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I’ve been a part of the Christian Church all of my life. I’ve watched how things work within the faith, and I’ve been particularly fascinated by the ways we Christians use and abuse the New Testament.

The New Testament - the uniquely Christian part of the Bible - is a messy collection of books and letters. No one can be absolutely sure what parts are important and what parts are the cultural containers that hold the important parts. In First Timothy, Paul instructs Timothy to drink wine regularly to help with his stomach problems. It seems unlikely that this should be understood as a universal command for all Christians throughout the centuries. And I’m not aware of any church that treats that passage in such a way.

Not that a glass of wine at night isn’t a splendid idea and something I might like to suggest for some of my more “intense” brothers and sisters.

So from the start, we have a collection of documents that is unclear and can be difficult to interpret and understand. That’s a good thing to know before we go any further.

From what I’ve seen, only very serious Christians take the time to actually read the New Testament for themselves. This collection of sacred writings taxes scholars, so it is certainly a challenge for everyday people. We do the best we can, but no one can understand all of the New Testament. And even those who have read the whole thing will have forgotten most of it by the following Tuesday. The New Testament is too much to hold in your mind.

What most Christians do is read selections of the New Testament, usually in a haphazard manner over a period of years. They pick out the parts that seem important or relevant to them and focus mainly on those selected scriptures. Most people get guidance in this selection process from whatever Christian tradition they follow. Pentecostals from Georgia find some parts of the New Testament particularly compelling. Episcopalians in Boston might focus on other parts.

But we all share this in common: we pick and choose scriptures, cobbling together something we call a theology. The word theology literally means “God words,” and a theology is a series of belief statements about God and Jesus and how Christians ought to live.

Now it is true that a few extraordinary Christians over the years have tried to understand and organize everything in the New Testament. Some have created great, hulking volumes of systematic theology that no normal person could ever read or understand. But trying to create a systematic theology is rather like a physicist trying to come up with a unified theory of everything. It’s a great idea, but so far no one has been able to pull it off in a way that satisfies everyone

If what I’ve written makes you angry, please note that I’m being descriptive. I’m simply describing what I have seen. If you know of a monk-like person who sat on a pillar for 40 years, can quote the entire New Testament from memory, and has now perfectly integrated all of it into his theology and life, then your exception is duly noted. Good for you, and good for your monk friend.

So our little slanted, incomplete, biased, and selective theologies are the best we can do. Given how our theologies are formed, it’s a constant wonder to me that people are surprised and even angered when they meet someone whose ideas about God differ from their own. I’d be more surprised if I met someone who shared my own beliefs, point by point, all the way to the end. Now that would be strange.

Oh, and there is one other thing. There are parts of the New Testament that are just embarrassing and otherwise inconvenient to our modern lives. We just ignore those parts and go on about the business of creating little theological systems that suit us.

That last paragraph is going to get me at least 20 scorching emails. Tut, tut, please settle down. I’m only telling you what I’ve observed. In my experience, people either ignore or conveniently avoid reading parts of the New Testament that are inconvenient for them.

Again, the exception of your monk friend is duly noted.

Now this is important to remember: all that I’ve described so far is what the best and most serious Christians do. Your average Christian might never read the New Testament at all. He or she likely doesn’t even know the names of the 27 writings that comprise our canon of scripture. These people show up at church now and again. They listen to what the minister behind the pulpit is saying and take that as gospel truth without asking any significant questions. Ironically, these are the people who are often the most dogmatic and outspoken about Christianity. Oftentimes it is these people you see waving Bibles around, shouting and screaming about how every blessed word of the Bible sprang straight from the lips of the Almighty.

Anyone who has actually slugged it out with the New Testament, reading it carefully and trying to piece together the truth about God, Jesus, and how we should live, will be so filled with humility and grace that they will probably never yell at anyone about anything, much less the Bible.

Now I’m fine with this whole process. I mean, it’s not like we have a choice. This is the best we can do. So I’ve made my peace with the reality of the situation. And that’s probably why I’m less dogmatic and picky about the details than some.

