Loving the classics

I was an odd child. I think my brother and I were the only school children who took out a translation of Homer's Iliad as our reading material from the Old Manse Library in Newcastle. In fact, if I remember correctly, the librarian was skeptical of our ability to read it. But reading that, and much more, fired our interest in this era. From Socrates to Seneca, from Herodotus to Tacitus, from the Trojan War to the fall of the Roman Republic, these authors and figures became part of the background to our knowledge of the western world.

And that love of Ancient Greek and Latin literature and history has stayed with both of us. I always have some work from the classical era on my reading table or my tablet. I have been blessed by the Perseus Classics Collection which I have in my Logos Bible Software.

These days I am reading the work of Demosthenes, the greatest of the Attic orators. When people wonder why I continue to read works that are 2300 years old, I can tell them that as much as the world changes, the basic elements of human nature do not. As an example, when reading Demosthenes' Philippics and Olynthiacs against Philip, king of Macedon, a very vivid picture is drawn about Demosthenes, Athens, justice and the nature of fate. Demosthenes condemns Philip for his ambition, and makes it clear that such ambition can never come to fruition. He sees Philip as small, provincial and uncivilized, at least compared with the greatness of Athens. For Demosthenes, justice and fate must lead the wise over the foolish, so his charge to the Athenians is, "Live up to who you are!"

The issues the ancient Greek and Latin authors grappled with over those centuries are much the same as those we battle today. Consider these words of Demosthenes from his Third Olynthiac:

I consider it right as a citizen to set the welfare of the state above the popularity of an orator. Indeed I am given to understand—and so perhaps are you—that the orators of past generations, always praised but not always imitated by those who address you, adopted this very standard and principle of statesmanship. … But ever since this breed of orators appeared who ply you with such questions as “What would you like? What shall I propose? How can I oblige you?” the interests of the state have been frittered away for a momentary popularity.

 
Telling words for politicians, for church leaders. It is writing like this that continually drives me back to the Classics, and tells me for all our cultural, social and scientific advancement, we are still not far removed from the popularity seekers of ancient Greece.

That's why I love the Classics.

How to hear a sermon

Whitefield preaching

These days as ministers we are inundated with lists and studies about how to draw people to the church, how to keep people in the church. And too often this devolves into lowest common denominator thinking, where the gospel offer of salvation from sin is set aside for a less offensive message.

So it is refreshing that when reading Whitefield I came across this sermon, "Directions How to Hear Sermons." (pp.247-255 of George Whitefield, Sermons volume III). Throughout evangelical preaching from the seventeenth into the early nineteenth centuries, these sorts of directions were commonplace. The most famous of these was written by Richard Baxter (1615-1691). These preachers put great stock into teaching the people in these importatnt skills. Attending and listening to sermons was an important part of discipleship. The power of God works as the preacher prepares to deliver the sermon, and as the congregation gathers to hear the sermon. The congregation is not just and open vessel ready to receive, but takes an active role, preparing the soul for the message of God.

So, what are these directions? Whitefield does begin by showing that "...if it be the duty of ministers to preach, (and woe be to them if they do not preach the gospel, for a necessity is laid upon them) no doubt, the people are obliged to attend to them;" Take every chance you get to hear sermons. He then gives the six directions for the people as follows. (My own notes are in parentheses.)

1. Come to hear… not out of curiosity, but from a sincere desire to know and do your duty.
2. Give diligent heed to the things that are spoken from the Word of God
3. Do not entertain even the least prejudice against the minister.
4. Be careful not to depend too much on a preacher, or think more highly of him than you ought to think. (Ouch!says the minister-MG)
5. Make particular application to your own hearts of everything that is delivered.
6. Pray to the Lord, before, during, and after every sermon,…(both for the minister and for yourself as the truths of the sermon are lived out.-MG)

The last point on prayer is so very important. My wife, who diligently sits through my own sermons each week, tells me that she prays as the sermon is progressing. If I am flagging, she prays for strength. If I am stumbling, she prays for solid footing. If I am hesitant, she prays for power. If I am rambling, she prays for focus. She consistently prays that God will speak through me. Does knowing that make me a better preacher? I can't say that but it does not make me a worse one.

So today I thank Whitefield for reminding me that the focus of church work is not just on what the minister has prepared to say, but on what the congregation has prepared itself to hear.

