The Fun Of Making Lists

 It is the time of year that I make my lists of my favorite fiction and non-fiction books. These are forth-coming. But I'd like to share my thoughts on making these lists. 

1. Selecting the entries on the list.

This idea hit me when I was asked by my friend Tod Moses to show photos of my ten favorite athletes. I started by writing down the names of my favorite athletes, with a list of what I believe was 72. I then compared them to whittle it down to the top ten. The interesting thing? The top nine were no problem.  The hardest decision was which athlete was my 10th favorite and which was my 11th.

Since then, I've worked on a couple of lists, with set numbers in mind. The same thing happened. The biggest decision was between the last one to make the list and the first one that will be omitted. To me, this is an indicator I did a good job of thinking through that list.

When I listened to ESPN-radio, the hosts often share someone's top 10 lists, and then ask the audience who should be on the list, with one condition - they have to also name who to take off the list to make room for the addition. After all, there may be 25 people worthy to be considered for the top 10 list, but if there's even eleven on the list, it's no longer top 10.

2. The purpose of the list.

This brings me to my fiction lists. My goal usually is to have a top ten list of my favorite novels read that year. It rarely ends up being a top ten, for two related reasons.

First, the authors of the books often see the list. I'm sure that the author of the book I enjoyed the most would love to know their book was on the top of my list. But do they need to know they wrote my tenth favorite and that they almost didn't make my list? I doubt it. One author often writes my second favorite book of the year but never the top one. Does that person need to know they're always the bridesmaid and never the bride? I don't think so. 

Second is that most years, I've read more than ten novels that I really enjoyed and want people to be aware of. So I never leave it at ten. I'll have lists of twelve (this year will be one of those) or lists of fifteen. (And in another point, I'll be pointing out that those numbers are not as literal as you'd expect.)

These items relate to the purpose of my favorite books list, which actually is two. One is to point my reading friends to good books. The other is to encourage the authors. It lets them know their books are read and enjoyed.

3. Avoiding over-working myself in deciding what's on the list. 

Two years ago, I read the first five installments of a six part series which is currently my favorite series. While there was a definite ending point at each of the parts (as opposed to cliff-hangers), it still was one over-arching story. How do I decide in most cases which part I liked best? And should I have 1/3 of my list if I went to 15 be five different books in the same series?

Previously, I'd wrestle over where different books in a series fit. Two years earlier, I had read the first four of another six part series, and in the latter three it was clear the story wasn't over. I wrestled on how to fit them on the list.

This year I've read books in five different series. One of them is the 37 book Hercule Poirot collection by Agatha Christie. (For those who think, "I know who wrote Hercule Poirot," a modern author has been authorized to write new Poirot novels.) Those are easy - even though you have the same main character and often other regulars showing up, they basically are stand-alone stories. Another series was eight stories long (I read six of them last year). There is an over arching story, but basically these novels, written by different authors are practically stand-alone stories as well. So those novels I'll count separately.

But then there are the other three series. I read the final two books in two of the series, and in each case it was a cliff hanger. I'm counting that series as one entry rather than decide which part I enjoyed better. The third series was more stand alone, but the novels were pretty similar to each other. So again I'm counting the series as a single entry.

What kinds of lists have you compiled? Do you approach them as I do? Are you disappointed I don't number my favorite fiction list, or does it matter?

BOOK REVIEW - A LIGHTED LAMP: SCENES OF CHRISTMAS THROUGH TIME

 

 If you'd like a book to get you in the mood for Christmas, look no further.

This is a unique collection. It contains excerpts from Crow's previous novels looking at Christmas. Considering her books range from historical to contemporary, you have a nice kaleidoscope of the wintertime holiday from a medieval Scottish castle to celebrations at a modern day monastery.

In reading this book, you'll find different emotions as you visit settings on both sides of the pond. You also feel the anxieties, fears, and dangers faced by the characters as well as the hope, joy, and redemption of Christ's First Advent on the earth.

I have read short story collections by a few of my favorite authors, and those have turned out to be my least favorite book. THIS IS AN EXCEPTION! I really enjoyed these excerpts, and some of them have me interested in reading the whole book.

You may have noticed that this is the second Donna Fletcher Crow that I have reviewed for this blog. One interesting thing I'll mention - in the two most recent Monastery Murders novels, I was included in her list of rave reviews. But I had the honor of being asked to write a promotional blurb for the back cover.

BOOK REVIEWS: BUILDING THE BENEDICT OPTION AND THE GOSPEL COMES WITH A HOUSE KEY

 

I am in a Facebook group that was discussing The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher, and a memeber asked about any books about building community. I replied by telling them the three books I was currently reading, and allow me to review two of them. I'm still reading the third and will mention it later.

