Thursday, December 28, 2017

The Great Brain

by John D. Fitzgerald
175 Pages / 1972

The Great Brain is the story of Tom Fitzgerald, a ten-year-old boy living in frontier Utah in a time so long ago that indoor toilets were considered a novelty. His hometown of Adenville is, like most Utah towns, populated mainly by Mormons who live beside a handful of Catholics and Protestants. For Tom that doesn’t matter since he can out think them all.

The all consuming love of Tom’s life is money. If there’s a way to get it, Tom puts his great brain to work so that the money can be his. Not surprisingly, Tom’s great brain finds other things to work on, including finding kids lost in a cave, and getting even with his teacher.

This book is fun to read as the schemes dreamed up by the “Great Brain” are often hilarious and crazy and almost always successful. Yet though Tom’s fascinating schemes are not always something to admire, there’s a wonderful sense of morality that runs through the book.

The whole tale is told by Tom’s younger brother, John. He is often taken in by Tom’s smooth justifications of his actions, but John always lets you know that he’s still left with nagging doubts. Part of John knows, however silky the Great Brain’s explanations might be, that his schemes still aren’t quite right. Tom also has great parents who are almost always on the ball. They catch onto his antics, punish him, and force him to make restitution to those he’s swindled.

In the end, though, the Great Brain sees that there’s more than money. While there isn’t an overt religious message in the book, Tom actually saves a friend’s life and passes up a great money making opportunity that went with it. It makes him feel “extra good inside. Sort of clean and warm and Christmasy.”

This is a fun book, good for anyone 9 and over. I absolutely loved it when I first read it as a kid. While it tells the story of an entertaining and sometimes shady child, it doesn’t glorify his antics. Ultimately Tom’s activities are clever, entertaining, confounding and successful, but you still are left with a clear sense that they’re wrong. It’s a fascinating tale with an “old fashioned” sense of morality; good must ultimately win out.

The best part is that not only is this a great book, but if you love it as much as I did, there’s a number of sequels to enjoy.

You can pick The Great Brain up at Amazon.com here, or Amazon.ca here.

- reviewed by James Dykstra

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Flags out front


A Contrarian's Daydream
by Douglas Wilson
196 pages / 2017

In Flags out Front, Douglas Wilson has crafted something that is as inspirational as it is fictional.

What if a Christian public figure took a stand on principle and, no matter what pressure came, just would not back down? What might happen if, instead of wilting under that pressure, or trying to avoid it, a Christian leader embraced it, and fought back fearlessly?

In Flags out Front we get to find out. Tim Collins is a "mild mannered president of a dwindling southern" Bible college who never meant to cause a fuss. But he
arrives on campus one day to find a prankster has swapped a couple of the flags at the campus entrance. Now instead of the American flag flying above all, there is the Christian flag waving from on high, with the Stars and Stripes just below. Collins doesn't know quite what to think. But, upon reflection, he concludes the change is a good one and leaves it.

Then the phone calls start coming. He gets calls from conservative, patriotic sorts, wondering why the American flag is not in its central place. And he hears from the other side too, from those who'd be happy enough to burn the flag, but don't want to see it waving below a Christian flag.

Protests to the right, threats from the left, and Collins quietly stand his ground. He's willing to do it, even if it means standing alone...but alone is one thing he's not going to be. Quiet, meek, Dr. Collins, becomes the rally point for Christians of all sorts...including some clever college students who know how to make some noise.

This is how is should be, and, maybe could be. Who knows what God would do with a fearless few? Actually, we already know: this year we're celebrating the 500th anniversary of the firestorm God started with one monk and his mallet.

Flags out Front is a funny, clever, comedic novel that most anyone would enjoy, particularly if they have an interest in politics. I've foisted this off on a number of friends and family (and read about half of it out loud to my wife) and the response has been enthused all around.

You can pick up Flags out Front at Amazon.com here and Amazon.ca here.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Visit the Sick

Ministering God's Grace in Times of Illness
by Brian Croft
94 pages / updated in 2014

One of the ways that Jesus described the difference between "the sheep and the goats" as the members of the church come before Him on Judgment Day is that the sheep visited the sick. Clearly visiting the sick is one important fruit of true faith in Jesus Christ.

