The Gospel According to LOST

I must admit that I have not actually ever watched an episode of LOST. However, I am a huge fan of Chris Seay so I read The Gospel According to LOST in an effort to support him. I was pleasantly surprised that his book grabbed me and spoke volumes to me even though I am not a loyal follower of the Losties.

Seay breaks the book up into character analyses. Each chapter gives a bit of background on the character and the ways in which biblical themes are portrayed through said character's interactions with the Losties, the Others and the Island. He then asks questions about how those themes and characteristics might be a part of the reader's life. This helps to draw non-Losties into the story and into a new understanding of the world.

I found myself really enjoying the book because I was able to see how I could fit into a larger narrative. The pointed questions about themes and issues found in the series allowed me to reflect on my own actions. I spent some time evaluating relationships, leadership, learning and faith as I dialogued with Seay and the characters in LOST.

I would recommend this book for people who are Losties and those who are interested in the relationship between pop culture and faith. This review is part of the Book Review Bloggers program with Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The Sweet By and By

I found The Sweet By and By, written by award winning artist Sara Evans, to be a wonderfully delightful read. It centers around a family that has estrangements from one another and their journey to reconciliation. This all begins when Jade decides to send a wedding invitation to her mother with who she has not spoken in some time. The story follows their relationships and the relationships they have with others.
I thought the book was well written, especially for a first time novelist. Her approach to language helped me to envision and understand the characters. It is often hard to make people real without making them cheesy or trite. However, Evans does a good job in avoiding this situation.
I would recommend this book for high school and above because of some of the content involved in the story line. While none of it is offensive, some issues addressed are deep, complex and for a more mature reading audience. That said, it was an easy, fun read that deserves a wide audience and even wider reading. I commend Evans for her work and look forward to more of her writing in the future.
I posted this as a Book Review Blogger for Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Reading List

Lately I've been reading a great deal in preparation for the "Imaginative Reading for Creative Preaching" retreat this next week at Camp Chrysalis in Kerrville, Texas. I decided it would be a good idea to let you know what I have read and what we will be discussing while there.


1. The Grapes of Wrath--John Steinbeck

2. Silence--Shusaku Endo

3. Girl Meets God--Lauren Winner

4. Mariette in Ecstasy--Ron Hansen

5. Salvation on Sand Mountain--Dennis Covington

6. Compass of Affection--Scott Cairns

7. The Road Not Taken--Robert Frost

8. God:Stories--c. Michael Curtis


These cover a wide range of styles and approaches to mostly the human journey of faith and life. Except for The Grapes of Wrath, all of these reads include some form of religious searching. It is fascinating to me that so many approaches can be taken in humans' attempts to understand the divine. They have opened my eyes and mind to diverse forms of worship and expression of faith. Hopefully, this next week will only cause that openness to grow.

Grace and Peace.

As the New Year approaches...

I've been thinking lately about the goals and resolutions I will set for 2010. I have been thinking about how I can simplify and live a more productive life, now that I am out of school (well, for a while anyway). I know, simplify and production don't usually go together. However, I truly believe that if I focus on what's important I will be more productive and life a calmer life.

So, here are some things I am going to attempt in 2010 (with some longer range goals included). These are meant to challenge me in areas of personal growth, ministry and faith. I will try to update you as I go along this coming year so you can know where I stand on each of these.

1. Read at least 1 book a week on a variety of topics. (faith, leadership, ministry, education, adult learning, cognition, fiction, economics, etc.)

2. Workout at least 4 times a week. (This may mean walking around the block...I want to participate in a 5k in 2011.)

3. Spend time being really present with people.

4. Journal and write reflectively (be it poetry, prose, or painting..just some form).

5. Work to simplify finances and dependency on others in this area. (Paying down bills, eating at home, etc.)

6. Take advantage of free entertainment and activities. (or those of little cost in the community.)

7. Begin researching ideas, topics and information for a DMin project.


Ok, so that list doesn't seem simple, but it will keep me focused on things I think are important, namely learning and living. We will see how it works out in 2010.

Grace and Peace.

Finished...but not really.

Yesterday I graduated from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. It has been a five year journey--well worth it. I have learned more about life and love and scripture than I ever could have hoped to know before entering. I have been changed for the better (at least, in my opinion).

And yet, I know this is not the end of the journey in learning, but the beginning. I have so much more to learn. So many things I want to learn. So many other fields I want to explore. In fact, I told three or four professors that I would be back in three to four years to begin work on a doctorate at Truett. I am already thinking about possible projects and areas of study.

So, now, it is off to find a place to serve full-time where I can use what knowledge I have and gain more knowledge along the way.

Reflection

I spent last night with an amazing group of teenagers at Immanuel Lutheran in Killeen. Vicar Heidi asked me to be an adult presence and I am more than grateful for the opportunity. Below are some of my reflections from the night and from life in recent days--written down between 3-4am when everyone started to fade. I am not much of a poet, but it seemed to be the most natural way to reflect and express the things I saw and felt. I may go back at a later date and work on them in terms of wording and literary technique, but for now I leave them as they came to me. Grace and Peace.


Light

It’s all around but rarely seen
The darkness comes and crowds it out
Glimmers and sparkles flicker dim
In this world of pain and sorrow

The Light is bigger, stronger, brighter
It shines in the midnight
Gives sight in the day
Makes things whole, puts the dark to flight.



Tears

A parent with cancer
A family split apart
Grieving friends left behind

Bitterness of heart
Aches without any words
Wounds that do not heal

Fears about the future
A Dad who lost his legs
Anger for injustice

And in the silence
Surrounded by candle light
Sniffles are heard and shared.

The Sacred Meal

The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher is the latest book I have read for the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program. She shares her experiences and reflections from her work as a Lay Eucharist Minister in The Episcopal Church. Her understanding focuses on three aspects of the communion meal: waiting, receiving and the afterward. In waiting she prepares herself for what is to come by allowing herself to "let go" of the past week. Then, she receives as she opens her hands and hears the familiar phrase "The Body of Christ, The Bread of Heaven." The afterward is a time of realizing the magnitude and holiness of sharing a meal together at the table of the Lord.

I really appreciated her approach to understanding the Eucharist. I found Gallagher's work as a minister at the table to provide a unique perspective for reflecting on the stages and sections of the meal. She helped me realize I need to slow down and experience the wonder of the Eucharist instead of seeing it as something to do and leave behind at the rail.

Gallagher challenged me in my understanding intellectually and spiritually. I am looking forward to approaching the table tomorrow morning as I seek to embody waiting, receiving and the afterward. I would highly encourage others to read and reflect on The Sacred Meal.

Below is a poem I wrote in response to reading this book:

Thanksgiving

We stand and move forward
We wait and watch the crowd
We take our place at the rail
Waiting.

We open our hands and prepare
We listen to words we know
We kneel in silence
Receiving

We stand to leave the front
We walk to take our seats
We stop briefly in the
Afterward