But what truly amazes me is what happens when two Christians find themselves in a dispute over some doctrinal issue or passage of scripture. Suddenly they forget how messy the New Testament is, how contradictory and convoluted parts of it can be. They forget that their own theology is a product of very selective reading.

Forgetting these things, they run back to their studies in search of verses of scripture that support their position. They pull out books and commentaries; they scan denominational pamphlets or find help online in locating these verses.

Suddenly, single verses are seen to support whole theologies. Some verse from First John now has the power to shore up an entire worldview. Some obscure phrase from Jude is thought to have the final answer on how men and women should relate to each other. And some phrase that Jesus used in a parable now means that people who disagree with you and your ideas about God will roast slowly over an open fire in the pits of hell throughout all of eternity.

These furious exchanges of quotations are like people lobbing mortar shots at each other from trenches. Those involved only get angrier and more entrenched. I guess eventually they get tired and stop. One or perhaps both camps claim victory. No one generally learns anything constructive from these battles.

How do I know so much about this? Because I used to be right in the middle of those fights. In college and seminary, I stood on street corners, arguing and fighting with fundamentalist street preachers. I remember once dragging the Greek New Testament (I had all of one semester of Greek under my belt) down to the street corner to show a sweating, shouting evangelist an aorist verb.

He stared at the Bible for a moment, then looked back at me. Then he shouted, “Your pride will be your downfall, and you will burn forever in the LAKE OF FIIIIIRE!!!!!

I mean, what can you say to that?  "Nu-uh!"

So now I’m gently sliding into middle age. I’m tired of fighting over the Bible. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about most fine points of theology. I know a little too much about how the New Testament was formed, and I know a little too much about what’s in there and how hard it is to keep it straight.

I have much simpler questions for people now.

“You reading the New Testament? Trying your best to understand it?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you trying to follow Jesus as a disciple, trying to understand what he said and live the way he did, where possible?”

“Yeah, I’m trying.”

“MY BROTHER!”

rlp

Hugh takes a crack at understanding one of the more mysterious characters from the New Testament - John the B. In the process he imagines teen-age Jesus dropping a hilarious line. "Mom, why do we have frankincense in the house?"

rlp

This conversation happened last night in the car. My wife and I both work, and I mean we work HARD. (I count my writing as work. Shut up. It SO is work!)

Anyway, we often have no energy to prepare dinner, but we love sitting down to eat with the girls. So we go out to eat probably twice a week. Last night we went to a little Chinese restaurant near our home. We just “discovered” it and are still in the honeymoon phase, raving about their Moo Goo Gai Pan and such.

For some reason Shelby was trying to remember some character from the Bible. Jeanene was driving.

AND....ACTION!

Shelby – Hey, who's that person in the Bible? Their name begins with like a G or something?

Me – God?

<Laughter all around>

Shelby – No, not GOD. Someone else. A regular person.

Me – Goliath?

Shelby – No

<Silence all around>

Me – I can’t think of any other Bible people whose names begin with G. <Looking at Jeanene> Can you?

Jeanene – No.

<Silence all around>

Reiley – Gimli?

<Silence. I turn around and look at her. OMG, she was serious>

Reiley – Oh, sorry. What am I saying? Gimli is from a different bible.

<I turn around again>

Me – A DIFFERENT bible?

Reiley – Well, The Lord of the Rings is KIND of like a bible, if you think about it.

AND....CUT!

Hmm.

So there you have it, folks. The preacher’s daughter and her OTHER bible. Nice.
 

rlp

The next in the series. There will probably be one more and then we're done.

The Reading List:

The Jewish Scriptures: Genesis, Exodus 1-20, I Samuel, selections from Psalms, Amos, and Micah.

The New Testament (Christian Scriptures): Matthew, Acts, Romans, I Corinthians, James.

