Author: Paul Burkhart

REVIEW: “Simply Christian” by N.T. Wright

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Simply Christian
Bishop N.T. Wright
Zondervan, 2006
Buy Now Here
Pre-Order New Ed. Here

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As I revealed in a recent tweet, I believe I’m walking into a new obsession with the author/scholar/pastor N.T. Wright. Surprising to many, I’m sure, with me being a seminarian and all, is the fact that I had never read any Wright before this book. Sure, I’ve known of his existence for years, had seen a few of his YouTube clips, and skimmed a few of his articles, but I had never read his books. My housemate during the two months or so before seminary began reading through Wright’s entire Christian Origins and the Question of God series (books 1, 2, 3) constituting over 2,100 pages of reading. He couldn’t stop reading, nor stop telling me about how amazing this man was. I nodded and agreed, sure that I would read something at some point. I had no idea what I was missing.

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Holy Day Meditations: Jesus Presented at the Temple

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The backbone of my morning and evening meditations and prayer has become the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. It has taken me a while to figure out how to use it (with a lot of help from a friend), and I’m still clumsily trying to make my way along, but it is an amazing book. It gives just the right amount of both freedom and structure to give me both guidance and excitement. I’m really enjoying it. Secondly, I am a relatively new member of a church that belongs to the Reformed Church in America. Both of these things has led me to encounter ancient church documents, creeds, and traditions I was never exposed to as a Bible Belt Southern Baptist.

One of those newfound traditions that is really becoming a major part of my life is the Church Calendar. According to the calendar, we are currently in the season of Epiphany, where the church celebrates the travel of the Wise Men to see Jesus, therefore declaring him King and Lord among all the nations, and today is the Church Holy Day on which we celebrate Jesus’ presentation by His parents in the temple (forty days after Christmas) (Luke 2:22-40). As I went through the Daily Lectionary this morning, I found that focusing on this event and meditating on it bore some very real personal fruit that I wished to share.

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My Favorite Customer Service Experience: Jiffy Lube

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I have a fear for marriage. I’m not “handy” at all. I don’t know electrical systems, plumbing, or tools. What’s worse is, I really don’t know cars. I open the hood and it’s just a mass of metal and wires. I really have no idea when it comes to the workings of cars.

Which is why I’m so happy to have Jiffy Lube in my life. I love that company. There’s never really been a time I’ve gone to one that it wasn’t an actually enjoyable experience. Which is weird. Are you supposed to enjoy an oil change? I don’t know. Here’s some of what’s so great:

  • They keep track of your manufacturer’s suggested maintenance time tables and your record of everything you’ve ever had done at Jiffy Lube.
  • These records stay consistent among every Jiffy Lube in the country, so no matter where I go, they have a complete history of maintenance on my car and can give informed suggestions.
  • If you could get the same work done elsewhere for cheaper, I’ve had several mechanics suggest where to go to get it done.
  • Every employee there always seems to be in a genuinely good mood, and they are always eager to share any knowledge they may have about your vehicle or maintenance in general.
  • They are really fast. Almost frustratingly so, because I can never seem to get as much reading done in the lobby as I was hoping.
  • They will check your “Check Engine” light for free (some dealerships charge $75!)
  • Their prices are really stinking good, and they seem to always have some sort of special going on.

And now onto the inevitable “bigger point” of all of this:

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White-Knucklin’ It (a blog filler post)

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Personal goal for next week: write like nobody’s business.

I hate that it’s been almost two weeks since my last “real post”.  I’m sorry.  I need to be okay with using this blog actually as a blog and not a magazine where I’m the sole writer.  I want to engage you all more.  As has been my unattained desire for the past year, I want to do shorter posts, more audience engagement.  I know my track record sucks, but I really do have other platforms more appropriate for my larger writings, and I’m so infinitely frustrated at myself for how I treat this blog, that perhaps, maybe this time, I just might be able to make blogging a bit more of a regular habit that you all will want to read and actually comment on.  We’ll see.

Sorry for yet another filler post.  Starting Monday, I’m hoping to blog your faces off.  Until then…

Music, Politics, & other sundry things.

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I don’t know why, but I’ve been in an increasingly political mood recently.  My blog-crastination (my perusal of blogs and news outlets to avoid doing other things with my time) has been almost exclusively centered around politics rather than my usual intake of theology, evangelicalism, and culture.  So, expect some political writing for the next while on the blog.

I sat down last night to write an article on health care, politics, and economics last night to try and post it here today.  But, as is typical for me, I’m not even done with it and it’s already six pages long.  So, in my ever-failing attempt to put up shorter posts here, I’m going to see if that full article might work if I submitted it to some other sites.  If not, I’ll whittle it down to a manageable size and post it here.  I don’t know that it’s that profound, but there might be some substance there.  So, for my apology for not having any new material today, I’ll just pot the song/EP that have been going on repeat on my iPod.

