Book Review: Do the Work

Do the Work: Overcome Resistance and Get Out of Your Own Way by Steven Pressfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

nothing earth shattering in this book - but it was a refreshing reminder of what it takes to get things done... what it takes to make dreams and passions come to fruition. Do The Work is the kind of book that can be read quickly - which is perfect - because it should be read before anyone is about to begin their next big project. Similar to books by Seth Godin, in Do the Work, Steve Pressfield writes a catchy, easy to digest, in your face manifesto for overcoming resistance in order to create something beautiful.

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Book Review: The Narky Nazarene

The Narky Nazarene by Nathanael Gillett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

99 cents via the Kindle. very interesting... a series of short essays and stories about Jesus and his 'narkyness'

i really enjoyed this book. it's easy to read and very thought provoking. it's a series of 72 essays, anecdotes, stories, pictures and challenges.

I think this book would serve as a great discussion starter for any group that wanted to grow deeper in their faith walk. i would hope it might also compel readers to action. i am eager to share this book with others, so that we might discuss it and live it.

it's super simple. super easy. short segments make for easy reading and re-reading. a great book that is worth your time.

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Book Review: The Icarus Deception

The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly? by Seth Godin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

if you've read anything by Seth Godin, you'll no doubt appreciate this new book, The Icarus Deception.  If you're not familiar with him, this book would be a great start.  this book is about the art of creating something of value - something new that matters.

i really appreciated part five:  To Make Art, Think like an Artist.  To Connect, Be Human.  This is a book that many would think is for anyone working or living in the business world - but there are so many usable parallels to what Seth is writing about in this book, especially in Part Five, that is practical on so many levels, no matter what you do or aspire to do.  I like the connection between making good art - and thusly connecting with others as a result.

I highly recommend this book.  I underlined a lot and took a lot of notes.


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Book Review: The Boombox Project

The Boombox Project: The Machines, the Music, and the Urban Underground by Lyle Owerko

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


an historic icon of my childhood, the boombox was more than a status symbol. it was more than a means to an ends. it was a statement. I didn't grow up in the inner city - the closest city to my hometown was an hour away - but even in my small, rural, farming crossroads of a town, the boom box was a symbol of power - and like every kid, i wanted one.



my first one was a cheap one, a KOSS brand, i think. dual cassette. cheap plastic. but it brought me so much joy. i can vividly remember making my first mix tapes - waiting by the radio - hoping they'd play the songs i'd want to record. later on i'd stay up late on Saturday nights to listen to and record Power 108's commercial free jam of the greatest hip hop of 1988.



As i got older, i'd blare cassette-singles from that boom box, mostly rap and hip hop - the music designed to be played loud. Public Enemy. EPMD. LL Cool J. 3rd Bass. BDP. and of course RUN DMC. played loud and proud.



The Boombox Project by Lyle Owerko brought back all of those memories, and more. It's a little more than a coffee table book, in that it evokes emotions long forgotten. the creativity of the project and the ability of Owerko to find something beautiful and intricate out of something so ordinary and forgotten, i.e. the Boombox. it makes me realize how often we 'miss' things. as someone who aspires to create, my eyes don't 'see' enough... to often i think i allow myself to gloss over the artistic sides of life.



the Boombox was an artistic side of our culture that should be remembered.



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Book Review: Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples

Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples: A Small Book by Duffy Robbins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples Duffy Robbins clearly guides any youth leader towards a practical approach to youth discipleship. Making disciples is what Jesus called his followers to do - yet it becomes strangely left out of many youth ministries. The emphasis on programs over relationships, large over small, and fun over study is sadly the expectation of most youth leaders. Ou faulty blueprints generally lead us in the wrong direction with unpredictable expectations.



In the book, Duffy provides key elements that need not be neglected and while giving answers to help leaders get students to go from the 'Pool of Humanity' as he states it, through the come and grow states and then towards the disciple, develop and multiplier stages.



I took pages of notes on this book. I know feel excited to start the process of preparing and equipping my adult leaders and developing my students to become disciple makers. I also feel empowered to lead those who want to get something more our of life and faith.



Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples is a good book that any youth leader should read.







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notes + quotes from You Lost Me. (Book Review)

NOTES FROM THE BOOK:

You Lost Me. Why Young Christians are Leaving the Church... and Rethinking Faith by David Kinnaman

valuable quotes and statistics from Kinnaman's book on why young people are leaving the church. This book gives great insight as to how the church can adapt in order to reach a generation that is currently disconnected from the church community.

