A Reformed Church?...

According to my list, I began reviewing religious books on my blog on June 11, 2012. That was quite awhile ago and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Today's review is #100, although I admit that sometimes I did put together two reviews that seemed important to be together.

Today's book is called What is a Reformed Church? and its series title is Basics of the Faith.  It's only 28 pages, but those are important and informative pages. Author is Stephen Smallman, who is a pastor in Philadelphia, and publisher is P&R Publishing, at wwwprpbooks.com. What is a Reformed Church? is part of a series of books on questions people ask. Pastor Smallman says that during his many years as pastor, he was often asked this particular question and this book began as answers to those who shared this question.


Pastor Smallman planned to cover six themes in this book and he begins his answers with historical roots of the Protestant Reformation. In the 1500s, committed Christians, such as Martin Luther, were trying to reform the established church of their day, known to us as the Roman Catholic Church. Luther joined his voice to others calling for corrections of abuses in the churches, and Luther came to the "unshakable conviction that, to be faithful to the Lord, the Church must build on the absolute authority of Scripture." Luther's "uncompromising stance forced him to leave the Church of Rome in 1520, and the new movement was under way."

Some of the churches followed Luther while others in Europe were labeled "Reformed" churches, and one of the leaders of the Reformed was "the Frenchman John Calvin, the principle teacher for the church of Geneva." Even today, terms such as Reformed and Calvinist are nearly synonymous. Calvin's Institutes began as a tract but was revised and enlarged four times. The final edition of 1559 is still studied today.

Smallman continues, describing the six themes of Reformed heritage. They are: Scripture, Divine Sovereignty, The Covenant, The Law of God, The Church, and The Kingdom of God. He describes each theme, giving some of its history. explaining where it is now and what we should look for in future. I highly recommend this book. As the Reformers said, "True reform is never finished---a Reformed Church will be continually reforming. God is the same. His word is true." But our world is changing. We need "new ways of speaking about the God who is our Rock."

---Lois Sibley, ireviewreligiousbks

Advent Mystery and New Beginnings

As we think about and plan how we will spend Advent, it's good to search and find some new books that may be helpful in our Advent study. One of the possibilities, especially for families who have children and reading is a part of their family devotions, is this new book: All Creation Waits, The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings, written by Gayle Boss, illustrated by David G. Klein, and published by Paraclete Press.

In the northern hemisphere of the world we think of special ways of fasting, giving, and praying throughout our Advent time. Gayle Boss with her words shows that she is thinking of the animals, how they cope, and what they do, at such a time. Have you ever thought about how wild animals manage as they search for food and warmth and safety in the winter ahead? Perhaps not. Animals may "take in the threat of dark and cold, and they adapt in amazing and ingenious ways," Boss says. And, the animals say, in their way: "the dark is not an end, but a door. This is the way a new beginning comes." Boss believes the animals can be our companions and guides. She writes "They can be to us "a book about God..."a word of God, the God who comes, even in the darkest season, to bring us a new beginning."

David Klein's illustrations are beautiful and interesting. Children who hear the stories and see the sketches will be captured and have many "why," "why," "why," questions. Here are the animals as depicted and explained. They are: painted turtle, muskrat, black bear, chickadee, whitetail deer, honey bee, chipmunk, cottontail, common loon, wood frog, raccoon, little brown bat, opossum, wild turkey, common garter snake, woodchuck, striped skunk, porcupine, common Eastern firefly, meadow vole, Eastern fox squirrel, red fox, northern cardinal, lake trout. Followed on Christmas Day with a meditation on Jesus, the Christ. "For the animals, their hope, and the hope of all that breathes, is that human ones abandon themselves to the One Great Love. For that, all creation waits."

Lois Sibley, ireviewreligiousbks

On the back porch. . .

Early on summer Sunday mornings, I often sit on my back porch with This Day, a book of Wendell Berry’s Sabbath poems written between 1979 and 2013. While all the machines are silent, I read and savor two or three poems, reading slowly and rereading. For instance, with birdsong, ". . .the day ends/and is unending where/the summer tanager, warbler, and vireo/sing as they move among/illuminated leaves," and "heaven seizes its moment" (1998, VI). For years, Berry has been taking walks into his woods on Sunday mornings. From time to time, a poem emerges, polished on the front porch of his writing cabin at the edge of the trees.

