the church geek

Do you Book Mooch?

I like the idea, at least in theory. Lori and I have lots of books, and lots of them that we don’t really need to keep. So, a few months ago, I decided to list a few books in our inventory. I’ve given four away so far, and have requests pending out there from a few folks for some of the others.

But, I haven’t received a single book on my wishlist.

Maybe my tastes are too specific (mostly theology…imagine that!) or too popular. Or maybe the books I want are too new and there aren’t enough of them accumulated out there. I also suspect that the books I want are the types of books people don’t want to give up!

Anyway until I get a book or two back, I’m going to be very selective about sending any more of my books away. I know Jesus said it was more blessed to give than to receive, but surely he wasn’t talking about books!!

How do you trade your books?

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Countdown to Sunday: A Daily Guide for Those Who Dare to Preach by Chris Erdman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
My all time favorite book on pastoral ministry is the book Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry by William Willimon. Chris Erdman’s work on preaching reads very much like Willimon’s work.

This is the book I needed at this time in my ministry. I’ve done a lot of thinking and struggling over the first three years of my ministry on the place and purpose of preaching. In a world of preaching to meet felt needs, Erdman offers meaningful reminders regarding the centrality of the biblical text and that the essential purpose of the text is to form the people of God.

The book is not a sit down and read through from cover to cover sort of book, but rather an offering of meditations on the purpose and role of preaching within the context of the people of God. Especially helpful are the chapters that offer a glimpse into the way Erdman prepares to preach the text…a helpful and simple structure that any “busy” preacher could easily adapt.

If you are tired of your message preparation usurping the actual intent of the biblical text then this book is for you.


View all my reviews.

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1.) I enjoyed Scot McKnight’s review of a book called “Sin Boldly” and have added it to my read list.

2.) I’m still trying to figure out how to organize my electronic life, especially stuff I uncover on the Web. Jake Bouma explains how he uses Evernote to organize his ministry. I’m hoping to implement a few of his ideas…if I ever have time…

3.) If you’re Presbyterian you can play along with this meme. I’m planning on doing it soon, so look for some answers here.

4.) Speaking of Presbyterians, the Presbyterian Bloggers website is trying to reinvent itself. Check it out and see how you can contribute.

5.) Here is the photo of the week.

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Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus by Mark Yaconelli

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was recommended to me by another ’solo pastor’ working in a small church, and it does not disappoint.

I really like Yaconelli’s approach to youth ministry, especially his consideration that much of what we do with youth is designed to manage our anxiety about them. In contrast, the author outlines an approach to youth ministry that values kids for who they are…reminding us that they have things to teach us.

You don’t have to work with youth to get something out of this book. Much of what is written transcends youth ministry and outlines a great approach not only to pastoral ministry but to living the christian life.

View all my reviews.

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1.) I love some of the stuff that new faith communities are doing…they are bold challenges and proclamations to existing congregations. Internet Monk singles out one new congregation that is committed to giving 60% of their budget to mission!!…If they can do it, why can’t we?

2.) As always Jan raises good observations and questions about the nature of staffing in the established church today. I’d love for her to be a colleague in this presbytery, as we need to hear more of her voice…

3.) Tony Campolo presents what seems like a reasonable, faithful response to the problem of abortion in our country.

4.) How many of the 100 NEA Recommended books of fiction have you read? I’ve read book #6, but I’m not really sure why it’s considered a “work of fiction.”

5.) Today I’ve decided to point to a few of my recent favorite photos from my flickr contacts. I particularly love the lighting in this one and the depth of field in this one.

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A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
A deeply sorrowful story, with a few slivers of hope. This story is not quite a good as the author’s first book (The Kite Runner), but it is still a richly detailed and compelling work set in war torn Afghanistan.

Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Not done yet with it, but the best part of this book is the eye-opening interpretations of scripture, especially key new testament texts. The weakness so far, is that it fails to deal with the issue of violence in the Old Testament, glossing over it on its way to achieve its narrative purpose. Still this is an important, compelling, and ultimately convicting work about who our true Lord really is.


View all my reviews.

