Thursday, September 30, 2021

September Reflections

Bible Reading
  • In September, I read Psalm 119 thirty days in a row.
  • In September, I read Malachi thirty days in a row.
  • In September, I continued to read the HCSB using a very modified Professor Horner plan.
  • In September, I finished the 1611 KJV. 
  • In September, I began reading the 1537 Thomas Matthew Bible. I've read Genesis through Ezekiel! Not bad for one month's work!!!
  • In September, I continued reading the Power 60 reading plan in the BSB on the YouVersion app. I am a dozen plus days ahead of the plan. I've read Genesis through John 5.
  • In September, I continued the ESV M'Cheyne reading plan using the ESV app. (I did in August too, but somehow didn't list it????)
  • In September, I read some in the KJV. This is a paragraph bible with NO verse numbers. I love and adore it so, so, so much. It's from a smaller publishing house, but the quality is outstanding.
  • In September, (well the last week of September) I began using the Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer. 

Books Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible


54. Enjoying the Bible. Matthew Mullins. 2021. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]
55. Holier Than Thou: How God's Holiness Helps Us Trust Him. Jackie Hill Perry. 2021. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]
56. The Moonlight School.Suzanne Woods Fisher. 2021. [February] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]
57. Rediscovering Holinessby J.I. Packer. 2021. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
58. When Twilight Breaks. Sarah Sundin. 2021. [February] 365 pages. [Source: Review copy]
59. The Whole Story for the Whole Family. Michael Kelley. 2021. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy]
60. The Librarian's Journey: Four Historical Romances. Patty Smith Hall, Cynthia Hickey, Marilyn Turk, Kathleen Y'Barbo. 2021. [October] 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
61. The Weight of Memoryby Shawn Smucker. [July] 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]
62. The Heritage of Anglican Theologyby J.I. Packer. 2021. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]


Bibles Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible


7.Annotated King James Bible 1611 (In Early Modern English) Historical Series. 4512 pages. [Source: Bought]



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Sunday, September 26, 2021

62. The Heritage of Anglican Theology


The Heritage of Anglican Theology by J.I. Packer. 2021. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence of the foreword: The origins of this book are to be found in a course on Anglican history and theology that J. I. Packer taught at Regent College in Vancouver over a number of years.

First sentence: Our purpose in this book is to study and appreciate Anglican theology—to take the measure of it, that is, as theology, not as anything else.

I love, love, love J.I. Packer. I do. He was one of my first theologians to read. Going into this I knew relatively little about Anglican theology. Relatively. My knowledge was limited primarily to the Tudor period and later the Puritans. With little bits of shallow-ish knowledge from other time periods in history. This book covers a LOT. I was worried that it would be exceedingly dry, completely uninteresting, without a spark of personality. I was wrong. 

Granted, this book won't appeal to every reader. I know that. You know that. But for those who have an interest either in church history in general OR the history and legacy of the Anglican church (aka Church of England) OR a love for all things Packer, this one does a great job at delivering just what it promises. What you see is exactly what you get. Packer gives us a history and overview of the Anglican church past and present. Packer highlights not only key events but also key people and key ideas. He does a good job of tracing the history through the centuries--linking everything together. 

He does a good job of pointing out that there isn't just "one" stream of Anglicanism. There are three main streams--or branches--of Anglicanism. (And there have been for centuries.) The three are: Protestant Reformed, Anglo-Catholic (or High Church), Broad Church (or Liberal or Radical or Modern). 

I love the blend of theology and doctrine, history, biography, and to some degree church politics. 

Again this one won't appeal to everyone, but to those special few that have an interest, it will be appreciated and loved. 


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

61. The Weight of Memory


The Weight of Memory by Shawn Smucker. [July] 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Her words hover in the air, hummingbirds, and I hold my breath, glance up at the clock above the door, and watch the red second hand twitch its way through a minute. 

Paul Elias, our protagonist, has just received shocking, life-changing news. His life expectancy is "anytime to three months." He is the primary caregiver of his granddaughter, Pearl. His only other family being a drug-addict son, John, whom he hasn't seen--or heard from--in four plus years. So what does he do? Well. He decides to pick up his granddaughter from school and go on a road trip back to his hometown of Nysa. He doesn't have family there. He doesn't even know if he has friends there. He hasn't been back to Nysa in forty years; he left soon after his wife's disappearance with his newborn son. I doubt that Paul has even googled his hometown. (Though he should have, in my humble opinion.) Still the pair head off to Nysa despite an increasing number of foreboding experiences on their journey. Hint: If you're heading into town and every person you meet says GO AWAY, THIS TOWN ISN'T SAFE ANYMORE. BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GO OUT ANYWHERE NEAR THE LAKE, if you're smart you'd rethink your hasty, reckless, life-changing decision. 

So what is Paul's plan? Paul's plan is to find somebody--anybody to raise Pearl. Yes, you heard me. He has driven across country to find a complete and total stranger to give his granddaughter to. And his criterion seems to be so low-key it's almost non existent. Are you breathing? Well, that makes you a possible caregiver for my one and only granddaughter. 

There being no hotels in his hometown, he finds an emotionless person to go home with. True, forty years ago, these two knew each other way back when. But still. Despite forty plus red flags that are literally screaming out DANGER, DANGER, DANGER, DANGER, he is thinking Tom is the best choice for Pearl's next caregiver. 

