Weight Loss, Self-Denial, and Deeper Spirituality

A year ago I decided to change myself for the better, though exercising, eating healthier, and losing weight. In addition to losing fifty pounds this past year, I have begun to have a different relationship with food. I have noticed how intense some of my cravings can get, especially during times when I am bored or stressed.

I knew some people had a negative relationship with food, but I never really considered that I had that problem as well. However, in the last two weeks with multiple call backs for future employment and five job interviews, I noticed my anxiety went up and it was a lot harder to control my impulse to splurge. This made me think about how we look at food in this country. Is it something to nourish us, to help us have happy and healthy lives? Or is food more of a way for us to enjoy ourselves, to seek pleasure in the bite.

For so long I ate whatever I wanted. I was never eating a lot but the food I chose to eat was not good for me. The food I ate tasted good, so my mind and my senses were told "This taste good! Give us more of that!" This got me thinking this week about the connection between food, weight, and our spiritual life. I think sometimes we slip on the rules, not realizing the rules and boundaries of faith are not chains but ways to help us life happy and healthier lives, while also making us closer to our Creator, self, and those around us.

When we indulge in our temporary pleasure or satisfaction, which we call sin, we are not thinking long term. We are not thinking about the affects it will have on us, others, or our relationship with God. We are not thinking about how much we may regret those decisions in the future. When we indulge in sin, our flesh desires more and more, our senses and our past experiences have told us that those things taste good despite the fact those things weigh us down and burden us.

Pondering about all these things this week has made me curious: Why do we not fast more in the United States? Are you aware that in most other nations, fasting is a regular spiritual discipline for most Christians? Perhaps this speaks to our overindulgence of things here in the states. Perhaps it speaks to our overabundance which signifies our lack of simplicity. Perhaps it showcases our desire to get pleasure fast, only worrying about the present while neglecting our happiness and livelihood into the future.

Might there be things we can fast from, where even once a week or a month it could positively affect our lives? What about fasting from food, television, movies, smart phones, cell phones, or one of the many other hurried and habitual things we do in our lives, taking no time to ask why we do these things or if they are good for us.

Maybe it is time to reassess some things. Maybe that is what fasting is all about, self-denial... and in that self denial we grow to know God, others, and self in a more profound way.

Do you think America over consumes?

Do you think you over consume? How so?

What do you think about the disciple of fasting?

Have you ever fasted? If so, how and why?

Like. Share. Comment. Discuss.

~ Daniel Brockhan

Book Review: The Way by Christopher St. Clair II

The Way (The Terran Empire Series) [Kindle Edition]

Christopher St. Clair II (Author)

Kindle Edition: .99 cents or Free w/ Amazon Prime.

Paperback Edition: $14.99.

The story, from the authors own words at the conclusion of the book, is a retelling of Paul’s journey; except the setting for this is far into the future. By this time religion has been outlawed, Muslims have made an Islamic community on the outskirts of the empire and Christians, known as followers of “The Way”, are hunted down, tortured, and killed.

If you are like me, I do not normally enjoy a lot of “Christian” Fiction (Sci-Fi, mystery, etc.) because I think a lot of it leaves the grit in humanity out of the equation; however, the grit, the evil and harsh undertones are the very reasons I think humanity needs a savior. This books does a great job at both retelling Paul’s story in a futuristic space setting, looking at the grit in humanity, and also pondering the questions of why people become Christian and how are they different from others (or in what ways should they be different from others).

I give this book four out of five stars. Why not five out of five? Well, there were a few places where poor editing was noticeable; however, it was not enough to distract from the books readability. My biggest qualm with the book was that the author could have drawn it out better, creating more suspense. Despite the fact that this is a retelling of Paul, the reader does not really know that fact unless they read a ways into the story and are familiar with the Bible. My only real critique would have been to draw out the chase in the first book, seemingly making the Christians looks like the Villains (not calling them followers of “The Way” but instead calling them criminals throughout the book), and then at the end of the book the big reveal is that they are being chased down for being Christians. An example of this kind of suspense was in the movie “Book of Eli”. *Spoiler Alert* At the end of the movie it is revealed (1) The man is Blind and (2) The Book he is carrying are the scriptures. If these had been revealed earlier in the movie, it would not have made the ending so special and dramatic.

All things being considered though, this is my friend’s first work and is certainly worth a read and even a re-read. My qualms with the book are minimal and the story itself is really engaging and picks up as the book moves along. The end seems open for the possibility of a second book, one I hope will be written. I would love to dive more deeply into this story, its characters, and its world.

