This week I continued my reading of Accidental Pharisees by Larry Osborne. This has been a book that has really challenged a lot of the beliefs that I have held (knowingly or unknowingly), or at the very least, challenged me to consider why I hold the beliefs that I do and evaluate whether or not they are truly founded on biblical principles.
One of the chapters I read this week was called "The problem with Rose-Colored Memories (Why These Might be the Good Old Days). In this chapter, the author discusses how many Christians (and churches in general) tend to view the past as the good old days, and hold more of a doomsday, everything's going to hell view of today. He then suggests that, perhaps, many who hold these views are remembering "the good old days" as far better than they were and taking a too critical view of the present. This whole idea connected with me, because while I am not a "doomsday" type of person when thinking about the present time, it is easy to get caught up in the many preachers, scholars, etc. who like to preach about how society is becoming more and more sinful and everyone needs to change our ways and revert more back to how things were 10, 20 or however many years ago. In the book, the author provides biblical examples that show how people and churches had significant issues during biblical times as well. In fact, many such issues look a lot like the issues we have today. Whether it be churches full of "lukewarm" Christians or individuals struggling with conforming to ideals of society-- these have been issues since the beginning of time. This isn't to say that we shouldn't strive to correct this, but suggesting that people today are horribly corrupt and need to be more like it was "back then" is inaccurate and creates more of an opportunity for pride and talking down to others than it does open communication and accountability so that we can actually improve.
Some of the overall takeaways from this book have had some significant impact on my current beliefs and are causing me to reevaluate much of the ideals and beliefs that I have grown up with. A mentor of mine recommended this book, and I'm not sure if it's because he noticed this particular struggle in my life, but in reading this book I have realized that I have struggled with being far too judgmental; and not enough focused on grace and forgiveness. This book has also forced me to reflect on whether or not I spend my time thinking and telling others about what is truly important. If I'm being honest, the past year or two I have fallen into the line of thinking of "The way is narrow and few will find it." This is a popular verse to preach on today, where the speaker essentially uses this verse from Matthew to tell everyone (even "Christians") that they may not actually be Christians because their lives haven't changed enough and this likely means they don't "truly" believe- therefore they are not "truly" saved. For the past two years or so, I have based my faith on this principle and felt it my duty to judge others and convey the message of: "Your life doesn't look "Christian" enough, therefore you may not actually be a Christian." Often using the verse mentioned above as evidence. However, this book has helped me realize this line of thinking leaves out a very significant aspect of following Jesus-- The Grace brought through the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross. This grace means we don't have to be perfect. And that so long as we believe in him, and continue to confess our sin, ask for forgiveness, and try to drawer nearer to him-- we are saved.
I still wouldn't say that I have a all of this figured out, but this book has been very helpful in encouraging me to evaluate what I believe, why I believe it, and to test and see if this actually aligns with the biblical teachings of Jesus.
Reading Log:
Monday- 8:30-9am
Tuesday-- 8:30-9am
Wednesday:8:30-8:45
Thursday: 8:30-9:00
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Saturday, October 19, 2013
PRABE Reflection #2
This week, I spent my "free" reading time with the book "Accidental Pharisees" by Larry Osbourne. This book addresses ways in which Christians will "over zealous faith" have the potential to create an environment of pride and exclusivity rather than acceptance and love. I started reading this book at the recommendation of a mentor of mine after some conversations we had regarding faith and what it really means to be a follower of Jesus.
I finished nearly the first 100 pages of the book this week and it has provided challenging and thought-provoking ideas for me. Osbourne references the Pharisees from the bible as a means of exemplifying how good intentions when trying to develop committed relationship with God can sometimes turn into oppressing others and an attitude of judgement.
One particular idea that resonated with me was Osbourne's discussion of various "groups" of Christians. He talks about "radical Christians", "organic Christians" and a few others. The main idea with this was to identify how certain groups create criteria by which they determine who is truly "Christian" and who is not. For example, radical Christians reference that the bible says that Christians will experience many trials and therefore feel that anyone who is not experiencing what they consider significant trials- then they must not truly be a Christian. Other groups suggest that if you have "too big" of a house or too nice of a car, then you are too focused on materialism and must not be a true Christian. The author suggests that this is "litmus test Christianity" and fails to see the whole picture (we often are judging people's actions or possessions without full knowledge of everything else that they do/believe), and ultimately is a faith of comparing ourselves to others and creating "requirements" that may not be rooted in biblical truth.
So far, this book has definitely presented ideas that goes against how I was raised, and it has been challenging to read with an open mind and consider his points and find a way to grapple with what I believe to be true. But, I think it is an important step to maturing and really understanding what I believe.
Reading Log:
Monday: 8:30-9:00am
Tuesday: 8:30-8:45am
Wednesday: 8:30-9:00am
Thursday: 8:30-8:45am
I finished nearly the first 100 pages of the book this week and it has provided challenging and thought-provoking ideas for me. Osbourne references the Pharisees from the bible as a means of exemplifying how good intentions when trying to develop committed relationship with God can sometimes turn into oppressing others and an attitude of judgement.
