C.S. Lewis | All is Well

Friday Findings

September 21, 2018 By Shelly Durkee

Friday Findings

I’m a curious soul – with a wide range of nerdy and geeky interests, ranging from space exploration to theological concepts. I often find interesting items when stumbling about on the internet – and on Friday’s I like to share my findings with you!

C.S. Lewis and Reading

Two of my favorite subjects. C.S. Lewis is one of my all-time favorite authors, and reading is one of my all-time favorite activities, so when I came across this article at the Logos blog, I was instantly drawn in. Adam Shaeffer shares thoughts on Lewis’ work “An Experiment in Criticism”. Shaeffer does a great job of introducing the thoughts about “reading well” in that book, and in so doing, made me want to pick up “Experiment” again, to re-read. You can check it out here: Lewis on Reading

Speaking of “reading well”, you may also want to look into Karen Swallow Prior’s latest book, “On Reading Well”. I’ve not yet dived in, but the reviews have been excellent and it is definitely on my “to-read” list: On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books

OK!!!

Why the heck do we say “OK?” Have you ever just stopped and wonder where that word…if it even is a word…came from? I must utter “OK” dozens of times a day – I throw it toward my kids, when they tell me they need or want something, and then I ask it of them, to make sure they’ve heard my instructions. I type it in Skype conversations and emails with my customers. I use it on the phone. We all do – but why?? And, am I the only one who has wondered about it?

I guess not, because the folks at OpenCulture.com featured the ubiquitous “OK” and a great little video about it. You can read the article here, and view the video below, at the end of this listing: OK?

Whirligigs

When we travel, I love to find the oddest, off-the-beaten path places and attractions (and restaurants!) to visit. During hurricane Flo last week, I stumbled across an article about a park and museum in NC, that isn’t very far from where my youngest is attending college. It’s the “Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park & Museum”. How much fun is that? When we return my girl to her school after fall break, you can bet that stopping by this place will be on our task list!: Wind & Whirligigs

Ginormous Book Warehouse

On occasion, I like to check out what the team over at “Only in Your State” has posted lately, for Virginia and other states that I love. This past week, I was delighted to see this article about a month-long book fair in the Shenandoah Valley. It runs from 20-September through 23-October. We are currently looking for a free weekend to go check it out – we have a truck, we should be able to haul home a TON of books! Do you live nearby? If so – you might check it out as well: Book Warehouses are the Best

Birthdays

Since yesterday was my birthday, how about some Weird Birthday Facts?

First – check out these interesting tidbits of birthday-related trivia, from the Paperstyle.com website. Apparently, if you were born on October 5th, you share your birthday with a whole bunch of other people – more than average!: Useless Birthday Trivia

And, if you want to find out what historical event happened on your birthday – you can do so here: Of Course Today is Famous Because It is My Birthday, but What Else Happened?

(Bonus: You can also look up any date in Wikipedia, and it will return a list of events, birthdays, deaths and other interesting facts!)

Becoming Truly Human – an In-Depth Examination of C.S. Lewis’ Views on the Christian Life

May 26, 2018 By Shelly Durkee

It is no secret to anyone who knows me or chats with me for any length of time, that the writings of C.S. Lewis have had a tremendous impact on my life.

Up until about 10-11 years ago, I hadn’t really paid attention to anything Lewis had written. Sure, I had read the Chronicles of Narnia…at least, a couple of the volumes in the series…but, honestly, I was unimpressed.

It wasn’t until, out of desperation and in following-up on a suggestion from a friend, that I dove head first…literally…into his non-fiction writings, starting with “Surprised by Joy”. And, after diving head-first, my soul followed after. Here was an author that “thought” like I did – who questioned some of the very same things I questioned. Who approached God and suffering and heaven and theology in such a way that it 1) resonated deeply with my own way of thinking and looking at the world and these subjects, and 2) drove me to scripture…where I, like Lewis, was confronted with the truth of who God is….and I am, when standing in that truth.

Since that first introduction, I have pretty much devoured all of Lewis’s writings, along with anything written about him – so when given the opportunity to review Joe Rigney’s new book “Lewis on the Christian Life” for Crossway Publishers, I was “all in.”

I’m not sure what I expected from Rigney’s examination – so much has been written about Lewis’s theology by so many people, that sometimes I wonder if there is anything new to be penned – but I do know this – Rigney definitely brought new insight to the vast world of Lewis’s thoughts, views and theology….or, at least, new insight to me.

What I appreciated most about Rigney’s treatment of the subject was his very careful and thorough analysis of C. S. Lewis’s works of fiction. As I alluded to above, I have found his fiction writings to be not nearly as captivating as his non-fiction, though I have read both his series work, and his stand alone novels. But because I am not a fan in general of allegory or fantasy, I’ve walked away from each of them a bit underwhelmed. However, after reading Rigney’s book, I have a renewed interest in going back and re-reading some of Lewis’s books – such as “Till We Have Faces”, and “The Great Divorce”, and even his Cosmic/Space trilogy.

