Books Are Your Friends. A List of Books and Authors.

I've been thinking recently about the books that have influenced my relationship with Christ. Many have influenced me in small ways, much like every little wave influences the shoreline. Other books have had a dramatic impact, much like the lava flowing into the ocean in Hawaii. They were particularly powerful because they drove me deeper in to my relationship with God.

Here's a brief list of authors who have had a impact on my life.

You will notice that many of the authors are long dead. There are two reasons for that. First, I think it is a good principle that you should read an old book for every new book that you read. It keeps you from thinking that your era has all the answers. Old books have generally stood the test of time. Second, these are authors that I have turned to repeatedly over the years. Current titles can't make the cut for this list simply because they haven't been around that long!

In general, anything written by these authors will be challenging and edifying. Most of these authors have written many books, so I've given you some recommendations to get you started in the hopes that you will pick up a book and be drawn closer to Jesus just like I was.

Leonard Ravenhill. Why Revival Tarries, Revival Praying, Sodom Had No Bible
I first encountered Ravenhill in university. His passion for revival burns white-hot. While his writing is a little dated, it still challenges and calls for radical commitment to Christ.
“No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.” 

A.W. Tozer. The Pursuit of God, The Knowledge of the Holy
Tozer writes from a place of real intimacy with the Lord. His ability to communicate deeply about our relationship with God both encourages and convicts. I have devoured his books and turn to them frequently, particularly when my spiritual flame is ebbing low. 
"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, ‘Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.’ Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long."

Andrew Murray. With Christ in the School of Prayer, The Ministry of Intercession
When I first began to develop a life of prayer, these two books were significant guides. They still form a great foundation for those who want to grow in prayer. 
Jesus never taught His disciples how to preach, only how to pray. He did not speak much of what was needed to preach well, but much of praying well. To know how to speak to God is more than knowing how to speak to man. Not power with men, but power with God is the first thing. 

Charles Finney. Autobiography, Lectures on Revivals of Religion.
Finney was the catalyst behind what historians call "the Second Great Awakening". He ministered at a time when people went to church for social reasons, and many believed that salvation was so completely a work of God that they should not concern themselves with it. If God wanted to save them, he would; if not, then no amount of seeking salvation would change his mind. As a result, people thought that they might as well live sinfully! Finney emphasised our responsibility in repenting and believing. His preaching pricked the consciences of his listeners and he would spend hours after his services meeting with individuals about the state of their souls. His "after-meetings" with him in a separate room or in the front of the church became the forerunner of the modern altar call, but he would be aghast at the "decision evangelists" of today. Note: I have come to disagree with some of his theology, but still admire the way he was used by God in his day.
"If Election and Sovereignty are too much preached, there will be Antinomianism in the Church, and sinners will hide themselves behind the delusion that they can do nothing. If, on the other hand, doctrines of ability and obligation be too prominent, they will produce Arminianism, and sinners will be blustering and self-confident."

Loren Cunningham. Is That Really You God?
Loren Cunningham is the founder of Youth With a Mission (YWAM). This book tells the story of its inception and give practical principles in following God. Read it, and you will be forever ruined for an "ordinary" life.
"Hearing God is not all that difficult. If we know the Lord, we have already heard His voice - after all it was the inner leading that brought us to Him in the first place. But we can hear His voice and still miss His best if we don't keep on listening. After the what of guidance comes the when and how."

There is always time
to read a good book.

Jonathan Edwards. Religious Affections
Edwards was the greatest theologian ever produced in America. His ministry was at the center of the First Great Awakening and changed the course of history. His writings are deep and difficult but well worth the effort. While not typical of his writing, his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is one of the most well-known sermons in the English language.
"God’s purpose for my life was that I have a passion for God’s glory and that I have a passion for my joy in that glory, and that these two are one passion." 

John Piper. Desiring God, Don't Waste Your Life
Minneapolis pastor John Piper is a modern day Puritan in the best sense of the word. His teaching is steeped in the writings of the Puritans and he expresses the gospel in a powerful way reminiscent of them.
"Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It's a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God. If we don't want God above all things, we have not been converted by the gospel."

Henry Blackaby. Experiencing God, Spiritual Leadership
Blackaby wrote an excellent study that drives us to radically seek to follow God. His principles are foundational to keeping in step with what God is doing in the world. 
"If Christians around the world were to suddenly renounce their personal agendas, their life goals and their aspirations, and begin responding in radical obedience to everything God showed them, the world would be turned upside down. How do we know? Because that's what first century Christians did, and the world is still talking about it." 

Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness, The Practice of Godliness.
Bridges writes with with clarity and energy about the nitty-gritty of the Christian life. His books are thoroughly soaked in the Scriptures and are worth reading and re-reading to stimulate a grace-filled God-glorifying life.
“So we see that God has made provision for our holiness. Through Christ He has delivered us from sin's reign so that we now can resist sin. But the responsibility for resisting is ours. God does not do that for us. To confuse the potential for resisting (which God provided) with the responsibility for resisting (which is ours) is to court disaster in our pursuit of holiness.”

C.S. Lewis, Miracles, Mere Christianity
Lewis was a tremendous influence on my committing my life to Christ. That's why his book Miracles is listed. I could list the Screwtape Letters or The Problem of Pain as well. Of course many love his Chronicles of Narnia series. Let's face it: anything by Lewis is good stuff!
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

Bad People That Do Good

“How is it that my friend is so nice even though he doesn’t believe in God? He is always helping and encouraging other people. He is a better neighbour and friend than many Christians I know!” 

It is a question worth pondering and exploring biblically. The work of the Spirit in the life of a Christian should result in growth in characteristics like love, peace, and joy (Galatians 5:22-23). The results of living according to the flesh are things like anger, malice, and greed. When we encounter pleasant and helpful people who don’t know Christ is seems at odds with what the Bible teaches. That’s confusing enough, but it also leads to what seems to be a significant moral dilemma regarding the justice of God in sending “nice” people to hell. It also raises an important question about the the basic nature of human beings. Are we basically good or bad?

Our culture is dominated by a secular humanistic philosophy of life. The secular answer is to dismiss the idea of God as antiquated and that fear of his judgment causes needless guilt in people’s lives. The humanist sees mankind as inherently good. His philosophy says that evil behaviour in individuals or society is a result of trauma, lack of education, improper use of power or wealth, etc. According to the humanist, healing and advancement in learning are the solutions that will lead to an ever-improving civilisation. The result is a culture that banishes the idea of God and celebrates the goodness of man and the advancing libertinism of human society.

The Biblical understanding of humanity is far different and is much more consistent with the reality in which we live. In college I had an final examination which asked one question: "Has man's basic nature changed since the beginning of history? Document." I was taken aback by the question, but after a moment's reflection it was apparent what the right approach would be: The answer is "no" and the documentation was every war I could think of. Those wars continue today. The only thing that stops a widespread world war like we had twice in the last century is the reality that our weaponry is so destructive it would end all life on the planet. There would be no winners. No, the Bible paints a much more accurate picture of the human condition than humanism. We are not basically good. It is more nuanced than that.

What the Bible teaches about the nature of man

The Bible teaches that men and women are valuable because we were created in the image and likeness of God. The implications of this are massive and would take a long time to explore, for now I will say that it means that every human being is precious. This includes people from every race and creed. It includes the Nobel Prize winner and the human trafficker. Whatever they might do or say, the importance of every human life should not be underestimated. We are valuable because we are image-bearers.

At the same time, the Bible teaches us that we are sinners. Sin is easy enough to define as a violation of God’s law. Jesus summarised the whole moral code of the Bible in two simple sentences. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” and “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Sin is the violation of either of these commands. While the secularist refuses to accept the first sentence because he rejects God, he generally agrees with the second: we should love one another. 

He must also acknowledge that he has violated the law of love. We have all failed to love. This failure to love is not the result of lack of education or past trauma. The educated and the well-raised violate the law of love just as much as everyone else. In fact, we often violate the law of love with the complete understanding of what we are doing. The problem is deeply rooted. It is hard-wired into us.

The Bible teaches that it is because sin has radically affected the human condition. This sinfulness infects everything that we do. It is in our nature (Ephesians 2:3). We are slaves to sin (John 8:34). Every part of who we are has been infected and tainted by sin. Our minds, our emotions, our desires, our bodies, and our wills have all been affected. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things and Paul reminds us that nothing good dwells in us (Romans 7:18).

