Book Review of The Intentional Christian Community Handbook by Dan Janzen

The Intentional Christian Community Handbook
by David Janzen
ISBN 978-1-61261-237-9
Paraclete Press
Reviewed by Clint Walker

When I was in college, I had romantic dreams about living in intentional community. I had visited Jesus People USA for worship my freshman year, and was impressed with both the intentionality and the diversity of that community. I was also impressed with their impact-filled ministries that they owned and operated. This fantasy continued until I felt called to get theological education, and also felt the need to pay off my debt before entering into some sort of Christian communal venture.

That was twenty years ago. I am now invested in leading a traditional congregation, raising a family, and providing for those I love. However, there is still some small part of me that is drawn to the hope and possibility of sharing life and resources together with others as we unite in ministry and seek to live more simply.

In the last ten years, different models of sharing life in intentional Christian community have begun to arise, and the idea of communal living has began to make a comeback. It is with the history of the Christian communities founded in the 60s and 70s, as well as the knowledge of more contemporary models that are being formed that David Janzen shares his research and wisdom.

The book begins by allowing the reader to see the big picture of what is going on with different ways of living in intentional Christian community. Models of Christian community and cultural concerns are considered. Then, a process of discernment in engaging intentional Christian community is described. This process is both a flexible and a helpful guide to navigating such a big decision.

The book spends some time sharing how to create an intentional Christian community, and helping participants in these communities navigate through some important challenges and developmental stages in the venture. This part of the book will be invaluable in guiding people who are starting communities as they walk through the process together.


Finally, Janzen writes about how more mature Christian communities need to serve as resources, guides, and community planters for other communities. I think this is essential if the movement is going to continue and grow.

I think this book, a book about organizing a movement that at times can seem disconnected and disorganized, will be essential for the future. What a great resource, for those of us that are interested in the concept more theoretically, and for others who are living in intentional Christian community on a daily basis.

Book Review of the Easy Burden of Pleasing God

The Easy Burden of Pleasing God
By Patty Kirk
ISBN 978-0-8308-4303-9
IVP Crescendo
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Sometimes we make things more complicated than they should be, or than they need to be. Patty Kirk says that there are some people who are making the Christian faith a spiritual equivalent of a Rube Goldberg design. So she has written The Easy Burden of Pleasing God as a counterargument against complex systems of spiritual ascent or demanding paths of discipleship.

Kirk argues that we need to live our faith as a life, not a job description. Too often, we have a to-do list of what we need to do to be a good Christian. We organize our lives to just enough of this, or do give this much, it an attempt to please (I would say appease) God. She goes on to say what God really wants is for us to live with him, walk with him, trust him, and accept his love.

If one truly walks in grace, and lives one's life as God's beloved, immersed in God's love, than good works naturally spring from that. Our devotion will lead us to love our neighbor, serve in missions, and the like. But the beginning has to be about being willing to allow God to make us his. Everything else flows out from that. At least, this is the lesson I get from the book.

This book is one of several books to come out in recent months that is a part of IVP's Crescendo line of books. This line of books is a set of books that has a target audience of Christian women. Look for several other high quality books to come from this line from IVP in the coming years.

In the meanwhile, grab this treasure with a cup of coffee, and read it slowly, bathing in the grace of God.

Book Review of Ministry in the Digital Age by David Bourgeois

Ministry in the Digital Age: Strategies and Best Practices for a Post-Digital World
by David Bourgeois
ISBN 978-0-8308-5661-9
IVP Praxis
Reviewed by Clint Walker

A few years ago, a group of pastors and I decided to create a workshop for pastors and church leaders regarding internet tools for pastor's and teachers. We shared about social networking, blogging, some denominational opportunities, and much more. People wondered, how do I get my church online? How do we find an internet presence?

That was a few years back. Today, even more has changed. And things will continue to morph as we go forward in the church and in ministry. To this conversation comes Ministry in the Digital Age, a timely and thoughtful book written by David T. Bourgeois. David contends that we live in a post-website world, and we need to adjust with ideas and strategies to fit our changing digital landscape and our goals and objectives.

One of the most interesting facts that Bourgeois shares is that the number of smartphones people have, and how the smartphones are revolutionizing people's internet habits. It is expected that by 2014 (next year) the number of smartphone subscriptions will match the number of people on the planet (p. 20). It is also very possible that this year, more people will access the internet through their phone more often than they do through PCs (p. 21). There are currently more mobile phone subscriptions in the United States than there are people (p. 40). What does all of this mean? That perhaps your best portal for reaching the online community is not to design an internet presence that clunks around with a slow processor, and is not wireless enabled. Because if you are still thinking that most of your potential church members are sitting down to a laptop and clicking around for a church like yours, you are mistaken.

The next wonderful point that Bourgeois makes is that internet use is now more RELATIONSHIP driven than INFORMATION driven. People go online to connect. They want to find a romantic relationship outside of the people they run into everyday, they find a way to access a digital dating forum. They want to shop, they go to Amazon or Craigslist. Shopping is a business relationship. Facebook has more time spent on it than any other website in the world.

All this doesn't mean that websites are bad, and that everyone should just have a Facebook page. Far from it. What it does mean is that ministries, churches, and organizations need to orient their entire digital presence toward answering the question: how do we build relationships with people through the web. One's internet presence should not be thought of like an advertisement in the paper. Instead, it should be thought of as a place to connect, interact, and partner with people to share the good news and do the work of the gospel.

The rest of the book does a great jobs with nuts and bolts ideas of building an internet presence that fits any one organizations goals and objectives. Pitfalls are identified, and some creative ways of looking at one's digital strategy are shared. This is a great resource for a church and its leadership board, as well as a myriad of other Christian organizations or ministry groups. Ministry in the Digital Age should be a textbook in seminaries and a guidebook for church leadership boards.

Gastric Sleeve Week 9 Video Blog:

I am discouraged I only lost one pound, but considering the eating out, the family, the birthday party, and Jen being diagnosed with breast cancer, one pound is not all that bad of a result, at least so I am told....

Book Review of Formed for the Glory of God by Kyle Strobel

Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards
by Kyle Strobel
ISBN 978-0-8308-5653-4
Intervarsity Press
Reviewed by Clint Walker

I remember in my seminary class on Christian Education, our professor made an effort to have us read a book on on Spiritual Formation in Congregational Life. Coming from a more evangelical background, I shared with my professor my struggles with the book. "This is such a different way of talking about church," I told him, "I have to slow down, filter, and then reinterpret this book through my current vocabulary to understand what the author is getting at."

My professor told me that this was his goal. He wanted us to be conversant with work done on Christian Education that used Spiritual Formation language. His vision was very prescient. This is because I believe that the "Christian Education" model of church is dying, and is quickly being replaced by a "spiritual formation" model of explaining how we do the work of discipleship.

Reading and studying Formed for the Glory of God will create similar challenges for those readers who are a part of the spiritual formation conversation, but are not used to the language and approach of the Puritans to spiritual practices. Strobel does his best to be our guide into the world of Puritan spiritual formation through its most articulate spokesman, Jonathan Edwards. He teaches us a new vocabulary as we journey with him. We learn of the practice of soliloquy in spiritual formation. Then we ponder the centrality of the concepts of beauty and grace in understanding how souls are truly transformed.

Much of the first three chapters of Formed for the Glory of God, the reader is given an overview of Edwards' theology that is relevant to his understanding of how persons grow close to God. It is a deep, thoughtful survey of Edwards' beliefs, which are deeply rooted in Calvinism. Strobel does an excellent job of both explaining this theology, and talking about why it is relevant to a conversation on spiritual formation.

The next section of the book talks more generally about how God changes people. What I thought was most interesting was the conversation about replacing the language of spiritual disciplines with Edwards' language about "means of grace". For Strobel, the language of spiritual disciplines tends to lean toward works righteousness and/or a therapeutic model of self-salvation. While Strobel has some good points, I tend to disagree.

