Reading List

Hey all,

I just wanted to take a few minutes and walk you through my reading list (look on the lower right-hand part of your screen... go ahead, I'll wait... you may have to scroll down a little but you'll get there).  Now that you've taken the time to read the list you'll find that that was completely pointless because I'm going to list them all again.  Thanks for doing what I ask anyway.  I appreciate it.   Anyway, on to what I've been reading.


RECENT READS:

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years - Donald Miller - First off, I think Don Miller is a fantastic writer.  There is something very subtle in his style that makes it conversational while still being able to make a point.  It's a much harder balance to strike than most people realize.  Don is also thought provoking.  I never read any of his stuff without walking away and taking a hard look at where I am in my journey of faith.  I think if Don and I were to sit down and have a deep theological discussion we would have very different views on more than a few issues, but I know I would leave that discussion with a great respect for his opinion and the seriousness with which he approaches his own examination of the scriptures and their application to his life.

Stuff Christians Like - Jonathan Acuff - This is one of those books that I can't say I learned anything from, but I enjoyed it anyway.  The basic premiss of the book is to make fun of some of the stuff Christians make into borderline-doctrine.  It jabs at the little stuff we do without having any real knowledge of why we do them.  You have to be able to read it without taking it personally.  It's like when your best friend calls you  "donkey".  Come on, it's funny.

Seven Storey Mountain - Thomas Merton - I love Merton.  Everything he writes is brilliant.  His book "New Seeds of Contemplation" is one of my all-time favorite reads.  Having read many of his other works made this one that much more interesting.  It's his autobiography of his journey to faith.  He is VERY detailed.  It's a long book.  To be perfectly honest, I loved reading it, but there was about 1/5 of the book (the 4th 5th to be exact) that I struggled with simply because I was ready to move on to something else.  Like I said he's very detailed, it's all really good, but if I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read half of it then put it away for a few months and come back to finish it.

Practice and Presence of GOD - Brother Lawrence - The book is actually a series of letters written my Brother Lawrence on how he lives his daily life in the presence of GOD.  It's an intriguing look at how to see our service to Christ through the most mundane of daily tasks.

CURRENTLY READING

Sermons on the Cross - Charles H. Spurgeon - Spurgeon is one of my favorite church-history-personalities ever.  If you want to study what the Church SHOULD be then read up on the London Metropolitan Tabernacle during the 1850's.  Phenomenal story of a local church looking after "the least of these" when everyone else who could had turned their backs.  As far as Spurgeon himself goes, he LOVED his cigars.  A woman once asked him when he would give up his "filthy habit", he responded, "I'll quit smoking when I have done it to excess".  The woman asked when that would be and Spurgeon said, "When I am smoking two at a time."  Anyway, this book is a collection of 13 sermons that focus on crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  Powerful stuff.  Even reading the sermons brings an understanding of why Spurgeon was called the "Prince of Preachers", I can only imagine what it would have been like to hear him!

Theology You Can Count On - Tony Evans - I've actually been working my way through this book for about a year.  It is essentially a systematic theology textbook, but is much more "readable" than a textbook.  There are 116 chapters that are each about 10 pages long and feature some excellent review and reflection questions at the end of each,  so it is a lot of reading.  I try to pick it up in sections and read a chapter a day for a week or two in order to finish one topic, then I put the book away for a while and come back to the next section later.  It's drawn the book out but has kept my interest fresh.  I think this should be required reading of every Christian.  It walks through the entirety of biblical line of thinking.  Everything from the characteristics of GOD to what angels and demons are to what salvation means.  Honestly, if you don't know what you believe you will never be able to defend your faith.  If you read only one other book besides the Bible I would recommend you land here.

What are you reading?