Narnia and Camelot: A Tribute to C.S. Lewis

Dying on the same day, JFK and C.S. Lewis exemplify two contrasting reasons for hope.Ed Stetzer

http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/november/narnia-and-camelot-tribute-to-cs-lewis.html?paging=off

4,694 miles—that's what separates Dallas, Texas from Oxford, England.But on November 22, 1963, they were brought together in the deaths of two influential men called "Jack" – John F. Kennedy and C.S. Lewis.I don't remember either event-- my parents had not yet married, let alone had any children. Yet, that day would be significant for many reasons.The president of the United States had been assassinated and the eyes of the world turned to Dallas, Texas. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic Ocean, an Oxford professor collapsed in his bedroom, succumbing to an illness that had ravaged his body for more than two years.Seeing the president shot dead as he rode through the streets will dominate the news and grab the attention of everyone. Lewis' death in his home due to a kidney illness he had been living with since 1961 doesn't jar the senses and beg for headlines quite as much.

But, the latter had much more influence on me than the former.Over the next decade of upheaval, Lewis' works remained almost dormant. Disillusionment following the assassination of JFK and Bobby Kennedy, Vietnam, the civil rights movement and the sexual revolution pushed aside his place in the culture.But turmoil and revolution can only last so long. People needed something solid. There was Lewis, ready to be rediscovered by a generation of Christians looking to engage culture and move beyond the isolationist mindset of fundamentalism.

I was one of those who discovered—and in many ways was bolstered by—C.S. Lewis.I think the first book I read was Out of the Silent Planet and then followed up with the whole Space Trilogy. I was a young teen at the time and my mother (a new Christian) gave them to me. I knew, because she told me, he was a Christian, but I did not know just how much of an influence he would have on me later. I just liked to read science fiction and I loved the idea that a Christian would write such... and then later saw more in the Chronicles of Narnia.

But, it was his other writings that would later light my fire for accesible theology. It was first Mere Christianity, which I would later share with hundreds of different people as an apologetic defense of the gospel. Then, later, it was The Screwtape Letters, Miracles, The Problem of Pain,and Surprised by Joy. 

I read them all as a teenager—and more.I was unimpressed with a lot of the teen devotionals. Having been raised in a nominally Catholic home outside of New York City, and having come to Christ in an Episcopal Church, I did not relate to much of the bubble gum devotionals that were birthed from the evangelical bubble. As a young, recently converted believer, I was drawn to his writing—an articulate Anglican talking so much about this Jesus.Lewis made it OK to love Jesus and have a brain.Half a century later, we still read Lewis because he wrote in such an accessible, but passionate manner about the convictions of our faith. He was an atheist whose life had been transformed by Christ. In a lecture to the Oxford Socratic Club entitled, he said, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."He was able to communicate with reason and imagination.

The same mind that developed the logical arguments within Mere Christianity created the fantasy world of Narnia. And Lewis did so because he was informed and shaped by his Christian faith. He wanted others to know Christ as he knew Him.In many ways, Lewis was before his time. There has been a recent emphasis on telling the story of Scripture. When we were developing The Gospel Project, this was part of our focus—helping people see the unifying story within the Bible. With Narnia, Lewis wanted to communicate the biblical truth through fictional stories.He discovered that people would automatically become defensive if the conversation turned to spiritual matters. Even in his own childhood, he felt his feelings toward Christianity were hampered because they seem to be obligated. The way around that, he discovered, was through a story."But supposing that by casting all these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday School associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons? I thought one could.

"So 50 years after his death, Lewis still influences countless readers, including many whose dragons are caught unaware. Yet those who believed Kennedy would usher in an age of prosperity and peace were confronted with the very reason Scripture tells us to not place our hope in princes.Perhaps Camelot and Narnia are a reminder to us. We should not attempt to use political means to accomplish spiritual goals.

