Uncle Screwtape and Toadwood his Scribe

I had an opportunity to go and see FPA Theatre Company’s production of C.S. Lewis‘ “The Screwtape Letters” a week ago. It is playing at the old Mercury Theater at 3745 N. Southport in Chicago. It stars Max McLean (who also co-adapted the script) as “His Abysmal Sublimity Screwtape,” and Karen Eleanor Wight as “Toadpipe,” his demonic personal secretary and scribe.

C. S. LEWIS (Author) (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer and apologist of his day. He published The Screwtape Letters in 1942 wherein he presented a humorous and perceptive exchange between two devils named Screwtape and Wormwood. He used the book to deal with moral questions about good vs. evil, temptation, repentance, and grace.

Here is C.S. Lewis’ own INTRODUCTION:

I have no intention of explaining how the correspondence, which I now offer to the public, fell into my hands.

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.

Readers are advised to remember that the devil is a liar. Not everything that Screwtape says should be assumed to be true, even from his own angle.

There is wishful thinking in Hell as well as on Earth.
C.S. Lewis
July 5, 1941

The production is an excellent synopsis and a faithful portrayal of the book and the timeless spiritual concepts and ideas set forth by C.S. Lewis. I think the reader of his book, or the viewer of this production will be presented with ideas and concepts that if faced honestly, can lead to a deeper understanding of what it means to live a life based upon the Good, which in many cases can lead one to a personal life of faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

The Screwtape Letters

Then, my wife got me hooked on The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God by Dallas Willard, so I am listening to that on my iPod while I travel on the EL. That one is really making me think and re-evaluate some things!

Also, my son, Taylor gave me Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell, the story of a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan, for my birthday. Incredible!

Beyond Personality: The New Men: 1944
An introduction to The Great Divorce: 1948

These audio clips were originally recorded as BBC broadcasts, and are now archived in RealPlayer format on the BBC website located here.

My first impressions are that he sounds way more like an Englishman than I imagined!

This is totally, really, way cool!

It is raining. It sounds wonderful and peaceful outside my window. I just returned from hearing L.T. Jeyachandran speak in the Oxford Museum Lecture Hall (see photo) on “With All Year Heart – Service.”

Near the beginning of his talk, he noted the famous book by Rick Warren entitled, “The Purpose-Driven Life.” An Asian friend of L.T.’s named Ajith Fernando (also a friend of Deb and mine) wrote a book called “The Jesus Driven Ministry.” L.T. then commented that he didn’t like either title because of the emphasis on “driven.”

When it comes to serving God, a Christian’s motivation should be different than other altruistic motives, as good as they may be. Many times people are trying to find their identity in their acts of service. Take for instance the example off the difference between Princess Diana and Mother Teresa, who died on the same day. Diana was “driven” in her service out of her experience of lack of love and her own deep needs. Mother Teresa served because it is who she truly had become in Christ.

L.T. told another story about learning theology from his 2-year-old granddaughter who lives in India. L.T. and his wife went to visit the family and while there, his granddaughter came to life and talked to them and played with them, jumping on their bed, etc.

After they left India and went home to Singapore, they would call the family and tried to reconnect with their grandaughter as well. But, she would just hold the phone to her ear and smile! She could not respond to them speaking to her!

L.T. remembered Christ’s words that we need to become like little children to enter the Kindom of Heaven. L.T.’s granddaughter did not yet know how to relate with someone that was not face to face with her! Yet, L.T. reflected, how many of us as adults can’t relate to others without email, text messaging or cell phones? Can we build relationships and actually serve others without the hands-on, sweat and work of face-to-face relating?

He also told us that in his many years of working for the Indian government, and then in the years working for RZIM, he has come to see that there is a worldly “rat-race” and a Christian “rat-race.” They are virtually the same. The PROBLEM with BOTH is that after you finally win, you are still a rat!

Christian service is a response to a series of relationships.

Many have fallen into the trap of reducing service to a set or how-to-do-it’s or formulas and the right words to say. Right saying does not automatically lead to right being. But right being, will lead to right saying.

Our identity comes to us as a product of our relationship with God and each other. It is this identity in Christ that should lead to and motivate any service we do. The “How” is a result of knowing the “What” and the “Why” of service first.

6:15 PM

Just got back from a free-form “On The Spot” Q&A session with L.T. Jeyachandran and John Lennox. One question from the audience stuck out to me above the others. “Was there ever a time when you personally were about to throw away Christianity, or you were in deep doubt or dealing with a particularly tough inner struggle? If so, how did you deal with it and what advice can you offer those who may be in that place?”

Wow!