Viva has the Learning Bible Discounted: Viva is offering The Learning Bible at a discount. They can only get the hard cover, and only in NIV. I was wrong about the NRSV being available. The NIV version is what I have. Regularly $50, they will sell it to you for $37.50 with $3 shipping.

They didn't want me to say this, but they will lose money on this deal. Thanks Viva!!

Okay, here's the next in the series. I made this one #6 and renamed the last video because it really wasn't in this series. I tried a new setting. The echo is too much, but I was in a big room. Also, Gabe sent me a 1 gig SD card, so I wasn't limited to 6 minutes. I'm worried that this is too long. You know how it goes, you tend to fill up the space you have. Let me know what you think. I went 14 minutes. I could be disciplined and keep it to 10. 6 really is hard to do.

Click here to get a copy of the Pocket Guide to the Bible.

Coming next: I reveal the coolest lectionary study group EVER. Seriously, even my atheist buddies will want in on this. There is, of course, one thing you'll have to bring with you if you want to participate. And it ain't a Bible.

rlp

Number 6 in the series on how to read the Bible. Demons and the New Testament.

rlp

Number 5 in the series on how to read the Bible.

rlp

More in the series. The next video is done and will be online in a day or so. And I hope to finish my story, "For We Are Many" by the weekend. BTW, what's with my shirt? It looks like it would hypnotize you if you stared at it hard enough. It's just a striped shirt. What is Google up to?

rlp

Third video. A discussion of various translations.

rlp

Second video. I'm beginning a discussion of the various translations that are available to you. I'll finish this discussion in the next video.

rlp

Okay, here's the first in the series. Video #2 is already done and will be posted in just a day or two. Remember, I'm doing this because of a specific request from someone. Sometimes just the right person asks in just the right way. So if you have an interest in reading the Bible, here are some practical tips and guides for you.

And can I just say that Google must have someone choosing the worst possible frames to use as the still shots in these videos. This looks like I'm trying to kiss the camera with my freakish, monkey lips. Nice. Feel free to submit your own caption for this photo.

rlp

Nice. I love the still shot Google chose.

Zacchaeus was a wee little man,
A wee little man was he.

These are the opening lines to a Sunday school song that I sang many times in my childhood. The story of Zacchaeus—found in the 19th chapter of Luke—is a popular one for children. Zacchaeus was a very short man who climbed a sycamore tree, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jesus as he walked by. We like to tell this story to children because Zacchaeus was small, just as they are small, and he wanted so badly to see Jesus.

Isn’t that a nice story?

Unfortunately, like many Sunday school stories, this one has been scrubbed and sanitized until it is hardly recognizable. The truth behind the Zacchaeus story is darker and more sinister. The most notable trait of Zacchaeus was not his lack of height, but his lack of character. Zacchaeus was a traitor. He collected taxes for the forces that occupied his homeland, and he carried out this task with brutal efficiency. He took more than was required and kept the extra. Further, as the chief tax collector, he was the equivalent of a mafia don. Zacchaeus got a piece of all the local action...

Click here to read the rest of this essay at The High Calling.

Click here to read other High Calling Bible study/reflections
by Gordon Atkinson

rlp

Someone left a a beautiful blue box on the front porch of our church recently. A note on the top said, "For Gordon." I opened the box and inside was an elegant, blue fountain pen with gold bands.

The pen was left by an Episcopal priest named Cristopher whom I met in a coffee shop several weeks ago. We had one of those, "You're a minister? Me too! Isn't preaching wonderful except when it's awful?" conversations that ministers often have. The next time I saw him there, I noticed he was writing with a fountain pen. And since he is left-handed, there was ink smeared all over his hand.

Writing with a fountain pen is a choice. And to do so as a left hander, meaning you will always be dragging your left hand through wet ink, indicates a serious commitment. It's like me using my grandfather's pocket watch, which loses about 6 minutes a day. It's not practical, nor does it make sense in an age where cheap, quartz watches lose less than a second a month...

Click here to read the rest of this essay at The Christian Century online.