I have always thought of the model of practicing spiritual disciplines as a relational journey. The practice of these disciplines helps me to listen and attend to what God is doing, and connect with him in a meaningful way. It is not me changing my life when I practice spiritual disciplines. When I practice spiritual disciplines I am just using time honored practices of making myself available to God to speak to and transform.

I think Strobel gets his aversion to the language of spiritual disciplines because it has its historical roots firmly planted in the ground of Catholicism. And, in Catholic writings on spiritual formation, there is a lot that lends itself toward works righteousness in the more historic works, and there is a lot of fluffy self-help stuff in contemporary thought. Nevertheless, I do not see the need to throw out perfectly good language because some have abused it. The same could be done with the phrase "means of grace" with enough effort and research.

As Formed for the Glory of God continues, there is some really good work that Strobel does in sharing some of Edwards' spiritual practices. The discussion of the difference between meditation and contemplation in Edwards' thought was instructional and helpful for me personally. Also, hearing about some of the spiritual practices of Puritan New England will be useful and I continue to understand how God is working on me, and how I can find ways to yield my heart to him more faithfully.

This little paperback packs more of a punch than it lets on. It is deep, thoughtful, and well-researched. I think it needs to be on the bookshelf of every pastor interested in Reformed Spirituality, and this work needs to be considered within discussions on how spiritual formation works across traditions.

The Unexpected Journey Ahead

This picture was taken two months ago, when we had a party for Karis' third birthday, and Mattea's first birthday. Jennifer had just completed her surgery. My surgery was at the end of the following week. We worried about juggling kids, eating right, losing weight, and what was going to happen with the church following VBS.

This day was a happy day. We had fun with friends from church, my mom was in town, I got to barbeque and wear a beach shirt for most of the day. What could be better?

Now, two months later, the world looks a lot different. As of yesterday our suspicions were confirmed, Jennifer has breast cancer. It is a disease that her mother and grandmother have survived, and she plans to beat it as well.

As of today, we are unsure of what is ahead. We can't get in to see the surgeon until next week. They have not told us what kind of cancer we are looking at. The have not told us what "stage" we are at either. We are waiting for news, and eager to get an aggressive game plan established. But, for right now we are waiting. We are, so to speak, in "cancer limbo land".

Our plans are to be as aggressive as possible in fighting the cancer that is trying to kill Jennifer.

Many of you are asking how Jennifer is. The answer is, it depends. She has her good moments and her bad moments. Sometimes she is on the brink of tears, then she is angry and screaming, and then she just wants to hold those she loves as close as she can. And, this is all to be expected. Especially at this stage in the process of living with cancer. She is working on staying positive, and doing pretty well at it. There are also sometimes she is afraid she will die and her children will not remember her.

The truth is, people do die from breast cancer, but a majority do survive. Mortality rates are higher for people Jennifer's age, but that is because early detection is much more common among older women. And the breast tissue among younger women more is more dense, which makes discovery of lumps and bumps more challenging.

Interestingly, we may have gastric sleeve surgery to thank for detecting Jennifer's breast cancer when she did. Perhaps over 50 lbs of weight loss made the cancerous mass more easily detectable, and easier to discover.

Here are a few of the articles I have discovered about breast cancer with younger women.

http://www.youngsurvival.org/breast-cancer-in-young-women/learn/statistics-and-disparities/

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/features/who-gets-breast-cancer-who-survives

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Update, Week 8

Book Review of One Bible, Many Versions by David Brunn

One Bible, Many Versions: Are All Translations Created Equal?
by Dave Brunn
ISBN 978-0-8308-2715-2
IVP Academic
Reviewed by Clint Walker

I grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist church. In this congregation, it was taught that the King James Version of the Bible was the only acceptable version of Scripture to read, study or accept as true. As a matter of fact, a member of a different church that I attended for part of my high school years wrote a book with this thesis entitled Valiant for Truth.

I have since come to a more reasonable, and a more intellectually grounded understanding of this issue, and have copies of most English versions in my personal library. There are some versions which I prefer, and others which I do not think do as good of a job in translating the original text, and there are other versions that I think read very poorly. Some translations I consider "devotional" and others I prefer for more in-depth study. My preferences on how the issue of gendered language also influence which text I prefer.

So, I brought some baggage with me as I began to read One Bible, Many Versions by Dave Brunn. As I ordered this book I began to wonder how the author was going to come down on the translation issue. Would the book be an apologetic for a particular type of translation? Would it rank the translations based on the author's preferences and standards? Thankfully Dave Brunn does none of these things.

Instead, what Mr. Brunn does is show that different translations, with their different goals and purposes in translation, are interdependent on one another. Some translations serve better in one context than another. And, despite the way that certain versions market themselves, nobody anywhere does a literal word for word translation. It would be to difficult to understand. One Bible, Many Versions goes deep into the translation process to show exactly how difficult the translation task is, sometimes pulling out specific passages, identifying the differences between translations, explaining the rationale for some of the differences, which are sometimes equally reasonable and biblical between sides of the debate.

What I thought was most fascinating was when Brunn identified that when Biblical writers were quoting Old Testament passages, they were not always interested in a word for word translation from Greek or Hebrew. Nor did they always stick to the Hebrew translation or the Greek translation. Perhaps, it is implied, we are a little more legalistic about matters of translation than the authors of Scripture were.

All in all, for a student of Scripture, particularly one who has had some academic training and interest, this is a really interesting and fascinating read. It is detailed, smart, understandable, and well-reasoned. While the author has his particular perspectives, he does not keep that from offering grace to other translators and other versions even when he disagrees with them on a particular manner.This book is a breathe of fresh air, and I hope it finds its way into the hands of many.

Fruit of the Spirit

Initial thoughts about the sermon for Sunday 7.28. Wanting to share and get other folks thought and input.

Gastric Sleeve Week 5: Video Blog

Book Review of Hidden In Christ by James Bryan Smith

Hidden in Christ: Living as God's Beloved
by James Bryan Smith
ISBN 978-0-8308-3575-1
IVP Formatio
Reviewed by Clint Walker

I remember the first time I really fell in love with the book of Colossians. I was on a planning team for a regional youth event for my denomination in the northwestern part of the United States. And as the team that was planning the event, we decided to use Colossians 3 as our theme passage. We actually used the text from The Message, which seemed to strike me especially powerfully. The first two verses say, 

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. (Col. 3:1-2 MSG)

After this conference, I would return to this passage again. And, indeed to the whole book. I would remember my childhood preacher speaking about all of the "alls" in Colossians 1, and I would be moved.

As I got to be a preacher, and I wanted to speak to my congregation about the power of Christ, and the centrality of Christ in the life of the Church, I very quickly moved to the book of Colossians.

Most of chapter 1 and chapter 2 of Colossans teach about the power of Christ. In Chapter 3, the book makes a meaningful transition. Colossians Chapter 3 begins to teach about how to live in the grace and power of Christ as a believer. It is fitting then, as James Bryan Smith begins to teach more about how to live in Christ, that he creates a meditation on the truths that are contained in Colossians 3:1-17.

Hidden in Christ is a devotional really, but a devotional that really packs a punch. In this book Dr. Smith takes 30 words or phrases in seventeen short verses that bring out a truth that believers are called to live in. 

This book is wisely organized. In each chapter, there are some thoughts on the truth that is communicated by each small word. Then there is an "affirmation" or a sentence to meditate on that helps the reader take the truth of the passage with them through the day or week. Sometimes another spiritual practice is included. A prayer is added at the end of each chapter to help believers pray the truth into their lives, and then there are some brief thoughts and questions to reflect on. I have been reading a chapter a day, but the book could easily be used for a once a week devotional as well. 

