Who is Jesus?

The Jesus I Never Knew

By Philip Yancey / Zondervan Corp.

On the cover of my book is a banner that says, "Voted Best Book of the Year!" Now that ten years have passed since the original publication, perhaps it is time to proclaim, "Best Book of the Decade!"

This is the first book by Philip Yancey that I have read, but it won't be the last. I've read the New Testament many times, yet I had to keep asking myself, "How could I have missed this?" Using the four Gospels as his primary source, Yancey introduces us to Jesus as the original writers saw him.

I am sorry to admit that the Jesus I knew was far too small. I am grateful to Yancey for sharing Christ in an honest and real way that has opened my eyes and caused me to see that he is far greater than I ever hoped or dared to believe.

Oh, How I Love Jesus...

Jesus, the Bible, And Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church

By Jack Rogers / Westminster John Knox Press

The Bible is cut and dry on this issue, right? There is no wiggle room. Jesus condemned homosexuals and said they were going to dwell in the lake of fire prepared for Satan and his angels. It's all there in the Book, isn't it?

The first half of Rogers' book, "Jesus, the Bible, And Homosexuality" actually recounts the historical stand of the Presbyterian Church - USA, and it's forebears, in regard to three issues: slavery, women's rights, and divorce and remarriage. I found the account to be both fascinating and lamentable.

It has only been recently that I have even allowed myself to consider that all that I thought I knew about gays and their sins and their place in the Church might not have been correct. Sometimes it's hard to let go of long-held beliefs, even when they're wrong.

But, praise God! He is able to do what people by themselves cannot. I have no hope in this world apart from Christ and his grace. How, then, could I even consider withholding that grace from others?

Should you read this book? I can't answer that for you. Are you willing to let God show you something that you had not considered before? If you are, this book is wonderful. If you think you already know what God thinks, you probably won't like it much. I'm hoping you'll read it.

2Good2BTrue

Too Good to Be True: Finding Hope in a World of Hype

By Michael Horton / Zondervan Corp.

I'm thinking that this book should be required reading for:

1. Pastors
2. Lay people
3. Anyone who is considering, or has responded to, the call to follow Christ

When I'm out and about, or even just flipping through the channels on TV, I am often confronted by statements that Christianity will "fix" your life. I admit that Jesus has fixed some parts of my life and that my life is definitely better with him than without him. However, we should never tell others, nor should we expect, that accepting the call to follow Jesus will exempt us from pain or trials; grief or temptation. Neither does it carry a promise to make us healthy, wealthy, and wise. "It isn't a technique for our personal therapy."

What Jesus does promise is that we will have trouble and that we will be participants with him in his suffering . So, unless you are some kind of sick person, this doesn't sound too exciting. Why then, would anyone choose to become a Christian?

Horton correctly instructs us that, "The good news that we proclaim is true, not because it works for people in that pragmatic, utilitarian way, but because nearly two thousand years ago, outside of the center city of Jerusalem, the Son of God was crucified for our sins and was raised for our justification. This historical event may not fix our marriages, our relationships, or our messed-up lives the way we would like, but it saves us from the wrath of God to come and gives us new life, hope, and wisdom for our existence here and now, guaranteeing the end of pain at last."

If you've been disappointed with your life (or with God) because things aren't going the way you were promised, this book should be a source of great joy. Horton makes a clear distinction between what God has promised and what (well-meaning, but wrong) people have assumed to promise on his behalf. Hope in God's promises is not misplaced and will never disappoint.

Horton has done a good thing for us all in writing this book.

The Journey Continues...

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith

By Anne Lamott / Penguin Putnam Inc.

This book is a sequel of sorts to Lamott's book, "Traveling Mercies" (TM). I read the first book several weeks ago and the moment I finished it, I got online and ordered this book. I did a little math and realized that it had been ten years since TM was first published and I was dying to know what had happened to Lamott and her son, Sam, since then. While TM is a chronological telling of Lamott's life (ending with Sam's eighth birthday), Plan B is not so linear. Instead it is a series of stories about events or themes in Lamott's life that have occurred over the last ten years.

I was extemely pleased with Plan B for three reasons in particular.

1. The wit and honesty are still refreshing and welcome. (Chapter One is entitled, "ham of god" and is oh so aptly named.)
2. It is evident that Lamott has grown. Her Christianity and faith are not a fluke or an ill-conceived divergence.
3. Like an overdue letter from a beloved family member, this book has put my mind at ease. All is well. Life is not without pain; not without challenges. Still, it is joyful, and fullfilling. These people that I have come to care about, Lamott, Sam, Pastor Veronica (and the other members of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church), Buddy, Father Tom, along with the rest of their friends and family, are supporting and loving each other all along the way... And it works!

There was one other bonus for me. Lamott gives a wonderful description of a wedding. I now include this quote in all my pre-marriage counseling. It is right on the money and so insightful.

