Raised Right by Alisa Harris

“For nearly all my childhood and adolescence, on into early adulthood, politics gave my faith meaning,” Alisa writes, “Politics was...my way of proving I believed what Jesus said: 'Take heart! I have overcome the world.'” (5) A vision of a godly America was Alisa Promised Land. In her worldview, faith and politics were inseparable.

Then she ventured out into the world and found that her confidence in “culture-war politics” was shaken – so was her faith. “This book,” Alisa writes, “was born out of my search for a faith that's more than the sun of my political convictions and for a meaningful way of living it out.” (6)

“Less than half of young evangelicals identify as conservative, compared to nearly two-thirds of their parents.” (8-9) Fewer and fewer are identifying with the Republican party.

Alisa writes for young Christians navigating “the difficult waters where the currents of faith and culture collide.” (9) She writes for parents, to help them understand, “Our actions and beliefs are an expansion of the principles of justice and love that they imparted, not a rejection of those principles.” (10)

She writes of her early political training: “By electing the right people and defeating Satan's human emissaries, we could usher in heaven on earth.” (39) “I spent a year at community college believing that standing up for Jesus meant making myself the most obnoxious student in class.” (57)

Alisa eventually came to realize, “America is not a 'uniquely Christian' nation, and it never was.” (88)

She shares her growing discomfort with combination of Christianity and politics, her feeling of sickness at the revelation of her own nation's brutality. She was struck again with Jesus' words about meekness and peacemaking.

When the time got closer to the 2008 election, she realized, “I refused to make abortion my single-issue voting creed.” (151) She voted for Obama.

“I used to think that anyone who was poor had only himself to blame, that America is a magical and glorious place so overflowing with opportunity that anyone who's struggling is simply not working hard enough or looking hard enough or finds it more convenient to live off the hard work of others...” (184) “But something changed when I encountered the recession and unemployment first hand. Now when I look at the unemployed and destitute, I see what I might become if my life moves just a few steps in the wrong direction.” (186-7) “I've begun to understand the soul-numbing reality that outside forces … shape my fate.” (192)

She participates in demonstrations, “Because God made everyone and we can't treat human beings that way.” (211)

Alisa has gone from carrying a George W. Bush tote back to protesting corporate greed, from weeping for joy at the national anthem to singing it with the pang of loss. Nonetheless, she will pass on to her children: to care, to love, to take heart.

I recommend this book to young evangelicals and parents alike. It will help both of them understand the frustrations and changes occurring in the realm of faith and politics in the U. S.

Read Alisa's blog.

WaterBrook Press, 222 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Press for the purpose of this review.

Advent - CEB

You probably use a calendar to keep track of passing days. The church has been using a calendar for centuries, called the Liturgical Year. Since it focuses on the life and ministry of Jesus, it begins with Advent. This Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Advent.

While some denominations do not recognize the Liturgical Year, many do. As Joan Chittister writes in her book, The Liturgical Year, the annual emphasis on the life of Christ is like a spiral. Each Advent we experience the deeper meaning of Christ's birth. During the Advent time, we long for his coming and prepare for it.

There are particular Bible readings assigned to the Liturgical Year. It seems that some denominations and individual churches assign their own Scripture for the various days of the seasons. This Advent moves to Year 2 in the readings from The Book of Common Prayer. The Scripture portions for this Fourth Sunday in Advent (taken from the Revised Common Lectionary at the online resource http://www.crivoice.org) include:

Psalms 24 and 29 in the morning and Psalms 8 and 84 in the evening. The Old Testament reading is from Genesis 3:8-15. The Epistle reading is Revelation 12:1-10 and the Gospel reading is John 3:16-21.

Here is the Gospel reading in the Common English Bible:

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won't perish but will have eternal life. God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn't judged; whoever doesn't believe in him is already judged, because they don't believe in the name of God's only Son.

“This is the basis for judgment: the light came into the world, and the people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. All who do wicked things hate the light and don't come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.”

If you would like to participate in a planned reading of the Scriptures that follows the Liturgical Year, I would suggest visiting The Voice, the web presence of the Christian Research Institute. The readings are an adaptation of the liturgical schedule and do not use the Apocrypha.

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

http://CommonEnglishBible.com

Brothers and Sisters - CEB

Galatians 5:13 reads in the Common English Bible: “You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only don't let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses, but serve each other through love.”

The English Standard Version reads: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only ...”

The New American Standard Bible: “For you were called to freedom, brethren ...”

The New International Version: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called ...”

The New Living Translation: “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But...”

