149 - Longing for More Community Groups

This Spring at Grace, we are reading Till We Have Faces, the final — and, according to Mark, best — novel by C. S. Lewis. In this episode, Mark shares with Cameron some of his tips for reading the novel, short cuts that should help readers pick up on the deeper layers. The most important of these is understanding what Lewis meant by saying that Christianity was a myth that had become fact. His short essay “Myth Became Fact,” collected in God in the Dock, unfurls a fascinating conception of myth as the isthmus between abstractions and the concrete … and it helps explain how Lewis adapts and transforms the myth of Cupid and Psyche in his novel. Myth Became Fact, by C. S. LewisTHE COMMENTARY is an in-depth conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.Subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or Spotify 

It’s an old theory that has recently gotten a facelift: the era of print literacy has come to an end, superseded by an age of screen time and short attention spans. Neil Postman’s class Amusing Ourselves to Death looks ever more prophetic, leading Times of London journalist James Marriott to conclude that this is the dawn of the “post-literate society.” In this episode, Mark and Cameron unpack the hypothesis and ask whether the culture shift has special implications for Protestantism, the word-saturated form of Christianity that emerged side-by-side with the explosion of literacy. The Dawn of the Post-Literate Society, by James MarriottTHE COMMENTARY is an in-depth conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.Subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or Spotify 

One of the most humbling things that’s happened to Cameron since the publication of his first book of poetry, titled Forbearance, came when former poet laureate Ted Kooser posted one of the poems with a note saying he wished he’d written it! In this episode, Mark asks Cameron about that experience, and about the creative process behind this collection of poems. Some reading, some analysis, and a lot of storytelling make this a fascinating window into Cameron’s work, especially touching on its biblical, theological, and even cosmological layers. Get your copy here: Forbearance by Cameron Brooks (Cascade Books)Read more of Cameron’s writing on his Substack: Conversant THE COMMENTARY is an in-depth conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.Subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or Spotify 

The Commentary is back — and we’re on a mission to recover the generational mindset of the Church, something we might call “Cathedral Thinking.” Spurred by an essay on this topic, Cameron and Mark ask what lessons the cathedral builders of old can teach us, not just about ecclesiastical architecture, but about investing our time and gifts in work that won’t come to fruition in our lifetimes. Read Jonathan Thompson’s “The Rise and Fall (and Rise?) of Cathedral Thinking.” THE COMMENTARY is an in-depth conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.Subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or Spotify 

If we raise our kids to be rule-followers, they may very well grow up to follow the world’s rules rather than God’s. That’s the problem with mere moralism. On the other hand, part of raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord involves teaching them … well, the rules. In this episode, Cameron and Mark think through the challenge of moral instruction, especially when it comes to raising kids to “get” grace.THE COMMENTARY is an in-depth conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.Subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or Spotify 

This year Grace launched a new approach to our small group ministry, which included a name change to better reflect the mission: small groups are now Community Groups. We’re at the half-way point for this semester’s plan, so Mark and Cameron decided to compare notes on how the new groups are going — and what they like best about the fresh format. THE COMMENTARY is an in-depth conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.Subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or Spotify 

If the democratization of media in the digital age has overthrown the gatekeepers in journalism and politics, what impact is it having on the Christian faith — particularly when it comes to ecclesiastical authority? When push comes to shove, who should I listen to, the elders of my own congregation, or the influencers with the bigger platforms? It’s not a new question, but as Cameron and Mark discuss in this episode, it raises new challenges for the life of discipleship.

One man’s heresy is another man’s Christianity — especially if the man in question is a modern historian. In this episode, Cameron and Mark contrast the approach to early Christian history within the Church to the methodologies of the contemporary academy. Are all claims to be Christian equally valid? If not, by what standard can we distinguish between true and false? This conversation will give you plenty to consider.

Last time, Mark and Cameron discussed the “end of reading” as a cultural crisis. This week they’re back to talk about its potential impact on the Church. To interpret the Scriptures well, and to be steeped in them to such an extent that our prayer and discipleship are shaped by them, we have to be reading the Word. In this episode, you’ll find advice on how to incorporate the habit of Bible reading into your life.

There’s a crisis in the headlines: students arriving at even elite colleges are overwhelmed at the thought of having to read … entire books. Is this apparent decline in literacy something Christians (as “people of the Book”) should be concerned about? In this episode, Cameron and Mark discuss why it should matter to us, and what might be to blame.