Archive of Christian Century Articles by Gordon Atkinson

This is the third short reflection/Bible study that I've written for the High Calling. I have a contract to write for them once a month for the next year. This writing is a little different from what I do here at Real Live Preacher. It's a little closer to the kind of things I do at church.

The second chapter of Mark contains a fascinating story about four people who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus in hopes that he would be healed. Unfortunately, there was such a crowd in and around the house where Jesus was teaching that they couldn’t get near him. Undaunted, the four went up on the roof, tore open a hole, and lowered their friend down to Jesus.

It certainly was a brazen thing to do, if not exactly polite. I’m guessing the homeowners weren’t too pleased with their new skylight. Still, we understand the desperation of these friends and give them a certain amount of credit for gumption and ingenuity. Whatever we think of their methods, no one can deny that these four were determined and did not give up easily...

Click here to read the rest of this essay at The High Calling.

rlp

Dear RLP,

I have been really confused lately, so I wanted to see if you can help me out at all. This may be a really big question, but why is the Bible important? I am a Christian, and I have heard other Christians say that the Bible is God’s word, but I don’t know how they are so sure of this. Other Christians say that the Bible is inerrant, which I can’t accept just based on my own reading of it.

So here is the problem. How can anyone know that the Bible is divinely inspired? And if it’s not, then why does it have any authority? I’m really confused about this.

Andrew

_______________________________

Andrew,

If I understand you correctly, you’d like to know why Christians think the Bible is inspired by God and therefore authoritative for Christian life. You would like to know how people came to believe that the teachings in the Bible have a connection to the will and desire of God.

I think these are wonderful questions, and frankly I’m stunned that more people don’t ask them. You go to church and this huge book is dropped in your lap. You’re trying to figure out what you should do with it, and everyone is talking about it as if the basic questions of its origin and nature were settled long ago. Most church people believe these writings are the words of God, so most churches begin with the assumption that you agree with them in this regard. Sometimes church people get defensive or even angry if you ask a question about the validity of the Bible. After awhile, curious people just stop asking and likely stop attending church at all.

There is no reason for us to be afraid of honest, passionate questions. People who ask questions are some of the most interesting kinds of people I know. Truth matters to them. They want to understand what the Bible is before they give it authority over their lives. That makes perfect sense to me.

I’m going to tell you the story of how the New Testament came to be. I think this story will get you started in finding the answers you seek. The Jewish scriptures, sometimes called the “Old Testament” by Christians, have a similar story behind them. Here is a warning ahead of time: There is no way to provide proof for claims about the authority of the New Testament. All we have are centuries of tradition and a natural selection process that took place in the early centuries of the Christian Church.

You should also know that there are Christian scholars who specialize in this subject. I am not one of them. I know enough to present a very basic and simplified story. There is a fair amount of disagreement and uncertainty among scholars on many of the particulars. Still, I think my version of this story will be good enough for your questions.

In the early years after the crucifixion, the friends of Jesus began to spread his teachings and story around their part of the world. They made the rather astonishing claim that Jesus had died on the cross for their sins and that God raised him on the third day. Those who accepted this message in faith and tried to live according to the way of Jesus were part of the movement that became known as Christianity.

In the beginning, those who had known Jesus told stories of his teaching, life, and work. As the friends of Jesus grew older and approached death, people began writing down these stories. This was done informally at first, but in time, more formal collections of stories formed and were called gospels, which means "good news." At the same time, Christian leaders like Paul, Peter, James, John, and some others whose names are not known, were engaged in writing letters of help and support to Christian communities around the Roman world. Some of these letters were so helpful that they too were gathered into unofficial collections.

For the next couple of centuries, the Christian movement made use of these collected writings. Those that were thought to be written by people who actually knew Jesus or were disciples of those who knew him were given priority. Some gospel collections were not thought to accurately portray the life and teachings of Jesus. These fell out of favor with the majority of Christians. Some writings fell away and others grew more popular and were revered. At some point in the 4^th century, the collection was made official and closed. Twenty-seven books were included in the New Testament. Four gospels, an account of the earliest church, and a collection of other letters and writings.