[spoiler alert]

Millions of young adults (MOSAICS age 18-29) leave active involvement in church as they exit their teen years. some never return, while others live indefinitely at the margins of the faith community, attempting to define their own spirituality. (pg. 19)

Millions of young Christians describe Christianity as hypocritical, judgmental, too political, and out of touch with reality. (20)

The dropout problem is a disciple-making problem. the church is not adequately preparing the next generation to follow Christ faithfully in a rapidly changing culture. (21)

61% of young people with Christian background have “dropped out of attending church after going regularly.”
41% have struggled with significant doubt.
35% have rejected their parents faith. (24)
(these averages are among Protestants)

“I’ve never lost faith in Christ but i have lost faith in the church.” ~ Kelly, a young adult ‘Nomad’

FACT: young Christians perceive and interpret reality through screens. (43)


NEW REALITY: young people expect to participate as well as consume.
young people desire to stay connected at all times.
young people do not have a network of older adults to help them succeed.


Young need access, feel alienated and are not interested in the authority structures of that animate Christianity.


Mosaics are tech savvy but not necessarily truth savvy.

Young people are interested in spirituality, but on their own terms.

Young people feel it is more important to be fair and loyal to their peers than to be loyal to the institution.

The Christian community needs to consider our allegiance to these authorities; we must be honest enough with ourselves to determine where our allegiance is merely cultural rather than biblical. We need a new mind in our approach to faith formation in the changing spiritual narrative. (56)







WHY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.








NOMADS:
still describe themselves as Christian.
believe that personal involvement in church is optional.
importance of faith has faded.
angry and/or hostile towards church.
spiritual experimentalists. (65)

PRODIGALS:
Christian beliefs don’t make sense.
Spiritual needs not met.

EXILES:
want their faith to matter.
want to follow Jesus AND connect with world they live in.
skeptical of institutions but not wholly disengaged with them.
see God moving outside walls of church (and they want to be a part of that movement).
not disillusioned with tradition; they are frustrated with slick, shallow expressions of religion.
faith isn’t instructive to their calling or gifts.
struggle when Christians question their motives.

“A film isn’t Christian just because it has inserted the gospel message in there somehow. A film can point to Christ when it honestly portrays our human condition and invites us to experience something about redemption that each of us needs.” ~Justin

How modern exiles compare to the Bible: SAME SONG, DIFFERENT MILLENNIUM (87-88)

The challenge for the Christian community is how to respond to the growing number of exiles. Will we do what we can to equip them to make the choices that faced Daniel in Babylon -- choices about balancing cultural accommodation and faithful, Christ-centered living? Will we listen to and take to heart their faithful prophetic critiques of the church’s posture toward our increasingly pluralistic society? Will we change our structures, guided by unchanging truths of Scripture, to nurture their gifts and unique calling into a world deeply loved by, yet in many ways hostile to, God?

IDENTIFYING THE DISCONNECTION: (92-93)
they find the church to be:
OVERPROTECTIVE - they want to reimagine, recreate, rethink and they want to be entrepreneurs, innovators, starters. To mosaics, creative expression is of inestimable value.
SHALLOW - the most common perception: church is boring. Also, the Christianity they received does not give them a sense of calling.
ANTI SCIENCE -
REPRESSIVE -
EXCLUSIVE - Christianity’s claims to exclusivity are a hard sell. (mosaics want to find areas of common ground...)
DOUBTLESS - don’t feel like church is the place to express doubts. do not feel safe admitting that faith doesn’t always make sense.



Young Christians - it’s your turn to listen.
Well established Christians - it’s time to trust in a deeper way of God working within the next generation.


Mosaic frustration:
Christians demonize everything outside of the church.

Christians are afraid of pop culture (especially movies + music)

Christians maintain a false separation of sacred and secular. (research shows that this generation does not see a divide between the sacred and secular, at least not in the same way their parents do.)

Christians do not want to deal with the complexity or reality of the world. (church = to rigid, unreal + not able to comprehend the world as it really is) (97-98)


Many mosaics grew up in a risk-free Christianity which led them AWAY from God/Church.

Perception of Church: fear based to get you to do something as opposed to giving you logical reasons why you should or shouldn’t do something.