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1.) Do you want to simplify your life? Here is a ’simple’ list of 72 ideas. I’m pleased to note that I already do many of them, but I sure have a lot more I could implement.

2.) Bill Tammeus must be a voracious reader. Lately I’ve been looking to him for reading suggestions. He has recently put out another list of faith based books.

3.) The Internet Monk, as thoughtful as always, has thankfully and helpfully debunked the myth of the “Fixer God.”

4.) My friend Mark points to an interesting post on the reality of hell. It seems that the more I read of Orthodox thought, the more impressed I am.

5.) Here is my photo recommendation of the week.

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The Kite Runner is a really powerful and moving story of redemption…be sure to have a box of Kleenexes handy if you watch it. I really loved the book and thought this adaptation did a pretty decent job of capturing the overall story line of the novel.

I have to wonder if someone watching this movie without having already read the book would think it was that great. The movie tells the story straight up and seems to lack the nuances and subtleties that made the book so good; such as a more nuanced picture of Islamic faith and life as well as the richness of the culture of Afghanistan unlike what is portrayed in our media today.

Despite its shortcomings, the movie does capture the powerful nature of its overall story and so I give it a rating of 7 out of 10.

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1.) Johnny Baker points to some mind boggling images of consumption meant to help us think about the impact of our consumer habits on the world. Be patient, the images take a long time to load, but the wait is worth it.

2.) Tall Skinny Kiwi interviews Brian McLaren about some burning questions related to his new book “Everything Must Change.” I found the interview helpful as I process my own thinking about McLaren’s book.

3.) Here’s more commentary on the Obama/Wright flap. Here is a poignant cartoon and a blog post with some good observations.

4.) Here is a Christian creed that comes from the Massai tribe in Kenya. I’ve seen this before but think its worth linking to, especially since I spent a summer in Kenya in 1990 and visited a number of church gatherings in various Massai villages.

5.) This is really just plain frightening.

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Jake tagged me on this book meme, so here I go:

(1) Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating! (2) Turn to page 123. (3) Find the first 5 sentences. (4) Post the next 3 sentences. (5) Tag 5 people.

“Get up,” he says.

The other use of funerals is to remind us of those two words. When the last hymn has been sung, the benediction given, and the immediate family escorted out a side door, they may be the best we have to make it possible to get up ourselves.

This comes from Frederick Beuchner’s “Beyond Words” and is the last three sentences in his definition of the word “Funeral.”

Since I’m instructed to tag five people, I tag the following folks: Dave, Mark, Leslie, David, & Adam

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I just discovered I was tagged by Adam Copeland on one of those meme thingys…this one related to books.

1. One book that changed your life
Ummm…that’s an outrageous claim for any book, but I suppose two books come to mind: The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard and Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott.

2. One book you’ve read more than once
I’m not generally prone to re-reading books. Once is usually enough for me. But as a kid I absolutely loved the book The Mutiny on the Bounty and re-read that novel a number of times.

3. One book you’d want on a desert island
Somewhat contrary to my previous comment, I have re-read parts of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. If I were on a desert island, I think a one volume set containing these three books would keep me entertained for a pretty long time.

4. Two books that made you laugh
The author who makes me laugh the most is Sherman Alexie. I’ve only read two books of his, Flight and Ten Little Indians, and they both made me laugh.

5. One book that made you cry:
Crying while watching a movie? Yes. While reading a book? No. I suppose the book that came the closest was “The Great Deluge” about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. Having lived in New Orleans for nine years, the book broke my heart.

6. One book you wish had been written:
Why do we think the world needs one more book??

7. One book you wish had never been written:
All of the Left Behind Series. If I were to have a book burning, these would be on the top of the pile.

8. One book you’re currently reading:
Everything Must Change by Brian McClaren. I got it for Christmas and have been carrying it around in my book bag, but I still am only half way through it. That’s usually the way it goes for me, I either completely devour a book or I carry it around for months in my book bag and eventually finish it or put it away on the book shelf. I’m pretty sure I’ll finish this one.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. I live in Iowa, the book takes place in Iowa. I’m a pastor, the book is about a pastor. I SHOULD read this book. I started it once but it didn’t grab me. I probably need to give it another chance.