Brian Croft's book not only shows the theological foundations for and purposes for visiting the sick, but also gives practical guidelines on how to do so in a way that builds up those beset by illness or injury, their family and friends, and those who do the visiting.

Croft starts by showing God's care for the sick after man brought the curse of disease into the world through sin - His care in the nation of Israel, in the life of Christ, and in the New Testament church. He next makes clear how our care for the sick can build up others spiritually through leading questions, the reading of Scripture, praying the gospel (especially when there are non-Christians on their deathbed), affirming God's promises, and trusting God's sovereign plan. This second chapter also gives a useful list of Bible passages to comfort and bring the gospel to the ailing.

Croft's third chapter on "Wise Care for the Sick" reminds us to prepare our hearts, watch our time, listen to the sick members without the immediate compulsion to resolve all their questions, leave a note when necessary, and enjoy the opportunity to grow in the Lord ourselves through our visits. "Skilled Care for the Sick" (as the fourth chapter is titled) also requires us to make effective eye contact, use appropriate physical touch, be pleasant in our manner, be sensitive to the sick person's situation, and even to keep our breath fresh! Croft's last chapter gives several ways for pastors to encourage their congregations to visit the sick.

The conclusion and afterword give a concrete example (in the life of the famous preacher C. H. Spurgeon) of how effective our ministry to the afflicted can be and why it is so important. The appendices give a single-page checklist of what to remember when we visit; pointers on how to start and move spiritual conversations forward; a series of "Frequently Answered Questions;" a summary of J. C. Ryles's essay on the prevalence, benefits, and duties related to "Sickness"; and a bibliography of very useful resources.

In just 94 pages, Croft gives a wealth of ideas to motivate and prepare us to visit ailing members, to their benefit and ours. If you think that Brian Croft's book will help equip you and others in the communion of saints to Visit the Sick effectively, you can order the book at Amazon.com here and Amazon.ca here.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Pollyanna

by Eleanor H. Porter
abridged and modernized by Kathleen Olmstead
150 pages / 2007

I'm not one for abridged classics – why not just read the original?

However, there is an exception to every rule. I recently realized that my little ones could benefit from learning about Pollyanna's "glad game" but they just weren't old enough yet to sit through the original. Fortunately Sterling Books' "Classic Starts" has a very good abridgment. At first I was wondering whether this even was an abridgment - had they maybe just tweaked the language a bit? But it is, in fact, about half the size. And that made it the perfect size for my girls.

Pollyanna is a poor but cheerful orphan girl who goes to live with her rich, strait-laced aunt. Hilarity ensues, and the aunt is gradually won over. I won't tell you more, other than to say there is one shocking/sad moment that could cause young listeners some distress – Pollyanna gets hurt quite badly. I peeked ahead and made sure that the chapter with the accident was one I would begin an evening with, so that, before concluding for the night, I could read two more chapters where things took a happier turn. That helped my audience work through this tense section.

So what is Pollyanna's "glad game"? It's something her father taught her - he explained that even when things aren't going our way, there is always something to be glad about. He first taught her the game one Christmas when Pollyanna was hoping for a doll, but the only gift sent to her poor family was a pair of tiny crutches. So what is there to be happy about that? It took some thinking, but eventually father and daughter came up with something: they could be glad about the crutches because at least “we didn’t need to use them!”

Pollyanna teaches her game to many others, and in doing so, transforms her community - they too, start to see the silver lining to each dark cloud.

Of course, this game can be taken to extremes. When an older man breaks a leg, Pollyanna notes he could be glad that he broke just the one leg. Well, okay. But, as the Preacher said, there is a time for everything, and that includes mourning. So maybe it is fine for the man to just simply be sad for a time at the pain and suffering that's happened to him.

But while Pollyanna's game can be taken to extremes, I don't think many of us are in danger of doing so. Couldn't we all do with a good dose of this Pollyanna-ish thinking?

You can pick up this wonderful book at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca but there are other abridgments, and not all as good, so do make sure the one you get is the Sterling Books' "Classic Starts" edition