Holding on to Hope

I have read all of the anthologies Nancy Guthrie has edited  - on Christmas, Easter, suffering and on dying - more than once and have given away oh so many copies of them all.  These are truly wonderful, wonderful books.  But until recently I hadn't ever read anything written by Nancy Guthrie herself.
 

But now I have. 

 

Nancy Guthrie and her husband lost a baby daughter at six months of age to Zellwegers's Syndrome.  Hope's condition was discovered at birth and the Guthries spent the next six months loving their precious daughter and painfully anticipating her death.  As carriers of this syndrome, the Guthries took surgical steps to prevent them from having further children.  The procedure reversed itself and a couple of years after Hope passed away, Gabriel was born, also with Zellwegers Syndrome.  He passed away one day short of turning six months old.

 

 

Holding on to Hope, based around the book of Job (from the Bible), was written by Nancy Guthrie during the months between Hope's death and Gabriel's birth.  It is a book about suffering and dying, leaning on God and trusting in Him.  Like Jerry Bridges' books, it sits firmly on the foundation of God's sovereignty. 

 

I feel as though I have read, thought, prayed about and written quite a lot about suffering and death in the last few years.  In the western world, where life is so easy, we don't (I generalise here) manage sufffering and grief well.  We are outraged by it.  And at one level this is entirely correct.  Death is appalling.  But we rage in ways that are selfish and godless.  We think these sorts of things just shouldn't happen in this day and age.  So for me, the last few years has been about working through what ought to be a Right response when crisis comes.

 

What makes Holding on to Hope so very good is that it takes the theory of what is biblical in responding to suffering and grief and applies it squarely to a real life situation of horrendous suffering and grief.  There was no fist shaking at God.  Nor, at the other extreme, was there a facade of stoicism.  The grief was real.  I don't doubt that every page of her manuscript was tear stained.  But it was godly grief.  A grief founded in trust and a deeply faithful acceptance that God  had their lives and circumstances sovereignly, lovingly and wisely in hand.

 

This is a book to share with someone in grief.  To help them grieve well.  It concerns a specific situation - the loss of a child - but it will speak to all situations of grief.  This is a book to share with someone for whom life is good - that they might use the peaceful times to prepare for times ahead when suffering will swiftly or eventually come.  This book is inspiring and challenging and tender and gentle.  It's short - I read it over a couple of evenings.  And at least in the copy I have, there is an eight week study that digs deeply into Job and traverses the Bible on the subject of suffering and grief.  I would love to put some time into this at some stage.  And this book is an excellent companion to Nancy Guthrie's anthologies on suffering and death. 

Reading this book will be time well spent.  Reading it and then sharing a copy with someone else will be a gift.



O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

During the course of our lives there are certain days that will claim extra and special preparation.  I remember one Christmas Eve, I think I was about 14 at the time, when I voluntarily cleaned my bedroom and went so far as to collect jasmine from the garden and place it in a vase on my freshly excavated chest of drawers so that I would wake up on Christmas morning in a room that was beautiful in every way.

That's just one Christmas.  Most Christmases get special attention - practical and spiritual.  Easter too.  There were special preparations leading up to our wedding day and also for the days our sons were born - practical preparations so that these days would go well but spiritual preparations too, hoping that what we said and did on these occasions would maybe whisper the gospel into someone's listening, searching ear.

But what about the day of our death?  A bit hard to prepare for in lots of ways.  Death may come suddenly and unexpectedly.  Or it may come at the end of a long, slow illness or at the end of the gradual process of aging, leaving us too debilitated and tired by the time we get there to do much about it.

But what is death?  For the Christian it is the day we fall safely into the arms of Jesus.  That last breath drawn marks the beginning of glorious, eternal life with our Father in heaven. 

I have recently finished reading O Love That Will Not Let Me Go, the fourth book edited by Nancy Guthrie in a series of collected readings on a given subject.  This one is on the subject of death and bears the subtitle Facing Death with Courageous Confidence in God.  And like the others, it's wonderful. 

It isn't easy reading in lots of ways.  The various writers don't make light of the physical reality and pain of death which makes this book very confronting.  Nor do they make light of the sadness and tragedy of death.  Jesus himself wept when his friend Lazarus died - weeping not just for the loss of his friend but also over death itself, that His Father's perfect creation had become so stained and sullied by sin as to be marred by the ugliness of death. 