I have been eagerly anticipating the next book from James Bryan Smith for months. This book is well worth the wait. It is a book you can read over and over again, and get more out of it as you go. And it is a book, that if you take it seriously, can change your heart and move you to worship. 

Coffee with Calvin: Daily Devotions by Donald McKim

Coffee with Calvin: Daily Devotions
by Donald McKim
ISBN 978-664-23681-6
Westminster John Knox Press
Reviewed by Clint Walker

I had just started in a youth pastorate in Montana. My senior pastor and mentor was talking about taking one other young guy, myself, and he to breakfast once a month for mentoring and study. He chose to have us read Calvin's Institutes. The Battle's translation. A big, two-volume behemoth. The tome cost me over $50 dollars. "I know it is expensive," he said, "but you have to do it." So I did.

I made it through about one-fourth of Calvin's Institutes then. I am a little further along since then, but 15 years later I have not finished it yet. Nevertheless, in the study I grew to love reading and probing the thoughts of Calvin. I don't always agree with him. But Calvin was so brilliant, so well-organized, and so well-written that he needs to be read, understood, and taken seriously.

Recently, I had the opportunity to receive a book based on Calvin's Institutes called Coffee with Calvin. Coffee with Calvin is written by Donald McKim, the living legend of Presbyterian publishing and the editor for John Knox Press. What Coffee with Calvin does is take little snippets of Calvin's work, explains them, and then gives practical advice on how to live what one can learn from Calvin in one's everyday life.

The book is broken up into different sections. McKim begins with some devotions on basic Christian belief. He continues on with a section on life in the church. The rest of the sections of this fine devotional fall under more practical headings such as "Anticipating the Future" and "Living the Christian Life". The result is a devotional that feels almost catechetical and confessional in nature, and thus has a unique beauty that most other devotionals do not have.

This is a great book, and would be a great study. This devotional needs to be pondered and savored. It is better not to rush through it. Having Coffee with Calvin should always take a little more time to listen and savor.

The Bariatric Rollercoaster

So last week was a good week. I lost 11 lbs. Which puts me down 36 since surgery and 56 since my first appointment and 66 since the beginning of the year. All in all that is not a bad start, but I have about another hundred to lose, hopefully by summer 2014.

The previous week I lost 4. And the week prior to that I gained 2 pounds. The thing is, I think I did better with my diet and exercise on the weeks that I lost less than last week. Go figure.

This sleeve journey really is a roller coaster ride. One week you are up, another you are down. Either way, you just need to keep charging ahead, trusting that if you are doing the right things than this whole deal will work.

Things that I am doing that I think are working:
Loading up with protein in the morning: 30g drink, 10g yogurt....this gives me more freedom through the rest of the day as far as when and what I eat...I think it is important to get in the protein first

Taking blood pressure meds--when I do not, I think I retain water weight.

Walking when I can--I am not where I need to be yet, but I seem to be making the right choices

Getting well rested--helps me feel much better

Things that I need to improve on
More exercise
Eating less crackers
Planning meals better

I have 5 more pounds until I get my first reward. Why five pounds? Five more pounds puts me down below what I was at my low weight with weight watchers. Also, my lowest weight in at least 10 years. I am a little nervous, because I am approaching a "plateau" weight for me, where my body likes to hover for a while. Hope I break through....

Book Review of Missional Spirituality by Roger Helland and Leonard Hjalmarson

Missional Spirituality: Embodying God's Love from the Inside Out
by Roger Helland and Leonard Hjalmarson
ISBN 978-0-8308-3807-3
IVP Books
Reviewed by Clint Walker

There have been hundreds of books written about the missional church movement. I might have at least a quarter of them in my personal library. This is because I think the one thing of central importance for churches is making the "missional turn" from attempting to attract people to their church to sending out their church members as missionaries and evangelist to "do church" outside the four walls of the local church. Too many churches put a heavy emphasis on gathering, but scatter with very little purpose.

At the same time, it is possible to be focused on being "evangelists", being "missional", and going out into one's community equipped to serve and reach them, and yet have very little spiritual depth as a congregation. The key as a church is to have spiritual depth, and yet at the same time have missional purpose and missional fervor. It is a challenge.

In Missional Spirituality Helland and Hjalmarson attempt to explain what a church with spiritual depth and missional energy might look like. At the beginning of the book, the authors attempt to identify the church within the world it exists in. Then, Helland and Hjalmarson strive to establish a theological foundation for a church that is externally focused. Following this, they seek to identify spiritual practices that equip believers to live their faith in the world, and to allow those believers to grow deeper and more united as a congregation. They base these practices on the Shema, or the Great Commandment. Every practice that they identify helps believers grow to love God and neighbor more powerfully and more holistically.

Missional Spirituality is both inspirational, and instructional. I was inspired page after page. And, I felt the teaching of the authors both comforted and challenged me as a Christian leader. This book just isn't a game changer, it is a life changer. I will return to it often.

Shallow Small Groups...so funny

Trying to find a new way in my new life

I want to be disciplined in so many ways, but I feel stretched so very thin. It is nobody's fault but my own. I have just gotten to a place in my life where it seems like my life runs me instead of taking charge of my life and running it the way I feel God leading me to do. Let me explain.

Recently, with my gastric sleeve surgery, both the PA I see post surgery and the nurse that is in charge of my health management have challenged me to make time for regular exercise. I have a hard time doing this. This was not always the case. There was a point in my life where I was able to work out for about 45 minutes a day when I was trying to get healthier. Setting aside that kind of time now seems impossible.

I also need to be more engaged in personal study as a pastor. I do not feel like I read enough or study enough. Instead, I feel like most of my ministry is running from the hospital to the nursing home, and then from a bible study to the office to hand out vouchers and catch up with phone calls. I need to take time to study and think if I am going to be an effective pastor. I used to do that. I am struggling doing that now.

I need to take time to make and maintain friendships. But when?

I need to learn how to manage my life. And it cannot be the way I used to do it. My life has changed. I have a wife and two kids. I serve a church that is more administratively demanding and needful of my direct input and direction than anywhere I have been. I am older, and less able to burn the candle at both ends than I was 5-10 years ago. But if I don't make room in my life somehow for a "new way" to play to my strengths in ministry, care for myself, and do the thoughtful soulwork I need to do I am not going to be the person or pastor I need to be.

So....I am still working, thinking and praying on this one.

Disappointment (and possibly failure) in ministry

It has been a hard summer in my pastorate here at United Churches.

Things started great enough. We had a great VBS led by capable leaders. The problem is, since the week of VBS, both old folks and younger families have not been nearly as regular in worship. Thus, attendance has taken a quick downturn.

I have wracked my brain on why this has happened. Is it the result of people's personal response to my ministry. Perhaps for some. There were a few challenging confrontations in the spring that people are still dealing with. Some of those we will get over. A few may abandon ship at the church temporarily or permanently. However, this is a small percentage of the overall attendance downturn we are experiencing this summer.

Another possible contributor is switching worship times for the third time in around 18 months. Right before I came here, we had two services. Then we had one at 9am. After that, by a narrow vote, we switched to 10am for services so that we could have Sunday School precede worship. As a compromise for those who wanted 9am services, we decided to have a "summer schedule" that ran worship at 9am again from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

There are a number of other concerns. An aging congregation. Younger folks that play a lot during the summer. Blah! Blah! Blah!

None of this was a concern last year when attendance was up for the summer. Of course, that was the "check out the new pastor" summer. But still.



So, I have been thinking. And I made a list I have noticed that there are a lot of people who are simply less regular this summer. I get that. There are folks struggling with illness. I understand that as well. But what does this say to our church and myself as its pastoral leader?