Building the Benedict Option: A Guide to Gathering Two or Three Together in His Name by Leah Libresco and The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World  by Rosaria Butterfield have interesting similarities and contrasts. Both are written by former atheists who as adults converted to Christianity: Libresco to Catholicism, Butterfield to Reformed. Both distinguish true hospitality between counterfeit hospitality (when you pay for that hospitality). Also, both books came out in 2018.

Some of the differences are due to personality - Butterfield admits she's an introvert; I doubt that term fits Libresco. Others come from their theology. The main difference is that Libresco's focus is on how to create community and thus writes a lot about planned gatherings, while Butterfield's theme is that hospitiality is something that needs to be a part of our lives day in and day out.

Libresco's book was fun to read, and gave me some ideas, such as having a group discussing which saints influenced them (her approach was more Catholic than mine would be) and going Easter caroling (I love that idea - wish I thought of it sooner). She also encourages taking a role you enjoy doing. I would definitely recommend it.

If you had time for only one, though, I would point you towards Rosaria Butterfield's book. It deals with the cost of being hospitable, but makes the point that all Christians need to be hospitable. In it, she tells several stories about how hospitiality made a difference. One story was when a friend went in for eye surgery and told Rosaria she didn't need help and could get back and forth there and recover at home. Rosaria showed up at the clinic with her books and knitting, to let her friend know she was there for the long haul. Afterward, the friend stayed with Rosaria where she could recover.

The timing for the above question was excellent. I mentioned both of these books as well as the one I'm still reading: Kerry Nietz' Amish Werewolves of Space. You'll have to wait till I review that book to know if it also is a good book on hospitality. 

And yes, I intentionally am posting this the Tuesday preceding Thanksgiving.

 

IT MAY BE YOU MAY BE HIDDEN (Zephaniah Part 5)

 

    "The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers. 'I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the LORD; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, And their flesh like refuse.' Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the LORD's wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land.  

    "Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD's anger comes upon you! Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD's anger."

Zephaniah 1:14-2:3, NKJV

 This is a long section, but allow me to deal with two issues.

First, judgment is coming. The term "Day of the LORD" deals with judgment, and often corresponds to the seven year Tribulation period. At times, it also includes the millennial kingdom, but in this case it deals with wrath.

We need to remember God judges sin. Each sin is against God (Ps. 51:4). Jesus died for our sins, and that's proof that sin is not a trivial matter. In 1 John 3 and 5, sin is equated with lawlessness. In other words, you can call sin treason against God.

The other issue is God will forgive if we turn from our sin. The first three verses of Zephaniah 2 is a call to repentance. That theme is throughout the Bible. Isaiah 55:7 states that if a wicked man turns from his ways and an unrighteous man from his thoughts, God will pardon. 2 Peter 3:9 says that He is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance. Ezekiel 18:32 informs us that God does not delight in the death of man, and so calls us to turn and live.

The final promise is precious. It may be that God will hide us in the day of His wrath. This is why some believe in a rapture. And note - in Scripture it doesn't mean we will be free from tribulation and/or persecution - John 16:33 and 2 Timothy 3:12 informs us otherwise. But we will be saved from eternal wrath (John 3:16; Romans 6:23), and it may be that we're saved from God's wrath on the wicked world as well.

DR. EEYORE AND MR. TIGGER? OR IS IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

 

"You are Winnie the Pooh, and you've won free professional counseling. Since you are well adjusted, you don't need them for yourself. So do you give them to gloomy Eeyore or to bouncy Tigger?"

This was a Table Topics question presented at a Toastmasters meeting I attended fifteen years ago. (Table Topics is a portion where one Toastmaster asks questions to other members and with no prep time they give a one to two minute answer.)

No, I wasn't the one who received this question. But I did come up with an answer: Neither. I would rather get Eeyore and Tigger to work together so they would help balance each other out, and give the counseling sessions to grouchy Rabbit.

But would my idea (the one of pairing Eeyore and Tigger, not the one of sending Rabbit to the shrink) actually work? Or would they irritate each other so much that it would make both worse? 

While you're trying to pin that tail on the donkey, one possible title for my autobiography would be "Dr. Eeyore and Mr. Tigger", with apologies to Jekyll and Hyde. Of course, that would assume that in reality I'm an Eeyore, who changes into a Tigger alter ego. Is that correct? Or is it vice versa, with Tigger being the real me, convinced that I'm really Eeyore instead?

Whichever is the case, this year has brought out my inner Eeyore, with Tigger quarantined - all the social distancing and stay at home orders took the bounce out of him. COVID-19 and the elections are factors, but they aren't alone - this has been a year of change in many ways. 