The Sermons of George Whitefield

George Whitefield (1714-1770)

One of books I just finished reading is volume 3 in a 4 volume collection of sermons by George Whitefield, compiled by Pietan Publications. I have a great admiration for the life and career of Whitefield, who devoted his life to preaching to those outside the walls of the Established Church of England. Hills and gravestones were his pulpits, as he brought the message of God’s redeeming love to the masses, who had been excluded from the parish church. His sermons were marked by great waves of emotion and spiritual upheaval in the audience.

One of the striking things about Whitefield’s sermons is that his appeal to the unsaved is not strictly an appeal based on emotion. The emotional component is there, very strongly, usually in his closing paragraphs. But he always begins with an appeal to the mind, based on the Biblical text. He explains his text before he begins to apply it.

A prime example of this is the first sermon in the volume, “The Lord our Righteousness” based on Jeremiah 23:6. He divides the sermon into five parts.

1) Who is this Lord?
2) How the Lord is our righteousness.
3) Objections to the doctrine.
4) Consequences to denying the doctrine.
5) Exhortation to come to Christ by faith and say “the Lord our righteousness.”

The move from definition to objection to application to exhortation was a throwback to the great Puritan preaching on the 1600s. This was the preaching that helped to spawn the Great Awakening in England and in America. As you read any volume of Whitefield’s preaching, you get a sense of passion for lost souls, coupled with the desire to proclaim Christ’s message rightly. This whole collection, over 100 sermons in all, is powerful and of great value to preachers of today.

Final thoughts on Melville

To journey through the works of Herman Melville is to journey with one of the most able literary minds the world has known. One of the first things that comes to pass in Melville's writings, is the utter impatience with which he began his adult life. He left home looking for something, and as he tells that story in Redburn, Typee and Omoo, he is always scouring the horizon for the next opportunity. The sailors in these stories are never fully satisfied with their lot in life.

Melville also counters the 19th century romanticism about nature. For Melville, the natural world is just as frenzied and chaotic as the human world, equally capable of creation and destruction. Any vision of a storm at sea presents this, see especially in Moby-Dick and White-Jacket.

As far as religious motifs in Melville, one of the most telling is the vision of the one who does good, only to be rejected and ultimately destroyed. This is at its most biting in Pierre, but also is the prominent note in the novella Billy Budd, sailor. Both protagonists are the embodiment of what humanity should be, but the world is more concerned with propriety or justice to see it.

Melville's most jarring criticism of religion is the charge of hypocrisy which he levels at the missionaries in his early South sea adventures. The hypocrisy of people also weighs heavily in the plot of The Confidence-Man. I believe Melville's view of humanity was entirely pessimistic, perhaps based on the hyper-Calvinism of the northeastern United States in the early 19th century. Whether striving to conquer self, conquer obsession or conquer nature, humanity's cause was futile.

Melville is such a joy to read, even in the novels that I have listed at the bottom of the list. Melville's writing causes me to think, about myself and my place in the world around me. The struggles of Melville's main characters are the struggles of humanity. Where do I belong? Is this enough for me? How do I do the right thing? How can I be free?

I admit that as a Christian, my answer to these questions will be different from Melville's. Melville knew there was no earthly saving grace; he was unsure about the heavenly one. But Melville's vision of the dark world that denies its heroes a place, and never really has a happy ending, is for me a vision of the world without Jesus Christ.  And that is a sad world, indeed.

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Now to finish my capsule reviews of the novels of Melville with my top two.

#2. Billy Budd, sailor (1924). Unpublished in Melville's lifetime, this novella is everything which Melville excelled at as a writer. It is a story about a naval ship, so the reality of life aboard the ship is there. It tells the story of a misfit, Billy Budd, who is described as beautiful, handsome, and is naturally charismatic. He is seemingly out of place as a sailor. It also tells a deeply philosophical story about the nature of truth and justice. And because the story is so short, there is little room for the usual Melvillean digressions into information gathering. The characters, Budd the sailor, Vere the captain, and Claggart the master-at-arms, each remain true to what is known about them, and the outcome of the novella is almost predetermined. There is no other decision that could be made, although there is much discussion about what should be done.
*The story was adapted into a movie by Peter Ustinov in 1962, who starred as Vere with Terence Stamp as Budd. The movie is quite well done and worth watching.

