Addition to Top 10

I suppose that it kind of works like the Academy Awards. If a book is published in 2009 but I don't read it until 2010 then it should count for this year's Top 10 books. I did want to put this out there because of how highly I think of the book and the author.
I know this sounds very much like a "homer" but I think Dallas Willard's book, "Knowing Christ Today", could be one of the finest modern day books I've read (Ok, maybe The Search for God and Guinness was just as good). I've read all of Willard's books but in a strange way this one felt the most "accessible" (even though in the beginning he did say it was going to be difficult sledding). I had heard that he was planning to write a book on the disappearance of moral knowledge for awhile now. But this book goes far beyond what I expected to actually state the case that one can have honest to goodness knowledge as a follower of Christ. I am re-reading it very carefully again.
My quick take is rather than being a book about straight epistemology or even virtue epistemology, what Willard has laid out a pretty strong case for the availability of knowledge for the average Christian. It goes beyond the standard formula that used in epistemology for what counts as knowledge (JTB). Instead he lays out a view close to Jonathan Edwards where knowledge is different than mere belief or even commitment. Consistent with Edwards, it makes no sense to bifurcate head and heart knowledge. Both are connected and vital if we are to understand the will. My sense is that Willard is in agreement.
Oddly enough, I suppose where Willard will receive the most flak is his use of words (and knowing him he does not use words carelessly). He does use the phrase "Christian Pluralism" and I think that might throw a few people off. My guess is that some might accuse him of being a universalist. Actually, he makes it clear that he's not. So obviously, "pluralism" means something different to Willard. In other places He uses the phrase, "Cosmic Christ". It's simply best to read that as the eternal second person of the Trinity.
My only other thoughts are I had hoped that he would also tie knowledge to the internal witness of the Holy Spirit and the connection then of knowledge to the Word of God. Other than that, read the book thoroughly! I think that you will find it challenging and inspiring that Christians need not capitulate to modern day pressure and rhetoric. For any college pastor who reads this, I do think that Willard is on to something that is critical for us to understand in this postmodern age of tolerance as we minister to those in college.

January plans for sabbatical

A few weeks ago I received an email from a friend regarding my post on idols. Particularly, he was interested in what God had opened me up to in terms of my own personal idolatry. Here's a brief answer as it relates to last month.

December for me was a month of decompression. After ministering for over twenty years without a clear break (except after Kay and I got married) the first month was spent gaining my balance. Even with Christmas and New Orleans the task was to actually de-pressurize my life. To that extent, I would say this: I now can understand why people who retire often go crazy. If you spend the majority of your waking hours producing something, once that "thing" is gone there are serious questions of identity that arise. For me it reminded me every day that at the core of "me", I am not a pastor. I do not have to answer to everyone's whims. I cannot please everyone. My "job" is not who I am. It seemed to me that this must be connected to idolatry in some way. Once I take something good and make it ultimate in my life by investing purpose, meaning, and identity, once that thing is gone, it's going to create a sense of existential loneliness and confusion. December can only be described as a month of God revealing to me the depth of how I place my job on the altar thinking that what I do is absolutely necessary to His plan.

Now January! Here's the plan. I'm open to God to lead me in any direction. For instance, even early in the month, while I thought I was going to spend time thinking about ecclesiology (the Church), I ended up reading, thinking and praying about eschatology (future things). I'm ok with meandering a bit because through it God will teach me what He wants. The pull of idolatry in this life is incredible and pervasive. Only when we look at the end are we reminded that even this life has been redeemed by Jesus' work on the Cross and His resurrection.

I'll be studying and praying quite a bit as i'm up in a monastery next week. Since I'm going to a Benedictine monastery it's only appropriate that I spend time looking at St. Benedict (and I might even throw some Henri Nouwen in there) It's during this time of silence and solitude for much of the day that I'm open to God revealing even more about my vices and the virtues make me think I'm doing alright. And finally to spend some long times walking in the gardens and vineyards praying for guidance and for those I love dearly (including you all!). I will see you all in about four weeks!