I don't want to go into all that's going on, but I want to deal with the artist part of me. I finally dusted off my novel, re-worked it, and submitted it to some potential publishers and agents. And I'm still with it published. I would have loved for my Dad to have been able to read the published book, but he passed away last year. I'm wondering if it's that I just haven't reached the goal line, or is it that I'm either not a publishable author or that my WIP (Work In Progress) for the past fourteen years won't have enough of an audience to get the support of a publisher or agent?

Add to this that I'm a former songwriter, visual artist, and ceramist. I've done some drawings off and on (including my favorite characters, posted about a month ago), but I've been too busy with my novel and other activities over the last few decades to write songs, and I haven't touched clay since taking a college level ceramics class in Spring of '78 (unless you count getting to play with Play-Dough once in '86). 

To be honest, this blog hasn't been the most encouraging either. Part of it is time. My goal is to have four blogs a week, and I'm doing well when I get one up. Another part is that I'm still not having a regular readership, with many blogs in the low single digits of being viewed, and even fewer comments. 

May I ask you to help in one of the following ways? 

• First and foremost, please pray for me, that the Lord directs me. 
• If anybody wants to read a few chapters of my novel, and let me know if they want to read more, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! And should you want to read the rest of it, I'd be glad to let you.
• Please pray for this blog. Should I keep on, or give it up? And if you want to read regularly and leave comments at times, it would be appreciated.

Thank you very much for reading this blog.

BOOK REVIEWS - FIXING THIS COUNTRY

 

Normally I would review a book or a series. This week, I'll be giving a batch of short reviews on books with a related subject: dealing with this mess. For the record, I would recommend reading the book unless I say otherwise.

1. Christian Theology of Public Policy: Highlighting the American Experience by John Cobin. This book considers four methods of looking at the government - the active and passive ways of seeing the Government as a God ordained institution (respectively Theonomy and Divine Right As Kings), and active and passive ways of seeing Government as a competing kingdom (Liberty of Conscience and Anabaptist). He then develops the Liberty of Conscience view.

 

2. The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation by Rod Dreher. If it sounds familiar, I've already reviewed and recommended it. Short summary - Dreher sees a slow drift away from God in the past seven centuries and calls the church to form communities to battle the coming storm.

 

3. Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics to Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb by Keith Giles. This is one book I don't recommend as much. Like Dreher above, Giles believes we need to take a step back from politics. But he traces the problem to Constantine and the church uniting at all with the state. This book reflects an anabaptist view, with the church completely separate from state.

4.  Turn Neither to the Right nor to the Left: A Thinking Christian's Guide to Politics and Public Policy by D. Eric Schansberg. Out of all these books, this one and The Benedict Option would be towards the top of the list. This volume encourages us not to legislate morality and to legislate justice. Very useful material, and he does an excellent job with abortion.

 

5. Blinded by Might: Can the Religious Right Save America? by Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson. This volume is right behind the other two, making us wonder again about how Christians should handle politics. Thomas also interviews ten individuals from Jerry Falwell to Norman Lear to John Ashcroft to George McGovern.  

6. The Divided States of America? by Richard Land. It's been a while since I've read it, but it is a good call not to let politics divide the church.

 

7. The American President (PBS boxed set). I looked for the book rendition, but only found the video which came out in 2000. It's natural to look at the role of the President, and while this doesn't identify a problem, it took an interesting track of putting our first 41 Presidents in groups of ten. For example, Washington is compared to other generals like William Harrison, Grant, and Eisenhower. True, many Presidents could fit into one of the categories (for example, Andrew Jackson was a general, but he was placed in another category. 

8. Where They Stand: The American Presidents in the Eyes of Voters and Historians by Robert W. Merry. This author ranks the president in several categories and compares the rankings of the scholars with the reaction of the voters - did the President get re-elected? If he didn't run for re-election, was a member of his party elected? 

9. Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty by Ivan Eland. Here, we see a different system
of selecting the order of presidents based on peace, prosperity and liberty, placing them as great (4), good (6), fair (4), poor (10), and bad (17). As a result, you see John Tyler and Grover Cleveland topping the list, while Washington is in the good category, and the Roosevelts were in the bad division. The second edition includes President Obama.

10. 9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America: and Four Who Tried To Save Her by Brion McClanahan. This is similar to the above one, only concentrating on those considered the best and worst. The nine were Jackson, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Wilson, FDR, Truman, LBJ, Nixon, and Obama, though he made it clear that both Bushes and Clintons were worthy of being included. The four good ones were Jefferson (1st term only), Tyler, Cleveland, and Coolidge. Unlike the other books, though, this one starts giving ideas of changing our constitution to improve things. His thoughts include giving the President a single six year term without re-election.

11. Two Presidents Are Better Than One: the Case for a Bi-Partisan Executive Branch by David Orentlicher. In other words, let's have Trump and Biden serve as our nation's two presidents. The suggestion is to elect the two highest vote-getters as co-presidents. While I doubt it works, the author has some interesting points. 

