The Road Less Traveled

This is  list (with reviews) of all the books I read in 2008, in the order in which I read them.  There’s a lot of really good stuff being written and published right now.  So, log off of YouTube and read something.

unChristian (David Kinnaman)
An honest, kick-in-the-groin look at what Gen-X and Gen-Y (or Busters and Mosaics in the book) really think about Christianity.  Long story short, it’s not good.  Kinnaman explores the six major reasons why these generations are growing increasingly indifferent and hostile toward Christianity.  Christians are hypocritical, too focused on converting people, antihomosexual, sheltered, too political, and judgmental.  Kinnaman lays out the evidence of the intensive research, shows why these younger generations feel this way, and lays out a plan of action for how we can turn the tide… and it will take a long time.  Also, Kinnamen includes mini-essays by well known and not so well known Christian leaders, reacting to the research, suggestion solutions, and looking at what could be if we start taking action now, and start living like Jesus did.  A kick in the groin, but exactly what the church needs.

Humility (C.J. Mahaney)
A tremendous little book about true greatness, which is only found in humility.  The author defines humility is defined as honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.  Mahaney briefly and simply fleshes out what humility is all about–Jesus.  Jesus’ life is the greatest example of humility.  His disciples, who clammored for greatness, were transformed into humble servants because of the cross.  We can experience that transformation as well.  Mahaney gives practical things we can do each day to distance ourselves from pride and cultivate humility.  He stresses the need for practical application of Scripture and obedience as keys to humility, always pointing the reader to Jesus.  He talks about our need for help–finding other Christians who can help us see pride in pockets of our life that we may overlook.  He also includes a section on parenting–how we can prepare our kids for a life of humility.  He wraps it up by pulling the reader closer to the cross.  This is a must read for every Christian.  It completely redefines greatness, which can only be found in Christ-like humility, and gives practical suggestions for developing humility and battling pride.

Creating Community (Andy Stanley/Bill Willits)
A must read for anyone involved in small group ministry.  Since our church is a network of micro-churches, some of the same principles apply.  The fact is, most churches have a structure that is way too complex and burdensome that really doesn’t lead people anywhere.  This book stresses simplicity–in structure, in stragedy, and in training.  The most helpful sections are the ones that deal with developing a simple, clear strategy for moving people into groups, and developing a leadership structure that is simple and works in reality. 

They Smell Like Sheep (Lynn Anderson)
This is a re-read for me.  Having re-read it, I know it’s one of those few books I want to read every couple of years.  Although it is nearly 11 years old, Anderson’s book should be considered a classic in Christian leadership.  He points out many of the flaws of popular leadership styles found in many churches today that have been pulled from corporate America instead of the Bible.  He outlines the three characteristics of an elder (the principles of which could apply to all leaders in the church):  sheperd/mentor/equipper.  He blends personal stories with solid, practical suggestions for getting back to a much more biblical and compassionate style of leadership.  This book has me rethinking how to lead those within my micro-church, as well as those I’m equipping and mentoring for leadership.  A solid must read that should be re-read from time to time.

I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt (Vince Antonucci)
I’ve read (and re-read) some great books this year, but this one may be the book of the year.  There are loads of titles out there about regaining spiritual passion, but this one tops them all.  It’s funny (my new career goal:  elephant proctologist), it’s heart-wrenching (the old man dying with his head lying on his praying chair… I had to stop a minute on that one), it’s inspiring (Dave, the anti-church bully turned secret agent for Jesus), and it’s brutally transparent.  Vince opens up about his struggles with grace in a way few would have the guts to do.

The point of the book:  we need to abide in Jesus by living life with Him while we abound in Jesus by living the Jesus life.  In other words, we need to intentionally spend time with Jesus through prayer and Bible study (the basic habits of a Christ follower), but we also need to let Jesus live His life through us–by putting others first, by serving the unlovely, by taking risks with our faith.

The cool thing about this book is that Vince doesn’t paint a peaches-n-cream picture.  There are times when the Christian life can be boring and tough.  There are times when we’ll slip back into the going-through-the-motions type of existence.  But if we’re abiding and abounding in Jesus, we’ll develop an expectation for God, and God won’t just be a part of our life… we’ll be living life with God.

So… don’t pass go, don’t collect $200, do cancel your elephant’s proctology appointment, and by this book.  Now.  Don’t wait another minute.

