Organizing Solutions

i was in barnes & noble the other day hoping to find some books geared to helping people with ADHD get through post-secondary school. it seems though that virtually every book about ADHD spends the first half defining the disorder and talking about symptoms. when every single book starts with that, it gets very redundant very quickly, and leaves very little space for new material in each book.

after grabbing a stack of a dozen books about ADHD, i walked out with two books, once i realized that the majority of the books had only 20-50 pages of unique material. one of the books is specifically about ADHD and school (College Confidence with ADD by Michael Sandler), which i'm hoping to at least skim through before classes start in 2.5 weeks. the other, Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder by Susan Pinsky, is a general organization book geared more toward the home.

The layout of Organizing Solutions resembles a magazine, having glossy pages with lots of images and little text. the layout simplifies finding ideas and makes it particularly easy for those with ADHD or other learning disabilities to find tips quickly without getting lost in a jumble of text. it has sections covering each room of the house plus ideas of how to handle specific items or tasks that occur in those rooms (paying bills, folding laundry, etc.). as a basic intro for those who have not figured out how to organize many parts of their homes, or certain areas in particular, this could be a helpful book. but, for me, the flaws outnumber it's usefulness.

Pinsky spends too much time arguing for efficiency at the cost of beauty and frugality, which essentially means you need to have some money to implement her ideas. yardwork a hassle? hire someone. can't get your room organized? buy more furniture. there are a lot of helpful tips, but the wastefulness ("it is quicker and more efficient to use paper plates as your "china" of choice at everything but your most formal meals.") was too much for me to handle. in talking about efficiency, she frequently suggests using open shelves and open storage bins so it's easier to just toss (or, to use her term, "wing") things into the containers instead of wasting time with doors and lids. the problem with that system that she never addresses is how to handle the amount of dust that will get on everything and inside those containers, creating a new problem altogether (but i guess you just hire a housekeeper to handle that, as she suggests hiring one to clean other parts of the house).

if you're having trouble getting a particular part of the house organized, skim through that section of the book (they're nicely labeled and color coded) at a bookstore or library to get some ideas, but leave the book behind.

summer of fiction

looking through the list of books i've recently read, i realized that i read a lot more fiction this summer than usual. i used to read one or two novels a year, but have taken to reading more fiction in the last couple of years. since i'm between ideas as to what to post on, i figured i'd do a quick rundown of the fiction i've read in the last few months.

1. most recently, i read Feed by M.T. Anderson. i read about Feed somewhere a few months back, and thought Jak would enjoy it, so i picked it up for him. of course, he had to go to work the next day, so i read it first. it's young adult fiction, so it just took a few hours to get through. it's based sometime in the relatively near future, when air is manufactured, steaks are grown on farms (not cows, just steaks), and everyone has an advanced version of the internet plugged into themselves called the 'feed.' the feed plays on the idea of personalized advertising and banner ads that we're getting more and more of these days, but taken to a whole new level as all of that goes straight into people's minds. advertising, education, instant messaging, and shopping all take place simply by interacting with this implanted device.

as someone who has rarely read YA fiction, i was somewhat surprised with the portrayal of the characters. Titus, the protagonist, is a portrayed as an immature and self-centered teenager, who has to wrestle with questions about life and death and reality that push him beyond his abilities to cope. while living in an era where even the adults sound like idiots (since they've received no true education and are also bombarded with the constant advertising) and a popular show is called "Oh? Wow! thing!" he is challenged to experience and imagine a life beyond the propaganda of the feed and figure out if the reality he's lived with is truly real.

2. On the edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness: Adventure. Peril. Lost Jewels. And the Fearsome Toothy Cows of Skree. Andrew Peterson, a ccm musician, released a children's book in march. i read some rave reviews about it, and picked it up for Jak as he tends to like fantasy. he enjoyed it enough for me to read through it a few days later. i don't really read much fiction, and up until this summer, i haven't read many children's books as an adult - so maybe my opinion on this comes simply from the limitation of not having much to compare it to. but i loved this book. it was so much fun to read, filled with crazy creatures and great descriptions. between the plot moving at a fast enough pace, and the names of people and critters (like Podo, thwaps, and Gnag the Nameless) this would be a great story to read to school age kids.

3. i'd only read CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia once before, nearly a decade ago. i wanted to reread them (or at least the first one) before the movie came out, but never did (our copies have been packed away for a few years). so i decided i'd reread them before Prince Caspian came to theatres. i didn't do that either. but, i did snag a copy from a friend just afterwards and read the series earlier this summer. i was surprised with how little i remembered from any of the stories, most of them felt brand new to me.

having remembered so little, it was a blast to read them all and to be drawn into the magical world of narnia. i'd forgotten - and thoroughly enjoyed - Lewis' brilliant humor and fantastic descriptions throughout the stories. these books ought to belong in nearly every home.

4. i heard a local pastor bash The Shack by William Young, which of course drove me to buy it immediately. i didn't think i'd actually make it through the book once i started it. the absurdly excessive use of metaphors and weak editing at the beginning of the book made it hard to read more than a few paragraphs at a time. i don't know if the story eventually picked up enough to make it easier to ignore the glaring literary deficiencies, or if the writing improved later, but after the first few chapters, the book read much more fluidly.

of course, this book has been riddled with controversy, as some have accused Young of goddess worship and modalism, among other things. i felt it was a very bold move to dare to write a dialogue with God, which i give him props for. i didn't agree with everything he said or how he said it, but it's a novel - not a theological treatise. it's a story of grace, mercy, and forgiveness, written in the framework of one man's meeting with the Trinity for a weekend. it seems that those caught up in accusing Young of heresy are missing the fact that it is simply a story. though it definitely could have used more editing and a bit more clarity at times, it does pose an interesting read to challenge many of the assumptions about God, church, theology, and christian living that tend to exist in many circles.

Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches, pt. 6

last chapter, finally.

i'll admit some bias right at the start: Karen Ward, the author of the final section of this book, is the abbess/vicar of our church. i originally picked up this book a few months after we'd begun attending church of the apostles (COTA), moving it from where it had sat for months on my amazon wish list into the cart once i realized that she was one of the contributors.

Karen's chapter, "The Emerging Church and Communal Theology," is very different from all the others in three key ways. first, she uses a metaphor of cooking to describe theology and the metaphor runs throughout her chapter to describe the communal aspect of theology. second, a good chunk of her chapter is actually taken from blog posts and comments written by members of the community, thus actually incorporating such communal theology into the very fabric of the text. "This chapter has been written in communitas (in community) as that is how we operate at COTA." third, while the other chapters mention the authors' communities, they are primarily about each individual author's views, whereas Karen's chapter centers on the communal theology to the exclusion of her own, therefore even the responses to the chapter must be read as a response as much aimed at the community as to the actual content of her chapter.

there's a huge shift to move from the beginning of the book, where Mark Driscoll emphasizes scripture through the quoting the bible endlessly to reading Karen's chapter where she describes the difference in how scripture is approached in mainline churches: "In some ways we are being so immersed in Scripture within liturgy that we are like fish in water. It is all around us, and so we often seem unaware of it."

in true emergent church/postmodern fashion, the section on the atonement begins with, "First we are a bit weary of words. Somehow we don't expect that the latest framing of the atonement will help us any more than the last one did; instead, we are looking for nonpropositional ways of coming to understand the atonement, ways that involve art, ritual, community, etc."

"The closest image or analogy I have for how we do everything ("preaching," community, and theology-making) at Apostles is the "potluck," as this is how we function at our Abbey community kitchen meals, at our theology pubs, and in our weekly eucharistic gathering and other forms of community life." she explains how potlucks are not "quick or neat," yet they are nourishing and rich.

she describes the Abbey's kitchen as a constant mess (which after cleaning it once myself, i can attest to), but says that the mess is necessary as "you learn best by cooking, and it seems we learn Christian faith and life best by living it, so let the mess and the glory of community and kitchen living go on."

Karen's chapter (as do the others) covers much more than I quoted here, but the general gist is the idea that community is where faith and theology are discovered, learned, and lived-out.

responses:

• Driscoll: "For the sake of pleasantness, I will begin with what Karen and I hold in common and then explain some of our more significant differences. First, Karen holds to the essential tenets of the Christian faith as articulated in . . . [the] Creeds. Second, Karen planted her church, something that is the logical outgrowth of a truly missional theology." he then goes on to his criticisms: 1. her role as pastor because of her gender; 2. her use of Scripture (because she has three scripture references - which tend to be passages as opposed to the 700 out of context verses he quotes) and use of non-scriptural (read: cultural) texts; 3-6. continue along the same vein (but i'll spare you the length this post will become if i continue).
• Burke: likes her creative chapter "as a reminder that God invites all willing guests, both good and bad, to his party. Not all will reply, not all are suitable to stay, but his church's theology must pragmatically be lived out with this open party invitational approach."
• Kimball: found her creative approach refreshing, and allowing "the other "cooks" in her church to contribute. . . obviously lines up with what she is saying about how her church approaches theology." he continues, "I was refreshed and happy to see that a church doesn't just teach theology in a one-way format, but allows people to be in dialogue and discuss it and "cook" it together."
• Pagitt: "[within the context of her denomination] Karen is effectively seeking to bring change from within, which active theology ought to do. "

Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches, pt. 5

it's been a long time since i've posted. i wanted to finish posting on this book (Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches) before continuing on with other things. fact is, i found Pagitt's chapter went a bit over my head at times, so i was going to have Jak guest post for me on this chapter. but since he hasn't, and i'd like to resume blogging regularly, i figured i'd skim over the chapter (as it's been ages since i read it) and jump back into the blog world.

it's been said that this book was ordered from start to finish by most 'conservative' to most 'liberal,' and though i hate that those terms don't really tell us much, i'd have to disagree. i think if that order were true, i'd have to put Pagitt at the end. of the five authors, he tends to lean furthest from classic christianity (particularly as defined by evangelicals).

(btw, i recently heard Pagitt speak at the church basement roadshow and felt that what he said seemed pretty wild, but very cogent. he definitely strays from typical views of the gospel, but in ways that are refreshing. though i can't say i agree with much of what he says, i appreciate the breath of fresh air that he breathes into the church and the fact that he pushes people to think and challenges their assumptions.)

Pagitt states towards the beginning of the chapter that he is a contrarian, and that is clearly seen through many of the statements he makes. but i'll just pick out a few things he says that struck me.

in the section, "Theology is meant to be temporary," he says "Theology is the living understanding of the story of God in play with the story of our lives."