Our hope for change hearts does not come at the ballot box, but rather as we form relationships with others and tell them the story that has transformed us. Our hope flows from a blood-stained cross and an empty tomb, not Supreme Court rulings or Oval Office decisions.On that fateful November day, Camelot was over, but Narnia lives on.

//Aaron Earls, our resident C.S. Lewis guru (who blogs at Wardrobe Door, no less) contributed to this article.

Ed Stetzer

EdStetzer.com© 2013 ChristianityToday.com

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A Very Special Servant

http://m.blogs.christianpost.com/keys-for-kids/a-very-special-servant-18901/

By Children's Bible HourNovember 21, 2013 | 10:00 am

Dad's a servant of Jesus because he's a preacher, thought Amber, remembering the Bible verses her father had read that morning. Uncle Robert and Aunt Claire are God's servants, too. Her aunt and uncle were missionaries.

But I'm only eight. How can somebody my age be His servant? Amber wondered.Amber's thoughts were interrupted by her teacher's voice. "Will someone please stay in during recess and help me with the bulletin board?" Mrs. Powell asked. The kids often liked to help their teacher, but this time no one volunteered.

Somebody should help, thought Amber, who had been looking forward to jumping rope with the other girls. I can jump rope at noon recess, she decided, so she raised her hand.At noon, Mandy asked Amber to stay inside and help her learn the spelling words.

Amber hesitated for a moment but stayed in to help her friend.When Amber got home, Mom was relieved to see her. "Davie's asleep, and I need you to stay with him while I take Amy to the doctor's office. She's running a high fever," said Mom. "Mrs. Scott said to bring Davie next door to her if he wakes up." Amber nodded, glad to be able to do something to help.

After dinner that evening, Amber washed the dishes and then rocked Amy while her mother put Davie to bed. When both the little ones were asleep and the toys were picked up, Amber decided to ask her mother the question that had been on her mind all day. "Mom, how can I serve God?" she asked. "Daddy's a preacher; Uncle Robert and Aunt Claire are missionaries; you're the church organist; but I'm not anything. What can somebody my age do to serve Jesus?"Mom hugged her daughter. "Oh, Amber honey, you are serving Him!" she exclaimed. "The Bible teaches that one way to serve God is to serve others. Helping with chores around the house--and with Amy and Davie--is serving God."Amber was surprised. "It is?" she asked. "Really?"Mom nodded. "It certainly is," she said. "I've talked with your teacher a few times, and from what she says, I know you also serve God by helping at school. You're definitely one of His servants."Happy to think she was a servant of Jesus, a warm feeling filled Amber's heart.

HOW ABOUT YOU?Do you want to serve God? Do you think you’re too young to be His servant? You’re wrong. You’re old enough to serve God by doing something for others—your parents, grandparents, classmates, friends, or neighbors. What can you do for someone today? Can you help with chores? Mow somebody’s lawn? Run errands? Read a story to a smaller child? Think of a way to be a helper—and then do it! Serving others is one of the ways you can serve God.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Matthew 25:40 (KJV)Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.

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Questionable Dating of Bloody Mosquito Fossil

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

 

http://www.icr.org/article/7848/

 

 

Researchers recently examined a spectacular mosquito fossil from the Kishenehn Formation, finding fresh blood—remnants of its last meal—still stored in its abdomen. They wrote, "The data reported herein provide incontrovertible documentation of the presence of heme- and arguably hemoglobin-derived porphyrin in a 46-million-year-old compression fossil."¹ How did they obtain this age for the fossil, and are their methods and conclusions reliable?

An earlier Creation Science Update news article confirmed the fossil's genuine blood remnants. It also introduced the biochemical decay rate experiments that give compelling reasons for excluding hemoglobin from materials that could possibly last for even one million years.²

Publishing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the authors of the mosquito fossil report did not independently test the fossil's age but cited a previously published age given to the Kishenehn Formation.