Modern Christians say many things about the New Testament. Some say that these works are the very words of God, as if God dictated them or perhaps even wrote them. Those who say this are often trying to express their deep reverence for the New Testament and may just be saying what their pastors have told them. I don’t agree with that picture of inspiration, but I try to be gentle and kind in my disagreement.

Other Christians believe that somehow the Spirit of God was present in the writing and collecting of these books. They believe God was working behind the process, allowing a lot of freedom for those who wrote and collected, but working nonetheless.

Still others might say that they don’t understand what a word like inspiration means exactly, but they know that twenty centuries of Christian tradition tell them that the writings of the New Testament reflect the teachings of Jesus and have proved valuable in keeping the Church moored to her original message of love, grace, and redemption.

As for me, I know that an ancient tradition and many testimonies of human experience stand behind the New Testament. These are the writings that have nurtured our mothers and fathers in faith across the ages. For that reason alone, I have deep respect for the Bible. My own careful study of the gospels over the years leaves me continually astounded by their depth and by the way they continue to speak powerfully to people of all cultures, all ages, and all levels of education. So I join myself with the larger Christian community in affirming these writings as scripture and using them to guide my life. The New Testament provides me with a baseline or measurement that keeps my own spiritual journey connected to the original teachings of Jesus and his friends.

My trust in the New Testament is an act of faith on my part. It is my own offering to a movement that stretches back to Jesus himself. I faithfully offer my life and belief with a full knowledge of what I am doing and why I am doing it.

rlp

This letter was reprinted with permission from Andrew.
Here are a couple of sources that provide further information and links.

So there you are, you’ve made your case, you’ve taken a position, you’ve let it be known that you believe something or have taken some action in response to a belief. Inevitably, someone says, “Yes, but once you say or do this thing, what’s to stop you from saying or doing THAT thing, or, God forbid, even THIS dreadful thing?”

Ah, the “slippery slope” argument. It’s one of my least favorite arguments, I must say. There are times when it is appropriate, times when human freedom is limited or circumstances will not provide the opportunity to examine every case individually, but most of the time I think it is on the same level as using an analogy to prove a point. Analogies make wonderful illustrations, but they are pitiful proofs.

And I’ve noticed that some people tend to use the slippery slope argument frequently. Apparently, once you start using the this kind of argument, it is hard to know when to stop.

Sorry, I couldn't resist saying that.

Let’s take a look at the idea of the slippery slope. It goes something like this: One person makes a case for doing or thinking something we shall call A. Another person, one who is against A for one reason or another, argues that once you allow A, it is either inevitable or likely that you will also allow B, C, D, and E. And since any or all of B through E are wrong or unwise or dangerous, it is best to avoid A as a precaution. It’s basically the story of Pandora’s Box repackaged and offered to the discussion at hand.

The reason that A leads to B and so on is usually not mentioned, which disappoints me. If you use the slippery slope argument, I feel you should also be ready to explain why it is a valid concern in a given situation.

In some cases, human weakness is the culprit. In this scenario, A might not be so bad, but it will make B through E more tempting and harder to resist. Or perhaps A is some sort of logical Rubicon. Once you cross A, there is no logical reason for not crossing B through E. There is even a rather codependent sociological twist to this argument. If you do A, then other people will follow, and they might do B through E. And you, a right and decent person, obviously should take responsibility for those people as well as for yourself.

I have to tell you that I’m not particularly crazy about ANY of those reasons. Back of each of them is the assumption that we will be unable to deal with every situation individually, as it occurs.

Once I told someone that I did not think the events described in the book of Jonah had actually occurred. The story has great spiritual value, which is why it was included in the Bible, but I felt there was no real history behind it.

An alarmed Christian person said, “Yes, but once you say that Jonah didn’t really happen, what’s to stop you from saying any or all of the Bible didn't happen?”