"There are far too many people inside Christian faith who feel the need to "give a nod" to the theology of their church or tribe, but it really has nothing to do with their lives. . . . In my views, this kind of disconnected theology is not useful nor should it be encouraged."

he writes a lot about the need for theology to be contextual, saying that we aren't to simply restate ideas of the past, but actually figure out what the gospel means - that we actually rethink the gospel not only in how it looks in our situation but to make sense of it in new ways.

overall, i'd say Pagitt would bring a bit of a shock to those from most 'traditional' backgrounds, but primarily because he realized that each of those 'traditional' backgrounds excludes a variety of other traditions: "When those from the Reformed tradition spoke of "traditional views," they were often not including the Anabaptist or Eastern Orthodox traditions (and the same worked the other way around). " it's easy to see our own theological lens as the correct one, and Pagitt shifts so far from all of them in so many ways, that it offers the corrective of reminding us that christianity exists around the world in different times and cultures through many different expressions - so much so that isolation in a particular tradition can cause the others to seem completely alien.

responses:

• Driscoll: finds Pagitt's chapter the toughest to respond to, "One. . . I remain uncertain of his position on these issues (Trinity, atonement, Scripture). Two, his chapter is highly conceptual on how theology is not to be done." (then he spends a lot of time critiquing an author Pagitt quoted.)
  
• Burke: "I find so much I agree with in principle, and yet I do not agree with how it appears he is applying some of those principles." (somewhat expected when responding to a self-professed contrarian.)
• Kimball: "Every single time you talk to Doug, you'll generally have a new theological discussion of something he has been thinking about. I suppose that is why the basic theme of his chapter is that theology changes rather than being stagnant."
• Ward: ". . . I really resonate with Doug and his views of theology as temporary, professional, contextual, particular, Spirit-led, and taking place in times of change." "So theology is not a done deal and a sealed canon written for us by others, that we need to swallow whole and espouse, but instead it is a living "art form" to which we as Christian practitioners are all given a brush."

Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches, pt. 4

i'll return to the blogosphere now to finally finish up this set of posts on Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches.

Dan Kimball fits neatly in as the middle author of this book with his chapter on missional theology.

(though, before getting into his chapter and theology i must point out that as much as he's known for his speaking and writing, he is most well-known in emerging circles for his wild pompadour hairstyle: see picture.)

while Kimball says that he would still consider himself a "conservative evangelical," he is concerned about the reputation of that term in our society.

in practice, his interpretation of being emergent consists of rethinking how we do church in light of cultural changes. "We must rethink leadership, church structure, the role of a pastor, spiritual formation, how community is lived out, how evangelism is done, how we express our worship, etc."

theologically, he focuses on the nicene creed, believing that there are a few basics beyond the creed that are standard orthodox beliefs, but is "comfortable in saying both 'I don't know' and 'this I know'" to most issues beyond the creed.

his church's (vintage faith church) tagline is 'a worshiping community of missional theologians,' as a community that comes together for worship, steps out into the community to serve (instead of remaining isolated), and where all are seen as theologians (not just the academics).

i like Kimball a lot, especially his passion for working to make the church a more approachable place for folks who don't usually go to church (i posted previously on his book They Like Jesus but not the Church), as well as his emphasis on core beliefs (like the nicene creed) instead of 'majoring on the minors.'

a quick run-through the responses:

• Mark Driscoll: Driscoll starts by saying that he met Kimball, "when he and his very cool hair picked me up at the airport," and says that he appreciates Kimball's emphasis on Jesus but that a nicene creed Christianity is not enough because it doesn't answer certain "current issues." he goes on to outline a computer-speak concept of christianity, splitting into different 'versions' from 1.0 to 4.0 christianity, saying he "fear[s] that less thoughtful Christians will agree on the need for the kind of Christianity 1.0 that the Nicene Creed provides, but will refuse to also upgrade to the Christianity 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 as needed." [comment: i won't even begin to post my thoughts on his various upgrades to christianity.]
• John Burke: Burke agrees with Kimball throughout his comments, and commends his focus on core theological questions answered, "so that we can decide if we will truly follow Jesus, not just in profession, but also in practice," leaving the rest of the issues as ideas to wrestle with after we've got the basics covered.
• Doug Pagitt: Pagitt and Kimball are longtime friends, yet Pagitt disagreed with Kimball's view of the creed believing that the creeds are "cultural theological responses," and even the core issues as defined in the creed are ones that we should still struggle with. "To suggest that these creeds constitute some sort of timeless doctrine of the finality is to put a pressure on the creeds they were never meant to withstand."
• Karen Ward: a large part of her response is quoting things Dan said that she agrees with. the first that stood out was how he defines the emerging church as "those who notice culture is changing and are not afraid to do deep ecclesiological thinking as we are on a wonderful adventurous mission together for the gospel of Jesus." the other one that felt very true to what i know of Karen was "his view of his role as 'a pastor and leader in a local church community, on a mission striving to be true to Scripture, but also engaged in the culture and thus enjoying wrestling with theological issues our culture raises.'"

Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches, pt. 3

the second author in this book is John Burke, the founding pastor of gateway community church in austin, texas. in reading this book, particularly Burke's chapter on incarnational theology, i find it helpful to recall something Webber wrote in both the introduction, and again in the conclusion. in the intro, Webber writes:

These five contributors are not scholarly theologians, but practitioners. All are currently engaged in ministry at the local church level. The question of this book is, "What kind of theological reflection motivates your ministry?

and in the conclusion, repeats the thought by saying:

First, and very importantly, the contributors to this book are pastors, not professional theologians. They are not called to the classroom, but to the pulpit. Therefore, we must read them as pastors reflecting on how theology forms and shapes their ministry. We should not look for insights into biblical, historical, philosophical theology, but for applied theology.

in light of Webber's words, Burke's chapter fits in perfectly.

