LeadershipConneXtions: Loving God With Your Mind (or The Intellect on Fire for Christ)

Current Reads

Ann Droyd: Goodnight iPad: a Parody for the next generation
An update and a remake. Fun concept, but poor rhyming.
Richard J. Foster: Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey into Meditative Prayer
This is a very nice introduction to the way of meditative prayer. Foster grounds this practice in the teaching of Scripture and illustrates and unfolds it from the spectrum of church history and the spiritual classics. From Quakers to Reformers to Pietists to Contemplatives... they all encourage us in the way of meditative prayer. This is a very accessible (short, well written, encouraging) book.
Parker J. Palmer: The Promise of Paradox: A Celebration of Contradictions in the Christian Life
This was pretty good, but also uneven from chapter to chapter. For me, by far, the best was the last essay on teaching and learning. I think Palmer is at his very best when he reflects on the education process.
R. Paul Stevens: Taking Your Soul to Work: Overcoming the Nine Deadly Sins of the Workplace
This was pretty good... I liked how they handled the seven deadly sins and the corresponding virtues of the fruit of the Spirit. 17 short chapters. gems in each one. after awhile it seemed a bit of a retread... it is really meant to be done in a reflective way, where you assess your self on each sin and virtue.
Charles H. Spurgeon: Lectures to My Students Volume 1
The delightful, witty and passionate Mr. Spurgeon, giving his homespun wisdom on ministry to a group of students. The chapter on prayer was beautiful. Good words on calling and how to know you are called.
Handley Carr Glyn Moule: Charles Simeon
An old biography of the great Charles Simeon. This edition is a reprint and the footnoting was strange. The text and the footnotes constantly interrupted each other and made for difficult reading. There were gems throughout the book. Simeon is extraordinary. This book on him is okay.
John Piper: Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ: The Cost of Bringing the Gospel to the Nations in the Lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton
Three stories of God's missional servants and the price they paid to serve the purposes of God in their generation. Plus the story of God's sovereign work in their lives. I was familiar with Tyndale and Judson, but John Paton was new to me. And he was amazing.
John Piper: Contending for Our All: Defending Truth and Treasuring Christ in the lIves of Athanasius, John Owen and J. Gresham Machen
Probably my least favorite in his series of five books in the Swans Are Not Silent series, but his chapter on John Owen is worth the entire book. What an amazing pastor and theologian. Especially moving was how Owen would live into the experience of a truth before preaching/teaching. Powerful and motivating.
Michael Mangis: Signature Sins: Taming Our Wayward Hearts
Very nice book on vice and virtue... a very helpful summary of the seven deadly sins with careful nuancing of how we experience them... insights on race, gender, biology, family and more on how our "signature" or "besetting" sins develop... and one of the best explanation on how we must put on the "antidote virtue" if we are to overcome our sins.
John Piper: The Roots of Endurance: Invincible Perseverance in the Lives of John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce
This is book three in The Swans Are Not Silent Series. I am reading these books in a sitting (takes about an hour and a half to two hours) and then I spend about two hours reflecting and journaling on the theme of the book. Powerful devotional times doing this.
James Martin: Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life
Hey Stephen Colbert recommends this book by a Jesuit. That is telling you something. "Magis" humor for the greater glory of God. It fits!
Kent Carlson: Renovation of the Church: What Happens When a Seeker Church Discovers Spiritual Formation
Very good read and wise guidance on the journey of helping a community of faith move into spiritual formation and the pursuit of intimacy with God.
John Piper: The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd
The second book in the Swans Are Not Silent series. Pretty powerful stuff on the nature of suffering and affliction in the Christian life and how the sovereign God uses this for our holiness and His purposes and ultimately His greater glory. Radically counter-cultural for evangelical Christianity.
John Piper: The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin (Swans Are Not Silent)
The first in the Swans Are Not Silent series where Piper weaves together autobiography and theological reflection for devotional encouragement. Wonderful book.
R. Paul Stevens: Taking Your Soul to Work: Overcoming the Nine Deadly Sins of the Workplace
I am just starting this one as well as the MBA Oath (below). As if seven deadly sins weren't enough, there are nine dealt with in this book. I am reading this one and the MBA Oath to take a major ethical look at the way we work, do business and attempt to lead.
Max Anderson: The MBA Oath: Setting a Higher Standard for Business Leaders
A book that is getting a growing and well deserved reading - asking the important ethical questions that must undergird our world of business. I am just starting this.
Scot McKnight: The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited
This was a pretty short read. The thesis is simple. Many (perhaps most) evangelicals have reduced the wider gospel of Christ the king to a "soterian" gospel. Justification by grace through faith is only part of the gospel, and when it is removed from the larger gospel - we have all kinds of problems, not the least is that there are so many who claim to be justified, but there is almost no sign of the sanctification and transformation.
Peter Rollins: Insurrection: To Believe Is Human To Doubt, Divine
Postmodern deconstructionist Peter Rollins (whose work also needs to be deconstructed) is a provocative author. I generally find myself disputing much of what he says, but his is an important voice. I do get a little tired of some of these postmodern authors being billed as the new prophets and if you disagree with them, then you are just part of the outdated system they are critiquing. I find that people like N.T. Wright and Scot McKnight write more compelling and useful critiques and ways forward.
Miroslav Volf: Exclusion & Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation
I should have read this a long time ago. I skimmed through it when it first came out... I read a few passages, but just didn't have the time to read it. Now, with the encouragement of a good friend (who says this book is core to understanding his own ministry of reconciliation of Christians, Muslims and Jews) I am giving it a thorough read and reflection.
Henri J. M. Nouwen: Jesus: A Gospel
This is a testimony of the life, power and wisdom of Christ as it touched the life of Henri Nouwen. What made this book special was the use of the art of Rembrandt that was set alongside Nouwen's reflections.

