by Joel V Webb | Jun 17, 2024 | Uncategorized
I was born in 1995,
which is long after the lifetimes of both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R
Tolkien. Yes, despite this large time gap, their written works have
been some of the most enjoyed and formative pieces of fiction of my
life, and I look forward to sharing them with my kids. Even now,
almost 30 years after my birth, their works continue to be
best-sellers, which numerous spin-off works being developed.
Why is this the
case? How can books, written in mid-late 20th Century
English, with a prose quite different from out age still be so
popular? I contend that it is the same reason why they were so
popular when they arrived on the scene. Their works (the Chronicles
of Narnia & the Lord of the Rings respectively) are built on and
extol the virtues that are grounded in reality. The timeless struggle
of good vs. evil, overcoming of great obstacles with the power of
friendship and duty to those you love that surpasses all else. All of
this built upon the Judeo-Christian framework of Western
Civilization.
Because of this
their works continue to be popular because they are in essence
timeless. While the writing is different than our own, and the events
that shaped their experiences that influenced their work are now
several generations in the past. The truth of their work still rings
true to the human soul. Because both men, as followers of Christ
understood and saw the world as the product of a loving intelligent
designer who is perfect, the source of all virtues, their words
penned still speak to us. This is solidified by the reality that
during the times of their writing, both Lewis and Tolkien were
outliers in the world of writings, as everything else popular at that
time was reeling into the post-modernist nihilism of the post-WW1
era. And yes, we can barely name other contemporary authors.
And then we come to
the modern adaptations of some of their works. While I won’t touch
on the more recent Narnia movies (which are for the most part
faithful to this vision), the Amazon TV show Rings of Power,
and potentially the upcoming Narnia show from Netflix have me
concerned. While much attention to the details is paid for specific
fan service (many easter eggs of the lore are scattered throughout
the visuals of the show), something is still missing. In the world of
animation there is a principle called “the uncanny valley”, where
something looks super realistic, and yet there is an unsettling
because something is just off. To the human eye, there is a distinct
lack of life in what we are perceiving despite it being almost photo
realistic. This is the problem that the Rings of Power
has.
The
show seeks to encapsulate everything that makes Lord of the Rings so
successful, but missed the most important part of it. While the focus
is on getting all of the visuals of armor, weapons, orcs and other
fantastic creatures photo correct, there is still something missing.
The heart of soul of the world that Tolkien created is but a void.
Despite all the flashy fantastical features the show presents, it is
really just dead and hollow. The dialogue is wooden and flat. Why?
Because the creators of the show don’t just not believe in how
Tolkien saw the world, but probably despise it.
I
get it. We are numerous decades since Tolkien died, and times are
different. The values and virtues of the old have been replace. And
that detrimentally impacts the imitation of works from that era. No
matter how hard they try with all the animation and big budgets that
Amazon can provide, they will never be able to capture the world that
Tolkien built because they wish to cast their own vision and world,
instead of the one that made the stories so beloved in the first
place. This is why the most
recent iterations of the Star Wars universe have been nothing but
sad. Arrogant, cringe-worthy unmitigated garbage. Full stop.
To
put it frankly it is a bastardization. I do not say that lightly not
without thought. It is but the sad feeble attempt of a culture devoid
of meaning and purpose that is attempting to monetize the beauty and
truth constructed in a story that has captivated many. And until that
worldview is recaptured and nurtured any
attempt to imagine these stories differently will like always flop.
People know when they are seeing the shadow of the thing instead of
the tings itself.
Now
to the hopeful part. Things don’t have to stay this way. We can
again recapture the beauty of seeing the world that developed these
amazing stories. The truth of the matter is that the virtues extolled
and written about in their works are not enough on their own. There
is always something greater than the virtues themselves, and that is
the one from whom they flow. We again have to capture the beauty and
mystery of Christ and His Gospel, and how He works and transforms our
lives. Even in the face of adversity and evil, good stands firm to
love those, even those who hate you.
