State Street Nate Loucks State Street Nate Loucks

Love first, ask questions later.

Yesterday, in my sermon on Revelation 5, we talked about having a faith that sounds like a conquering lion but looks like a slaughtered lamb. I used this video on Jeremy Courtney and his organization "The Preemptive Love Coalition." 

This quote from Loren Johns is fantastic:

The Lamb of Revelation is manifestly no cute, little nonviolent Lamb. It is a powerful and courageous Lamb who, through his consistent nonviolent and faithful witness, conquered evil. He did not deny the reality of evil or the reality of violence or “lie down with the lion” in some utopian idealism. […] Rather, the Lamb overcame evil by refusing to adopt its methods and its rules and bearing its brunt. And he serves in the Apocalypse as a consistent and trustworthy model for believers facing the harsh realities of civic pressures to conform to the expectations of Graeco-Roman society. - Loren Johns, professor of New Testament at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary

May we continue to learn what it means to be particularly and peculiarly Christian in this world. 

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Theology, State Street Nate Loucks Theology, State Street Nate Loucks

Recommended Reading for Revelation

We start a new series at State Street on Sunday. We'll be spending the next two and a half months going through the book of Revelation. Some approach John of Patmos' book in great fear and trepidation, some in confusion and dismay, some just ignore it in total. I don't think any of those reactions are necessary in building a right and responsible reading of the text. 

If you want to study the book of Revelation a bit more in-depth, I want to invite you to pick up any of these helpful resources. Starting next Thursday at 6:30am at Rocky Mountain Cafe in LaPorte, the State Street Book Club will be going through one of these books [Apocalypse and Allegiance] to ask good questions and to seek answers about any confusion we may have. 

Here's the list of books I'm reading right now for this series:

  • Apocalypse and Allegiance: Worship, Politics, and Devotion in the Book of Revelation by J. Nelson Kraybill: Kraybill is the former President of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, IN and currently serves as the President of the Mennonite World Conference. [Amazon]

  • The Revelation of John: A Narrative Commentary by James L. Resseguie: Resseguie is Distinguished Professor of New Testament Emeritus at Winebrenner Theological Seminary. [Amazon]

  • The Theology of the Book of Revelation (New Testament Theology) by Richard Bauckham: Bauckham is a New Testament scholar who teaches at Cambridge. [Amazon]
  • Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb into the New Creation by Michael J. Gorman: Gorman is Professor of Sacred Scripture and Dean of the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. [Amazon]
  • The Pith of the Apocalypse: Essential Message and Principles for Interpretation by Paul A. Rainbow: Rainbow is the Professor of New Testament and Sioux Falls Seminary. [Amazon]
  • Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright: Wright is the former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and is now serving as the Chair of New Testament and Early Christianity at the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. [Amazon]
  • The Good News of Revelation by Larry Helyer & Ed Cyzewski: Larry Helyer is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. Ed Cyzewski is a freelance writer. [Amazon]
  • Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination by Eugene Peterson: Peterson is the former James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is now retired. [Amazon]
  • The New Testament: Introducing the Way of Discipleship by Wes Howard-Brook and Sharon E. Ringe: Howard-Brook is an author and professor at Seattle University. Ringe is Professor of New Testament at Wesley Theological Seminary. [Amazon]
  • The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story: by Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen: Craig G. Bartholomew is the H. Evan Runner Professor of Philosophy at Redeemer University College. Michael W. Goheen is the Jake and Betsy Tuls Professor of Missiology at Calvin Theological Seminary. [Amazon]

I might add some more to this as we go, but this is a start. Many of these were recommended to me by other pastors/friends/scholars, and some I just stumbled upon. All of them have helped in grasping the critical nature of the text. 

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