#1. Moby-Dick (1851). There is no doubt about the best of Melville's novels. Moby-Dick is in a class by itself. The story of Ahab and his quest for the white whale is well known. And while the sea story, with its action in the whaling boats is intense, that is not where the story is at its best. It delves deep into the hearts of the men who hunt for whales, with notions of revenge, greed, and piety finding their place in the story. The captain, the mates, the harpooners, all hold a place in this saga, all with different motives. This novel is filled with detail, from Ishmael's (the narrator) arrival in the whaling town, to the preparation of the Pequod for sail. There are discourses on whales and the art of whaling. There are descriptions of the characters. And although the digressions can at times seem tedious (it takes a lot of work to read about the comparison between a right whale and sperm whale head), they provide a backdrop to the main theme of the novel, the nature of truth. Each man sees truth in a diffrenet way. As circumstances change, truth changes. Ahab doesn't change, so his truth about the white-whale is fixed. And because his truth is fixed and he cannot be swayed, he is ultimately doomed along with those who follow him. Moby-Dick is Melville's greatest work, and for me the greatest 19th-century English language novel written. (Sorry Charles Dickens)
*There have been several movies made based on Moby-Dick, but I have not found any of them enjoyable as adaptations of Melville. Melville's writing is so much in the heads of its characters, that any movie based on this novel will be a disappointment to me. As movies, they might be fine. As Melville, they fail.

Tomorrow, a few closing thoughts on some of the themes in the whole of Melville's work.

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Continuing with novels #3-4 of Herman Melville.

#4. Omoo (1847). Melville's second novel, which continues the story told in Typee (see below). It is based on Melville's own adventures in the Pacific. It tells the story of a sailor's rescue from a Polynesian island, and his life at sea with an undermanned ship with an incompetent captain. As in most of Melville's books, he gains a confidante, the ship's former doctor, and they hatch a plan for escape. The book moves from grim life at sea to life in a Tahitian "jail" to life with tenant farmers on the island. This book is a scathing indictment of European policy in the Pacific Islands. Melville has little good to say about the Christian missionaries in this novel, and as in Typee he is very adamant in his denunciation of the "civilizing" of the Pacific islanders. Both British and French foreign policy come under attack. But within all of this, the story moves along nicely, with moving chapters about the islands and their people. It also very starkly shows that a life at sea is not just romantic and idyllic.

#3. Typee (1846). Melville's first novel, it caused a stir when first released. It was based on Melville's own time on the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas group after abandoning the whaling ship he was working on. Maybe thought the tale embellished, but Melville was later proved to be truthful in its basics. This book was edited in England to remove some of the more offensive material about Protestant missionaries and their work in the Pacific. The book tells the story of a sailor's time in "captivity" among the Typee, a cannibalistic tribe inhabiting the island. Tommo, the narrator, spends four months with the tribe, learning their customs and ways. The book takes on a languid tone, as Tommo is welcomed as a member of the tribe, and allowed into their most secret places and rites. It presents in some ways an idealized picture of Polynesian life, but eventually Tommo's situation takes on a more desperate tone. Moments of peace, terror and suspense are found within these chapters. Melville became famous for writing these sea-adventures, but eventually resented their popularity, along with the pressure to do more like it. But both Typee and Omoo are wonderful novels, filled with great characters, descriptive scenes and powerful images.

Tomorrow, Melville's top two novels...

Sunday sermon

Sundays are traditionally not counted as days of Lent, so no writing to add today. But I will add a link to my sermon this morning on the words of Jesus in John 10:7, "I am the door of the sheep."

Sermon Sunday February 22 "I am the door"

Writing continues tomorrow.

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Continuing my snapshot reviews of the novels of Herman Melville (today #5-7).

#7. The Confidence-Man (1857). This was the final novel published in Melville's lifetime. It is series of interlocking stories about a shadowy figure, the confidence-man, who meets various passengers on the Mississippi steamboat Fidele in a number of disguises. The novel takes place on April Fools Day, which is the backdrop to the whole masquerade. The passengers confront their perceptions of who they are, with what they are really prepared to do. Morality becomes fluid. Greed dominates. And the question become who do you trust? And can you trust yourself?
This book tackles great themes. It has rich metaphors, and its use of the river as a backdrop is perfect. The main problem with this book is that it is confusing. It is book that was better the second time I read it. With each reading the characters tie together much better, and the identity of the confidence-man becomes clearer. The Confidence-Man rises in my estimation each time I read it, so its position here in my rankings is subject to change.

