and they believed in God and righteousness and heaven as the other. Man, so our fathers held, had to choose sides; he could not be neutral. For him it must be life or death, heaven or hell, and if he chose to come out on God’s side he could expect open war with God’s enemies. The fight would be real and deadly and would last as long as life continued here. Men looked forward to heaven as they would to returning home from the wars, laying down of the sword to enjoy in peace the home prepared for them.  How different today. The fact remains the same, but the interpretation has changed completely. Men think of the world not as a battleground but as a playground. We are not here to fight, we are here to frolic. We are not in a foreign land, we are at home. We are not getting ready to live, we are already living, and the best we can do is to rid ourselves of our inhibitions and our frustrations and live this life to the full. This changed attitude toward the world has had and is having its effect upon Christians, even gospel Christians who profess the faith of the Bible. . . They might hedge around the question if they were asked to declare their position, but their conduct gives them away. They are facing both ways, enjoying Christ and the world too, and gleefully telling everyone that accepting Jesus does not require them to give up their fun. . . their worship is a sort of sanctified clubbing without the champagne and the dressed up drunks. Sides do not enter into it.

Pastor Jeff

If you have not seen this story you will be absolutely astounded:

via Ouija board a controversial toy for tots (OneNewsNow.com).

Unfortunately, many that know of C.S. Lewis know him only for The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity. While those are wonderful books and I enjoy them immensely, his writings are so rich and so varied. One genre that he is least know for is his poetry of which he wrote some wonderful works. My favorite or them is called “Joys that Sting.” If you are not familiar with his late in life romance with Joy Davidman, I strongly encourage you to watch the movie “Shadowlands” (the BBC version is best) or get a hold of a good biography (avoid A.N. Wilson) and enjoy this wonderfully heart-wrenching story. It is commonly understood that out of that relationship came this tremendous poem.

Joys That Sting

“Oh doe not die”, says Donne, “for I shall hate all women so”. How false the sentence rings.
Women? But in a life made desolate, it is the joys once shared that have the stings.

To take the old walks alone, or not at all, to order one pint where I ordered two;
To think of, and not to make, the small, time honoured joke, senseless to all but you.

To laugh (oh, one’ll laugh), to talk upon themes that we talked upon when you were there,
To make some small pretense of going on: be kind to one’s old friends, or seem to care

While no one (O God) through all the years will say
The simplest common word in just your way.

I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Abraham Lincoln, March 4, 1861, From His First Inaugural Address.

I am amazed by how much has been written about the American Civil, or The War Between the States, or The Rebellion, or, my personal favorite, The War of Northern Aggression. When I went to the Library of Congress website and did a search with “American Civil War” as the keyword I got 6,501 results–it is my guess that there are far, far more than that. Even though I am a bit of a student of the Civil War my book collection is not large. I have tried to work on buying books on the basis of quality and not quantity. I also like to read books on the War that are as close to the time of the conflict as possible. With that in mind allow me to recommend one of the best books regarding the religious life of the Confederate soldiers. Christ in the Camp was written by J. William Jones, Chaplain of the Army of Northern Virginia–it was published in 1887 with a “new” edition published in 1904.

At 465 pages (not including a substantial, albeit fascinating appendix which rounds the book out at 624 pages) it is probably not something that someone with a passing, casual interest is going to want to tackle. However, if the spiritual life and ministry that took place within the camp of the Confederate Army under Jackson and Lee is something that does draw your attention then this is a book you will want to give some time to. You will learn about the Bible and tract ministry, prayer meetings, revivals, the chaplains themselves, and what Christianity in the midst of the conflict and in the heat of battle looked like. So I hope you will take some time to enjoy this collection of historical yet poignantly personal anecdotes of the religious life in the Army of Northern Virginia.

Pastor Jeff

This is something I came across years ago and while we are having the weather we are having I thought you might enjoy it:

Cold is a relative term

Degrees (Farenheit)

65 Hawaiians declare a two-blanket night

60  Californians put on sweaters (if they can find one)

50  Miami residents turn on the heat

45  Vermont residents go to outdoor concerts

40  You can see your breath, Californians shiver uncontrollably, and Minnesotans go swimming

35  Italian cars won’t start

32  Water freezes

30  You plan your vacation to Australia

25  Ohio water freezes, Californians weep pitiably, Minnesotans eat ice cream, and Canadians go swimming

20  Politicians begin to talk about the homeless, New York City water freezes, and Miami residents plan vacation further south

15  French cars don’t start and the cat insists on sleeping in your bed with you

10  You need jumper cables to get the car going

5  American cars don’t start

0  Alaskans put on t-shirts

-10  German cars don’t start and eyes freeze shut when you blink

-15  You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo, Arkansans stick tongue on metal objects, and Miami residents cease to exist

-20  The cat insists on sleeping in pajamas with you, politicians actually do something about the homeless, and Japanese cars don’t start

-25  Too cold to think and you need jumper cables to get the driver going

-30  You plan a two-week hot bath and Swedish cars don’t start

-40  Californians disappear, Minnesotans button top button, Canadians put on sweaters, and your car helps you plan your trip south

-50  Congressional hot air freezes and Alaskans close the bathroom window

-80  Hell freezes over, Polar bears move south and Green Bay fans order hot cocoa at the game

