Reflections about life, Scripture, culture, and the mission of God. I hope to always keep the mentality of a growing minister; like a perpetual Timothy (I Timothy 4:11-16).
Everyone has plenty of opinions on what it means to raise up a child in the way that he or she should go. But when there is quantifiable research to back up certain methods, we are wise to pay attention. LifeWay Research recently conducted a study with the parents of 3,472 adult children who had been raised to be Christian by their parents. There were eight observable points assigned to try and measure the spiritual health of the adult children: (1) They identify as “Christian”, (2) they share their faith with unbelievers, (3) they actively attend a church, (4) they read the Bible regularly, (5) they have a serving role in a church, (6) they teach others at church, (7) they serve in the community, (8) they support local or foreign missions.
The research was looking to see of those grown children who scored the highest, what were the factors that contributed to them becoming dedicated Christian adults? Of the 3,472 adult children studied, 85% of them were at least 1-point on the scale, meaning they at least identified as Christian. A full 39% of those surveyed fit this category, but also said they did nothing else besides wear the name “Christian.” Another 11% did not identify as Christian. But what about those who scored higher? What factors drive young people to stay in the faith, and even more, to actually practice their faith as adults?
The research investigated 40 different factors, and there were five practices that showed a significant correlation between the child’s younger years and their later taking ownership in their faith. The five most common factors were:
29% regularly read the Bible on their own. (This factor alone could predict a 12.5% higher likelihood a child was going to stay dedicated to God.)
28% had a regular prayer life
33% regularly served in church
22% listened primarily to Christian music, rather than secular
27% had participated in a church mission trip
Those conducting the research noted that if a child had all five of these practices in their youth, this made them 41% more likely to become active Christian adults.
Parents, there were also several behaviors that showed great promise in helping children develop those life-shaping habits. The parents who were most successful:
Read the Bible several times per week
Took part in a service project or mission trip as a family
Shared their faith with unbelievers
Encouraged their teenagers to serve in church
Asked forgiveness when they messed up as a parent
Encouraged their children’s unique talents and interests
Took annual family vacations
Attended churches with teaching that emphasized “what the Bible says”
Taught their children to tithe
What is interesting to me about this research is that the findings seem so obvious. We need to be deliberate about our choices and actions, because our children observe and repeat them. Are we actually reading the Word and listen to things that inspire us? Do we actually make time to pray? Do we generously support the church? Do we serve in God’s mission locally and abroad? When parents model this behavior and then encourage it in the lives of your children, the research shows again and again, it pays off. Don’t neglect the fundamentals!
To learn more about this research, you can find the study here.
Yesterday, I got a new book that has me absolutely mesmerized. It's called "The Bible Illuminated: New Testament." It is the entire New Testament in the form of a classy, glossy, picture-filled magazine.
It came about as a result of a dinner conversation between two men in Stockholm, Sweden about why more people don't read ancient texts. This is a subject that often saddens me. Some of the most meaningful books I've ever read are the works of the original authors, such as Augustine of Hippo and Justin Martyr. Yet people see old works and immediately think, "boring," then they learn as little as possible about these works by reading text book summaries of them, which, in my opinion, are incredibly dull compared to the original works themselves.
But the dilemma is that the Bible continues to be one of the best selling books in the world, yet people don't read it. They set them on coffee tables, or give them a prominent place in the book shelf, but they just aren't reading them as they should. You don't find them lying out open and in use.
The possible solution they decided to try was to take the same words of Scripture, and put them in a format that is more likely to connect with a modern readership. The company doing this, Illuminated World, is financed and managed by a Swedish consortium, chaired by Dag Söderberg, former CEO of one of the largest advertising firms in Europe and Jan Carlzon, former CEO of Scandinavian Airlines and author of global management bestseller; The Moments of Truth (1987). Both a New Testament and an Old Testament were released in 2007 in Sweden. The effort has been a huge success, with 10% of Stockholm showing up just for the book launch.
Let me offer some observations, pluses, and minuses of this format, as I perceive it.
Observations: - It really has the feel of a magazine. It is comfortable to pick up and thumb through. It has a multiple column format. - It does not have chapter and verse divisions, though it does have section headings and very creative book divisions. - It has absolutely stunning photographs. The pictures are from a variety of things, from major computer gaming conventions to historical photographs from during the civil rights movement. - The translation used is the Good News Translation, which is extremely easy to read.
Pluses - When you see this book, you are simply drawn to pick it up. For those of you who know what a passionate '24' fan I am, I didn't get to watch the show Sunday night. I recorded it, and was intending to watch it when I got home yesterday. But despite how desperate I've been to start watching the new season, I couldn't get myself to put this book down long enough to turn it on.
