tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54884117590778560302024-03-13T01:59:37.171-07:00Dead Theologians Society, Lakeview EditionNatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-8594307981476812362018-07-27T07:41:00.000-07:002018-07-27T07:40:02.513-07:00hi Blog
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<br>Nathan ColesonNatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-19363860471280859672017-03-26T17:14:00.001-07:002017-03-26T17:14:29.617-07:00Hello Blog
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<br>Nathan ColesonNatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-9358770972304056682016-01-11T18:04:00.001-08:002016-01-11T18:04:13.858-08:00hi Blogsalutations Blog
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<br>Nathan ColesonNatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-4786202450503347472009-09-29T12:36:00.000-07:002009-09-29T12:48:17.045-07:00DTS suspended for a seasonI am sorry to say that Dead Theologians will be suspended for the time being. I do apologize for the belated notice. When it came time to restart the group for the fall, I agreed to go ahead with it. However, I have gone back to school and will be starting a new job shortly. At the moment, I don’t feel that I have the time and energy to devote to all those things I’d like to. I am encouraged, however, to see so many other great <a href="http://www.newlifechicago.mobi/Lakeview/SmallGroups.aspx">small group offerings</a> available and hope that you will take advantage of those.<br /><br />For those who have been a part of this group, I have to say that these past three years have been a great experience, studying alongside you, sharing ideas, struggles and successes. I pray that the family God put together will remain connected even in this new season.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-80817631749734583082009-05-27T12:44:00.000-07:002009-06-18T21:13:46.374-07:00Tortured for Christ reading schedule (Updated 6/18)This is the reading schedule for the current book, <em><a href="http://www.torturedforchrist.com/">Tortured for Christ</a></em> by Richard Wurmbrand. If you haven't received your free copy from Voice of the Martyrs, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0882643266/sr=/qid=/ref=olp_tab_used?ie=UTF8&coliid=&me=&qid=&sr=&seller=&colid=&condition=used">Amazon</a> also has many used copies. The dates are subject to change. We will likely have cookout sometime during this schedule; date to be determined.<br /><br />I am looking forward to this study and hope that you will go into it prayerfully. While some of Wurmbrand's criticisms of communism may not be as relevant today as they were when he wrote them (simply because of the Soviet Union's fall), I think the broader insights into persecution and how we can live our faith in the face of monumental, even state-sponsored, adversity are valuable and timeless.<br /><br />JUNE<br />25 - No group (VBS block party!)<br /><br />JULY<br />2 - Cookout? Details to come...<br />9 - Chapter 4 (pg. 69-84)<br />16 - Chapter 5<br />23 - Chapter 6<br />30 - Chapter 7 & EpilogueNatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-6775482899229094272009-05-21T09:06:00.000-07:002009-05-21T09:12:00.047-07:00Tortured for Christ starts tonight 5/21<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQapwN-NAsl5IDEy_cTUK1k1LGf2jShzUku5RbMQymFsKpea1iqQE3KV_P87d4hjZ6_n52FM1ukuTV_fn1o7Np9VFLAjaJycCZU2sxxfWvCB1GVEbYGf6WPsQiSaP5m0fabs4LPpYYUX3/s1600-h/torturedforchrist.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338309450716723858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 235px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 365px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQapwN-NAsl5IDEy_cTUK1k1LGf2jShzUku5RbMQymFsKpea1iqQE3KV_P87d4hjZ6_n52FM1ukuTV_fn1o7Np9VFLAjaJycCZU2sxxfWvCB1GVEbYGf6WPsQiSaP5m0fabs4LPpYYUX3/s400/torturedforchrist.bmp" border="0" /></a><br />After taking a week off, we will be getting into our new book tonight--<em><a href="http://www.torturedforchrist.com/">Tortured for Christ</a> </em>by Richard Wurmbrand. Don't worry if you haven't received your copy yet. We will be doing intros to the book, author and one another. I'll post a reading schedule in the next few days. Looking forward to diving into this new study with you!Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-89799851212253170812009-05-14T12:25:00.000-07:002009-05-14T13:13:51.845-07:005/14 Update to an UpdateHey folks. As you may know, our next study is Richard Wurmbrand's <em><a href="http://www.torturedforchrist.com/">Tortured for Christ</a></em>. Unfortunately, only one person in the group has received their copy so far. So, we won't be meeting tonight, but should be next week. You may want to request your copy again through VOM, just in case, or possibly even order it through a bookstore online. It's a fairly inexpensive book.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-59611959050601793922009-04-06T20:43:00.000-07:002009-04-06T21:00:33.944-07:00DTS So FarI thought it would be fun to revisit the works we've studied as a group since we began in the fall of 2006. Here they are:<br /><br /><strong>The Books...<br /></strong><br /><em>How Should We Then Live?</em> by Francis Schaeffer (actually a video series with study guide)<br /><br /><em>Life Together</em> by Dietrich Bonhoeffer<br /><br /><em>The Weight of Glory</em> by C.S. Lewis<br /><br /><em>The Mind of the Maker</em> by Dorothy Sayers<br /><br /><em>The Pilgrim’s Progress</em> by John Bunyan<br /><br /><em>A Practical View of Christianity</em> by William Wilberforce<br /><br /><em>Experiencing God</em> by Henry Blackaby (an exception to the “dead” theologians rule)<br /><br /><em>All of Grace</em> by Charles Spurgeon<br /><br /><em>Knowledge of the Holy</em> by A.W. Tozer<br /><br /><strong>And Excerpts From...<br /></strong><br />Soren Kierkegaard<br /><br />C.S. Lewis<br /><br />Flannery O’Connor<br /><br />Martin Luther<br /><br />Jonathan Edwards<br /><br />Thomas Merton<br /><br />Did I miss any? Let me know.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-82703579999830774652009-02-06T09:18:00.000-08:002009-04-19T19:34:40.310-07:00A.W. Tozer's "Knowledge of the Holy"Updated (4/19) reading schedule for A.W. Tozer's <a href="http://www.mtzionnashville.org/2009/ministries/tozer_KnowledgeOfTheHoly.pdf"><em>Knowledge of the Holy</em></a><em> </em>(full text in linked PDF):<br /><br />APR 22* - Chapters 16, 17 & 18<br />APR 30 - Chapters 19, 20 & 21<br />MAY 7 - Chapters 22 & 23<br /><br />*NOTE: This week we'll be meeting on a Wednesday rather than our usual Thursday. Thanks for your flexibility!Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-15681884227707375312008-10-31T10:47:00.000-07:002009-01-12T08:35:50.272-08:00All of Grace by Charles H. SpurgeonDTS is currently reading Charles H. Spurgeon's <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/grace/files/grace.html">All of Grace</a>. Our remaining schedule is as follows <em>(updated 1-12-09)</em>:<br /><br /><strong>January 15<br /></strong><em>No meeting</em><br /><strong>January 22</strong><br />Ch. 17 The Fear of Final Falling<br />Ch. 18 Confirmation<br /><strong>January 29</strong><br />Ch. 19 Why Saints Persevere<br />Ch. 20 Close<br /><br />We have no yet decided on the next book to be read by the group. Once we have, that will be posted here along with a tentative schedule.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-40660650601115864772008-09-08T23:51:00.000-07:002008-09-09T00:01:41.440-07:00"Dead" not DeadTo those who kindly stopped by the table at Taste of Small Groups, the random souls who happen upon this site seeking profundity and the friends and family who drop by occasionally to see if I'm in a blogging "groove"...welcome!<br /><br />For the moment, the blog is functioning as a bulletin board where reading schedules can be posted. Feel free to dig back into the archives if you'd like something more content-rich.<br /><br />On October 2nd, we'll be getting back into the swing of things. I apologize for the delay and hope that stories and pictures of Africa will make up for the very long intermission. I'd mentioned that we may do a Charles Spurgeon book next, <span style="font-style: italic;">All of Grace</span>. We'll likely decide on the reading and just spend some time catching up and getting to know new folks that day, maybe revisiting the Thomas Merton that we passed over, then diving into Spurgeon the following week.<br /><br />In the meantime, I covet your prayers. Keep me posted on how I can be praying for you as well. And feel free to leave book study suggestions in the comments. Or poems. Or recipes.