It's been quite a while since I delved into a Narnian Digest—January, to be exact. Admittedly, they got a bit buried beneath The Inklings Option and the various projects occupying my time lately. Recognizing the challenge of maintaining a weekly schedule with my current commitments, I've decided to shift to a monthly frequency for Narnian Digest editions.
So, without further ado, welcome to the latest installment of The Narnian Digest!
From Judaism to Gnosticism
I recently came across a compelling video by Michael Bird that delves into the social and religious upheavals possibly contributing to the emergence of Gnosticism in the first and second centuries. This topic has consistently intrigued me, as delving into historical layers unveils a significant shift in perspectives. Individuals who once professed the goodness of "Yahweh" eventually underwent a radical transformation in their theological outlook, categorizing him as "Yaldabaoth" — the demiurge, a malevolent deity requiring liberation. This concept is notably intertwined with Neo-Platonism.
While I may not endorse all of Bird's work, I find this particular piece to be informative and thought-provoking.
The Inklings Option Thus Far
I thought about creating a sort of mind-map for the current status of The Inklings Option. In it, you'll discover an introduction to the series, followed by an exploration of The Inklings themselves and what they believed themselves to be doing. Following that, you'll come across my ongoing series on the Church as Miniature Rivendells — I still have one more essay to publish in this segment before moving forward. Subsequently, you'll encounter what I've termed Inklings Option Adjacent Works. These pieces may not neatly fit into the series, but they're undeniably inspired by it.
Introduction
The Church as Miniature Rivendells
Inklings Option Adjacent Works
13 pieces isn’t too bad considering we just hit March today. I’m looking forward to sharing more with you all!
The Mystery of Saint Anthony’s Shrine
A brief personal anecdote from a few weeks ago: my family and I embarked on a day trip to Fayette County in West Virginia, exploring the Hawks Nest area. Along the way, we made stops at Kanawha Falls, Cathedral Falls, and Saint Anthony's Shrine.
Saint Anthony's Shrine has intrigued me for several years. Nestled in the small town of Boomer, West Virginia, this unassuming pilgrimage spot stands by the roadside, often overlooked amid the surrounding churches. Although I'm not Roman Catholic, my appreciation for Church History and Local History drew me to this unique place.
The shrine houses a fragment of Saint Anthony's body, adding a layer of mystery to its existence. Saint Anthony, born in Portugal in 1195 and passing away in Italy in 1231, brings an enigmatic aura to this West Virginian shrine. What captivates me is the lack of clarity surrounding its history: how the fragment found its way to West Virginia, the identity of the individual responsible (potentially Italian immigrants in Boomer), the acquisition process, the nature of the fragment itself, and the designation of the Shrine —all remain shrouded in uncertainty.
Saint Anthony, known as the patron saint of lost things, ironically has much of the history behind his shrine lost to time.
You Are What You Love
Lately, I've revisited James K.A. Smith's book, "You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit." To be frank, I hadn't delved into it since around 2016-2017, a period marked by widespread discussions about the book. Back then, I was engrossed in preparations for planting a church in the Coalfields of West Virginia, and amidst the multitude of readings, the book's impact didn't penetrate deeply.
This time around has been intriguing. Reflecting on my experiences of pastoring for nearly a decade since my last reading, I find myself arriving at remarkably similar conclusions to Smith regarding the nature of change in people. Smith challenges the Enlightenment-inspired anthropological and epistemological model that sees humans primarily as "thinking things." Instead, he posits that people are not merely cognitive beings but are inherently driven by love, shaped by rituals, and immersed in narratives. Essentially, transformation isn't solely achieved by presenting new information; people are more moved than convinced. Smith underscores the crucial role of narrative (story) and habits (liturgy) in the process of formation.
There's a critical need for this perspective to shape our discipleship pathways within local churches. Often, our current approaches are directed towards the wrong telos. They primarily focus on transitioning individuals from regular attendees to active participants in church service and giving. While faithfulness and serving Christ are commendable, the ultimate aim should be to mold individuals into those who abide in Christ, a dimension often overlooked by the conventional discipleship pathway such as “Connect → Learn → Serve.” This contemporary model operates on an Enlightenment-inspired anthropology and epistemology, assuming people are primarily thinking beings. Unfortunately, this can result in individuals serving in churches who lack a deep connection with Jesus and thus experience surface level life transformation.
