Watch out - here comes a train of thought...

The other day I saw a friend's rather unsuccessful attempt at a traditional "pastor's photo" - you know - head and shoulders shot in front of a shelf of books. The camera had focused on the books rather than the face, which wasn't quite the object of the exercise.

It is years since I had photogenic bookshelves, and so I confessed that recently I took a photo of myself in front of a friend's bookshelves. But that didn't work - it looked too much like I was taking a photo of myself with my mobile phone held in my hand...

Anyway I was thinking of this as I surveyed my bookshelves this morning. I sold or gave away most of my heavy volumes before coming to France - no more photos in front of John Owen for me ! I do still have Lloyd Jones on Ephesians, however, and some very serious commentaries, etc. Strangely, on the same shelf as Lloyd Jones on Ephesians, I spotted a book that I was given free by the author (signed) at a Christian Booksellers' Convention. It is called 'Prophetic Balloon Modelling'. In fact it's not a bad book. It's really about work and rest, but the author is a clown and the title is misleading.

Anyway it made me think - John Owen lived in the 1600s and is still read today. Calvin in the 1500s, of course. What books from 2009 can we reasonably expect to be still useful in 2400 or in 2500.

(Of course, I KNOW that the parousia will come before then. But I am sure that Owen and Calvin knew that, too.)

Almost everything we do is so ephemeral. That's why I am so fed up with reading ! We are hung up with popular culture, as if we think the way to be relevant is to quote the songs on Radio 2. (That's sad in itself, of course. Radio 2 is the station for has-beens !)

I LOVED Thomas Manton when I was preaching on James. His illustrations were not taken from the songs of the market place but from really everyday, universal things, like chickens. I remember him saying that we should be like chickens - eat then look upwards (to give thanks). It made me laugh and it stuck in my head and it still works 400 years after he wrote it.

And it's not just us. What contemporary novels will stand the test of time ? I recently asked a friend who is it that people currently consider to be adding to the corpus of English literature, and the answer came back Coetzee. I bought "Disgrace" cheap in a bookshop about a year ago, so I have started reading it.

I don't think it's my age. I don't think it's just "change and decay in all around I see". I want us to produce important works that will last.

Anyway I have half a mind to get Pat to take a traditional "Pastor's photo" of me, in front of Lloyd Jones on Ephesians -

and, of course, "Prophetic Balloon Modelling"
...

Comments

Larry said…
Should you have anymore John Owen anywhere else you want to give away... :D
Ken said…
And what pray, is the other half of your mind currently engaged on?

By the way, books on C.D. (Libronix et al) are all very well - they are great for ready research, but they're not really that accessible/friendly for just 'reading'. I do have a book on infant baptism that I want to finish but, well, you know; and there's another book too which I found most interesting, but it was so long ago that I've forgotten what it is. Yes, I know that a glance at my 'Library' would probably freshen the required grey cells but the Library is a rather long list to read through. None-the-less, I honestly wouldn't like to be without my Libronix although only a very small portion of the works assembled will probably ever be seriously studied but let's face it, they are there if required. Oh well! Such is life.

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