~ Daniel Brockhan

Making All Things New

"Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” – Rev. 21:1-5

Here in Revelation, John writes that many things will change. God’s relationship with humanity and humanity’s relationship with God will be different. The hold that sin has and its affect on us as individuals and communities will be torn. However, what struck me the most this week was when God will utter the phrase, “I am making everything new!”

Listen to the weight of that statement. God is not saying some things or even most things, but everything. In the end there is going to be a different orientation for all things. However, I think that is where many of us as Christians are stuck. God is saying these things in the end. God is changing things in the future.

Shall we limit God making all things new to our future only?
What about our present; is God making all things new right now?

I believe this goes into questioning what one believes about God’s Kingdom. Is the Kingdom of God something that comes in the end, once sin is finally wiped out; or is it an unfolding that has been and will continue to take place, finding its completion at the second coming? What do we say about such parables, like that of the mustard-seed or of the dough, among others? (MT 13:24-30; 31-35).

Beyond those examples, what about the numerous references about the Kingdom of God being in the here and hereafter, that it is now and not-yet (MT 13:47-52; LK 17:20-21; 19:11-27; 22:14-18)? I think this means that once we become Christians, not only were we saved, but we have become a part of the Kingdom that has been unfolding since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

God is already using his church to begin bringing about a peaceable kingdom; yet in this current time and place, sin is still a very real part of the life of humanity. Sin is a reality not only to those who are not part of that Kingdom, but also to those who are as well. For as much as the spirit of God resides in us as individuals and as community, so long as we are still in these fleshly bodies, sin will creep in and distort the spirit, will distort the original Imago Deo in which God created us (Gen 1:27).

What does any of this mean for us as individuals?

I think this means that as Christians, God is working within us, changing us, transforming us; perhaps getting us ready to be a part of his Kingdom, even right now, this very moment. It is no longer a choice of if we love God (or if God loves us, we know that already). No longer a choice of if we believe Jesus died (We are already saved, part of the Kingdom). No, now it is a choice if we will follow God (Will we live the things Jesus lived, said, and taught?). Now it is a choice if we will enact and be representatives of this new kingdom. Not later, but right now, every day.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately as it related to my own life. I am now on the precipice of another life change and transition. I have loved and enjoyed my residency where I have worked as a hospital chaplain; yet I am already starting to mourn the loss of this time and this ministry. I have about six months before this residency ends. Right now my future is gray, hazy, foggy. While I am applying for positions, the not knowing can be terrifying.

Then I read this scripture and it makes me think… If God will make all things new and if this process is already started, then God is making me new as well. God is molding me. I am who I am because of who God made me, but also because of all the experiences and learning I have had from my past. I regret nothing looking back. There have been times of joy and sorrow, but all those experiences, all those feelings have made me who I am. To continue to grow, I must move on, I must go to the next area that God has for me.

I do not know where that area is right now; however, I do know that God has stood alongside me in the past. I know that after all the transitions of my life up to this time I have survived and grown stronger. I know that all those times I was anxious, worried, fearful, scared; those feelings left. I grew and was changed for the better. Today, I look forward to whatever changes come my way next. I know that as long as I focus on Christ and have family and friends to lean on and lift me up in prayer, I will continue growing. I will continue on this journey I started the moment I accepted Christ and became part of the vast and glorious Kingdom, kept in the hands of God and my savior Christ Jesus.

~ Daniel Brockhan

Book Review: Love Wins by Rob Bell

A few years back I heard a lot of outcry about a book called The Shack by William Paul Young. A lot of the shock was that the author would write such things about who God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus are or could be in comparison to our ideas and our conceptions of the scriptures. I ventured to read the book and came on the other side feeling confused, because to me his book seemed similar to books by C.S. Lewis called The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce. While I did not agree with the author on everything, I respected his thought process and writing, along with the fact he was not trying to do systemic theology (or theology at all really) but write a book that pointed out our misconceptions about God and left room for the mysterious aspects of God and of Christianity. His imagination led him to a circumstance to struggle and then he met with God in the woods, but in a way he never would have expected.

I bring up The Shack to contrast what I thought of Love Wins by Rob Bell. While the author of The Shack was not trying to do any kind of systemic theology, Rob Bell does... well, sort of... I get the feeling Bell tries to leave the reader with the feeling that any holes are part of the love and mystery of God, but I found a lot of the holes in his thinking to be poor interpretation and commitment to his writing and thoughts. It is not so much that the book is bad (maybe poor), but I think it is just incomplete. Bell never answers nor really speaks to the tough questions, and the only conclusion a logical reader could make is he believes in Universalism (the belief that all will be saved), which is why this book, like The Shack, got a lot of attention. Both books were controversial but I think this book is more dangerous.