We
live in a world that in many ways is tearing itself apart. Our
self-centered narcissism has turned into self-consumption like a star
collapsing in on itself. Instead we can present a different
narrative. One where love is the ultimate victor over power and evil.
Where being the last is really being first, and reminding people that
all that glitters is not gold.
by Joel V Webb | Jun 13, 2024 | Uncategorized
There is a fantastic
quote by C.S. Lewis in the introduction for my copy of On the
Incarnation, by Athanasius where he says,
“There is a
strange idea abroad that in every subject the ancient books should be
read only by the professionals, and that the amateur should content
himself with the modern books…. This mistaken preference for the
modern books and this shyness of the old ones is nowhere more rampant
than in theology.”
Our
modern day and age, maybe more so than others seems to have a desire
to throw out what is deemed as “old” and “antiquated”, and
rather utilize what is new, sleek and up to date. This is likely true
for every generation of humanity. It just seems the rate for us is so
much quicker. We always want to tear down the fence without ever
asking why it was there in the first place.
I
think the same thing goes for books. I love books. I have many books
and hope to have many more (my wife would disagree). It’s an
attribute and love that I get from my dad, which I am so grateful
for!
In
our day and age of the Church we are looking for the way to reach
out, modified and evolve how we are doing things to interact with a
culture that is very different than 100 years ago. Because of this we
are searching out for the answers of how to address this culture, and
the people who we know are in need of a Savior. And rightly we are
spending a lot of time searching out the answer, looking for new
ways. But what if the answers are already there, thought out, tried
and found working?
Be
it the early church father or the reformers, there is so much
examined and practiced wisdom found in the Christian tradition. So
many of the questions that many are asking that leads to
deconstruction have been grappled with by theologians within a few
generations of the life of Christ. What I think has happened though,
is we have traded the tried and ancient answers of the Church seeking
out flashier answers. And is many cases, the trade off has been
worse. Instead of deep and satisfying answers for the problem of pain
and suffering, we hand out shallow platitudes of evangelical niceness
that do more to hurt those in lament and sorrow than giving them deep
and abiding hope in Christ and the resurrection.
The
answer? Read old books! Things are really only as old and tired as
you are. Dead religion in reality is only as dead or alive as you
are. There can be life and Spirit-aliveness in a high liturgy
service, and complete spiritual deadness in a Charismatic service.
The question to be asked is how alive in Christ is that person? This
holds true to the answers of the ancients. So many of the struggles
we are grappling with have been examined and thought through my men &
women smarter that I hundreds or thousands of years ago.
If
you want a place to get started, you can go to ccel.org which has
HUNDREDS if not thousands of books, sermons and documents that are
free to access, Collections of the depth and breadth of Christian
wisdom through the ages.
Read
old books, live alive in the Spirit.
D.V.
by Joel V Webb | Jun 11, 2024 | Uncategorized
Recently I’ve been seeing a series of posts about what they see are
the problems with full-time ministry. Part of his emphasis is the
importance of pastors building alternative streams of income so they
are not sole dependent on a fixed ministry income. Is this an overall
bad thing? No! I agree that for some it can be important to have
alternative sources of income, especially in contexts where a single
church is not able to provide fully for a pastor and their family.
And I do also see a trend where in certain contexts, more pastors
will need to be more dual-income just as Paul was with his tent
making.
That being said, I
do not take this reality as a wholesale rejection of full-time
pastoral ministry. To be honest, much of this brother’s concern is
not with the idea of a pastor being full-time as it is with the
culture of many churches that has been developed over the last 50
years. Many of the issues this brother highlights are because in many
cases the role of pastor has stepped outside of the primary role of
shepherd, and turned more into a spiritualized charismatic CEO of
industry.
In my seminary
studies one thing has become clear in regards to the role of a
pastor. The needs of the human soul have not changed since the
founding of the Church, and will not change. Sure, the specific
challenges and circumstances we has humanity face may look different,
but the core needs of our souls are still the same. Because of this,
the core role of a pastor has not changed either. But in the broader
evangelical non-denominational culture, we have forced a shift on
pastors. Instead of being the shepherd who lives and grows with the
flock, the pastor has become more of a business boss who is more
involved in keeping sure programs are running effectively.