The cited publication listed two "age" results for the relevant layers within the Kishenehn: 46.2+0.4 and 43.5+4.9 million years.³ Why the PNAS authors chose 46 million years, an age based on radioisotope dating involving argon decay, over other dates ranging within the error span (38.6 to 46.6 million years) was not explained.

Argon-argon dating begins by measuring relative amounts of argon isotopes in an igneous rock sample. Though the Kishenehn is largely sedimentary, not igneous, it contains some igneous material that holds argon. Researchers generated age estimates, assuming 1) that no argon had entered or exited the material after a volcano deposited it and 2) that all of the argon was only one of the two possible isotopes when it was initially deposited.

However, independent studies have debunked the second assumption. For example, one geologist compiled 23 examples of rocks of known ages and recorded when scientists actually watched them form. The results? The rocks were "producing excessively old K-Ar 'ages'" when tested.⁴ In 23 of 23 cases, these radioisotope "ages" rose orders of magnitude above the rock's actual ages. The culprit?

Contrary to assumption, extra argon had entered the hardening volcanic rocks from sources other than radioisotope decay, greatly skewing the rock's apparent isotope ages.

So, absolute ages obtained from argon-related dating techniques should not be trusted. And they give different results than a separate uranium-based radioisotope "age" of only 33.2+1.5 million years that was found for the same region within the Kishenehn.⁵ Is the formation's age 46 or 33 million, some figure in between, or none of these?

To narrow down the answer, secular scientists typically correlate the rock layer's fossils to a geologic chart with numbered ages printed alongside fossil descriptions.

For example, one paper reported, "It [the Kishenehn Formation] contains a fauna of nonmarine mollusks and mammals, the latter permitting an age assignment to the Early Oligocene or Late Eocene"—ages that fall within an assumed 28- to 38-million-year range.⁶

In another technical report, petroleum geologist Patrick Monahan wrote, "The Kishenehn Formation has a diverse fauna and flora that suggests a range of ages between late Eocene and early Miocene. However, a fission track age of 33.2+1.5Ma in the lower member in the Kishenehn Basin, and a K/Ar date of 29.9+5.3Ma in similar strata in a nearby basin indicate that the lower part of the Kishenehn is early to middle Oligocene."⁷

Is the formation from Eocene, Miocene, Oligocene, or none of these?

The idea that rock layers represented eras, like those named Eocene and Oligocene, actually surfaced hundreds of years ago when European naturalists decided different kinds of fossils are found in different rock layers because those creatures lived and died in separate ancient times. It became established dogma.

But other models might actually fare better. For example, what if each rock layer represents animals and plants from a particular ecosystem that was inundated and deposited by a tsunami-like wave, resulting in strata that show unique ecosystems, not separate times?

In sum, the study authors dated the bloody mosquito fossil as 46 million years old based on the age other researchers gave the rocks in the Kishenehn Formation. The age of the Kishenehn came from matching its fossils with those listed and dated on the geologic chart. Radioisotope ages were then hand-picked to match the fossil-related age range from the chart. This way, a "separate" technique added a rubber-stamped appearance of independent confirmation. Finally, scientists accepted that those organisms actually lived in the long-ago eras on the geologic chart because, as the teaching has been for generations, evolution requires extended eras of millions of years.

In short, the Kishenehn mosquito study illustrates typical secular dating using complicated circular reasoning and unproven assumptions. It involves deep-time age assignments given to certain fossils on the premise that those fossils were deposited during separate time eras rather than separate areas at nearly the same time.

If the Kishenehn Formation is younger than 46, 43, 33, or 30 million years—if it is in fact only thousands of years old—then that would explain why it still contains abundant biodegradable oil and fresh, red blood protein remnants.

