Revitalize Your Church

1.  Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola 2.  The Ultimate Blessing by JoAnne Lyon 3.  Acedia and Me by Kathleen Norris 4.  After You Believe by N. T. Wright 5.  Tea With Hezbollah by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis 6.  Crazy Love by Francis Chan 7.   A Brief Guide for Writers  by Keith Drury 8.  Strengthsfinder by Tom Rath 9.  Population 485 by Michael Perry 10.  Tozer on Leadership by A. W. Tozer and Ronald E. Eggert Next Ten: Honorable Mention: *  The Sacred Journey by Charles Foster *  The War of Art by Steven Pressfield *  Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth Bailey * Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom * Breaking All the Rurals by Shannon O'Dell * Sun Stand Still by Steve Furtick * The Enduement of Power by Oswald J. Smith * Ageless Faith by Keith and David Drury * Chazown by Craig Groeschel * The Book of the Shepherd by JoAnn Davis

Ron, from the library, called and left a message for me last evening -- the new John Grisham book ( The Associate ) is waiting for me at their circulation desk! Yippeee! About six weeks ago, I put my name on the waiting list -- and was number 84. Since then, I've been badgering the library staff on a regular basis. "Where am I on the list now?" So, I watched my slow climb, from 84, to 63 to 41 to 25 to 8 to 1. I've been number 1 on the list since last Thursday. Now, it's finally my turn. I hope it's as good as the wait.

Patrick Morley is offering a free online version of his latest book, How to Survive the Economic Meltdown. Get your copy here

Recently, I read a heartwarming Christmas Story -- My Mother's Wish , by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt. It's a tiny little work, only 81 pages. I devoured it in one sitting! It's the enchanting tale of "contrariwise" Ellee Crumb McKutcheson, and her complicated relationship with her domineering mother. Ultimately, it's a parable about hopes, expectations and love. Hoggatt, a professor at Vangaurd University, is a master story teller. His humor is fabulous! There were several "laugh out loud" occasions as well as a couple of Kleenex moments. A great read for Christmas, but I would suggest reading it first before giving it to your mother.

In the mornings, I only do spiritual reading. That is, I limit my reading to books that nourish and strengthen my soul, deepen my prayer life, and challenge my walk with God. In the evenings, I read more widely. On any given day, I'm reading books on history, relationships, leadership, or fiction. Just last night, I finished a novel, The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner . I began the book only out of obligation (told someone I would read it) -- but by the end, it had drawn me in and I couldn't put it down. An accomplished writer, Meissner masterfully weaves fiction, history, relationships, spiritual growth and self-understanding into an amazing and heart-moving tapestry. It's the story of a privileged Literature Major, Lauren Durough , who takes a part time job transcribing the 400 year old journal of a young lady (Mercy Hayworth ) who lived in Salem, MA during the witch trials. As she works through the journal she discovers a growing affinity with Mercy, and embarks on ...

In honor of my 47th Birthday last week, I decided to read a little volume entitled, For Young Men Only . Now, I realize that's a stretch -- but after attending the funeral visitation of a dear 104 year old woman yesterday, I realized that compared to her, "young" still applies to me!! Actually, I was previewing the book before handing it off to my teenage sons. For Young Men Only , written by Jeff Feldhahn and Eric Rice (with Shaunti Feldhan), is a delightful guide for young guys who are trying to navigate the comlex and confusing relationship between the sexes. Feldhan and Rice report on insights gained by interviewing young women about their perspectives and wishes concerning male/fenmale relationships. The results are surprising. For Young Men Only tackles such issues as: * what she is looking for in a guy * why girls sometimes fall for "bad guys" * how to have a meaningful converation with a girl * why girls go from "in love" to "get lost...

Three books I've read recently: 1) The Stout-Hearted Seven: Orphaned on the Oregon Trail. by Neta Frazier Frazier tells true and courageous adventure of the Sager children who bravely face starvation, disease, cold, crippling accidents, and finally, a massacre. I couldn't put the book down -- and now, I'm reading it aloud to my children. They're lives intersect with missionaries, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. A great story -- and well written. 2) The Bright Forever by Lee Martin A novel that makes you think about what goes on beneath the surface -- rather dark and depressing. 3) Firstlight by Sue Monk Kidd A collection of inspirational writings. I love the way Kidd turns a phrase and captures the sublime in the ordinary.