You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll love this book. You might even find the strength to pray for President Bush... maybe even forgive him. I said maybe.

Grandpa's Story, in his own words

Writings of John D. Lee

by John Doyle Lee, Samuel Nyal Henrie / Fenestra Books

Almost thirty years ago I had the pleasure of reading the excellent biography of my great-great grandfather: John Doyle Lee: Zealot, Pioneer Builder, Scapegoat by Juanita Brooks. At the time I was sill a member of the LDS Church and when I finished the book, I got down on my knees in tears and thanked God for my grandpa and my heritage.

It has now been over twenty years since I left the Mormon Church, by my own choice, and when I finished reading Grandpa's last words at the end of this book, I had the same reaction. There is much to admire about the man and I still feel great love and affection for him, though he died almost eighty years before I was born.

The changes in my own life have definitely impacted what I took away from the two books that cover much of the same subject. The story that is most vivid from the first book was when one of his sons approached Grandpa and told him he was in love with one of Grandpa's wives. The wife was much younger than Grandpa. She had been orphaned when both of her parents died of sickness en route to Utah by wagon train. For the sake of expediency, it was decided to marry her to someone who would then take care of her. Grandpa was the man, although I think the girl was only twelve or thirteen at the time.

Grandpa never had sexual relations with her because of the circumstances of their marriage, but he hoped that one day, when she was older, she would want him. Instead, as she matured, she fell in love with one of his sons, who was much closer to her in age. Now some guys might have been very angry, but Grandpa went to Brigham Young and told him the facts. Young annulled the marriage and Grandpa was permitted to perform the marriage of his son to his now-ex-wife. This story, which is not in the book I'm reviewing here, tells a lot about the kind of man, husband, and father that my grandfather was.

When I was a child, I heard many of the oral "family" legends about Grandpa that had been handed down from generation to generation. One was that Grandpa was so trustworthy that he was allowed to leave prison on just his word, while he was awaiting his trial for his role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. While that's not precisely true, the facts are just as compelling.

John D. Lee was allowed to leave the prison to go visit his wives and children, but only after a $15,000 bond was posted by a friend. Once he was out, many of his friends encouraged him to run from the jurisdiction to safety, as many other participants in the Massacre had done. Grandpa would not do this; first, because he had given his word and second, because he believed he had done nothing intentionally wrong (he believed he had obeyed orders from a superior officer during a time of war).

Unfortunately for Grandpa, he realized too late that responsibility for personal choices, even under military orders, comes with a price. After two trials (the first trial resulted in a hung jury) Grandpa was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to die by firing squad. His punishment for the Mountain Meadows Massacre was part of the price that had to be paid for Utah statehood (the other part was the renunciation of polygamy by the LDS Church, but that didn't happen until several years later).

I did find it interesting that although Grandpa remained true to the Mormon Church and Joseph Smith, he was convinced that Brigham Young, his adopted father and president of the church, was a false prophet and a usurper and he denounced him as such. He states that at the death of Joseph Smith it was common knowledge among the "saints" that Smith's son was to take over the leadership of the church when he was of age. By the time that happened, Young had solidified his grip on the church and no one dared oppose him.

Knowing this, I wonder why so many in the Lee family would remain members of the Mormon Church. I suppose that if you lived in Utah in 1877, there were not a lot of options. Of course those of us who came along later didn't know about this and if we did, it didn't matter because we had our own "testimony" of the church.

Though the book is over 400 pages, I read most of it in two sittings. It was fascinating to "hear" Grandpa tell his story in his own words.

Scary Christianity

Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith

By Barbara Brown Taylor / Harpercollins Publishing

I've heard over and over again, in Christian circles, that Christianity is not about religion, it's about relationship. It is easy to say that, to nod in approval, but it is seldom actually lived out. What starts out as a relationship, often becomes religion and we're not even aware of it. We absorb the dogma, learn to talk a certain way, participate in the "life of the Church" and that leaves precious little time to cultivate the relationship with God that we were hungry for in the first place. What are we to do if we want to return to the primary relationship with our Creator? Leave Church?

Maybe. One thing's for sure, there are no easy answers. Taylor, a gifted preacher and writer, with a keen desire to help others, tells us, in this personal memoir, of her own struggles with these questions. We all have to take our own journey through this life. There is no pattern or map. I know some will say, "Jesus is the pattern and the Bible is the map." I don't disagree with that, but making the application to our own lives is not as simple as that statement sounds.

As we move along the path we have to make choices, not always between good and evil. As Taylor points out, the choices are usually between good, better, and best. Knowing which is which, isn't even possible most of the time with our finite knowledge. But that's what faith is for. We trust in God, who is bigger than we are, and nourish the hope that he will lead us. Where he leads us may not be where we thought we wanted to go, but his presence there with us gives life and joy to the journey.

Reading Taylor's story of her own journey gives me hope and faith to continue on mine.