References

1. Greenwalt, D. E. et al. Hemoglobin-derived porphyrins preserved in a Middle Eocene blood-engorged mosquito. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Published online before print October 14, 2013.
2. Thomas, B. Bloody Mosquito Fossil Supports Recent Creation. Creation Science Update. Posted on icr.org October 25, 2013, accessed October 28, 2013.
3. Ar40/Ar39 ratios from 12 biotite grains yielded the 46.2-million-year age, and fission track analysis of uranium decay from seven zircon crystals showed a 43.5-million-year age. See Constenius, K. N. 1996. Late Paleogene extensional collapse of the Cordilleran foreland fold and thrust belt. Geological Society of America Bulletin. 108 (1): 20-39.
4. Snelling, A. A. 1999. "Excess Argon": The "Archilles' Heel" of Potassium-Argon and Argon-Argon "Dating" of Volcanic Rocks. Acts & Facts. 28 (1).
5. 1989. Constenius, K. 1996. Late Paleogene extensional collapse of the Cordilleran foreland fold and thrust belt. Geological Society of America Bulletin. 108 (1): 20-39.
6. Russell, L. S. 1964. Kishenehn Formation. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology. Special Guide Book Issue: Flathead Valley. 12 (2S): 536-543.
7. Monahan, P. A. 2000. The Geology and Oil and Gas Potential of the Flathead Area, Southeastern British Columbia. Petroleum Geology Special Paper 2000-2. Brentwood Bay, British Columbia: Monahan Petroleum Consulting.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on November 20, 2013.

Costco labels Bibles as Fiction

http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-costco-apologizes-for-labeling-bibles-fiction-20131121,0,1596330.story#axzz2lMV8OTpI

By Carolyn Kellogg

November 21, 2013, 2:33 p.m.

Costco has apologized for labeling Bibles for sale in a Southern California store as "fiction."

Caleb Kaltenbach, pastor of Discovery Church in Simi Valley, saw the Bibles with "fiction" on the price tag and took note. "Costco has Bibles for sale under the genre of FICTION Hmmmm...," he tweeted.
One member of his congregation felt more strongly about it. “I was completely offended. It’s wrong, and I believe that the Bible is real,” Shellie Dungan told KTLA-TV.
The discount retailer was not trying to offend Christian shoppers. While it took responsibility for the labels, it said the action took place within its supply change.
“Costco’s distributor mislabeled a small percentage of the Bibles, however we take responsibility and should have caught the mistake. We are correcting this with them for future distribution,” Costco said in a statement. “In addition, we are immediately relabeling all mislabeled Bibles. We greatly apologized for this error."

http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-costco-apologizes-for-labeling-bibles-fiction-20131121,0,1596330.story#ixzz2lMVmjtJX

If you sing for the Lord, this is a must-read

In 4 Sentences, John Wesley Teaches Us How To Sing In Church

source: theworshipcommunity.com

 

"Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he comes in the clouds of heaven."

---Quote from Select hymns with Tunes Annext: Designed chiefly for the Use of the People Called Methodists

 

 

This exhortation is fitting for all of us who aim to worship God as we sing, whether we are writing or leading the songs being sung, or if we're in the gathered worshiping congregation, or in our cars, or even exercising while listening to worship songs.

 

Wherever we are, in whatever we're doing while listening to and/or singing songs of worship, we should have our hearts fixed upon our Savior, tuned to sing HIS praise. It's too easy for us to miss the meaning of the words we're singing, to be caught up in the swelling dramatic sounds accompanying the lyrics.

 

Keeping my focus on the Lord in every word and lyric sung is a difficult challenge for me, and I'm sure for every worshiper. However, with the help of God's Spirit we are able to sing with the eyes of our hearts opened to see the Risen Christ, to ponder the depths of His love and the meaning of His sacrifice for us.

 

Praise God that His Holy Spirit enables us to sing spiritually.

 

Bobby Gilles is Sojourn Church's Director Of Communications, and works with Lead Pastor Daniel Montgomery to communicate Sojourn's mission and vision. He co-wrote the children's book Our Home Is Like A Little Church, published by Christian Focus. As a former radio disc jockey and music director, he was twice named a National Top 10 Finalist for Gospel Music DJ of the Year.Originally published at MySongInTheNight.com (Bobby Gilles). Republished with permission.