What’s So Amazing About Grace? (Philip Yancey)
This is one of those books I want to re-read every couple of years.  This is my second complete read-through, and I’m just as blown away by it now as I was several years ago.  I think I’m more blown away, because I definitely have a better appreciation for grace today than I did then.  Heart-warming stories.  Heart-wrenching stories.  All illustrating our world’s desperate need for grace.  All illustrating the scandalous nature of grace.  The chapter “Grace Healed Eyes” alone is worth the price of the book.  A modern classic that outlines the wonderful grace of Jesus and how it must play out in our everyday life–which is tough, but so necessary if we’re really serious about reaching people who are far from God.

Poverty:  A Framework for Understanding and Working with Students and Adults from Poverty (Ruby K. Payne)
This book was recommended to me by a teacher.  I read the 1995 edition, and it has since been republished.  I had mixed feelings about this book.  There were some good points–the need to form relationships with students in poverty, for one.  But some things left me a little weirded out.  Some of the examples the author used seemed to be stereotypical, and some of the case studies seem to be made up.  It also seems that the author assumed that middle-class people would tend to have faith as a resource, while people in poverty would not.  I tend to agree with one reviewer on Amazon (who gave it 1 star), that many atheists tend to be from the middle class, while faith tends to abound in poverty.  I don’t think I would totally accept this book as a definitive resource… but it does spur further interest in both reading about poverty and finding active solutions for poverty.

Leadership Lessons of Robert E. Lee(Bil Holton)
My sister picked this book up for me at our local book fair.  She remembered that I was sort of a history buff in high school, and that I’m always trying to improve myself in the area of leadership.  This book is a collection of first, second and third hand accounts of the Confederate general–his letters to his wife, his orders, observations, etc.  The author then pulls practical advice for leaders and managers from these accounts, which are grouped under important leadership principles.  It’s a decent read, and full of good insights.  The one thing that stands out from this book about Robert E. Lee was his character, which made him a leader worth following.  He was a man of faith, he loved being among the troops he led, rarely got angry, strove for excellence–he was a great leader.  Some great lessons that can be applied to leadership in the church.

Dangerous Wonder:  The Adventure of Childlike Faith(Michael Yaconelli)
A friend let me borrow this book, and he purposefully didn’t ask me how I liked it.  I now know why.  This is one of those rediscovering the wonder of faith books.  It’s not too shabby.  There are some really good points in this book.  I just didn’t like the whole “childlike” metaphor that the author used throughout the book.  It didn’t resonate with me like I’m sure it has other people.  I’m more along the lines of Erwin McManus’ “The Barbarian Way.”  Even so, the author does a good job of getting you to see how the Christian faith can and should be dangerous–the need to take risks with faith, how Jesus broke the rules (because He made them), and a few others.  So, if you jive with the whole “faith like a child” metaphor, pick it up.  It’s a good read.  If you’re more along the lines of blood, sweat, swords, and shields adventure, go with something like “The Barbarian Way.”

Small Group Strategies:  Ideas and Activitices for Developing Spiritual Growth in Your Students(Laurie Polich, Charley Scandlyn)
Although I’m not in student ministry, this book has principles that can be applied to any type of small group, and in our church’s case, to each of the micro-churches in our network.  The first third of the book focuses on the dynamics of small group meetings.  The Small Group Matrix alone is worth the price of the book–it defines each of the five things that leaders want to see their students grow in (worship, fellowship, discipleship, service, outreach–these fit VERY well with our church’s five core values).  Not only that, it defines six stages of increasing maturity, which many small group leaders miss because they expect too much from their groups too soon.  The last two-thirds of the book is simply ideas a student minister can use in each of the five areas, and at each level of the five areas, to foster growth in their students.  A good read.

