"The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment "Blog Tour
Next week, to coincide with the recent release of The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment, I’ll be embarking on a blog tour. “What’s a blog tour?” you ask. Well, the process is fairly simple. The owner of a blog poses a question about discernment, my answer to which will be posted on his or her blog on an appointed day. I will follow the comments made on the blog, addressing them as they arise. It will be, I hope, a chance to facilitate a productive and God-glorifying conversation about the issue of discernment through a series of exchanges with others. It allows me to attempt to address questions other people may have about discernment and potentially to address questions that are of particular importance to readers of other blogs.
I’ve already seen a few of the questions that have been submitted and am sweating a bit as I consider how I’ll answer them. There are some tough ones! So I will be spending my weekend crafting answers and I hope you’ll check in next week as we discuss discernment across the blogosphere.
The schedule looks like this:
| January 7 | Evangelical Outpost |
| January 8 | Tall Skinny Kiwi |
| January 9 | A-Team |
| January 10 | Sharper Iron |
| January 11 | Gender Blog |
| January 14 | Jollyblogger |
| January 15 | Between Two Worlds |
| January 16 | TeamPyro |
| January 17 | Michael Spencer |
| January 18 | Church Matters |
Comments (21) »
1. Bill Kinnon
January 4, 2008
4:46 PM
Tim, Congrats on the book being published. I look forward to reading both it and the blog interviews.
2. deborah
January 4, 2008
8:10 PM
Mr. Challies, Really enjoyed and benefitted from your book. Am looking forward to reading more of what you have to say about spiritual discernment.
3. Jerry
January 4, 2008
8:32 PM
i will pay close attention to this tour. I am sorry to see some of the “hammering” that you have received on other blogs and will endeavor to pray for you in the midst of this criticism.
Glorify the Lord in your sufferings, and take his banner of love, and spread it over you. Others will follow you, if they see you strong in the Lord - Samuel Rutherford, “The Loveliness of Christ”, pg. 37.
4. helen wales
January 4, 2008
9:11 PM
Tim: What happened to the gracious apology from Steve Camp that was here on this thread just a while ago? It was so encouraging to read after such a wild day in the combox. Did you erase it? If so, why? Also, I wrote a question to you yesterday and think it would be a great one for your upcoming book tour, since others were also wondering about this very thing. Here it is — “Congrats Tim, on your book. I am curious however — you are a website designer and a book reviewer, and do a lot of live blogging for well-known pastors conferences. But, you are not a pastor, not an ordained minister of the gospel, and from what I understand you haven’t undergone any formal theological training, and you do not serve in full time ministry. So, what qualifies you biblically to write about discernment?” Thanks, Helen
5. Timmy Brister
January 4, 2008
9:36 PM
Helen,
Since when does being a pastor or ordained minister become a prerequisite for writing a book?
Have you read Tim’s book?
6. Tim
January 4, 2008
11:23 PM
I’m wondering if you’ll ever have time for website design again. I’m getting tired of the tree!
LOL … just kidding.
7. Jerry
January 4, 2008
11:59 PM
Helen,
Are you sure that you weren’t thinking about this thread:
http://www.challies.com/archives/general-news/personal/endorsing-the-endorsers.php
As to what qualifies Tim Challies to write about discernment, my hunch is that “formal theological training” might just get in the way. (I write as one with an MDiv and 18 years in the pastorate.)
8. iMonk
January 5, 2008
12:25 AM
Helen:
Book authoring/publishing isn’t an ordained ministry.
Ever have a Sunday School teacher?
peace
MSpencer
9. Rob Hickok
January 5, 2008
2:33 AM
I have been lurking around this site since you got the title “world’s most famous christian blogger” (from Pyromaniacs, I think).
I enjoy reading all of your commentary and have learned much from your insight. God has blessed you with a ministry that reaches around the world.
I just bought your book today, and can’t wait to crack it open.
If its contents are as well crafted as your blogging, I’m going to love The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment.
Keep up the good work. Don’t let the critics get you down. They’re like a committee (an organism with 6 or more legs and no brain).
R.