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-87682041047009554092008-08-04T20:41:00.000-07:002008-09-06T21:39:34.690-07:00DTS Schedule into the FallAs you may or may not know, I'm leading a group from New Life to Kenya in September (prayers appreciated!). As I've been juggling everything going on, I've realized that I'm not able to devote the time I'd like to everything I'd like to. SO, from now until I get back, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">DTS</span> schedule will be a bit lighter. It's not that I don't love you, don't worry. Knowing you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">DTS</span> faithfuls, I know you'll fill the time with plenty of great opportunities.<br /><br />Aug. 7 - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">DTS</span><br />Aug. 14 - No group<br />Aug. 21 - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">DTS</span><br />Aug. 28 - No group<br />Sept. 4 - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Cancelled</span><br />Sept. 11, 18, 25 - No group<br />Oct. 2 - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">DTS</span><br /><br />If you haven't checked out <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">DTS</span>, we've been enjoying a smorgasbord this summer...a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Flannery</span> O'Connor short story and excerpts from Soren Kierkegaard, Lewis' <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Screwtape</span> Letters</em>, Luther's <em>Table Talk</em> and Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Good stuff...Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-90858298731949773442008-05-26T22:41:00.000-07:002008-05-26T22:48:38.541-07:00DTS update, 5/27--Input welcome!This Thursday, May 29th, we'll be at New Life Lincoln Park instead of my place. We just wrapped up the 40 day <em>Experiencing God</em> study and will be joining the other small groups from Lincoln Park and Lakeview for a night of worship and testimonies. Come at 6pm for pizza. At 7pm, we'll meet as a small group for roughly a half hour then go right into worship.<br /><br />Next week, we'll be mixing up the format a bit for our group. Throughout the summer we'll be foregoing lengthy theological books for shorter works that folks can more easily fit into summer schedules. We may read an essay one week, a short story another and maybe even dabble in some poetry. It's all going to be within the genre of "works by dead theologians." Or, at least "theologically thought-provoking works by dead believers." I will aim to post a schedule in the very near future, once some of the works have been nailed down. If you have suggestions, let's have 'em!Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-45617637574090364702008-04-09T13:40:00.000-07:002008-04-09T14:09:46.990-07:00Experience God with Us - Study Starts 4/10<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX5Igsi6QD-0oMLR05h-ZZmmFFdMkm7NEpXWoUKDn-pCDim1L2mw_qsEz48o3-hS6aVFCxpbauBZZyGA3TPSllFKNszuP4-Ia-5NJXAv6jtD9Q8UDJOzAPHPwwa06DqZ2pX3qltJZ52JL/s1600-h/expgod.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187348805526652066" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 107px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px" height="182" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX5Igsi6QD-0oMLR05h-ZZmmFFdMkm7NEpXWoUKDn-pCDim1L2mw_qsEz48o3-hS6aVFCxpbauBZZyGA3TPSllFKNszuP4-Ia-5NJXAv6jtD9Q8UDJOzAPHPwwa06DqZ2pX3qltJZ52JL/s320/expgod.jpg" width="142" border="0" /></a>We've just finished Wilberforce's <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Christianity-Hendrickson-Christian-Classics/dp/1598561227">A Practical View of Christianity</a></em> and are jumping right into <em><a href="http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/product.asp?ISBN=1415823502&mscssid=DXANQRGM4B0T8LLWTP1VT4KF0L7538HD">Reality: 7 Truths from Experiencing God</a></em> by Henry and Richard Blackaby starting Thursday, April 10th.<br /><br />This study is a departure for us. You see, this group, as part of its foundational format, studies only the works of deceased authors. Both Blackabys are very much alive, though, and we wish them both well. Our impetus to do this study is to be in solidarity with our church body as a whole, most of whom are also doing this study (or a variation) during this season. We look forward to what God has in store for us, both individually and collectively.