One particular idea that resonated with me was Osbourne's discussion of various "groups" of Christians. He talks about "radical Christians", "organic Christians" and a few others. The main idea with this was to identify how certain groups create criteria by which they determine who is truly "Christian" and who is not. For example, radical Christians reference that the bible says that Christians will experience many trials and therefore feel that anyone who is not experiencing what they consider significant trials- then they must not truly be a Christian. Other groups suggest that if you have "too big" of a house or too nice of a car, then you are too focused on materialism and must not be a true Christian. The author suggests that this is "litmus test Christianity" and fails to see the whole picture (we often are judging people's actions or possessions without full knowledge of everything else that they do/believe), and ultimately is a faith of comparing ourselves to others and creating "requirements" that may not be rooted in biblical truth.
So far, this book has definitely presented ideas that goes against how I was raised, and it has been challenging to read with an open mind and consider his points and find a way to grapple with what I believe to be true. But, I think it is an important step to maturing and really understanding what I believe.
Reading Log:
Monday: 8:30-9:00am
Tuesday: 8:30-8:45am
Wednesday: 8:30-9:00am
Thursday: 8:30-8:45am
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Reflection #1
Throughout the past week, I have been reading a book called "Under the Bar", by Dave Tate. Dave is the owner of Elite Fitness, a company that builds equipment for weightlifting and powerlifting. In this book, he discusses lessons of life that he has learned while being involved in the world of powerlifting as a competitive athlete.
This week, I made it through the first eight chapters of the book. Each chapter begins with an idea (chapter one- Aim, chapter 2- Attitude, etc.) and Dave delves into explaining how events in his life has helped him develop a certain skill or altered his outlook on life.
Chapter 2, titled "attitude" was a chapter that has really stuck with me and made an impact on my thought process throughout the week. Dave talks about attitude, suggesting at the start of the chapter that he defines attitude as "approaching life and work with passion, a smile, and a positive state of mind." He continues to say, "Attitude is a clear indication of who you really are and who you really want to be. If you are not where you'd like to be-- or at least on your way-- then the first place to look is attitude. The most important thing to keep in mind is that YOU choose your attitude in response to any given situation" (Tate, 27).
This last part of the statement is what really hit me-- YOU choose your attitude in response to any given situation. It is your responsibility. This reminded of another quote I heard somewhere that goes something like this: "Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you respond." This is both a freeing and terrifying thought at the same time. Often times, I like to blame others, or even just "circumstances" for what happens in my life, Dave boldly challenges this and suggests that we are in control of how we respond and how we approach life-- and this can make all of the difference.
This leads me to another idea that really challenged me throughout this week, Dave says, "when things go wrong, as they inevitably will, then learn from the mistakes-- and let it go." The idea here is that we often hold onto mistakes, thinking of them as failures and allow it to dictate much more of our lives that necessary. I have struggled with this a lot throughout my life and this perspective provides a sense of freedom that is invigorating-- when you encounter a mistake that seems monumental, simply take time to reflect and discover what you can learn from the situation and then get on with life. Keep moving forward-- don't let your past dictate your future. This may sound like "ra-ra" cheezy talk, but there is a lot of truth to it!
Reading Log:
Monday- 8:30 am-9:00am
Tuesday- 8:30am-9:00am
Wednesday- 8:30am-8:45am
Friday-8:30am-8:45 am
This week, I made it through the first eight chapters of the book. Each chapter begins with an idea (chapter one- Aim, chapter 2- Attitude, etc.) and Dave delves into explaining how events in his life has helped him develop a certain skill or altered his outlook on life.
Chapter 2, titled "attitude" was a chapter that has really stuck with me and made an impact on my thought process throughout the week. Dave talks about attitude, suggesting at the start of the chapter that he defines attitude as "approaching life and work with passion, a smile, and a positive state of mind." He continues to say, "Attitude is a clear indication of who you really are and who you really want to be. If you are not where you'd like to be-- or at least on your way-- then the first place to look is attitude. The most important thing to keep in mind is that YOU choose your attitude in response to any given situation" (Tate, 27).
This last part of the statement is what really hit me-- YOU choose your attitude in response to any given situation. It is your responsibility. This reminded of another quote I heard somewhere that goes something like this: "Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you respond." This is both a freeing and terrifying thought at the same time. Often times, I like to blame others, or even just "circumstances" for what happens in my life, Dave boldly challenges this and suggests that we are in control of how we respond and how we approach life-- and this can make all of the difference.
This leads me to another idea that really challenged me throughout this week, Dave says, "when things go wrong, as they inevitably will, then learn from the mistakes-- and let it go." The idea here is that we often hold onto mistakes, thinking of them as failures and allow it to dictate much more of our lives that necessary. I have struggled with this a lot throughout my life and this perspective provides a sense of freedom that is invigorating-- when you encounter a mistake that seems monumental, simply take time to reflect and discover what you can learn from the situation and then get on with life. Keep moving forward-- don't let your past dictate your future. This may sound like "ra-ra" cheezy talk, but there is a lot of truth to it!
Reading Log:
Monday- 8:30 am-9:00am
Tuesday- 8:30am-9:00am
Wednesday- 8:30am-8:45am
Friday-8:30am-8:45 am
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