For the one who dies loving Jesus, death has lost its sting.  Because when the last breath of life is drawn, the Christian passes away from this life into eternal life with Jesus.  And while this book has plenty to say about the pain of death, it has more to say about the wondrous glory of what lies beyond it. 

But back to the issue of preparing for the day of one's death - because this book is not just about dying well.  It's about living well because therein lies the preparation for death. It is best summarised by the second last paragraph of the book, penned by Richard Sibbes:

Therefore, if we desire to end our days in joy and comfort, let us now lay the foundation of a comfortable death.  To die well is not a thing of that light moment as some imagine:  it is no easy matter.  But to die well is a matter of every day.  Let us daily do some good that may help us at the time of our death.  Every day by repentance pull out the sting of some sin, that so when death comes, we may have nothing to do but to die.

(From "God Reserves the Best for the Last" by Richard Sibbes (page 158) in O Love That Will Not Let Me Go edited by Nancy Guthrie.)

As I said, this book is confronting in many ways.  But it is also rich with comfort, encouragement and hope.  As for all the books in this series, it is definitely worth reading.  And reading it would be time well spent.

My thoughts on Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

I read Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, an anthology of readings about Easter edited by Nancy Guthrie, during the run up to Easter. And it was just as good as Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus was for the season of Advent.
  

As Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus did for Christmas, Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross drilled down into the Easter story quickly, profoundly and powerfully. It opened up lots of the small detail that can be missed when reading over such familiar stories, bringing a freshness to the Easter story.

Interestingly, when I read Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus I started it two days before Advent.  I'd been waiting a long time to read that book and couldn't hold out for those last two days.  Twenty two readings - one a day with a few missed days here and there because December is such a busy month - should have seen me finish the book pretty much on Christmas Day.  As it turned out it was all done and dusted by 10th December.  I was like the child who just can't wait to open the presents under the tree.  Two or three (or five!) readings a day.  I virtually swallowed the book whole and it was pure joy.

I started  Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross at the beginning of Lent.  Now if my Lent maths is correct, that should have given me 46 days to get through the 25 readings.  And as it turned out, I needed every inch of Lent to get through it.  I loved this book like the Advent one.  And yet it sat untouched on my desk for days at a time and when I did pick it up I could only take in one reading at a time.  I finished it just in time for Easter.

Which seems about right.  Because Easter is much harder to take in than Christmas.  Christmas is all about the greatest Gift ever - the gift of Immanuel.  And we get to share in the celebrations and rejoice.  But at Easter we become aware of why God needed to send this gift of Jesus.  The spotlight is shared between Jesus - the crucified and risen Jesus - and our wretched sinfulness that nailed Him to the cross. 

If you don't have a strong sense of God's love for you, of the sacrifice He made in sending His one and only Son to die on the cross, of the enormity of Jesus' work and the pain He bore on the cross or of the magnitude of your own sinfulness then this is a must read.  It isn't an easy book- although there are some glorious bits - but it is truly worthwhile. 

And it need not be confined to the lead up to Easter because we need to understand all of these things all year round.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish

but have eternal life. 

John 3:16

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

Oh, what we miss out on when we rush past the cross of Christ.  Oh, the richness and reward when we stop to linger before it, when we take the time to "consider him who endured the from sinners such hostility against himself" (Heb. 12:3).  In a culture where crosses have become commonplace as architecture and jewelry, how we need to truly gaze upon the cross of Christ in all of its ugliness and beauty, in its death and in its healing, in the painful price paid there, and in its free gift of grace. Jesus, keep us near the cross.

...How we need to have our hearts broken again by our sin that put Jesus on the cross.  How we need to have our confidence grounded by what Jesus accomplished on the cross.  And how we need to have our hope anchored in the promise of resurrection.

From the preface, written by Nancy Guthrie, of Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross.

Others' thoughts on Easter # 3

I have heard many sermons about the physical pain of death by crucifixion.  I've heard graphic descriptions of the nails and the thorns. Surely the physical agony of crucifixion was a ghastly thing. But there were thousands who died on crosses and may have had more painful deaths than that of Christ.   But only one person has ever received the full measure of the curse of God while on a cross.  I doubt that Jesus was even aware of the nails and the spear - he was so overwhelmed by the outer darkness.  On the cross Jesus was in the reality of hell.  He was totally bereft of the grace and the presence of God, utterly separated from all blessedness of the Father.  He became a curse for us so that we someday will be able to see the face of God.  So that the light of his countenance might fall upon us, God turned his back on his Son.  No wonder Christ screamed.  He screamed from the depth of his soul.  How long did he have to endure it?  We don't know, but a second of it would have been of infinite value.