Burke has found that in his ministry setting, he faces many questions regarding the exclusivity of christianity and about the differences between christianity and other religions. these sorts of questions shape his ministry and the way he communicates the gospel.

three things that Burke emphasizes are how we represent Jesus, the veracity of scripture, and acknowledging commonality with other religions. he points out that christians "proclaim that Jesus is the only way and the right way. . . yet following Jesus makes no difference whatsoever in the way these so-called Christians live and treat people, except that it makes them more judgmental and hypocritical." thus, Burke says, "We need a new job description as the church. . . we're misrepresenting Jesus if the world hears our message as a message of judgment."

for Burke, the prophecies fulfilled in scripture stand as proof of its truth, and scripture serves as an authority and anchor to theology, though "we must subject our interpretations to a broader community."

in writing about other religions, Burke balances a respect for other belief systems while holding to the uniqueness of Christ. he explains, "Some truth can be found among the religions of the world. . . . [but they] do not say the same things about God's identity." like the apostle Paul when in Athens, Burke emphasizes truth in various religions as arrows pointing to the truth of scripture and the gospel.

key ideas from the responses to Burke:

• Mark Driscoll: Driscoll disagrees with Burke's interpretation of how christianity interacts with other religions in light of a transcendent moral law. "But Jesus stands against religion and morality as enemies of the gospel because, as Martin Luther said, religion and morality are the default mechanisms of the human heart to pursue righteousness apart from him." and ". . . all religions do not have in essence the same morality."
• Dan Kimball: "I really don't disagree with anything John wrote. I can only admire his missionary zeal. But more than just having zeal, John then puts this zeal into action as he is involved in lives of people outside the church. And. . . has been forced to grapple with the[se] theological questions. . . [and] admit that we need to do some deep theological thinking."
• Doug Pagitt: "John makes a persuasive argument for making important the uniqueness of Scripture and Jesus. But i wonder if that emphasis is not a result of a culture that finds value in distinction, thinking "We are better because we are different from the other.""
• Karen Ward: ". . . I especially appreciate his acknowledgment and willingness to take on and examine the problematic tendencies of evangelicalism (harboring parochial cultural perspectives, seeing divine truth as totally knowable and "locked in" by human beings, and clinging to forms of unexamined biblicism that often come off as arrogant and patronizing).

Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches, pt. 2

each chapter in Listening the Beliefs of Emerging Churches is titled with a descriptor of that pastor's theology, in the case of the first chapter - by Mark Driscoll - it is "The Emerging Church and Biblicist Theology."

Driscoll is the pastor of mars hill church here in seattle, a church he planted in 1996 that is now close to 5000 members. we live just minutes away from mars hill, but and i have yet to go there, though many things have certainly piqued my interest in going just to see what it's all about.

i've heard a lot about Driscoll since we moved here last year, and i've read some of his blog posts and seen some of his videos. so before reading his part of the book, i knew that there were many things that i wouldn't agree with. though i agree with a lot of his theology, we do part ways in a number of places, but most of all i take issue with his presentation (in general, not just this book).

in Driscoll's fourteen pages, he clearly and succinctly lays out his calvinist views of scripture, the Trinity, and the atonement (and he references 700 bible verses) often using bullet points to refer to the bible as much as possible in a small amount of space. now, i wasn't reading this book as some sort of bible study, so i didn't check on each and every passage he quoted. but i did look up several that seemed unfamiliar by the context of his quotes. the response i had after reading some of them was that he was prooftexting (taking things out of context to make a point) quite a bit in certain parts. i found that even in some of the points that i agreed with his conclusion, i disagreed with how he got there, i just didn't find them in the context or content of some of the verses he quoted. by far, most of the scripture he used did back up what he was saying, which seemed to make the prooftexting unnecessary.

as i mentioned previously, my usual problem with Driscoll is his presentation, and once again his presentation frustrated me. Driscoll wrote with great passion, but honestly it felt as if his passion was less about his theology and more about being right and showing how much he knows.

to save space here, i'll just give a key quote or idea that stood out to me from each of the other authors' responses to Driscoll's chapter:

• John Burke: "This is why it is important that we provide space and room for questioning theology. . . . assenting to the correct doctrinal beliefs along can create that stench of the Pharisees if we're not careful, because what people say they believe is not always what they actually believe. . . . Ultimately, how we live reveals what we truly believe."
• Dan Kimball: "He is reformed to the core. . . . when we take extreme theological positions on anything, the extreme part of it actually is the weakest part of the theological system."
• Doug Pagitt: "At times I found it difficult to read Mark's chapter. . . . I am troubled by Mark's use of the Bible in what seems to be reference approach. Placing Bible passages in and around an argument is not in and of itself a proper way of being informed by the Scriptures. . . . Laying claim to part of the Bible as support for one's theological perspective needs to be done in a careful manner."
• Karen Ward: "When I read his words, I think "Wow, if Gold's Gym were a Christian church, then Mark would be the lead manager, nutritionist, and personal trainer."

Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches, pt. 1

i'd been curious to read this book for some time now, and got quite frustrated with how long it took amazon to deliver it. but it finally arrived last week and it read it in just a couple of days. part of the reason i was so intent on reading it is because our pastor is one of the five authors and i was itching to know more about where she's coming from theologically.

the book has five sections, each with a chapter written by a different pastor of an emerging church (in this case defined as a church that has a young congregation). each of these chapters is supposed to cover that person's view of theology and how it's practiced in their church (primarily their views of scripture, atonement, and God/the Trinity). after each chapter, the other four authors take about two or three pages to respond to that person's chapter, making the book much more conversational than the typical book (although it is something that has been done in a few other books about the emerging church).

i really enjoyed the format, it was refreshing to switch between the different authors voices and perspectives. since the authors' views vary so much from one another, it was also fun to wonder and anticipate how the others would respond to each chapter.

the book is edited by the late Robert Webber, who introduces the book with a discussion about historical trends and closes the book with a reminder that we live in a very different age now than the modern era and how it's important to listen to these pastors even if they seem to be speaking a different (theological) language.

it's been pointed out that the authors names on the cover somewhat reflect their theological orientations, from left (liberal) to right (conservative), though i would argue if that's the case that Karen Ward and Doug Pagitt should switch places as she seemed a bit more conservative. but, i would argue that cautiously, as i would agree with comments made a couple of times in the book that labels such as liberal and conservative should be avoided (at least in some situations).

for the sake of clarity, and to keep my posts a bit shorter, i'm going to talk about this book over the course of a few posts.

A Deeper Shade of Blue

A Deeper Shade of Blue by Ruta Nonacs is one of those books that was in my stack of current-reads for at least six months. i started this book months ago but took my time getting through it, often putting it aside for weeks (or longer) at a time as i read other books.

Nonacs is the associate director of the center for women's health at massachussetts general hospital. part of the reason this book took me so long to finish was due to a recurring regret that we'd moved away from boston, each time i picked up the book i longed to be in boston.

through her writing, it's clear that Nonacs does not only possess a vast amount of knowledge and insight, but compassion and a true understanding of what depression is like for women.

since it took me so long to get through the book, there's a lot that i no longer remember well enough to comment on. but the book gives a ton of info on depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period, including how depression affects the family, causes and treatments, information about various medications, and ways to minimize the effects of depression.

as the content is not fresh in my mind, i'm certainly not doing this book justice. this book has a ton of excellent information for women in their childbearing years who suffer from depression and is an excellent resource. the amount of inormation may be overwhelming for someone in the midst of a depressive episode, so it's definitely a book to read while you're feeling well, and to have on hand as reference for the more difficult times.

They Like Jesus but not the Church

i finished reading Dan Kimball’s book They Like Jesus but not the Church the other day. this was the first time i read Kimball beyond his blog or his comments in others’ blogs, and more than anything i was struck by his passion and compassion for the church and the world.

this book is geared mostly towards church leaders and others in ministry, while his follow up book I Like Jesus but not the Church (which is due for release in February 2008) is geared towards those who resonate with the title.

In They Like Jesus, Kimball gives several examples of positive views that our culture and those within it have of Jesus: as a man of deep spirituality, good teachings, and charismatic attractiveness. he focuses on emerging generations (essentially those in their teens through 30’s) and their criticisms of the church of today. he gives a lot of weight to those criticisms, explains the reasons for them, and makes suggestions towards correction. to make his points and create suggestions he interviewed several people both in and outside of the church and quotes them extensively.

the criticisms of the church that he focuses on (both in this book and the next) are:

• the church is an organized religion with a political agenda
• the church is judgmental and negative
• the church is dominated by males and oppresses females
• the church is homophobic
• the church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong
• the church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally

in each of his responses he describes why people view the church in these ways, why it’s problematic, and how the church can respond in a positive way (read: change), become welcoming and honest, while not compromising core beliefs or biblical principles.
i felt that Kimball wrote with integrity, being honest about how the church is seen in this culture, while writing with love and passion for both the church and those who find themselves outside of the church because of those reasons.

towards the end of the book he has a chapter specifically on what the people he spoke to wish the church were like, emphasizing the importance of listening to those ideas, and making suggestions for implementing them as a way of staying true to the biblical view of the church.

another thing that impressed me was that he included an appendix responding to the criticisms he received from christians regarding the content of the book, answering questions addressed to him concerned with the idea that listening so intently to those outside the church would dilute the church’s mission and message.

Kimball’s book is an important one for those who truly want the church to be the community of God on earth and who want to see the church move from being an obstacle in many people’s path to God towards becoming a place of invitation and authenticity.

on my bookshelf

as i was updating the lists of books i'm reading and that i've read recently on my sidebar right now, i glanced through them and realized that i have nearly a dozen books that i am somewhere in the process of reading. three more books i ordered from amazon just arrived today and another is still on its way. not only do i have way too many books on my list of what i'm currently reading, most are staying on that list way too long. many of those books have been there for about six months. in the last month or two, i finally finished about five books, but instead of moving through the rest on my list i simply added more. they are all books i've begun, but haven't quite made my way through the end.

in general school has a detrimental effect on my reading. i always get behind in my reading for classes, and in my guilt, i then avoid reading other books for pleasure. this time through though it took me a bit of time to get past the effects of school and back into reading. last summer i read three or four books a week at times, and this year now that it's august, i've just started to read about that many in a month.

hopefully in the next week or two, before classes start back up again, i can post about the ones i've recently finished and maybe get through at least three or four more.

Leaving Church

it feels strange to post about a book titled Leaving Church (by Barbara Brown Taylor), just when Jak and i are returning to church after a quasi-hiatus (but i'll post more on that later).

