I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet got ourselves.  ~E.M. Forster

Ah, books.  Sometimes escape, sometimes challenge.  Mostly challenge, lately.  I’ve been pondering whether those in the college ministry community I am entering are going to be interested in reading a book with me during the year as a way to guide their growth.  And as I ponder that, it leads to thinking… well, what should a college student in our community read?  And I decide… either something about Jesus, or something about the missional and community nature of church, or about the Holy Spirit (recently re-invited to our church at large).  And so I end up at Amazon, and spend the last of my birthday gift card:

• Your Jesus is Too Safe by Jared Wilson
• Total Church by Tim Chester
• Forgotten God by Francis Chan

I haven’t received any of them yet as I am too cheap to pay for shipping.  But I look forward to being challenged by these, even if I have to read them on my own.

This thinking about discipleship and college ministry led me to Ben Hines’ work and blog, and to ask his advice on good books for discipleship.  And his encouraging email back introduced me to Byron Borger, of Hearts & Minds Bookstore.  Wow.  This is even more dangerous.  Borger blogs about the books he sells (the online bookstore itself does not have linkable books), and he makes me want to read everything he talks about.  I must have read 20 book reviews today.  And in addition to a wonderful emphasis on college ministry, he has a great annotated bibliography on vocation, or finding Christ in all areas of work and life.  And now I’ve got three more books ordered, although these I’m getting for a quarter each because I’m borrowing them through the county library system.  This is the only Christian bookstore that has ever made me feel guilty for buying books at Amazon.

• Finding our way again : the return of the ancient practices by Brian McLaren
• Take this bread : a radical conversion by Sara Miles
• Shop class as soulcraft : an inquiry into the value of work by Matthew Crawford

Byron, I’m sorry I’m just handing out link love right now.  I will do my best to buy from you in the future, because your writing about books is an amazing ministry.

The following is a quote from a book I’m reading now called Love is an Orientation.  The focus of the book is different than that of this passage, and I’ll leave the overview of the book for another time.  In this section, the author is discussing how pastors, and Christians in general, feel like they need to have an answer for everything.

“Christians feel pressure to know and solve everything.  Believe me I know.  Pastors in particular are approached all the time for answers to all of life’s unanswerable questions.  And anything less than a good answer reflects poorly on their Christian leadership.  That pressure to be in the know trickles down from the pulpit to the laity, so most people make an automatic association that being a good Christian also entails being definitively knowledgeable about every issue of importance to the outside world – even those issues that no one has figured out yet.”

Andrew Marin

Reading this made me think of my previous post – the one about our theologies not matching our pastoral advice.   And this isn’t so much an issue of blame, I think, as it is of human want.

We want the world to make sense. We want there to be purpose behind suffering, or a right decision about what job to take.  We want a Bible that explains God’s instructions for every life situation. We want to know that if we believe the right thing, do the right thing, then stuff will all work out.

But I’m beginning to think that most of the work of Christian community is not so much having the answers to peoples’ hard questions. It’s being willing to just BE with people as they work through life and their relationship with God.  That’s hard for us regular folks.  It’s probably also hard for pastors, since people don’t really know that’s what they need.  They want answers, and so they ask questions.  Maybe all our jobs as mentors and friends and discipleship leaders is to promise to walk with someone as they live.

I’ve read a pretty tall stack of books lately on “how to do church” and “how to be a better Christian.”  Thanks to Thomas Nelson, I was able to add Larry Crabb’s book Real Church to my stack.  The only other book I’ve read of his was Papa Prayer.  And it was good in concept and I liked the theology, but a bit awkward in the “PAPA” alliteration and the actual prayer instructions didn’t stick for me. 

I’m not sure what I expected from this book.  I thought Crabb wrote books on Biblical counseling, which is not an area of interest for me.  But I like books that explore ecclesiology, and this one sounded controversial and exciting, perhaps trash-talking some groups and promoting others.

