"IN CONSTANT PRAYER", by Robert Benson

"In Constant Prayer" is book #2 in "The Ancient Practices Series", edited by Phyllis Tickle.  He also should have written book #1, in my opinion (see my review on "Finding Our Way Again", by Brian McLaren).  Benson had more of value to say in the mere 160 pages in this book than many authors say in two- or three hundred.  Not only did I like the content in the book, but I fell in love with Benson's word use and sentence structure.  He has a witty sense of humor and can craft a sentence like few others I've read.  It was truly a pleasure to read.

What this book is not: It is not a rah-rah book kicking you in the pants to pray.  It is not a book containing the same ol' trite comments that prayer is merely "talking with God."  Instead, what Benson proposes is called, "the daily office."  "The daily office has been a primary way to hold ourselves in closer communion with the One who made us.  It is a way to sanctify our days and our hours, our work and our love, our very life itself ... a regular pattern and order for formal worship and prayer..." (p.9) 

Benson masterfully inspires his readers to engage God in daily, pre-planned prayer.   I'm guilty of thinking (can I get an amen?) , "Ahhh, I'll just pray later as I go about my day."  But we all know unplanned prayer never catches up with the runaway train that is our busy day.  "When things are important to us, we make choices, we make lists, we make schedules. If it matters, we make a plan." (p. 83) Just a couple chapters into this book and I was already inspired to set my watch to sound an alarm every 4 hours during my work day -- just to remind me to spend time in prayer.  As he said, "At some point, all of this high-minded discussion about our life of prayer has to work its way into the dailyness of our lives." (81)



Benson recommends using prayer books in the practice of the daily office.  (He provides a sample in appendix A)  Yeah, yeah, I had the same skepticism all my Pentecostal friends are experiencing about rote, written prayers, but Benson did a phenomenal job encouraging the use of structured prayer.  Saints long-dead have developed godly, well-crafted words that we might be benefited to pray -- and we know words are powerful things.  They can invite friends or incite riots; they can make love or make war; they be solutions or problems.  We memorize the words in the Psalms God gave us, so why not try recite the prayers of those who journeyed before us?  We sing along from memory with the plethora of songs on the radio, but we're afraid to pray the words someone else crafted?  While I think Christians in liturgical traditions will have an easier time accepting this type of prayer than will others, I think we "others" might do well to at least try it.  We can agree that what all off us could stand to do more of is pray!

Benson makes four suggestions to getting started in the daily office: (1) Pick a time of regular prayer.  You set the times and the frequency; (2) Pick a sacred place.  It could be an ordinary chair in the living room.  But when it comes to prayer time, that ordinary chair somehow transforms into a sacred space of worship; (3) Pick a friend who will pray with you even when you are not together in accordance with the first suggestion;  Finally (4) Show up! (118-119)

I see the fourth step being most critical, for you will never become a person of prayer if you never do it.  Just as "the only way to become a writer is to write", "you do not become a person of prayer [first] and then begin to pray...you will not become [a person of prayer] if you do not pray." (96-97)

I absolutely, positively recommend this book as a must-have for anyone interested in learning other ways to pray.  I am convinced you will enjoy it as much as I did, and I unreservedly give this book 5 stars out of 5!

I received this book free of charge from Thomas Nelson (Booksneeze) in exchange for my unbiased review.  I am not compensated, rewarded, or otherwise threatened to provide positive reviews.

ANSWER THE CALL TO BE A MAN:

For much too long, many men have been slapped in our faces for not being around more.  We've been nailed to our crosses for not having "been there" enough for our families.  This, I think, is especially true of our parents' generation: My dad is a veteran of the Viet Nam war who went on to work 40+ hours each week, and his generation has been tagged with setting a bad example for their children for being gone so much, for not opening up emotionally, for not being available.

We are now being told by the professionals who can't get their faces out of textbooks that things must change.  We're told to spend fewer hours at work, fewer hours with other people who need us, fewer hours doing chores.  Yet we're told to be more active in our communities, more loving, more approachable. Those are good things to be, but I don't think my dad did it all wrong.  Was he perfect?  No.  But was he wrong? Heck no! 

By now you're likely thinking, "Holy crap!  Where are your priorities, dude?  How dare you suggest men put work ahead of families!" 

