Rather than encouraging a relationship, devotional formulas often only serve as checklists of dos and don’ts. The impression tears from the means of devotion their intimacy, for passion rarely accompanies obligation.

Even so, devotional formulas are worth studying. Like learning dance patterns, they reveal possibilities you might never have realized on your own. Yet also like dance patterns, devotional formulas must be discerned for what they are—isolated, artificial choreographies that can only teach theory.

Following theory will never take you to the depths of intimacy, nor the center of the dance floor. That space belongs to those who are moving not to formulas they’ve memorized, but something far more powerful they feel. Devotion is like dancing; you don’t count steps, you feel a rhythm. And just as the same music in a room full of people moves each dancer differently, sacred intimacy inspires each of us to personal expressions that transcend choreography.

Explore devotional formulas as you wish, just don’t let them dictate your dance. Take from them and adapt whatever helps you move more gracefully to the rhythm of your relationship with God.

Last night, the fiction post I had planned for this week suffered the consensus opinion of my writing group that it wasn’t ready to debut. It’s repetitive, and it says things over and over again. Yes, like that.

Next week?

But for precisely the opposite reason was Christ nailed to a cross. The authorities that knew him conspired to arrange his execution because he was an uncontrollable revolutionary. He denounced the leading pastors of the day as a brood of vipers and white-washed tombs. He assaulted businessmen in their place of business, and by violence imposed upon everyone his own opinion about how God should be worshiped at the temple. He was a man who lived on the streets and kept company with the homeless and hookers, whom those from civilized society called an over-eating pig and a drunk; and who responded to all this by teaching,

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. I came to set a son against his father, a daughter against her mother, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10.34-39)

This man? This is your peace activist who strums a guitar in the park and bawls from his bosom, “Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya…”?

Nonsense.

Jesus Christ is the most divisive figure in human history, and this after only his first appearance on Earth when he came as a lamb. If you have difficulty accepting the rage Christ exhibited in his first visit to Earth, you had better find somewhere else to stay the next time he drops in.

Behold! Coming from heaven, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, on his head are many crowns, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. The armies of heaven arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, follow him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh a name is written: King of kings and Lord of lords. (Rev 19.11-16)

One day our eyes shall see this sight. Our skin will sting from the heat of fire, and our nostrils choke on the stench of blood. As the Messiah’s horse stamps past our bowed heads, what will we think of him then? Let us try to think so of him now.

Photo by: wili_hybrid. Kumbaya

For one, advertising. I’m a Christian writer living in Dallas yet the only channels I heard about the event through were three writer/agent blogs. Two of those only mentioned the event this week: “I’m taking off for the Christian Book Expo now. Come join us!” Really? Also, I received an email about the Hitchens debate, yet it said nothing about the event being linked with CBE. If the advertising I experienced was so minimal and ineffective, how well could it have reached those who don’t have an ear to the industry?

I think another issue is how it was billed — what the heck is a book expo anyway? Why do I want to pay thirty dollars plus parking and the downtown hassle to go shop for Christian books I can’t afford right now and really don’t need? And if there is a book I want, I’ll save time, energy, and money just buying it from Amazon. …is the thought ‘book expo’ brings to my mind.

I think the event would be experiencing a better turnout if the focus had been billed toward interaction with the various personalities in attendance. As is, it looked like the personalities were just frosting with the books the main course. Too direct to be widely appealing, in my opinion. It feels like the purpose is to sell me books, and everything else is sugar to make that go down smoother.

Bill it instead as a gathering rather than an exhibition. Thirty dollars I’ll pay to go look at all the new cars of the year under one roof, but not books. To interact with some top Christian leaders and a broad community of the Church, however, is worth the trip downtown. And I feel like I’m part of something, not just a consumer being entertained into a sale.

The headline could read something like this: ‘CBE presents The Aim Convention,’ or ‘Synergy Gathering, sponsored by CBE.’ The content of the event (including the merchandizing) would remain quite similar, but this marketing would likely give it a broader appeal.

AIG is a sinking ship. It’s keel is already showing. No number of labor employees can bail the water out fast enough. Highly skilled engineering experts are needed now, the very best ones that can be found. Problem is, the ocean is currently covered with the exact same sort of ships with their keels on the exact same sort of tilt. For the engineers, it’s a buyer’s market.

AIG needs their experts to not jump ship for one of the other thousand businesses attaching multimillion dollar signing bonuses to their S.O.S. messages. The surest way to do this is to offer these executives more money and more opportunity than anyone else will. Striping a struggling company of this ability to offer higher pay, perks, and bonuses to its expert crew is asking that company to row with no oars.

The AIG tax is apparently helping some of us poor people to feel less bitter. It’s also making some dangerous politicians more popular. But nothing about it helps AIG stabilize.

Photo by: ericrichardson.