But it isn’t much like that.  This is more like sections from his private journal, interspersed with essays on ideal Christianity.  Essentially, Crabb is tired of church.  He isn’t tired of a particular style – he’s tired of all of them.  Why?  Because they don’t help him where he needs help the most – how to overcome the deep self-addiction and loneliness he feels.  Crabb discusses the types of church that don’t work, and further explores how he is often spiritually empty.  The meat of the book is his very clear, very encouraging discussion of what the church does need to do for its community.  In my words, he decides:

1. A real church explains the full Bible as a story of God’s love – which includes the character of God, the grace of the gospel, and our proper response through the Holy Spirit.
2. A real church demands that its members lovingly confront their own and each others’ selfishness, and encourage each other to mature.
3. A real church demands that its community practice forgiveness, unity, grace and love with each other, through all our human weaknesses.
4. A real church sends out its community to work for God’s kingdom here, expanding God’s rule in both evangelism and justice.

The parts of the book that most resonated with me:

• Crabb’s honesty about how he feels isolated.  And that someone who is dedicated to being like Christ may not feel that empty space filled with God, but instead learns to hope and trust for the eternal fulfillment of the kingdom to come.  And it’s our temptation to fill that empty space now that is the addiction all Christians struggle with.
• Standard church activities of singing and listening to sermons do not provide the painful training needed for real spiritual growth.  Real spiritual formation requires me to honestly articulate where I am now and humbly accept instruction from actual friends about how to move to be whom I want to be.
• “Missional” ministry only moves beyond humanist morality when it comes from a community of believers who are seeking loving unity and spiritual growth within themselves first and concurrently.

This book is honest, clearly articulated, and has valuable insights about what a strong Christian community would look like (plus he cites Gerald Sittser’s Water from a Deep Well, which I love).  I highly recommend this book to all Christians, but especially to pastors and small group leaders who ache for for a Christianity that moves beyond Sunday morning.

If you were going to write a book on the hard sayings of Jesus, which ones would you pick?  Money? Divorce? Communion? What if you had only 160 pages, and had to pick only seven sayings?  Shawn Wood took on the challenge in his new book Wasabi Gospel.  It’s a quick read, but because he picks only seven sayings, it allows him to stick to a single theme.  What is it? 

"The chapters in this book attempt to touch on a few of the more radical sayings of Jesus. In this book, I also attempt to paint a picture of words that, when applied to our lives, will radically change us."

Wood moves from extreme forgiveness, to loving your enemies, to putting the Kingdom before money, to childlike faith.  He provides prayers to guide spiritual growth at the end of each chapter.  Wood also interweaves the chapters with journal entries of a fictional “Laura,” who struggles with life and faith.  By the end of the book this is effective, though I worried that it would prevent sharing this book with any actual “Lauras” who live these same issues.

The best parts of the book for me were Wood’s encouragement to take the Christian life past “getting to go to heaven” and moving it into a Kingdom-centered life focused on glorifying and serving God.  I recommend this book as a gentle introduction to the Kingdom-centered life.  Its short length and seven chapters would make it a good book for a small group, especially for young marrieds.

On July 8, the book becomes available for pre-order.  Thanks to Shawn for providing a digital copy of the book to me to review.  If this is a title you are interested in purchasing, please consider placing your order on July 8 to increase the visibility of the book… and the gospel.

One of the theologies I’m currently struggling with is the working out of my faith. Justification. Regeneration. Spiritual formation. The whole “becoming more like Jesus” thing.  Here is a good essay on the topic by John Ortberg in LeadershipJournal.net.  He doesn’t do much except point out the importance of recognizing and dealing with sin, but he does a great job:

So the question isn’t "How much sin am I allowed?" The question is "Am I moving toward the darkness or toward the light? Am I growing toward God, or away from him? Am I becoming more sensitive and responsive to Jesus?"

Read the essay here.

I’ve been a Christian for a long time.   But last August I had a bit of an epiphany about how little I knew about God and Christianity, in spite of being in church and small groups forever.  So I started reading.  It’s been a year, now, and lots of books later.   I thought maybe you might find it entertaining to see what happens when a non-seminarian tries to learn.