Our thinking is so twisted that God needed to spell out what things were not in keeping with the foundational law of love. This is a large part of the purpose of the 10 Commandments. If you love someone, you shouldn’t murder them. You shouldn’t steal their stuff. You shouldn’t lie to them. It seems simple, but the locks on our doors and the passwords on our computers are ample proof of how far we are from keeping the law of love in spite of our advancements in education, political theory, technology, and the like.

We are valuable because we are created in the image of God, yet have become completely tainted by sin. If by “good” we mean something that is good according to true standard of God’s opinion, we lack any spiritual good in ourselves. This means that there is nothing that anyone can do that is spiritually pleasing to God (Romans 8:8). It may seem like some people do good things, but with clear vision Isaiah wrote that “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). We all are completely unable to do anything that will make us pleasing to God (Psalm 14:3; Psalm 143:2). 

It is only through the Spirit applying the work of the Cross to our lives that we can be saved (Ephesians 2:8-10). Without the salvation available only through Jesus Christ, everyone will be condemned for their sin.

What about the "good" people who don't believe?

In the opening chapters of the Bible, we read of the first sin and its consequences. The Lord told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of God and evil, “because in the day you eat of it you will surely die (Genesis 2:16). Yet when they did not eat of it, they did not immediately die. They were banished from the Garden and they suffered under the curses of God for their sin until they died many years later.

This introduces a concept that theologians call “common grace”. Common grace refers to the blessings that God gives to everyone in spite of their sinfulness. It doesn’t bring about salvation in the lives of those who receive it, but points to the goodness and mercy of God.

This is perhaps most clearly seen in the creation. Jesus reminded us that God makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:44-45). While creation has been subjected to decay and thorns and thistles often mar our harvests, the Lord sees that we receive our food in season. He does this even though we are worthy of immediate destruction (Psalm 145:10-20).

His common grace is also seen in the intellectual world. We have been given the world to enjoy and have dominion over. This involves our minds as we seek to learn about and understand how the creation works. The discoveries of science and their application in technology are due of God’s common grace. They are the result of his mercy and abundant love toward us. This includes the development of arts which seek to communicate through music, colour, theatre, and writing. We were made with the capacity to communicate and a deep desire to be fascinated by beauty. That skilful people make things that move us is a sign of His common grace toward us.

Common grace also explains why people are not as evil they could be. Romans 2:14-15 tells us that our conscience bears witness to the truths of God’s law. While we often violate it and it can become seared, the fact that our conscience at times pricks us puts restraints on our conduct. It can cause us to establish standards of conduct, both personal and corporate, that are similar to God’s law. For example, theft, murder, and rape are almost universally seen as wrong and governments enact laws agains them. Doing good to others is often taught as the right thing to do.

God also shows us his common grace in allowing us to work together to solve the problems facing society. With consciences that at times identify wrong and want do something about it, we reflect something of the character of God. Common grace allows people from various backgrounds to form associations to combat poverty, homelessness, human trafficking, and the like. This includes the formation of governments designed to benefit society in many ways including the punishment of evildoers.

Common grace is the reason that sinful people can do things that are “good”. In fact, they can do some pretty amazing things. They help neighbours, they fight human trafficking, and work to establish justice. We should rejoice in these manifestations of God’s common grace. But these things will not put them in good standing with God. We cannot do enough good things to result in our escape from eternal condemnation because of our sinfulness.

So How Do We Act?

We have already seen that our most righteous deeds are like filthy garments. The Bible teaches us that everything that does not proceed from faith in God is sinful (Romans 14:23). Every unbeliever who does good by society’s standards is still an enemy of God (Romans 5:10) and is by nature a child of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). The blessings that God has showered on them are designed to lead them to repentance and their continued rejection of the gospel will only result in the further justification of their eternal condemnation (Romans 2:4).

We should enjoy the common grace of God that manifests itself in so many ways around us. Whether it is the showers that water our garden, the cheerfulness of the clerk at the store, or the technology that we use every day, each of these is a reminder of the goodness of God in spite of our sin. The sin problem is the most important issue each of us will face. We dare not ignore it or pretend it doesn't exist. 

Lessons from the Camino - 3

Pointers and People

This is the third in a series of posts on my 170 mile pilgrimage from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, Spain. The first in the series is found here. The second in the series is found here.

Pointers
Walking 170 miles with a pack is hard work. Sore muscles are a given. Blisters and cramps are common. When you stop at a café to rest, you are faced with ordering in a language you don't know. Your mental toughness is tested when the day is long and the hills are high. It seems like the last mile is a hundred times longer than the first one. It is not for the faint of heart.