Ladies and gentleman, I give The Civil Wars performing “Poison & Wine”.  Lyrically, one of the best relationship songs I’ve heard in years.  Musically, (at the risk of sounding cliche) it’s haunting.  Enjoy:

(Live version here)

I sort of want this health care bill to die.

/ Paul Burkhart / 11 Comments

[graphic design by kilroyart]

UPDATE: more thoughts on Health Care and the Health Care Summit that occurred in February 2010 can be found here.

[You can read more of my recent thoughts on health care over at Reform & Revive Magazine in an article entitled “Explaining Health Care Reform and ‘Christian’ Reflections Thereof“]

I think I really want to see this whole health care thing goes down in flames.

This came as a shock to me today as I greedily consumed as much news as I could concerning the Massachusetts Senate race. Something in me sort of stirred joyfully at the thought of all of this collapsing. This really surprised me at first, but upon further reflection I began to see why I felt this way.

First off, the emotional argument. I have been having frustrations and angst over our lack of control as Americans. I wrote about some of this back in July. At the time, I was focusing more on Capitalism and corporate greed, but the same definitely goes for the government. Politicians are supposed to work for us. We are not called to serve their whims which they decide on our behalves. They are supposed to be our employees and civil servants, not our elected managers. As of yesterday, the latest Rasmussen Report finds that only 38% of Americans are in favor of the health care bill, and 56% oppose it outright. In my mind, I’m forced to ask — why are we still having this discussion then? Democrats made their pitch, the people don’t like it as it is. Either change it or drop it.

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i’m alive… barely

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Hey blogosphere –

it’s been a little while since I posted anything and a while since I posted a really substantive post up here.  Apologies.  I have several articles in the works that I’m really excited about that I’m working on for both this blog and other places.  The past couple of days I’ve been absolutely knocked out of commision by a stomach virus of some sort that has kept me perpetually near both my bathroom and bedroom.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been this sick.  So, if you’re the praying type, please do so for me.  If not… well…. wish me luck?  Here are the things that have been keeping me company as I’ve been sitting on the sidelines trying to survive:

Some Lord’s Day Meditations on Paul’s Thorn | 2Cor 12:7-11

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I’m almost done going through 2 Corinthians, and last night I came across that oh-so-familiar passage of 2 Corinthians 12:7-11:

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I thought I’d share some of the things that really spoke to me as I meditated on it:

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just a little reminder of my life . . .

/ Paul Burkhart / 5 Comments

I was updating my Author page on this site tonight, and I was reminded once more of this quote that struck me so powerfully by poet Joe Weil.  It’s from a great interview posted on Patrol Magazine a while back.  I wrote about it when I originally first found it almost exactly a year ago.  It’s incredible and describes the nature and substance of my faith like no other set of words I have encountered before or since–coarse language and all.  I hope it speaks to you as well:

“I once described faith as something I got on my shoe and can’t kick or wash off. I’m stuck with it. My poems are the trespasses and blasphemies of a malpracticing Christian, one who can’t stop ogling an attractive leg, or wanting to be first, who is venial, foolish, seldom at peace, horny and lonely, and so far from the kingdom of God that his whole life becomes the theme of that distance, someone knowing he is in deep shit. It’s the perfect place to be, where you can’t fool yourself into thinking you’re on the right track… The only thing I have to offer God is my sins. I am interested in mercy when it appears in places where you would never expect it. I am interested in love that shovels shit against the tide. I am interested in grace… It is better to be annihilated and crushed by God, if you are in love with God, then it is to have no relationship at all. Better God smite you then merely be absent. God does not ‘tolerate’ me. God loves me.”

How do these words strike you?

Dostoevsky on the Tensions of the Christian Life

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I’m currently reading through The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Early in the book, there is a scene where the entire Karamzov clan goes to meet with this elder priest to solve some disputes amongst themselves. Of course, being a Russian novel, before they can get to the actual disputes they engage in various forms of political and theological philosophizing for a few chapters. One of the brothers, Ivan, has one of his ideas brought up concerning moral differences between Christians and Non-christians. The elder hears this and immediately identifies it for what it is: an over-intellectualization to help explain away tensions and mysteries existing in Ivan’s heart that he can’t stop wrestling.