We must reconsider discipleship pathways that engage in counter-formation, immersing individuals in a transformative narrative and way of being. A more effective pathway, such as "Be with Jesus → Become like Jesus → Do what Jesus did," offers a holistic approach that integrates people into a new story and establishes habits capable of shaping individuals in profound ways.
I’ve already touched on this somewhat in The Inklings Option whenever I wrote about the power of beauty in “Many Meetings.” I’m sure at some point I’ll get to this whenever I get to epistemology and things of that sort. But, until then, I’ll leave you with this section from Smith that I think sums this up well.
“A narrative or worldview that values power and domination and violence will see Christ’s meekness and humility as a vice; in contrast, Christians see Christ as the very exemplar of virtue, and so we evaluate his meekness and humility as virtues to which we aspire.
Indeed, the telos for Christians is Christ: Jesus Christ is the very embodiment of what we’re made for, of the end to which we are called. This is why Paul’s exhortation to ‘put on love’ (Col. 3:14) is equivalent to the exhortation to ‘put on the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Rom. 13:14). This is how we become human. This is what we’re ‘here for.’
And how does that happen? By being regularly immersed in the drama of God in Christ reconciling the world to himself, which is precisely the point of Christian worship — to invite us into that story over and over again, ‘character-izing’ us as we rehearse the gospel drama over and over. If our loved are liturgically formed — if learning to love takes practice — then we need to be sure that the practices of Christian worship reflect the plot of the gospel, that the lineaments of Christian worship rehearse the story line of Scripture. Such an understanding of Christian worship is precisely what we find in the ancient heritage of the church. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, nor do we need to invent new liturgies. We can find gifts in what the Spirit has already given the church, inheriting and faithfully contextualizing the accrued wisdom of Christian worship.
Formative Christian worship paints a picture of the beauty of the Lord — and a vision of the shalom he desires for creation — in a way that captures our imagination. If we act toward what we long for, and if we long for what has captured our imagination, then re-formative Christian worship needs to capture our imagination. The means Christian worship needs to meet us as aesthetic creatures who are moved more than we are convinced. Our imaginations are aesthetic organs. Our hearts are like stringed instruments that are plucked by story, poetry, metaphor, images. We tap our existential feed to the rhythm of imaginative drums. As we noted in chapter 1, Antoine de Saint-Exupery captures this well: ‘If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.’”
Growing Up Conference at New Haven Church
This isn’t really Narnian material, but it may be of interest to folks, nonetheless. Last year at New Haven Church, we decided we wanted to put on a yearly conference. This year’s conference will be called “Growing Up: A One Day Conference on Maturity & Growing in Christ” which will actually aim at some of the things I talked about in the section above.
So far, it looks like the main sessions are going to be:
What is Discipleship and Faith? - This session will lay out the relationship between discipleship and faith. Jesus doesn't just call us to believe in Him, but to be followers of Him. It will also lay out the true nature of saving faith – that faith is living, not dead. The Gospel is called the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which calls us to submit to Christ as master. This session will challenge those in attendance to take stock of their life – Have they merely assented to some intellectual propositions about faith, or have they become disciples of Jesus?
What is Spiritual Maturity? - This session will lay out what spiritual maturity looks like by focusing on the Fruits of the Spirit. It will also lay out what spiritual immaturity looks like by focusing on the Works of the Flesh. It will challenge those in attendance to look deeper and ask themselves if they’re actually following Jesus and growing in maturity. We all bear fruit at different paces, but if the seed of the Gospel was planted in good soil, there should be growth and fruit.
Why is Christ-Centeredness Essential For Maturity? - This session will be the conclusion of the conference and will lay out the importance of Christ being at the center of all things. Ultimately, Jesus not only reconciles us to God in His substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection, but also shows us what it means to be a restored humanity in His life. This session will challenge those in attendance to not just believe in Jesus, but to follow Him as the ideal for how to love God and love people.
For those in state, we’d love to have you visit us. The date is still TBD, but it will be in Quarter Two of this year, likely in May or June. Stay tuned. For those who are unable to attend in person, we’ll also be recording audio, and it will be available on our website and church app.