WHAT CHURCH COULD DO TO REACH MOSAICS:
help young people understand fundamental brokenness in humans and an adversary who intends to derail mankind in every possible way.
no fear of ‘secular’ culture/media, etc. let’s watch, listen and read together and do ‘cultural exegesis’ asa faithful community.
guide young people to trust God fearlessly and follow Christ in the power of the Spirit - even at the RISK of their lives, reputations, and worldly success.
(104)

Matthew 16:25
24-26Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

Current Church seems shallow - with a faith that is a mile wide but an inch deep.
Don’t just convey INFORMATION about God - DISCIPLE young believers to live wholly, deeply in the reality of God. (115)

Mosaics desire humility.

Christian communities of all kinds must find ways to include teens and young adults in the spiritual life of the church, rather than relegating them to the game room. We need a new mind for facilitating meaning filled rites of passage. How might young people be involved in Scripture reading, praying, leading worship, giving testimony, or providing a short teaching to the congregation?

Responsibility outside of worship, too: serving, mentoring, discipling, etc.
(123)

Churches expect too little of its young people.

Don;t focus on the numbers - focus on discipling like Jesus discipled.
Make disciples. (Matt. 28:19)
Committed people make disciples.

MOSAIC FRUSTRATION: Christians are too confident that they know all the answers. (137)
Christians are not accepting of gay and lesbians
Christians are afraid of the beliefs of other faiths
Church ignores problems of real world
mosaics don’t feel accepted by church people.
(175)


The next generation needs workable, biblical, grace filled ways to relate with people who are not believers.
(empathy)
(183)

NEW THINKING:

The church is a partnership of generations fulfilling God’s purpose in their time.
(more interaction between cross generations / build inter-generational relationships)
(205)

Mentors needed to help young people with wisdom. (204)

God-centered relationships create faithful, mature disciples.

Christians have no idea that their faith connects to their life’s work.

We need new ways of measuring success. If you are in church ministry, one metric of success might be to help young people make one or two relational connections, younger or older, that lead to significant mentoring bonds that will last for several years. (208)

Jesus was in close contact with his disciples that he was able to shape the rough edges of their faith + ministry.

We have done everything humanly possible to make the church as "easy" as possible. We kept the services short and entertaining, discipleship and evangelism optional, and moral standards low. Our motives were not bad. We figured we could attract more people by offering Jesus with minimal commitment. But we ended up producing nominal Christians whose unchanged lives have deterred others from being interested.

There is a new generation rising up. Young adults are studying the Bible without missing the obvious. They see how shallow methodology is incongruent with the Jesus of Scripture who asked everything of his followers. They are bored with Sunday morning productions and long to experience the Holy Spirit. They need to be challenged with the awesome responsibility of praying for, baptizing, and making disciples of their acquaintances. They need to be reminded of the Spirit who supernaturally empowers them for this task.

The days of merely bringing our friends to an event so the pastor can save and disciple them need to end. New churches must be formed where all believers are expected to do the work of evangelism and discipleship. This generation sees the potency of a church where pastors equip and shepherd disciple-makers rather than service-attenders. ~Francis Chan, as quoted in You Lost Me by David Kinnaman (pages 215-216)

FINAL THOUGHTS:
The Church needs to embrace reconciliation.
Recover its imagination.
Hand-craft disciples (not cookie cutter)
Discover ones vocational calling (and how God is at work in the midst)
Radical faith is not about doing edgy things, but about embodying the self-giving love of Jesus. a love that RISKS suffering and matters more than life itself.
Don’t overreact. Reactionary thinking plagues much of evangelicalism.
Make disciples like Jesus.

Book Review: Insurrection

Insurrection: To Believe Is Human, To Doubt Is Divine by Peter Rollins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


it may take me a few days or weeks to wrap my head around Insurrection by Peter Rollins. There's a lot to digest in it or perhaps I'm just being stretched (which i will admit is a good thing).



I've read The Orthodox Heretic by Rollins and heard him speak a time or two and have always been fascinated with his art of storytelling and his fresh perspective so i found it no surprise that Insurrection drew me in from page one.



what i appreciated about this book was Rollins' ability to paint a picture of what a faith without religion looks and feels like - particularly though the lens of CRUCIFIXION and RESURRECTION.



each chapter begins with an anecdotal story (much like The Orthodox Heretic), which is Rollins' specialty. Part I deals with the Crucifixion with chapters on our rationalization of our Christian worldview, belief and doubt, religious sayings and vicarious faith. Part II deals with Resurrection with chapters on hiding from ourselves, destiny, insurrection and finishing with neither Christian nor Non-Christian.



