Quotes from this week’s readings:
Tim Challies on Sin and Virtue:
“While it is common for someone to ask how to put off a particular sin, it is rare for someone to ask for guidance in putting on a particular godly trait. We are ashamed of our sin and bothered by it. This is good. But we are less ashamed of our lack of Christian character and less bothered by it. This is not good….
But our ultimate desire is not to be not-sinful but to be truly godly. We are not to aim at being not-sinful but to aim at being marked by Christian character. We experience the greatest success in battling sin when our desire is not only to stop sinning but to have our lives marked by the opposite character trait.“
D.A. Carson on Pluralism and Tolerance:
“Genuine pluralism within the broader culture is facilitated when there is a strong Christian voice loyal to the Scriptures – as well as strong Muslim voices, skeptical voices, Buddhist voices, atheistic voices, and so forth. Genuine pluralism within the broader culture is not fostered when in the name of tolerance none of the voices can say that any of the others is wrong.” (HT: Vitamin Z)
Books added to my TBR list:
Emily of Deep Valley by Maude Hart Lovelace (reviewed by Carrie, Reading to Know):
“I could probably continue on rhapsodizing about Emily. I really, really admired her. It’s an easy story to fall in with and enjoy and I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of it! I highly recommend this one!”
I’ve wanted to read a Maud Hart Lovelace book for ages, but was too busy getting married to read a title along with this month’s Reading to Know Bookclub. But I will get to her eventually, I will.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (reviewed by Heather, Do Not Let This Universe Forget You):
“Flowers for Algernon is the story of Charlie Gordon, a mentally handicapped young man, selected for his desire to learn, to be a part of a scientific endeavor….As Charlie’s intelligence grows, he begins to struggle with things he never understood until now…. He begins to notice cruelty and deception and posturing and hypocrisy.”
This sounds like a challenging and fascinating read. Heather gave a few “reader bewares” that are worth noting–but all in all this sounds worth a try.
Huh! I kinda like the idea of marking my TBR pile. It might actually help a bit.
Yes, I hope you get to Emily.
Tim’s quote was also a point made in Jerry Bridges book The Discipline of Grace. It was one of those dawning “Why have I never realized that before” moments when something I knew on one level just crystallized, that there are things we’re supposed to be following after and putting on just as much as there are things to put off and forsake. As a result of that I was going to do a study of the fruit of the Spirit, but never got going with it. I think I got stuck because the first one is love, and there is SO much about that in the Bible it is daunting to start.
Yep, after hearing so much of Emily of Deep Valley this is a definite must for me too.