Dangerous? I know, strong words, right? First, Bell does use the Greek or Hebrews but only in small bits where and when he thinks he will benefit from using them, never even considering how they may be used elsewhere against his argument. Bell never even suggests that believing in hell can still be a valid argument in Christian circles. Bell claims that the gospel is freedom and not constraint (Freedom for all, not merely those who believe). He claims that any God that would send people to hell and punish them for all eternity is not a loving God, and therefore, not a God he would nor does believe.

Rob Bell makes no mention that there are a vast amount of Christians who believe that God neither sends people to hell nor punishes them personally, but that we send ourselves. I think this is a valid argument, because I believe going to hell is based on the rejection of Jesus, the rejection of the gospel message and the light and truth of God that Jesus came to show.

Certainly, there may be some people who never hear about Jesus. What happens to those people? I believe God will judge them as he sees fit, in truth I don’t have an answer, but I don’t think it is as easy as saying they will all simply go to heaven or they will simply all go to hell. Multiple times in scriptures God says he judges without partiality (Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:16-17; 10:16-18; 16:18-20; 2nd Chron. 19:6-7; Mal. 2:8-9; 1st Tim. 5:20-11), so what that judging means for those that have never heard about God and his son Jesus Christ, I am not sure... but I am skeptical to jump into Universalism as Bell does in his book or to say they all go to hell.

Plainly, there are descriptions of hell in scripture. Bell tries to explain some of them away by saying that the references of Jesus were about literal images of trash heaps outside the city and that Jesus was not using the trash heaps outside the city as an image or metaphor for the hardship and suffering in hell. This is my second problem with Bell: His use of scripture. I have spoken about how he uses the Greek and Hebrew to benefit his argument but says nothing about how they might go against some of his thoughts as well. The way Rob Bell uses scripture reminds me of another book where the author would use (some may say twist) scripture to his purpose. While I did like the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, Eldredge at times used scripture in a way that disturbed me:

The Lord is a warrior;

the Lord is his name. - Exodus 15:3

Eldredge Says:

Man is a Warrior;

man is his name.

(You can tell why that bothered me) But Eldredge forgets:

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. - Matthew 23:37

My problem is that while I do agree men have a tendency in the way we were created to be masculine and strong, even by the words of Christ, we have places where images of nurturing and caring come alongside, giving us a more complete image of God, and of ourselves, male and female.

Similarly, I think there are many more complexities that Bell glances over in his book. (1) He never plainly says he believes in Universalism but alludes to this. (2) He only plainly says hell exists here because of sin (abuse, murder, greed, etc.). He seems to allude to the fact that there may be a literal hell but it is more like what one would think of purgatory. However, instead of working and suffering because of ones sins, it is a place where everyone is held until the love of God finally overwhelms them and they decided to become part of the Kingdom of God. (3) Bell's conception of heaven is also fluid, as he says the city of heaven has gates, so while people may come into the city from the maybe hell/purgatory, those who rebel in heaven may also leave. Which begs the question: If God's love is so wonderful to accept someone from hell/purgatory and they can come into heaven, why in the world would someone in heaven reject or rebel against God? If this is the case, it seems that sin and evil have not been erased in the end and humanity is still struggling to be with God and for God to be with his people (Rev. 21:1-5).

Overall, this book great for debate. It is a quick read, mostly because Bell spaces every one phrase to every three sentences, otherwise the book would likely only be 75-100 pages. I believe it is also short because Bell does not complete his arguments nor really answers any arguments from the other side, except to say how wrong and judgmental and non-freeing they are for believing in the concept of hell. For the ease of reading and alluding to his point of Universalism, I give it 4 out of 5; however, for poor theology and use of interpretation and debate, I give Love Wins a 3 out of 5.

Have you read the book? What were/are your thoughts?

What are your thoughts of heaven, hell, and purgatory?

What are your thoughts on Universalism?

Next up, I will be reading Francis Chan's Book in contrast to Bell's book called Erasing Hell.

~ Daniel Brockhan

Books:

Love Wins by Rob Bell

The Shack by Paul Young

Wild At Heart by John Eldredge

The Screwtape Letter by C.S. Lewis

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

Erasing Hell by Francis Chan

Above Picture Taken from another Article about Love Wins:

God Wins: A Critique of Rob Bell's Love Wins by: Patrick Zukera