As any reader of my writings knows, in the past year or so I have been absolutely taken captive by the truth that Christianity, and therefore the Christian life itself, is fundamentally an exercise in holding tensions and living within mysteries that have no real answer in this life. As Peter Rollins says in the amazing book The Fidelity of Betrayal: “doubt is intimately tied up with faith, because the deep truth of faith gives birth to doubt.” In other words, only the true believer has experienced something in their heart that they can doubt in the first place. Unbelievers don’t doubt, they just don’t believe. But we Christians follow our forefather Jacob whose blessing was to wrestle with God and receive the very name Israel, which means “He wrestles with God”.

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Writing in Hope & Angst (a Lament, a Praise)

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Okay, now for a personal post. I usually don’t do these, but some encouragement/wisdom from others might help. I don’t know what exactly has been the cause, but the past few weeks have seen my desire to write and effect change rise to a level I’ve previously never known, only to be brought low by information on every side.

If I had to guess, I think my increase in desire and confidence to write has been inflamed by several fronts. First, intellectually, I’ve been experiencing a clarity and creativity of thought concerning books I’ve been wanting to write. Books that have been rolling around in my mind for about a year finally have some shape, structure, and direction. Also, I’ve been feeling more confident in my ability to think and subsequently express those thoughts in writing. This little slavery and atheism series I’ve been doing has been giving me a chance to flex some muscles I didn’t know were there. This has led to lots of affirmation and encouragement from others concerning my writing prospects. This has put writing in the front and center of my mind.

But, anxieties and insecurities ensue, both from within and without . . .

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Consider Sponsoring a Child with Compassion

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[This is also posted at the Come and See blog]

This is what a friend at another Liberti campus recently sent this out.  She’s been asked by a ministry called Compassion to look for a sponsor for a 9-year old Ethiopian named Dinku Dejene.  His birthday is August 21; he lives with his stepfather, mother, and sibling; and his favorite activities are soccer, running, and hide-and-seek.  (Click here for his full-size Compassion card.)

Meredith writes:

“The goal is to find a person to sponsor him on a committed, monthly basis for $38 per month by December 31. The children Compassion serves receive (among other things): the opportunity to hear the gospel and learn about Jesus; regular Christian training; educational opportunities and help; health care, hygiene training and supplementary food if necessary; a caring and safe Christian environment to grow in self-confidence and social skills; and personal attention, guidance and love.

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What an Ex-Seminarian gets for Christmas

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In order from left-to-right:

“O Sovereign, Come” (an original Advent hymn)

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On this beautiful White Christmas (at least where I’m at), for those precious few of you that will make it online today, I wanted to put up a hymn I wrote a about a year ago.  I pray this encourages you and creates anticipation for the Advent that is to come. Merry Christmas.

O Sovereign, Come

Our chains behind us, our sin before us
showing all our crippling need.
Your Grace within us, Your Spirit upon us
transforming our every deed.

After our freedom and we pass through the Red Sea,
let us not forget the desert comes.

Refrain:
Rip through the clouds, tear through the skies;
Let us see that you’re God on High.
O Sovereign, Come.  Seize our hearts.
Show yourself as Beautiful.

Your triumph of Glory, You crimson Cross
heralding Your Sovereign Way
of life through our death, enduring our thorns,
completing Your sufferings in ourselves.

Let us embrace your cross that’s set there before us
and know that it precedes the crown.

Refrain

On that day, when freed from sinning,
how I’ll see Thy lovely Face.
Clothed then in blood-washed linen,
how I’ll sing Thy Sovereign Grace.

Refrain

The Bible, Slavery, & Atheists{2b}: Theology & Ethics | Reform & Revive

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By the time I finished the next article in the series, it was substantive enough and socially-oriented enough to warrant being posted on my webzine Reform & Revive.  The previous post was on on how secular Philosophy can inform our view of ethics and contribute to the discussion of Slavery, Atheism, and the Bible.  This one is about how Christian theological ethics can uniquely inform our ethics in modern times.  The article covers a LOT of ground and is the longest one I’ve written yet in this series.  Hopefully that’s not a turn off.  This article has more of my thought concerning truth and Biblical interpretation than perhaps any one article I’ve ever written contains.  Here’s the link:

http://reformandrevive.com/2009/12/22/a-theology-of-ethics-contemporary-applications/

It seems in light of my earlier post I’ve decided to pour more of myself into this series, rather than just quickly finishing it off.  Hopefully it’s helpful.

Lastly, I keep getting private emails, texts, and messages from Christians talking about how much they’re enjoying this series, and how helpful it is to them, but hardly any Christians are publicly commenting.  I’m getting tons of comments from my atheist friends, though.  Discrepancy?  I think so.  If you have a thought, please leave it.  It could be really helpful to get more input on this and diversity of thought on this.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement.  It means a lot.