Pastor Jeff

If you are a student of C.S. Lewis and have not read the 3 volume collection of his letters I would strongly encourage it–admittedly it is a bit of a challenge at a total of 2224 pages–but for the true Lewisians out there it is a wonderful treat. I would like to share a series of excerpts out of the first volume which give a slight hint of his journey to faith. The first comes from a letter to Arthur Greeves written on October 18, 1916. He is describing his view of the historical Jesus: “when I say ‘Christ’ of course I mean the mythological being into whom he was afterwards converted by popular imagination, and I am thinking of the legends about his magic performances and resurrection etc. That the man Yeshua or Jesus did actually exist, is as certain as that Buddha did actually exist: Tacitus mentions his execution in the Annals. But all the other tomfoolery about virgin birth, magic healings, apparitions and so forth is on exactly the same footing as any other mythology.”

For the next passage we move ahead almost 14 years. He is not a “believer” in a traditional sense but his thinking has certainly begun to change. He is writing to A.K. Hamilton Jenkin on March 21, 1930: “you will be surprised to hear that my outlook is now definitely religious. It is not precisely Christianity, tho’ it may turn out that way in the end. I can’t express the change any better than by saying that whereas once I would have said, ‘Shall I adopt Christianity’, I now wait to see whether it will adopt me: i.e. I now know there is another Party in the affair…”

It is now September 22, 1931–well over a year since the last letter. As Lewis writes to Arthur Greeves he describes a visit from Hugo Dyson and J.R.R. Tolkien that lasted until about 3:00 in the morning. In this letter he simply describes it as “a memorable talk.” Less than a week later he and his brother Warnie went on a motorcycle ride (Warnie driving, Lewis in the sidecar) to Whipsnade Zoo. In the last chapter of Surprised by Joy Lewis wrote of what happened on September 28, 1931: “When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did. Yet I had not exactly spent the journey in thought. Nor in great emotion. ‘Emotional’ is perhaps the last word we can apply to some of the most important events. It was more like when a man, after long sleep, still lying motionless in bed, becomes aware that he is now awake.”

Pastor Jeff

The celebrity culture in which we live has certain ramifications. Brad Stine pointed out that when supermodels and sports stars are paid astronomically more than those instructing our children in school it indicates that something is systemically wrong in the culture–it certainly indicates that our societal priority leans heavily in the direction of entertainment. A question that is often asked and worth reflecting on is “if you could spend one hour with any person dead or alive who would it be?” That takes into the area of who our heroes may be. If you read in the area of Christianity or Christian Apologetics you certainly are familiar with the name of Dr. Ravi Zacharias. In a recent newsletter he shared the following interchange.

As I walked in a seminary auditorium to speak, a young man ran to catch up with, put his hand out, to say thank you. As I returned his greeting, I noticed some very visible scars on the side of his neck and all down his arms and assumed that he must have some serious tattoos removed. But as we walked into the building together he said, “I can’t thank you enough for your ministry to me and for the free podcasts that I listened to when I was stationed in Iraq.” He went on to describe that day after day, he and some of his mates had gathered together in the desert to listen to the podcasts. One eventful day, he was hit by shrapnel that, together with the resultant burns, had left its disfiguring marks on him. As he continued to say, “You are such a hero to me…” it was hard for me to fight off the tears. Finally, I stopped him and said, “No, Sir! You are the real hero, You have paid a heavy price for me so that I can live in a free country and serve without fear.”

As we reflect on this event (which probably prompts some form of an emotional reaction) it will connect to what matters to us. It will connect to prices being paid. It will connect to sacrifice and choices made. We tend to have a disconnect between someone who plays a game well and someone who has chosen to, if necessary, pay the ultimate price. In the Gettysburg Address President Lincoln spoke to this very issue when he said, “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion…”

This would be a good time to think about some real heroes–and when we see them the least we can do is say “thanks.”

Pastor Jeff

I love books–there, I said it! I glad I got that over with so quickly. I would not be an official collector of books. In fact, I probably don’t own any books that would be of true monetary value. But I do love to read. And I love to browse. Even though I enjoy an afternoon (or evening) spent in Barnes & Nobles or Borders, the real joy is in a used bookstore, barely organized with old shelves barely able to hold all the books so they are stacked on the floor and on top of the shelves. If you are a book lover you know the kind of place–maybe you have your own favorite. Mine is Wonder Books in Frederick, Maryland–it is one of those places that a bibliophile can get lost in. A number of years ago USA Today called it one of the top 10 places in the country to browse.

I have a rather two-pronged relationship to books. As a pastor, many of the books I own are reference books and they are to me like a hammer and saw are to a carpenter–they are my tools. But many other books are my friends–some are new acquaintances and some have been friends for a very long time. I can truly appreciate the well-known statement of Thomas Jefferson–”I cannot live without books.” It is actually a pretty sad state of affairs–I love reading books, reading books about books, reading books about reading books, giving my opinions about books, hearing others opinions about books, buying books, looking for books, planning what books I will read next, etc., etc.

Maybe that is the reason I love libraries–I don’t mean your average public library–I mean the great libraries–Boudelian, Salamanca, New York Public Library, etc. It would be wonderful to get lost in some of those places. If you are a book lover then everything I have said will reverberate with you–if not, it probably doesn’t make any sense at all. Happy reading!

Pastor Jeff