Rigney doesn’t shy away from the thicker theology subjects, just as Lewis never shied away from them – Satan, Prayer, Christian Hedonics, Introspection, Love, Hell, Heaven – they are all in here, and well-covered. At times, maybe a bit “too” well-covered, as I found myself having to re-read sections to make sure I was following Mr. Rigney’s points, and not lost in the examples pulled from Lewis Literature. That’s not a criticism, per se – it caused me to have to slow down and really contemplate what I was reading; and, as a fast reader and comprehend-er, I don’t always do the whole “slow down” thing well. It was a good challenge.

Rigney also did not shy away from pointing out areas where Lewis’s theology might not always fall in lock-step line with scripture. This was always done so respectfully, with fully thought out arguments/reasonings, and solid scriptural study. I think Lewis would have enjoyed and even applauded these moments, in Rigney’s book. In fact, I believe Joe and Clive would thoroughly enjoy cigars and tea together, or long walk-abouts over the English countryside in deep conversation – if the years had permitted them to be peers.

Fantastic Book. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity from Crossway to read and review the review copy they provided me, and I am grateful to Mr. Rigney for his words. And, I will always be indebted to Mr. Lewis, for his.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

March 2, 2018 By Shelly Durkee

Great is His Faithfulness

I’m writing this post, from a wind-rattled cabin on top of a mountain, surrounded by other snow-capped mountains under an expansive blue sky in Montana. (Hopefully, dear reader, you can get a sense of this amazing place by viewing the slideshow above!)

I’m sitting here with my new husband, stealing glances at him as he edits photos taken during our snowmobile trip through Yellowstone National Park yesterday – of bison and elk and waterfalls and geysers and mountains and of us.

Us. Wow.

We’ve been an “us” now for nearly three years – but with our wedding this past Sunday, that “us” has taken on a new depth.

When we leave this beautiful place tomorrow, it will be to start our extraordinary ordinary life together, as husband and wife, in our new home – together.

It all feels so “right” – yet, at the same time, so surreal.

I’m so glad that we chose to honeymoon here, underneath this sky. The sky has always been so important to me. When I can see the sky, I can think clearer. I can sort out the thousands of thoughts that run through my mind daily. I can breathe.

The sky settles my soul.

And sitting under the sky with my sweet, kind and funny husband, as we’ve talked together and prayed about the future and dreamed about what we hope our lives will look like five, ten, 20 years from now – my soul has settled.

It is well.

Our wedding last Sunday so joyful – I keep playing back moments in my mind, and each time I am overwhelmed again with gratitude – from the church full of friends and family, to the poignancy of having my four amazing kids walk me down the aisle and give my hand to Ken in marriage, to the sweetness of observing communion with my groom, to the joy of expressing God-honoring vows to each other, to the funny little moments that made the wedding so “us”, to walking outside of the church immediately after the ceremony with my new husband and my four children, and the six of us standing there in tears over what God has done.

Only God could do this.

Only He could produce beauty from ashes, and provide grace where once there was deep sorrow and alone-ness.

It was one of the most joyous days of my life.

Maybe the most joyous day.

_____________________________________________

Less than 24 hours later, in that very same sanctuary where much celebration and worship took place – there was a funeral for a 3-year old little boy.

I did not attend the funeral…we had left for Montana early that morning…but later that day I saw posts on Facebook describing that in the midst of much sorrow and grief, there was also beautiful, soul-settling worship.

In thinking about these two very different events – one, a joyous wedding – celebrating what God has done in our lives, and a picture of His abiding covenant love for us – the other, a grief-laden worship service rightfully lamenting the death of this sweet boy and acknowledging that we do not understand why – yet, we will still worship our God, who sees and knows. (Exodus 2:25) Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him – Job 13:15…..

….when I look at these two events less than 24 hours apart, I see a common thread that produces tremendous peace:

Our most joyous, life-giving moments – weddings, births, job promotions, goals achieved, graduations, birthdays, the most beautiful weeks on mountaintops in Montana under enormous skies – they are but a glimpse now of the joy that awaits us when we shall see Him face to face. C.S. Lewis described this by the use of the German word “Sehnsucht” – a sense of nostalgic longing or desire that we experience in such moments, for what is to come, when we shall behold Him. In other words, these beautiful moments point us to Christ, the only one who can truly satisfy our souls.

and this…

Our most grief-stricken, heart-aching moments – the deaths of those we love deeply, illnesses and diseases, disappointments and heart-aches, abandonment, depression, despair, evil abuse – the acute sharpness of those griefs will be wiped away forever when we who are believers see Him face to face. That is why this sweet boy’s family was able to worship, while in the throes of indescribable sorrow.