Part of me thinks this is a great opportunity to identify a problem (church attendance) and push forward toward some plans that have the possibility of growing our church. Also, I wonder if this situation challenges me to set different priorities for my ministry and what I am focused upon.

So, I am going to go to the board at church tomorrow, share the problems transparently, and seek their wisdom and insight as the church leaders on how we best address these attendance issues.

I enjoy this town. I enjoy our congregation. I want to be here a long time. At the same time, if it is my leadership that is not meshing with the church....they may want to make changes. We will see. As for now, I am disappointed in myself and this situation, and am doing a lot of soul searching and prayer about how to fix it.

Gastric Sleeve: One Month

I am now one month out from surgery.This week produced a four pound weight loss.  I have lost 25 lbs. 55 for the year. I have to say, I am a little disappointed in my progress, especially after I lost so much the first week and a half. Having said that, if I could lose four pounds a week for the next six months, I would be pretty happy with what I am doing.

In the last month, there have been a lot of nice things about the surgery. Our food bill is much smaller. I am not feeling as though I am starving, though technically I have a very low calorie count. People say that they notice a change in my appearance, especially in my face and in the way that my clothes fit. My wife seems somewhat happy that we are on this gastric sleeve journey together.

One part of this journey that is interesting about this journey so far for our family is that we rarely use the "big plates" anymore. We use the saucer plates for our meals, because that is about all we can eat. Makes for a little more room in the dishwasher. Especially since Jen and I now eat less than either of our toddlers.

In case you have not noticed, I still struggle with this whole process quite a bit. Although I get plenty of protein through dairy and shakes, I feel a strong longing for meat and protein. I miss eating. I enjoyed the Weight Watchers process much more, which was equally as successful for me, if not more successful at this point. Without getting to eat things like Italian food, Mexican food, and beef, I feel like the joy of a good meal has been taken away from me, and I wonder if I will ever get it back.

Here is another thing. When I was not on dietary restrictions, I rarely thought about food. Now, it is a topic that is always at the back of my mind. And, to honest, meal time makes me anxious. I am supposed to eat something, there is a lot of things I can't eat. There are a few things I can. When I try and test things out, I feel guilty and worried I will gain weight. When I grab another Greek yogurt, I am bored to tears as I eat.

I have been told often that I need to exercise more. I have not gotten in the swing of things. This is a very strange challenge for me for the last 2 years or so. Before that, my plan for weight loss would be to get a gym membership, lift a few weights, and hit the cardio equipment with passion. This plan worked. However, this plan worked in the pre-parenting phase of my life. Now it is get up, help get folks moving in the morning, get cleaned up, go to work, come home, get kids settled with dinner, bath and bed, try and have some semblance of an adult conversation with my wife, and then space out in front of the television for a few minutes after she goes to bed to wind down.

My health coach person told me to set aside 15 minutes here and there for walking, but to be honest, that feels like cheating the job. Especially lately, when the job has put me in a position where I am out of the office a lot. I think what I am going to have to do is schedule walks with people as part of my pastoral care with them.

Jennifer and I went out while Grammie was here and the kids were napping and looked at possible groups to join for exercise. We checked out Evans Plunge now that the city owns it, and we went to the golf course. The golf course has such large spacing between holes that they recommend that people use carts to avoid slow play (3 to 4 minute cart rides between green to tee on the back nine). This defeats the purpose of exercising through golf, and having to use golf carts makes it cost prohibitive anyway. The Plunge was a good deal, but a lot of the equipment needs upgrading. The othe gym is nice, but more expensive. No perfect plan for this kind of exercising initiative, but at least there are options, which is great for this small of a town.

So, my journey after one month is back and forth, incomplete, a struggle with some successes, with a realization that I have a lot of work to do and a long way to go. My goal I stated to my health management agency is 100 lbs post-surgery in one year. Which means I have 11 months to lose 75. I would prefer to lose a little over 125 lbs, which still seems a long way off.

Onward and downward I guess, hoping to descend the scale and continue to get thinner and healthier. I hope this presents an honest appraisal of the gastric sleeve journey after one month, and that it will be informative to folks that care, and helpful for folks on the gastric sleeve journey or considering the procedure.

Gastric Sleeve Journey: End of Third Week

The end of my third week was disappointing. I did not see the results that I wanted to see on the scale this week. It got me down. And when I get down, I want some pizza and a mt. dew. And, when I cannot have the pizza and mt. dew, I get grumpy.

Now, there are all sorts of reasons I have thought through on why I have stalled in my weight loss this week. For instance, I have not exercised enough. I have also been told to reduce my blood pressure medication and completely eliminate the water pill that goes with it. I have been upgraded early on my diet due to the dizziness that I was experiencing, and there is no doubt that this could have effected my potential weight loss as well. And, to top it all off, in 8 days I have had one wedding and two funerals in addition to my normal worship duties. Nevertheless, I was disappointed. Did I mention I have a hankering for some Mountain Dew?

There are a couple of things that I have begun to notice at this point in the sleeve surgery game. First, the dietary restrictions in the first month of the bariatric diet have as much do to with behavioral management as reteaching eating to patients as it does to what is best for weight loss and what the stomach can handle. I wish they laid out their rationale more in their teaching and literature. Perhaps they think that the patients are too stupid or rebellious to submit to something purely out of behavior modification, but it would be better than telling patients that they cannot handle some foods that patients discover that they can.

I have also noticed that this process is so much easier when you are a part of a couple on the journey of gastric sleeve weight loss together. When we sneak food that relatives bring in the house, we do it together, and when we struggle figuring out what to eat for dinner or lunch, we understand one another. I would not want to do this journey alone, like so many have to. I am glad if I have to do this, I am sharing it with Jenny.

Well, this is not well written, but you are now sufficiently updated...until next week....

DON'T BE IN A HURRY: Article for last week's Hot Springs Star

Don’t Be In Such A Hurry….

My daughters turned one and three in the last month. They are so beautiful. And I adore them. They are often, in many ways, eager to grow up as quickly as they can. Our oldest is excited for preschool and Vacation Bible School. Our youngest daughter is trying to climb up and over everything in sight, and wants to do everything her big sister does. These days, I try to help my oldest with something I usually assist her with, and she insists she can do it. Maturation is a healthy thing, but sometimes I want to say, “Hey little girls, you don’t have to be in such a hurry to grow up!”

The truth is, all of us hurry just a little bit too much. We are anxious to get the toys we need, and so we spend money we don’t have to get them now. We schedule and our families so we don’t have a spare minute, and then brag and pat ourselves on the back about how busy we are. We get in a rush to make everyone happy and do everything everyone wants us to, and then drain our energy and our souls in the process. We get way too anxious about too many things. We get trapped in what author Gordon McDonald calls “the tyranny of the urgent.”

It is interesting to note that although Jesus was clear about what his mission was, he was never in a hurry. He was not lazy. Neither, though, was he frantically flitting from one thing to the next. Some time people tried to hurry him up to get to the item on their agenda. He still went at his own pace, loving, serving, and caring for people as the Spirit led him to. He stopped to help a woman while he was on a way to heal a sick girl. He takes time to teach his disciples while they are journeying to see a dying friend. Jesus rose on the third day…not the third hour. Even in resurrection, he kept a consistent even pace.

I think we all need to slow down a little bit. St. Vincent de Paul says, “One who hurries delays the things of God.” The rushed anxiety that hurry creates makes us less effective in accomplishing the goals we want to accomplish. It also makes us more irratible, less grateful, and more difficult to live with. We need to remember that love is patient, and that one of the fruit of the Spirit’s work in our life is growth in patience. God brings about good things in his good time.

So, let us take a minute to take a deep breath. Let us work hard. But let us take times for rest, for preparation, for thought, and for truly savoring our lives. Let us live with the love, joy, patience, and peace that the Scripture promises for those who walk in the way of Jesus.