I have a terriffic wife and she has never, EVER laid this burden on me.  Not once!  She has been the consummate mother and wife, allowing me to pursue a noble career fighting crime in exchange for her pursuing a noble stay-at-home wife/mom career.  I am not writing this because there is angst in my home.  On the contrary!

The purpose in my writing is two-fold. First, to offer forgiveness to those fathers who have nobly been doing their best.  The second is to give permission.

My heart hurts that so many honest, hard-working, upstanding men have been shamed for doing what God has created us to do: work, provide, defend.  The drive is in our blood to give the best to our families by giving the best to our employers; it runs in our blood to provide food and necessities to those we love most, and if we shirk our duties at work, then we ultimately shirk them at home.  It runs in our blood to defend: not only our families, but our fellow countrymen and strangers at home and abroad against the wiles of cruel, harmful, wicked people.

And those types of men are not just serving in the military or police. They are farmers, computer programmers, mechanics, gear-heads, businessmen, politicians. Flight 93 wasn't thwarted by a US Navy SEAL, but by everyday, average Joes who rose to the occasion to defend their families and countrymen by giving up their own lives.  We need a highly select set of men to be the best Navy SEAL's, Special Forces Soldiers, Army Rangers, they can be.  But we really need men of all ilks to be "on call" 24-7 to defend all of humanity.


We're being told not to fight anymore. We're being told to "turn the other cheek".  We're told to raise our hands and surrender.  Do you think Jesus intended you to cower in the corner of the room while an enemy broke into your house and began ravaging your wife and children?  Certainly not!  He would call you a fool for not fighting, for not standing guard!  But today we're told otherwise by liberal professionals.

Being on call 24-7 in my line of work doesn't necessarily give me a sense of great satisfaction or superiority; nor does it give me the chills that I will miss some pretty important family functions.  I will likely miss out on baseball games, science fairs, piano recitals, camping trips, family movie/game night.  And my family will miss me being there.  I know it, and it hurts to know my family may be hurt in the process.

When I was a youngster, I wished to see my dad at more of my baseball games and tournaments.  They were important to me, and I thought they should be important to him.  As I grew older, however, I realized that he was doing that which was just as important as America's past-time for kids: he was earning a living, working to provide for his family so that his son could play ball and have a drum set, and his daughter could own a piano and drive the family car.

I admire that now -- because I'm a father and I understand some things have to come ahead of family once in a while.  One day my sons will recognize that their dad would have to miss those family days because at the drop of a hat he had to rush off to defend a stranger from the likes of humanity's worst offenders.  And they will grow to understand the supreme importance of defending the life, property, and rights of others. 

I'm not giving dads permission to be slugs.  I'm not giving dads permission to galavant around town with their buddies, drinking beer until the wee hours of the morning, leaving mama at home to deal with all the family business.  I'm not giving dads permission to sit around eating pork rhinds and getting fat while watching sports all day and collecting social assistance from the government.  I'm not giving permission to intentionally become a work-a-holic because you don't want to be home.

I am, however, giving fathers permission to be men -- not that men need MY permission, but we men do need permission and encouragement.  Men, be men!  Provide for your family.  Work hard for your employer.  Defend what is noble and just.  Fight for what is right.  Set good examples for your children, and for your neighbor's children, that men should carry out responsibilities with dignity and honor.  Be the man God created you to be.  Be strong!  Be courageous! 

Answer the call to be a man and a father.

"King Me", by John Voelz

King Me, originally penned by John Voelz (JVo) as a teaching atlas (study guide) for a sermon series has been released in book form. JVo is the worship leader/pastor at Westwinds Community Church and is a great candidate for writing a book of this sort. He is more than a worship pastor. He’s a musician who has a heart after God and a musician’s approach to the excitement and terror found within the Psalms.


While the kings of rock and pop have come and gone, the one and only King endures forever! This title not a quick overview of all the Psalms, but is specifically focused on the “Kingly” Psalms (47, 93-100). And those Psalms boast of the King of Kings and His glory, splendor, majesty, judgment, authority, rule, etc.

JVo wrote King Me with a good mixture of intellect and humor. We all know that sometimes intelligent people can be boorish, and funny people can be flighty. But John is neither. He uses his wit, musical experience, and intelligence to make some good points while inspiring readers to ask probing questions about these Kingly Psalms:

“Was this written/sung in a minor or major key?”
“Does it matter?”
“What words contained in the Psalm might make you to believe this was a joyous or a somber song?”
“How ought the Psalm move you?”
“Is there a rhythm or repeated theme that is trying to express something specific?”