The key word in the Greek is adelphos. It means “brother.” (Philadelphia, city of “brotherly” love.) Some recent translations have taken the liberty of frequently including women when translating this term. So adelphos becomes “brothers and sisters.”

In general, translators are very careful to include women only when mankind in general is indicated by the context. When the context indicates reference only to males, the translators will keep that indication in the translation.

In Galatians 5:13, I would hope no one would think that Paul was speaking only to men, that only men have been called to freedom. As a woman, I am happy to see sisters included along with the brothers in the call to freedom.

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

Changes in Word Meanings - CEB

This is 1 Thess. 4:15 in the King James Version of the Bible: “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”

Here is how the verse reads in the New American Standard Bible: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”

The Common English Bible says: “What we are saying is a message from the Lord: we who are alive and still around at the Lord's coming definitely won't go ahead of those who have died.”

What's going on? The Greek word translated “prevent” in the KJV is phthano, a verb, “to come beforehand.” So why does it say “prevent” in the KJV? In the 1600s the word “prevent” did not mean “to stop,” as it does now, but actually “to come before.”

Language is always changing. Words change their meaning, especially over hundreds of years. In order to have a translation accurately represent the original Hebrew and Greek, it must be updated from time to time, reflecting the change in language.

The Common English Bible is a new translation written to make it accessible to a broad range of people. It was designed to be at a comfortable reading level for over half of all English readers.

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

Isaiah 7:14 - CEB

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel.” (Common English Bible)

The Revised Standard Version (full Bible released in 1952) was the first translation to challenge the KJV reading of Isaiah 7:14. The Hebrew word ha'almah was translated “young woman” rather than the traditional “virgin.”

The word ha'almah appears in the Old Testament seven times. Of those appearances, the Septuagint had translated it as “virgin” (parthenos) two times, one of which was Isaiah 7:14. Another Hebrew word, batulah, appears some fifty times in the Old Testament. The Septuagint and English translations agree that batulah means “virgin” in almost every case. (One can argue if Isaiah meant to definitively indicate a virgin, he should have used batulah.)

Part of the issue is philosophy of translation. Does one interpret ha'almah purely on the word's meaning, or does one keep in mind Matthew 1:23?

Dennis Bratcher, in an online article, notes that “research reveals” that it is likely ha'almah means “a young woman of marriageable age” (old enough to bear a child). He also notes that in Isaiah 7:14, harah ( masculine verb in the perfect tense, “he conceived”) must modify the feminine noun ha'almah. It is an adjective that should be translated, “pregnant [young woman].”

He gives suggested translations based on the Hebrew text, including “the pregnant woman is about to give birth to a son...” He also notes that the linking verb (“is”) can be understood. This would yield “the young woman [is] pregnant” and says this is how Luther understood the phrase.

(Dennis Bratcher's material was taken from http://www.crivoice.org/isa7-14.html and is copyrighted © 2011 CRI/Voice Institute.)

Here are how other translations have interpreted this passage:

The Message: “A girl who is presently a virgin will get pregnant.”

The Holman Christian Standard: “The virgin will conceive.”

Amplified: “Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive...”

Contemporary English Version: “A virgin is pregnant...”

English Standard Version: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive...”

King James Version: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive.”

New American Standard Bible: “Behold, a virgin will be with child...” (Footnote “or maiden”)

New King James Version: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive...”

Young's Literal Translation: “...Lo, the Virgin is conceiving...”

New Century Version: “The virgin will be pregnant...” (Footnote: “The Hebrew word means “a young woman.” Often this meant a girl who was not married and had not yet had sexual relations with anyone.)

The Good News Translation: “...a young woman who is pregnant...” (Footnote: The Hebrew word here translated “young woman” is not the specific term for “virgin”, but refers to any young woman of marriageable age. The use of “virgin” in Mt. 1.23 reflects a Greek translation of the Old Testament, made some 500 years after Isaiah.)

New Revised Standard Version: “Look, the young woman is with child...” (A footnote does acknowledge that the Septuagint reads “virgin.”)

A quick Google search revealed many articles about this issue.

How would you have translated this phrase?

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

God is Red by Liao Yiwu

Liao Yiwu is not a Christian. Having grown up in the 60s, he writes, “My generation was told that religion was the tool employed by the imperialists to enslave people...” (14) Yet, he was interested in Christianity and interviewed many Christians to understand its place in China.

He interviewed Sister Zhang Yinzian, over a hundred years old. Her account of surviving the Communist takeover is heartbraking.