Truly, we do not grieve without hope.

and

Truly, we do not celebrate weddings and birthdays and other joyful moments without such celebrations pointing to our only true source of joy.

The sun has set here on this mountain. The fire in our fireplace has settled down to a faint glow, and the moon is casting its light upon the snow outside these windows. Tomorrow we go home.

And the days ahead will hold both joys and sorrows. But as we sang during our wedding ceremony – God is our dwelling place. Before these mountains here in Montana were formed, He has been our everlasting God. He is the safe shelter that is the only firm foundation strong enough to hold both our joys and our sorrows.

We stand, in thanks – for His faithfulness.

It is, indeed, great.

God of glory, God of wonder, God of beauty
You reign through all eternity
Before the mountains
Or the earth had been formed
You were our everlasting Lord

You’ve been our home
You’ve been our shelter safe
For young & old to generations past
We stand in awe of a God so great
We stand in thanks for your faithfulness
O Lord, you’ve been our dwelling place

Dwelling Place ~ Tommy Walker

Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me.

Great is Thy Faithfulness ~ Thomas Chisholm

The Waves and Wind Still Know

April 10, 2017 By Shelly Durkee

To what will you look for help, if you will not look to that which is stronger than yourself? ~ C.S. Lewis; Mere Christianity

A few days ago, while at the kid’s grandparent’s house here in Hawaii, June (or “Tutu”, which is Hawaiian for Grandma) gave me a box of books that I had left at their house years and years ago, because I couldn’t fit them all into my suitcase when I was returning home.

It was like greeting old, familiar friends. Keller. Yancey. Lewis. Others.

These are books I clung too with a death grip, during a time in which I was not strong. A time during which my world had been shattered, seemingly beyond repair. Their pages are full of sand, and tear smudges, as I would sit day after day on the beach, reading them in an attempt to shore up my crumbling wall of belief that had just so recently been built, and now was being tested.

Friends, indeed.

We packed up most of them and shipped them home yesterday, but I held on to one book to keep here and read during our final days on this island. It is a compilation of key writings by C.S. Lewis, who I often refer to as my “Uncle”.

Yesterday, I reached the above quote from him, and it gripped my soul once again.

By nature, I am fiercely independent. To the point that it is a source of pride—it is very easy for me to be sinfully proud of how independent and strong I am. The thought of needing help rankles me, even if that help comes from God.

But there have—and are–times in life when I find myself having to preach the words of Psalm 121 to my soul over and over and over again, until they sink down deep and I begin to grasp the truth of the words:

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121)

My help comes from the Lord.

Not from my stubborn, sinfully prideful independent self.

It comes from the one who made heaven and earth.

Oh, my soul.

Sitting on the beaches of Hawaii, this truth hits me more deeply than anywhere else on earth. It was on these same beaches 10-11 years ago, when I first came to realize that God was real…and, that this creator God who made the vast ocean with the crashing waves that stretched as far as my eyes could see–the mighty one who was, and is, still creating earth through the erupting volcano on this island that I was standing on—this very same God….

…..knew my name.

That thought is overwhelming.

So when I read the words of C.S. Lewis, on looking to something stronger than myself (and yourself!) for help–while it goes against my very nature of independence—how could it not be truth? Many have said to me, “You are so strong.” But in reality, I am so weak. So tired. My strength to stand comes only from the only one stronger than I—my Lord and my God.

This morning, in just a couple of hours, I will have the gift of singing with my girl, at church here on the islands. We will be singing “It is Well”, as arranged by Bethel music. Last Sunday, we had the honor of singing it for our former church on Oahu. They stood by us through the tough days following my ex-husband’s arrest–as did our current church of Seaford Baptist, and so many others. It was so good to sing for them last week, to show them that, indeed, our souls are well. To thank them, for their love.

This morning, we will sing it one last time, as we sing it in worship with the kid’s grandparent’s church. The unique thing about this church is that it meets in an open-air pavilion, high up on the hillside, overlooking the vast ocean—the very same ocean that God used to teach me the very realness of Himself, so many years ago.

A couple of days ago, we circled the island and stopped at one of the most beautiful places on this island which is saturated with beautiful places….Lapohoehoe Point.

The wind was fierce; the waves even fiercer. I captured the moment, in the video below.

As I stood there, mesmerized by the waves, the wind and the water was so loud that I could hear nothing but its howling and the waves crashing. And it brought to mind these words, from the song we will sing this morning:

Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard

So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name

He is my help. My source of strength. He will keep me.

Let go, my soul.

Trust in Him.

He is the only reason these words are truth:

The waves and wind still know His name.

And, He knows mine.

It is well, with my soul.