Leaving Church is writing in three parts, or movements if you will: finding, losing, and keeping.

in the first part, finding, Taylor - an episcopal priest - talks about her call to ministry and her move from a church in the city to pastoring one in a rural town in north georgia. ministry, and ministry in that church, are clearly a vocation she loves and feels called to. in part two, losing, she tells of the loss of the call to that ministry and that church, a call to come out of the work she has loved and into a different life altogether. in the final part, keeping, she pulls the previous sections - finding and losing - together as she writes about why she needed to lose what she'd found, how her life has changed, and what she has kept through her learning and experiences.

it's a beautiful book. i really enjoyed Taylor's writing, but since i actually finished the book almost two months ago, i'm short on details right now. i've had this post hanging out half writing for a more than a month, and figured that since i haven't posted anything in so long, it'd be better to get this up rather than worry about figuring out the details.

Pregnancy Blues

it's been a while since i blogged about any books, mostly because i haven't been reading as much lately.

a couple of weeks ago, i read Pregnancy Blues: What every woman needs to know about depression during pregnancy by Shaila Misri, MD. over the last few years, postpartum depression has garnered more attention as a common and serious problem. unfortunately, there hasn't been much attention given to the subject of depression during pregnancy.

Misri begins with conceptions and misconceptions about womanhood, pregnancy, and motherhood and works her way through risks, causes, and types of depression, explaining treatment options and the risks of different types of treatment as well as the risks of untreated depression during pregnancy.

"One reason for my writing this book is to let every woman know that if she is feeling unbearably sad, guilty, or hopeless at any point during her pregnancy, these are not normal feelings, and she needs to address them as surely and swiftly as she would a rise in blood pressure or unusual staining or cramping. Just as she wouldn't endanger herself or her baby by waiting until her high blood pressure turned into preeclampsia or the cramping led to preterm delivery, she must not wait until her symptoms of depression become so severe that they threaten not only her own well-being but also that of the child she is carrying. . . psychological and emotional stress can ultimately be just as dangerous to both mother and child as any physical complication."

the hard thing about a book like this, is those who most need it, pregnant women suffering from depression, are not likely to read it. after all, it's hard to read anything while depressed. and unfortunately, the chapter that talks about the risks of untreated depression is towards the end of the book. i think that women struggling with depression while pregnant will tend towards fear of treatment because of the risks to the unborn baby, so waiting so long to get to the risks of not treating depression means that a lot of readers may not make it far enough into the book to find out why they should seek treatment.

overall though, this is a very informative and well-written book that i hope gains a large audience.

Prince of Tennis

our friend Rilina got Jak into reading some manga back when we were living in boston. somewhere between boston and seattle, Jak got me to start watching the anime version of Naruto with him on occasion. now we watch it regularly.

after reading about Prince of Tennis on Rilina's blog, Jak picked up volume 1. last week he picked up vols 2 and 3. looking for something light and easy to read one night while i couldn't sleep, i read through them as well.

(for the unitiated, manga is a Japanese style of comic books or graphic novels, and anime refers to animation originating in Japan.)

Prince of Tennis is about the tennis team of a middle/high school, and the prince is this little 7th grader who can basically play like a pro. i'm not into tennis, so it took me a bit to catch on to some of what was going on.

but it's cute and entertaining (though i prefer Naruto) and i like the little guy's attitude.

Joe Jones

i first read Anne Lamott during a writing class in my undergrad, where we read her book on writing, Bird by Bird (hated the class, loved the book). i fell in love with her style instantly, and proceeded to read her other nonfiction works (Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, and Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year). at some point, i also read one of her novels, Blue Shoe. i felt let down. i so enjoyed her nonfiction, and i don't remember much about the book, except that i ended up disappointed.

since the growing stack of books on my "to-read" shelf currently consists of a bunch of psych books and one or two theology books, i started craving something a bit lighter to read. so when we went to barnes & noble last week, i abandoned my typical perusal of the psych section to wander into the realm of fiction. i don't buy a lot of fiction, but with so many books already stacked on my shelf for me to read soon, i couldn't bring myself to purchase another psych book quite yet (especially after two mini book buying sprees on amazon in the last few weeks). so i bought another Lamott novel, hoping to not be so disappointed in this one.

i felt rushed by the time i decided to look at her books, so i didn't really take time to read the backs of any of them, i just grabbed the first one that wasn't Blue Shoe, and it happened to be Joe Jones.

i took my time reading it over a few days this past week, though i think it's style also lends to a slower reading. it's a book about the characters, not really about a plot. there really isn't much happening throughout the book, mostly dialogue and time spent in the characters' heads listening to their thoughts.

i was going to say the book revolves around the characters in a diner, but really, the book is the characters in the diner. not much happens, except for conversations, thoughts about the past, and building of relationships (and the strains and pains that come with them).

sometimes the characters are annoying, but i think that is part of what makes them seem human, real, and true. they are broken people, and they hurt each other and yet their honesty makes them desirable. i think they main difference between them and us (as non-characters, but real people), is that while we are equally broken and searching for relationships, we lie and hide and pretend to be something other than we are. i guess that's what makes us most like the title character, Joe Jones, who is part of this group, but never really completely. he's hurt them out of fear, he's troubled by his own reality, he craves what they have but is himself the one at fault for the distance between him and the others. he refuses to step into the relationship as authentically as the others, so when he hurts them or they hurt him, relationships aren't mended as readily as when those same hurts happen among the others.

wow, that was vague. i got lazy and didn't feel like describing each of the characters. so all you get is this vague description.

so i guess, if you like a book with action or a fast-paced storyline, don't read this. but for something different than others, something that is about the characters more than the story, it makes for an interesting read.

