We took a vacation this week. We didn't go anywhere, just hung around home and didn't go to work. My brother, sister-in-law, and niece came to visit (hopefully going to put up some pictures of our vacation soon), we took day-trips, and we participated in my cousin's wedding. It was a good vacation.
I also finished two books that I have been reading. The first, Gilead, is a
novel about an old pastor who had a suprising family in his old age. This pastor is writing a letter to his young son, whom he doesn't expect to see grow up. It is very lyrical and thoughtful and serious. The author certainly knows her historical theology (she is conversant with Calvin, Augustine, Feurbach, and Barth) and is an excellent storyteller. I can't really recommend it for its insights (my main criticism is that the main character seems overly in love with this world and not enough focused on the world to come and this shapes everything in the book), but I do recommend it for the storytelling. There is a lot here about family, shame, love, friendship, and life in general. And the writing is down-right poetical. Michael Travers recently published a review of Gilead in Reformation21.
The second book I finished I can wholeheartedly recommend for both style and content. When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy is a book on spiritual growth by John Piper. It is as much a personal glimpse into how Dr. Piper pursue's God as it is a theological argument about the "dangerous duty of delight." My wife has read it through once and started again. I really enjoyed the 2nd to last chapter "How to Wield the World in the Fight for Joy." Dr. Piper explains how we are to see and use everything in creation (including our own bodies) as a way of enjoying God. Highly recommended. And if you're hard up on cash, you can read it online.
I also finished two books that I have been reading. The first, Gilead, is a
novel about an old pastor who had a suprising family in his old age. This pastor is writing a letter to his young son, whom he doesn't expect to see grow up. It is very lyrical and thoughtful and serious. The author certainly knows her historical theology (she is conversant with Calvin, Augustine, Feurbach, and Barth) and is an excellent storyteller. I can't really recommend it for its insights (my main criticism is that the main character seems overly in love with this world and not enough focused on the world to come and this shapes everything in the book), but I do recommend it for the storytelling. There is a lot here about family, shame, love, friendship, and life in general. And the writing is down-right poetical. Michael Travers recently published a review of Gilead in Reformation21.
The second book I finished I can wholeheartedly recommend for both style and content. When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy is a book on spiritual growth by John Piper. It is as much a personal glimpse into how Dr. Piper pursue's God as it is a theological argument about the "dangerous duty of delight." My wife has read it through once and started again. I really enjoyed the 2nd to last chapter "How to Wield the World in the Fight for Joy." Dr. Piper explains how we are to see and use everything in creation (including our own bodies) as a way of enjoying God. Highly recommended. And if you're hard up on cash, you can read it online.
I can't wait for my next vacation so I can get a little more caught up on my reading!
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