My friend, Mark Batterson has knocked the ball out of the park again! A Grand Slam Homerun!! His new book, Wild Goose Chase , is an inspiring and insightful call to live dangerously for God. Celtic Christians called The Holy Spirit "An Geadh-Glas ", which means "The Wild Goose." Batterson challenges us to get out of the cage and "Chase the Goose!" You can read a sample chapter by clicking here or purchase it here. Mark's first book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day , was one of the best books I've read in recent years. Now, I'm delighted to discover that his second work is just as wonderful!!

Just finished Touch One by Chris Shimel. It's a powerful and heart-touching story, reminding us that each individual is precious in the eyes of God. Ministry to the hurting individual is just as important (even more) than ministry to the masses. Shimel writes: If you are too busy to help one person, then you are way too busy. If you are too busy to touch the one you may meet along the way -- the one who may come as an interruption to your objectives and your schedule -- then you have ceased to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. With Jesus, the one in need always took precedence over any objective He pursued, whether it was a location, an appointment or a ministry. ( p. 135)

This morning, I finished a good book by Carol Kent, When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances. It's the story of how she processed the terrible news that her 25 year old son had shot and killed a man. It is a good encouragement for anybody suffering through painful and perplexing experiences -- particularly, in regard to their children. The best thought I found was a question: Are you living closer to Good Friday or Easter Sunday?

Just finished Rob Stennett's new novel, The Almost True Story of Ryan Fisher. (Zondervan) It's a funny, fast paced satire about an eager Denver realtor, Ryan Fisher, who expands his business by placing an ad in the "Christian Business Directory." In the process of building a "Christian market niche", he discovers the evangelical sub-culture -- which is completely foreign but somewhat attractive to him. After a few months of "churchianity" (and pretending to be a pastor) -- he decides to plant a church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, using his marketing, relational and business savvy. What follows is a humorous but indicting portrayal of American christianity, which raises a plethora of issues about effective leadership, church growth, manipulation, authenticity vs. pretending, and why people attend church in the first place. It was a great read and I couldn't put it down.

Just finished John Grisham's new book, The Appeal. It started slowly -- developed int0 vintage "Grisham page turner" -- and then ended with a fizzle. At least you could say that the ending isn't predictible --and, reading the final chapter, I felt like appealing to a higher court for a few more pages!

Just finished reading My Beautiful Idol by Pete Gall. This was one of those "can't put it down" books. Pete Gall shares his spiritual autobiography by unvarnished, earthy, humorous storytelling. At first, I wasn't too keen on the title -- because I'm not into anything that seems to promote idolatry. However, Gall points out that much of what is done "in Christian service" is, in fact, about image -- a subtle form of "self-worship (or "my beautiful idol") Powerful. Gripping. A great story. Funny and Free Flowing. It's a great stretch for middle aged pastors inclined to be stuck in the mud.

One other book I've read in the past couple of weeks is A Decembered Grief, by Harold Ivan Smith. I'm thankful to Dale and Pam Argot for the recommendation. It was very helpful to me, as I ministered to several families in the valley of sorrow.

I've not done a very good job maintaining my reading list lately. But, for the few who may find it of interest -- here are three good books I've read lately: 1. Jesus, the Pastor , by John Frye. This is an outstanding book on pastoral ministry, using Jesus as our model. (Most writing on pastoral ministry uses St. Paul as the focus, rather than Jesus.) Frye inspired me to read the Gospels through the lens of "Jesus as Pastor" -- what does that say about my own pastoral work from day to day? One of the best three books I've read in the last year! 2. Unchristian: What A New Generation Thinks About Christianity. . . and Why it Matters , by David Kinnamon. Alarming research which reveals how the rising generation views Chrsitians -- especially Evangelicals. It's eye-opening. 3. Homiletics, by Donald E. Demaray This is going to be the textbook for a course I will be teaching soon. An easy and insightful read -- which covers all the various aspects o...

One in four read no books last year Oh well, I guess you can look on the bright side and say that they didn't fill their minds with junk like this or this

Here's what I've been reading lately.

I finished John Grisham's latest bestseller, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town , last night. It was about four notches below all his other writings. Made me wonder if maybe his cousin wrote it, and tried to frame him. Grisham's innocent, I tell ya!! He's innocent!! --- Although the book moved too slowly and included too many details for a good story -- it still was intriguing. A couple of good links that give a synopsis are here and here.

Here's what I've been reading lately.

Here's what I've been reading recently.