A Beautiful and Thought-Provoking Book

Notes From the Tilt-a-Whirl by N. D. Wilson is a book unlike anything else. My usual pattern for reading consists of pen in hand, underlining and making marginalia to interact with the text. With Wilson’s book, however, I found myself too mesmerized to do that, instead merely absorbing every word for the pure pleasure it brings.

Not long after reading Notes, I picked it up again to have the same experience. And it didn’t let me down. Wilson’s book is pure magic, causing one to think about life and everything that happens in it as stemming from the Creator of it all. It is an overwhelming and beautiful work on the existence of a Creator in the midst of this spinning ball we call earth. From focusing on the minutest insects to the complexities of life, Notes will take you on a thrilling ride at the carnival.

It deserves to be read with care, and more than once. And if you don’t have room on your shelf for another book, then get this because it worthy of replacing almost anything on your shelf.

Here is just a small sample of Wilson’s writing:

Three postcards await our perusal, yea, three visions of a world.

One: I see a theme park where there are lots of rides, but there is nobody who can control them and nobody who knows how the rides end. Grief counseling, however, is included in the price of admission.

Two: I see an accident. An explosion of some kind inhabited by happenstantial life forms. A milk spill gone bacterial, only with more flame. It has no meaning or purpose or master. It simply is.

Three: I see a stage, a world where every scene is crafted. Where men act out their lives with tapestry, where meaning and beauty exist, where right and wrong are more than imagined constructs. There is evil. There is darkness. There is the Winter of tragedy, every life ending, churned back in the soil. But the tragedy leads to Spring. The story does not end in frozen death. The fields are sown in grief. The harvest will be reaped in joy. I see a Master’s painting. I listen to a Master’s prose. When darkness falls on me, when I stand on my corner of the stage and hear my cue, when I know my final scene has come and I must exit, I will go into the ground like corn, waiting for the Son.

I see my world (pg. 76-77).

August Book of the Month: Death By Living

The moment I got N. D. Wilson’s newest book in the mail, I devoured it. Meaning, I let it sit for about twenty-four hours, then once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Every spare minute was taken up with either reading it or thinking about what I just read.

Death By Living is a unique book, unlike anything I’ve ever read. Well, just to be fair, Notes from a Tilt-A-Whirl felt like it had the same style, but that’s because it was written by the same person. So, it was more like it was unlike anything I’ve ever read, save Notes. But even though it was written by the same author, the content was very different.

Wilson invites the reader to understand through a collection of essays that life is meant to be lived, but it can only be truly lived as we understand each moment we are nearing death. Every experience we have, every interaction we take part in, everything that happens to us, are all part of the divine narrative being written about our life. We are just a breath in the life of God, an extra in His novel, a wisp in His narrative. But each moment we do have should be lived to the fullest, trusting that our Creator is somehow working it all together for our good and His glory.

Death By Living is a book that I’m going to read again and again, reminding myself that life is meant to be spent because each moment I’m hurtling toward death. And in order to truly live, we must live in that light. There are few books I read more than once, and very few I read more than twice. But Death By Living will be one that goes into the latter category.

July Book of the Month

What’s So Great about the Doctrines of Grace? by Richard D. Phillips

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What’s So Amazing About the Doctrines of Grace? is a helpful book on the five points of Calvinism, which are total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints—also known as TULIP. It is not an in-depth book by any means, weighing in at only 111 pages, but it is beneficial and a delight.

One of the points that made this such a helpful book was that the author didn’t just write a book to explain the doctrines of grace, but to show what is so important about them. Namely, he wanted to inform us about them through teaching and Scripture, but he also wanted to cause to worship Christ and apply them to our daily lives. His two-fold reason for writing was “explain the doctrines of grace, also known as the ‘Five Points of Calvinism,’ through the exposition of Scripture,” and to “help believers feel the power of these precious truths in their lives” (xi). And he does just that.

After explaining the doctrines of grace in a concise way (he didn’t write an exhaustive book on each of the doctrines), he then applies them to a believer’s daily life. How does the doctrine of limited atonement affect the way I live my life each day? What does perseverance of the saints mean to me today? How can I glory in total depravity, and what does it mean for my life? Richard Phillips does a wonderful job thinking through what each doctrine means to us in the real world, and pointing us to Christ and the glory he will receive as a result of it. And that is one of the strengths of the book.

He ends with this: “Summing up all the doctrines of grace, this is what’s so great: those who know and rely on God’s all-sufficient grace—the grace of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the grace of the Holy Spirit—are inspired to live for His all-consuming glory. There’s nothing greater than that” (97).

Sure, there are much more exhaustive studies that will go much more in-depth into each of the doctrines, but this one is helpful because it is so short and easy to understand. And the best part of it is, the folks over at Ligonier are giving away the ebook for free this month. Head on over there and grab it—you won’t be disappointed. It is well worth the few hours it takes to read it—in fact, more than worth it. You won’t be disappointed (unless you’re an Arminian).

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Nearing Home Book Review

When Billy Graham was interviewed by Newsweek in 2006 and asked to give a comment about death, he said, “I had been taught all my life how to die, but no one ever taught me how to grow old.” It was that statement that triggered a lot of interest, and caused him to begin to think through its implications and write this book. Nearing Home is the latest release from Billy Graham, who is now 94 years old.

The first part of the book was a little hard for me to get through because it was geared more toward the elderly, giving practical insight about wills, living wills, retirement, as well as many other various subjects related to the “Golden Years.” I’m sure if I was older (I’m only 32 now), I would have been much more impacted by what he wrote in this section.

But the second part of the book was classic Graham. Written in an easy-to-understand style, he presented the gospel in a clear and concise way, calling all people to a lifestyle of leaving a legacy of Christlike character behind when we die. He also called forth for the foundational Christian disciplines—prayer, time in God’s Word, fellowshipping with others, etc.—things that have sustained his life of devotion to Christ. And that was a delight to read.

Though I enjoyed the book (some parts more than others), the great majority of it is geared toward people greater in age than myself, and I didn’t know that before picking it up. Sure, I learned some things from it about preparing to get old and nearing death, but I think it would have been much more appropriate as I advance in age.

But no matter what stage of life we’re at, there is still helpful advice contained within the pages. “God designs transitions and provides grace to embrace what follows” (165). That advice comes from a giant in the faith—and that is applicable to anyone.