The 10 Dumbest Things Christians Do(Mark Atteberry)
I read this book last year, and it was so good that I decided to do a sermon series in ‘08 on the principles found in it.  So I read it again.  A really decent read.  Atteberry confronts readers with chapters like:

• #1:  Slinging Mud on the Bride of Christ
• #2:  Winning People to the Church Rather than to the Lord
• #3:  Living Below the Level of our Beliefs
• #4:  Speaking Above the Level of Our Knowledge
• #5:  Hopping From Church to Church
• #6:  Fighting Amongst Ourselves
• #7:  Missing Golden Opportunities
• #8:  Settling for Mediocrity
• #9:  Allowing Wolves to Live Among the Sheep
• #10:  Accepting the Unacceptable

Most of the chapters are excellent.  Some, like #10, are OK (he nearly advocates political advocacy in order to make changes in our culture).  Occasionally, he mentions things that, in my opinion, fall into the realm of opinion.  For example, in chapter one he talks about going to get a gift certificate at a restaurant and having to go to the bar to purchase it… and he runs into a church member who’s having a drink.  The guy was embarrassed to see his preacher in a bar.  Atteberry doesn’t mention if the guy is drunk or not… and from the context, it seems like the guy wasn’t drunk.  Yet, Atteberry says it was a big deal–yet, the Bible doesn’t forbid drinking in moderation.  It’s one thing if the guy was drunk; another if he was just having a beer.  The religious culture, especially in the south, is so anti-alcohol that drinking a drop is considered sinful… even though it isn’t (unless it violate’s one’s conscience).

In spite of some opinion things, this is a good book–especially for people who’ve been Christians long enough to settle into a “spiritual groove.”  Like all books, chuck the “bones” (which are few) and relish the meat.

The Reason For God (Tim Keller)
I heard about the release of this book at the beginning of the year, and put it on my list.  It is a very engaging read, especially for those of a skeptical mindset.  Keller goes through many objections he has heard in his years leading a mega-church in Manhattan.  He also flips the coin, writing about reasons to believe in God.  He freely admits that there is no airtight argument for God, and that every “clue” he offers can be escaped rationally… but when taken together, the “clues” for God are impressive, and make the arguments for atheism look very weak.  Keller also spends a lot of time on the crucifixion and the resurrection, which are always appreciated.  Overall, an excellent book worth reading.

Sinai Summit(Rick Atchley)
This book has been in my library for awhile, but I hadn’t gotten around to reading it.  I have an older version from the current one.  It’s a pretty good overview of the Ten Commandments and their relevance for today.  Although I don’t prefer Atchley’s writing style (parts sounded like an old-school sermon), it’s still worth a read.  Some very practical and relevant information.

The Multiplying Church (Bob Roberts, Jr.)
Without a doubt, one of the most insightful and impactful books I’ve read… ever.  I’m an active reader–I use a bright red pen to underline, circle, comment, bracket, completely mark up a book.  I never use a hi-liter.  This book is so full of red ink and some hi-liter.  Roberts passion for planting multiplying churches of all models is so evident, as is his desire for a global church planting movement that starts with the local church.  Out of personal experience, he writes about the “new math” of starting multiplying churches.  This is a book that needs to be read by church planters, planter’s wives, Christians who are interested in church planting, and Christians who need to get interested in church planting–and not just church planting, but starting a Jesus movement!  This book definitely has challenged and inspired my thinking, dreaming and vision for our church as we’ve started to add churches (and lay the ground work for multiplying churches).

Simple Church (Thom Rainer, Eric Geiger)
I had heard a lot about this book, and was finally able to pick it up.  A really good read, and packed with solid research.  It compared churches with very complex systems for making disciples (churches with tons of “dead end” programs but no system for moving people through different levels of discipleship), to churches with simple systems for moving people into new levels of discipleship.  In many ways, it echoes the thoughts of 7 Practices of Effective Ministry, but with a research focus that shows it really does have an effect on transforming people.  At the time that I finished this book, it is coming up on a year since our church transitioned to a micro-church network, and the book has motivated me to evaluate our current system and strategy–which, I am relieved, is simple, but could definitely be more simple.