October 29, 2010

Loving God With Your Mind (or The Intellect on Fire for Christ)

Chapter six in John Piper's THINK was a very moving chapter for me. It was his explanation on what it means to love God with all your mind.

Here is the biblical text:

Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heat and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

Here are a few of John Piper's comments, pretty verbatim, but a few times with a little bit of paraphrase. I encourage you to read them carefully, for some of them will probably surprise you.

Our thinking should be wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things. pp. 83

I define loving God mainly as treasuring God. That is, it is an experience of cherishing, delighting, admiring and valuing . . . pp. 84

Love for God is an affair of the affections. pp. 84

Love for God is most essentially an experience of the affections, not mere thought or behavior. pp. 86

(To love God means that He has become) compelling attractive. His glory, his beauty - compels your admiration and delight. He becomes your supreme treasure. pp. 87

Now for a few of my observations:

Piper does not neglect or minimize the importance of strong, logical, careful thinking or obedient, faithful living. What he does is to elevate the centrality of the HEART and its AFFECTIONS to the place it deserves. He provides the biblical study to support his position. I won't reproduce that here.

I think our evangelical culture of late modernity has seriously misunderstood, neglected and downplayed the significance of the affections. We rarely comment on the emotional life unless we are reprimanding those who seem dependent on them, or criticizing the charismatics for displaying them.

John Piper follows in the footsteps of American theologian Jonathan Edwards (pictured) who thought very well about the affections of the heart. I am currently reading materials by Edwards on this.

Just listen to this language used by Piper and this is what it means to love God with the mind in an "affective way."

Treasure God... cherish... delight... admire... value... find compelling attractive... glory... beauty... supreme treasure...

May we all love God with all of our mind, think carefully, read widely, speak clearly and live wisely; and in the words of the Apostle Paul, "may the eyes of your heart be enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18).

Brian K. Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com

Posted at 01:57 AM in Books, Devotional Thoughts | Permalink

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