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C.S. Lewis, one of the most influential Christians of the 20th century, died 50 years ago today.

During his life, Lewis wrote more than 50 books, the most famous of which are probably The Chronicles of Narnia. Earlier this year, I read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to my four year old and was struck by  how effectively Lewis communicates complex theological and philosophical ideas through children’s fantasy. It’s because of this that these books are so well loved.

Lewis isn’t without his critics, though, and there are several passages in The Chronicles of Narnia that have raised some eyebrows. Martyn Lloyd-Jones even questioned Lewis’ Christianity based on an expression of the atonement found in The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe.

But its hard to dismiss an intellect like Lewis’ without further investigation. So in honor of his life and work, let’s defend some of the things you might not want your kids to read in The Chronicles of Narnia.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

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Our culture is obsessed with busyness. I can’t count the number of e-mails I get that basically say, “Sorry I didn’t respond to your message, I’ve just been so busy.” (Or how many I’ve written) Everyone used to answer “How are you?” by saying “good,” now everyone answers it by saying, “tired” or “busy.”

I’ve fought this tendency for most of my adult life, but over the last few months I gave in.

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I think the most common question Christians ask is “What is God’s will for my life?” But as common as this question is, most Christians don’t know how to answer it or how to help others to answer it.

Right now my wife and I are trying to ask an even more complex question: “What is God’s will for OUR life?” Adding in the desires and doubts of another person makes it even more difficult to discern.

So I’ve been thinking about what makes discernment possible and how that works in a group and  have created this guide as a result.

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If you read my blog regularly, you know I’ve been on a bit of a prayer kick lately.

It started with The Way of a Pilgrim and the notion of unceasing prayer. I was fascinated with the idea of “interior prayer” and wanted to find out more about that. So I turned to the book on interior prayer: The Cloud of Unknowing.

While the author of The Cloud of Unknowing is anonymous, most people assume he was a Carthusian Monk. This is, as well as the larger  Christian culture of the 14th century, are key to understanding the thinking of The Cloud of Unknowing.

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Do you know how many English translations of the Bible there are?

It’s hard to say, exactly. Estimates range from 100-900.

When I worked with students I often had the joy of watching them get their first Bible. Kids (and parents) would say to me, “There are so many different kinds, which one should I get?”

Maybe you have the same question.

Ultimately, only you can know which Bible translation is best for you, but to help you out, here are 4 questions you should ask when picking a Bible translation.
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These days the term “Spiritual Formation” is thrown around a lot. It is used just enough that we all feel like we should already know what it means and so nobody asks. But most of us really only have a small understanding of what is meant when people say Spiritual Formation.

So what is Spiritual Formation?

For Christians, it is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

But what does that mean?

In Matthew 22, a man asks Jesus what is the most important law.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

According to Jesus, directing all of your heart, soul, and mind towards the divine is the most important thing for you to do.

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