12. Running Alone: Presidential Leadership from JFK to Bush II by. Another idea - in this case, the problem is that the President is too independent of his party in Congress. There needs to be more team work. He also suggests changes to the lengths of elected officials - he thinks the President and both houses of Congress should all have concurrent four year terms, and that when you vote for a Presidential candidate, your automatically voting for that party's Senators and Representatives (like the VP currently is). I think the book is interesting, but I disagree with his solution.

13. The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters by Karl Rove. If you're a liberal, don't be put off by the author. Primarily, this is more of a biography, with the focus being on the 1896 Presidential election between Kennedy and William Jennings Bryan. But the best part is the end, where he gives eight lessons from McKinley. One of the best is to realize a political enemy is not a personal enemy. 

Any other books on the subject you find interesting?

 

SETTLED IN COMPLACENCY? (Zephaniah Part 4)

 

        "And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, 'The LORD will not do good, Nor will He do evil.' Therefore their goods shall become booty, And their houses a desolation; They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine."  Zephaniah 1:12-13, NKJV

For those who have been following this series, you may noticed I jumped from verse 6 of the first chapter of Zephaniah to the twelvth. The reason is I want to focus on verse twelve. But allow me to catch you up, especially since its been two weeks since I posted in this series.

You may recall that Zephaniah was a descendant of King Hezekiah, and prophesied during the days of Hezekiah's great grandson, Josiah. The first words of the message was that God will utterly consume everything from the land. Why? The first point he made was that there were idolatrous priests who worshiped the heavens, swore by gods in addition to the true God, and have turned from following God nor have sought Him.

Verse seven reads, "Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD; For the day of the LORD is at hand, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests." The Day of the LORD, which will be dealt with later in the chapter, is a day of judgment, and normally connected to what is known as the Seven year Tribulation.

Verses eight through thirteen look at judgments on four groups of people. Let me introduce the first three groups:

1. The princes and king's children who are clothed in foreign (KJV reads "strange") clothing;
2. Those who leap over the threshold and fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit; and 
3. Merchants and moneyhandlers.

Some of these groups are not clearly identified, and I doubt most of my blog readers fall into any of them. In our country and especially in the church, the fourth group is the biggest problem.

Who is that fourth group? Those settled in complacency. The notes in my Bible say it's litterally the dregs in the wine barrel. I'm not familiar with wine dregs, but I'm very familiar with the dregs at the bottom of a cup of hot chocolate. And if you leave them for a while, they can be tougher to clean.

Verse twelve gives a concise definition of what complacency is like - it is saying that God won't do good and that He won't do evil. He won't bless us, and He won't judge us. In other words, we're on our own. It is like the mindset of Deism, that God wound this world up and then sat back and watched what would happen. Or as the classic song "From A Distance" says, God watches us from a distance. He's not nearby, He's not actively involved.

Both extremes are evident today. On the one hand, there are those who quote that verse from 3rd Hezekiah or The Acts Of The Apostates or another non-existent Biblical book that says "God helps those who help themselves." For example, they claim that our Presidents aren't raised up or appointed by God (Dan. 2:20-22; Rom. 13:1), but are elected by the people. Or they prescribe activism because that has more results than prayer.

On the other side, we have a God who one professor I heard said has love more like a grandfather than a father. This God is a god of love, not of wrath. This God's definition of evil is pretty consistent with our society. If we have no problem with a behavior that is described as sin, then God's not concerned about it and we've probably misinterpreted the Bible.

We need to realize God will bless the righteous and punish the wicked. Sometimes, it seems the reality is the opposite, but that's because we're looking at the temporary things which we can see rather than the eternal things that aren't seen (2 Cor. 4:18). 

One can look at Zephaniah 1:7-13 and say it was more for the people of the prophet's day, and the coming judgment was accomplished by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. But there is an application for us today. Plus, God has promised there will be in the future a resurrection of all - some to eternal life, and some to eternal contempt (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29).

In your life, do your actions reflect that you expect God to do good when you're obedient? Do they show you expect His chastisement when you sin or judgment when a society or God's people reject Him? Or are you settled in the complacent mindset?

 

 

ROMANS 12:15 IN LIGHT OF THE ELECTION.

 

"Rejoice with those who rejoice;

Weep with those who weep." 

Romans 12:15

 

I am writing this the Saturday following the election. At this time, we do not have an official winner. I also am writing this directly to Christians. And I'm using Atomic Age font because of how explosive this campaign season, this election, and this year has been, not to mention how some may respond. 

Let me first say that there are those who call themselves Christian who voted for Trump, others who voted for Biden, or who voted for Jorgensen. There are also those who call themselves Christian who say a true Christian could not vote for the opposing candidate. 

