Where are all the good writers?

Have you noticed how difficult it is to find good, well written, deeply rich Christian books? Writers like Fredrick Buechner and C.S. Lewis are rare these days. It seems like the Christian community prefers cheesy and shallow. At least that's they way it looks when you cruise your favorite book store. The fundamentalist propaganda also seems to be winning the shelf war. If someone wants to take a stand and build an entire career on one or two points, just cleverly rearranged and repackaged, they get shelving preference with their picture plastered all over the darn store.. Yet the writers with a true gift for the craft get little notice. There are exceptions: I happen to think Donald Miller is a truly gifted author and Rob Bell isn't half bad (though I struggle with his particular theology sometimes ). You know, I guess that's why I am particularly drawn to the memoir and narrative styles of people like Buechner, Lewis, and Wendell Berry. I'm on the hunt now for a porch swing or lawn chair read. Any suggestions?
I almost forgot to mention Michael Card, wonderful writer with unusual depth and insight. You should read anything he puts out.
Wow, I just noticed how beautiful it is outside. Think I'll grab "Blue like Jazz" and take a seat in the swing. see ya

One Thing

"I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" 2 Cor 11:3
Most of us come to Christ in a very simple and focused way. We turn to Him and away from the idols we have been serving. He becomes our main focus, our one and only obsession, our priority in all things. We can't get enough of His Word, worship, fellowship, prayer and the rest, and we are so happy. This may last for months or even years, this state of simple devotion to Christ. Yet at some point we get distracted by so many seemingly important matters and we learn a little too much about the Church (which up till now we thought was perfect), about theology, maybe even about our favorite ministries and the struggle ensues. We fight to maintain our joy, or love, our faith. Curly (remember him?)said the secret to life is "one thing".
Well the one thing for the christian is...Christ. Paul said he preached "Christ and Him crucified". I don't know about you but I so often find myself preaching everything but Christ. I focus on and try to persuade others to focus on my latest pet peeve or I spend precious energy on battling those within the Church who I think are in error and predictably, I end up exhausted, bitter, frustrated and full of spiritual pride.
Jesus commended Mary for her worshipful act of being at His feet and listening. How often do I place myself at His feet to simply listen? Not enough. I, too often spend my time searching the Scriptures to find defense for my positions, many of which I am willing to die on the hill for..and sacrifice others for. And the sad part is I do it because they are Mine. Do you identify?
Now on to the remedy. Today I will live simply as a servant by the water pots (if you want to know what I mean by that, you will have to post a comment or send me a message and I'll explain). I will walk through this day with my eyes fixed on and my ears tuned to, My Savior. I will gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and simply follow. I will not be distracted by the voices screaming for my attention but fix my mind on Him and Him alone..."Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, who's mind is stayed on Thee" Isaiah 26:3
Yes, it is truly just "One Thing"
peace
Barry

You are the Worst of Sinners

Does that offend you? It shouldn't. The only reason you or I think of ourselves as anything but the worst sinner is our continual practice of setting our sights on others as a means of lessening our guilt. Is there really a difference between, let's say, a murderer and someone who murders others every single day in his heart? Between an adulterer and someone consumed by lust? How about a liar and a gossip? Surely those of us who know the Gospel understand that there is really no grading on the curve for our sin, that we all stand guilty before a holy, righteous God. So let's put aside, for a moment, the notion that we are less evil than that person sitting next to us on Sunday morning...or perhaps that person awaiting trial down at the local jail. And if we finally are being true with ourselves and God about our sin we may begin to deal with the crippler of souls...persistent guilt. Does he ever sideline you? Do you have a sin or perhaps a timeline of sin that dominates your thinking and leaves you feeling "less than" before God? If so, it will cripple you until you deal with it. Does it interfere with your prayer? Your worship? Your fellowship? You see, when we allow our minds to dwell on our sin in an unhealthy manner we let the enemy (the accuser) put us in a stronghold and make us totally ineffective. I'm reading a book by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington called "The Bookends of the Christian Life", and yes you should read it. One chapter deals with our persistent guilt and what to do about it. Quoting from an old Puritan writer (I've come to discover that many of the Puritan writers were not legalist prudes but had a good handle on Grace) named Thomas Wilcox, the writers help us deal with our persistent guilt. Wilcox mentions things like; shift your focus from your sin to Christ the Mediator, on Christ crucified, risen, and ascended...etc. But the one that really got me this morning in my devotion time was "Shift your focus from your sin to the Glory of God". You see, even when we fall to the temptation that says God doesn't like us or care enough about us to let us off the hook, we MUST see that God also pardons sin for the Glory of His own Name's sake....Isaiah 43:25.. God is glorified by forgiving sin, by pardoning the sinner, "because in pardoning us he'll make us living monuments of the glory of the grace He purchased. It is Christ's own happiness to pardon"
Yes, it's true! My sin can be an occasion for God to display His own Glory and exalt Christ's sacrifice. As Paul asked in Romans 6..should I then go on sinning? By no means! But neither will I allow the memory of past sin to cripple me. I look back at even the worst of my sin and rejoice with John Newton who said "Two things I know; I am a great sinner and Christ is a Great Savior". And like a friend of mine said once to me, "You can enjoy condemning me as a worst sinner than you if it makes you feel more righteous, because I may have done a few things you haven't, but God is glorified in forgiving me and I choose to believe His Word about who I am" AMEN brother :)
He delights in forgiving you. It is His glory to pardon. btw; your self-contempt is merely and expression of self-centerdness. Be Christ-centered today.