Since this is a meme, I’m supposed to tag some folks. Since I don’t know who likes to play along with these sorts of things this is a shot in the dark, but I’m going to try these folks: Shawn, Mark, Chad, kim, and Jody

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Here’s week two of my weekly roundup:

1.) Suicides are some of the most forgotten types of casualties of war; they aren’t reported in battle related statistics nor are they mentioned in the press. Here is an insightful post at God’s Politics on suicide and other sorely neglected issues related to the mental health of our soldiers.

2.) Scot McKnight at the Jesus Creed is one of the most prolific bloggers out there. One thing he does that I appreciate a lot is to provide thorough summaries of books he his reading. In this post, Scot, offers a summary of a chapter from Goldingay’s book Israel’s Gospel which highlights God’s unpredictability.

3.) Another one of my favorite bloggers, Julie Unplugged, offers a moving reflection about gift-giving for Christmas as her children have been growing up and establishing their own lives.

4.) Are you a coffee addict? Well now it seems you may be justified in your addiction! A study in France has revealed that coffee is better than a nap in terms of keeping you safe on the road. So, drink up, my friends!!

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Here is yesterday’s photo:

I spent most of yesterday working on my sermon for today, but I did get a few moments at the close of the day to relax on the couch and to read a couple chapters in my book.

I’m currently reading P.D. James’ book The Children of Men. James is one of my favorite authors of detective novels, but this particular book is actually sci-fi and was made into a motion picture last year that I really enjoyed. Interestingly enough, I’m discovering that the book is more rooted theologically than the movie led me to believe.

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A few years ago, I was in a CPE program with a supervisor who loved to read. One author he mentioned quite frequently was Sherman Alexie. I finally picked up my first Sherman Alexie novel to see what he was all about and I must admit I’m hooked. Alexie is a writer who grabs and keeps your attention with the deft use of striking language and biting humor.

This short novel follows the story of a young mixed race (Irish/Native American) boy who has been through the ringer in the foster system. Zits, as the boy is appropriately nicknamed, has moved from home to home. He is poor, jaded, and longs for the love of his deceased mother.

Tempted to take his frustrations out on the world in a heated moment of violence, Zits finds himself traveling across time moving from scenario to scenario, embodying a different character in each scene. Each scene he encounters helps him to see the error of his ways and serves to reframe his own thinking about his own struggles in life.

I will warn you that Alexie’s language is quite salty, but not unwarranted given that the story comes from a lonely, jaded young teen.

All in all this is one of the best and most memorable books I have read so far this year.

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I found this book by Mark Haddon to be both fascinating and tedious at the same time. And maybe that is the point.

Christopher is a 15 year old autistic boy who undertakes the task of solving the mystery surrounding the murder of a neighbor’s dog. Eventually, he ends up uncovering a whole lot more. The book is written as if Christopher himself is writing, so it offers us some fascinating perspectives into the mind of a young autistic boy.

One particularly heartbreaking scene is when Christopher’s Father has a hard time looking at him to break some bad news to him. Christopher writes:

Usually people look at you when they’re talking to you. I know that they’re working out what I’m thinking, but I can’t tell what they’re thinking. It is like being in a room with a one-way mirror in a spy film. But this was nice, having Father speak to me but not look at me.

The bad news is not particularly received as bad news but instead is received with the simple pleasure that his Father did not look at him when he was spoken to.

These and other fascinating perspectives are combined with more tedious moments of data overload, in which Christopher expounds on some mathematical theory or details one of the many lists that constantly preoccupy his mind and rule his life. In those moments I simply wanted to close and put the book back on the shelf, but I plugged away quite aware that my own sense of frustration must be quite minor compared to the challenges faced each and every day by those who care for and love their own autistic children.

If you can get past the question of whether or not a boy like Christopher could actually pull off writing such a book along with some fairly implausible moves in the plot, I think you will find this book a fascinating and rewarding look into the lives of those who daily deal with autism.

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