THE BLESSING OF BELONGING: Article for Hot Springs Star published today

THE BLESSING OF BELONGING

When I was growing up, my mother dated a gentleman for eleven years. She was waiting until he could overcome his issues with alcohol addiction before she married him. He died of exposure after a night of drinking in the middle of winter, passing out inebriated behind a school playground. He was 39 at the time. The same age I am right now.

One of my biggest struggles in grieving this man was that, even though he had been around more than my father, I had no claim to him. I did not belong to him by marriage or blood, nor did he belong to I. And yet, even today, I wish that those bonds were there. I feel it that having some sort of belonging with him would validate my sense of loss.

I think we all need to belong to others, and have others belong to us. That is part of what we experience in families. It is part of what we experience in the practice of community. For this reason, among others, I think we underestimate what it means to be a part of a church family.

Churches are not buildings. Churches are not institutions. Churches are first and foremost communities of people covenanting together to love and worship God and each other. And they are, in my opinion, one of the greatest blessings God gave humanity.

You do not have to do life alone. You don’t have to try and figure out everything by yourself. You don’t have to feel lost, like you are wandering in the wilderness. You can find a group of people that know God, and know that God is love. You can discover a community of people who admit they don’t have it all together, and are not perfect, but are striving to live in obedience to one who is, namely Jesus Christ.

Being a part of a church family is not always easy, but it is almost always a gift of God’s grace. It teaches us patience and longsuffering. It teaches us love. The church teaches us accountability and forgiveness. Even more, it teaches us that despite our faults and our struggles, and how the world feels about us, if we are disciples of Christ we belong to God and to one another. And, that is truly a blessing.

So go out this week and find a church. A church that is filled with the Spirit’s love, the Father’s love, and is committed to following the way of Jesus as it revealed in the Bible. You won’t regret it. 

Gastric Sleeve Week 3.1

Thoughts
After continuing to struggle with dizzy spells, I called the health coach. She talked to the doctor. They have cut me back on my blood pressure medication. My bp was getting quite low. Being without the bp medicine does seem to help me with not being so dizzy.

Being able to eat a few more things does make me feel more "normal" again. I don't always feel like I have to sit with a protein drink while everyone eats. I am still eating different things than everyone else though, which makes me feel a little sad.

A big plus is my clothes are fitting different. I even refused to wear one shirt because I felt like it was too big to wear anymore. Thies is good news.

While my waistline feels more under control, other things are spinning out of control. Attendance is down at church this summer, which is truly discouraging.

I am eager to go weigh in tomorrow. I am hoping to lose another 5 pounds since Thursday morning. We will see. A fella can always hope, can't he?




Food
Moved to puree and some soft foods

Yesterday
2 shakes
froyo w/ berries
1/2 serving of grilled talapia
2 eggs
lots of water

I have also discovered the joy of Greek yogurt, as it was suggested by my health care people.

Mood
Kind of down the last couple of days, my body is feeling out of control. I feel weaker and still struggle a bit with dizziness

Loo
Feeling good. Everything is working the way it should

Weight
Total 53 this year
43 since process began
23 since surgery

Quotes from Practicing Resurrection by Eugene Peterson--from the chapter on the Armor of God

When the tactics of fear are used in Christian communities to motivate a life of trust in God and love of neighbor, habits of maturity never have a chance to develop (p. 252)

When the church reduces its preaching and teaching to punchy slogans and cliches, it abandones the richly nuanced intricacies that bring all parts of lives into a supple and grace-filled wholeness (p. 252)

The practice of resurrection is thoroughly pacifist, but never passive (p. 263)

"Let us take the devil by the rear, and surprise him with a dose of those gentler virtues that will be poison to him, At least when the world is in extremities, the doctrine of love becomes the ultimate measure of our conduct."--Herbert Butterfield (p. 265)

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Week 2.3

The Dizzy Friar and a number of other random thoughts
I have spent the last couple of days moving slower. This is because I am very dizzy anytime I try and move quickly or begin any moderate activity. This becomes more scary because, well, I am a big fella and when the room starts spinning, my eyes go up in my head, and my legs get a little rubbery there is not much anyone can do or wants to do. Luckily I have not passed out yet.

I do not know what is causing this, except to say that my wife experienced the same thing the first couple of weeks as well. She is the one that checks message boards and community circles and stuff (I just look for blogs) on the topic.

This feeds into one of my fears about the whole process....becoming weaker as I lose weight. I am not the strongest guy around, but generally I am not the weakest. Although I am happy to lose some weight, I also want to be the big strong guy, both inside and out. It is kind of at the core of who I understand myself to be and who I aspire to be. In this process, I feel like I have been weakened, and I don't like it.

Sometimes I am wondering if I am losing weight too fast. 20lbs in 10 days. Then again, every day I have to say d**n, my clothes fit a lot better.

Another benefit of the surgery, we are spending A LOT less money. Not only on meals, but on things like pop or snacks or coffees.

I was told I could have puree by the end of the week. This makes me very happy. Now to look up bariatric puree recipees.......

Coming soon....the big motivators for losing weight....the wrongheaded ways people try to motivate weight loss in others....10 things I am looking forward to after losing 100 lbs....


Food
(sun)
2 protien shakes
pudding
g2
lots of water
4 oz instant potato

(mon)
minute maid light lemonade
water
strawberry shake
very small bites of quesadilla and strawberry
water
pudding
chicken broth
very small bites of noodles

Mood
Tired and wondering when I am going to stop being dizzy

Loo
Yes

Weight
down 20 since surgery
down 50 overall

Sleeve Surgery 2.2: Rewards

Thoughts

A few weeks back, Jennifer and I had a conversation about rewards for meeting milestones in our weight loss journey. What were going to be rewards we were going to look at? And at what milestones.

At the girls' birthday party, one supportive member of our church slipped me a little card to encourage me approaching the surgery. Inside was a gift to go toward a new suit--I assume given the context once I have shrunken out of the old one.

So, I have been giving this some thought. When do I look at a new suit? What other rewards might I set up for myself to encourage me on the journey.

Here are my thoughts so far: (all weights are "post-surgical")

If I lose 25 lbs...not sure yet...

If I lose 41 lbs...get a new dress shirt

If I lose 50 lbs....begin to look into adoption of another child (maybe)

If I lose 75 lbs...start training for a 5k

If I lose 100 lbs....new suit

If I lose 125 lbs....apply for D.Min



FOOD
2 shakes
1 snow cone
1 Gatorade
1 jello
4 oz instant potato
12 oz water

LOO
yes

MOOD
tired, discouraged

WEIGHT
n/a

Sleeve Surgery Week 2 Day 1

Thoughts

Today was a busy day. I ended up working until about 10:30. And, I started to the office a little before 9. Took a lot of work for one week after surgery. I have a lot to do tomorrow as well.

I said I was going to share one thing I was looking forward to after I lose some weight. The one think that I really want to do is to be able to shop in JCPenney and Fred Meyer's big and tall section again. JCPenney has a limited big and tall selection. So I usually have to buy shirts from places like Casual Male Big and Tall. My hope is that I can fit into some of their stuff by Christmas. And, perhaps, even be able to buy a suit off the rack at Men's Warehouse. I have a long way to go, but there you go...one of my goals.


Food
12 oz g2
22 oz shake
4 oz jello
4 oz instant potato (yum)
4 oz juice bar

40 oz water


Mood
Up and down. Very busy day.

Loo
Fine

Weight
lost 3 pounds in the last 2 days

End of Bariatric Week 1

Thoughts
Looking at this picture made me think. What I started to think about was my goals from my surgery. To be honest, I don't really want to be thin, at least like this picture suggests. That is not the goal of this surgery. I know there are people that want that for me. And they are entitled to their opinion.