When discussing doubt and loss (associated with the crucifixion) Rollins says:

"On the Cross, Christ is rejected by his friends, betrayed by the religious authorities, and crucified by the political leaders. We witness here, in the starkest of terms, the loss of all those structures that ground us and give us the comfort that life makes sense. More than this, Christ experiences the loss of that which grounds each of these realms - God."

Rollins suggests that forsakenness as faith exists as a central expression of one's faith, experienced in us through the Cross. "It's something that we must step into and courageously embrace."



It is through this loss, this abandonment on the Cross that Christ becomes everything we were, are or ever will be.



God is lost and found in the sorrow, in the debt.



Rollins goes on to say that our proper expression of faith is found when we cut loose from religion in the depth of our soul and experience the loss of God. Perhaps so that we may be stripped of every and all preconception, misconception, suppositions and certainties about God - thus able to see and connect with a raw form of belief. In other words - we need to rid ourselves of the 'Church as a security blanket' mentality - and embrace a faith filled with doubt, questions and disagreements. sort of an atheistic faith of sorts. stripped away. bare. exposed. real.



His stories of Mother Theresa help paint a picture of what a stripped away doubting faith looks like.



In part II (Resurrection) Rollins discusses faith, belief and practice: "our practices do not fall short of our beliefs, but are the concrete material expression of them..."



The danger for the church arises when a life of faith is reduced to a crutch - where Christ, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection becomes something we pay lip service to. (sounds all too familiar for the church in America, unfortunately).



Chapter 6 titled We Are Destiny was by far the most profound of the book. before we can understand destiny - we must proceed through a sort of spiritual death of sorts.

Just as the resurrected Christ is said to have borne the scars of the Crucifixion, so our Resurrection life will continue to bear the marks of the death we had to undergo. This new mode of living is not one in which the anxiety of death, meaninglessness, and guilt are taken away; it is one in which they are robbed of their weight and sting."

The resurrection is the embodiment of love divine. New life. rooted in God love through rebirth - victory over death... over pain... over sin... over loss... guilt, lonesomeness, etc. But each of those experiences are not extinct in love - but a part of the order of faith. We discover divine love through loving an unlovable world. God is in turn loved through the work of love itself.



God is present in said love.



Resurrection life breeds courageous freedom. This is the insurrection - an alternative vision of the world. Maintaining the status quo has no part of insurrection - what a most difficult challenge for us all.



Rollins reminds us that a better world is possible. This movement is discovered through giving up everything for God, through acts of giving up everything (including God) to the point when we become the very site of God (Resurrection life).



There is so much more for me to chew on with Insurrection. So many notes in the margins to rehash... underlined quotes to revisit as well.



I am glad i took the time to ingest this book. My hope that i'll be compelled to act upon the inspiring words within.







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Book Review: Sunday Asylum

Sunday Asylum: Being the Church in Occupied Territory by Stanley Hauerwas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


short and sweet and to the point. Hauerwas has insightful comments on the topics of belief, conformity, worship despair, hope & the kingdom of God. Jason Barnhart adds thought provoking commentary to Hauerwas' thoughts.



I liked all 5 chapters - but took exception to most of the chapter on worship. in that - i feel Hauerwas misses the boat - or at least doesn't fully understand where some modern worship is all about.



regardless - the book was easy to read and worth my time.



it is set up to be used as a 5 week curriculum for a small group. there also appears to be a video to coincide with this book - but i felt the book was fine on it's own.



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Book Review: Curating Worship

Curating Worship by Jonny Baker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


i've followed Jonny Baker's blog for a many years now and i've always enjoyed his posts about worship - so it was no surprise that i also liked his book: Curating Worship.