Loving Instead of Lecturing

"I hate night class. My throat is on fire—"

 

During the lengthy pause, I wondered why I had answered my cell.

 

"—and I got a 65 on the test."

 

Kyle's cranky attitude set my stress on fire.

Twice a week, he griped about Spanish night class and twice a week I lectured about ten key ways to study for college.

I gripped the phone. The semester ended in a few weeks. Not much time left to pull up his grade. "Come home and we'll talk about it."

 

He cut our connection with a typical, "Whatever".

 

What did he expect? You have to work hard in college—even if you are still in high school. His college transcript reflected these grades. That's what dual credit meant.

 

That's not what he needs to hear.

Lord, of course that's what he needs to hear. Slacking off is not an option. Where's his drive? His motivation?

 

Love on him. No lectures. No advice.

Over the last year, I'd given a lot of advice in an attempt to fix him. Study more. Use better time management. Make a plan.

Beg for extra credit.

 

Love is the fix.

This has nothing to do with love, Lord. Love doesn't motivate him or push him to try harder. Look at all the mistakes I made when I was seventeen. I didn't realize my choices then would affect my life now.

 

 

This isn't about you. Love on him.

The garage door opened with a slow grind and a few seconds later, the back door slammed. Kyle wandered in, dropped his backpack on the couch, and kicked off his shoes in the middle of the hallway. I opened my mouth—

 

 

Love on him

 

—closed it and wrapped my arms around him. Taller than me, he rested his chin on the top of my head. Where was my little boy?

 

He shivered. "I'm cold and my throat hurts."

 

Ah, there he was.

 

 

Love on him. Say the opposite of what you want to say.

 

I wanted to say, you were sick last week. Instead, I hugged him tighter and mumbled into his chest. "Do you want to take a hot bath? I can make you some hot chocolate." I waited for his standard, "whatever".

 

 

It didn't come. He pulled back and lifted the corners of his mouth, just a bit. "A bath and hot chocolate?" His smile deepened. "You gonna run this bath and make the hot chocolate?"

 

 

I headed into the kitchen and grabbed a mug. "Right now.

 

 

"We're not gonna talk about the test?"

 

"Nope." I filled the cup with milk and stuck in the microwave.

 

He picked up his backpack and shoes and headed for the stairs. "Cool. Be right back."

 

 

I slumped against the counter. You were right, Lord. You always are.

 

Kyle needed loving, not fixing. He needed understanding, not pressure—so he could relax, renew, and recharge.

 

Exactly the way I do when Jesus loves on me.

 

Now, Lord, help me remember that next week.

 

 

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7 NIV).

 

 

Lori Freeland is a freelance author from Dallas, TX with a passion to share her experiences in hopes of connecting with other women tackling the same issues. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a full time home school mom. You can visit her blog at http://lafreeland.wordpress.com/.

Work Successfully with Difficult People

resource from: Whitney Hopler/ Editor's note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Elizabeth B. Brown's new book, Working Successfully with Screwed-Up People (Revell, 2012).

 

People who don't really listen to what others have to say, people who won't cooperate with others, people who offend others with their rude or mean-spirited words and actions … unfortunately, every workplace in this fallen world is full of people who are messed up. Factor in the personality clashes that occur on the job, and it's easy to see why many people struggle with how to get along with the people around them at work.

 

But with God's help, it is possible to work successfully with difficult coworkers, customers, or supervisors. Here's how:

 

 

Realize that just one person – you – can change a relationship for the better. You don't have to wait for difficult people to change in order to change your relationships with them. In fact, often, difficult people simply don't change. But God has given you the power to choose to be unflappable, imperturbable, and unflustered by difficult people. Whenever you make that choice, you improve the dynamic of your relationships.