I’ve heard this same argument with regard to scripture a thousand times over the years. Here is the appropriate response:

“Well, let’s see. I believe that Jonah was not swallowed by a great fish and vomited up on the beach. But I believe Abraham was a real person. Further, I believe that David was a real king of a real Israel. And I believe that Jesus was also a real person, one who worked miracles and died on the cross for our sins. See now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

One of the joys we have in being human is in exercising our freedom to choose and to take each case as it comes to us. We are not robots who are forced into behaviors by their programming. We see things; we think about things; and we choose our course of action or beliefs appropriately. And as long as that remains true of us, we will live every day of our lives on one slippery slope or another. There is no reason to fear this.

As a matter of fact, all of the really lovely and interesting things that humans think and do exist on slippery slopes. Love, parenting, sexuality, boundaries (both geographic and emotional), spirituality, morality, legality, economy, consumption and production. Really there is no end to this list. In truth, I am at a loss at this moment to think of ANY human endeavor that does not exist on a slippery slope of some kind.

So relax. Keep your eyes and your heart open. Think and believe and act. Changing your mind is always a respectable option. Hopefully your heart will follow in time. Fear not the slippery slope, for we have been slipping and sliding throughout history.

It’s a part of what makes us human.

One of the things I like most about the Bible is the motley and flawed collection of characters that populate its pages. There can be no doubt that we share a common humanity with them. Here is Noah, lying drunk in his tent and having a conniption fit when his son walks in and sees him naked. There is Abraham fooling around with handmaidens and sacrificing his wife’s honor to protect his own skin. Jacob is one of my favorites, wheeling and dealing, conning people out of everything from birthrights to baby goats.

It’s all there, humanity on display in the pages of scripture: Sampson’s vanity, David’s lust, Solomon’s greed, Jonah’s racism, Herod’s bloodlust, Thomas’ doubts, and Paul’s sermons—so boring that once a young man fell asleep while Paul was preaching and fell out of a top story window...

Click here to read the rest of this essay at The High Calling.

rlp

Theology can only ever be simple thoughts from simple minds that are forever trapped in moments of time.

You want to know how it happened? I’ll tell you how it happened. I got tired. I couldn’t do it anymore. I fought an inward battle with orthodoxy for years and tried to figure out what the Bible has to say about this. I took six years of Greek, hoping the original language of the New Testament might shed some light. I got a Bachelor’s degree in religious studies and a Master of Divinity. I read everything I could find and talked to everyone I respected. But in the end, it all came down to this – I could not be orthodox in this matter. I could not. So I gave up and gave in. And the minute I did I felt a flood of cool relief, like water after forty days in the desert.

The moment of choice came, and I chose to stand with my friends. That’s the deal. That’s the way it happened. I wish I could tell you that my rigorous study finally unlocked the secrets of the New Testament’s scant witness on this matter, but it never did. For twenty years I asked this question of the Bible and never got a clear answer. Finally, I realized that I could wait on the Bible no longer.

I had to choose my place in the middle of uncertainty, ambiguity, and doubt. I had to make a choice. I had to stand on one side or the other. The bottom line is, I don’t give a damn what you think the Bible says. I’m not going to stand against my friends on this. I can’t. I cannot. I am unable to stand against them and not collapse from sorrow and despair.

Whatever this says about me, I willingly accept. You say this makes me a liberal? What does a label like that mean when laid alongside real living? You say I don’t respect the scriptures? It’s been years since I had the energy or the desire to argue about that with anyone. The truth is, I’m okay with any label you want to give me. Only I’m not going to stand against my friends. I’m not going to do it.

I’ll tell you what I told God on an evening that started out like any other, but ended up being the night of the choosing. That was the night I watched a video interview with Lewes Smedes, called “There’s a wideness to God’s mercy.”

