Christian Biographies

When is the last time you read a "good" Christian biography? I unabashedly love to read Christian biography. Today I finished a book by Pastor John Piper titled, The Roots of Endurance, which he wrote about John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce.

Piper chose these men from Church History to illustrate endurance in the Christian life to his readers. We know the name John Newton because of his hymn, Amazing Grace, and we know William Wilberforce from English history because through his work as a politician he worked to outlaw the slave trade and slavery in the United Kingdom in the early 19th Century. Newton was a slave-trader until the Lord intervened in his life saving him and calling him as a long-time pastor in Olney, England. Wilberforce endured years of ridicule and harassment as he fought to undo the hideous slave trade of his country.

I didn't know anything about Charles Simeon when I started the book (in fact I hadn't even heard of his name). Charles Simeon was the longtime pastor of Trinity Church in Cambridge, England for forty-nine years. Wow, forty-nine years as a pastor ministering to one local church. That to me, is staggering to think about and process. I've been here at First Baptist Church in Boulder, Montana for ten years (nearly one-sixth of my life). As I read about Simeon I thought about one shy of fifty years at one church. That would be forty more years here in Boulder. Again, it is staggering for me to think about.

And the forty-nine years is only a part of his endurance at Trinity Church. For the first twelve years after the bishop placed him there the congregation (pew-renters, that's what congregations did back then) paid their rent, but didn't attend church because they didn't agree with Simeon being installed as their pastor. So Simeon had to sit up chairs around the outside of the room and down the aisles so those who wanted to attend could. Again, as a pastor, that is hard for me to process, and even harder for me to comprehend, that Simeon endured it for twelve years. Piper writes that Simeon asked for a double blessing for those who did attend to make up for the one's that didn't. Also an amazing attitude from the long-time pastor.

Through the lives of these three men I've read about these past few weeks I have asked the Lord to grow in me that kind of joy and endurance. The people who are First Baptist Church Boulder have been extremely good to my wife and I. They have. I praise the Lord for them. But the pastorate is tough for a variety of reasons (just ask any honest pastor). And because of that, years and years of endurance in the pastorate of a local church is often times rare today.

So listen, back to my question about the last time you've read a "good" Christian biography. I encourage you to find one and start it today. If you are like me you will discover many examples of how to live the Christin life from these Church History saints, for the glory to God.

(Image: Charles Simeon)