Here are some of the answers:
• Yes!
• Live honestly – even with non-believers.
• Make sure you are sharing openly and honestly with at least some others in the Body of Christ.
• We need to be thinking of the Church as a place where we would hear things like this regularly: someone stands up and says, “I fell into sin last week” and then sits down.
• John Lennox does not remember a time like this in his life that he can relate to. He admitted that this can be a drawback. However, to compensate, he has purposefully tried to make friends with those who do experience this… atheists, strugglers, truth seekers.
• Growth and maturity happen in pain.

4:15 PM

I still need to visit the Eagle & Child Pub (affectionately known as the “Bird & Baby”)… just a few blocks from where I am, on 49 St. Giles. Maybe this evening I will do that. This is one of Oxford’s oldest pub’s where “The Inklings” met including: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and others. This literary group used to meet in the back room (the “Rabbit Room”) every Tuesday morning from 1939-1962. Lewis died in 1963 on the day JFK was shot.

My favorite books by C.S. Lewis are first his science fiction trilogy of “Out of the Silent Planet, “Perelandra,” and “That Hideous Strength.” After those, I prefer “Mere Christianity“, “The Great Divorce“, “Screwtape Letters“, and “The Problem of Pain.”

There is another author and nook that relates to the C.S. Lewis story with Joy Davidman by Sheldon Vanauken called, “A Severe Mercy.” Deb and I have read the book a couple times, and we would recommend it highly for every couple.

4:00 PM – My Oxford City Pipe Story

In 1980, almost 26 years ago in August, I was in Oxford, England with my then “girlfriend” and soon to become fiancé, Debbie Wolgemuth. FYI – we actually got engaged in Oxford at a Bed & Breakfast on that trip! But that is another story!

Because of our mutual love and respect for “Jack,” we spent a few days exploring anything about C.S. Lewis that we could find! In the process of exploring Magdelan College, “The Kilns” and other places, we ran across a tobacconist on High Street, who sold a nice looking pipe called the “Oxford City” pipe. It reminded me of the pipes I had seen C.S. Lewis smoking in photos, so I bought one! It has been my favorite pipe ever since.

Well, I brought that pipe along with me on this trip, hoping to buy some good “long-bottom leaf” to put in it. Since very little has changed in Oxford, since I was here last, I walked to High Street and turned left hoping to find the same shop. It wasn’t where I remembered it, so I kept walking, trying not to give up hope.

A few blocks later my persistence was rewarded with a tobacco shop… but it didn’t look like the one I remembered. As I was sampling and purchasing some tobacco for my pipe, I asked about the shop’s history. It turns out that the current owner (Frederick Tranter – 37 High Street) bought the business from a couple who had purchased it from the owner I bought my pipe from in 1980. So, there was still a connection!

As I walked back to Keble College, that tobacco tasted really, really fine!

3:30 PM

I decided to skip lunch and walk around Oxford. They feed us way too much food anyway. Got back around 3 and took a shower, shaved and am ready for a nap! Exhausted!

I saw “Fred” as I was coming back in Keble College. With a big smile he said “How are you liking this so far!” After I answered, “Just great!” he replied, “Yeah – it’s like heaven,” as he headed off to Rhodes House for a seminar on the DaVinci Code.

12:30 PM — Other Notes:

• The Rhodes House is the place where we get the “Rhodes Scholar” from. Hanging on the lecture hall walls are portraits of famous Rhodes Scholars, among whom are President Bill Clinton (see photo), Nelson Mandella, and others. I have noticed that none are “Conservatives” in the modern American political or theological sense. I guess maybe you have to be something else to be a Rhodes Scholar?

• In the back courtyard area of the Rhodes House, where we take our coffee and tea breaks, are some beautiful English gardens. I think of Deb everytime I am back there as I know she would be thrilled to see them. I wish she were here.

• Standing in the center are some large trees unlike those we typically see in Chicago and the USA. One is a “yew” tree… and it is huge with a double trunk. The other is a “tulip” tree.

12:00 PM

My sleep is still “off” as I awoke really tired. Still fighting heavy eyelids during the morning sessions. I am back in my room (H604) near lunchtime to catch-up on the blog.

Our worship time in the chapel (see photo) was different this morning. Rev. Frog Orr-Ewing lead us in Communion. That’s right, his first real given name is “Frog.” He married Amy, one of the speakers here, and an author and speaker with RZIM. Today is their 9th Anniversary.

Amy (photo with Frog at right – photo by Maynard) is the author of several books including: “Is the Bible Tolerant?”, “Why Trust the Bible?” and “Holy Warriors: A Fresh Look at the Face of Extreme Islam.”

Amy Orr-Ewing spoke this morning at the Rhodes House on “The Uniquness of Christ’s Claims in Other Religions.” She focused on 4 areas: His Nature, His Character, His Claims, and His Deeds.