For too long, music in the church has been a source of great contention:
loud, or quiet?
Choirs, or bands?
Fast, or slow?
Drums?
Guitars?
Amps?

But one thing John makes absolutely clear, as do the Psalms: music should move you! It should make you cry, praise, dance, shout, sing! If Psalms are music, and music is poetry, and poetry should be read and experienced differently from other genres, then the Psalms ought to stir you.

“King Me has” a helpful appendix that helps readers navigate our way through all types of Psalms and their structure.

"King Me” is also interactive: get your smartphone and link to video clips and websites via the QR codes. If you’re not sure what those are, here’s a chance to find out.

The only real flaw I could find in King Me is the lack of proofreading before it was published. While spelling and punctuation errors and spacing issues (I call them “ticks”) don’t really detract the reader from the intended points in “King Me”, those same ticks can still be distracting. I think the book would have greater value if the ticks were edited, for it proves the author and publisher care about the work being published.

That aside, the book is well worth the time and money. It’s a quick, easy read, and a good study tool. You can order direct for a signed copy via JVo's blog or from Amazon.com.

"FINDING OUR WAY AGAIN", by Brian McLaren

INTRODUCTION: "Finding Our Way Again: the Return of the Ancient Practices" by Brian McLaren is a re-publishing of the original title from 2008.  The difference being that editor, Phyllis Tickle, added study questions, which she calls "spiritual exercises", at the end of each chapter. 

I agreed to read this book not because I especially like or agree with what McLaren's teaches, but because I wanted to give him another chance -- a chance to convince me he teaches true biblical Christianity.  I was not surprised that his teaching is still as -- if not moreso -- "New Age" as he has been in years past.

From the opening pages of "Finding Our Way", McLaren makes it clear that he hopes Christianity will become more attractive to the world as a "way of life", rather than as a "system of beliefs."  I couldn't agree more that Christians ought to "live" Christianity, not just hold beliefs.  However, early, McLaren draws parallels between the world's three most prominent religions: Christianty, Islam, and Judaism.  He professes to his readers that he believes Jesus, but the reader is left with no distinction between Jesus, Muhammad, or Moses.  He also leaves his readers with the notion that all three religions possess the same access to God, although theologically all three say something completely different about who Jesus Christ is. 

OVERVIEW: The first part 14 chapters of the book contain a lot of fluff, reasons why people of all religions should practice spiritual disciplines, or the "ancient way".  McLaren believes one "great reason to pursue the ancient way" (which I will discuss in the following paragraphs)...[is to] "learn to practice peace, joy, self-mastery, and justice: because the future of the world depends on people like you and me finding it and living it and inviting others to join us. ... Maybe 'the world will be as one'" (p. 201).  Make no mistake, McLaren provides compelling reasons throughout the book why it is beneficial to practice various spiritual disciplines.  The result of his message, however, is not Christ-centered, but man-.  His goal is world peace, not truth.  Sadly, he mixes historical spritual disciplines with an ancient "new age" philosophy called "the threefold path."

His main thrust for writing the book is found in chapters 15 through 18.  "Practicing the Ancient Way" (chapter 15) serves as the introduction and outline to the "threefold way" of the ancients, which follows in chapters 16 ("Katharsis: Via Purgativa"), 17 ("Fotosis: Via Illuminativa"), and 18 ("Theosis: Via Unitiva").  I will detail the "threefold way" now.

MCLAREN'S "THREEFOLD WAY": Note: the following descriptions by McLaren are presented as an imaginary tour, guided by a woman called an "abbess".  While not a "spirit guide", she serves as an ancient guide into the spiritual way.  The dictionary describes an abbess as "a woman who is the superior in a covenant of nuns."

"Katharsis: Via Purgativa"(pp.151-158) is described by the abbess in McLaren's book as the beginning of the threefold way by "purging the house of the trash, dirt, and virmin that have accumulated within it."  Katharsis "depends on letting light come in, because without light you won't be able to see what's dirty and what needs to be cleaned and repaired."  The abbess tells the tourist that the powers of "pride, lust, greed...money, sex, and power..." must be acknowledged in our lives, otherwise "we won't make further progress on the ancient way."  "We will stay in darkness", she says.