<br /><br />The schedule for this study will be fairly straightforward. The book has seven DVD segments, a weekly group discussion and daily reading for forty days. We'll come together, enjoy some fellowship, eat some snacks, then catch up on how everyone's doing. We'll then dive into the discussion and end with prayer time together.<br /><br />Please purchase the book prior to group if possible. They should be available for purchase at New Life Lakeview this Sunday, and I will have an extra copy or two. Christian bookstores and online book sellers should also have them available. They're only $4.<br /><br />If you'd like to join us, you are welcome. We meet Thursdays from 7-9pm at our place near Montrose and Ashland. Parking is usually not difficult, and we are close to the Montrose Brown Line stop. <a href="mailto:natecoleson@gmail.com">Contact me</a> for directions. We are a mixed group (men, women, married and single) and both my wife Jen and I are involved in the group.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-13900403838894386942008-02-21T22:34:00.000-08:002008-02-21T22:51:40.662-08:00A Practical View of Christianity - Reading ScheduleBetter late than never...here's our reading schedule for the Wilberforce book study. We are biting off slightly larger chunks than we started with in an effort to join the rest of the small groups in doing <em>Experiencing God</em> starting in April. Details to follow as we get closer.<br /><ul><li>February 28 - pg. 83-115</li><li>March 6 - pg. 116-137</li><li>March 13 - pg. 138-175</li><li>March 20 - pg. 176-205</li><li>March 27 - pg. 207-240</li><li>April 3 - pg. 241-278</li></ul>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-32084038460435792862008-01-06T08:35:00.000-08:002008-01-14T12:15:06.037-08:00Wilberforce Study Starts Thu., Jan. 17<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyLMucwROTZd8pj7jTJQ53OcZpBYQxGzcyrk9iopfQCzRaYXMRvZJQkfUjHEm3vfE4nDmvtoRPKp9g86btbYm4MHiFd_pdxVd78kO8GXc52Ckx1zkYJ8ta1mWMZ-0hqslYvNMbKlJRKtI/s1600-h/wilberforce.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155419490061435042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyLMucwROTZd8pj7jTJQ53OcZpBYQxGzcyrk9iopfQCzRaYXMRvZJQkfUjHEm3vfE4nDmvtoRPKp9g86btbYm4MHiFd_pdxVd78kO8GXc52Ckx1zkYJ8ta1mWMZ-0hqslYvNMbKlJRKtI/s320/wilberforce.gif" border="0" /></a>Apropos of this political season, our next DTS study will be William Wilberforce's work, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Christianity-Hendrickson-Christian-Classics/dp/1598561227/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200340551&sr=1-2"><strong>A Practical View of Christianity</strong></a></em>. Wilberforce, a member of British parliament, put his faith in action and was instrumental in abolishing the slave trade in Great Britain. If his name rings a bell, the fairly recent movie <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10007415-amazing_grace/"><em>Amazing Grace</em> </a>was about Wilberforce and his efforts.<br /><br />If you are a DTS regular, I enjoyed <strong>partying with you <em>twice</em></strong> over the past month and look forward to jumping back into a book study with you. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Progress-Moody-Classics/dp/0802456545/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200340759&sr=1-27"><em>The Pilgrim's Progress</em> </a>made for some great discussion, and I'm eager to see how God will challenge us in this new year and season.<br /><br />If you're new to DTS or thinking about checking us out, <em><strong>Welcome!</strong></em> We are a mixed group (men and women, married and single) that began as a short-term focus group studying Francis Schaeffer and grew into the Dead Theologians Society. We are not theologians by profession, just people who enjoy being stretched and challenged.<br /><br />On a "practical" note, we will no longer be meeting in the church cafe. <strong>We are now going to be meeting at my apartment</strong>, though our time remains the same: 7-9pm. (<a href="mailto:natecoleson@yahoo.com">Contact me</a> for directions.)<br /><br />Also, the books for the new study will be available to purchase from me. Please order through me for the <em><strong>$6 deal</strong></em> or order the edition linked to above so that we can be sure to all be literally "on the same page" in our discussions. Thanks!Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-66394420354717171652007-10-20T20:10:00.000-07:002007-12-03T12:25:05.815-08:00The Pilgrim's Progress Reading Schedule-Revised 12/3The following is the reading schedule. Please read the scheduled passage prior to coming to group.