“Dear God, I am unsure of what is right because there are people I respect on both sides of this issue. But I cannot stand against my friends and remain emotionally healthy. It will kill me to stand against them. I cannot do it. Forgive me for my weakness, my fear, my unwillingness to take chances, and for all the times when I have been wrong and believed the wrong things. I pray that you bless whatever goodness you find in me. You know my heart and my desire.”

There was darkness over the waters and over me for so long. There was no wideness to God’s mercy in those days. I did not know the way out of the darkness, so I chose the way that seemed right to me. Having chosen, I will not turn back now. It is finally done, after all these years.

rlp

For my brothers and sisters in Christ - Dave, Brian, Carol, Dylan, Tom, Don, Jeremy, Brenda, Lou Ann, and Julie R.

View the Lewis Smedes Video - "There's a Wideness to God's Mercy." 

Transcript of the Video. 

Well, I got me a little writing gig, which is good news. I've written hard these last four years, and I have learned a lesson of writing. Writing well takes a big chunk of your life. You either find ways to make money doing that, or you make peace with the idea of living with less. These days I spend about half of my professional life writing. The other half is given to my church. My goal is to string together a number of small writing incomes that will eventually be enough to justify the work.

I am absolutely unafraid of this journey and have no anxiety about it. I have a sense of peace about this. It seems right. So far everything that has happened since I began Real Live Preacher has been an encouragement to keep writing. So I'm just following a path that seems to be laid out before me.

The H.E. Butt foundation owns and operates Laity Lodge, which is my favorite retreat center in the world. They do other nice things, including providing free summer camps for thousands of needy kids. They have contracted with me to write 12 short bible study/reflections over the next year. One a month. Piece of cake. This is the kind of thing I do every week and have been doing for about 20 years. Now it's not exactly Real Live Preacher stuff, you understand. RLP is me with very few limits. And that's good too, in its place.

These will have a touch of my attitude but will be more, well, bible studyish, I guess.

I hope you enjoy them.

rlp

Some months ago I wrote an essay for Christian Century about my first experience viewing a facsimile of the Saint John’s Bible. I recently acquired my own copy of “The Gospels and Acts,” the first to be released of seven volumes that will comprise the entire Bible. When I opened it the first time, I spent about half an hour turning every page and gazing with wonder at the amazing illuminations. Even this facsimile is truly a work of art...

     --Click here to read the rest of this review.

Creation image from volume 1, The Pentateuch (not yet published)
Click here for a larger view
Used with permission from Liturgical Press

Evaluating my own writing is a tricky matter. I know what I'm looking for in an essay: clarity, a new and interesting take on a subject, perhaps a new way of looking at something common and familiar, real passion and vulnerability, and writing that sounds good so that reading it feels like running downhill. You don't want to stop.

I have my own opinions about the work I've done at Real Live Preacher, but I've come to understand that what happens when the written word meets the reader is beyond my understanding or control. Sometimes I'm not completely happy with a piece - maybe I never got comfortable with it or maybe I stopped being able to hear it before it was done - but then I find out that it meant something to someone. I'm always humbled and amazed by this.

I wrote something in 2004 and called it, "Mark Twain." I worked harder on that essay than most. And when it was done, I liked it. But it's never been picked up by anyone. As I recall, Christian Century passed on it. So I was happy that the "Wittenburg Door" published it in their last issue.

Mark Twain

"A man once told me that he believes every word in the Bible. I was struck dumb with amazement.

He
Believes
Every word in the Bible

There is no part of that statement that makes sense to me..."

Click here to read the rest of this essay at the "Wittenburg Door" online.

rlp

Children living on the edges of time zones are the ones most aware of the arbitrary nature of timekeeping. On the Western edges, they whine about being called indoors on summer evenings when the sun is still shining. On the Eastern edges, they are rightly offended when the winter sun starts to go down at 4:30 in the afternoon.

Even the best of our adult explanations are not good enough for them. They know something is not right...

Click here to read the rest of this essay at The Christian Century online.

Archive of Christian Century Articles by Gordon Atkinson