What else should you know about The Weight of Memory? It's written in the second person. The "you" being Pearl. The style is...atmospheric, eery, literary. The chapters alternate between the present and flashbacks of the past. Most of the characters, if not all the characters, are SUPER creepy. Despite being published by a Christian publishing company, there is absolutely nothing Christian about the text. In fact, I'd make the case that the book goes out of its way to be non-Christian in its supernatural-ness. I'm not sure if the right word for this one is supernatural OR magical realism OR perhaps a blending of the two. 

I guess what bothers me most is that this book is published by a Christian publisher and yet stands against--or in opposition--to a Christian world view or perspective of death and the afterlife. Like Paul doesn't seem to have any clue whatsoever about what happens when you die, or, more importantly what happens after you die. It's not that he has doubts or questions. He's not even asking the questions. Or thinking about asking the questions. He's not seeking God. He's not seeking peace or assurance. Readers never see him praying, talking to God, thinking about God, nothing, absolutely nothing. And what the book presents instead....is...well disturbing. 

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S

A
H
E
A
D

Throughout the book, there is a mysterious white-haired/silver-haired lady that only a few people can see. Pearl being one of them. Paul's wife, Mary, being another. Throughout the book, Paul stumbles across a few others that have seen her. She is a spooky/scary/haunting/creepy character that is often encouraging characters to do really super dangerous, not at all safe things. Things that will more often than not cause people to die. Yes, die. Hence all the foreboding, obvious warnings saying DON'T LIVE HERE. DON'T STAY HERE. GET AWAY WHILE YOU STILL CAN.

The fact that Pearl is conversing with her almost every single day and listening to her and doing her bidding....well it's just like someone waving a million red flags. Paul is oblivious. Like totally and completely clueless. Like, well, things aren't that bad. Pearl has always had her imaginary friends. Pearl has always like running away. (Which don't get me started on Paul's nonchalant parenting.)

DEEP DEEP DEEP 
SPOILERS

Pearl goes on a mission for the mysterious lady (whom we learn is Death), and this has her essentially drown...traveling to the after life...which is an ocean/beach. There's a white house with her grandmother in it. The two have a conversation together...and Mary has a message for Paul that she is waiting and will be waiting for him to join her on the other side. Again, no mention of heaven...or hell...or Jesus...or God...or anything remotely Christian. Just this peaceful beach existence. 

But putting ALL OF THAT ASIDE. I still wanted to yell and scream at Paul the entire book. WHY ARE YOU BEING SO STUPID?????? ARE YOU REALLY THINKING OF WHAT IS BEST FOR PEARL???? IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE HER WITH A COMPLETE STRANGER, WHY NOT DO IT IN THE PLACE YOU'RE LIVING NOW?????? DO YOU NOT KNOW ANYONE IN TOWN???? DOES PEARL NOT HAVE FRIENDS????? SURELY AMONG THE TEACHERS, PEARL'S FRIENDS' PARENTS, OTHER RESPONSIBLE HUMAN BEINGS YOU'VE ENCOUNTERED, YOU CAN MAKE A PLAN THAT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE. WHY DO YOU NOT CARE THAT YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER IS RUNNING WILD???? THAT SHE IS SEEING AND HEARING PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT THERE????? THAT HER ACTIONS ARE HAVING HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES???? IS THE TUMOR EFFECTING ALL OF YOUR LOGIC AND REASONING SKILLS???? 

And don't get me started on the ending of this one. There are a million reasons why the ending is just all kinds of WRONG. 

Quotes:
  • We paddle where we think we want to go, but all along it's the hidden current that takes us.
  • Grief is hard and good. It is the disease and the medicine, all at once.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Monday, September 20, 2021

60. The Librarian's Journey


The Librarian's Journey: Four Historical Romances. Patty Smith Hall, Cynthia Hickey, Marilyn Turk, Kathleen Y'Barbo. 2021. [October] 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

The Librarian's Journey is a novella collection published by Barbour. It contains four novellas--all historical romance. The theme is FDR's pack horse librarian program part of the Works Progress Administration during the Depression. Essentially, librarians traveling in country/rural areas where bookmobiles did not/could not go.

Love's Turning Page by Cynthia Hickey is set in the Ozark Mountains. FDR's program technically didn't serve this area/community. So the author took a few liberties. I wouldn't have minded those liberties with location, but, I wasn't a fan of the story overall. This book had...UNNECESSARY villains. Characters that serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever except to wear the bad guy villain hat and provide a cheap excuse for a hero to emerge as THE HERO and save the heroine. It's bad enough when a romance has one...but when a story has more than one...well...I have a hard time liking it. I also thought the hero wasn't all that likable. 

For Such A Time by Patty Smith Hall is set in Georgia. Ruth Sims, our heroine, is a former nurse. She lost her job due to budget cuts due to the Depression. She never wanted to be "a librarian," but she needs a job. She's returned home to the community she grew up in, and she's reunited with a former love--now a school teacher. Reunited as in they are now working closely together to serve the community. She longs to serve the community...but as a nurse...not a librarian. Can this new job give her the opportunity to do a bit of both? I liked this story. I did. 

Book Lady of the Bayou by Marilyn Turk is set in Mississippi. I really liked this story. Lily Bee Davis is the book woman. She meets a little girl, Evie, and Evie's reclusive father. (The father just happens to be super cute.) As she begins to serve the community, she loses her heart as well....I already mentioned I enjoyed this one. I thought the characters were well done. I loved that this story loves calling out certain books by name. Like Lily choosing The Velveteen Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh for Evie especially. Other titles are included as well for other patrons--I remember someone reading Little House in the Big Woods and maybe Pollyanna.