What I do want to be is THINNER. I want to be mobile and healthy. The sleeve surgery will take off about 60 percent of my excess body weight. I am shooting, in the end, for a little more like 75 percent. 

I am not shooting for a BMI that will make the people who do those silly charts label me as in a "normal" or "healthy" range. I personally think the whole BMI thing is a lot of BS. If I could get to a normal playing weight that I would have had in football in college, that will be fine by me. 

I anticipate wanting to eat healthier as I go along, but I am still going to want to have some of my favorite foods. Just a lot less of them.

The next couple of days on this post I think I will share some of the things I am looking forward to as I lose weight.

Some good experiences today. Clothes that I used to struggle fitting into now fit well. Getting lots of good feedback from people at church. I have been amazed how supportive people in church have been of us having this surgery. Especially since some of the expense in coming out of our medical flex. But people have been very encouraging of our decision to get the gastric sleeve, and I have felt very little judgement. I am not sure every church would have reacted this way. We are blessed. 

Experienced my first day with real fatigue today. I am exhausted. Had a hard time forming sentences or carrying through with a thought in the afternoon. Had a moment where I couldn't really feel my legs under me after I got up, they felt like stilts. That was kind of scary. But I think they just fell asleep, just in a different way than I had experienced before. 

I have developed this habit of masticating food, and then spitting it out in the dog bowl before I eat it. I know this sounds like an eating disorder, but out of context limiting myself to this few calories also seems like an eating disorder as well. I want to taste food, even if I am not allowed to eat any yet. 

I have been thinking about my surgical hospital experience. I usually do not get too attached to medical personnel. They are professionals, and I am a customer they will probably not see again. Having said that, the staff at Black Hill Surgical Center could not have been better on the whole. I really felt like the nursing staff cared, and I connected with a few of them.

I am planning on a top 10 list of things not to do to help your friends or family lose weight, and why, but I am too tired right now. Some of the medical people in church said that one needs about six months to feel completely right after being under anesthesia. I am starting to believe it. I want to sleep a lot. Now I don't have the opportunity to do it, I miss it.

WHAT ARE YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT BARIATRIC SURGERY? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE? IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING, ASK AWAY.


Food
22 oz protein drink
8 oz sugar free jello pudding
24 oz g2
24 oz water

78 oz total

Mood
morning good
afternoon ok
evening was a struggle
feeling worn out

Loo
Nope

Weight
n/a

Bariatric Surgery Diet Day 4

It gets old having everything you eat have to be milky and soft. I am still waiting for the day that I can have something yummy and feel normal again. These protein shakes begin to get really old. Enough complaining though, because the weight is coming off. Perhaps a little bit too fast, but at this point I am not complaining. 

I am hoping to reach my low weight (another 25 lbs or so) with weight watchers by my next doctor's appointment.

I don't really feel all that hungry. And I have found that I can tolerate greater liquid amounts than many people who have a similar surgery. 

I had my one week appointment today. It was a positive experience. They were happy to see my progress.

The first thing the nurse said was, "Your surgery was awesome. I loved being there. Thanks."

I had never met the nurse before the surgery. So her first impression of me was watching me strapped down naked on a table. with a catheter eventually jammed up my penis, exposed to the world.  My first thought is, "Let's pretend we never shared the same space during the surgical experience." My second thought was to say, "I am glad I made such a great impression. I bet you will be even more impressed with me now that you get to visit with me in person."I get it though. It was her first sleeve surgery to observe. You never forget your first time.

The appointment went well. I have been upgraded from "clear liquids" to "full liquids". By the 21st I should be able to do "pureed liquids". 

Most people have been impressed with how rapidly I have recovered. 

Before surgery, I rarely thought about food. I just ate it. Unless I was forced to think about it while dieting. Now, I think about food all the time. I dream about eating. I look at food longingly. I find it hard to be present at dinner time when everyone is eating. That is not to say that I have hunger pains. I just miss the food, the ritual, the event, the whole process. 

Anyway...that is the rollercoaster. Happy for the results. Feeling accomplished. But really wanting to grab a whole bowl full of food, and shove it down, to heck with the consequences. All at the same time,

Food
15 oz protein drink
20 oz water
20 oz gatorade
1 cup pudding
I child size frosty ( I know, I am not supposed to)

Mood
All over the place.

Weight
Down 7 from Monday
Down 13 from surgery
Down 43 from January

Loo
Was told by medical staff to lay off the medication that gets stuff moving...thank God.

Book Review of Give Them Christ by Stephan Seamands

Give Them Christ: Preaching His Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, and Return
by Stephan Seamands
ISBN 978-0-8308-3467-9
IVP Books
Reviewed by Clint Walker

In my observation, much of preaching today either focuses on digging into a certain passage in order to communicate what that passage was saying, and now says to us today, or topical preaching designed to give helpful hints to people on how to live their lives as a believer in God and a follower of Jesus. Lately, preachers have rejected a rich tradition of theological preaching. Give Them Christ is a corrective to this error, calling pastors to a kerygmatic model of preaching.

As I was reading at this book, I was also teaching through the Heidelberg Catechism. The Heidelberg, like many other Reformed Catechisms, makes an effort to teach through the Apostle's Creed. Thus, as I read this book I found insight on not just what the Apostle's Creed was saying, but how to preach what is happening in the Apostle's Creed to a congregation who needs theological depth. I plan on resourcing this book next year during the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle and the Lent-Easter-Ascension-Pentecost cycle of the Christian year. It will remind me of insights I have gained, and will infuse my preaching with theological depth.

For those seeking something technical, this is not it. What Seamands does offer in this book is some time-tested ways of communicating doctrine in a way that people can understand. He also challenges preachers to give clear instructions about what people need to hear.

Too often in churches, we as pastors have neglected teaching the theological foundations of the faith. Give Them Christ is a needed corrective, challenging pastors to help people understand God through communicating sound doctrine.

Book Review of Devil's Ink by Jeffrey Pugh

Devil's Ink: Blog from the Basement Office
by Jeffrey Pugh
ISBN 978-0-8006-9814-0
Fortress Press
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Over 50 years ago, C.S. Lewis wrote a brilliant fictional book called The Screwtape Letters. In this book, a mentor demon attempts to train a young demon on how to do his job, including how to lead certain subjects into a place of eternal torment. At once funny and insightful, it helped Lewis' generation look at spiritual warfare from the perspective of the enemy, and thus think about their decisions in a whole new light.

A few years ago, author and professor Jeffrey Pugh attempts to do a similar thing for a whole new generation. Once again, disciples of Jesus are challenged to a deeper understanding of the discipleship journey from its antithesis. Unlike The Screwtape Letters, readers of Devil's Ink will be challenged to think through many situations that Lewis did not anticipate.

Pugh makes a special emphasis to take on the rise of technology. Thus, instead of writing letters, Satan has a blog. And, the devil spends a lot of time instructing his minions on how to use technology to get people away from following the Way of Jesus. He touches a number of topics that are much easier to approach in a dark comedy about spiritual warfare. These topics include terrorism, the book of Revelation, postmodern philosophy, and the like. It really is a fun read, and doesn't have to be taken in all at once.

You may not agree with everything you read in these pages. I did not. But I sure appreciated the thoughtful and witty approach to the topic of spiritual warfare. And I hope this book gains a wide audience.

Bubba's Bariatric Adventure Day 3

Thoughts for the day: 

First, you will see some stats comparing the three major bariatric surgeries. I chose the sleeve, because it was more aggressive than the band, but not as risky and difficult as the bypass.

I think I am getting more used to the no food thing today. Yesterday was hard, in part because there was food on the table I really wanted to eat. I even chewed and spit a few times. Jennifer has moved into more food more quickly, but I think I am going to follow the doctors programs...perhaps with an occasional "cheat". I think it will be easier to do what I need to do when I have to work, and I am not thinking about the food I am missing eating right now. My one week appointment is tomorrow, and I will probably be released to do more yogurt and pudding. I try and keep thinking about how things are going to be when clothes fit better, and I can exercise more.