<br /><br />Oct. 24 - through pg. 39<br />Nov. 1 - pg. 39 - 80<br />Nov. 8 - NO GROUP<br />Nov. 15 - pg. 80 - 120<br />Nov. 22 - THANKSGIVING - NO GROUP<br />Nov. 29 - 120 - 160<br />Dec. 6 - 160-191<br />Dec. 13 - CHRISTMAS PARTY @ PATTY'S<br />Dec. 20 - 191 - endNatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-14344200373965079032007-10-09T09:27:00.000-07:002007-10-09T10:02:44.217-07:00The Pilgrimage Begins Oct. 18th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiWxHAuYvAVpU5sersgPykHz1Tx4YQVX3jkYTRk7aBNGItzzvvUYOnqBb2smTP2nncEbhJUJrsHSHCWsuOg0rv0BF8Br_tVky5Vl3pX3ft13wOzOvJZkbNJLwUiNLVkyV02cnOM_kVGtc/s1600-h/PilgrimsProgress+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119383368636739602" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiWxHAuYvAVpU5sersgPykHz1Tx4YQVX3jkYTRk7aBNGItzzvvUYOnqBb2smTP2nncEbhJUJrsHSHCWsuOg0rv0BF8Br_tVky5Vl3pX3ft13wOzOvJZkbNJLwUiNLVkyV02cnOM_kVGtc/s320/PilgrimsProgress+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a> As you may or may not know, the next DTS study will be <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Progress-Moody-Classics/dp/0802456545/ref=tag_tdp_sv_edpp_i/002-9950890-2600846">The Pilgrim's Progress</a></em> by John Bunyan. (No, not the guy with the blue ox. That's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bunyan_(lumberjack)">Paul,</a> his brother.) <div><div></div><br /><div>This will be a bit of a departure for us. Thus far we've studied Francis Schaeffer's <em>How Should We Then Live</em>, Dietrich Bonhoeffer's <em>Life Together</em>, C.S. Lewis' <em>The Weight of Glory</em> and Dorothy Sayers' <em>The Mind of the Maker.</em> Unlike these, <em>The Pilgrim's Progress </em>is not strictly a theological work. It is a story, an allegory of the Christian life. Though we are bound to have good discussion and some deep questions, my hope is that this will give us an opportunity to share our own journeys and spur one another on. That is my prayer.</div><div></div><br /><div>If you'd like to join us, we will have our first meeting on Thursday, October 18 at 7p.m. in the cafe upstairs at New Life. From that point we may well meet in coffee shops and other places in the community. Notices of a change in location will be emailed or posted here.</div><div></div><br /><div>We have a great deal on the book for this series--$4, half off the retail price. I encourage you to order the version the rest of the group is using so that we can literally be on the same page in our discussions. If you'd like to order a copy, <a href="mailto:natecoleson@yahoo.com">let me know</a>.</div></div>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-21898773238543264792007-09-13T09:14:00.001-07:002007-09-30T19:36:43.457-07:00Updated Schedule for "The Mind of the Maker"<p>Updated reading schedule for the remainder of <em>The Mind of the Maker</em>. Please have the selection listed with each date read by that date. </p><ul><li>Oct. 4 - Chapter 10 & 11</li></ul>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-16935051935572882062007-08-01T09:49:00.000-07:002007-08-01T10:22:02.174-07:00Get Into "The Mind of the Maker" This Week<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZ9ZalLNsOzr3BNnjL52U5CMEVWxTT22xyvFvgPEBaf6QnxXUJSIPcJlV6szVDZLnZSsd6Wsq3mONyBXPd36a2V-PUDughh4uTFp-x5-IER8jrmyqL1xNQY7XaEnppoqyVHbx7MhszI2-/s1600-h/MotM.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093783290078729554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZ9ZalLNsOzr3BNnjL52U5CMEVWxTT22xyvFvgPEBaf6QnxXUJSIPcJlV6szVDZLnZSsd6Wsq3mONyBXPd36a2V-PUDughh4uTFp-x5-IER8jrmyqL1xNQY7XaEnppoqyVHbx7MhszI2-/s200/MotM.gif" border="0" /></a>The next book study starts this week--Thursday, August 2nd @ 7pm in the Cafe at New Life Lakeview. The book we are diving into is Dorothy Sayers' <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Maker-Dorothy-L-Sayers/dp/0060670770/ref=ed_oe_p/102-2049793-7972106?ie=UTF8&qid=1181803835&sr=1-1">The Mind of the Maker</a></em>.<br /><br />Dead Theologians Society wrestles with works by, you guessed it, dead theologians. While we will typically deal with classic, well-known writers like C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (our last two studies), I think it's worthwhile to occasionally throw in an author we're less familiar with, someone who will stretch our discussion a bit and someone whose perspective we may not already know by osmosis through living in Christian community.