Finally, Jesus cried, "It is finished." (John 19:30)  It was over.  What was over?  His life? No.  It was the forsakenness that ended.  The curse was finished.

From "Cursed" by R.C. Sproul (page 95) in Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross edited by Nancy Guthrie.

Others' thoughts on Easter # 2

Crises have a way of revealing our character.  In the midst of a trial, we sometimes learn things about ourselves that we would rather not know.  At other times we see friends really rise to the occasion in the midst of trial. 

Jesus' character shines through in this moment of crisis.  Don Carson says, "In all of the various trials and mockery that Jesus underwent, His character stood out more and more clearly against the backdrop of moral corruption and failed loyalty and cheap cruelty around it."  We cannot help but admire the dignity of the Lord Jesus Christ as he goes through this indignity.  He does it with magnanimity and with the sense that he is not forsaken.  He is not out of control.  God's providence is ruling over all.  So the character and calmness of Jesus remind us and provide an example for us in the midst of our own trials.
From "Betrayed, Denied, Deserted" by J. Ligon Duncan III (page 38) in Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross edited by Nancy Guthrie.

Others' thoughts on Easter # 1

The Lord deliberately chose Gethsemane.  John's specific mention of it as a "garden" in John 18:1 suggests that the apostle has in mind a deliberate comparison with the orginal garden of Eden.  The symbolism is this:

• The first Adam began life in a garden.  Christ, the second Adam, came at the end of his life to a garden.
• In Eden Adam sinned.  In Gethsemane the Saviour overcame sin.
• In Eden Adam fell.  In Gethsemane Jesus conquered.
• In Eden Adam hid himself.  In Gethsemane our Lord boldly presented himself.
• In Eden the sword was drawn.  In Gethsemane it was sheathed.

From "Gethsemene" by R. Kent Hughes (page31) in Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross edited by Nancy Guthrie.

I wonder whether Kent Hughes is a little bold in his assertion regarding the comparison between the two gardens.  None the less, it does illustrate the big picture of the Bible wonderfully and provides some practical insight into Romans 5:12-21.

The blessing of trials

The following quote is from "A Joy in All Trials," a Sermon (No. 1704) Delivered on the Lord's Day Morning, February 4th, 1883, by C.H. Spurgeon, at the Metropolitan Tavernacle, Newington , England - and excerpted by Nancy Guthrie in Be Still, My Soul pages 103-104

There is an invaluable blessing which is gained by the trial of our faith.  The blessing gained is this, that our faith is tried and proved.  The way of trying whether you are a good soldier is to go down to the battle.  The way to try whether a ship is well built is, not merely to order the surveyor to examine her, but to send her to sea: a storm will be the best test of her staunchness.

Sanctified tribulations work the proof of our faith, and this is more precious than that of gold which perisheth, though it be tried by fire.  Now when we are able to bear it without starting aside, the trial proves our sincerity.  Coming out of a trouble the Christian says to himself, "Yes, I held fast mine integrity, and did not let it go.  Blessed be God, I was not afraid of threatening; I was not crushed by losses; I was kept true to God under pressure.  Now, I am sure that my religion is not a mere profession, but a real consecration to God.  It has endured the fire, being kept by the power of God."

Which is not to say that we sail through trials serenely and without flinching.  We respond to them in human ways - grief, fear, flight, worry, concern, compassion, confusion...  We respond in ways that portray (or betray) our personality and our heart.  We respond in ways unknown to us because our normal selves have been taken over by adrenalin.  But at the core we hope to find that our abiding trust lies in God who is sovereign over all things.  That at the core our hope, confidence and security is found in Jesus Christ and nothing else.  And if that is what we find then we are deeply blessed, no matter what.

Nancy Guthrie trio

First it was Marilynne Robinson.  And now for another excellent trio of books.  Nancy Guthrie has edited three excellent anthologies, each for a different season.

The first is Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas, the collection of Christmas readings reviewed here. I loved, loved, LOVED reading this wonderful little book during Advent.  The readings were short, which is always helpful during December!  Every aspect of the Christmas story was covered, each reading prefaced by its relevant Scripture.  What a joy to learn about Christmas in such interesting detail and marvel at Immanuel on a daily basis during this busiest of months.

It certainly helped to keep my head and heart in the Right place - more effectively than any other year I can remember - in what is the hurly-burly of December.  This book would be useful for ministers, Sunday School and Scripture teachers...anyone who gets to teach through the Christmas story each year as it provides plenty of fresh angles to take.  And it is useful for anyone who wants to be reminded all through Advent why we stop and wonder at God's goodness on 25th December each year.