Right now I hate ads for pizza and burgers. I miss them still. Yum.

Food Diary
8--fruit popcycle
9--4oz protien shake
10--8oz water
12:30--8oz water
2--4 oz protein shake
5--4 oz protein shake
6-8 oz water
7--4oz water
8--4 oz gelatin
9--popcycle
10--protein

Mood Diary --positive, enjoying solitude, anxious about work, thankful for church

Loo Diary--
colace works....a little too well

Weight--no report

Book Review on Meditation and Communion with God by John Jefferson Davis

Meditation and Communion with God: Contemplating Scripture in an Age of Distraction
by John Jefferson Davis
ISBN 978-0-8308-3976-6
IVP Academic
Reviewed by Clint Walker

I love learning more about spiritual formation and transformation. There is a lot of good literature out there on the subject. This book, however, is a great read for a totally different reason. It is an academic book that offers a theological and philosophical framework for the practice of mediation of God through the Scriptures.

Meditation and Communion with God is not for everyone. It is not a how to manual for meditation on Scripture, although it does offer some practical insights. It uses a lot of big words like "inaugurated eschatology" and "biblical epistemology". In the process, though, it deepens one's knowledge and understanding of the practice of meditation of Scripture.

There were several points, as a pastor, in this book, where I blocked of a page or two and said, "preach this", or "study this more". The description and development, as well as the Scriptural references regarding a disciples "union with God" I though was especially helpful. Also helpful was the author's explanation of God's presence with us, and his relating that presence to modern cellular/wireless technology. Davis also takes several pages at different points in the book to differentiate Christian meditation from the meditation practices of other world religions, both in their worldview and in their ultimate goals.

This is a book I will return to again and again. Each time, I think I will understand it a little better. It is a tremendous asset for those who want an academic understanding of spiritual practices, and will serve as a wonderful textbook for teachers and disciple-makers in the future.

Book Review of An Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling

An Unhurried Life: Following Jesus' Rhythms of Work and Rest

by Alan Fadling

ISBN 978-0-8308-3573-7

IVP Formatio

Reviewed by Clint Walker

When I was starting out in ministry, I had an interesting habit. I would start the morning reading poetry. Not biblical poetry mind you, but just good poetry. I would read the work of Rilke, Berrigan, and even Jewel as I started my day in the office. I am not sure exactly what inspired me to do this. But the reason I did it was to slow my mind down. I am not a poet, nor am I a natural poetry reader, but as I took time to read the poems, ponder them, and somehow integrate them into my thoughts, these poems helped me slow down enough to listen to the Word as I studied, listen to my coworkers, listed to those I was caring for, and listen to the Spirit leading and guiding me. Instead of a to-do list to start the day, I began focusing on the attitude I wanted to have and the person I wanted to be. I miss those poetry mornings these days. And An Unhurried Life reminded me why. If I am going to be the kind of person and pastor I want to be, I have to slow down a little, be present more, and allow God to do his work in me and through me.

This is a wonderful book, that really attacks hurry for the soul sickness it is at every level. Fadling exposes our hurried pace of life, and through quotes of the ancients shows that this hurry sickness is not unique to our generation. As a matter of fact, through the Biblical examples he cites later in the book, Fadling shows that the lack of patience and trust that fuels hurry was a part of humanity's first sin, and challenging Jesus to rush God and his timing is part of how Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness.

Fadling anticipates misunderstandings well and confronts them directly. An unhurried life, he clearly communicates, is not a lazy life. Nor is it a self-centered one. Rather, it is a thoughtful, meaningful way of living that is modeled after the spirituality of Jesus.

As I read this book, I began to wonder about how I live my life. Why am I in such a hurry to get so many things done if I have an eternal life in front of me? Why am I letting other people's anxieties and my concerns drive me instead of the grace and truth of Jesus Christ? Why I am so eager to accomplish things that only God can accomplish through me?

I will keep coming back to this book as I journey through my life and ministry. It is a convicting book, but a comforting book at the same time. As such, it was exactly what I needed at this time in my life.

Quotes from an Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling

"To walk with God you must go at a walking pace"--Wang Mingdao (p.14)

"The one who hurries delays the things of God"--St. Vincent de Paul (p. 15)

"It is hearing the voice of God in the midst of the quiet that helps us to live and work well. Instead of being a guarantee of fruitfulness, overwork can become a guarantee against it." (p.49)

"Good work grows best in the cycle of good rest" (p. 50)

"Gratitude is one gift that gets squeezed out when we let materialism speed up our lives" (p. 64)

Bariatric Diet Day 2

Today I included a picture of what the gastric sleeve surgery does, so that people can get a better picture of what is going on.....


Food Diary
8oz g2
12oz water
8oz chicken noodle soup broth
4oz sugar free popcycle
12oz protien drink
4oz gelatin
ice chips
8oz broth



Mood Diary
doing pretty well.
get sad about not getting to eat yummy food around me

Loo Diary
still waiting....

Weight Diary
Down 6 lbs since day before surgery
Loss of 36 total this year
26 since first appointment

Thoughts from Meditation and Communion with God about technology and distraction

"In 2008 Americans were consuming three times the information than they did every day in 1960" (p. 21)

"The typical computer user at work checks emails or changes windows or other programs at least 26 times every hour" (p. 22)

The challenge of dealing with information overload in an Internet age is a very visible manifestation of a larger cultural problem: The rushed nature of modern life and a cult of speed, efficiency and production" (p.23)

The historic Christian practice of meditating on Scripture is, of course, just such an example of 'slow reading.' In the face of today's rushed lives and information overload, such slow reading of the Word of God seems more important than ever. (p.24)

Bariatric Diet: Day 1 at home

Below is a picture of the potential benefits of bariatric surgery. Too bad it is a picture of a chick:

My current diet consists of the following. I got out of the hospital yesterday:

2 cups of Jello: 8 oz
2 cups of broth: 8oz
3 servings of protien drink: 16 oz
water: 8oz
g2: 4 oz
sugar free popcycles: 8oz
dosage since waking of liquid vicodin: 30 ml
meds: lisinopril, hydrochlorthiazide, claritin, vitamin D, iron supplement, multivitamin

emotions: frustrated, strong, accomplished, bored

total so far: 48oz
goal: 6o oz

Physical pain: It still feels like there is a lot of spasming and cramping not related to diet going on in my stomach. I can't describe it. It feels a little like hunger pangs, and a little like what my ankle feels like when I sprain it.

Getting Back Into the Groove

For a long time, I have been slacking on this blog. Sure I have been using for reviews, which is all well and good. But I have failed to use it for its original purpose, which was to improve writing skills and to find ways to "think out loud" about my life and ministry. I am wanting to get back to that. I figure since I don't have "meals" so to speak for the next month, it might be a good time to find my voice again.

Things I plan on talking about:

• Challenges and life as a pastor/minister
• sermons I am working on....and sermon series
• Life after bariatric surgery
• things about kids and marriage
• Other random thoughts that escape me if I don't take time to articulate them and write them down
• Pictures I have taken
• Life in South Dakota
• Books
• Quotes that I find interesting
• Current events

Most of my devotional work will be tied in with our church website. WHen I post there I will also set up a link on this blog however.

I think I need to blog more regularly again. I need this in order to be mentally sharp and to have a disciplined time of reflection. Besides, with this connected to the Twitter and the Facebook, I should get lots of feedback about some things. 

It has always been my goal as a minister of the gospel to be open and transparent. I admit at times in the last few years I have been withdrawing. Perhaps blogging will help.