A Small Porch (counterpointpress.com) gives us twenty-five new Sabbath poems from 2014 and 2015, plus an essay, "The Presence of Nature in the Natural World: A Long Conversation." The hardback just appeared in my mailbox, and I don’t want to hurry through it—at my usual rate, this many poems could take a couple of months of slow reading. So we’ll only explore the book a little; a spoonful or two to share the flavor with you.

First the essay, "The Presence of Nature." In surveying more than 50 years of reading, Berry reports that he has been in conversation with Scripture, which imposes "on humans the obligation to take good care of a world both given to them. . .and to which they have been given," and with several poets whose work was formed by Scripture, especially Chaucer, Spencer, Langland, Milton, Pope; and who "seem to have remembered" Alan of Lille’s Plaint of Nature (c. 1170). So, there are several pages about Alan’s Plaint followed by comments on the poets, giving some clues to how Berry reads his fields and woods.

And now, a poem from the Porch (2014, V.). "The silence of the barn at evening,/when the shepherd draws shut the door/and starts home for the night, is heavenly,/for it says almost aloud that every lamb/is found, every ewe has found her lamb/and is feeding, and is content." Reading this just before dark, I notice the silence. The hatchlings in the wisteria have ceased chirping and the wren is with them, settled for the night. She has fed them all day and now they rest.

The second stanza in Berry’s poem speaks of "another of the barn’s silences. . .[when] the ewes and their young ones/now are gone. . .to new pasture." The nest in the wisteria will empty into silence in a few more days, to be discovered by a grandson when the leaves fall in autumn.

—Larry Sibley

Christian Life and Hope

Here we are at McGrath's final book in this series on The Heart of Christian Faith. From wjkbooks it is called The Christian Life and Hope, a Guide for Study and Devotion. McGrath turns now "to the great theme of Christian hope and the way it transforms and sustains the Christian Life." Readers may ask "what is this hope" and "how does it affect how we think and act each day?" McGrath gives answers to these questions in five chapters. First, he writes about the "sacraments: signs and memories of hope." Then, the meaning of "the resurrection of the dead" followed by a chapter on "Heaven and eternity: the Christian hope." Next he discusses "Between the times: the life of faith," and his conclusion is titled: "further up and further in."

McGrath tells the reader he is using material from his earlier sermons and as he goes over his sermons and prepares each chapter he feels as though he needs to hear each biblical passage himself; he needs to understand more about the great doctrinal themes he is exploring; and he knows his need to listen, as he is preaching to himself as well as to readers and listeners.

In his Introduction, McGrath describes each of the five chapters and how they fit together. First, he talks about "the sacraments, how are they helpful to Christians, what do they believe about them, and what are they to do with them." In chapters 2 and 3, we are reminded again of the creeds and the hope of resurrection for those who do believe. And what is Heaven about and how does it fit with everyday life and worship of our God, who is "loving and trustworthy, and who refuses to let violence, death, and destruction have the final word." Though sad things continue to happen, as recently in Orlando, we look for, hope for, and pray for, "our restoration to the life God always wanted for us."

McGrath suggests that those who believe in God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) might find it helpful to have a mentor, a friend who would answer questions, explain things we might not understand. He suggests the writings of G. K. Chesterton, or C. S. Lewis, or Dorothy Sayers as possible mentors.  He himself does have a mentor and has found him very helpful. When McGrath became a Christian, his mentor helped him to see "that his new faith did not call upon him to abandon his love of science, but to see it in a new way." Actually, to have "a new motivation for loving science and a deepened appreciation for its outcomes." Could be helpful...think about it.......

---Lois Sibley, ireviewreligiousbks

McGrath on faith and creeds

We have been reading Alister McGrath's series called The Heart of Christian Faith, and today we read and review book four in his series. Published by wjkbooks.com, this one is named The Spirit of Grace, A Guide for Study and Devotion. In the first three books in this series, McGrath explained "basic themes of Christian faith," as he led readers through the "nature of faith," the Christian understanding of God," and the "identity and significance of Jesus of Nazareth." Now he looks at the "next major set of beliefs," as he examines the Apostles' Creed and what it means when it speaks of "the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints and the forgiveness of sins."

This title, The Spirit of Grace, reminds us that God is active in the world. If you doubt it, remember that the creeds "make it clear that the Holy Spirit brings life and renewal to believers and the church." The creeds "affirm that God is gracious, seen especially in the forgiveness of sins." And the creeds "remind us of the importance of the Church as the community of faith." These three themes are interconnected and McGrath asks readers to think and consider "what impact they may have on how we live and think as Christians."