- Rather than being a typical illustrated Bible, where each picture is supposed to be a representation of the historical event, a la Gustave Doré (who is a favorite artist of mine), most of the pictures selected are more about helping us visualize what the text might mean in our world today. I found myself astonished by how relevant some of these texts are, though I had failed to see it before.
- With large pages, it gives you an unexpected help in being able to visualize passages in context. With one page opened, you can see a great deal both ahead and behind the text you're reading.
- I really enjoyed the highlighted verses. Passages at random, which the developers saw as particularly interesting for thought and conversation are put in text blocks here or there, or highlighted, or sometimes included on top of an image chosen.
Minuses: - I'm confident I can wear this thing out pretty quickly. As a magazine--a very expensive one at that--this will simply not have the toughness to last for generations, like a normal Bible can.
- Some people will be bothered by some of the social agenda included with the pictures. This comes out most strongly in Luke, where on the images apart from the text, it talks about lots of humanitarian efforts going on around the world, or about efforts that need to be going on. This is not a plain vanilla text-only Bible. Though the text is unmodified, there are some notes here and there that will challenge you to think about how the text is to be applied in our world. I wouldn't say this is an all out negative, but I am sure it would be a potential turn-off to some readers. Then again, the goals they are encouraging are all ones I'm confident Christians should be supporting.
- Some will be bothered by some of the picture selections. I think this will be because of a misunderstanding of the purpose of the pictures. The editors are not trying to push a specific doctrinal agenda, though it does appear they are pushing a humanitarian agenda. The images are there to simply spark some ideas in your mind. The goal is to get you to read your Bible. Your love of one image might drive you to think, just as your dislike of another one might do the same. As an example, Hebrews 7:12 is one of the verses used in conjunction with an image.
For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.
The image they chose is one from the late 1950's of a woman named Margit Sahlin, who is looking at the shroud she's going to wear when she becomes the first female priest in Sweden, appointed in 1960.
This immediately got me thinking: - We are under a new Law in Christ, which is different than the Old Testament. - Are they suggesting that the agenda of a new Law is putting females in this sort of role? - Are they suggesting that putting a female in this sort of role is a violation of what Paul has taught elsewhere? -What do I think about this?
Some will not care for images, such as the one I just mentioned. I didn't see it so much as a negative, because it challenged me to think about what the passage meant in the Early Church, as well as what it still means. It opens it up for your interpretation. As long as you understand the images are meant to spark your imagination, I think you'll enjoy them. If you cannot approach this without getting offended about suspected agendas of the editors, you will not enjoy this book as much.
Also, there are many cultural icons, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Angelina Jolie, the Dali Llama, and Mohammad Ali, who show up in various places. In one place, after several pictures, there is kind of a summary of some of the good things some of these people have stood for. Some will not like the idea of praising a non-Christian as a moral example. They don't really give them a wholesale thumbs up, but they highlight something the person has done simply say, "This is something that this person did that was very influential in the world." I like the idea that there is an underlying sense of right and wrong that much of humanity is able to understand, because we are made in the image of God. It challenged me to think about how I should be trying to make a difference in my own environment. Again, some will like this; some won't.
Final Thoughts:
Fortunately, you can try it for yourself! Here is a sample download of the Gospel of Luke in its entirety. I felt like Luke's Gospel was the passage that has the most humanitarian agenda pushing of all the text. Most of the book has images that are simply related to the subject matter. The images in Luke are a little bit more of a separate collection. So in my opinion, if you like this section from Luke, you will love the rest of the book.
I think this is one of the best things I've ever purchased. I think it's a great conversation starter. You can leave this out on your coffee table, in your cubicle, on your desk, read it on the bus or train, or anywhere else. You could get this out for your non-Christian friend and say, "Take a look at this!" without them feeling like you're about to try and corner them into a religious conversation.
When Carolina saw it, within 5 minutes she was begging me to get her a copy to keep at work, and insisting that we purchase the Old Testament when it is released. I'm sure that I will.
I hope that when they've released their Old Testament (see the cover on the left), that they will continue to make similar efforts with other ancient texts. I would love to see the writings of Justin Martyr or Athanasius put into a similar format.
Here is an interview with Dag Söderberg about the book.
I've posted some thoughts before on trying to be a better Bible reader. Even if I were able to read the Bible 12 hours a day every day, I'm sure I would continue to find new ways of understanding passages than I ever had before, and would probably feel the need for more Bible study.
My friend Daniel suggested reading the Bible online. As a way of getting yourself to read more regularly, rather than just trying to fit it in in the mornings or evenings, why not read the Bible the same way you read most other important things in your life? I seldom have time for books that I like, but I always manage to check my e-mail.