The Librarian and the Lawman by Kathleen Y'Barbo is set in West Virginia. It may just be my favorite and best from this collection. (Though I also really loved the third novella). Lottie Trent, the heroine, hasn't had the easiest life. Her family has secrets. Secrets BIG enough that they've had to change their name and move around a bit. Secrets that keep her parents a little jumpy and over-protective. Lottie falls in love--sorta instantly--with Clay Turnbow. Clay has declared his love and his intentions to marry her. She thought about it for like five minutes and was like WOW that would be great. Things didn't work out then--1925? 1926?--but ten years later when they are both in different places in their lives and careers...it might just. Clay is now an FBI agent going undercover...and Lottie is a book woman. I really loved this last story so much. I loved the characters and the plot. 

Overall, the book collection only gets better and better as you go along. I would rate the first story as two stars. The second as three stars. The third as four stars. The fourth as five stars. I am glad the stories were arranged this way. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Come-to-Jesus End of Year Assessment

So we're in the last four months of the year. Here is the time I both a) get super excited thinking about 2022 reading goals and plans and b) start to worry that I won't finish THIS year's reading plans and goals. It's a tricky time of asking myself hard questions like DO I WANT TO TRY TO FINISH THIS BIBLE THIS YEAR? OR DO I WANT TO SAVE THIS BIBLE FOR NEXT YEAR? 

So how many ongoing current projects do I have? Quite a few. 

I'm still reading the ESV with the M'Cheyne Reading Plan. This one isn't a big deal. It's an app. It takes a few minutes. I'm never tempted to read ahead. Nor am I tempted to skip a day. This one is just in the background.

The Horner Plan. I'm on my fourth Bible reading this plan. I randomly--completely so--chose a GIANT print HCSB for this project. I am not 100% confident that I will finish it cover to cover by the end of the year. But I'm not actively worried that I won't. I *think* it took about three-to-four months for the other read throughs. And so this one *should* be fine. Probably. Mostly. 

KJV. This is a paragraph bible with NO verse numbers. I love and adore it so, so, so much. It's from a smaller publishing house, but the quality is outstanding. Again, love, love, love. Anyway, I've got Isaiah through Malachi, the gospel of John, 1 Timothy through Hebrews, and 1 John through Revelation. I would love to finish this Bible this year and review it.

BSB. I'm reading the BSB (Berean Study Bible) using the Power 60 reading plan. I'm 30 days into the plan. I just finished the book of Psalms today. I have Proverbs through Revelation to read. As long as I keep going at a steady pace, I can easily fit in thirty more readings. I am so excited to review this translation.

1537 Thomas Matthew Bible. I've got Esther through Revelation. I only started this one this month, and I'm pleased with my progress. It seems to be a steady, enjoyable, engaging read. 

Last but not least, there is the NASB Schuyler. At this point, I don't know if I should commit to reading this one through this year....or save it and start over next year. I've got Leviticus through Judges, 1 Samuel through 2 Kings, Psalms through Daniel, the gospel of John, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians through Revelation. 

Can I finish SIX bibles in four months? 


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Friday, September 17, 2021

59. The Whole Story for the Whole Family


The Whole Story for the Whole Family. Michael Kelley. 2021. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Deuteronomy 6 contains the text of the shema. That word literally means “hear,” and it’s the beginning of the greatest command: “Hear, O Israel: The L ord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deut. 6:4–5 niv) This is the oldest fixed prayer in Judaism, and even today is recited at least twice a day by observant Jews.

The Whole Story for the Whole Family: A Year of Jesus-Centered Family Devotions is exactly what it claims to be: a devotional book for family use that is focused on telling the whole story of the Bible. The devotions take a chronological approach, a selective chronological approach. Which stories within the Bible come together to tell the WHOLE story? It doesn't focus on other types of biblical text that aren't "stories." (However, I will say that a *few* psalms make it into the devotional book because of their connection with David. Same with some of Solomon's writings (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes)). If you're looking for a book that will work through all sixty-six books of the Bible, this isn't it. If you read the daily scripture selections you'll get an overview of the Bible--hitting all the main points, main stories, main ideas. But you won't have read from every book of the Bible. 

Roughly 65 to 66% of this one is focused on the Old Testament. The remaining is mainly focused on Matthew through Acts with two to four readings from Revelation. ALL THE EPISTLES--the Pauline epistles, the general epistles, no matter how long or short--are skipped entirely. For better or worse. On the one hand, few contain "stories" as such. But on the other hand, I have a hard time seeing how the WHOLE STORY of the Bible can be presented without using the epistles--they are so theologically and doctrinally rich. It's like excluding a whole food group from a healthy well-balanced diet.

The book is straightforward in its practical use. Each entry is divided into FIVE sections: show, read, explain, reflect, and pray. I'll share the first entry with you below.

Everything from Nothing 

Show Distribute pen and paper, Legos, Play-Dough, or some other material to each family member. Explain that they will have two minutes to create something brand-new. It could be a new building, a new animal, a new food—anything new. Start the timer and allow the family to work. Once the work is done, allow each family member to explain what they made, commending each one for their creativity. Then explain that even though you all created new kinds of things, you all used materials to create them. You didn’t create the Legos, the paper, or the Play-Dough. Even though you made something, you didn’t make something from nothing. But that’s what God did when He created. 
Read Genesis 1:1–5
Explain The Bible tells us that in the beginning, there was God, and God alone. He has always been, and He will always be. When He created, God didn’t use material that was already present; instead, He created all things just by speaking them into existence. Everywhere we look we can see evidences of God’s power, His creativity, and His love. There is no one and nothing like God who has the power to bring things into existence by His power. Every time we see a tree, a cloud, or a mountain, it’s a chance to remember the powerful God who spoke it all into existence. As the story continues, we will see that we need a powerful God to do what we could never do for ourselves. 
Reflect 1. What does God’s creation show us about Him? 2. How should we respond to a God so powerful that He can create something from nothing? 3. What are some of your favorite things in the world that remind you of how powerful God is? 
Pray Thank You, God, that You are powerful. Help us today, as we walk through the world You made, to remember that You are the Creator of all things.