McGrath says that "for many Christians, the Holy Spirit is one of the more puzzling aspects of both the creeds and the Christian faith." He writes: "we must think of God as a living presence in the world and in our lives." And, "Faith is not just about themes or ideas, it is about a growing relationship with God, enabled by the Spirit." McGrath asks "how can the role of the community of faith nurture individual believers' lives?" Here, McGrath begins to map out some basic positions and issues to help readers think this through. "But," he says, "you will have to make up your own mind about which way of thinking about the church seems best for you."

Hope you enjoy this study. Next month we will review the final book in this series, The Christian Life and Hope.

Lois Sibley, ireviewreligiousbks

Helping those with addictions

"Addiction recovery is much more than a referral to the closest AA group. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for a whole community to be transformed by the grace of God." Jonathan Benz is a clinician, public speaker, ordained minister and a certified addictions professional, who serves and directs a treatment program in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Benz's book, co-authored with Kristina Robb Dover, is called The Recovery-Minded Church, from IVP.  With a subtitle called Loving and Ministering to People with Addiction, this book may be one we have been looking for, wishing for, hoping for, as we look around and see friends, loved ones, visitors, most of whom do not talk about their addiction and what to do about it.

Benz says he designed this book as a "toolkit," and he is eager to help and encourage anyone who may be dealing with some type of addiction to listen, read, share ideas and opportunities to overcome their addiction, whatever it may be. He says that in America, 30% of the population struggle with some form of addiction. He estimates that 6% of Americans struggle with some form of sexual addiction; approximately 10% have drug or alcohol addictions; around 7.5% exhibit some form of an eating disorder; some 6% are compulsive shoppers; and at least 1% are pathological gamblers. He claims his "estimate is conservative, because many of those struggling with addiction will never report their struggles out of fear or shame, or they will become casualties of their addiction before they can get the help they need."

The book begins with the questions church members may be asking, and continues with answers from "the perspective of a Christian addiction recovery clinician." Referring throughout to the parable of the prodigal son, found in Luke 15, Benz calls his Section 1: Tools for Loving People with Addiction. Section 2 is Tools for Creating a Recovery-Friendly Church.

Benz writes: section 1 "will outfit you with practical tools for loving people with addictions in your midst," and section 2 "will equip you with tips and practices for building a recovery-friendly church." Don't skip the appendix, which offers info on Christian treatment programs, recovery groups, websites and readings, also detailed info on various addictions you may encounter. Our authors remind us that "the guiding principle for any intervention is to remember the goal of getting an addict into recovery. This must govern how we conduct ourselves." Benz and Robb-Dover remind us that "though addiction is an epidemic in America. the church can and must respond." And the church and those with addictions have much to learn and teach about the sanctifying grace of God.

---Lois Sibley, http://ireviewreligiousbks.blogspot.com/

Comfort for the ill and their caregivers

This is not a new book, but it's a valuable one for those who are ill, and their caregivers. Morehouse Publishing/cpi and Mary C. Earle have given us Days of Grace: Meditations and Practices for Living with Illness. The Psalms are left out of the title so I'll tell you that each of the 30 days and an Afterword begin with a quote from one of the Psalms. Earle had long used and learned parts of the Psalms in her own prayers and they are perfect here.

It's a small book, meant to fit in a pocket or purse, consisting of three parts for each of 30-days. Each page is carefully put together with a line or two from a Psalm, a short meditation, and something interesting called "Practices." Yes, she is practical and the parts fit together, encouraging readers to read and use each part, but slowly, thoughtfully, prayerfully. No hurry and plenty of thinking time.

Those who read and respond may be either the one who is ill or the caregiver. Perhaps they will both appreciate the words on certain days, certain pages, and will take turns reading and thinking and talking and  practicing in response. They may not be aware of the power in prayers found in the Psalms. They may not be used to sitting quietly and listening or reading a meditation about the love and wisdom God shares with his people. They may be surprised that a practice is offered as a way of  responding to the Psalm verse and the meditation.

Earle suggests that one practice might be writing down questions asked after becoming ill. Choose a question and write it down with a prayer to God. Leave it with him as you think of what has happened in your illness. Notice feelings, memories, perhaps growth in acceptance. Close and comfort yourself or your caregiver with a "simple prayer of thanksgiving." Or, caregiver may offer a prayer as comfort for one who is ill. Caregivers and patients both, could find Days of Grace helpful.

Lois Sibley, ireviewreligiousbks