Examples? Some conservatives say that if you vote for Biden, you're voting for abortion. Another friend (real life as well as Facebook) posted a lot of Trump statements asking who could really vote for him, including a post making an across the board accusation that Trump voters don't care how bad he is.

Some of you are squirming, because you are guessing where I'm going with this blog, and you're right. How does the verse I quoted above relate to the election? Simple. If the candidate you think is an agent of hell gets elected, and you know a Christian who voted for him, you're commanded to rejoice with him. And if your candidate wins, you are to weep with your fellow believer who believes this country is toast as a result.

Let me start with those on the left, who voted for Biden or maybe more accurately voted against the President. You may ask why someone would support Trump. Allow me to put those who voted for Trump in three categories:

1. Those who like Trump and excuse his bullying, his looseness with the facts, and his crudeness.
2. Those who are disgusted with his temperament and treatment of others, but who are able to separate the good from the bad; they applaud that he's the first president to address the Right To Life rally, that he is the one who finally did what Clinton and the following presidents only talked about in moving the embassy in Israel to their chosen capital Jerusalem, that he is the first president who tried to initiate an end to hostilities with NoKo, and that he appointed three Constitutional SCOTUS justices. They don't excuse his bad behavior, but see him as one who cares about our economy and national defense.
3. Those who aren't at all impressed with the President, but who are worried about what would happen if a Democrat gets elected, especially if they have both houses of Congress as well (a possibility). Their disgust with Trump is diminished by their fear of Biden and/or Harris, especially if they have both houses of Congress.

Never-Trumpers, you may think the first group deserves your contempt, and I won't argue. But you should respect fellow Christians who believe the President has made positive accomplishments, and you should show compassion for those who are worried where this country is headed should Trump lose.

Now, let's go to the other side. Some conservatives make abortion the only issue, and if you want to vote that way, fine. But who are you to judge fellow Christians who don't make it the mandate? What about those who think a consistent pro-lifer would be more accepting of immigrants or concerned about health care for those in need? There are also some who believe that the problems with the President should not be tolerated, in spite of any positive accomplishments.

By the way, brothers and sisters in Christ, what country is our real citizenship in? Is it in the USA, or is it in heaven? Isn't our faith in Christ more important than our politics?

Did Jesus say, "This way the world will know you're My disciples, in that you vote for the right political candidate?"

Four years ago, I posted a lot of political posts (mostly Libertarian). This year, I've been more restrained (I think). I've been discouraged at how hateful people have been on both sides, including Christians. All the despising of Trump saddened me the last four years, just as the despising of Obama grieved me the previous eight.

Christians, can we learn to making loving each other Christians priority, regardless of politics or other things that divide? That's the way the world will know we're His disciples - it's not our politics.

 

BOOK REVIEWS: GETTING TO KNOW THE CHURCH FATHERS & SHAPERS OF CHRISTIAN ORTHODOXY

 

Today is All Saints Day (and this year, falls on the same day as International Day Of Prayer for the Persecuted Church , and I thought it would fit to use the Medieval Sharp font for this blog.

On this occasion, I will review not one but two books for what I consider Early Church History 101 and 201.

The first one I'll review is Getting To Know The Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction by Bryan Litfin. In the first edition, he looks at ten Christian leaders from the first five centuries of Christianity: Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Perpetua, Origen, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Augustine, and Cyril. He added Ephrem the Syrian and Patrick of Ireland to the second edition.

I can argue calling his collection to be church fathers. Most of them, I would agree. However, I consider Perpetua and Patrick to be heroic examples of the faith but not having the impact on the development of Christianity the others have.

One item I like is that Litfin ends each chapter with five or six questions helping us to understand the Church leaders mentioned and how this relates to us today.

After you read this book, you're ready for Shapers of Christian Orthodoxy: Engaging with Early and Medieval Theologians, edited by Bradley Green. This book looks at eight individuals (technically, ten, but the three Cappodocians are included in a chapter together).

There is a lot of overlap between the two books. Both include Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Athanasius, and Augustine. (Litfin's chapter on Athanasius also briefly mentions the Cappodocians.) This goes further into history by including Anselm and Thomas Aquinas.

The reason I recommend the other first is this one is deeper. The fact that each chapter has its own author is one indicator. (By the way, Litfin wrote the chapter on Origen.) The authors go deeper into the theology of the church leaders covered. 

I would recommend Getting To Know The Church Fathers for anybody. This is a great book to get a group of friends together to read and then discuss the questions. Anybody active in ministry also should have Shapers of Christian Orthodoxy on their bookshelf as well.

