Lands of the Bible reviewed in American Church Review

Review of J. W. McGarvey, Lands of the Bible, unsigned, in American Church Review, April 1882, pp. 273-274.

Lands of the Bible reviewed in Bibliotheca Sacra

Review of J. W. McGarvey, Lands of the Bible, unsigned, in Bibliotheca Sacra, April 1882, p. 400.

 

The Story

Not long ago I listened online to my long-time friend Chris Harrell preach about Joseph.  Chris is pinch-hitting for Jimmy Adcox at Southwest Church in Jonesboro, AR.  For a season they are preaching through the biblical narrative from beginning to end.  It appears they are at the same time intentionally tying the stories of life on the ground in Jonesboro to the narrative of Scipture and the narrative Scripture invites us to inhabit.  Here is the website they put together as they work through it.  I find the website a good idea and the materials on it (especially the reference chart) helpful.  I admire their attempt to saturate the congregation with the Biblical story.

Henri on power, love and leadership

Yesterday Josh Graves posted on his blog this quote from Henri Nouwen:

One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to the temptation of power—political power, military power, economic power, or moral and spiritual power—even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to power but emptied himself and became as we are. The temptation to consider power an apt instrument for the proclamation of the Gospel is the greatest of all. . . . What makes this temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life (In the Name of Jesus, 58-59).

I agree with Henri that power is an attractive and easy substitute for love.   It is easy, but I don’t think “ease” captures all that is at work here.  It is easy to substitute power for love because it is easy to get a big head.  Such is a peril of being in front, of being visible and noticed and lauded and applauded.  With a big head, folks get confused that leadership=power.   Power is easy and attractive because when it is all about me I must somehow maintain and enlarge this focus on myself to ensure that it remains all about me.   How do you maintain or enlarge focus on self?  Easy…you use power.  You leverage popularity (or at least visibility) into power.  It is a short slide from visibility to narcissism to power.  So begins the manipulation, scheming and conniving.  So begins the politics of self-preservation.

Love, on the other hand, says it is not all about me.  In fact, it is not about me at all…it is about you.  While power strives for the good of self, love seeks the good of another.  Henri’s theological point is well-put: Jesus did not cling to power but emptied himself.  The text underneath this is the hymn Paul quotes in Philippians 2.1-11.  Leaders who would be Christian will take seriously this truth not only in word but in deed. I commented on Josh’s post that what makes Henri’s quote all the more powerful (no pun intended) for me is that he turned his back on power for sake of those who in the eyes of this world have nothing to offer narcissistic people.  I find that truly powerful, and I respect it.

Right eye, Captain!

A conversation in the Ice house, October 2009:

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Mac: Ella, please pick up your crayons (or something like this).

Ella: [saluting] Right eye, Captain!

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I rarely put family stuff like this on this blog, but this is so cute I can’t resist.  We have no idea where she heard ‘aye, aye, captain’ but her rendition is priceless.  We are writing all of these down.  Trust me there are many more; Laura maintains a book for each of the girls.  It’s hard to believe this time next year Ella May will be in kindergarten.  Seems like yesterday I was announcing her birth on this blog.

Christian Normal Institute, January 1920

Sometimes kind serendipity kisses you on the lips.  Some of my neatest finds come while I’m looking for something else.  Here is a serendipitous find from the January 20, 1920 issue of Christian Leader.  It is a short newsy item sent in by R. B. Neal about an infant school, Christian Normal Institute, in the eastern Kentucky mountains.  Grandad went to CNI in about 1926, and his father (my great-grandfather) Dr. KC Ice taught biology there gratis.  The school was oriented towards training teachers and preachers, not necessarily in that order.  It was then, and is now, a “Christian Church” school.  That is, it was established and supported by and considered as “one of our schools” by Stone-Campbell folks who favored the use of instrumental music and missionary societies.  It appears from this notice that from the very beginning they were a good deal more conservative than the Disciples who operated schools in Lexington, Hiram or Bethany.   It is now Kentucky Christian University and remains affiliated with Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (sometimes called Independents, or 4C’s).  Interesting that Neal writes to the Leader, a moderate Cincinnati paper aligned with acapella Churches of Christ.  It would seem that the lines were not in 1920 so clearly drawn as the came to be in subsequent decades. I find the appearance of this notice in CL significant for that reason in addition to what light it sheds on the life of the school which trained my grandfather.