1. How to Read the Bible for all its Worth.  I learned a tremendous amount about the complexities of translating the Bible, and recognizing how important it is to read the Bible in paragraphs and chapters and books, rather than in verse-snippets.

2. The Divine Conspiracy.  I had a sense that this book was “important.” But I’d read it ten years ago and remembered nothing.  I started it again and took notes this time… and realized that it was about the kingdom of God.  And I knew nothing about what the kingdom was.  How could Jesus talk so much about something that never got mentioned at my church?

3. Blogs.  I start finding people are talking about God online.  I learn new names and find lots of people ponder God and the church.  Mark Driscoll, John Piper, Carlos Whittaker, Michael Spencer, Anne Jackson.   They all seem to say we need a greater focus on Jesus and the gospel and the Bible.  But apparently, people argue about God too.

4. Epic of Eden, According to Plan, The Big Picture.  Turns out many people think the Bible tells a single story.  Biblical theology.  Never heard it before.  I learn about covenant, and God as a reconciler, and the themes of relationship and community.  I begin to question the definition of “gospel” beyond Christ dying to save me from my sins and get me to heaven.

5.  True Story, I Once was Lost, Death by Church.  Over and over, the ideas that the kingdom of God is now and should be part of the church.  That we need to enter the culture, be missional.  That issues of social justice and environmentalism are part of the role of the church, as well as evangelism.  But, opposed to that are the responses I see to ideas like this (mostly in blogs), that a kingdom focus is a function of liberal Christianity and is works theology.  That if the church is dedicated to preaching the gospel and encouraging spiritual growth, we’d all be better off.

I am now full of new words – Calvinism, reformed, missional, emergent.  Bible-centered churches vs attractional “megachurch model” churches.  Faith vs works.  Justification vs sanctification, N.T. Wright vs John Piper.  The Holy Spirit.  Covenant, incarnation, community, redemption, regeneration, reconciliation.  Eschatology and ecclesiology.

I have learned so much in a year… and am so much more confused, too.  But that’s okay.  I prefer my God to be mysterious.  It’s been good brain exercise, and has energized my faith.  Lots to think about, and write about, and discuss.  I don’t have a lot of answers, but I’m thankful I can pursue them.

After reading A Praying Life, I’ve been motivated to be more deliberate about my praying.  The book talks about using prayer cards and a prayer journal.  What I like a lot about Miller’s praying is the idea of keeping the needs of people regularly in prayer so that I can be alert to how God is working in their lives, and by providing scripture to pray for each category of need.

My first attempt is to use a small notebook.  I like seeing scripture typed out (it’s less distracting for me), so I’m using mailing labels to print scripture for each category of prayers.  Then I can write the specific requests and people under the scripture.  The rest of the notebook is to record events and quotes and sermon illustrations for me to also bring back to mind and to God.

Here are my categories and scriptures so far:

For my spiritual growth:

…We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…
Colossians 1:9-11

For my attitude towards others:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:2-6

For evangelism by us and by full-time missionaries:

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:3-6

For my husband:

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
2 Peter 1:3-6

For my daughter:

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
I Peter 2:2-3

For my household:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I Corinthians 13:4-7

For those sick and suffering:

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:2-5

For our church and Christian friends:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
1 Peter 2:9-12

For our church leadership:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2 (our church’s chosen guiding verse).

For our small group:

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
I Thes. 5:9-11

For my work:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters
Colossians 3:22-23

For those who need work:

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:5-8

God’s Kingdom work in the world:

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 40:10-11

Several verses came from GodSquad (Campus Crusade for Christ).  The rest came from searching Biblegateway.com.  All verses are TNIV.

I have friends who are marvelous pray-ers.  I, unfortunately, am not one of them.  I am cynical, easily distracted, and impatient.  Thankfully, Paul Miller’s A Praying Life was written for people like me. 