<br /><br />The following is a summary from the back cover of the 1987 version published by Harper San Francisco (this is the cheaper of the current paperback versions, by the way, at roughly $11):<br /><br /><em>This classic, with a new introduction by Madeleine L'Engle, is by turns an entrancing meditation on language; a piercing commentary on the nature of art and why so much of what we read, hear, and see falls short; and a brilliant examination of the fundamental tenets of Christianity. The Mind of the Maker will be relished by those already in love with Dorothy L. Sayers and those who have not yet met her. </em><br /><br /><em>A mystery writer, a witty and perceptive theologian, culture critic, and playwright, Dorothy Sayers sheds new, unexpected light on a specific set of statements made in the Christian creeds. She examines anew such ideas as the image of God, the Trinity, free will, and evil, and in these pages a wholly revitalized understanding of them emerges. The author finds the key in the parallels between the creation of God and the human creative process. She continually refers to each in a way that illuminates both.</em>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-34463562683772831902007-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:002007-08-01T09:32:08.138-07:00Ch. 9: A Slip of the Tongue<div align="left">This final chapter of this book, and a long-overdue post, is about Lewis' struggle to live out his faith. In it, he begins with a prayer that he prayed. "I had meant to pray that I might so pass through things temporal that I finally lost not the things eternal; I found I had prayed so to pass through things eternal that I finally lost not the things temporal." He adds shortly thereafter, "I thought that what I had inadvertently said very nearly expressed something I had really wished."<br /><br />On some level, if we are Believers (Christians, the Saved, however you want to put it), we truly want to live lives completely sold-out to God. We want to not even blink an eye when He calls us to do something outside of our comfort zone but to jump up and do it. We want long, intimated conversations with Him where we draw close to Him and allow Him to strip away the things that hinder our walk or make us to attached to this world.<br /><br />And yet, we are attached to this world, and we do resist getting too close to Him. "I come into the presence of God with a great fear lest anything should happen to me within that presence which will prove too intolerably inconvenient when I have come out again into my 'ordinary' life," writes Lewis.<br /><br />"Our temptation"--one that we've been looking at during New Life's "Revolutionary" series about the Sermon on the Mount--"is to to look eagerly for the minimum that will be accepted." If I go to church every Sunday, that should be enough, right? If I am charitable to the fellow at the Irving Park exit from Lake Shore Drive, I don't need to be charitable to my neighbor. If I see a woman stranded in a parking lot with a flat tire and it's really hot out, it's sufficient for me to offer up an earnest prayer for someone to help her.<br /><br />The kicker, though, is that doing the minimum is not enough but neither is doing the maximum. "For it is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves. For each of us the Baptist's worlds are true: 'He must increase and I decrease.'"<br /><br />Lewis goes to address those living "good" lives without God. "He cannot bless us unless He has us...If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God, it will make in the end no difference what you have chosen instead...Does it matter to a man dying in a desert by which choice of route he missed the only well?"<br /><br />In closing, he acknowledges the struggle that this Christian life presents but exhorts us. "We may never, this side of death, drive the invader out of our territory, but we must be in the Resistance, not in the Vichy (the French who cooperated with the Nazis) government. And this, so far I can yet see, must be begun again every day. Our morning prayer should be that in the <em>Imitation: Da hodie perfecte incipere</em>--grant me to make and unflawed beginning today, for I have done nothing yet."