My Commonplace Book

What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’–be their own masters–invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history–money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery–the [...]

The whole dance of God … is a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very centre of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not, you will remain dry.
There is no other way to happiness for which we are made. Good things as [...]

Below is a thot-ful post from Randy Newman in celebration of C.S. Lewis’ birthday.
Dear Thoughtful Friends,
Today, November 29th, is C.S. Lewis’ birthday. I hope this news brings you
as much joy as it does to me.
Lewis continues to inspire me through his writing and motivates me to
encourage those who love the life of the mind.
Here are [...]

Since reading N.T. Wright’s "Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church", I keep seeing the power of Christ’s resurrection and ascension. Read this in my C.L. Lewis devotional, A Year with C.S. Lewis — a most excellent set of daily readings. I’m putting both books on my new Kindle, [...]

I’m having more fun reading about William Wilberforce and Abraham Lincoln–two of my heroes. One ought not to make heroes of those dependent upon "opium" in the first case or of those plagued by "depression" all their lives in the second case. Yet I’m finding these men "great" in all senses of the word. Weird [...]

 
 
The Back Story
The Passion movement recently released the album, God of This City. The title was taken from a song, sung on the album by Chris Tomlin, but originally written and released by the Irish band, BlueTree. I love the whole song, but my favorite lines come from the chorus:
Greater [...]

I wonder it’s ok to swear when you are really frustrated. Maybe not. Anyway, C.S. Lewis resorted to "damned nonsense" to capture the frustration he felt, and we all feel, when Christianity loses its "fighting" edge. I’m increasingly angered by a Christianity that retreats to "fly fly away" and doesn’t become a force for good–both [...]

I’ve been listening a fascinating story about Atlantic deep-sea divers, Shadow Divers. It is the story of two men, who in pursuit of glory, mystery, and adventure, descend 200 feet to a sunken U-boat off the coast of New Jersey. They descend to re-ascend with historical artifacts and the knowledge to solve one of the [...]

Pride can often be used to beat down the simpler vices . . . Many a man has overcome cowardice, or lust, or ill-temper by learning to think that they are beneath his dignity — that is, by Pride. The devil laughs. He is perfectly content to see you become chaste and brave [...]

Reading the Classics as a Means of Hearing the Holy Spirit
C.S. Lewis once said, “Every time I read a new book, I read an old book.” Lewis feared that Christians only associated with modern sources might be “tempted to think that Christianity is a word of so many meanings that it means nothing at all.” [...]