At the same time, walking the Camino is amazingly easy. You simply follow the yellow arrows the whole way. At every intersection there is an arrow. It may take a moment to see it, but it will be there pointing the way to Santiago. At important intersections a yellow arrow will point the way, and arrows with slashes through them will let you know which ways are wrong. On long straight paths about the time you wonder if you missed an arrow, there will be a marker telling you that you are still on the Camino to Santiago. It is so easy a child could find their way.

There is a lesson here about the pilgrimage of the Christian life. The way is so clearly marked that the early Christians were said to be followers of "the way" (Acts 9:2). Jesus calls himself The Way in John 14:6. The Christian life is really just about following him. It is the only way to heaven. The Bible gives clear guidance about what we need to do. If we simply follow its guidance it is difficult to get lost. At the important intersections, the word points the way and warns which paths lead away from life. The Christian life is easy.

Then again, it is hard. Jesus said "follow me" and he also said "pick up your cross and follow me" (Mt 16:24).
Persecution, hard times, the battle against the sinful nature and the devil all test our endurance and determination. These are to be expected. Paul taught that we would enter the kingdom only after many trials (Acts 14:22). We don't earn our way into the kingdom by enduring them, but our perseverance through the difficult times of following Jesus is evidence that we have been born again by the Spirit.

People
Along the journey to Santiago I was amazed by the people that we met. There were the people who lived along the way who cheerfully greeted each pilgrim as they passed by. One elderly woman saw us admiring her flowers and invited us inside her fence and insisted that she take our picture surrounded by the beauty of her garden. Another, whose house was perched on the top of a long hill assured us that it was all downhill to the next city and told us of a nice café where we could rest.

If we ever stopped to pull out our phone to double-check our way, the locals would holler and cheerfully point the way to Santiago. This was helpful, but also led to some amusing moments. Once we left the trail to go to a grocery store a quarter mile and a few turns off the Camino. When we pulled out our phones to make sure we were headed the right way to the store, a man stopped and pointed the way back to the Camino. He insisted, in Portuguese, that we turn around and head in the "right" direction. Unable to communicate and explain we were going to the store, we thanked him and headed back toward the Camino...until he was out of sight. Then we did an about face to get our groceries.

We met several women travelers walking the Camino alone. After visiting with one female pilgrim for a while we asked whether she felt safe along the way and if she had experienced any problems. The question surprised her and she said that she had always felt secure and wondered why we thought she would experience trouble along the way. It made us pause and think for a moment. Often the news is filled with stories of people doing horrible things to one another. We expect evil to befall us at any moment. It makes us fearful. Now certainly there are people in the world who steal and mug others so a certain amount of caution is warranted. But on the Camino I began to wonder if the daily news had created a paranoia that slowly sucks the joy out of life. It is hard to enjoy the forest if you fear someone might be lurking behind every tree. Not only that, but it causes us to withdraw within a shell. We forget to love and offer hospitality to strangers for fear that they might take advantage of us.

And it is in teaching us to interact with others that the Camino does some of its best work. You begin to appreciate the simple acts of kindness shown by others and extend a helping hand yourself. Once, we were near the end of a long day. The walk had taken much longer than we had planned because of the hills and we were late. It was hot and we were tired and cranky. A mile long bridge crossed a river into the city. As we trudged across the narrow sidewalk on the bridge, our senses were assaulted by four lanes of loud rush-hour traffic. When we got to the other side of the bridge we pulled out our phones to figure out how to get to the AirBnB we were going to stay at, which was not along the route. We discovered we had few more miles to walk. Over a big hill. Don't tell anyone, but I wanted to cry. I thought we were close to the finish line.

Janet called our host and apologised because we would be even later than we thought. Our host asked, "Where are you?" Janet explained that we had just crossed the bridge into the city. "Stay right there. Do not move. I'm coming to get you." It is amazing how much more quickly someone can travel three miles in a car than by foot! Not only did our host pick us up, but she offered to take us to the grocery store to buy something for supper so we didn't have to walk there.

Why the gracious hospitality? It wasn't because she had somewhere to go and was tired of waiting for us. In fact, we were going to stay in the lower level of her house. She explained to us that she had also walked the Camino. She could tell by the sound of Janet's voice that the best thing that could happen to us was for her to come and pick us up. And so she did. Encouraging one another and freedom in lending a helping hand are things the Camino teaches very well.

