Tasting Grace in Scripture and Literature

For several years now I have developed a daily habit of reading and prayer.  It involves me getting up before my kids do, brewing a single cup of coffee, and grabbing a couple of books off my shelf.  My shelf is very special to me.  I have come to the realization over the last few years that if reading is a value, I should invest in it.  So I have purchased more than one high quality reader's Bible and I have purchased some premium quality versions of some of my favorite novels.  I am also working on acquiring some premium versions of some theological classics, but these are hard to come by (I've written numerous emails trying to get publishers to make them!).

I know I am a dinosaur for wanting real books.  I just turned forty, so I have come to terms with that. I still love the experience of holding a book in my hands and reading off of paper.  I have a virtual bookshelf as well and I use my laptop for a lot of my study, but for my daily reading experience I want a real book and I want one that is worth owning--one that is a joy to hold and read.  You, of course, don't need to buy expensive books and Bibles to taste grace, but for me it has been part of developing a habit and a priority.  I look forward to reading every morning and every book on my shelf is one I cherish.

For those of you who know me, you probably know that I am a pastor and I am a huge C.S. Lewis and Tolkien fan.  I also am a passionate coffee lover, which may find its way into some of these posts just as it has found its way into some of my books!  The fact is that God speaks to me through the Bible.  I have realized over the years that when we read the Bible we are meant to taste God's grace and not just read about it.  This goes for the Old Testament and the New.  One of the purposes of this blog is to help model how to do this and share some of my experiences.

God also often speaks to me and shows me things through authors of novels, Lewis and Tolkien in particular.  Now I know that neither of these men were perfect in character or theology, but often they illustrate things in beautiful and vibrant ways that help my soul connect to spiritual truths.  If you don't like Lewis or Tolkien you can either avoid those posts or simply pass on this blog altogether.  I'm not looking to start a debate on fantasy literature, magic, or the particular theological positions of these men.  I'm simply going to use their stories to point my soul (and yours too!) to the Christ of Scripture.

So this blog is going to feature devotional thoughts designed to help you taste grace.  Some will be from the Scripture, some will be from novels like the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings, and some will be from non-fiction books from people like J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul, John Stott, John Piper, Timothy Keller, and more.  I hope you will find them helpful, and that they will help you to start your own holy habit of reading and prayer, and that your experience will taste like grace!