 

 

Ask God to give you His perspective on difficult situations with people at work. Pray about each difficult situation you're facing with each difficult person at work. Honestly consider how much of the problem is due to other people, and how much your own behavior (even your reactions to others) has contributed to the problem. Ask God to give you the wisdom you need to deal with each situation as you should.

 

 

Defuse tension in conversations with difficult people. Rather than reacting negatively to negative comments that difficult people make to you on the job, decide to respond positively despite their negativity. Defuse the emotional tension by either politely laughing off their comments or making a polite, non-committal statement that you've prepared for such situations (like "Interesting. I'll consider that.").

 

 

Appreciate and respect the temperament differences between you and others at work. You and each of the people you work with has been hardwired differently by God. Don't waste your time and energy trying to change other people's personalities. Instead, realize that each of you can contribute in unique ways to achieving workplace goals, while expanding each other's perspective on your work. Don't view the temperament differences between you and the people you work with as personal challenges. Instead, figure out how to use those differences strategically to accomplish more together than you could separately.

 

 

Choose new behavior around difficult people to inspire them to change their own behavior. While people's temperaments never change, their behavior can and does change. If you change the way you react to difficult people's behavior so that they can no longer get what they want by behaving the way they have in the past, you force them to behave differently around you to accomplish their goals.

 

 

Communicate to understand each other better. Ask the people you're having trouble getting along with to meet with you to talk about contentious issues between you, with your mutual goal to understand each other's perspective better (rather than to debate). Ask respectful questions and listen carefully. Seek agreement, or at least compromise.

 

 

Consider whether or not your personality fits your company's culture. Every company culture has distinctive qualities that meld well with certain people's personalities and not with others. Ask God to help you discern whether or not your own personality fits well into your current workplace. Keep in mind that you should enjoy your job and see that you're making positive contributions there.

 

 

Decide whether or not to stay in your current job. If you choose to stay, know why you're choosing that, and also know your limits and set up boundaries accordingly. Think about how you might alleviate some of the tension (such as taking a sabbatical or changing positions within the same company). If you choose to leave, leave with dignity and express gratitude for the experiences you've had there.

 

 

Refuse to define yourself by what others say or do to you. Your worth isn't based on other people's reactions to you; it's based on the reality that God loves you completely and unconditionally. Don't allow difficult people to control your confidence. Instead, ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you.

 

 

Cope well with stress in your workplace. Even though stress can make you feel out of control, the fact is that you do have the power to do something about your stress. Identify what situations, events, or people trigger stress in you while you're working. Then plan specific steps to take to eliminate as much stress as you can and cope with what remains by relying on God's guidance to deal with it. Invest in your life outside of work so you'll have healthy relationships with friends and family to turn to after work, which will reduce your stress levels. Don't let your job overtake other areas of your life; regularly ask God to help you keep each area of your life in the proper balance, centered around Him.

 

 

Manage your emotions well. Your emotions have only the amount of strength that you give them. Don't let you emotions guide you; let God guide you. God will empower you to deal successfully with even the most emotionally troubling circumstances at work when you place your trust in Him rather than in your emotions.

 

 

Give and receive forgiveness. Rely on God to help you through the process of forgiving the people you work with who have hurt or offended you. Ask people who you have hurt or offended to forgive you for your mistakes.

 

 

Communicate wisely with difficult people. Combine careful words with kind actions as often as possible when communicating with difficult people at work. Keep in mind that they may misinterpret your words, but they can clearly read your body language. Sandwich comments about a negative behavior that they need to change between positive comments to make it easier for them to listen to you.

 

 

Handle bias against you carefully. Deal with prejudice against you in the workplace quietly, without rancor. Document interactions that show bias and remain calm as you go through proper channels (such as human resources) to deal with it.

 

 

Learn how to work with people of different generations. Some of the problems you experience getting along well with others may be due to generational differences. Focus on what you can learn from people of another generation, and be willing to help them learn from your perspective.