"A Christian or a Religious Secularist, Which am I?"

The following couple of paragraphs are in the new book, "The End of Secularism" by Hunter Baker.

I have only read the introduction online but it looks interesting. The reason I have placed this in my blog is that as I read what he said about himself in his days before he was a Christian, I realized he describes many Christians today.

I hope you will read it and think.

"I believed in God, but I didn’t see what difference that made to anything outside my private world. Private religion is at the heart of secularism. My relationship with God was simple. If I felt fear, I asked him to protect me. If I wanted, I asked him to provide. His character was not particularly of interest to me. The God who existed in my mind during my life up until college was essentially a cosmic genie.

Beyond the realm of my personal desires and wishes, I saw no place for God other than in ceremonies like baptisms, weddings, and funerals. That god is an accessory to occasions. He is like a magical charm designed to do what we want him to do. There are times when we bring him out with ornaments, bows, and ribbons. Otherwise, we box him up in the attic and only occasionally remember or contemplate him. For me, the private god-in-a-lantern model was the appropriate way to think about God and/or religion."

Gripped by Grace,
Hal

"As a man thinks...so is he."

As DeeDee and I are in Virginia going through a difficult time with Ronnie and our daughter Julia (she is miscarrying) I am continuing to read some of my general books.

I read a quote from the book, "The Christian Mind" by Harry Blamires. It is thought provoking. See how it strikes you.

"The collision between the Christian mind and a solidly earthbound culture ought to be a violent one."

I think when the collision is not violent that the Christian mind has given in to the earthbound culture.

Gripped by Grace,
Hal

Whose Fault is it I'm Running on Empty?

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I am reading a book titled "Running on Empty" by Fil Anderson. Well it is not that long of a book and I should have finished it but I took a break to read "The Furious Love of God" by Brennan Manning. Both are excellent books and I need both right now. But on to the purpose of this blog. I am now back in "Running on Empty" and am reading a chapter on prayer.

A few thoughts from the book may help you as they have me:

"This Holy Other, this Lover of my soul, invites me to approach Him, often urging me to linger, to remain with Him. With God practically begging me to stop by and share some unguarded conversation, why do I continue to resist the plunge into unspeakable intimacy with Him?" p.99

"I resist this open invitation because I'm usually in a hurry. Yet God never raises His voice...and God never hurries."
p. 100

Here are two great questions: "What do I long for so deeply that I can taste? What do I feel I can't live without?"
p.103

Finally, speaking of some monks he encountered at an abbey he said, "They have decided to want only one thing: God. And on those days when God is not their one and only desire, they at least want to want God."
p.104

That last one is a kick in the stomach.

Buy and read both books. Manning is a little bit of a Christian mystic but interesting. (I found his at the $5 Christian bookstore at the mall.) Anderson is very helpful.

To me both are like a cool drink of water on a hot, exhausting day.

Gripped by Grace,
Hal

Some Quotes...

Recently I was looking back through a book I read several years ago and saw some of the thoughts I highlighted. I wanted to share them here so I am placing them both for you to read on this blog even though they are not related, directly.


They are from, "Recapturing the Wonder" by Ravi Zacharias.

"Like a child who suddenly stops sobbing when he is clasped in the arms of his mother, Such will be the grip of heaven on our souls."


"Thinking is a dying discipline in a society that throbs with activity."

Gripped by Grace
Hal

"What do you think?" or "What?... Do You Think?"

I am in the process of reading two great books. (I gave John Calvin a break.)

One is "The Christian Mind" by a British author, Harry Blamires. The other "Running on Empty" by Fil Anderson.

The first is, I believe, sermon preparation. The second one is definitely for me, but that is a story, maybe for another time.

In "The Christian Mind" I read the following quote which I have thought but could not have worded it in such a grand way. The British have a very "to the point" way of talking.

If Christians cannot communicate as thinking beings,
they are reduced to encountering one another only at
the shallow level of gossip and small talk. Hence the
perhaps peculiarly modern problem --- the loneliness of
the thinking Christian.

Very true Mr. Blamires. Very true.

So if you find yourself in a time of "small talk" or worse - "gossip"...think about this quote.

Gripped by Grace
Hal