Liao went to Dali and spoke with Wu, an elder in the church there. Born in 1924, Wu told of his conversion, how open religious activities were banned during the Cultural Revolution, and church assets seized. Wu and his wife were accused of being spies for the “imperialists” who had left. They were tortured. In 1980 they were notified they could again hold the Sunday services that had been banned for over two decades.

Liao attended a church service in Dali, the only unbeliever there. He writes, “People took turns urging me to remove my worries and submit myself to God.” (78)

He visited Yunnan province and interviewed Dr. Sun. He had been a Communist official when he became a Christian. He resigned his position at the hospital and traveled around treating the poor for free. In 2009 his work was banned, the government accusing him of “ulterior motives.” He received an invitation from a Chinese church in the U.S. He came to the U.S. in 2009 and has not been allowed to return to China.

Liao tells the story of Wang Zhiming (through an interview with his son), who ministered in China's Yunnan province, was arrested and executed in 1973.  Wang's son was himself arrested in 1976 but then released in 1980 and cleared of all charges.

Liao spoke with the most venerated Christian elder in Zehei County, Zhang Yingrong.  Zhang was taken from seminary imprisoned during the Land Reform Movement.   Zhang said, “Before 1982 nobody dared worship publicly. If we were caught, we would have to go through the same public denunciation meetings. Gradually, Christianity spread secretly among villages. In the past couple of years, the policy loosened up and there has been a revival. People flocked to God in droves, village after village. In the old days, people were fervent supporters of Communism. Nobody believes in that now. Even some Communist Party members have come to worship God and confess their sins. Some even donated money to help repair our church.” (125)

Liao interviewed Yuan Fusheng. His father had been imprisoned in 1958. He was granted parole in 1979. For the following ten years he was not to leave his residence in Beijing and had to regularly report his activities and thinking to the local public security bureau. His father soon resumed his religious activities. When asked about the government reaction today, Yuan said they get harassed regularly. It usually coincides with the political situation in Beijing. “They make it hard for fellow Christians to gather and hear my father's sermons.” (178) When the police come, Yuan said, his father stands up to them. “We are all Christians and, despite the challenges,” Yuan said, “I think the future looks bright here in China.” (179) (Note: Yuan's father passed away in 2005 but Yuan carries on his work.)

Liao interviewed Liu Shengshi who, though indoctrinated in Communism, became a Catholic in 1989. “By 1980, as China opened to the West, the government had somewhat relaxed its control over religion...” (192) Yet Liu has been imprisoned several times. She stays home and locks her door and prays. (196)

This is by no means a definitive record of Christianity in China. Liao has provided vignettes of individual Christians and their experiences. These stories are encouraging, even if Liao himself has never come to believe in Jesus. Liao's book shows once again that light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it! (John 1:5)

HarperOne, 231 pages.

Red Letter Bible...or not - CEB

When I received my Common English Bible last week I was excited to see that it was black letter.  That is, the words of Jesus in the New Testament were not in red.
I prefer "black letter" Bibles.  I never did understand the motivation behind marking the words Jesus spoke while on earth in a style different from the rest of the Bible.  To me, it was all God's word.
Another reason I prefer black letter is because (and I am going to "stick my neck out" here, so to speak) nearly everything Jesus said while on earth was in the Old Testament era.  Even though the gospels are placed in the "New Testament" section of Bibles, the "new testament" era did not actually start until Jesus' death and resurrection.


Unlike me, you may want a red letter Bible.  The CEB is available in both the black letter and red letter editions.  You can browse the various editions of the CEB here.


Whether you have a red letter Bible or a black letter Bible, the important thing is that...you read it!


I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.

Being Content at Christmas - CEB

I was reading a devotional the other day that drew attention to Philippians 4:11b.  The Common English Bible reads, "...I have learned how to be content in any circumstance."
"Content" in the Greek is autarkes, "self-sufficient" (autos, "self," and arkeo, "to assist, suffice").
Warren Wiersbe writes, "The word content actually means 'contained.'  It is a description of those whose resources are within them so that they do not have to depend on substitutes without."  (Day 337, Pause for Power)  Wiersbe is quick to add that we Christians are not sufficient in ourselves but only because Christ is in us.
It is tempting at Christmas to not be content, to think that just one more thing will be sufficient for happiness.  With Christ living within (Col. 1:27), we have all we need to be content.

I am taking part in a blog tour of the Common English Bible. I'll be blogging more about this Bible as the days go by.

You can see the blogs of others taking part of this tour here: http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour

I received a complimentary copy of the CEB from its publisher for the purpose of this blog tour.