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

58. When Twilight Breaks



When Twilight Breaks. Sarah Sundin. 2021. [February] 365 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Evelyn Brand had done a crack bit of journalism, and she hadn't even had to dress like a man to do so.

Evelyn Brand, our heroine, is an American correspondent working for the American News Service. Her dream job would have her living in Berlin and covering the biggest stories. It would be ideal if she could phone in her stories WITHOUT having to get the extra-approval of her boss, George Norwood. (The other correspondents--all men--don't have to go through this extra step.) But, no, Brand finds herself "stuck" in Munich covering lesser stories. 

Peter Lang is teaching at a university in Munich as part of his dissertation. He's got big ideas on how to help German-speakers learn to speak English with a "better" American accent AND how to help Americans learn to speak German with a "better" German accent. Think of him as Professor Higgins--but younger and cuter. 

Evelyn and Peter meet. There's definite attraction, potential for chemistry, but one thing is holding her back--well, two things technically. First and foremost, he seems to be pro-Nazi. He doesn't seem to be "aware" of the bigger pictures and the increasing dangers. The ideology doesn't seem to concern him all that much--after all, he is only there for two semesters, and as an American citizen, it doesn't seem to be anything that would ever effect him personally. The last thing America needs is to get involved in European politics--no matter how melodramatic. Evelyn sees the dangers--not only for the future, but for the present. She wants to have the freedom to write the truth--the whole truth. She's aware that she has to follow certain rules and guidelines--always trying to cover both sides of an issue, seemingly staying neutral, sticking strictly to facts. Unfortunately, Norwood--her boss and editor--changes every story she writes into pro-Germany, pro-Nazi propaganda. She's often shocked to read her story in print because it's been altered so drastically.

The book covers most of 1938 and a little into 1939. Mostly set in Germany. 

It is an INTENSE, action-packed, suspenseful, historical romance. It is DRAMATIC in places but rightly so. The pacing is perhaps a little slow at the start. I was interested from the very beginning because this is one of my favorite genres or sub-genres. But the pace definitely picks up during the second half of the novel. The last third, well, I was actively worried. I was turning pages as fast as I possibly could. 



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

57. Rediscovering Holiness


Rediscovering Holiness by J.I. Packer. 2021. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Our grandfather clock, which tells us not only the hours, minutes and seconds but also the days of the week, the months of the year, and the phases of the moon, is something of a veteran. Scratched on one of its lead weights is the date 1789—the year of the French Revolution and George Washington’s first term as President. Our clock was going before the great Christian theologian John Wesley stopped going, if I may put it so.

Rediscovering Holiness was first published in 1992. It has gone through several editions; the most recent edition being published in July 2021 by Crossway. According to the preface, the book "grew" out of four conference talks from the year before--1991. You honestly can't tell this book grew out of four separate conference sermons! The book is cohesive and seamless in its treatment of holiness. The book doesn't focus in on one aspect of holiness, it touches on the many, many aspects of holiness. 

The context for the book is a growing concern (and rightly so using hindsight) that the contemporary church is failing to emphasize holiness--either God's holiness OR our need to grow in holiness (sanctification)--and to rightly teach and preach holiness. Packer saw a void--a big one perhaps--and decided to write a book on holiness. The subject was too important, too significant, too fundamental, too essential to ignore. This generation--and every generation--needs to be grounded on the doctrine of holiness. He writes, "To listen to our sermons and to read the books we write for each other and then to watch the zany, worldly, quarrelsome way we behave as Christian people, you would never imagine that once the highway of holiness was clearly marked out for Bible believers, so that ministers and people knew what it was and could speak of it with authority and confidence."

Packer points out that he doesn't need to "discover" new insights on holiness, but rather go back to previous teachings and writings. To go back to that "old time religion" if you will to discover what centuries of believers--theologians--have believed and taught about holiness. 

The book has plenty of Scripture AND plenty of quotes. Packer does love his Puritans. (Yes, I know that Packer is dead. It's just harder--for me--to write a book review and switch verb tenses back and forth.) 

Throughout the book, Packer groups together prayer and holiness. The practical aspects of "learning" and "growing" both are connected. He writes, "Holiness, like prayer (which is indeed part of it), is something that, though Christians have an instinct for it through their new birth, as we shall see, they have to learn in and through experience. As Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8)—learned what obedience requires, costs and involves through the experience of actually doing His Father’s will up to and in His passion—so Christians must, and do, learn prayer from their struggles to pray and holiness from their battles for purity of heart and righteousness of life...Prayer and holiness are learned in a similar way as commitments are made, habits are formed and battles are fought against a real opponent (Satan, in this case), who with great cunning plays constantly on our weak spots...The process of learning to be holy, like the process of learning to pray, may properly be thought of as a school—God’s own school, in which the curriculum, the teaching staff, the rules, the discipline, the occasional prizes and the fellow pupils with whom one studies, plays, debates and fraternizes, are all there under God’s sovereign providence."

The book definitely has practical implications, but it is theology first and foremost. The holiness (of God) and the call to be holy (sanctification) is a WEIGHTY subject. Packer is thorough and solid. 

