Ron’s #31: Wise Blood by Flannery O’ Connor

Since Flannery O’Connor is my second favorite author, I’m surprised that I have not included one of her books on either year of the 52 books assignment. I wanted to, but I often try to save her for special occasions, as she only has two novels, and I don’t want to tire of them or her.

Wise Blood tells the story of Hazel Motes, a young man returning disillusioned from the Army. Something happened to Motes that caused him to see the folly in believing in God or Jesus Christ. To rebel against this belief, he begins a new career as a street-corner preacher proclaiming the freedom in the gospel message of his church, the Church without Christ. No God. No Jesus. No guilt. In all his proselytizing, it seems that Motes is running from a God that he preaches against, as if the hound of heaven chases him.

The cast of characters is a collection of misfits, hypocrites, and outcasts, all living in a world that they tell themselves is without God. Sometimes, as we run from God, we can run right into Him.

This is not a Christian novel, and much of the content will cause some frowning from the Left Behind fans. It is a novel about a worldview that refuses to acknowledge God, but he will continue to pursue us anyway. God’s chasing after Hazel Motes mirrors Hosea’s chasing after his adulterous wife (which is itself a metaphor for God chasing after the unfaithful Israel).

Flannery comments well on this novel that helps to explain the pursuit:

“For (non-believers) Hazel Motes’ integrity lies in his trying with such vigor to get rid of the ragged figure who moves from tree to tree in the back of his mind. For the author Hazel’s integrity lies in his not being able to. Does one’s integrity ever lie in what he is not able to do?”

Even without this deeper meaning, Wise Blood is an excellent, strange, and funny story that most will enjoy. After reading, you may see how the “ragged figure” is moving from tree to tree in the forest of your life.

Mark's #38 - The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever

Recently, I've been giving a lot of thought to evangelism.  Since my early days as a follower of Christ back in 1994, I've always believed in the role and necessity of evangelism - telling people the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Several times I've taught evangelism courses in a variety of contexts within the local church.

Two things trouble me when it comes to personal evangelism.  First, I am troubled by the fear-inducing grip of our pluralistic world that has paralyzed Christians from telling other people good news.  When is there any other time in your life that you hesitate to tell someone really amazing good news? You don't.  Second, I'm troubled by my own lack of urgency and intentionality when it comes to personal evangelism, after all, I should know better!

Because of this, I decided to begin reading some books dealing with the issue, and I first picked up this book by Mark Dever.  Dever is the pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C., as well as the leader of the 9marks ministry (www.9marks.org).  He is someone I have to respect very much as a sound theologian, solid pastor, and competent leader in the evangelical world.

In this short book, the first thing that struck me was its rather straight-forward approach and thoughts about personal evangelism.  In short, there was no overwhelming argument that got me fired up about evangelism... but then it struck me. Evangelism is not a complicated thing.  Jesus Christ has made it clear that we are to tell people the Good News.  If Jesus' words on the subject are not a sufficient motivator for evangelism, then nothing will be.

In each of the seven short chapters, Dever answers a question.  Here they are:

1. Why Don't We Evangelize?
2. What is the Gospel?
3. Who Should Evangelize?
4. How Should We Evangelize?
5. What Isn't Evangelism?
6. What Should We Do After We Evangelize?
7. Why Should We Evangelize?

Dever does do a good job of clarifying what evangelism is and is not.  He shows how there are no 'magic' evangelistic techniques.  The converting of dead souls to Christ is preeminently a work of God and not of man.  In His divine Sovereignty God invites His redeemed saints to be tools in His hand for reaching the lost - which is an amazing privilege!

Mark's #37 - Erasing Hell by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle

Earlier this year, Rob Bell wrote a book, Love Wins,  where he challenged the historic and orthodox view of God's eternal judgment of unrepentant rebels in hell.  While this sparked a firestorm of controversy (and sold a lot of books), one of the great benefits to the church is that it has gotten people to talk about a topic Jesus spent more time talking about than He did about heaven.

In one sense, Erasing Hell is a response to Love Wins, but the strength of this book is that it's aim and tone will most likely serve the church for a much longer time than a mere rebuttal would have.  There is no attacking of Bell in this book, though they do occasionally use Bell's points as opportunities to engage some of the mythology surrounding the doctrine of hell that has grown up through the centuries - For example, the idea that the word ghenna (hell) derived from the burning trash heap outside the city of Jerusalem... The problem is that this idea does not first surface until about 1200 years after Christ!

In short, this book is both an honest look at what God has revealed about eternal judgment throughout the Bible and a passionate plea to feel the weight and reality of such truths in a way that they change the way we live and engage our world.

Or as the authors put it:

This is not just about doctrine; it's about destinies... you cannot let this be a mere academic exercise.  You must let Jesus' very real teaching on hell sober you up.  You must let Jesus' words reconfigure the way you live, the way you talk, and the way you see the world and the people around you (pg. 72).

While this book is not a rigorous academic and expositional study on the doctrine of hell, I do believe it deals with the doctrine adequately and honestly in a way that will serve as a resources for the masses.  I recommend you buy two copies. One for yourself and one to give away.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnrJVTSYLr8

JRF's #25 - Little Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland by David Hoffman

Did you know that "Each light in Disneyland is replaced when it has reached 80 percent of its design life rather than when it fails"?

Or

"of the eighteen teacups available to ride on the Mad Tea Party, the plain lavender one spins the fastest"?

Now you do.

This book is an essential read for all those who love wonderfulness.

And yes, I am counting it for one of my 52.

Mark's #36 - The Tears of My Soul by Sokreaksa S. Himm

As Ron mentioned in his review of this book, this book served to prepare me and the Cambodia Harbor Mission Team to think about the recent brutal history of Cambodia, the problem of evil, as well as the power of the gospel to bring healing and forgiveness.  I'm grateful for having read the book before going to Cambodia and visiting the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields. I appreciated the way Reaksa did not offer up trite and trivial answers to the problem of evil or the difficulty of forgiveness.  Here is a man who experienced and witnessed some of the pinnacle expressions of human evil. As such, his emotional and psychological wounds run deep... Yet, this is also the story about how the gospel of Christ runs deeper still.  Having been transformed by grace, Reaksa is now a pastor preaching the good news of Christ in Cambodia.

JRF's #24 - Visit the Sick by Brian Croft

Do you consider care for the sick an essential activity for Christ followers?  Do you have a theology that is sturdy enough to shine even in the darkness of those on the brink of death?  Do you think to pop a few breath mints before you go and pray with someone on their sickbed?

This book presents a concise, Biblical and practical guide for caring for the sick in Christ's name and strength.  While Croft's many years of experience as a pastor as well as being the son of a doctor provide ample material for practical advise, it is the Biblical foundation that Croft lays prior to discussing the practical implications of that foundation that is the real strength of this book.  Too often books either expound on Scripture and theology but never make practical demands from that theology, or even worse, start with the pragmatic and then search for prooftexts in Scripture to give weight to opinions.    Croft does an excellent job of letting his practical exhortations flow from the Word of God, both from specific texts on caring for the sick and dying and from the metanarratives of Scripture.  Above all he shows that caring for the sick is about the Gospel.

This book was a great reminder of the essential ministry of caring for the physical needs of people as well as a great tool for accomplishing that task.