It's a book full of filthy words and controversial ideas that you might not agree with. But enough about the Bible, the book is called Disquiet Time and Cathleen Falsani is one of the editors (along with Jennifer Grant) of this quirky, beautiful, often empathetic collection of "Rants and Reflections on the Good Book by the Skeptical, the Faithful, and a Few Scoundrels." I recently asked Cathleen a few questions and this is what she had to say:

You wrote a book about grace called Sin Boldly. I always like to ask: How did you first encounter grace, or was it a concept that was always there for you, as a Christian?

I think seeing and experiencing grace is something I was (and we all are) hard-wired to do from birth. I couldn't tell you the first time I encountered grace but I'm sure it was long before I had the language to call it "grace."

Reading Disquiet Time, to me, was a solitary experience compared to reading other Christian works. There was a different mouth-feel to it, if you will. I never felt like the writers were over-spiritualizing their experiences or hedging on their honesty. It was refreshing. To what do you contribute that type of honesty and freedom?

It was likely the result of a two-part invention: we (Jen Grant and I, as editors) offered them the total freedom to "speak what we feel, not what we ought to say" and the authors — each one of them — had the guts, courage, and audacity to take us up on it and actually write from the deepest places of their hearts and minds. To a person, they opened a vein and didn't self-censor. I think that made all the difference in the world.

Was there a piece in Disquiet Time that you felt explained, or explored, something in a new way to you personally? (For instance, your piece, Slut!, was an eye-opening look to me at the girl who would be called Salome.)

It's terribly difficult to narrow it down to one piece, but I can say there is one in particular that I keep returning to almost daily: Susan Isaacs' chapter "The Bible: Full of Sound, Fury, Sarcasm, and Poop Jokes." I adore Susan, her mind, sense of humor, and humble faith. It's the passage in there that talks about Jesus employing sarcasm — my native language — that gave me the gift of seeing his humanity in a different way, a facet I hadn't noticed before, and one with which I resonate deeply but long had thought (and been told by some of my coreligionists) didn't belong in the life of a Christian — particularly not in the life of a girl or woman trying to follow Jesus. Take that, naysayers!

One thing I see in Disquiet Time is a freedom to explore and question one’s faith. Why do you think it is that we’re so uptight about doing that as followers of Jesus?

In a word: FEAR. We're so afraid of "doing it wrong," of doubt and doubting, of misunderstanding, misinterpretation, questions-without-answers, and not knowing that we'd rather "fake it" than authentically, genuinely, honestly engage with scripture on its own terms and ours. It's as if we somehow believe God doesn't really know what we're thinking or feeling about what we read in the Bible (or anything else for that matter).

 

I always like to know what fellow writers are reading. So, what’s on your bedside table right now, Cathleen?

Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas, The Soul of Rumi by Coleman Burks, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, Main Lines, Blood Feasts, and Bad Taste by Lester Bangs, and Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver.

interview

11:20:00 PM

Jared Wilson is the pastor of Middletown Springs Community Church in Vermont and he blogs at Gospel Driven Church. He's also the author of The Pastor’s Justification, Your Jesus is Too Safe, Gospel Wakefulness, and Gospel Deeps. You can also follow him on Twitter: @JaredCWilson 

Recently, he took a few minutes to talk to me and had some interesting things to say. We hope you enjoy...


Chad: In your spiritual journey have you ever struggled with the idea of God's grace?
 

Jared: I don't think I've ever struggled with the idea itself. The grace of God is such a compelling idea, mainly because it is so unique. Only Christianity talks about grace in this way, and I think I've always found that, oddly enough, a great part of what it makes it so credible to me. But I have definitely struggled with the idea of God's grace being *for me.* I have wrestled with feeling that God could love me, that God would accept me and approve of me. It has taken a lot of convincing on my part to get through that, but God is the great convincer, and I'm grateful that I don't struggle nearly as much today with believing that God loves me and has saved me.

 

 

Chad: In your book, "Wonder-Working God" you talk about the miracles of Jesus revealing "what we go through such great pains to deny" or affirm. Talk about what you mean by that.
 

Jared: I believe that Jesus' miracles are glimpses into the new heavens and the new earth--windows, if you will, into heaven. So the idea that "heaven is coming to earth" is something that the miracles make very real and promise very gloriously. But many people are staunchly opposed to such an idea. Religious and irreligious people alike tend to take on a grandly cynical view of the world, that we're all "going to hell in a hand basket." There's a kernel of truth to that, and we should have a cynical view of the way of the world, the sinful cycle of injustice and wickedness that is indeed passing away. But hopelessness is not a fruit of the gospel outlook. So when I say people will go to great pains to deny heaven on earth, I just mean that people will shoot themselves in the foot if it means not bowing the knee to Christ's Lordship. And similarly, some people will go through great pains to affirm Christ's Lordship--they will suffer oppression and insult, and in many parts of the world, persecution and martyrdom.
 

Chad: As a former pastor myself, I’m pretty sure you’ve thought about this next question: If you could give one sermon to Christians today what would it be? (i.e. What do you think we need to hear most?)
 

Jared: Christians need to hear that they need the gospel as much as nonChristians. Not in the same way, but just as much. So I think I would preach a message on that concept, probably something from 1 Corinthians 15 which begins with that simple reminder of how we need the historical work of Christ's gospel every day of our lives and ends with a glorious exposition of the resurrection of the believer through Christ's resurrection. 

 

Chad: This question is more inspired by than directly from your book, “The Storytelling God.” The way we see the parables is often very concrete, and the way you describe them takes one having a creative bent. I think Jesus, and the bible in general, gives a lot of credence to story-telling and the arts in general (parables, poems, songs, etc.) Why do you think Christians are more known for staying away from the arts?
 

Jared: I don't know, but I think it's largely a fear of either "lying"--because telling the truth through art is seen as less direct or less useful than straight teaching--or of being wasteful. I think many Christians just tend to think of the arts as a waste of time. This is why when Christians do engage in the arts, they tend to be very didactic and bland--we propagandize. We haven't quite figured out as a culture how to make art for God's sake that knows how to exist as art, not as a tract or treatise or teaching tool.

 

 

Chad: As a fellow writer, I always like to know what other writers read. What’s on your nightstand, Jared?

Jared: I'm always grazing in multiple books. Right now these include RC Sproul's "The Holiness of God" and Dane Ortlund's "Edwards on the Christian Life." I'm also doing a lot more re-reading these days, and I am finishing up re-reads of Keller's "The Reason for God" and Ray Ortlund's "When God Comes to Church." On the fiction end, I just finished Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl" in anticipation of the film adaptation and am beginning a re-read of Hugo's "Les Miserables."

Photo by Tom Verre used under CC

interview

10:41:00 PM

Dr. Preston Sprinkle is director of Eternity Bible College's extension site in Boise, Idaho. He co-authored The New York Times bestselling Erasing Hell with Francis Chan and is the author of the recently published Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence. His new book Charis: God's Scandalous Grace for Us is available now. Follow him on Twitter @PrestonSprinkle

 

Recently, Preston took the time to answer some questions for Mister Preacher...

 

How did you get to grace?

 

As a Christian, I always thought I understood grace. It's what gets us into the door of salvation. But oddly enough, it wasn't until I starting teaching a college level Old Testament survey class that I really started to become blown away at the radicality and persistence of God's grace. God doesn't just unconditionally save us, but desires us on a relational level even when we're not desirable. And His love is unbound, shameless, and counter-intuitive. It doesn't fluctuate when we have a bad day--or a good day. He loves us based on what Jesus has done, not based on what we continue to do. 

We’re told it’s gauche to toot our own horn, but what’s your favorite part in your book, Charis? What does it mean to you?

 

That's a great question! Honestly, I think the chapters titled, "Whore," "Tattoo," and "Thug" are my favorites! Writing is like playing baseball. Sometimes you're on and sometimes you're off. Well, for whatever reason, I feel like God flooded my soul with favor when I was writing those chapters, and the messages therein still convicts, challenges, and encourages me. 

Why do you think Christians are so afraid of grace? (or do you?)

Yes I do. Grace is risky. Grace means letting go of control and letting God do the work. Grace means you entrust good things to very bad people. When it comes to bad people, people will always prefer justice to grace. This is why I open the book with a story about a cannibal who had sex with 17 dead people. In theory, our doctrine of grace can reach such a criminal. But why is it then that Christians mocked his conversion? We speak of grace with our mouths, but we mock it when we respond with doubt over God recklessly converting a heinous sinner.

What do you think is the biggest thing we misunderstand about grace?
 

That's a great question! I think most Christians believe (to some extent) that grace brought them to salvation. But it's after salvation when they beginning to have a conditional, works based sanctification. I think most Christians believe that if they do good things they will be blessed, and if they do bad things they will be cursed. But this is law, not gospel. This is conditionality, not unconditional favor. God has blessed us and will continue to bless us based on what Christ has done and not based on what we do.

What are you reading, and why should I pick it up (after I finish Charis, of course)?
 

Oh man, too many things to list! I'm actually reading a great book by a Christian philosopher named James K. A. Smith called Desiring the Kingdom. It's pretty weighty but oh, so good! I'm also reading tons of stuff on homosexuality, since that's the subject of my next book. Now there's a topic where Christians tend to front law rather than grace...

 

 

interview

6:00:00 AM