#6. White-Jacket (1850). Melville's story based on his time aboard a frigate in the United States Navy. Melville had been rescued by the frigate USS United States, and became a novice sailor on board as a way to get back to America. There is little narrative continuity in this novel, as it is more a series of scenes in the life of a naval crew. These scenes are interspersed with historical and informative chapters about certain aspects of naval life. It was not a ringing endorsement of American naval policy, and served as the rallying cry for the abolition of flogging as a punishment aboard ships. Perhaps more interesting as a historical novel, than as a narrative, it contains compelling characters like Jack Chase and Captain Claret, who embody the best and worst of naval officers.

#5. Pierre (1852). Melville's most controversial novel, and the one that I have the most difficulty ranking. There I days I marvel at the daring nature of the story. And there are days that the story itself is so repugnant and depressing that I cannot bear to think about it. To describe its narrative would give much of the story away, but at its core it is a story that bursts the bubble of middle-class bourgeois morality. Pierre Glendinning is the young protagonist, with a respectable, easy life. But it all comes crashing down as he attempts to protect his mother and his late father's memory. Pierre's desire is to do the right thing, but he ends up subverting the very social code he has lived by.
This is Melville's most personal novel. Pierre is in many ways a proxy for the author himself. In his attempts to live up to his family history, Pierre echoes Melville who escaped his own by going to sea. The shadow of Pierre's ancestors covers the whole story. This is the second novel which deals with Melville and his relationship to his father. Pierre's father is the source of his pride in the beginning and the source of his downfall in the end.
Pierre is also a writer in this story, and his failed attempt at writing gives a picture of Melville in this time. Pierre was Melville's seventh novel in six years, and the ones in which he was most invested were the ones derided and scorned by the critics and public. Melville wanted to move away from sailor stories to more philosophical novels, but did not achieve the success he desired (or thought he deserved.)  Pierre would continue that scorn. This is Melville at his most modern, however, seeking to destroy the idols that the mid 19th century middle class lived by. Hard-hitting. Poignant. Heart-breaking. These are the words that describe Pierre.

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Today I will begin to look at the ten novels of Herman Melville. I will rank them in order of my own preference, because everybody loves a list. These rankings are not carved in stone, especially the works in the middle of the set (#4-7). So here we go.

#10. Mardi (1849). Melville's novels usually are divided into two major classes: sea-romances and philosophical discovery. Mardi has feet in both of these classes, and comes up short. It begins with a compelling story of sailors escaping a ship, the kind of story Melville excels at writing. And then the story changes, and it becomes almost as if Melville is writing about a dream. Descriptive narrative gives way to philosophy then to Polynesian mythology then to the nature of human life. The protagonist is driven to explore, looking for peace, and is haunted by his actions. It is Melville's longest work, and shows glimpses of the philosophical depth to come in Melville's classics. But I find so much of the dialogue tiring, and eventually I just wanted the book to end. That said, if I was to read it again, the sharp change in tone from seafaring story to philosophical treatise would not come as such a shock, so this one could move up a couple of spots.

#9. Israel Potter (1855). Loosely based on a pamphlet biography of the real Israel Potter, this book tells the story of a farmer who goes to fight the British at Bunker Hill, joins the navy, is captured and spends his life away from the land of his birth. There is really not much to say about this book, but I would compare Potter to an 18th-century Forrest Gump, always crossing paths with famous people in his day. This one I would probably not read again.

#8. Redburn (1849). Melville's work is so often autobiographical, it becomes difficult to separate the man from his work. Redburn is one such book, that tells the story of a young man, Wellingborough Redburn, deciding to go to sea. This story is based on Melville's first sea voyage, and is about his adapting to life on the sea. Redburn is almost naive in the beginning about what it takes to survive on the sea, and he grows into a more hardened sailor. A second act of the book finds Redburn in Liverpool, trying to walk in his father's footsteps, using an old (and outdated) travel book. Redburn wants to know his late father, and this travel book has stoked his imagination for years. The tragedy is that the book describes a place that no longer exists, and so you feel Redburn's disappointment. The book shows that life on the sea has no place for sympathy, and the book doesn't let us forget that sailing is a business. Redburn is the type of story Melville could write in his sleep, because it was the life he lived as a young man.

