"What I'm Reading (When I Read : P )" Wednesday

Each year Paul and I make plans on how we will beat back the winter-time darkness. Each year I promise myself that I will NOT let my reading habits diminish. I'd like to think my literary intake is "down, but not out" right now : ) Fingers crossed that our Christmas break will see some positive improvement.

Anyway, we have been weirdly busy in the Snyder household. My work schedule picked up a bit due to higher hospital census and obviously homeschooling is a new type of beast to tackle during the "I-don't-want-to-do-anything" Alaskan winter. Our satellite house church has continued to meet due the Air Force's religious exemption and Paul has been doing an extra amount of unit care over the last few weeks. Virtual piano recitals, baking cookies for neighbors and friends, Christmas shopping, practice for a Christmas eve service (where I'm playing a piano piece that is about the hardest thing I've tackled since college,) and a quick trip to a hot spring just past Fairbanks have kept me on my toes! What's your holiday season been like? I bet it's been similarly (weirdly) busy, even during a pandemic : )

It sounds like I'm making excuses, doesn't it. Sigh. Maybe I am. But in my defense, sometimes I'm not even sure why I don't want to read in the winter. For now, let's go with, "I'm busy." Just run with it, ok : )

Ah well, for the trickle of reading that is happening, at least it's still from worthy sources. Though, I'm also introducing you to an Urban Fantasy author that released a new book that I enjoyed (and which was set in a futuristic Detroit, of all places!)

"The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime" by Phyllis Tickle

The Request of Presence

"Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling; That I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy and gladness, and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my god."

The Concluding Prayer of the Church

"O God, author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend me, your humble servant in all assaults of my enemies; that I, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversary; through the might of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen."

"Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship With God" by Dallas Willard

Early in my life, I came to the conclusion that God does not speak to his children in any way other than through the written word of God. When I made this statement to Paul he gave me a look. "I don't think that anyone taught that" he confidently asserted. (I love how affirming he is when I come to him with my thoughts : ) After further discussion, I think I figured out where my brain had made the wrong connection.

I believe (and was taught) that God will not be handing down any "new revelation" (i.e things previously only known to God but now revealed as equal to the bible.) In other words, the cannon is closed. No one should be claiming to have new information that applies to all of humanity. To my young mind, I took this truth (and I do this it's truth) and moved past it to the conclusion that God would therefore never need to personally interact with his children. Because....well....we have the bible. That should be enough (as Meg likes to quote me, "you get what you get and you don't make a fuss." : )

I'm still working through my thoughts on this topic, but what's been reinforced by reading Willard's book is that my childhood view is most likely wrong. Though he isn't giving new revelation, perhaps he still wants to have a robust, personal, communicative relationship with me. Maybe it's not an "all or nothing" type of interaction. I mean, I suppose I already believed this as I'm aware of times when the Holy Spirit impressed something on my heart....but the idea that God may use even more specific means of communicating (dreams, for example) is definitely outside of my comfort zone. It seems....unverifiable. However, we always use very personal terms when describing our faith (a "personal" relationship with Jesus, being a daughter of God, being "guided" by God, and etc) but I don't think that the specific ways that this is suppose to happen was ever REALLY discussed with me. I remember being told by someone that God doesn't audibly speak anymore (like he did in the bible) but when I asked Paul why we were taught that, he admitted that he wasn't sure. So....here I am. Thinking that maybe God wants to audibly talk to me.

What's interesting is that Dallas Willard didn't write his book with the goal of convincing me that God communicates in ways other than through the Bible. Willard assumes that I already believe this and wants to help me sus out the particular ways that God may be interacting with me. Reading this book is like trying to move from a trot to canter when I'm not even sure why I'm on the horse in the first place.

Again, as I read authors from outside the theological camp of my upbringing, I reminded that so much of what we believe is caught, rather than taught. When we're confronted with new perspectives on those "caught" beliefs, we may have a fight or flight response. New information is unsettling. It's uncomfortable. It rocks my boat. Suddenly dominos might feel like they are falling as one new thought leads to another and oh my word, what is even true anymore!

But here's what I appreciate about my upbringing: if nothing else (and there is else : ), I know why I believe that the Bible is true, I know why I believe that the gospel is true, I know why I believe that there is a God and that he loves me. These things were very intentionally taught to me by parents who lived out their beliefs and spent time explaining those beliefs to me. So whenever I come across a new perspective, a new assertion that I haven't grappled with, I know my foundation. I know the core of what I believe. I might be a little off-kilter for a bit, but I've never fallen down.

This is what I want to do for my children. I know that as they grow up they'll "catch" some beliefs of mine. It's inevitable. But more important than what they catch, I want to make sure that as they wade through interaction with culture, ideas, people, pain and everyday life they have a stable foundation. They know the hills to die on. The truths that anchor the soul. The things that my parents taught me. God is real. The Bible is believable. The gospel is the only thing that truly rescues anyone. We are called to love God and love others.

All three of my children have stated that they've started a personal relationship with Jesus, which fills my heart with joy. But that relationship is theirs, not mine. I want them to own their faith, to strengthen it, to think the hard thoughts and come to conclusions...which might be different than mine. When we all gather at Christmas over the years to come, I want to enjoy the moments of shared gratefulness to God for the gospel...but I also want enjoy the moments of debate, when differing view points are discussed.

Anyway, this has gotten far from my specific thoughts about the chapters I've read in this book. But it's an internal (and sometimes external) conversation that I've been having for a little while now : )

"Each way that God communicates with us has its own special uses, but all the ways are not equally significant for our life with him. In terms of overall importance, the written Word and Jesus, the living Word, aren't to be compared to a voice or vision used by God to speak to an individual. And from the among the individual's experience of hearing God, the "still, small voice" has a vastly greater role than anything else."

"Night Shift Dragons" Rachel Aaron

Nothing but fluff! Fair warning! This is the last of the trilogy written by Ms. Aaron. The story is set in a futuristic, magically infused Detroit. There are dragons, there are gods, there are wizards and there is a sentient AI who complains alot about the poor WiFi : ) There's family drama, a sweet romance, and some villains who look like they might win but who are eventually defeated. It's a very imaginative world that I enjoy. There are moments when a spirit inhabits a human, so if that type of thing bothers you (it would bother me if it was a major part of the story or if it was done maliciously) you might not like the series. But overall, a fun urban fantasy read.

Finished Books:

"The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure" by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff

"Life in a Medieval Castle" by Frances Gies and Joseph Gies

"Knowing God" by J.I. Packer

"Food Fights and Culture Wars: A Secret History of Taste" by Tom Nealon

"Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well" by Sam Sifton