He continues to inform us "by facing these monsters and exposing them to the light of God, novices would not be cured of pride, greed, and lust, but they would begin to be cured of a dangerous naivete about them."   He suggests that small groups of people should then gather in order "to review honestly together the hold" the three areas have on them.  He recommends journaling, taking on special challenges (fastings from things), practicing good deeds, spending time with loved ones.  In this stage, purgation "has nothing to do with penance", but "has everything to do with practice."

"Fotosis: Via Illuminativa" (pp. 159-168) is described by the same fictional abbess as learning to let light into our house (soul) because light helps us to see ourselves correctly.  McLaren writes, "Before katharsis...we were uninterested in God's light.  But now...we want the light to penetrate us in every part of our being and drive the darkness away."  In his own words, "we are seeking God's enlightenment" and "we learn the greater joy of accumulating light."

"Theosis: Via Unitiva" (pp.169-179), finally, is described as "the union of our nature with the nature of God."  He says, "if we are plunged into God's light and heat long enough, if we stay close enough to God for long enough...then we will catch a case of God" (like catching a case of the flu).

McLaren continues, "Before the beginning...God was All, and All was God."  And "within the matrix of time and space, the possibilities unfolded and flowered in a wild creative experiment we clumsily call evolution, combining and recombining to form complex proteins and viruses, trilobites and lunged fish...and finally naked apes we know as homo sapiens."  Although we "inherited the wealth and beauty and balance" in a "garden of possibility", McLaren says we "lost the plot", which results in war, waste, eroded soil, extinct species, squatter camps, slaves (etc)...and even worse, vicious religion."

The longing of the human soul, according to McLaren is that we "want to rejoin God".  We begin with katharsis and puruse theosis "not just for ourselves, not just for our souls.  That would be only a partial healing, a pseudo-salvation, a semisalvation.

THEOLOGICAL ABSURDITIES (an evaluation of the "threefold way"): It is plain that McLaren believes a different Jesus than is presented in the Bible.  Sadly, this book is being sold as a "Christian" book when it should actually be marketed as "new age" instead.  According to Biblical theology, a person is not saved by first letting light into his dirty soul, by cleaning the windows so the light of God can illuminate what we need to clean.  The emphasis of what McLaren teaches is on what WE must do to reach "spiritual enlightenment".  What the Bible teaches is that we are sinners in need of one very specific Savior -- Jesus Christ.

Scripture is clear that we are sinners incapable of saving ourselves.  We are mired in sin and need God to breathe life into us, to cleanse us first.  McLaren's method of salvation is one that requires us to act on behalf of our own salvation.  In fact, in the section on Katharsis, McLaren says this step toward enlightenment has "nothing to do with penance."  Repentance, however, is/was a gigantic part of Christ's work!  He and his forerunners were regularly telling their hearers, "Repent!!!"

Finally, one can hang out in a church, pray, fast, and act like a believer and follower of God, talk the right way and say the right words, practice the right disciplines.  But simply "staying close to God for long enough" will not, in fact, give us a "case of God."  It will not transform us.  It will not cleanse our sin.  It will not in one itty-bitty way make us right with God.  Our closeness to a fire will never turn us into fire; our closeness to God (apart from Christ) will never make us godly.

All-in-all, while McLaren professes to be a believer, he leaves out the one most important event in history and Christendom: The Cross!  He completely ignores the work of Jesus Christ ON the Cross, although he makes great ado about His loving miracles PRIOR TO the Cross.  It's as if Calvary's Cross never emerged.

RECOMMENDATION: This book will make great fuel for my wood stove!  The only reason I would suggest reading "Finding Our Way Again" would would be so you could see for yourself the absurdities taught by McLaren and so that you might be more prepared in potential conversations.

RATING: I give this book just 1 star out of 5, which comes from the result of being inspired to ask if I spend enough quality time with my God in prayer, reading, memorization, etc.  The other 4 missing stars are due to McLaren's horrible theology.  Shame on Thomas Nelson Publishers for publishing this as a Christian work.  The publishers have clearly not read it carefully!


DISCLAIMER: I received this book free of charge in exchange for agreeing to provide an unbiased review.  I am not required to submit a positive review, and I am not paid for my review.  This review is my opinion.