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Last year I read through the complete works of Herman Melville (1819-1891), who is one of my favourite writers. I read his novels, his short stories and his poetry. Over the next few days I will give my own personal ranking of his ten novels. But today I am going to focus on his lesser known work in poetry and short prose.

Melville is adept at painting small pictures. While his novels can sometimes be tedious and encyclopedic, his shorter prose contains some of the most wondrous studies of character and suspense. Melville gets people, and his scenes pop with images that become implanted in your mind.

"Benito Cereno"(1855) is a novella about two ships that meet, but there is more there than meets the eye. You read the story never knowing fully what is going on, or where your sympathy should lie. And the unveiling of the figurehead is a scene that stays with you. "Bartleby the Scrivener"(1853) is a claustrophobic story about a man whose world gets smaller, until he is unable to leave the law office where he is employed. It is a story about being stuck. You feel sympathy for Bartleby, and yet also feel frustration along with his employer. These are the two finest examples of Melville's shorter fiction.

Melville's poetry, on the other hand, is not memorable. In fact, his prose work is more poetic than his verse. Clarel (1876), an epic poem about his journey to the holy land, has wondrous highs, but reading the poem takes its toll on the reader, as there is not enough story to justify the length. It is like a good movie that's twenty minutes too long. His volumes of shorter poetry are so uneven. His poetry on the American Civil War, Battle Pieces and aspects of war (1866), bears interest as it relates to the history of the war, but lacks in overall literary merit.

Tomorrow, #8-10 of Melville's novels.

Cruxifusion

My earlier post on collegiality has me thinking about the other major source of professional (how I hate that word) support in my life and work: Cruxifusion.

Cruxifusion is a group of United Church ministers who are committed to "supporting, inspiring and connecting Christ-centred leaders" in the United Church of Canada. As you may guess that phrase Christ-centred is rather broad, and the group welcomes clergy from all over the theological spectrum who share a passion for the work of Jesus. I am currently on the board of Cruxifusion, and serve as its secretary.

For me, Cruxifusion is a place where I feel comfortable expressing my orthodox beliefs, without any sense of judgment. In many ways, you could probably say that Cruxifusion has kept me in the United Church. These brothers and sisters in the faith have been a support over vast distances, able to hear my growing frustrations, and able to offer a kind word in an e-mail or Facebook message.

Cruxifusion is also about hope. Hope in the United Church, yes, but that is only a small part of it. It is about the hope that past generations have had, which established for us a firm foundation. It is about hope in the power of prayer which has brought us to this point and will continue to sustain us. But mostly, it is about hope in the saving message of Jesus Christ. That is the message that has saved me, and it is the message that will save the Church.

Cruxifusion is planning its third annual conference April 27-29, 2015. Check them out at their webpage, http://cruxifusion.ca/

Ministerials

Ministry is a lonely calling, especially for a retiring, studious type. The study is a remarkable place to hide, amidst the bibles and commentaries and dusty volumes on systematics. One can hide from denominational bureaucracy, church politics, isolated and not-so-isolated criticisms. And the sermon needs to get done. As Simon and Garfunkel sang, "I have my books and my poetry to protect me."

There are few who understand the stresses of the work. One group that does understand is fellow ministers. But groups of ministers can be a source of great stress as well. Constant competition about who has the least time to do anything, about how large their church is getting, how the church has abandoned worship for politics, etc. I have been a part of these kinds of ministerial groups, and really didn’t fare well. I am never too busy, and my church really isn’t that large.

So, I thank God that I have a wonderful ministerial group here in Hartland: nine local pastors working well together. This is a group with a long history, with ebbs and flows depending on the personalities of the pastors involved. We gather for prayer every Wednesday morning, which always begins with a conversation about life in ministry. We discuss theology, resources. We joke with each other, and share one another’s struggles. 

AND WE PRAY. We pray for each other. We pray for our communities, the struggling and the sick. We pray for our nation. But mostly we pray for revival. We pray for a working of God’s Holy Spirit. And the Spirit moves in that room, as I am overcome each week as our different prayers are lifted up. There is a joy to being surrounded by the heartfelt prayers of righteous brothers in Christ.

We differ in our training, our styles, our backgrounds. We differ on baptism, eschatology, and other theological points. But we are united by the one Lord Jesus Christ, and our one faith in him. We are all sinners saved by grace. We are not in competition to be better than the church across the road. The only battles we fight are the ones we fight against the powers of darkness and the enemies of the church. And our mutual prayers arm us for that fight.