Bloodletting

i went to a bookstore for the first time since we moved out here (well, except for a few minutes at a borders in miami while visiting family in january). i usually go to bookstores frequently, and once i enter one, Jak spends hours trying to drag me out of there. i've been known to keep him waiting while i read entire books.

though it's only been about a month since i read Rob Bell's Sex God, it feels like it's been a long time since i've read much of anything, especially anything not related to school. so while at barnes and noble i couldn't help but buy a handful of books. of course, i know i have a long list of books already on my shelf that i've been meaning to read or that i'm partway into (as shown by the list in my sidebar), but there's something i love about buying new books. i love books, and i love to be surrounded by books, and though i have too many on my shelves that i haven't even read yet, it's the one thing i can't seem to resist buying.

lk miwe7vf n <-- that was my cat's addition to the post (i got up for a minute, and i guess she thought she'd share her thoughts).

when i got home with my three new books, i promised myself i wouldn't read them until i was caught up with my schoolwork. but, i was too tired to read anything i'd need to remember last night, so i figured i'd start one as long as i only gave myself time to read recreational reading at times that i wouldn't be studying anyway. as is often the case, once i started the book last night, i didn't put it down until i was done (it was a memoir, so it was a quick and easy read).

the book is Bloodletting by Victoria Leatham. she's an australian author writing about her experiences with depression, bipolar disorder, self-injury (cutting, in particular - hence the title), medications, hospitalizations, and her life in general during her twenties and into her early thirties.

i think i've read enough psychological memoirs that it's become rare for me to find anything that really stands out in any of them (and the ones that try too hard to stand out, tend to contain too many falsehoods - like James Frey's A Million Little Pieces).

this book was easy to read as far as her writing style, although she names so many characters (friends, family members, boyfriends, roommates, employers, therapists, etc.), that it can be hard to keep up with who's who at times. there are moments that she contradicts herself (especially regarding chronology), but then again, when someone is trying to recount so many things that happened during a period when they were mentally unwell, how much accuracy can be expected? i guess i would just hope that the editor would catch those things and the author could adjust it accordingly.

i guess i've read enough about self-injury and stuff like that by now, that her descriptions didn't really get to me too much. i know a lot of people would be bothered by the talk of blood and the graphic nature of her explanations (though they could be much worse). and for anyone who self-injures, the book could be quite triggering. so i guess i could only recommend it to those who don't self-injure but might want to understand what one individual's experience with self-injury was like.

i found it surprising that it took her until therapy in her 30's to start to understand what lay beneath the cutting, what her triggers were, and what feelings and thoughts were associated with it. i've known (and known of) teenagers who were aware of at least some of those things. she honestly didn't seem to have any clue about it any of it up until the very end of the book.

the book ended nicely, with her discovering cbt (cognitive-behavioral therapy), and thus learning to pinpoint the thoughts that led to the feelings that lead to the images of and desires to self-injure. in learning that, she was able to change some of her thinking patterns, thus gaining control of her emotional states, and decreasing the urges to self-injure. so the nice ending was good, because i think it can give cutters, and others who self-injure, a bit of hope, that there can be a way out.

my concern with such a nice ending is that it seemed a little too neat. Leatham has now gone about a decade without cutting, and that's wonderful. but there wasn't much thought given that to how it may be for her in the future when she's in times of great stress or deeply depressed. it seems to me that a lot of self-injurers can come to a point where they stop the behavior for some time, and where they can even lessen, control, or even eliminate the thoughts to hurt themselves. but i have a hard time considering that to be a cure. it seems that there is a need to be aware that those urges can return and that future intervention may still be necessary.

at least she spent some time at the end of the book talking about some of the positive changes she'd made (besides the thinking patterns she changed through cbt, she also improved her support network, giving her a place to fall back on), some that will - hopefully - give her the ability to avoid the deepest depressions and, if not, to have the means to get better more easily.

so i guess i left this book with mixed feelings. impressed, because it's a difficult subject to write about, and even more difficult when describing personal experiences with such a taboo subject. yet concerned, that some may read it and think that self-injury is an easy thing to stop or that it may trigger some self-injurers (or even make them feel that what they've done to hurt themselves hasn't been enough and they have to cut more, or deeper, or find a different object to hurt themselves with). and hopeful, that having still another book on the market about this subject will help move this topic out of the shadows so that those who struggle with this can get the help they need.

i'll try to post later with a little info about self-injury (stats, suggested treatment, suspected causes, etc.).

Sex God . . . part ii

i said i'd write more about Rob Bell's book Sex God once i finished it, and well, i finished it pretty much just after writing the last post a couple of weeks ago, so now i have to see what i remember about it.

i enjoyed it, and - like Velvet Elvis - it was easy to read as he writes in a very conversational style (and without religious jargon). it does seem though as if he leaves half of the book (including some of the best parts) for the footnotes at the end (including the footnote that refers to an included Monty Python quote - where he comments that a book wouldn't be complete without at least one).

i know a lot of conservative christians like to bash Bell, and had a blast doing so after Velvet Elvis since Bell said a few things that irked quite a few people considerably. i don't think that this book is quite as easy to criticize from that perspective. i think the biggest complaint from that camp would be that he never clearly articulates a specific morality for sexuality. what i mean by that, is that his whole premise is that sexuality (our relational nature) and our spirituality are wound up in each other, and obviously since that's his premise, he's puts a high value on relationship and sexuality. but, since he never outright says anything such as, "sex outside of marriage is sinful," i know that many are going to tear apart this book.

the thing is, it seems that by avoiding specifics like that, Bell has actually written a book about relationships that gets to the heart of the matter. it's not a book about dating, or marriage, or even sex. it's really a book about how people are created in the image of God (imago dei) and ends up sounding a lot like the great commandment (love God / love others) and the story of the sheep and goats in Matthew (whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto Jesus).

so Sex God isn't really about it's title, and it's not nearly as controversial as his previous book. but i think Bell's got the right idea as to what relationships are really about, so that's good. i think it's worth the few hours it takes to read.