I found something on the ESV's website where they have a variety of Bible reading plans where you can read the text online every day with a pre-prepared website, or if you're an avid blog-reader like me, you can get an RSS feed of the text sent to your blog reader daily.
Why not decide that every day before you check your e-mail, you will first read the passages for the day? Even if you don't get it every day, wouldn't you be a better person for trying it?
Most professing Christians will readily admit that they don't spend enough time reading the Bible. Of course, if I were to read the Bible 24/7 without sleeping or taking breaks, then I would still probably say (1) I'm not reading the Bible enough and (2) if all I do is read the Bible but I never practice what I'm studying, it doesn't profit me that much. There has to be that balance there of reading, contemplation, and action.
At any rate, I would put myself in that group of people who really does need to read the Bible more. My routine was shaken up in the move, and I haven't gotten back on a regular schedule yet. (If you've noticed, my blogging has been lacking quite a bit as well)
By default, when I want to read the Bible more, I have a tendency to look for a new Bible to purchase that catches my interest. Here are some that I've tried:
The Message. I had a post a few weeks ago about rising denominations; one of which was The Church of The Message. Long before I saw this humorous list, I had noticed this trend; particularly in my home congregation. No matter what passage we were discussing, someone would always say, "Oh, but you've got to hear how the Message puts this passage." People will sometimes quote the Message in a manner reminiscent of how other people quote the KJV as the authoritative "authorized" version.
I have a copy of the Message. I've tried to read it, and have read parts of it from time to time with some benefit. My problem is that my background in Biblical languages seems to block my ears from just opening up to the language. I'm always preoccupied with wondering what tenses the verbs are intended to be in, and how the best way is to translate certain phrases. Since the Message is a paraphrase--not a translation--I have often read along for a while, then got really upset about something I didn't think was handled well. Eugene Peterson's theology often appears to be shining through, and I think that's the disadvantage of having any version of the Bible made by only one translator. I have tried reading it, but I feel like I'm reading the Bible through a veil. I have been troubled when I see people carrying a Message around instead of an actual Bible.
Daily Bibles. I've tried a couple of different times to do daily Bibles over the course of a year. I've only succeeded once. The older daily Bibles were an incredible concept when they first came along. My problem with them has been that the reading really is a lot. Going from reading zero chapters per day to four or five a day is extremely difficult. Often, I'll find a passage I want to study more, but when you're so busy charging ahead to finish, there's just not time. The one time I did finish it, I basically skimmed the last month's worth of reading, and got very little out of the experience.
As opposed to reading a regular daily Bible, I've also tried a Chronological daily Bible. There's one by F. LaGard Smith where he adds commentary sprinkled throughout to help the reader grasp what's going on. I really have enjoyed his comments, but it just intensifies the problem of finishing in a year. If Scripture itself was already a lot, having a bunch of extra notes to sort through just adds to the load. I think it's a great approach to try and read the Bible in the order that things happened, because it seems to fit together a lot better that way.
The Story. This is my most recent attempt at reading the Bible more, and so far it's been about my favorite. This is not a paraphrase and it's also not a complete Bible. It is a compilation of passages in a somewhat Chronological, somewhat normal order. The readings all come from the TNIV translation (which is not my favorite...I think they take way too many liberties with inserting words that may or may not be implied). Even though the translation isn't my favorite, I like it better than the Message and it reads really well. I found it on a clearance sale at a Christian book store, and have been very pleasantly surprised!
It is set up more like a book. Mine has fancy uneven edges on the pages to make it appear older. The pages are nice and thick instead of the usual dinky bleed-through Bible pages. It doesn't contain normal verse or chapter divisions. There are individual chapters designed to present the whole of Scripture as a story. It is a very abbreviated version of Scripture, and is only a little over 400 pages long, and that is in large font, 1-column format. For someone trying to keep the flow of Scripture in mind, I have really loved this book. There are several notes from the editor here and there to help connect passages from one to the next if large portions are skipped.
My one complaint is that this book does not state who compiled it. I'm one of those types who is very selective about which authors I read. I know which scholars I like and which schools I'm more fond of. This is done completely anonymously, which bothers me. I haven't ran into anything that I've found problems with in terms of the comments, but I feel like as a reader, when I know these words were not originally there, I deserve to know who added them.
Even so, if you're trying to be a better Bible reader and reading the regular Bible seems like too much to start with, I really would recommend The Story. My favorite section so far is Job. Job's story is abbreviated masterfully, with about a paragraph from each of the speeches. It makes it so much easier to visualize what is happening.
After I finish it, I'm thinking about challenging my youth group to read it through next year. It is a much more manageable amount to read, and it might make a good stepping stone for them to eventually read the entire Bible.
So what has worked for you? Is there a version you like best? Have you found a way to help you read, contemplate, and apply what you're studying?