<br /><br />*******************************************<br /><br />Thanks to everyone who joined us for these past 9+ weeks. It's been a true pleasure both growing as an individual through our study and growing as a little family together. I look forward to diving into this next study with you.</div>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-37242504660920170842007-06-18T21:39:00.000-07:002007-06-20T23:59:42.407-07:00Ch. 8: On ForgivenessA reminder to start off--the Thursday, June 21st, meeting of DTS will conclude <em>The Weight of Glory</em> (but<em> not</em> DTS). Please see the prior post and weigh in on which book/author you'd like to read next. We will be taking 2-3 weeks off, then beginning the next work. A schedule will be posted as soon as I nail down details.<br /><br />In Matthew 6:12, Jesus says/prays, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." In this chapter, Lewis looks at the difference between forgiving and excusing, the giving of forgiveness and the asking of the same. What is stated plainly in the Apostles' Creed, "I believe in the forgiveness of sins," is not really so simple, according to him.<br /><br />While I didn't feel that Lewis' treatment of forgive vs. excuse was breaking any new ground, it was very interesting to me that he felt that we may well be guilty of fewer sins than we realize and not more. "Often He must know many excuses that we have never thought of, and therefore humble souls will, after death, have the delightful surpise of discovering that on certain occasions they sinned much less than they had thought." Hmm... He adds that we often likely make excuses because we don't fully understand forgiveness.<br /><br /><em>"Real forgiveness means looking steadily at the sin, the sin that is left over without any excuse, after all allowances have been made, and seeing it in all its horror, dirt, meanness, and malice, and nevertheless being wholly reconciled to the man who has done it. That, and only that, is forgiveness, and that we can always have from God if we ask for it."</em><br /><em></em><br />On giving forgiveness, he continues.<br /><br /><em>"To excuse what can really produce good excuses is not Christian charity; it is only fairness. To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>"[T]o forgive the incessant provocations of daily life--to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son--how can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand..."</em>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-14668112183617182282007-06-13T23:44:00.000-07:002007-06-14T00:02:44.062-07:00Book Possibilities for Next Round of DTSThe following are some ideas for the next book to be read by the Dead Theologians Society. Feel free to add to the list or you can simply let me know if any of these grab you.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orthodoxy-Gilbert-Keith-Chesterton/dp/1426458975/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3884496-0372801?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181803769&sr=8-1">Orthodoxy</a>, G. K. Chesterton<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Maker-Dorothy-L-Sayers/dp/0826476783/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3884496-0372801?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181803835&sr=1-1">The Mind of the Maker</a>, Dorothy Sayers<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Progress-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486426750/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3884496-0372801?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181803902&sr=1-1">The Pilgrim's Progress</a>, John Bunyan<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mysticism-Evelyn-Underhill/dp/1420925016/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3884496-0372801?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181804003&sr=1-1">Mysticism</a>, Evelyn Underhill<br /><br />Others???<br /><br />Keep in mind that we're looking for classics--tried and true works--but preferably not those we've already read individually. Also, while we want to avoid heresy, we may well read some books that we disagree with. Hopefully this will sharpen us and make for some lively discussion.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-68798104111787912662007-06-13T22:43:00.000-07:002007-06-14T00:01:07.490-07:00Ch. 7: MembershipIn this chapter, Lewis looks at the trend toward collectivism and the elimination of true solitude (a trend which has continued, obviously). He addresses the paradoxical nature of faith, in that it is both public and private, and encourages us to not simply allow cultural trends to dictate our spiritual lives. He also looks at the true nature of membership for believers and discusses the sentiment that people are equal.