About

This blog is mainly about Theology, Scripture, and the Biblical Worldview from a Classical Christian Perspective…..but I thought it would be helpful to explain more about the site’s title…

What is the Wood Between the Worlds?

The Wood Between the Worlds is from The Magician’s Nephew, my favorite book in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. In the book, it’s an in-between place that allows travel from one world to another.  The book’s heroes, a boy and girl called Polly and Digory, find some magic rings which transport them into a place called the wood between the worlds. It’s a magical forest full of trees and little pools of water, and they discover that by jumping in the pools they can enter into hundreds of different worlds.

The trees grew close together and were so leafy that he could get no glimpse of the sky. All the light was green light that came through the leaves: but there must have been a very strong sun overhead, for this green daylight was bright and warm. It was the quietest wood you could possibly imagine. There were no birds, no insects, no animals, and no wind. You could almost feel the trees growing. The pool he had just got out of was not the only pool. There were dozens of others — a pool every few yards as far as his eyes could reach. You could almost feel the trees drinking the water up with their roots. This wood was very much alive. When he tried to describe it afterwards Digory always said, “It was a rich place”                                

 -The Magician’s Nephew

Why the Wood Between as a Theme?

I’m fascinated with this place and it reminds me of the what Theologians call “the already, not yet” eschatological hope of Scripture. As I examine Scripture and aspire to communicate the goodness, truth, and beauty of Christ, I likewise stand in that place in-between: the world of the Bible and the world of today; the ancient and the modern; the reality of heaven and the fallen world; the sinner I was before Christ and the new life I have in Christ.

About Jamie

I am a Follower of Christ, Mdiv Student @ Luther Rice College and Seminary, Husband to my high school sweetheart, & Dad to an amazing son and an awesome daughter. I am also the Discipleship Pastor @TBAchurch. I am a Byzantine, Baptist, Middle-Earth Narnian Walking in the Wood Between the Worlds where I jump in the pools of Classical Christian Thinking, Missional Living, Practical Theology, Gentle Calvinism, Imaginative Apologetics, and Spiritual Formation. Hard in the head, soft in the heart. This mix very much comports with the historic ancient Christian faith and the pilgrims who have come before me. Here I stand on the Solid Rock, I can do no other- Solus Christus. ⳩

Mission

My mission in life is to equip the Church to live fully and gratefully as Kingdom participants living to the calling that Messiah Jesus has placed upon us…. my goal is to teach and lead others to follow The Way as disciples of Jesus Christ: theologically, existentially, religiously, practically, holistically and relationally. Finally, my ultimate and chief end is to glorify God and to make the name of Jesus famous!

My Testimony

In regards to me being a Christian or coming to Christ- I must very clearly state that this is not some mental or emotional assent that I gave to become a Christian. I did not think Jesus was a good character and so, choose to follow him, nor did I choose to follow him because he makes me feel a certain way. Neither did I look at an argument for God’s existence and come to the conclusion that He is there and that Jesus is my savior.

While I can easily demonstrate God’s existence through valid and true proofs, my involvement in the apologetics community has found that arguments with atheists are largely fruitless because we are starting from two different places. This does not mean that I find no value in apologetics- I find immense value in that I am fulfilling the Lord’s command to always be ready with an answer; but I find the best value for apologetics is inside the church- having an answer for those who preach a false gospel and defending the faith that was once and all delivered to the saints by the Apostles. And while the knowledge of Christ certainly impacts my emotions, it was not an emotional quest that brought me to him.

All that was stated to go back to my first point. My coming to Christ wasn’t an intellectual pursuit alone (that came afterwards) nor was it because he makes me feel good. The truth is, who I was before did not think about Christ at all nor feel anything about him. My coming to Christ was because I was fundamentally changed from one type of creature into another. It was a transformation- albeit one that I cannot lay out on a timeline. I can explain it in no other way than to say that once I was blind and now I see. This is why I confess that salvation in Christ Jesus came upon me not because of something that I have done, but because he moved first to convict me and call me to repentance and a life of following him. This is what being born again means. I pray that this transformation is proved out as I proceed through this life and pass into that moment when I will see him face to face. It is the great love and compassion of the Son of God that I know call him savior.