Sex God

yeah, i know, strange title. but it's not mine, it's Rob Bell's. it's the title of his newest book which was just released. i'm reading it right now, and i'm sure i'll have more to post about it once i finish. but, after reading the first chapter online, i couldn't wait to get my hands on it. so i thought i'd share the link to that first chapter, and hope you read it. the book is all about sexuality and spirituality and how interlinked the two are. the first chapter talks about divinity and humanity, dignity and depravity, us and them, lipstick and genocide, and heaven and hell. i know, it sounds like a lot. and it is a lot. but Bell writes in a very conversational style, he's easy to read, while at the same time, he hits you with a lot of information and makes you think.

so, i hope you read at least that first chapter. if you do, i'd love to hear your thoughts. and, as i said, i'll post more on the book once i finish it.

mental illness

so i was thinking about my last post where i commented on the book, Darkness is My Only Companion by Kathryn Greene-McCreight. in thinking about it, i got to wondering how many people would just ignore that post, or skim it, or not pay much attention simply because of the fact that most people - especially within the church - don't see the need to enter into a conversation about mental illness. i think books such as the one by Greene-McCreight are necessary within the church, but i fear the fact that topics like this are ignored.

so i thought it may be helpful to put things in perspective. according to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), here's a little info on mental illness in the u.s.:

• about 1 in 4 (26.2%, or approximately 57.7 million adults in the u.s.) adults suffer from a diagnosable mental illness in a given year
• mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the u.s. for ages 15-44
• 45% with any mental disorder meet the criteria for two or more disorders at the same time
• mental illness accounts for over 15% of the burden of disease in the u.s. (more than the burden caused by all cancers)
• nearly 10% of adults suffer from a mood disorder (i.e. depression, bipolar disorder, etc.) in a given year
• more than 90% of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable mental disorder, and over 32,000 people committed suicide in 2004
• 40 million american adults have anxiety disorders in a given year

i'm not saying that this means everyone has to read this particular book. i just think that with statistics like these, where a quarter of the adult population (mind you, none of these numbers included children) is suffering from mental illness, that we can't just ignore it all.

these numbers mean that every one of us, whether we know it or not, comes into contact with someone who is mentally ill on a daily basis. these numbers mean that a quarter of the people in our churches may be suffering from a mental illness.

for some, this may sound scary. the words "mental illness" conjure up thoughts of scenes from one flew over the cuckoo's nest or something. this fear is based on the stigma that still surrounds mental illness. but these numbers include mood and anxiety disorders, and other things that are very common, like adhd. these aren't numbers to scare us away from the mentally ill, but ones that will hopefully move us away from the stigma and into conversation and healing.

whether the diagnosis is depression or schizophrenia, there is still a great amount of suffering for the patient, their family and others in their support system. and i know there are those who don't really believe in the reality of mental illness, they think that they are all caused by a person's sin, or that people should just be able to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and be okay or something. but those beliefs just aren't true.

maybe i'll take some time in future posts to talk about the reality of mental illness, or how to spot when someone may be struggling, or ways to help or something. but for now, i just wanted to begin the conversation with simply some numbers that may help people think twice before ignoring the reality of the amount of people suffering.

(*statistics taken from NIMH)

Darkness is My Only Companion

i recently read, Darkness is My Only Companion by Kathryn Greene-McCreight. i think it's actually the first book i've seen that addresses mental illness not simply from a christian perspective but that does so in such a way so as to address the spiritual and theological implications of mental illness.

i've read a few secular books about mental illness in general, and many on particular illnesses; i've read memoirs from those who suffer from mental illnesses, and articles that look at the scientific, psychiatric, or psychological aspects; i've read christian books that look specific issues such as abuse or abandonment within from a christian framework, and ones that discuss psychology or counseling or theories from a christian perspective.

this was the first book i've seen that approached it from within a christian framework, taking personal experience into account, but focusing on the theological and spiritual implications of mental illness. the author dealt with questions of the soul and personality, and the effects of mental illness on each. she wrote about the consequences and ramifications of suicide from a biblical standpoint. and peppered in virtually every page were scriptural references and/or prayers, poems, and other such expressions of the faith throughout the centuries.

what this book offers is invaluable and a necessary introduction into a conversation that is well past due within the church. she has marvelous and beautiful things to say throughout the book that make it a helpful book for those who struggle with a mental illness and a valuable reference for those in pastoral vocations, with family or friends who are mentally ill, or who seek to care for the mentally ill in some other capacity.

unfortunately, the book was not edited as well as i would have liked. there were so many beautiful and needed things interspersed throughout the book, yet the way the individual paragraphs were ordered often made it feel chaotic in such a way that much valuable information could easily be lost to a reader because of the sense of disorganization within the book. though, i guess for those who have never personally experienced a mental illness, paying attention to the disordered nature of the book could help illustrate what it can be like in the mind of someone who is struggling with a mental illness.

even with that complaint, i would highly recommend this book as i feel that it offers some opening words to a conversation we must have within the church. and the fact that she is open about sharing her experiences while simultaneously addressing spiritual and theological implications seems to only give her greater credence and an ability to stand as a clear voice calling the church to reform its treatment and beliefs of the mentally ill.