By contrasting these areas in Christ, with those of Mohammed and Buddha, she made a strong case for Christ’s uniqueness. You can’t make him something he was not, or did not claim. You cannot make him be what you want him to be. Christ stands in a category alone and separate from other religions and leaders.

Her conclusion is that a Christ followers response to all this should be that of worship and making him known.

7:00 AM

Finally! It is a cooler, rainy, and overcast day in Oxford, England! I will carry my rain parka with me today. Ah, now this is what I came for!

Observation: Our food and service here at Keble College has been very good. I was not expecting it to be this good based upon my past experience in Oxford in 1980, and my exposure to British food in general. So, that has been a good surprise! Also, the dining hall reminds me of the one at Hogwarts! Apparently the dining hall in the Harry Potter movies was filmed here in Oxford at Christ Church (College).

Morning Session – Rhodes House

I heard Alister McGrath this morning speak on “The Uniqueness of Nature vs. Creation,” addressing the question of “what difference does it make to believe in a Creator God?” Does this belief change the way we see things?

Alister shared how he thought it did in three areas:
- Spirituality
- Ecology
- Apologetics

I especially liked this quote he shared from C. S. Lewis: “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.”

This evening we will be treated to “punting” on the Cherwell river (see photo below), and a BBQ and fireworks. The British have been very kind to us, even though we “wooped their butts” back in 1776! They appear to have gotten over it!

Morning Session Revelation Notes – John Lennox

Afternoon Session

This afternoon I attended a seminar talk delivered by L.T. Jeyachandran on the issue of Suffering, or “Why Should the Innocent Suffer?” L.T. explored answers offered in various worldviews:
1 – Fatalism (Islam and Hinduism): Don’t ask questions!
2 – There is no “Good God”, or there is a “No-Good” God: This is a finite view of God. He is all-loving, but not all powerful.
3 – An Escapist Enlightenment (New Age and Eastern): We are all part of a whole, we will merge with Nirvana.

Given these views, there are 4 possible consequences:
1 – We are living in an accidental, impersonal, chance universe: Richard Dawkins believes this.
2 – The world is made of an impersonal force or energy, and therefore no morality can be attributed to IT.
3 – The world is a place where good and evil are equal and opposite forces where we have to fight evil with our bare hands: Dualism, Deism
4 – There is an all-powerful, loving God who made the world and who is sovereign over it and in control of it.

Therefore we may ask:
1 – Is it an all-good world?
2 – Is it an all-bad world?
3 – Is it a bad world, slowly becoming better until utopia is reached?
4 – Is it a good world, that at some crucial point turned and is now becoming bad?

Christianity believes #4. We believe evil is a fallen good. We believe finite creation has a potential for growth, which includes the possibility that it can and will be restored to full good. We believe evil is only understandable in a moral world, and that it is an idirect proof of the existence of a moral God.

Special Early Afternoon Session

I also heard the testimony of Tom Tarrants today.

Tom lived in the South during desegregation. He became full of hate toward blacks, Jews, Communists, socialists, and others. He entered the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi, and become a domestic terroist, ending up on J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI Top-10 Most Wanted list.

In an FBI sting and shootout, he was shot and miraculously survived, and sent to prison. He escaped and was again miraculously spared from death in another shootout, captured and sent back to prison in solitary confinement in a 6 x 9 cell.

In prison, he began reading, starting with “Mein Kampf” and others of that genre. He moved on to classical philosophy, then decided to read the Gospels. In the Gospels, Tom was confronted with his own sin and need of a Savior. He gave his life to Jesus Christ and started walking with him.

He was released from prison early, in a miraculous way, and now directs the C.S. Lewis Institute Fellows Program in Washington, D.C. and lectures in practical theology, with a special focus on biblical discipleship and spiritual formation/mentoring.

You can get more info on these 2 web pages: American Anglican and Sarges.com

OTHER NOTES

• I also found a solution to my laptop power problems today! At lunch I sat with a few “interns” who work for The Zacharias Trust and are helping here for the summer school. One of them named Simon Farres, is a sort of “techie” here. I explained my laptop power recharging problems and he said “Oh, I have what you need!” Sure enough, he had an Apple part that fit right on my power chord and fixed everything – plus it was an extra one and he doesn’t need it until the end of the week! Amazing! Thank you, Simon!

• We also went to the Cherwell River this afternoon to watch “punting.” Many of us enjoyed a “punt” down the Cherwell and back. Later, we all joined together in a tented area near the boat house for a “BBQ.” The Brits did a pretty good job! I sat in a circle with some ZachTrust interns and Americans, discussing and contrasting the many different expressions and accents between our two cultures. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. It was a hilarious time! (Punting photo at right by Maynard)