I found myself highlighting PAGES because so much material was worthy of a second look--a dozen looks to be fair. 

What you might not be expecting--and what I treasure most about it perhaps--is the RICHNESS of the chapters on SALVATION. Packer truly and clearly presents the gospel, and the gospel is beautiful, amazing, compelling. Though chapters two and three--the ones on salvation--are especially rich and wonderful, the book as a whole is worthy of your time, energy, and effort. Definitely worth a reread at some point.

Quotes:

We are all invalids in God’s hospital. In moral and spiritual terms we are all sick and damaged, diseased and deformed, scarred and sore, lame and lopsided, to a far, far greater extent than we realize. Under God’s care we are getting better, but we are not yet well. The modern Christian likes to dwell on present blessings rather than future prospects. Modern Christians egg each other on to testify that where once we were blind, deaf, and indeed dead so far as God was concerned, now through Christ we have been brought to life, radically transformed, and blessed with spiritual health. Thank God, there is real truth in that. But spiritual health means being holy and whole. To the extent that we fall short of being holy and whole, we are not fully healthy either. Measured by the absolute standard of spiritual health that we see in Jesus Christ, we are all of us no more, just as we are no less, than invalids in the process of being cured. Our spiritual life is at best a fragile convalescence, easily disrupted. When there are tensions, strains, perversities, and disappointments in the Christian fellowship, it helps to remember that no Christian, and no church, ever has the clean bill of spiritual health that would match the total physical well-being for which today’s fitness seekers labor. To long for total spiritual well-being is right and natural, but to believe that one is anywhere near it is to be utterly self-deceived.

The Bible, heard and read, preached and taught, interpreted and applied, is both the channel and the content of His communication. It is as if Jesus hands us the canonical Scriptures directly, telling us that they are the authoritative and all-sufficient source from which we must learn both what we are to do in order to be His followers and also what He has done, is doing, and will do to save us from the fatal sickness of sin. Think of your Bible, then, as Jesus Christ’s gift to you; think of it as a letter to you from your Lord. Think of your name, written in the front of it, as if Jesus Himself had written it there. Think of Jesus each time you read your Bible. Think of Him asking you, page by page and chapter by chapter, what you have just learned about the need, nature, method, and effect of the grace that He brings, and about the path of loyal discipleship that He calls you to tread. That is the way to profit from the Bible. Only when your reading of the written Word feeds into your relationship with the living Word (Jesus) does the Bible operate as the channel of light and life that God means it to be.

Packer's advice on reading/studying the Bible:

A helpful scheme of applicatory meditation on each passage is to ask ourselves: • What does this passage tell me about God? How does it describe God’s nature and power; His plan and purpose; His likes and dislikes; His works, ways, and will for His human creatures? • What does this passage tell me about living? What does it say about right conduct, wrong conduct, wise conduct, foolish conduct; different situations and relationships in which people find themselves; the way of faith with all its difficulties and delights; various emotional states and temperamental traumas; virtues to cultivate, vices to avoid, and values to hold on to; pressures from the world, the flesh, and the devil, and what to do about them? In short, what does it tell me about all the realities of belonging to a lost humanity in a spoiled world now touched by the powers of redemption, and involved in the ongoing conflict between Christ the conqueror and the defeated powers of darkness that are so desperately fighting back? What does all this say to me about my own life today? What does it tell me about the tasks, problems, opportunities, pitfalls, and temptations to sin that confront me day by day? What warnings and encouragements does it give me, and what wisdom and resources does it show me?


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, September 11, 2021

Scripture Chain for Psalm 119:105


Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:4

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:8

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: Proverbs 6:23

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:5

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Psalm 43:3

For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 18:28

The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130

The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. Psalm 119:160

Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple. Psalm 27:4

With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73:24

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

56. The Moonlight School


The Moonlight School. Suzanne Woods Fisher. 2021. [February] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence (from the prologue): [January 1899] Lucy Wilson shifted on the wooden bench, hardly aware of the afternoon chill as she waited for Father to return to the station. She was halfway through Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, and she sensed a niggling worry about sister Beth’s fragile health.

First sentence (from chapter one: [March 1911] The train jerked and jolted as it rumbled out of the station. Lucy Wilson stared out the window, watching her neat and tidy world fade into the distance.

Do you love Christy by Catherine Marshall? Have you read Christy a hundred times? Have you ever wished for MORE books like Christy? The Moonlight School is the book you've been waiting years for. 

Lucy Wilson is nervous but excited to be going to visit (so she thinks) her cousin, Cora Wilson Stewart. She'll be acting as her assistant. She envisions the position like a special secretary. She wasn't expecting to be making the rounds in the community acting as a scribe. Reading folks' letters aloud and taking down their replies and mailing them. Lucy didn't realize that nearly all the adults in this rural mountain community are illiterate. There are schools for the children--but not for the adults. 

As Lucy makes a home for herself in Rowan County, she meets a lot of people and learns valuable lessons....

Cora Wilson Stewart was a real woman. She really did start MOONLIGHT SCHOOLS to teach adults how to read and write. School was held in the evening between 7PM and 9PM for six weeks at a time. (I believe around September?) Her program was a success. Her work made a difference and had an impact.

I don't know that it is a complaint so much as a "warning" of sorts to other readers: don't expect the moonlight school to make an appearance until the book is nearly over. Rest assured it will be coming. But it will be a while. Lucy has a lot of life lessons to learn before the book can turn to history and the community.