 

INTERVIEW WITH JOSHUA A. JOHNSTON

 

JR: Welcome to the blog, Joshua. I thoroughly enjoyed The Chronicles Of Sarco series. It was one I found deep, complex, and one I enjoyed taking my time reading. Not only that, but I found it also brought up an interesting theological concept dealing with possible life on other planets. What inspired this trilogy? Any interesting conversations as a result?

JJ: I grew up as a big-time fan of science fiction, both on TV and in print. I loved Star Trek and I also loved Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov. But I also noticed that few of them seriously attempted to grapple with the intersection of faith and science fiction, much less under the assumption that faith could be real. So I decided to dive into a premise that I hadn’t really seen anywhere else. It was a long journey from conception to publication, but it was an amazing experience.

The conversations that have come out of them have been
the best part, especially from my Christian friends who pick up the Easter Eggs throughout the trilogy. I have to admit it’s also a lot of fun to talk about characters that only exist because I thought them up.

JR: COVID-19 has changed a lot of things in our country, not to mention internationally. How has this impacted your writing and your day job?

JJ: It’s affected my life profoundly. My day job is that of a high school teacher, and I’m also a father of two school-

aged kids. All three of us are in virtual school right now, and that means not only coming up with a completely new slate of lesson plans on my end, but also supporting the kids through their schooling. I have been working on a pair of fiction projects – one is in the midst of revisions after feedback, the other is drafted – but both of them are on pause right now while I focus my mental energies on taking care of my family and keeping food on the table.

JR: You also have written a non-fiction book that I would find useful: An Unofficial Guide To Shopping At Aldi (now in its second edition). Anything you'd like to say about this book, and is there a possiblity of sequels dealing with Kroger's or Wal-Mart?

JJ: That book is the result of a fascinating writing endeavor my wife and I took on. Back in 2016, while I was working on the second Sarco novel, I got the idea to pilot a website devoted to reviews for products for Aldi. I noticed that Aldi sells a lot of niche and random stuff, but I also noticed there weren’t a lot of places online to learn about them. Our blog, with the straightforward name Aldi Reviewer, has since taken on a life of its own, with hundreds of thousands of visitors every month. I decided to supplement it by distilling what we learned into book form. I’d love to write about Kroger or Walmart if I had time. (We did actually visit and blog about Kroger’s Aldi clone, Ruler Foods, for Aldi Reviewer.)

JR: What is the next frontier in your writing? Any way to keep up to date with your intergalactic explorations?

JJ: Like I said earlier, I’m still writing, with two sci-fi writing projects on the burner. One is a land-based science fiction novel with simulation elements (think The Matrix) while the other is a traditional sci-fi adventure in the vein of Homer’s Odyssey. They’re both separate from the Sarco series, although I have this sense that they’re all in the same universe, a little like Brandon Sanderson’s cosmere. Both novels are the first in a planned series, and as the world (and my life) settles down I look forward to getting them to a place where they can see the light of day. Readers can keep up with me over at joshuaajohnston.com.

JR: Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a blessed day.

JJ: Thank you, sir. It was a lot of fun!

WHEN MY 20 FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS GOT TOGETHER FOR DINNER.

 

Above is a picture of my twenty favorite fictional characters, who got together in my fictional world Chrysostom. We chose that place because the atmosphere kills off COVID-19 germs so they didn't have to wear masks.

Unfortunately, photography doesn't exist on Chrysostom, so I had to draw the characters, which is hampered by my  drawing skill. So if the characters look more like my impressions of them than what the author intended, my apologies. 

Allow me to introduce you to them, front row first, left to right:

Arvandus the Gryphon from the Firebrand Chronicles by J. M. Hackman. A voice of wisdom to the main character.

Drew Farthering and Nick Dennison from the Drew Farthering Mysteries by Julianna Deering. Set in Depression Era England, these two friends do a great job solving the crimes, and I love how they relate to each other. By the way, both married American ladies.

Dorann the Tracker from Tales of Faeraven by Janalyn Voigt. Some characters capture me without having a reason, and Dorann is an example.

Mortuary Beautician Hilde Higgins from the Curl Up And Dye Mysteries by Nancy Mehl. Hilde also has a pug named Watson, a fish named Sherlock, a love for cooking with Spam, and a phobia of clowns. Her boyfriend, by the way, does charity work where he dresses up as a ... oh, you know already?

Hercule Poirot. Considering that 19 of the 23 Agatha Christie novels I read features him, as well as the first two novels where Sophie Hannah picked up rather recently, no question why he's on my list.

Felix McClintock, a.k.a. The Zealot, from The Merely Mortal by J. P. Leck. His path is a little more ... what shall I call it? Intense? ... than other characters, this Christian can hold his own against evil spiritual forces and their earthly incarnations.

Arianna Sloan from the Teen Mission Series by Jill Williamson. Considering the fact that she's the same age as main character Spencer Garmond, she has a major spot in this series.