The Camino reminded me of the clear signposts the Lord gives us and the difficulties we will face along the way. It reminded of the importance of encouragement and the ease with which we can brighten someone's day or lighten their load. These are basic truths of of the Christian life and walking the Camino drove them further into my heart.

The Cathedral in Santiago, Spain
The endpoint of the Camino de Compostela

Lessons from the Camino to Santiago - 2

My wife and I recently completed a 170 mile walk from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, Spain. This is the second post reflecting on some of the lessons learned while walking. To read about why we walked and the first lesson, click here.

Have you ever walked along a beach and wondered what it would be like to simply keep on walking?

Well, we found out and it is wonderful! We followed the coastline for over 100 miles. You could not get lost because all you had to do was keep the ocean on your left and keep walking. The sound of waves was our constant companion as we made our way north.


There were miles of virtually empty beaches that beckoned us to relax. Sometimes we walked right on the beach, but the sugar sand makes for difficult walking. Thankfully, boardwalks have been built along huge stretches of the coastline.


Are the beaches always empty? Probably not. Some of them are well developed, but this was May, the kids were still in school, and tourist season had not started yet. Other beaches were more remote, far from parking lots and services, and I imagine that not many visitors ever go there.

There were also miles of rocky shores where the surf pounded against the granite rocks. Tiny crabs scrambled among the pools while gulls circled overhead. Every wave was different and I could have watched them for hours on end. The blue of the ocean suddenly changed into the brightest of whites when the water collided with the rocks. Then I noticed something else. Every once in a while the sun would hit the spray of the water just right and a miniature rainbow would appear. Water, a common clear substance, had the ability to appear blue, then white, and then the full spectrum of colors. I understand the science of the refraction of light, but what flooded my soul at that moment was a sense of wonder. It was like I was seeing water for the first time.

After walking for a hundred miles along the ocean, I dreaded heading inland and losing the magic of the coast. Much to my astonishment, there was beauty everywhere I looked. At times is was the vista from the summit of some hill that we had climbed. Villages and distant hills looked like post cards. At other times it was a centuries-old bridge that invited
reflection.

Then there were the flowers. Some were wildflowers while others were planted with great care. At every bend we would exclaim, "Look at those flowers!" We would stop and take pictures or simply pause and smell their sweet aroma. I was amazed to see that some people's love of flowers extended to planting roses in the midst of their vineyards.

As we walked, we often found ourselves singing or meditating on the psalms. Words like these:

Mightier than the thunders of many waters,

mightier than the waves of the sea,

the LORD on high is mighty! (Psalm 93:4)

You make the springs gush forth in the valleys;

they flow between the hills;

they give drink to every beast of the field;

the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;

they sing among the branches.

From your lofty abode you water the mountains;

the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

(Psalm 104:10-14)

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

(Psalm 19:1)

In Minnesota, I lived in a house on a wilderness lake and often was delighted by the cry of the loon, the howl of the wolf, or the sound of wind in the towering pines. I have often headed out into the wilderness for a week with my supplies in a canoe and come back refreshed. I understood the restorative power of being outdoors. Yet somehow these two weeks of walking were different. It was as if I was given a fresh set of eyes to see the world. What was it about this journey that had this effect?

Thomas Dubay writes that a lack of wonder at beauty arises from a kind of boredom and callousness

that comes from excess and overindulgence. Modern life is filled with things artificially super-charged so that they attract our attention. But these super-charged things do not satisfy our souls. It is similar to the way that a person eating a steady diet of candy no longer finds strawberries sweet. Their tastebuds have changed and seek ever-sweeter artificial tastes while deep within they really need the nutrition that only real fruit can provide. In the same way, a person who is always looking for the latest, greatest, "super-charged" thing to make him happy in life can become jaded and cynical when he or she is repeatedly disappointed. They have been deceived too many times. As a result, dullness and boredom seeps into their lives like a cold fog.

Pilgrimage has a way of clearing away the fog. It is a fast of sorts. Our bodies are used to sitting much of the day. Our chairs are comfortable and our workstations ergonomically designed. Walking for hours on end is foreign. Carrying a pack is a strain on long-unused muscles. The artificially enhanced visual inputs of our screens are taken away. It is just us, the path ahead, and the creation around us.