I have several favorite aspects about this book. 

First, Miller is humble.  I mean, REALLY humble.  He willingly shares his struggles with control and anger.  He shares his suffering about his autistic daughter with great love and acceptance. 

Second, Miller isn’t interested in giving us a plan or program for praying.  His advice is Biblical and encouraging, but it truly comes down to being honest with God.  Pray as if it were an actual relationship.  He gives lots of examples of why our simple, confused, humble prayers are the best sort and an excellent beginning.

Third, Miller is about the story.  I regularly am frustrated with prayer because it seems to have so little effect.  But what I love about this book is Miller’s faith that God always has a story, a poem to our lives.  Often this story plays out for many years.  But it is only through our continual focus on God, recognition of his use of suffering in our lives, and pondering our prayers that we see that there truly is a story.

Finally, a quote:

What do I lose when I have a praying life?  Control.  Independence.  What do I gain?  Friendship with God.  A quiet heart.  The living work of God in the hearts of those I love.  The ability to roll back the tide of evil. Essentially, I lose my kingdom and get his.

I’m a product of late 20th Century evangelicalism.  I have no sense of Christian history, other than a vague sense that Catholics got things wrong and Protestants fixed them.  We were on a search for a new book for our small group, and my husband suggested a book on Christian history (you know, so we can learn how we got the books in the Bible that we did).  And I very nearly tormented our small group with some painful tome of names and dates until I was SAVED by this book I read about on the blog of Josh Reich. 

This is a WONDERFUL book that covers Christian history from the Apostle Peter to Desmond Tutu.  It is written by Gerald Sittser, a professor at Whitworth University, who takes his students on a retreat to cover this material.  And that is how the book reads – experienced, erudite, but determined to advance the reader’s own relationship with Christ. 

Each chapter covers not only a part of Christian history, but also a spiritual strength found in the Christians of that day.  I learn about five or six major characters from that time, I get a few dates, I get a small sample of their writing.  I get a beautiful set of suggested further readings, references, and even study guide questions.   But each chapter also provides “practices” to help me apply what I learn to my own spiritual walk.  And Sittser’s heart for Christ and his desire to see the Church rediscover its depth of faith fills the pages.  It was a fabulous book for our group.

“We live in the tension between the “already” and the “not yet.”  We know who God is in the face of Jesus Christ, what God has done through Jesus Christ to save and redeem the world, and what God has promised to do in us through the work of the Holy Spirit.  We know that God commands us to serve his kingdom, no matter what the cost.  Our task is to do the hard work of living for God day in and day out.  He has not left us without resources.  The rich history of Christian spirituality shows how our brothers and sisters from the past drew upon divine resources to live for God right where they were.  They drank from the well of living water, and they call us to drink from that same well.  Their voices continue to echo across the centuries, “There is more.  So much more!”

So I am by no means an expert now in Christian history.  But I have a framework and an understanding for all the wonderful writings and art and architecture still available to me.  I have a better appreciation of how the Catholic faith is part of MY history and my faith.  I feel like I found the family I didn’t know I had lost.

I have had to make a tough choice recently.  It has been a time of struggle and loss and humility and trust.  This quote from Nouwen’s Inner Voice of Love has been a help to me:

You have an idea of what the new country looks like. Still, you are very much at home, although not truly at peace, in the old country. You know the ways of the old country, its joys and pains, its happy and sad moments. You have spent most of your days there. Even though you know that you have not found there what your heart most desires, you remain quite attached to it. It has become part of your very bones.

Now you have come to realize that you must leave it and enter the new country, where your Beloved dwells. You know that what helped and guided you in the old country no longer works, but what else do you have to go by? You are being asked to trust that you will find what you need in the new country. That requires death of what has become so precious to you: influence, success, yes, even affection and praise.

Trust is so hard, since you have nothing to fall back on. Still, trust is what is essential. The new country is where you are called to go, and the only way to go there is naked and vulnerable.

- Henri Nouwen