I did love the story. I loved the characters. I loved the community. 

Quotes:

Cora put her pen down and leaned back in her chair. “It takes an effort of the imagination to put oneself in the place of the illiterate. To picture what life is like for one who must get all his information by ear. If a man cannot read or write or vote, he cannot speak. He is mute. He is forgotten. You might think it’s a pity they cannot read, but the real tragedy is they cannot speak.” She picked up her pen. “That, Lucy, is the real tragedy of the twentieth century.”

“Empty graves . . . are exactly why the Lord Jesus went to the cross and rose again. To offer each one of us a chance for an empty grave.” He tilted his head. “‘Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’” He looked Lucy straight in the eyes. “Wherever your sister Charlotte may be, she is not alone. She’s never been alone. The Lord is with her.” He grinned. “Amen. Sermon over.”




© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Monday, September 6, 2021

55. Holier Than Thou


Holier Than Thou: How God's Holiness Helps Us Trust Him. Jackie Hill Perry. 2021. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” So here I am, writing.

The premise of this one is super simple and straightforward: God is TRUSTWORTHY because God is holy. Or rather God is holy, holy, holy--therefore God is trustworthy. We can trust him in any and every circumstance because of WHO he is. 

The first five chapters of Holier Than Thou focus on GOD--his character, his attributes, examples from Scriptures on why God is trustworthy. The last two chapters focus on MAN--how does an UNholy man become holy? What is this doctrine called sanctification? How does one go about "becoming holy" and "being holy"? Her answer is the Holy Spirit from start to finish, essentially. (Though she does point out it is not a passive sitting but a Spirit-filled doing.) 

In the introduction she points out that she wrote the book she wanted to read. She, for whatever reason, read up on the subject of holiness--God's holiness and sanctification--and found them lacking in some way? But here's the thing, the best parts of Perry's books are when she is quoting others. She quotes a LOT of Sproul and a LOT of Tozer and a LOT of Charnock. 

Perhaps the focus on how holiness relates to God's trustworthiness is more unique to Perry's book than any other book on holiness. But that is the only thing that really makes this unique in any way. 

To those less familiar with the subject, this may serve as a good introduction. (I have no doubt it will have an audience.) But if you've read other books on holiness, you will find familiar friends in this one. Because she quotes from all the books you may have already read. In some cases, I could SPOT who she was quoting one or two sentences into a multiple paragraph quote. I could even tell you the book. Keeping things positive, finding old friends helped me feel confident in Perry. If I wasn't familiar with those she quoted, it would be an excellent starting place to go onto read other authors. Another positive, she focused almost exclusively ON SCRIPTURES. This wasn't filled with personal stories, more personal stories, and even more personal stories. She kept God central. 

There were definitely some thought provoking statements in this one. For example, 

Starting a gospel presentation with “Do you know that you’re a sinner?” is the wrong way to begin. Sinners may very well know that they are such because of their conscience or religious memories, but they will not know why being one should terrify them into silence. When sharing that good, good news, we should—dare I say must—begin with “Did you know that God is holy?” As you travel through the story, then, venturing into necessary subjects like sin and judgment, God is the context by which both land.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Friday, September 3, 2021

54. Enjoying the Bible


Enjoying the Bible. Matthew Mullins. 2021. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence from the introduction: When was the last time you visited your local bookstore or logged in online and bought a book of poetry? When was the last time you read a poem, whether because you wanted to or because you had to? Can you name a single poet you didn’t learn about in school? Regardless of where you live or where you are from, if you are anything like 93.3 percent of Americans, then the respective answers to these questions may very well be these: Never, I can’t recall, and No.

Enjoying the Bible is not the book I expected--for better or worse. I'll do my best to describe exactly what the book is like so that you can make an informed decision on if you want to read it or skip it.

I'll start with the author's stated goal: "In short, this book is about the pleasure of understanding. First, I mean that understanding what we read can be pleasurable. But second, I mean that, sometimes, you must take pleasure in something in order to understand it. The basic argument of this book is that much of the Bible is written to be enjoyed. The implication is that if reading the Bible does not enact pleasure in you, then you may not understand what you have read." 

He goes on to say that the book has two purposes (that relate to the main stated goal): "Therefore, this book has two purposes. First, it seeks to change the way we think about the Bible itself as a text, to expand our sense of it from instruction manual to work of literary art. Second, it attempts to teach us how to read the Bible as a work of literary art. These purposes presuppose a radical assumption: that understanding what we read is not merely an intellectual exercise, and so we need more than our brains to understand the Bible."

He argues that most people who read the Bible see it mainly or exclusively as an instruction manual. Most who read it take as much pleasure in reading the Bible as they would any instruction manual--that is very little if any. He supposes that these readers feel that the Bible is not something to be delighted in, enjoyed, treasured, feasted upon, relished. The Bible is something that you read for tips, guidelines, instructions, applications. 

He spends the majority of the book urging readers to change their perspective and approach. Throw out the notion (mainly) that the Bible is an instructional manual. Embrace the notion that the Bible is literature and that it is literary. Adopt a whole new way--a way that sees the Bible mainly as literary literature--to spend time in the Word. 

This is without a doubt where he spends the most time--unpacking, rearranging, repacking, reshaping what words like "meaning" and "understanding" mean. It can be a bit all over the place. If you hold all his views and opinions at once--presupposing them all to be equally true--then your mind might start spinning and you might have to reboot. 