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CHRISTIAN NORMAL INSTITUTE

Our Bible school took a collection yesterday of over $300 for the building of the new church home.  The new home will cost us about $10,000 more than we counted on, owing to the high cost of lumber and labor.  We have in marble in front, “Church of Christ.” The old building had “Christian Church,” which was an eyesore to many of us.

The Christian Normal Institute for mountain boys and girls has been incorporated.  We had a fine attendance last year.  Look for much better this year.

Grayson, Ky., Jan. 5.  R. B. Neal

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Is the building shown on this postcard the “new home” mentioned in this notice?  May well be.  If so, by the time the building was finished and the card issued, it was known as the Christian Church, not the Church of Christ, in Grayson, KY.

I’ll tell you mine…(a post, with questions, for bibliophiles)

I nurture a few interests in my reading and book-collecting…in generally this order

–Books published by Gospel Advocate Publishing Company, McQuiddy Printing Company (both of Nashville), and F. L. Rowe (out of Cincinnati).

–Festschriften for Restorationist scholars (Restorationist broadly construed here; I have a particular interest in Churches of Christ scholars publishing in and being honored by festschriften).

–Biblical and theological scholarship produced by Churches of Christ writers.

–Nashville life, history, culture…even historical geography.

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Chime in…what are your collecting interests?  or at least, what tends to fill your shelves?

Quote Without Comment: James A. Allen, January 1940

This from the January 1940 issue of The Apostolic Times (page 71), published in Nashville.   Unsigned, I attribute it to the paper’s editor and publisher, James A. Allen.

Faith in Christ lies at the bottom of every Christian life.  Without faith there would be no Christian life.  The Spirit enters the heart through the gospel, and then a new life begins in the heart.  Faith is the first evidence of this life within.  A man cannot believe in the absence of the Spirit.  It is faith in the heart that causes the sinner to repent of his sins.  It is not through fear of hell that we obey the commands of the Lord, but it is through faith and love.

thoughts on teaching

Andrew Phillips blogged this a few days ago:

I am preparing to talk to some teachers about Bible teaching at a conference in a few weeks, and I could use some feedback from people in different congregations on these questions. Plus, if you post responses in the comments, it might be helpful to anyone else who would read this (all 4 of us).

1.   What are the biggest challenges for teaching Bible Classes?

2.   What are the things you have seen effective teachers do? What are some teaching strategies that aren’t effective?

3.   If you could say one thing to encourage a group of teachers, what would it be?

I would love some feedback – thanks in advance! I will keep you posted on the presentation, and I will post some of the material in a few weeks.

My reply:

Good questions, Andrew. Here’s my attempt to answer all three questions with one sentence:

The best teachers I have seen in action have all been persons of integrity, who did their homework well, who respected their students’ hearts and minds, and who urged their students to go where the text leads.

My perspective, for what it is worth.

Blog about what you come up with; I’m interested in what you think.

I think my short reply addressed Andrew’s questions, albeit in a roundabout way.  I’m mulling it all over and perhaps I will have a few more comments in the days to come.

Safe travels, Holloway family

Today as you go about your tasks I ask that you remember in prayer my friends Clint and Adele Holloway.  They are en route, as I type, to China to finalize the adoption of their son, Jin.

I’ve known Clint for about ten years.  Clint is Associate Director of World Convention and Adele is an educator.  We have worked together on a few projects and we share a love for all things Stone-Campbell.  We have talked long and often about our common (and diverging) histories in the movement.  As a writer and historian he has done us a real service by chronicling the presence of the movement across the globe through his writing the National Profiles on the World Convention website.  Most recently (last week) he gave me the deluxe tour of Milligan College and Emmanuel School of Religion (their alma maters).   Better people you will not find!

Read about their journey here.