Pilgrim Heart
- Published
- in Books, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Life
I have been thinking this week about 2007 — next year. Next year comes in a matter of weeks.
As I anticipate the year, I feel a restlessness. I am not always sure what to do with something like this. I have to believe this is (or can be) a good thing. Maybe I am just more aware of this as I think about my life, his mission, etc. If nothing else, maybe such restlessness just means I am still alive. Hopefully, I will allow this restlessness to serve as a prod to move me toward God and all that he is.
I have to admit, nothing quite gets my attention at this point in my life like seeing some person who seems to be in neutral, coasting through life. Lethargic. No passion. No sense of mission. He/she has a cushy situation (in a marriage, job, and/or ministry) and now is stuck in cruise control. I can’t begin to tell you the number of people I’ve witnessed do just that.
You’ve seen some of these people haven’t you? They yawn through life. As I think about this, I want to say aloud, "Uhhh — no thanks!"
I want to be intentional as I pray and think about the upcoming year. One book, in particular, has helped me as I think about life in this new year. I read the book once and then taught the material in a class at our church. The book is Pilgrim Heart. The author is Darryl Tippens. Allow me to quote from the back cover of the book:
The faith of Jesus was once considered a distinctive way of life rather than a complex theological system. Pilgrim Heart re-imagines discipleship as — first and foremost — a particular way of life guided by a set of simple, but powerful, daily practices known to the earliest disciples and saints through the ages.
The book invites readers to consider afresh the way of Jesus in light of practices that have proven to transform lives for two thousand years. These include friendship, Sabbath rest, hospitality, confession, forgiveness, listening, discernment, singing, creating and experiencing the arts, and telling stories.
This quote is right above recommendations by Brian McLaren, Rodney Clapp, and Mike Cope. Tippens is provost of Pepperdine University. He is also professor of Early Modern Literature. For over twenty years, he has taught courses in the literature of Christian spirituality.
I realize there are many, many new books on the market. New titles. New authors. Let me assure you that this work is well written and well thought out.
Anyway — something to consider. Maybe you have other recommendations that you think might be valuable for one who is anticipating the new year. If so, I would love to hear about them.
Thanks, Jim. That looks like a book I would do well to read. We are blessed with good general and theological libraries in this city, as well as good outlets to buy books. So any thoughts you give on books are much appreciated, for me.
Scot McKnight’s The Real Mary is a recent read by me I’d recommend to anybody and everybody. It’s new in its release, and I’m sure you’re well aware of it. I wish I could read a book a week, or at least a month. Time and resources make that difficult for me, it seems.
Thanks for the recommendation. I too just finished reading The Real Mary and truly enjoyed it. As I was growing up we always ignored Mary because of the catholic influence, how judgmental.
To Jim and others: I was very touched by Jim’s kind words about my book. I continue to be surprised at the positive responses to my words about the Christian journey. Please pray for me in the coming days. I will be talking on several radio stations about "Pilgrim Heart." Tomorrow, I’ll be speaking on a station in Detroit. I pray for a clear head, a warm heart, and a receptive audience. Maybe my journey, by the grace of God, will inspire others to get on the Path. Yours truly, Darryl Tippens
[…] Maybe the promoters are right. They are counting on people smelling the scent of fresh baked cookies and wanting milk. Perhaps people catch a whiff of our lives and it reminds them of something–or someone. This happened last Sunday morning in our church. A father told me earlier in the week, "I need the church to pray for our family on Sunday." This family had been in a crisis that past week. Their son (just out of high school) had been involved in breaking into and vandalizing a nearby high school. Security cameras caught them and the film was broadcast throughout our area on the local news. Then, the boys, escorted by their parents, turned themselves into the police. At one moment, during our Sunday morning gathering, this entire family, including the young man, sat on the front row asking the church to pray for them. I watched people (about 75-80) get up from their seats and come to the front to join them. Most of our youth group, stood around this young man. I read a statement from this family. The statement was candid regarding the incident. No excuses, blaming, etc. Yet, they also declared their desire as a family to love their son through it all. So–we prayed. I sat down after praying and watched as person, after person, after person hugged each member of this family. I watched as those in our high school group hugged this young man. At the conclusion of our assembly, I watched as still more people came to hug this family, grandparents, other mom’s and dad’s and more teens. Last Sunday morning, I caught whiff of a scent that reminded me of Jesus. The love and compassion of these people reminded of what we are called to be as a church. It was a wonderful aroma. I left that morning wanting more. What was the aroma? The living presence of Jesus at work in a group of people. It reminded me of Paul’s statement many years ago, where he said, "…For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life…" Can you think of some moments when you knew you had caught a whiff of the aroma of Christ? Can you think of a moment that was meaningful to you? (You may recall a post I did recently in which I mentioned a wonderful book entitled, Pilgrim Heart by Darryl Tippens. Last evening, Darryl posted a comment on that post. You might enjoy reading this.) […]