For example, he insists that no literary text has a single central meaning. The very literariness of the literary text make room for a spectrum of meanings. He argues that the number of meanings is not limitless however. There is a spectrum. Readers use their experiences, imagination, feelings, and emotions in response to the words on the page. The words on the page will exclude certain renderings--but can never be reduced to one single, central, absolute, abstract meaning. 

He is all about MEANING and UNDERSTANDING and how these two terms relate to each other and to the reader's practical experiences. Because readers (who see the Bible as an instruction manual) are essentially learning how to reread from the very beginning (do, re, mi) and throwing out (mostly) everything that they think they know about how to understand what they read, he becomes teacher. And since he's a teacher in real life--teaching AMERICAN POETRY--this is where he turns. 

For better or worse, right or wrong, Mullins seems determined to tie one's ability to read poetry-poetry to one's ability to read the Bible...and enjoy it. If you don't learn how to read, how to understand, how to appreciate, how to enjoy POETRY poetry, then you will never learn how to rightly read and enjoy the Bible. (I personally do not buy into this notion...at all...not even a little bit.)

So he spends his time doing two things--giving readers examples from American poetry (well, mostly poetry, there is one short story). He will present a poem. Introduce the poem. Invite you to read and reread the poem. Walk you through exercises on how to understand and enjoy the poem. Present the poem again. Keep talking about the poem. Arrive at a conclusion about how this illustrate his reworked definition of meaning and understanding. That's one aspect of the book. But he also presents two possibly three passages of Scripture. Psalm 23. And a snippet of Psalm 119. Same thing he will coach you through step by step by step on how you "should" be approaching the text to arrive at a reworked meaning and understanding of the text. Remember no literary text can have a central meaning.

At the core of this reasoning seems to be the logic: you can never arrive at a meaning until you understand the text; you can never understand the text until you have experienced the text; you cannot experience a text until you've reacted emotionally to the text. Therefore meaning = words on the page + emotions and feelings. For example, if you read Psalm 23 and fail to FEEL comforted, reassured, loved, cherished, valued--etc., then you haven't understood it and you don't know what it means. If you read Psalm 119:105 and fail to feel an increased longing for the Word of God and a desire for more of the Word, then you've failed to understand the text and don't know what it means. 

He argues that the Bible is literature and a work of art. "Works of literature are what they say, whereas nonliterary works mean what they say." and "Literary texts mean by creating a world in which we must imagine ourselves." and "We need emotion to understand literature. Thus, to ask what a literary text means is always to ask what kinds of emotions it evokes. But my main point here is that to understand literature we must do more than identify or acknowledge these emotions. We must feel them." and "What we need to make peace with is the fact that the experience of reading is, itself, the meaning of the poem." and "The meaning is a negotiation between you and the poem, and the materials you have to work with (the poem itself and what you bring to it) are the parameters of the meaning."

He does have opinions and advice on how to read and how not to read the Bible.

When you want to read the Bible, don’t try to “extract” anything from the experience. By this I mean don’t open the book looking for a truth. Try this first with a story or poem. Imagine yourself in the world of the story. Maybe you’re an Israelite who’s just heard that the leaders are summoning the ark of the Lord to the battlefield. How do you feel? Does it give you hope, lift your spirits? Now what happens after you barely survive the ensuing fight while your friends are killed and the ark is stolen by the enemy? How do you react? Imagine learning that while the ark didn’t seem to work for you, it’s been rumored that the Philistines’ gods are falling down before it. What’s up with that? Are you confused? Encouraged? Fearful? Immerse yourself in the story. Don’t ask, To what end? or For what purpose? Read the Bible as you would anything else designed to capture your imagination.

and

To read the Bible well, slow down. Is there any reason you have to read an entire testament, book, chapter, passage, or even verse today? Why are you in such a hurry?

and

What we’re aiming for when we eat is the same thing we should be aiming for when we read the Scriptures: delight. When you eat well, you’re in a better position to train. But the relationship goes both ways; when you train hard, you’ll find yourself hungrier. You need both if you’re going to grow spiritually and learn to love God’s Word.

and

Our hearts must be inflamed, captured, taken by a vision; they must be appealed to differently than our heads. They must be trained and habituated over time so that in moments of intellectual storm we have a trustworthy anchor. While we might normally think of our hearts as less stable than our minds, it’s much easier to change our ideas than it is to change our desires.

and

Do you read, watch, and listen to the Bible like it’s the very food that will constitute your being? There should be evidence of the Scriptures in our breath, in our stride, in our body language toward one another, in the way we listen to and embrace each other. We need to read as if our very lives depend on it, even as our bodies rely on food. Read the Bible like you eat: to live. Practically, this means we must read it every day, we must read it at regular times, we must read it for both meals and snacks, we must read it because we have to and because it gives us pleasure, we must read it well.

and

If you can learn to read a poem like you experience a painting, you’ll be well on your way to cultivating a different set of expectations that you can then bring to the Bible.

and

The approach we’re beginning to develop attempts to let the text drive our reading. But by letting the text itself drive your observations and questions, you are not simply allowing it to speak for itself. In fact, I have emphasized the role of noticing what you notice and asking the questions that come from your observations to help us see that there are two horizons shaping your reading of the text at this stage: the horizon of the text and your own horizon. By “horizon” here, I mean perspective or point of view. The text is what it is, but you’re always reading it from your perspective. Right reading is not a matter of overcoming, or setting aside, your own perspective in favor of that of the text at hand. Right reading is a matter of bringing those two horizons into relation with one another.