As Richard Baxter
says in his classic work The Reformed Pastor,
“To be a bishop, or pastor,
is not to be set up as an idol for the people to bow to, or as idle
‘slow bellies,’ to live to our fleshly delight and ease; but it
is to be the guide of sinners to heaven.” The
primary role and goal of a pastor is to shepherd and love those in
the church to follow Christ. This does not mean we do the work of the
Holy Spirit (because we would muck it all up). But the pastor is to
be the encourager and one who through experience and knowledge, help
set up a framework on how the Gospel instructs our lives.
This is a stark
departure from the role of pastor as it has been know. Now, there is
nothing wrong with church programs and the like. They are apart of
how many conduct church, and need to be managed. However, the role of
pastor has morphed into the manager of these programs, rather than
being the shepherd of the people of the flock. I agree with many of
the surface criticisms that have been presented. They are problems
that need to be addressed. But I do not think the blanket solution
for this is getting rid of full-time ministry altogether.
Instead, we need to
look hard and long at the roles of our pastors. Are they engaged in
the building of the believer, focused on the health and faith of
those in the flock. Or, are they simply managing programs? If it is
the latter, then something needs to change.
Put simply and
finally. The issue is not with full-time pastoring as a whole. This
has been the norm for all of Christendom, and I believe in various
ways will continue to be. We need men & women who are dedicated
to not just the study of the Word and functioning of the church, but
also dedicated and focused on the growth of the believers in their
context. Can and should pastors also work other jobs. If there is the
need or calling, then yes! God utilizes believers in so many
different ways. For some it may be a bi-vocational role where they
work both in and outside the Church for need of income and/or
ministry opportunity. And, there are those that God calls to be
dedicated full-time to pastoral ministry, as there is great benefit
there as well.
But let us be sure
to diagnose the problem correctly. Not with the role itself, but
instead the unhealthy culture of what the role is supposed to be that
has become so prevalent in the last several generations.
by Joel V Webb | Jun 3, 2024 | Uncategorized
There’s a certain kind of feeling when you have finished a long hike and you finally reach the scenic overlook. The beautiful display of God’s creation laying below as it expands in its ever moving edges to the horizon. In those moments there is a sort of clarity, peace and serenity when we get to overlook and oversee so much when not hemmed in by the trees and geography that is so often over us.
And then there is the long climb down. A hike of return that in many ways is easier than the climb up because the incline of the trail is going with you. But it also represents a moving away from the clarity and peace, back into the hum drum of life and civilized existence. Things seem less simple, and more complicated…probably because in reality they are.
At numerous times through my life, as I think many of us have experienced have been in those times and moments of serenity. A clairvoyant time of a mountain top in which every part of life seemed simple, everything had an answer, and maybe we even felt like we could fly. But as always happens the trek down the mountain starts we back to life as it seemingly was. Many of the times these experiences were precipitated by a special time away. Many of us can likely think back to times at youth camps where we met with Jesus in a special way, and all of our besetting problems and foibles seemed like they were done and over with. And then we go back to life and things are great for a week, and then as time goes the feeling of strength and clarity fade.
Could it all be that fickle? Is it supposed to be? Why does it seem to be this viscous cycle?
Psalm 139:8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”
Doesn’t that kind of sound like those mountain moments? Things get cleaned up and cleared out, but then whatever it was seemingly comes back with a vengeance? What are we supposed to do!? How can we overcome this?
Thankfully, God has not left us wondering there either.
Ultimately, the problem that so many of us have faced is that much of our walk and faith in Christ is based on experience and sometimes even more strongly our feelings. Don’t get me wrong, our personal experiences with Christ are essential, and something that we can look back on His faithfulness especially when we go through tough times. But the problem lies with almost totally living our Christian walk off of our feelings. Just like any other human feeling, that is fickle and bound for failure.