Curating Worship is mostly a collection of conversations with alt worship leaders, designers, creators and visionaries all whom seem very capable with their craft in their own right. Baker's book dives deep into the world of alternative worship - and he brings an interesting perspective on what the role of a worship designer might be - comparing it to a curator of art at an art exhibit or museum.



i really clung to this analogy and felt a close connection with this form of worship creating. in my experiences of leading, designing and coordinating worship services, interactions and experiences i've never quite known how to describe exactly what it is that i am most passionate about. this book helped me process my God-given desire and passion.



i feel drawn to the role of curator. the church in America needs more curators of worship to help people connect with a living and loving God (in a fresh way).



the ideas and stories shared in Baker's book were inspiring and helpful. I underlined and highlighted a lot - particularly the interview with the leaders/creators of Ikon in Ireland.



the appendix in the back was also helpful for any one person or group eager to learn the in's and out's of how to put together an interactive worship service.



bravo Jonny Baker for bringing forth a fresh perspective of how one might lead others to experiential & connected worship of God.



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Book Review: Big Sur

Big Sur by Jack Kerouac

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Big Sur is at times a beautiful, at times a tragedy. Kerouac's time @ the Big Sur cabin, alone, with nature, with the sounds of the sea, with his troubling thoughts were mindlessly beautiful to me. i found myself clinging to his every descriptive word.



and then he'd heed the call back to San Francisco and with that his unkown sense of his true self would creep in and his disruptive, binge drinking life would spin out of control.



at times a train wreck, at times brutally honest, at times hard to follow, Big Sur ends like a whirlwind as the reader is taken inside the mind of an insomniac alcoholic and the tragic visions that rip away at Jack's soul.



Big Sur is a cry for the way things used to be... before fame... before money... before being known.



in the end, Jack Kerouac longed for hope. but i doubt he ever found it. there in lies the tragedy that plays out in Big Sur.



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Book Review: Mission-Shaped Church

Mission-Shaped Church by Archbishop's Council on Mission and Public Affairs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


i think any church planter or developer of new worship should read this book. obviously this is written for the Church of England and it's Fresh Expressions of Church project - but this book, i believe, is very applicable for church planters in America.



what is most intriguing about this book is the path the Church of England took in order to grow the church. they were willing to implement new ideas - empowering new forms of church and worship to develop.



Mission-Shaped Church explores each of the different models of new church growth - and gives case studies to back up each one. this book hits the nail on the head. it should be required reading for any new church start training program.



i would love to see the church in America try more and more new, fresh ideas. the mainline church is dying - but what if we were given the freedom to explore our own 'fresh expressions' project? what if? what might come? how might we grow?



i can only imagine.



this book was written for me... i hope others discover its usefulness.



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Book Review: Mother Night

Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Mother Night is the second Vonnegut book that i've read (the other being Slaughterhouse-Five). i think that i enjoyed Mother Night better... perhaps because it took reading SH5 to get used to Kurt Vonnegut's style. i think i hated that style at first... now i am thrilled by it. craving more.



Mother Night is the story of an American in Germany who serves as an accidental spy on the Nazi regime. but the confessions of Howard W. Campbell Jr. are of a man who has lost all emotion and all knowledge of who he really is or was... or will ever be. he is a man who has trained himself to act. to perform. with the war in the world's rear view mirror, Campbell because a quasi-celebrity of Marxist and Nazi's who desire to bring change to the nation.



Elements of his past come back to him which leads to him being placed on trial in Israel - for war crimes against humanity.



What is the truth of who Campbell is? does he even really desire to know? or is he/was he just a pawn in the game of world wide war?



the most poignant commentary on life and civility comes close to the end when Vonnegut's Campbell speaks of evil with nemesis Bernard O'Hare.



'evil is when one finds good reasons to hate without reservation, to imagine God Almighty hates with you, too.'



hate without limit. hate with God on its side. where man finds ugliness so attractive.



perhaps more poignant is mankind with no hope. with no recollection of who he is. war is hell. it seems to strip away any man's true soul.



Mother Night is Vonnegut's commentary of such life.



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Book Review: At Eternitiy's Gate: the Spiritual vision of Vincent van Gogh

At Eternity's Gate: The Spiritual Vision of Vincent Van Gogh by Kathleen Powers Erickson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Vincent van Gogh was a complicated, yet simple individual of deep faith and great ability whose life was interrupted by uncontrollable mental instability as a result of epilepsy.



At Eternity's Gate digs deep into his religious upbringing and his inner-spirituality - made evident through his letters to his brother Theo and through his paintings. in his young life, van Gogh wanted to follow in his father and uncle's footsteps. both were pastors. but Vincent had a different outlook on ministry and service and was ultimately rejected by both the local and institutional church. this defeat lead him down a path of self discovery that never sadly fully came to fruition.



van Gogh did, however, before heading down an artistic path, spend some time serving the poor and needy, as he strived to follow and imitate Christ. as a matter of fact, The Imitation of Christ and Pilgrim's Progress were his two favorite books.



van Gogh witnessed to and served coal miners of the Belgian Borinage - particularly after a mining disaster. He also gave away his possessions and clothes to those whom he felt needed it more. Despite being rejected by the church and despite feelings that the pastors and people within the church were hypocrites, van Gogh lived his faith through acts of service similar to St. Francis of Assisi.



the splendor of his capability as a painter may not have been realized until the latter years of his life and beyond. As mental instability crept in, he spent time in and out of asylums. it was during this time, particularly the last 5 years of his life (he took his own life in a wheat field at the age of 37) when his artistic talents took shape.



throughout his paintings and drawings, you can see examples of his spiritual devotion to Christ. you can also see his disdain and brokenness that came about after his dismissal from the church.



this is noted in his famous painting Starry Night, where the buildings and homes are well lit - yet the church and spire in the center are dark and ominous. this is also prevalent in my favorite van Gogh painting The church at Auvers.



Kathleen Powers Erickson does a fabulous job retracing a more accurate history of Vincent van Gogh including his most intriguing story. there are so many layers to van Gogh and his art. i'd highly recommend this book. it really fascinated me. Sadly, only one of van Gogh's paintings ever sold before his untimely death. had it not been for his brother's wife - who collected his works and brought them to the public's attention, the world may never have noticed the majesty found within van Gogh's work.



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Book Review: Poke the Box

Poke the Box by Seth Godin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


poke the box. the picture on the cover tells the story found on the pages bound within. from what approach are we looking at life? from what approach are we looking at productivity? Seth Godin compels you to NOT maintain 'status quo' but to 'poke the box' to take risks, be willing to change - all for the sake of sanity and production.



it's not just enough to have good ideas. it's not just enough to dream big. what are dreams if not acted upon? Starting, he says, demands finishing.



this is the kind of book that can be read again and again. repeat as needed. if that's what it takes to get new ideas seen, heard, understood and produced then so be it.



Godin reminds us that we are 'trained to fit in, not to stand out, and the easiest way in the world to fit in is to never initiate.' (page 79) We wait for permission to start... and thus nothing gets started. new ideas remain... just... ideas.



Godin compels the reader to claim self confidence. "it's essential" he writes.



despite the fact that innovation and inspiration are unpredictable, when momentum builds - it breeds new ideas and more productivity and ingenuity.



i am an ideas guy... i've claimed that enough times in my life... but all too often my ideas remain drawings or sketches in notebooks, or words on a blog page. not often enough do they become realities. but the moments when they do... the moments when the juices flow and the momentum comes - it feels great... great to produce something i can be proud of.



this book isn't anything new - but it became a necessary read for me. at the right time. it's time to poke the box... to create and to inspire others.







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Book Review: One.Life

One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow by Scot McKnight

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


it really is a simple book. Jesus calls. We follow. that is the message found within One.Life by Scot McKnight. We have one life. what will we do with it? How will we live it?

what i appreciated about this book was how Scot took an honest look at questions... the questions of faith that lead to more questions... which lead to more and more questions.
as the questions arise, McKnight paints a picture that describes kingdom, love, justice, peace, wisdom, the church, commitment, eternity, etc.

God's plan is for our one.life to intersect with those things and McKnight wets the appetite for more. after reading, i want more... i feel compelled to share with others what it looks like to follow Christ... truly follow Christ.



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Book Review: The Story of God, the Story of Us

The Story of God, the Story of Us: Getting Lost & Found in the Bible by Sean Gladding

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


the Story of God, the Story of Us is really a magnificent telling of a magnificent story. it's storytelling at its best. plain and simple. Sean Gladding has taken the meta-narrative found in the Scriptures and has written that story within the context and probability of how that story was once told, shared and remembered.
the imagery found in this book really is compelling. the Old Testament stories, the stories of God's chosen, the Israelites, their plight, their exodus, their worship and their wandering, told by an old man sitting 'round the campfire was a beautiful image. i connected with this old man reminding the people how and why God has been with them - even while in Exile. in my life, i've generally been drawn to the New Testament stories of Jesus and the church. Gladding helped me connect the dots of the Old Testament. for that, i am grateful.

the NT stories of Jesus are just as compelling. Gladding is a great storyteller. while reading, it was easy to insert myself into the story.

even though it took me months to read, this book was easy on the eyes. i took my time with it... casually reading here and there. every them i picked it up, i was drawn in.

if you want a new, fresh perspective of the story of the Bible - read this book.