I have very mixed feelings on Mullins' book. I do. I am bothered by one major thing he leaves out completely. That ONE essential thing is this: the Bible is a spiritual book and to understand--truly understand--the Bible one must be filled with the Holy Spirit. You must have spiritual eyes to find true meaning and understanding. Without the Spirit, the Words may be the very Word of God but they will never be more than words on the page. One cannot have a right understanding of Scripture without the Spirit. The Spirit is both AUTHOR and TEACHER and GUIDE and COUNSELOR. One's emotions, feelings, and experiences cannot guide one to a right reading, a right meaning unless one is filled with the Spirit, led by the Spirit, walking with the Spirit, abiding and growing in the Spirit. Then again, according to Mullins, because of the literariness of the Bible, there can be no central, singular meanings of a particular passage or text. 

The next thing that concerns me is this notion that one absolutely MUST come to an appreciation of poetry BEFORE one can rightly come to the Bible and enjoy the Bible. I think HIS horizons as a poetry teacher are limiting his reality! One does not need to appreciate ANY poet or ANY poetry--from any century--in order to ENJOY THE BIBLE. 

So where does ENJOYMENT OF THE BIBLE come from if not born out of a love of literature a love of poetry? I think it is the outworking of the Holy Spirit and/or the result of PRAYER. We develop an appetite for the Word of God when we feast on it. Feasting leads to delight. Delight leads to feasting. There is a circle of NOURISHMENT and PLEASURE. I do think we can and should change our approach to reading the Bible. I think we should a) actually read it, b) actually read it daily, c) actually read enough each day that we are not STARVING and lacking nutrients d) actually read enough so that we are satiated and satisfied, feel FED e) actually read it in such a way that OUR natural instincts of reading kicks in. 

Reading the Word of God invites WONDER and AWE. It is such a gracious gift that God invites us to know him, to know HIM as HE HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO US. It is such a gracious and loving act of worship to spend time READING THE VERY WORD OF GOD. There is nothing routine or mundane about it.

I also took issue with him for this insistence in SLOWING DOWN. I am not on team rush, rush, rush, speed. I am not on team snail's pace. I think if one wants to take PLEASURE in reading and build up an appetite, it's going to take more than SLOWLY reading a verse or two a day. Can you imagine taking a year to go through the gospel of Matthew because you are only reading two or three verses a day? And some days not even that? How would you ever CONNECT to the text and fall in love with the words on the page if one doesn't read at a NATURAL pace? It would be like taking A YEAR to watch a movie. Today we'll spend two to five minutes watching Fellowship of the Ring. We'll pick up tomorrow...or not.

That being said, it's not that I'm opposed to NATURALLY pausing when we're reading and saying WOW, I want to read that again...and again. THAT IS AMAZING. THAT IS TRULY SOMETHING. Some verses should strike us with AWE or HUMILITY or JOY or GRATITUDE. There should be natural moments when we want to say HALLELUJAH or AMEN or PRAISE THE LORD. I'm not opposed to these natural heart-felt moments of wonderment. OR even those natural pauses where we have questions. Where we want to slow down and ponder. 

I do think the Bible cannot be reduced to being a literary work. It is so much more than that. Mullins knows it. He just wants to place the "rules" of literature onto the Bible. But what perspectives and theories rule over "meaning" and "understanding" in the world of literature cannot be cut and pasted into reading something SACRED and God-Breathed. 

 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

7. King James Bible 1611


Annotated King James Bible 1611 (In Early Modern English) Historical Series. 4512 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: In the beginning God created the Heauen and the Earth. And the earth was without forme, and voyd, and darkenesse was vpon the face of the deepe: and the Spirit of God mooued vpon the face of the waters. And God said,  Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God diuided the light from the darkenesse.

I started reading the 1611 King James Bible in March 2021. I took a few months off where I didn't read it at all and then I started up again this summer. I read from Psalms through Revelation in about two months. 

Because it is SO HARD to find a 1611 King James that is actually 1611 and in Early Modern English I will link to the kindle edition. There are thousands of hits that come up when you search for the KJV in kindle edition. It was important to me that it retain the original spelling. 

The kindle edition is verse by verse. It was easy to navigate. However I chose to read it straight through Genesis to Revelation. 

I mentioned that I wanted the original spelling. I don't know exactly what it is about reading the original spelling that engages and delights me. You might think it would be super difficult or tricky, but your mind can get the hang of it fairly quickly. And the spelling even starts to make some sense if you sound it out in your head. I imagine someone with a drawl. 

Quotes:

Psalm 34:3 O magnifie the Lord with me, and let vs exalt his name together. 34:4 I sought the Lord, and hee heard me; and deliuered mee from all my feares.

Psalm 37:4 Delight thy selfe also in the Lord; and he shall giue thee the desires of thine heart. 

Psalm 37:5 Commit thy way vnto the Lord: trust also in him, and he shall bring it to passe.

Isaiah 9:6 For vnto vs a child is borne, vnto vs a Sonne is giuen, and the gouernment shalbe vpon his shoulder: and his name shalbe called, Wonderfull, Counseller, The mightie God, The euerlasting Father, The Prince of peace. 

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his gouernment and peace there shall be no end, vpon the throne of Dauid & vpon his kingdome, to order it, and to stablish it with iudgement and with iustice, from henceforth euen for euer: the zeale of the Lord of hostes will performe this.

Isaiah 40:11 He shall feede his flocke like a shepheard: he shall gather the lambes with his arme; and carie them in his bosome, and shall gently lead those that are with yoong.

John 3:16 For God so loued ye world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne: that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life. 

John 3:17 For God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world: but that the world through him might be saued.

Romans 12:15 Reioyce with them that doe reioice, and weepe with them that weepe.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible