Tried With Fire

My top 10 books of 2019 in the order read: You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit - James K.A. Smith This was a complete game-changer. What if we are more than brains on sticks? What if we are affected by habit and practice as much as cognitively? What then is shaping us and what we love? If this is true, and I believe it is, then we need to be aware and deliberate about the habits and daily "liturgies" we engage in. When I started reading it and listening to an audio version, I showed a chapter to my daughter and had to pry the book out of her hands later. I didn't write a formal review but wrote a few reflections here . On Reading Well - Karen Swallow Prior This is a beautifully written book on pursuing 12 virtues through 12 works of literature. This isn't moralizing but reading that requires critical thinking, making connections, and soul-searching. My appreciation for good books has grown since reading Dr. Prior's books. I wish I could hav...

Then end of 2019 is fast approaching, and people are posting their lists of favorite books and future books. I will post a list of my Top 10 for 2019, but there are still two more days to read in 2019, so I want to keep my options open. It's also hard to pare down the list, so I am putting it off for today. In the past, I had compiled a list of what I wanted to read in the New Year. I don't think I will do that for 2020. I have so many books waiting in the wings on a bookshelf near my bed, literally staring me in the face when I wake up and before I go to sleep. I think that visual will be a better reminder than a list that I post and then forget about. I also want to read because I care , not because it's the latest or most popular book as its only recommendation. I've slowly been moving toward reading for pleasure, reading that is not solely for the brain alone, and taking Alan Jacobs' advice: It seems to me that it is not so hard to absorb, and...

"And even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you" (Isaiah 46:4). The year is very old, and here is a promise for our aged friends; yes, and for us all, as age creeps over us. Let us live long enough, and we shall all have hoar hairs; therefore we may as well enjoy this promise by the foresight of faith. When we grow old our God will still be the I AM, abiding evermore the same. Hoar hairs tell of our decay, but He decayeth not. When we cannot carry a burden and can hardly carry ourselves, the LORD will carry us. Even as in our young days He carried us like lambs in His bosom, so will He in our years of infirmity. He made us, and He will care for us. When we become a burden to our friends and a burden to ourselves, the LORD will not shake us off, but the rather He will take us up and carry and deliver us more fully than ever. In many cases the LORD give His servants a long a...

A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. Isaiah 42:3 Bruised reeds aren't cool. They aren't tough and strong. They are often needy and require reassurance, support, and a listening ear. They take time. But they give something, too. They give a reason for many of the "one anothers" in the Bible. If everyone had it all together, would we need patience and compassion? How would we learn listening first and talking second if no one had any emotional needs? And what about being stretched in our love for others? How many verses would be unnecessary if we could meet the fictitious expectations of the ideal Christian life that are floating out there? And there are plenty of them. As I write this, I also hear a voice (not audible) in the back of my head saying, "But what about people taking advantage?" But there is a difference between coddling and compassion. Throwing a bruised...

The angel said to the shepherds, "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” The very object for which He was born, and came into this world, was that He might deliver us from sin. What, then, was it that made us afraid? Were we not afraid of God, because we felt that we were lost through sin? Well, then, here is joy upon joy, for not only has the Lord come among us as a man, but He was made man in order that He might save man from that which separated him from God... The angel described the newborn Savior as “Christ.” There is His manhood, for it was as man that He was anointed. But the angel also rightly called Him “Christ the Lord.” There is His Godhead. This is the solid truth upon which we plant our foot. Jesus of Nazareth is “very God of very God.” He who was born in Bethlehem’s manger is now, and always was, “over all, God blessed forever...

I am slowly working my way through Forbearance: A Theological Ethic for a Disagreeable Church . This is such a good book about a very difficult subject. I would probably disagree with the author about quite a number of doctrinal points, but his book has challenged me in how I handle those disagreement. I have every reason to believe he is a brother in Christ and that we agree on how one becomes a Christian. So the question is how willing an I learn from him or another brother or sister in Christ whom I disagree with? And in real life, there's an additional question - how willing am I to invest in that relationship? In our families, we have to deal with disagreements all the time. No one expects perfect harmony between spouses, siblings, or parents and children. That's just being realistic regarding human nature and the process of sanctification. But those disagreements must be talked out for there to be peace and because we love one another . So for the sake of fighting ...

Last week was the last week of classes for my daughter, so she had the looming deadline of turning in the last quantum homework and her sections' lab grades by Friday. We talk and pray every day, so I encouraged her to commit her work to the Lord and trust that he would give wisdom and guide her. After all, he created physics to begin with. The Lord did bring her through with much rejoicing from both of us. However, I found myself worrying during the day last Friday and wondering if she was stressing out or not. Yes. Ironic that I was encouraging her to trust God but not trusting that he was able to enable her to trust him. But doesn't this happen more often than not? The very advice we give our kids, we fail to follow ourselves. But in reality, she and I are both learning these same lessons. I've just had more decades of failure than she has. Self-sufficiency, fear, and the defaults of original sin still need a good deal of mortification. I am thankful, though, that...

Theology For Everyone  has been running a series on the 10 commandments. I contributed this post on the 9th commandment. This particular commandment has been on my heart and mind for quite a while. I actually began pondering its implications when I began reading more American history and realized how much was omitted or tweaked to make the past more palatable. But that is only one example. Being truthful in all areas and at all costs is the ethical outworking of loving God and loving our neighbor. The bar should be set high because God is the arbiter of all truth. At the same time, I am very thankful that God is merciful to 9th commandment breakers of which I am one. "At face value, the 9th commandment could be read as merely a prohibition against committing perjury or lying under oath. However, this commandment encompasses so much more. According to both the Westminster Shorter and the Baptist catechisms, “The ninth commandment requires the maintaining and promoting of truth b...

You know what “good will” means. Well, all that it means, and more, God has to you, ye sons and daughters of Adam. Poor sinner, thou hast broken His laws; thou art half afraid to come to the throne of His mercy, lest He should spurn thee; hear thou this, and be comforted, God has good will toward men, so good a will that He has said, and said it with an oath, too, “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live ;” so good a will, moreover, that He has even condescended to say, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” And if you say, “Lord, how shall I know that Thou hast this good will towards me,” He points to the manger, and says, “Sinner, if I had not had good will towards thee, would I have parted with My beloved Son? If I had not had good will towards the human race, wo...

"He that walketh uprightly walketh surely" Proverbs 10:9 His walk may be slow, but it is sure. He that hasteth to be rich shall not be innocent nor sure; but steady perseverance in integrity, if it does not bring riches, will certainly bring peace. In doing that which is just and right, we are like one walking upon a rock, for we have confidence that every step we take is upon solid and safe ground. On the other hand, the utmost success through questionable transactions must always be hollow and treacherous, and the man who has gained it must always be afraid that a day of reckoning will come, and then his gains will condemn him. Let us stick to truth and righteousness. By God's grace let us imitate our LORD and Master, in whose mouth no deceit was ever found. Let us not be afraid of being poor, nor of being treated with contempt. Never, on any account whatever, let us do that which our conscience cannot justify. If we lose inward peace, we lose more than a fortune can ...

In Unfollow , when Megan Phelps-Roper and her sister, Grace, left the Westboro Baptist Church and, by extension, their family, one of their struggles was with their relationship. They loved and supported one another, but they never learned how to disagree. In most families, kids learn to compromise and work things out, but not so in their family. Total agreement was expected. "We had never learned to "agree to disagree ," because to church members, such a concept was blasphemous. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? What communion hath light with darkness?"  At Westboro,  every decision had moral implications. Every question had a single correct answer. Miscommunication required blame, and mistakes required punishment. My sister and I knew how to cajole, issue ultimatums, attribute ill motives, and assign moral failure to the other party in a dispute, but we couldn't compromise and we couldn't move forward without a resolution as to which one of...

"Fellowship with Him."—1 John 1:6. When  we were united by faith to Christ, we were brought into such complete fellowship with Him, that we were made one with Him, and His interests and ours became mutual and identical. We have fellowship with Christ in His love. What He loves we love. He loves the saints—so do we. He loves sinners—so do we. He loves the poor perishing race of man, and pants to see earth's deserts transformed into the garden of the Lord—so do we. We have fellowship with Him in His desires. He desires the glory of God—we also labour for the same. He desires that the saints may be with Him where He is—we desire to be with Him there too. He desires to drive out sin—behold we fight under His banner. He desires that His Father's name may be loved and adored by all His creatures—we pray daily, "Let Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven." We have fellowship with Christ in His sufferings. We are not nailed to the ...

I just finished Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper, granddaughter of Fred Phelps. This isn't solely a book review. I will give a synopsis with some quotes for reflection because it should be a caution to us all.   After being steeped in the culture of Westboro Baptist (WBC) her entire life, Phelps-Roper took on the task of being the Twitter arm for WBC. But exposure to those who disagreed with her began to chip away at all she had been taught. Some of her opponents tried to befriend her and discuss the issues at hand, not just trade insults The more she realized their humanity, the harder it became for her to toe the family line. She became more aware of the inconsistencies with the Scripture they professed to uphold, self-justifications, and mistreatment within the church and of those outside. Her whole sense of reality was shaken because Westboro's mission was her life . This internal conflict reached a point where...

For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. (Psalm 94:14) No, nor will He cast even so much as one of them. Man has his castoffs, but God has none; for His choice is unchangeable, and His love is everlasting. None can find out a single person whom God has forsaken after having revealed Himself savingly to him. This grand truth is mentioned in the psalm to cheer the heart of the afflicted. The Lord chastens His own; but He never forsakes them. The result of the double work of the law and the rod is our instruction, and the fruit of that instruction is a quieting of spirit, a sobriety of mind, out of which comes rest. The ungodly are let alone till the pit is digged into which they will fall and be taken; but the godly are sent to school to be prepared for their glorious destiny hereafter. Judgment will return and finish its work upon the rebels, but it will equally return to vindicate the sincere and godly. Hence we may bear the rod of chastis...

The Torrey Gazette is running a series this month on the importance of theology for women. I am honored to be one of the contributors, and my post is up today. You can follow the hashtag #TheologyforWomenMatters on Twitter to stay up to date with this series. Infusing myself into the stories of the Bible was all I ever knew. I grew up in a Christian home. I loved Jesus. I loved the Bible, and I thought I knew the Bible pretty well. But when it came down to it, the point was to find myself in the text. Doesn't everyone do this? After all, this is how we can find out how God is going to take care of us in a given situation by putting ourselves in the sandals of David, Abraham, Joseph, etc.  Read the rest here.

"Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the LORD God" (Ezekiel 34:30). To be the LORD's own people is a choice blessing, but to know that we are such is a comfortable blessing. It is one thing to hope that God is with us and another thing to know that He is so. Faith saves us, but assurance satisfies us. We take God to be our God when we believe in Him; but we get the joy of Him when we know that He is ours and that we are His. No believer should be content with hoping and trusting; he should ask the LORD to lead him on to full assurance, so that matters of hope may become matters of certainty. It is when we enjoy covenant blessings and see our LORD Jesus raised up for us as a plant of renown that we come to a clear knowledge of the favor of God toward us. Not by law, but by grace do we learn that we are the LORD's people. Let us always turn our eyes in the direction of free grac...

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (Habakkuk 2:3). Mercy may seem slow, but it is sure. The LORD in unfailing wisdom has appointed a time for the outgoings of His gracious power, and God's time is the best time. We are in a hurry; the vision of the blessings excites our desire and hastens our longings; but the LORD will keep His appointments. He never is before His time; He never is behind. God's word is here spoken of as a living thing which will speak and will come. It is never a dead letter, as we are tempted to fear when we have long watched for its fulfillment. The living word is on the way from the living God, and though it may seem to linger, it is not in reality doing so. God's train is not behind time. It is only a matter of patience, and we shall soon see for ourselves the faithfulness of the LORD. No promise of His ...

This is overdue, but here goes. I am thankful for... I went home to visit my mom recently. She had been in rehab for a few months after a fall and other illnesses. Thankfully she is now back at her assisted living facility. I'm thankful for how well Mom has adjusted. I sat next to her at church, and it was so encouraging to hear her sing along with the hymns and choruses. She would also follow the Bible verses that were projected on the wall, but interestingly she would read them in Chinese. Mom's sense of humor has been coming out too. She can be really funny and crack some good jokes. I'm thankful how God has kept her. I cannot imagine how hard it is to lose your memory and be unable to grieve and bring closure to losing your husband. Yet God is near to the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. I'm thankful for God's grace for the empty-nester (me) and the not-a-baby bird who is spreading her wings (my daughter.) I'm thankful that she is quickly buildin...

Ever since I read How to Think , which I loved, I wanted to read more of Alan Jacobs' writing. So I found a used copy of his book The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction . 1 It's been sitting in the TBR pile for a while, but I wanted a smaller book to bring on a recent trip, so I pulled The Pleasures of Reading from the stack and took it with me. It's a delightful little book on reading for pleasure and growth. You won't be guilted into reading a list of x number of books that you must read before you die, but Jacob writes about the ways in which we can stretch our minds and tastes as readers. And above all, take pleasure in reading. There are so many quotable quotes, but here are a few that stood out to me: "Above all, take time to discern, what the book - or story, or poem, or essay, or article - has to offer you. Slow down. Make a point of revisiting passages that seems especially rich, or especially confusing, or for that matter especially off...

"His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their forehead" (Revelation 22:3-4). Three choice blessings will be ours in the gloryland. "His servants shall serve him." No other lords shall oppress us, no other service shall distress us. We shall serve Jesus always, perfectly, without weariness, and without error. This is heaven to a saint: in all things to serve the LORD Christ and to be owned by Him as His servant is our soul's high ambition for eternity.  "And they shall see his face." This makes the service delightful: indeed, it is the present reward of service. We shall know our LORD, for we shall see Him as He is. To see the face of Jesus is the utmost favor that the most faithful servant of the LORD can ask. What more could Moses ask than-"Let me see thy face?"  "And his name shall be in their foreheads." They gaze upon their LORD till His name is photographed upon their br...

"He shall save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). LORD, save me from my sins. By the name of Jesus I am encouraged thus to pray. Save me from my past sins, that the habit of them may not hold me captive. Save me from my constitutional sins, that I may not be the slave of my own weaknesses. Save me from the sins which are continually under my eye that I may not lose my horror of them. Save me from secret sins; sins unperceived by me from my want of light. Save me from sudden and surprising sins: let me not be carried off my feet by a rush of temptation. Save me, LORD, from every sin. Let not any iniquity have dominion over me. hou alone canst do this. I cannot snap my own chains or slay my own enemies. Thou knowest temptation, for Thou wast tempted. Thou knowest sin, for Thou didst bear the weight of it. Thou knowest how to succor me in my hour of conflict; Thou canst save me from sinning and save me when I have sinned. It is promised in Thy very name that Thou wi...

When I read Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert , I was moved by Rosaria Butterfield's conversion story, but I also fell in love with Ken and Floy Smith. If there ever was an example of friendship evangelism, this is it. This Presbyterian pastor and his wife became Rosaria's friends. They were honest with her about their faith and where they disagreed with her, but they loved her. They debated, but they didn't bully or pressure her into believing. They didn't pull a Charles Finney and manipulate her emotions through fear-mongering. The Smiths saw her as another human being made in God's image, not just a project. They believed it was the Holy Spirit who did the saving, not them, and he did. As I considered their example, it struck me how opposite they were from the cage-stage. If you have never heard the term, it's a period of intense enthusiasm over the newly discovered Five Points of Calvinism that may result in tactless and even ungracious behavior (iron...

And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. Deut. 30:6 Here we read of the true circumcision. Note the author of it: "The Lord thy God." He alone can deal effectually with our heart, and take away its carnality and pollution. To make us love God with all our heart and soul is a miracle of grace which only the Holy Ghost can work. We must look to the Lord alone for this and never be satisfied with anything short of it. Note where this circumcision is wrought. It is not of the flesh, but of the spirit. It is the essential mark of the covenant of grace. Love to God is the indelible token of the chosen seed; by this secret seal the election of grace is certified to the believer. We must see to it that we trust in no outward ritual, but are sealed in heart by the operation of the Holy Ghost. Note what the result is -- "that thou mayest live." ...

Every time there's a fight lively discussion among Christians on social media, I am reminded of this quote from Mark Foreman. So for your edification, I am sharing it again.  Many people do not like arguing. They picture an angry dispute between two individuals… It is usually characterized by negative emotions: we are upset, raise our voices, and maybe even stomp out of the room in frustration… Usually, if we are honest, the goal of this kind of arguments is to win… Another type of arguing features a dispute not between competing individuals but between competing ideas… Rather than emotional; it is rational. We are seeking reasons for why we think a belief is true. In arguing this way, we do not attack the other person, but we are both attacking an issue or problem. This is why philosophers often can hold opposite views on issues and yet be good friends.  The goal of this kind of arguing is not to win but to find the truth.  In fact, if you can show me that ...

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13) Truth is like a vast cavern into which we desire to enter, but we are not able to traverse it alone. At the entrance it is clear and bright; but if we would go further and explore its innermost recesses, we must have a guide, or we shall lose ourselves. The Holy Spirit, who knows all truth perfectly, is the appointed guide of all true believers, and He conducts them as they are able to bear it, from one inner chamber to another, so that they behold the deep things of God, and His secret is made plain to them. What a promise is this for the humbly inquiring mind! We desire to know the truth and to enter into it. We are conscious of our own aptness to err, and we feel the urgent need of a guide. We rejoice that the Holy Spirit is come and abides among us. He condescends to act as a guide to us, and we gladly accept His leadership. "All truth" we wish to learn, that we may not be one-...

This is an updated version of a post I wrote over three years ago about Christian "experts" who are very free in dispensing their advice to the rest of us. If anything, the number of influencers has only grown thanks to the Internet. Not all are bad, and some are quite helpful. But just because there is an influencer out there does not obligate me to listen or agree.  In  Pride and Prejudice , Jane Austen has created a character who is both irritating and amusing - Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She is the epitome of the bossy and nosy neighbor, and her rank and wealth give her the right to be so. As the owner of a large estate, anyone who is economically dependent on her patronage needs to stay in her good graces because she holds the pursestrings. Yet, Austen's dry wit makes it plain to the reader that Lady Catherine's omniscience exists only in her own mind. Here are a few examples of how she advises those who have the misfortune of not being as enlightened a...

I read a book a few years ago,  Unashamed by Heather Nelson , that undid me. Her chapter on parenting and shame deeply convicted me, and I went to my daughter in tears asking for her forgiveness. That undoing was the beginning of a positive change in our relationship. Better communication, better listening, and better understanding along with the help of a great Christian counselor. We're still learning and growing, but I am also aware of the times when I failed her and probably contributed to some of the issues she is presently dealing with. This knowledge is one of the reasons why I want to swoop in and make things all right thinking that perhaps I can make it up to her and undo the past. This very issue came up in a recent conversation when I was beginning to worry about her, though I said nothing. Thankfully, my daughter could read between the pauses and picked up on my fear. She called me out to her credit. When I finally admitted that my desire to try to help her stemmed...

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:14) The Holy Ghost Himself cannot better glorify the Lord Jesus than by showing to us Christ's own things. Jesus is His own best commendation. There is no adorning Him except with his own gold. The Comforter shows us that which He has received of our Lord Jesus. We never see anything aright till He reveals it. He has a way of opening our minds and of opening the Scriptures, and by this double process He sets forth our Lord to us. There is much art in setting forth a matter, and that art belongs in the highest degree to the Spirit of truth. He shows us the things themselves. This is a great privilege, as those know who have enjoyed the hallowed vision. Let us seek the illumination of the Spirit; not to gratify our curiosity, nor even to bring us personal comfort, so much as to glorify the Lord Jesus. Oh, to have worthy ideas of Him! Groveling notions dishonor our precious Lord. Oh, to have such...

But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby" (Isaiah 33:21). The LORD will be to us the greatest good without any of the drawbacks which seem necessarily to attend the best earthly things. If a city is favored with broad rivers, it is liable to be attacked by galleys with oars and other ships of war. But when the LORD represents the abundance of His bounty under this figure, He takes care expressly to shut out the fear which the metaphor might suggest. Blessed be His perfect love! LORD, if Thou send me wealth like broad rivers, do not let the galley with oars come up in the shape of worldliness or pride. If Thou grant me abundant health and happy spirits, do not let "the gallant ship" of carnal ease come sailing up the flowing flood. If I have success in holy service, broad as the German Rhine, yet let me never find the galley of self-conceit and self-con...

Listening is one of those things we take for granted and think we do well. But it's more than taking in speech through our ears. The point may not even be fixing a problem that is being presented. It's actually a setting aside of one's self and taking the time to be there for another person. 1 When I realized I needed to see a counselor several years ago, I assumed that she would tell me what to do, but she didn't. She gave me a safe and neutral space to unburden things I have never told another soul. She really didn't give much advice at all, but the blessing of having someone who actually listened to me and didn't offer platitudes or advice off the cuff enabled me to see my way more clearly than before. Having a listening ear was important when working through my issues, but I think it is a basic human need. But to listen well requires patience which seems to be a lost virtue. Given our consumer mindset, we can tailor our lives to cater to our interests ...

Well it's been a few weeks since I've been an empty-nester. We had been planning and preparing for my daughter's move to grad school for a while. The living room was piled with boxes. Many orders were placed with Amazon. Friends helped us move the big things. We made trips back and forth for the remainder of her stuff, and then all of a sudden, it happened, and I'm now by myself. It's weird. I should be used to it with past visitation, but this time it's permanent. It's been an adjustment to the new normal. So here are a few things I've been learning. Take care of myself - This is one area that I could let slide. There have been some mornings where it is nearly lunchtime before I realize I haven't eaten or drunk anything. Not good. I've also put off going to the grocery store and making do with what I have in the fridge and the pantry because I don't feel like venturing out. Again not good. I now have a better inkling why elderly people...

"And a Man shall be as an hiding-place from the wind and a covert from the tempest" (Isaiah 32:2). Who this Man is we all know. Who could He be but the Second Man, the LORD from heaven, the man of sorrows, the Son of Man? What a hiding place He has been to His people! He bears the full force of the wind Himself, and so He shelters those who hide themselves in Him. We have thus escaped the wrath of God, and we shall thus escape the anger of men, the cares of this life, and the dread of death. Why do we stand in the wind when we may so readily and so surely get out of it by hiding behind our LORD? Let us this day run to Him and be at peace. Often the common wind of trouble rises in its force and becomes a tempest, sweeping everything before it. Things which looked firm and stable rock in the blast, and many and great are the falls among our carnal confidences. Our LORD Jesus, the glorious man, is a covert which is never blown down. In Him we mark the tempest sweeping by, bu...

I finished reading two important books on child abuse – Not Forsaken by Jenn Greenberg and What is a Girl Worth?   by Rachael Denhollander. Two different women. Two sisters-in-Christ. Two different stories. Equally devastating and both offering insight if we would take the time to listen and learn. And that’s the thing. Taking the time to listen and learn. Why don’t we?  Why do Christians minimize abuse? Why do Christians get upset when you bring up this issue? Why do Christians justify covering it up? (This is just one example. ) This continues to baffle me. I tried to understand this from the point of view of psychology – Melvin Lerner’s “Just World Fallacy. “ I tried to understand the fear that would drive people to do this, but after reading these two recent books, I need to bring it closer to home. What would I do if this happened in my church? I pray it never does. In fact, I pray this almost daily, but what if it did? What would I do? There are two things that wou...