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Book Review: The Know-It-All

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


it may have taken me 3 months of casual reading, but i am finally completed A.J. Jacobs 400 page The Know It All. it's about his trek through the entire Encyclopedia Britannica; every volume, every word.



Jacobs' witty writing style is entertaining, to say the least.



i also enjoyed Jacobs' book The Year of Living Biblically.



this is a nice book, probably not the kind of book that will bring non-stop reading, but it is worth the time, even if it takes you three months.



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Book Review: Out of Babylon

Out of Babylon by Walter Brueggemann

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


how does empire fit with faith in God? this book dives deep into the old testament (and i mean deep), particularly with the apparent constant struggle with those who empowered their will and rule over them. For many years God's people spent time in exile - in captivity - courtesy of the Babylonians. The Babylonian empire displaced the Israelites.



Walter Brueggemann explores this struggle and draws comparisons to 21st century christians living in the midst of the American empire.



i won't lie, this book is heady. Brueggemann is heady. i probably missed some of the main points of the book. they probably went way over my head.



i still liked the book - but i wished i would have enjoyed it more.



i was drawn to the book because i am drawn to the Old Testament stories of when the Israelite were in captivity - in exile - particularly the story found in Jeremiah 29. God gives them interesting instructions (vs. 1-14), often missed by Christians who focus on the popular Jer. 29:11 passage.



i am also drawn to the commentary on how christians aught to live in the midst of the current empire of which we reside: America.



i get frustrated that too many christians appear to follow political parties and/or the constitution OVER the Word of God. i was hoping that this book might shed light on that.



Brueggemann subtly discusses and brings to light comparisons from OT empires to current, modern day western empires. I wish it would have spent more time on the present. maybe it did and i missed it.



over all, there are a few chapters that make this book worth reading (the first and last chapters were phenomenal). perhaps you'll get more from the middle parts than i did.



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Book Review: Jesus Died for This?

Jesus Died for This?: A Satirist's Search for the Risen Christ by Becky Garrison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Becky Garrison writes from the heart. she 'calls it like she sees it.' this is a book that is raw. i appreciated the tone that Garrison writes in. I connected with her sarcastic/satirical musings - as i, often feel the way she writes... only she is bold enough to lay it all out there - exposed... for all to see and read.

her musings on the current state of the 'church' (and all of the baggage that comes with that) are poignant and amusing. i appreciated that despite her skeptic bent, she attempted to be fair - acknowledging when God was active and present - even if in ways that she either didn't connect with or fully grasp.

Jesus Died For This is an honest book. we don't seem to get many people speaking as candid as she - so kudos to her for that!

it's an enjoyable read... worth my time... and yours.

the church is screwed up. most church's within empire building nations are probably missing the point (perhaps not intentionally) but Garrison brings to light some groups and communities that truly are uniquely 'church'... communities doing all that they can to BE Christ - with no conditions.



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Book Review: Story Signs and Sacred Rhythms

Story, Signs, and Sacred Rhythms by Chris Folmsbee




this is a nice book that equipped me to help explain the story arc of the Scriptures... the story of God is something i feel most students do not connect with. it appears to be difficult for many to connect their story with God's story.



Folmsbee tackles this issue with this book. i have been drawn to 'story' and have tried to help my students connect with theirs and God's... but often i've wondered if they really are getting it.



i don't know that what i read was anything new - but Chris Folmsbee does do a good job connecting the dots, so to speak... connecting the God story and the Gospel story with Our story. he also gives guidance for any youth leader who may be courageous enough to use 'story' as a backdrop of teaching students about God and themselves.



this book takes the reader from Revelation to Foundation to Implication to Integration and finally to Application.



the most practical part of the book was his overview of the Story of God - from creation thru restoration. that was refreshing and simple.



After reading, i have some things to think about and digest.



This book fits with where i think God has been calling me in leadership and discipleship of students.



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