Walking for hours also demands breaks to rest. As your legs cry out for a break, your eyes are searching for appealing input. The result is that we begin noticing things that can serve as an excuse to stop. The lichen on the rock becomes interesting. You pause to study it and take a picture. The petals of a flower, the fineness of the sand, the strength of a common ant all begin to fill your soul with a sense of wonder. You begin to see beauty everywhere. Wonder returns as our eyes become recalibrated to seeing true beauty. And that leads to worship of the Creator.

So what lesson did I learn?

My life was too busy and too preoccupied to notice the glory of God being revealed in the world around me. The Scriptures clearly teach that the creation bears witness to the Creator. Glimpses of His beauty are revealed in the things that he has made. I need to slow down and notice. "Consider the lilies...", Jesus said. He told his disciples that not even Solomon's robe compared to their beauty. Preachers like me will carefully dissect his words to make sure we understand the meaning of what he said so that we can communicate it clearly to others. It is important work. Ironically, we can do it without obeying what he told us to do! He told us to consider the lilies and yet we spend an hour looking up cross-references rather than going out into a garden and spending fifteen minutes carefully considering the lilies! Our souls (and our sermons) are poorer for it.

God has designed the creation to display his glory. Let's take time to look and see his beauty revealed in the things that he has made.

Lessons from the Camino to Santiago

What is the Camino?

A directional sign

along the Camino.

We don’t hear much of James, the brother of John, after the resurrection of Jesus. This “Son of Thunder” was martyred in 44 (Acts 12:1-2), the first of the apostles to die for their faith. We are not sure what happened in the years before his martyrdom. It is believed that he left for Spain to spread the gospel and was killed after he returned. Popular legends also state that his body was taken to Spain and buried. Then in 812 what were believed to be his remains were discovered in what is now Santiago, Spain. Visiting the church became one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in church history. As a pilgrimage sanctioned by the Roman Church, the major routes of to Santiago developed resources to support the pilgrims on their journey. For centuries, thousands made the pilgrimage seeking answers to prayer, forgiveness of sins, a deeper faith, or inner renewal. It became a feature of church life.

The Reformation and Modernism both caused the numbers of pilgrims to dwindle to almost nothing. Luther and the other Reformers correctly condemned the idea of pilgrimage as a means of getting right with God. Modernists scoffed at the idea that the actual bones of James had been found and that there was any spiritual significance in pilgrimage. By 1985 there were only 690 people who arrived at the Pilgrims Office in Santiago.

In recent years, the popularity of going on pilgrimage to Santiago has exploded, with over 300,000 making the trip last year. There are a variety of reasons for this. First, the grips of modernity are slipping away. People are more open to “spiritual” things. Second, the centuries-old animosity between Catholics and Protestants is waning. Third, the internet has allowed people to share their journey and inspire others to make the same trip. Finally, as the pilgrimage has grown in popularity, the resources and support systems along the way have become more developed. Helping people make the journey has become a business.

Why did I go?

It wasn’t to see the bones of St. James. Honestly, I have my doubts about the legitimacy of the claim that his bones were found centuries later. Furthermore, I don’t think that there is anything “magical” about making a pilgrimage to Santiago. You don’t earn spiritual points with God. There are no answers to prayer that will be granted just because you pray in the Cathedral in Santiago. There is no biblical warrant for thinking that you do. Let me be clear about that.

Instead, I went for several reasons. Here they are, in no particular order.

First, I was attracted by the challenge. I’ve run three marathons and each was an incredible experience. Walking from Porto to Santiago seemed like something difficult that would push me physically. At the same time, I knew that there were plenty of resources along the way and lots of websites, apps, and books to educate me on how to complete it successfully. The fact that it would be hard to do but that I had a good chance of success made it attractive to me. 

Second, it would be two weeks of concentrated time with Janet. The two weeks together would be the longest time we had ever spent just the two of us. Half of our trek would be along the ocean coast. Walking for hours hand-in-hand with my wife watching the waves roll in sounded wonderful to me. 