We have to remember, out walk with Christ is based off of Him, and Him alone. Now, we do have out part of allegiance to Christ. But the strength and ability to walk with Him is found in Him. God is so good to give us those times of respite, being on the mountain where we feel Him so clearly, and nothing seems to hold us. And then we always need to keep going.
So often I myself live in this cycle of failure and triumph. I was awaiting some amazing spiritual moment when I would overcome all the junk I was bound to and never have to face a problem again. Living in total victory because I’d always be on the mountain. But that’s not how life works, or how it was intended. Life happens. Stuff happens, and it sucks. But if my faith and relationship with Christ is solely built on the mountain times we actually miss how He is faithful…when it seems like He isn’t there from our perspective.
It is in those moments of the valley, that may even seem like hell to us where God is also.
The validity and strength of your walk with Christ are not graded on out feelings. If that were the case we’d all fail…HARD. Instead, let us remember that our salvation is based off of Christ’s faithfulness. And even if we feel like we’re in the dredges, He is with us. His Holy Spirit is empowering us to follow and remain allegiant to Him.
He is always with us. He will never leave or forsake us. And remember. Fear not because He has overcome the world.
by Joel V Webb | May 29, 2024 | Uncategorized
One of the big discussions happening in the Church is that
of reaching to the next generation, most who have never and may never darken
the doors of a Church building for a variety of reasons. The pool of research
is growing into this field, seeking out how the Church can be effective
witnesses of the Gospel.
Everything that I have read so far shows that really what
the next generation is looking for from those of us currently in the pews is
not necessarily a particular worship style or worship, but rather a warm
authentic community. Be it a church providing high liturgy and the Eucharist
every week, or a more modern setup with a rockin’ worship team and a pastor in
ripped jeans. The coming generations (particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha) are
really caring about the authenticity of the relationships and community that
their place of worship has, rather than being attached to a certain style of
worship (See the book Growing Young by Kara Powell, Jake Mulder and Brad
Griffin).
In my lifetime my experience with much of the Church has
been more concerned with the form of the worship over the community the
participated. I’m sure there are those who share this experience, or have very
different experiences. Because of the general acceptance of Christian morality
in the West for the last several generations, a form of malaise has grown over
our eyes as the culture around us generally mirrors how the Church is called to
live.
What has happened in the last 20 years in particular is a
vast shifting in the US (something that was already rapidly happening in Canada
and Europe) of the perspective of the Church and the Christian message. Now, just
like the early church in some ways, we are the counter-cultural force at play.
This is scary for many of us, causing us to respond with suspicion and fear to
the shifting sands around us, rather than responding with the attitude of
opportunity.
This needs to make us take a deep look at our outlook as the
Church in regards to our interaction and perspective. We are no longer the pre-supposed
middle of the conversation. With polarization on both political fronts, the
Church is finding itself being sucked to two extremes that are impossible to
bridge. Instead, we need to focus on what we were called to be. In, but not of
this world.
If we are wanting to be attractive to the next generations,
we must offer something that no ideology, Tik Tok fad, virtue signaling, or political
movement can provide. The Church offer
vital and life-giving community centered around the Gospel, which is a
life-changing message of hope and new life in a world that is spiraling as it
searches for meaning. Our modern world gives us the ability to reach and share
with people as unheard of speed, with the truth of an ancient message that has
been practiced by other broken, and then made new people for over 2000 years.
We may need to look at hybrid models of doing things. A sold
combination of alternative forms of church (commonly called fresh expressions) and
what we commonly think of as the Church to meet the needs of people who are in
just as much need of new life in Christ as we are, or the Jews & Gentiles
of the 1st Century AD were. I don’t know what that all looks like,
or means. The Holy Spirit is calling the Church to remain faithful to the faith
once for all delivered to the saints, while not being tied to how we’ve always
done things.
Let’s drop the facade of “doing Church” and instead really live
as an intentional community who loves God, loves people, and live sent to
proclaim the Gospel, whatever that looks like.
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