Amy Boucher Pye

Author: Amy Boucher Pye

  • Devotional of the week – Our Commission (6 in John 15-16 series)

    And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. John 15:27

    Photo: by Chris Yarzab, flickr
    Photo: by Chris Yarzab, flickr

    When I was an editor at HarperCollins I commissioned the memoirs of Canon Michael Green. Sharing the good news of the gospel seems to pour out of him naturally, with his winsome words accompanied by a bright smile. I, however, am not a natural evangelist like Michael. In fact, the thought of city-center evangelism sends chills down my spine.

    But Jesus tells his disciples here that they must testify. In the Greek, the “you” is emphatic, underscoring that we are not off the hook. Sharing our faith with friends, family or strangers may be out of our comfort zone, but God has entrusted his message to us. We may stammer or feel incompetent, but the Holy Spirit will strengthen us and give us just the right words to speak.

    We aren’t limited to the ways we can testify about Jesus. We might encourage a friend who finds it hard to trust God with examples of his faithfulness in our own life. We might extend a listening ear to an older neighbor who is lonely. Or indeed we might tell a friend about how Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins, that she might live in freedom. God’s ways of reaching out to his needy world are endless, and we have the privilege of being the conduits.

    Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’m amazed that you use me to share your love and grace. Work through me, I pray.

     

  • Review – memoir of life in Afghanistan

    408143_1_ftcI came across this gripping memoir through a review in the Woman Alive Book Club, and was grateful for the recommendation. In the Land of the Blue Burqas tells the stories of an American woman who spent five years in Afghanistan, working for an NGO with the goal of helping Afghan women. She recounts her experiences in a winsome manner; when reading I felt like she was sharing the stories over a cup of tea – even though she used a pseudonym to protect herself and her friends. I could sense her love and respect for the Afghan people she met.

    What struck me most was the hidden world of Afghanistan, namely the world of women. They live behind walls, closed in. In public they walk silently, not making eye contact with men. Nor would any man enter another family’s aouli (family compound) unannounced. If he visited, he would be served in an outer courtyard by a young girl or boy; the woman would have been given time to hide inside. But women move freely from one aouli to another, joining in with the lives of their women neighbours and forming a deep sense of community. The author experienced this strong friendship as she sipped their tea and ate the nuts and treats offered.

    Kate McCord found out that for women, the worst day of their life was when they married. Brides would be young – twelve or thirteen – and the marriages arranged. As one woman said, “My husband is a good man; he only hit me a little at first when we married.” But men said their best day was when they marred their first wife (many have more than one). The author learned more about women in Afghanistan than many men knew.

    I also appreciated how strongly she held to her Christian beliefs, sharing them graciously without forcing them on anyone. She learned the local language and sought to find out about Islam. When issues of faith came up, which was nearly every encounter, she sought a creative way of putting things, often by telling a Bible story that would lead to an unexpected ending. It would blow away the hearer’s preconceptions – if they allowed.

    When the security in her town disintegrated, she was forced to leave. She left her home, fruit trees, dog and the friends she had grown to love. But the stories of these beautiful people she will have as a gift forever.

    Jump into the rickshaw and enter this fascinating world.

    In the Land of the Blue Burqas, Kate McCord (Moody, ISBN 978-0802408143)

  • Devotional of the week – A Privileged Relationship (5 in John 15-16 series)

    When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. John 15:26

    Photo: Creative Commons, James Burke
    Photo: Creative Commons, James Burke

    Inspired by dramatized courtroom dramas, I decided when at university that I wanted to be a lawyer. (I’m embarrassed to admit that one of them was the film Jagged Edge.) I got a job during the summers in a law office, and soon learned that the work was not all verbal sparring and dramatic closing statements. Nor, I realized, would I want one of the attorneys to represent me had I ever the need.

    Here the Holy Spirit is called a Counselor, which we can translate as “Advocate,” or in our modern-day parlance, Attorney or Barrister. For as Gary M. Burge says in The NIV Application Commentary, “It is a judicial title describing someone aiding a legal argument” (p. 421). The Holy Spirit will live and dwell in the disciples; through them he will bear witness as an advocate of Jesus.

    It’s mind-boggling to think that we have the world’s best attorney on our case. And to know that although we may be living through a terrible trial, where there seems no righting of wrongs, we can be confident that God as Judge will eventually bring complete justice. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans: “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). All of that – and no astronomical legal fees.

    Prayer: Triune God, you are Judge and yet Counselor. Bring forth your truth in and through me this day.