<br /><br />On collectivism:<br /><br /><em>"Even on those rare occasions when a modern undergraduate is not attending some such society he is seldom engaged in those solitary walks, or walks with a single companion, which built the minds of the previous generations. He lives in a crowd; caucus has replaced friendship."</em><br /><br /><em>"There is a crowd of busybodies, self-appointed masters of ceremonies, whose life is devoted to destroying solitude wherever solitude still exists."</em><br /><br /><em>"We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence , and privacy, and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship."</em><br /><br />On true membership:<br /><br /><em>"The society into which the Christian is called at baptism is not a collective but a Body. It is in fact that Body of which the family is an image on the natural level."</em><br /><br /><em>"We are summoned from the outset to combine as creatures with our Creator, as mortals with immortal, as redeemed sinners with sinless Redeemer."</em><br /><br /><em>"The sacrifice of selfish privacy which is daily demanded of us is daily repaid a hundredfold in the true growth of personality which the life of the Body encourages. Those who are members of one another become as diverse as the hand and the ear. That is why worldings are so monotonously alike compared with the almost fantastic variety of the saints."</em><br /><br /><em>"Obedience is the road to freedom, humility the road to pleasure, unity the road to personality."</em><br /><br />On equality:<br /><em></em><br /><em>To be continued...<br /><br /></em><em></em>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5488411759077856030.post-81825060538561191922007-06-06T23:36:00.001-07:002007-06-11T23:47:39.450-07:00Ch. 6: The Inner RingIf you missed this discussion, you also missed sundaes at <a href="http://www.chicagoist.com/2004/06/16/a_closer_look_at_margies_candies.php">Margies' Candies</a> on Western. (Let that be a lesson to you!) You also missed the induction of <a href="http://onemoreinkling.blogspot.com/2007/05/in-memoriam-dr-robert-webber.html">Dr. Robert Webber</a>, a former professor of mine, into the Dead Theologians Society.<br /><br />This chapter was a talk Lewis gave to a group of college students. He set out to tell them about the World (as opposed to the Flesh, which he felt they should understand full well already, and the Devil, whom he believed he was too closely aligned in the public eye) and focuses on the phenomena of the "Inner Ring."<br /><br />This inner ring is neither good nor bad but is something we all strive for at one point or another, according to Lewis. It suggests belonging, value, possessing secret knowledge and other things. But Lewis warns at against pursuing the Inner Ring for the sake of itself and encourages a truer, more satisfying pursuit.<br /><br /><em>"The quest of the Inner Ring will break your hearts unless you break it. But if you break it, a surprising result will follow. If in your working hours you make the work your end, you will presently find yourself all unawares inside the only circle in your profession that really matters. You will be one of the sound craftsmen, and other sound craftsmen will know it. This group of craftsmen will be no means coincide with the Inner Ring or the Important People or the People in the Know."</em><br /><em></em><br />He continues...<br /><br /><em>"And if in your spare time you consort simply with the people you like, you will again find that you have come unawares to a real inside, that you are indeed snug and safe at the centre of something which, seen from without, would look exactly like an Inner Ring. But the difference is that its secrecy is accidental, and its exclusiveness a by-product, and no one was led thither by the lure of the esoteric, for it is only four or five people who like one another meeting to do things that they like. This is friendship. Aristotle placed it among the virtues. It causes perhaps half of all the happiness in the world, and no Inner Ring can ever have it."</em>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09374701659283138533noreply@blogger.com0