Debuggers ThreadBare and BullHammer from The Darktrench Shadow series by Kerry Nietz. Threadbare is one of the characters I can really relate to, but I also enjoy when his buddy BullHammer shows up.

Back row:

George Sullivan, director of the Office of Joint Liasions (OJL) from The Fast Track Thrillers by Suzanne Hartmann.

Brennan Caldwell from the Firebird Trilogy by Kathy Tyers. He gave one of my all time favorite quotes - "Don't think like a wasteling."

Tanner Calhoun from the Serena Jones Mysteries by Sandra Orchard. A FBI Agent with a sense of humor.

Blix, the peaceable Vythian warrior from Space Drifters by Paul Regnier.

Father Antony Sherwood from the Monastery Murders by Donna Fletcher Crow. My all time favorite character, who I also relate to.

Fightmaster Loretus from the two latter books of the Books Of The Infinite by R. J. Larson. My second favorite character. One of those who manages to be both tormentor and friend at the same time.

Ryland Montgomery, Duke of Marshington and spy, from An Honorable Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter. Yes, those familiar with the book will wonder why a historical romance shows up on my list. But when Kristi and I were in the same critique group, I looked forward to her contribution each week.

Wilder Flynn - who loves to tell stories and is obsessed with his hair - from Dangerous Obsession by Jessica Patch. This story is the third part of the Security Specialists triology, and Wilder is the director. Considering we're talking Love Inspired Suspense here, my hunch is he's more of a supporting cast member in the first two books.

Attorney Wyatt Jackson from Rule Of Law by Randy Singer. Jackson has a dog named Clients. When someone calls for him, his assistant tells them he's with Clients. He also calls his mobile home Court.

Crusader the Assassin from Numb by John Otte. He served the overly religious government known as the Ministrix to maintain order, helped by the job that he was without feeling, either physically or emotionally. But then, something happens.

Have you had the honor of reading the adventures of these characters? How would you like to join this group for dinner? What kinds of conversations can you imagine between this group?

INTERVIEW WITH MORGAN TROTTER

Today, I'm honored to interview Morgan Trotter from Huntsville, Alabama. I became acquainted with Morgan by being in a couple of Facebook groups he was in dealing with Christian music. He's since started a third dealing with current events and culture. I have enjoyed sharing conversations with him on-line for the past several years.

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JR: Thank you for your time, Morgan. I know you're a fan of Jesus music from the '70's and '80's (and probably since as well), are a singer song-writer as well, and also served as a pastor in the '90's. Which musicians had an impact on you?

MT: The musicians who influenced me the most are Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, Keith Green, Steve Camp, and The 2^nd Chapter of Acts. Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy influenced my songwriting. Keith Green and Steve Camp influenced my outlook through their high levels of personal commitment, encouraging me to be more dedicated to Christ. The 2^nd Chapter of Acts encouraged me to be more open to the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and also taught me to listen to God and for God with my heart as opposed to just with my mind.

JR: I believe Christian music has a potential to be used to make disciples and give an answer for faith, but it also has the ability to conform to the world and may actually lead people from the faith. Is there anyone in music you consider examples of being faithful ministers in proclaiming the truth in the ways I mentioned?

MT: Some of the ones I think have been great examples to this day are Keith Green (who sadly left us way too soon), Scott Wesley Brown, Bob Hartman of Petra, the members of the 2^nd Chapter of Acts, and DeGarmo and Key (Dana Key left us too soon, too).

JR: One ministry you currently have is being a moderator for a pair of groups on Jesus Music and one on Contemporary Culture. How do you feel those groups are helping us grow in the faith?

MT: I sure hope they’re helping people grow in faith in some way. Of course, the medium of social media is limited in terms of personal connection. I feel one reason our nation is currently so divided politically and ideologically is because people are having discussions online rather than in person. This breeds misunderstanding and hostility. I doubt many people have changed their minds because of something someone said on Facebook. In light of this I’m very aware of the limitations of trying to minister or witness via social media. In the Jesus Music groups you mentioned sharing the gospel is complicated by the fact that the topic under discussion is primarily the music and only secondarily the gospel. And in fact, in one of those groups the rules prohibit theological discussions, so the amount of in-depth witnessing one can do in that group is limited. In the other Jesus music group, I’ve tried to create more of an atmosphere of openness in which spiritual and theological issues may be discussed more thoroughly. My hope and prayer is that something that’s shared there might positively influence someone’s life. I also hope those with spiritual or theological questions will feel free to ask them there.