10. I am CANADIAN
January 5, 2008
9:03 AM
I’m beginning to wonder if all the fuss about your book/bookwriting doesn’t have something to do with the fact that you’re a CANADIAN. After all, can anything good come from Canada?
Keep up the good blogging/writing—I plan on getting your book, eh. Thanks Tim.
11. Randy Kirkland
January 5, 2008
10:41 AM
Thanks for your faithful ministry, brother!
I appreciated the opportunity to actually meet you (after enjoying your blog ministry for quite a while) at The Expositors Conference in Mobile.
Tim, I have encouraged the readers of my blog (albeit with a tiny readership) to pick up a copy of your book…and in fact posted this morning on the blog tour, which I called The Tour de Discernment!
Thanks again for your ministry to all of us!
Randy Kirkland
12. S.J. Walker
January 5, 2008
11:12 AM
Helen,
Timothy didn’t have much formal training either. Going forward without it may not be advisable in many cases, but it is by no means a prerequisite. Especially when so many of the schools available right now are riding the wrong tracks.
Sam
13. Jerry
January 5, 2008
11:31 AM
I am going to go way out on a limb here.
I was just wondering if all of the fuss and bother over your book isn’t a sign that it is truly needed for the church today. After all, if discernment was simply a case of trusting the credentials and experience of those whom you read, without regard to actually evaluating the contents, then it would be a pretty simple task.
Yet, we find that there is plenty of dross out there, and it is often very difficult to know exactly where to obtain valuable, edifying, nurturing, sustenance for our souls. Much of that which is valueless is written by men who have substantial academic credentials and a large measure of “success”.
And this is just in the realm of Christian reading. We need discernment in all areas of our lives, and as I get started in reading your book I will be looking carefully (and with discernment) at what you have to say.
14. David
January 5, 2008
12:09 PM
My name is David
I’m a plummer
I recently penned a three volume set on the current reality of Christ
its on Amazon
enjoy!
15. Cristof P.
January 5, 2008
12:13 PM
This 2 day incessant diatribe is proof of the illegitimacy of blogs.
Anyone anywhere can write anything.
And, if you’re lucky “live blog” and make enough friends to get a book published.
Lets hope the discernment this book allegedly calls for is fleshed out in many of its naive observers.
16. David
January 5, 2008
12:15 PM
my name is david
and i can’t spell “plumber”!
enjoy
17. candyinsierras
January 5, 2008
12:48 PM
david. I thought for a second that you somehow dealt with ripe plums. I was questioning your credentials based on that. Now that I know you are a plumber, I can totally see why you would write about the reality of Christ. You must see a lot of umm, dung out in the world. :)
18. Adam (Ochuk)
January 5, 2008
1:12 PM
The question being asked (seriously, I think) is: What qualifies one to speak for God and His Word?
The answer is quite simple. One who understands it and believes it to be true. Amos and David were shepherds; Abraham, a nomad; and the disciples, mostly blue color schlubs all were qualified on this account. You don’t need to go to RTS, be ordained by Sovereign Grace Ministries, or get a PhD in Greek to speak about what is true about God and discern what is error. If it were the case that one would have to be ordained or “officialized” by some higher board of Christian leadership I am not sure how anyone could be “qualified” to share the gospel.
19. Steve Weaver
January 5, 2008
1:32 PM
What? The tour isn’t going to “Camp On This”?
Seriously, I have been inspired to buy the book by Steve Camp’s ridiculous comments. I was planning on getting it eventually (if I ever needed discernment), but I’m ordering it today!
By the way, I think Tim’s love for and study of God’s Word and year’s of providing discerning reviews of books and culture more than qualify him to write this book. I’m glad he wrote it and I look forward to reading it.
20. Harry James
January 5, 2008
3:38 PM
I am personally looking forward to these interviews and I appreciate your ministry Tim. The book has been a blessing.
Harry
21. Jerry
January 7, 2008
9:04 AM
Tim,
I have read through the first 30 or so pages, and frankly, I am disappointed. . . . . . Disappointed that this book wasn’t around back when I was a new Christian. What I have read so far would have benefitted me tremendously in my early walk with Christ. I look forward to the rest.
Thanks for a challenging and edifying book.
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