Third, I couldn’t help but think that there was something to the idea of pilgrimage itself that might be valuable. Not because you see some ancient relic, but that the journey itself might be of some benefit. Sometimes we Protestants think that the church began with the nailing of the 95 Theses to the Wittenberg door. There are practices that were jettisoned which may indeed have value in developing the Christian life. For example, we have rightly rejected the idea of “going to confession” as necessary in order for sins to be forgiven. But when one reads some of the classics, they speak of going to confession in terms of having a spiritual mentor with whom you are completely open who will help you with the things you are struggling with. That’s a good thing that we are only recently rediscovering. Could the journey of pilgrimage have some hidden benefit? After all, one of the classics on the Christian life is called “The Pilgrim’s Progress”! One of the things that people say about the Camino is that it is an incredible instructor, teaching you important lessons along the way. I discovered that there were many spiritual lessons along the way to Santiago. Over the next few weeks I will share some of them.

Lesson One: The Importance of Sabbath Rest.

Our Camino started in Porto, Portugal. That’s 170 miles (273 kilometres) from Santiago. Because of transportation and vacation factors we had 13 walking days to do it. That’s an average of 13 miles a day for 13 days. We would be staying in AirBnBs and hotels along the way, so we didn’t need to worry about bringing sleeping bags. We could pack light. My backpack, before throwing in a couple of bottles of water and some trail mix, weighed 18 pounds (8 kilos).

Our plan was to simply walk an average of a half-marathon every day for two weeks. It sounded strenuous, but not impossible. 

There was one important ingredient missing: Rest. In the rush to get from Porto to Santiago within the allotted time, we did not factor in the need to simply let our bodies recover from time to time. We walked past miles of beaches. We took pictures and occasionally sat to eat an apple and enjoy the view, but there was no time to spend an entire day just stretched out on the beach relaxing. There were too many miles to cover. The deadline of checking in at the next place constantly was in our thoughts.

We did try to think about how far we were walking as we planned our Camino. Our guidebook had us walking 18 miles one day. We chopped that into two days and called them our easy days. We figured that they would be rest enough. But walking 9 miles is not resting. It may seem lighter than the usual 13 or 14 miles, but it isn’t rest. 

Not taking rest days was dumb. Even reckless. We ran the risk of a significant injury to our bodies through overuse. Stress fractures, blisters, strained ligaments and tendons can all be caused by pushing your body too far for too long. There is also an emotional cost to be paid. The constant strain of working begins to fray the nerves and little things become a major nuisances. Your toleration for others drops. You become angry inside at every little thing that you have to do. The failure to rest decreased the enjoyment of the hard work of walking 170 miles. Rest days were in order and we didn’t take them. We didn’t plan for them. We didn’t force ourselves to factor them in.

There is a word for rest days: Sabbath. 

It is built into the very order of Creation.

It is one of the Ten Commandments.

Sabbath is something that I have never been very good at and it doesn’t surprise me that I didn’t think of the need for rest days on the Camino. “A couple of Tylenol and an extra cup of coffee and we can do this!” The Camino taught us the importance of rest.

Being a pastor is not physically demanding like walking 170 miles, but it is even more demanding mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Rest is necessary for long-term health and even short-term enjoyment of the work. But the never-ending list of things to do and the fact that I enjoy my work means that I often skip Sabbath. A day of rest one day a week would renew, recharge, and refresh me for the days ahead. God says I need it and that he will see that the things get done that need to get done.

I often make the mistake that we made on the Camino. Not only do I frequently not take a Sabbath day, I often do less work on a given day and call it a rest day. But spending a morning answering emails is not resting and is definitely not a Sabbath day. And as a result, I often find myself without the energy and enthusiasm for the work during the days that follow. 

I know the rhythm and life of a pastor is different from many other occupations and carries with it some of its own unique challenges. Yet I also know that there are many people who struggle with the idea of Sabbath. If that describes you, let me recommend a book on the subject. It is well-written and extremely helpful in understanding the purpose of Sabbath. It is written by Mark Buchanan called The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath. Here’s a taste: 

“The worst hallucination busyness conjures is the conviction that I am God. All depends on me. How will the right things happen at the right time if I’m not pushing and pulling and watching and worrying? Unless we trust God’s sovereignty, we won’t dare risk Sabbath…If God can take any mess, any mishap, any wastage, any anything, and choreograph beauty and meaning from it, then you can take a day off. If he can’t, you better get busy.” 

And so, I am committing myself to Sabbath. To taking a day each week for rest and restoration. To intentionally not do the things that I have to do and to do the things that refresh and reorient my life. To receive the gift of Sabbath as a gift from a loving Savior given for my good and my delight. 

Its importance was demonstrated on the way to Santiago.