The second collection I read is called Be Still, My Soul: Embracing God's Purpose and Provision in Suffering.  As the title suggests, this is an anthology of 25 classic and contemporary readings for the season of suffering.  The book is divided into three sections - God's perspective on suffering, God's purpose in suffering and God's provision in suffering. 

It works on the premise that suffering will happen - to us personally and generally in our midst.  We ought not to be shocked by this.  And that great comfort and blessings are to be found in suffering when in our weakness we become strong in Him, as we learn to lean on and trust in and depend upon God in our times of trials and as our faith is tested during these times.  Nancy Guthrie is no stranger to loss and suffering, having lost two infant children to a rare genetic disorder.  She can deliver this anthology with integrity.

I have to say that I feel perfectly positioned to review this particular book.  (Now there's a bold statement!)  It's the sort of book that is excellent to read during the good times in order to instruct and prepare heart, mind, body and soul for a godly response to suffering when it comes.  And I started reading it at the very best of times - just towards the end of the long summer holidays, feeling refreshed and relaxed and at my most hopeful and optimistic for the year...you know, life before the committees and commitments start up again and you think you will be conquering dragons this year given all this energy and spare time you seem to have.

I found myself well taught as I started making my way through this book and wondered how well it would translate into a book that actually provides comfort and perspective during a time of suffering.  As it happened, halfway through the book my circumstances changed and I found myself at least on the edges of a situation of substantial suffering.  I kept reading.  It was a great comfort.  It worked, not unlike the Advent book, keeping my head and heart in the Right place during a difficult time.  This book is a profoundly useful resource.

The third member of this trio is Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter.  Now I haven't actually read this book.  I am saving it for the four to six weeks leading up to Easter this year.  But here is my second bold statement for this post...I warmly commend this book to you even though I haven't read it.  Go and get yourself a copy - and get one for a friend as well.  At one level I wonder whether it will have quite the same impact on me as the Advent book did.  The lead up to Easter is much less busy and Easter naturally invites quiet reflection.  But the line up of contributors is as good as ever so there is no reason to expect anything but good to come of diving into this collection as Easter approaches.   

In thinking about all three anthologies it is worth noting that some readings will resonate more than others because of style of language, points of emphasis, personal experience and understanding - but they are truly worthwhile volumes.  The other benefit is that they provide a snapshot of a wide range of great writers, theologians and preachers, which may prompt further reading if you find someone new to you who sparks some interest.

I have been twice bold in this post and as it turns out, once misleading. In clicking on Nancy Guthrie's website I have discovered that this trio is about to become a quartet.  Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go: Facing Death with Courageous Confidence in God is set to be released later this month.  But that is a BIG topic for another day.

Advent 2010 #1 - Reading Material

Today is the first Sunday in Advent.  Christmas is coming.

My ideal Christmas would probably involved sending and receiving Christmas cards - because despite the bad press they get, I think they are a lovely way to show gratitude for the year past, express hope for the year to come and remind people of the joy it is to celebrate the birth of our precious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ - and then on Christmas day, go to church and catch up with the family for a cup of tea and a mince pie or two. 

Of course it isn't that straight forward.   There are lots of extras.  And in amongst all the extras I find it all too easy to take my eye off the ball.  I lose my focus on Jesus.

So this year, while our boys are reading through the first 24 or 25 chapters of The Jesus Story Book for their Advent calendar readings, I am looking forward to reading my way through Come Thou Long Expected Jesus - a book of 22 readings focussing on the events of the Christmas story, mostly excerpts from longer pieces penned by the greats of old (Saint Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin and Charles Spurgeon) through to the modern greats (John Piper, Time Keller and JI Packer) and lots in between.  The list of writers is impressive and the chapters are short.  Perfect! 

I came upon this little book from the good reviews it received here, here and here and have had it tucked away in my bookshelf for most of the year, waiting for December to arrive.  I am looking forward to catching a few minutes every day for a chapter of this book with a cup of tea, praying that it will help me to keep my eye on the ball and give Right perspective to the unusual amount of activity that this time of year seems to generate. 

And I hope it lives up to expectation because I have given away about eight copies during the year for birthday presents - so quite a number of my friends will be reading along too.  But for now, I'm off to church and after that I'd better go and dig out the boys' Advent calendar and get that ready for the 1st December!