     

  • Review of a quirky memoir

    A year or so ago I read nearly twenty books for a feature article in the Christian publishing trade magazine. That’s a lot of reading, even for a self-confessed bibliophile such as me. In the midst of all those words, the ones that stood out to me were those in Dallas and the Spitfire, the story of an unlikely friendship. Why? Because the author’s unique voice came through so clearly. His writing style is easy and engaging, and his footnotes are a fun place where he lets rip with wisecracks and asides. More importantly, the content is encouraging and thought provoking. For me the only negative was the shameless copying of the typeface/artwork of the similar hit book of a few years ago, Same Kind of Different as Me (although I tried to read that book and didn’t get very far, whereas I lapped up this one).

    dallasSFThe main author here is Ted Kluck, a freelance writer in his mid-thirties who lives in Michigan in the States and inhabits a Christian Reformed subculture. He meets Dallas, a young guy in his early twenties who has experienced more of life than many have who are twice his age. But not all of what he’s lived through has brought life. His father introduced him to drinking at the tender age of eight, and he lost his virginity at ten. He became a hardened drug addict, living a precarious life on the edge, fuelled by the desire and need to fund his habit. His actions led him to jail, and then eventually into a Bible-based rehab program. It was here when he first met Dallas.

    Their friendship is that of father to son, mentor to mentoree, friend to friend. Men seem to communicate best shoulder to shoulder, so their shared project of restoring an old European car gives them the excuse to hang out and do life together. Ted helps Dallas in his first year as a Christian as he navigates the strange waters of a fundamentalist Bible college, survives heartbreak over a romantic relationship, and manages to stay clean and off of drugs. Dallas in turn helps Ted, a neophyte when it comes to car restoration, to bring life to the old British Spitfire. And more than just car repair, he brings joy, hope, and the reminder through his changed life that our God is really able to do more than we could ask or imagine.

    A great read. My eyes admittedly glazed over at all the car descriptions and a few of Ted’s sideabout ramblings, but overall the story of the two’s friendship made for compelling and even compulsive reading.

    Dallas and the Spitfire: An Old Car, An Ex-Con and an Unlikely Friendship, Ted Kluck and Dallas Jahncke (Bethany, ISBN 978-0764209611)

  • Life in the UK – Cause for celebration?

    Why does a nation so filled with great achievements and peoples not celebrate? Why is a national day off simply called a Bank Holiday?

    Photo credit: Creative Commons, MikeDixson
    Photo credit: Creative Commons, MikeDixson

    Though I’ve lived on this small island for many a year now, I’ve taken a long time to understand what is behind this reticence. But my opening sentence gives a hint, for which nation am I talking about? The United Kingdom, after all, is a grouping of nations – the technical terms is, “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”

    And I suppose the English are most reticent of all to celebrate their patron saint’s day, which is today – St George. For they have been seen as the oppressor. And to be English means to be understated; not to flaunt one’s accomplishments or achievements, lest one is seen as bragging.

    But times may be changing, and even Downing Street is today flying St George’s flag, alongside the Union Jack. Celebrations are taking place around the country, including a great feast in Trafalgar Square. Why we don’t have a massive celebration of the Bard today I do not know though – after all, it’s Shakespeare’s 450th birthday.

    If you’re English, are you reticent to fly St George’s flag or celebrate your Englishness? Why or why not?

  • Devotional of the week – Redemptive suffering (4 in John 15-16 series)

    “They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.” John 15:21

    Painting displayed in the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio
    Painting displayed in the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio

    In the West we currently enjoy religious freedom, and take for granted the ability to meet with other believers to pray and worship together. This freedom is not enjoyed by many brothers and sisters around the world, such as in China or in the United Arab Emirates. For instance, Christians in North Korea are tortured for their faith. Chinese believers from the house churches were barred from traveling to Lausanne III in 2010, the largest Christian gathering in history. Or in the UAE, Christian expatriates are allowed to worship in their own churches, but legally may not share their faith with locals.

    This section of John’s gospel must provide precious sustenance to these believers. They are misunderstood, misaligned, maltreated, and perhaps even tortured or killed because of the name of Jesus. But they can cling to the promise that God’s Holy Spirit is with them, purifying them and speaking through them.

    What can we learn from the suffering church? Many things, no doubt, but one that stands out is the strength of their commitment. Can we too live as though our whole lives depend on our belief and trust in God? Do we focus on the essentials of our faith and let the minor concerns drop? Do we believe in the power of God to bring real change and renewal?

    May the example of the persecuted church inspire and convict us this day.

    Prayer: Lord Jesus, you were persecuted, and so are many around the world. Redeem their suffering for your glory.

  • A Holy Week Poem

    Holy Week. I feel busy this week. Too busy. But I offer this poem that I wrote some years ago to remind myself to stop and consider the grand story of redemption being played out this week.

    DSCN9808
    O Jesus of Nazareth,
    Thorns we twisted and turned
    Upon your head we placed,
    Crowning you King of the Jews.
     
    Upon you we spat;
    With a reed we struck your head.
    Kneeling in homage, we mocked,
    With our lips; with our hearts.
     
    Crucified, we crucified,
    Nailing you to the tree
    Watching you whither and bleed
    As darkness came over the land.
     
    From deep you cried out,
    Not at us, but to your Father:
    “My God, my God, my God—
    “Why have you forsaken me?”
     
    Those words cut to the depth of our soul
    Reverberating from within
    We watched you breathe your last,
    And the curtain was torn in two.
     