Review of Hearing God DVD by Dallas Willard (and friends)

Hearing God DVD: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God
Dallas Willard
ISBN 978-0-8308-3568-3
IVP Formatio
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Several years ago, I read Dallas Willard's book Hearing God. It was a game changer. I found it helpful not only because it was meaningful for me in understanding how God speaks to me, but it was also a helpful guide in helping the youth I was leading how God may be speaking to them to.

Several years later, with updates and further words, Hearing God is still a powerful book. Out of all of the recently deceased Dallas Willard's book, it is easily the most accessible and the easiest to grab a hold of for people in the pews. At the same time, the book is well-written and thoughtful enough that even scholars can gain something new and powerful through reading it.

Viewers that like Dallas Willard's work will love the simplicity of this gem of a resource. Inside the case for the DVD is a brief discussion guide. Each session begins with a lecture in a beautiful mountain church by Dallas Willard. Then, after his lecture, he has a conversation about the topic he discussed with Richard Foster and John Ortberg. After that, if the class wants to hear more, there is a "bonus" lecture from Willard. There is no real frills to the video, it is almost like you are watching a very high quality video of a class or worship service.

Having said that, Willard is always profound. The viewer will find several quotes and turns of phrase that they will have to stop and write down. And the additional discussion draws the viewer in.

This DVD curriculum is simple, intelligent and life-changing. If you like a flash and dash curriculum this series is probably not for you. But if you want wise words from mature Christians about how to have a conversational relationship with God, this resource is perfect for you.

Book Review of the Lamb's Agenda by Samuel Rodriguez

The Lamb's Agenda: Why Jesus is Calling You to A Life of Righteousness and Justice
by Samuel Rodriguez
ISBN 978-1-4002-0449-8
Thomas Nelson
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Every couple of years, a voice rises up to remind the church that its call from Jesus is bigger than its present agenda. When I was going to college, a book called Rich Christians In An Age of Hunger opened my eyes to the possibility that there were things that folks that were on the other side of the political and ecclesiastical perspective had something to teach me. Specifically regarding the Bible's call to social action, compassion, justice issues, I discovered that gospel was bigger and more good news than I had anticipated.

The Lamb's Agenda is a book that tries to call Christians to stand for evangelism and social involvement, righteousness and justice. It calls people to be concerned about personal holiness as well as social holiness, and it reminds us that an evangelism without much compassion is relatively ineffective. Over and over again, other leaders have tried to tell believers in Jesus that their job is to be subject to a political agenda and party instead of being prophetic subjects of the Kingdom of God. Rodriguez reminds us that God calls us to preach John 3:16 and John 25.

 Rodriguez also reminds us to "prophetic not pathetic". What he means by this is that we need not get caught up in the problems and mindset of the world around us, but that instead we need to get invested in the prophetic vision of God is, calling his people to be different from the world instead of enmeshed in all its unhealthy drama and false dichotomies.

I really think this is a good book. I hope it gains a wide reading.

Book Reviewof Charts on the Life, Letters and Theology of Paul by Lars Kierspel

Charts on Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul
Lars Kierspel
ISBN 978-0-8254-2936-1
Kregel Academic
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Although I am not an academic or a student, I am an avid learner. I love to read, to grow, and go deeper in my understanding. So, although my uses for Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul are not as numerous as those scholars and students delving deep into Pauline studies, I still think this book contains excellent resources to further my understanding of God's truth and my ability to teach those God has put under my care as a pastor.

This is a large book full of numerous charts that help to organize information in a quick, easy to understand way. The book is divided roughly into thirds, with a third of the book being about Paul's person, a third being about the specific letters he wrote, and a third of the book dedicated to organizing the theology that was expressed in those letters. There are also some background materials as well.

What I find completely fascinating about my experience with this book is that just having some subjects explored and charted on a sheet of paper makes me think about and see Scripture in a new way. For instance, Kierspel has a chart that compares the similar ways that Luke refers to Jesus in his gospel, and the way he refers to Paul in his gospel. Through simply glancing at that chart, one can easily see that Luke is uniting the mission of Paul with the mission of Jesus Christ. Very interesting stuff.

The only think I have against this whole book is the layout. It could have been a lot slicker. A CD included as an extra resource would have been helpful with Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul as well.

Book Review of Revealing Jesus by Darlene Zschech

Revealing Jesus: A 365 Day Devotional
by Darlene Zschech
ISBN 978-0-7642-1120-1
Bethany House Publishers
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Most people who know of Darlene Zschech know of her as the star of the Hillsong Australia movement. This is a movement of contemporary worship, written from within an evangelical and Pentecostal milieu. Few people know that she is also the co-pastor of a church on the coast of Australia. Fewer still that she is an author of books.

Pastor Zschech has recently released a devotional designed to help people know Jesus better, and fall in love with Jesus all over again. In Revealing Jesus, each day's study begins with a verse, then a devotional thought is shared, and after thought a brief prayer is prescribed for the reader to pray. In other words, the devotional has a pretty traditional format.

What is well-done about Revealing Jesus is that throughout the year of study, Zschech takes on some pretty useful series' of study. For instance, there is a rather extensive look at Revelation in November. In another month, the names of God are focused upon. And, at the end of every month a classic devotion written by a devotional master of days gone by.

The book is bound in a durable hardcover. This is good because the devotional will last through years of use and abuse. The layout of the pages are appealing, although I think they are perhaps more appealing to women than to men.

This is a great book to guide one's quiet time. I think it would be an especially good gift from a grandmother to her grandchild, or to a recent graduate of high school who is a believer in Jesus. The book has a lot to teach the heart about worship, and the mind about love for the Lord.

Book Review of Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year C, Volume 2 Edited by Kimberly Bracken Long

(I received this resource for free in exchange for an honest review)

Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year C, Vol. 2--Trinity Sunday Through Reign of Christ
ed. by Kimberly Bracken Long
ISBN 978-0-664-23918-3
Westminster John Knox Press
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Year C, Vol. 2 is another in a long line of quality resources for Christian leaders seeking to lead other in worship and study of God's Word. First, Feasting on the Word put out several commentaries on Scripture that corresponded to the lectionary and the Christian Year. Then, they gathered together devotional resources for the devotional guide I have reviewed earlier. Now the folks with Feasting on the Word and WJK Press are developing worship resources for the local church as well. This volume is the second in the series, and completes year C's readings designed to support the Revised Common Lectionary.

What I like about Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Year C, Vol. 2 is that it offers relevant professional worship resources that both respect the need for reverence in such resources, while at the same time having readings that are easy to understand. In other resources like this, writers often make the mistake of being too cute or flowery on one end of the spectrum, or using too many big words that the average congregation can't completely relate to on the other. The Feasting on the Word staff does an excellent job of being sober, direct, and plain-spoken while also sounding intelligent and worshipful.

I also enjoy the inclusion of both semi-continuous and complimentary readings during ordinary time. Prior to discovering this resource, I was not aware of this distinction of readings within the Revised Common Lectionary. For those of you, who like me, were unfamiliar with this "other lectionary", you need to know that you will love having the additional resources. The semi-continuous readings include sequential readings of Old Testament lections, which is extremely helpful if you want to preach a book of the Bible, or section of Scripture, instead of having your Old Testament readings hop all around to "compliment" the New Testament themes.

Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Year C, Vol. 2 is a fairly expensive resource, but the reader of this book is getting a lot of bang for their buck. The book is hardcover, and thus designed to be durable. It has a bookmark built in, so you can keep your place for week to week. The book comes with a CD which has the whole book on a PDF file. This makes it easy to cut and paste the weekly resources right into worship bulletins or audio-visual presentations. At the back of the book there are additional resources for baptismal and eucharistic services.

For the church that uses liturgical resources, this book is a "must have". It is written in a timeless fashion, and will be useful for decades to come.