As for the Contemporary Culture group, I created that group as a place for Bible-believing Christians to be able to discuss current events from a biblical perspective. Social media tends to create “echo chambers” in which like-minded people get together and share their views, and I’m sure that group is like that to some extent as well. But the desire was to have a place where Christians can find answers in the Bible’s truth and authority. We try to stay away from purely political discussions, but when politics intersects with matters of faith then the group is a place to discuss those things as well. I hope people in the group who are struggling with their faith or with certain issues will find it a place to ask questions and find biblical answers.

JR: Thank you for your time, Morgan, and may the Lord Jesus Christ richly

MT: And you as well. Thank you for having me, Jeffrey.

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What musicians and ministers have been an influence to you?

BOOK REVIEW - SACRED PATHWAYS BY GARY THOMAS

 

Before reading this book, I've labored at worship time, having a preconceived notion on what private worship looks like. Then, I discovered this book and read it. This would be one of the five most influential books on my life.

In the first chapter, Thomas introduced the concept of spiritual temperaments -- some might consider it psychological, but I don't. He closed that chapter with a description of the nine temperaments he noticed. The following nine chapters each look at one of the temperaments, giving Biblical examples and ways to develop it, weaknesses of that temperament, and a six question quiz on how strong you are on that temperament. The final chapter encourages you to compare the scores on the tests, and gives some admonitions, such as not judging those with a different temperament.

Thomas does an excellent job of dealing with each temperament. He admits he's stronger at some than others, and tries to give a fair and accurate view of each one.

Allow me to tell a story how this book has positively impacted my life. I started reading this book as my wife and I were planning on a vacation. She always wants to get away from the city for our trip, while I'm not as excited about it. As I read this book, though, I had a hunch she was strong on the naturalist temperament (wanting to get into nature) and had some leanings to the ascetic temperament (wanting structure and solitude). So I realized her desire to get away was connected to her worship temperament, and as a result I was more prepared to encourage that kind of getting away.

I recommend this book to every Christian to understand yourself. I also believe this will help you understand your wife and possible your children (not having any kids doesn't make it easy for you to understand them). I also believe a pastor or church leader may benefit from this book to help the services be varied enough to help any temperament worship.

Allow me to add some thoughts focused on apologetics. One might assume that the activist and intellectual temperaments are the ones best suited for defending the faith. But is it possible that each temperament is capable of defending the faith in a style directed by the temperament?

If you've read this book, what temperaments are your strongest? Mine are intellectual, enthusiast, sensate, activist, and traditional in that order.  

ARE THERE IDOLATROUS PRIESTS IN OUR CHURCH? (Zephaniah Part 3)

 

"I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, The fish of the sea, And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land," Says the Lord. "I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests-- Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, But who also swear by Milcom; Those who have turned back from following the Lord, And have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him." Zephaniah 1:3-6, NKJV  

 

 

Looking at this following section, we see the scope of God's judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. (If I forgot to mention, Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah.) But notice who he narrows in on?

 

In Zephaniah 1:4, God states He'll cut off the names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests. But aren't the two the same? Not necessarily. The pagan priests are the official priests of pagan deities. The idolatrous priests are those who are supposed to be serving the Lord but are actually worshiping other gods as well as the True God.

 

One thing that is helpful in looking at the Minor prophets is to realize if they're speaking to the Northern Kingdom as Hosea and Amos focused on or to the Southern Kingdom as Zephaniah is when they're discussing priests. When the Kingdoms divided, Jeroboam of the northern kingdom allowed anybody who wanted to be priest become one, while the Southern Kingdom maintained the Levitical priesthood. 

 

Let me give you an example to distinguish pagan priests from idolatrous priests. If a secular politician is promoting secular humanism or a New Ager is propagating New Age teaching, they are the equivalent of a pagan priest. If a Christian minister stands up behind the pulpit and teaches the same secular humanism or New Age beliefs, he's an idolatrous priest.

 

Verses five and six list three specific steps taken, starting from the most pagan to the least, but all refer to an idolatrous heart.

 

First are those who worship the host of heaven on their rooftops. The Law forbade such a practice. Here is complete and blatant disobedience.

 

Second are those who worship and swear by the Lord. They, unlike the first group, are saying they serve God. But that's not enough. They also swear by Milcolm (aka Molech). They are worshiping God, but not only the true God. But is this truly worshiping God?

 

Finally, there are those who have turned back from following the Lord and do not seek Him. They are not trying to balance serving false gods with the true God, but they've stopped following the true God. In other words, they are trusting in the Lord with none of their heart but leaning on their own understanding.

 

We may not serve Baal, but do we worship Ball, as in FootBall, BaseBall, BasketBall? We may not have a golden calf carved out, but is there a golden donkey or elephant or porcupine in our hearts? We may not be trying to serve both God and Milcolm, but are we trying to blend Christianity with Freudian psychology or scientific theory?

 

Is there any secret idols in our heart? And if Judah didn't escape, should we expect to?