    From what we have seen and heard,
    Indeed, from what we have done,
    We echo the words of the centurion,
    That truly, the Son of God you are!
     
     © 1999 Amy Boucher Pye

  • Devotional of the week – The Royal Family (3 in John 15-16 series)

    Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ John 15:20

    A house fit for a queen. Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.
    A house fit for a queen. Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

    My son has had a fascination with the British monarchy over the years, and I’ve learned much about kings and queens as we’ve visited royal palaces and read biographies. I simply cannot imagine one of these exalted persons lowering themselves to the level of a servant. And yet this is what Jesus – the King of Kings – did when during the Last Supper he washed the feet of his disciples. He, the Teacher and Lord, got dirty in the service of others. So too must we: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master” (John 13:15-16).

    Now as Jesus talks about persecution, he hearkens back to his words about the servant/master relationship. We must serve one other, and because servants aren’t greater than their masters, we must expect to be treated with spite or taunting, as he did. We will not be exempt from suffering, for his Father did not spare him. But as we will see in an upcoming reading, God will send his Spirit to us – the Advocate and Counselor – who will fill us with his presence and speak on our behalf.

    We may not be a member of the British royal family, but we are daughters and sons of the King. Though we may suffer, our adoption into his family is secure.

    Prayer: Our Lord God and King, reign in our hearts today, that we might love and serve you.

  • Review of Cross Roads, follow-up to The Shack

    My review from the Woman Alive book club, originally published in February 2013, shortly after the release of the follow-up to the massive hit, The Shack.

    Many anticipated Cross Roads, Wm Paul Young’s novel following his huge success with The Shack. Me? Not so much. I reviewed The Shack in the Woman Alive book club in 2008, and although it had more reader reviews than any other book in our half-dozen years of the book club, I didn’t love it. Some of his theology concerned me (bordering on universalism), and I thought the opening fifty pages was wrought with purple prose. And yet I couldn’t discount the way God used The Shack to bring grace and healing into the lives of many. So when Cross Roads arrived through the post, I thought, “Hmm.” I wasn’t keen to drop everything and read it. But some of our Facebook group wanted me to do so, and thus here I am.

    15789399Again the opening pages scream with adverbs and adjectives as the author is at pains to set the scene. Because this book was published traditionally, and not self-published as The Shack was initially, I hoped the publishers would have reigned in the prose. An example: “He had been birthed in an explosion of life, an inner expanding universe coalescing in its own internal solar systems and galaxies with unimagined symmetry and elegance” (p.4). But eventually the descriptions eased as the action got going, and I didn’t have to force myself to continue reading.

    The author has a fantastic imagination, and I enjoyed the worlds we traversed as Tony, the protagonist, lies in a coma, given one chance by Jesus and the Holy Spirit to physically heal one person. Tony slides into the head of another person (this is all on the dust jacket – I won’t give away too much!) and starts to see the world through their eyes. Compassion, empathy, grace, and mercy become real to him as he moves away from his self-centred focus. The reader too gains empathy for him, the once crusty businessman whose aim had been only to win, as we learn why he erected the towering walls of protection.

    Should you read Cross Roads? I don’t know if you should, but I think many will, especially those who loved The Shack. If you can make it past the early plodding pages, you’ll enter an imaginary world that may enlarge your view of God and your fellow men and women. Like me, you might find yourself irritated by certain quirks of the author (for instance, I wasn’t convinced by his CS Lewis character, and I found the idea that members of the Trinity could be sarcastic as falling outside of God’s character). But yes, it’s worth reading for a glimpse of what the soul could look like, and the relational view of God in his three persons, who always wants to interact with us.

    Have you read it? If so, what did you think?

    Cross Roads, Wm Paul Young (Hodder, ISBN 978-1444745979)

  • Devotional of the week – Heavenly citizens (2 in John 15-16 series)

    As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. John 15:19

    Photo: Ian Mackenzie, Flickr
    Photo: Ian Mackenzie, Flickr

    I have two passports – one from America, the land of my birth, and one from Britain, my adopted country. I will always have divided loyalties, whether in which sports team to support or which lingo to speak. But my most important citizenship is my heavenly one, to which Jesus refers here. For he has chosen us out of the world, and we do not belong to it.

    What does it mean to be a citizen of heaven? To be “in the world but not of it”? Christians throughout the ages have interpreted this question differently. Some remove themselves completely from the world. Others so accommodate it that they lose their Christian distinctiveness. Many struggle somewhere between the two poles, seeking to keep in tension engaging the world on the one hand while being a transforming force in it on the other.

    As we keep our sights fixed on God’s promises of his heavenly city, we will see our struggles and travails with his eternal perspective. He can pull us back when we are too engaged with worldly things, such as watching a dodgy television program. He can shed wisdom on the challenges we face, reminding us that he will never leave nor forsake us. He will strengthen and undergird us, helping us to be his witnesses in a world hungry for grace.

    Heavenly Father, as aliens and strangers on earth we long for a heavenly country. Help us to live by faith.