A Generous Orthodoxy (Brian McLaren)
I’ve heard of this book, and have several ministerial friends who have read it.  I’ve been suspicious of anything coming out of the emergent camp, and this book confirmed some of those suspicions.  First, I just don’t like McLaren’s writing style.  It’s certainly nothing personal–I just don’t dig his writing style.  That aside, I could bear it if the content was good.  Some of it made good points (the chapter on the “7 Jesuses” was interesting–not how I would have written it, but interesting… although he fails to point out that Jesus’ death and resurrection are central to the Christian faith, in favor of the kingdom being central) … but some of it was walking a fine line, and a vague one at that (which he admits to).  Very few references to Scripture.  McLaren admits to not being a theologian, but goes ahead and tries… and fails at several points.  In one chapter, he claims that God ordered the ancient Israelites to kill the Canaanite tribes because, in that culture, it was kill or be killed, so God used that cultural norm to advance His plan.  McLaren ignores the fact that the Canaanites were a terribly wicked group of people, and that God was executing judgment on them… and had in fact been extremely graceful to them up to this point (check out one of God’s conversations with Abraham in Genesis where He tells Abraham that “the sin of the Amorites is not yet full.”  He was giving them time to repent!).  I understand what McLaren is trying to do… make sense of the Christian faith in a post-modern world.  He, however, ends up repainting it (much like Rob Bell in “Velvet Elvis”, but from a different angle)… substituting a “here-and-now kingdom” for an eternal kingdom made possible by the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection–which must be at the center of orthodoxy, and McLaren barely mentions it.  Add to all this that McLaren counts Ken Wilber as one of his main influences–a Buddhist philosopher who seems to look for a Hegel-like synthesis for spirituality and seems to have no use for Jesus at all–and McLaren’s generous orthodoxy is a bit too generous.  One could read this book, and come from it thinking they could believe anything they want and still get to God.  Some good points, but hardly orthodox.

Search and Rescue:  Becoming a Disciple Who Makes a Difference (Neil Cole)
I finished this book in early June.  Up to this point, I’d read some REALLY good books.  I didn’t stay up past my bedtime reading any of them.  This one, I did.  A straightforward, hard-hitting read on the process of making disciples, which should be simple and reproducible.  Pulling from his experience as a former lifeguard and from planting organic churches, Cole shares his experience and lessons learned from a simple process of disciple making:  the LTG (Life Transformation Group).  An LTG is a small group of 2-3 people of the same gender who meet once a week to do three things:  read Scripture, confess sin, and pray for people they know who don’t know Jesus.  As a dude who has tried many things to help people become disciples, this approach kind of set of an “Aha!” moment for me.  Getting back to scripture–what a novel idea!   Confessing sin to each other–something the western church hasn’t done in a long time.  Begging God to bring the lost back to him–developing the heart of God Himself.  A truly great read, especially for those who want, not just to make disciples, but to multiply disciples.

The Back of the Napkin (Dan Roam)
I don’t read business books like most cool church planters, but this one fascinated me when I found it searching around on Amazon.  I picked it up, read it, and loved it.  The book is all about solving complex problems with pictures.  The author guides the reader through the basic of visual thinking, shows them the tools for visual thinking, and then guides the reader step by step for each type of picture needed for each type of problem.  There are many applications for solving church planting and ministry problems, and even applications for preaching.  A great read–definitely stretched the old noggin’!

The Forgotten Ways (Alan Hirsch)
I’ve read some pretty remarkable books in the past year.  This one just may top them all.  Hirsch dives into what he calls the Apostolic Genius–what made the early church and other “Jesus movements” like the underground church in China so exposive and amazing.  Digging deep into scripture, example, and experience, Hirsch guides the reader on a journey of discovery as to what Apostolic Genius looks like, based upon Ephesians 4:11ff.  He also gives an honest look into his journey of how the church he helped start got off track from God’s mission, and how they took the hard road to get back on track.  He also, unapologetically, dives into what plagues the church in Western culture–consumerism.  The way of Jesus and the mission of the church isn’t one of comfort and ease.  It’s one of danger and risk.  This book is Jesus-centered, it calls the reader to get uncomfortable, and it calls the church back on mission.  A must read.

The God Delusion (Richard Dawkins)
This is the most intellectually impoverishing books I’ve ever read (although its author would claim the opposite).  It is full of the speculations of a man who has rejected any form of God (and that’s his choice).  Well, to read this book, one would think that natural selection is Dawkins’ god.  The premise of the book is to prove that God doesn’t exist.  I think it falls well short of its purpose.  WAY short.  If you want to say God doesn’t exist, fine.  But don’t accuse those of us who do of believing without evidence when your alternative is nothing but speculation.  Dawkins supposes that most people who are religious really don’t believe in God… but he offers no proof.  He supposes that all truly educated people would naturally reject the notion of God.  I’m a reasonably educated guy, and I totally believe in God.  He speculates on how religion came about, on how our universe supports life on earth, which is the most ridiculous speculation of all to me–we must be just one of countless universes, and ours just happens to be the right one.  If that’s not the case, then our planet is one of billions in the universe (again, where’s his proof beyond the 200+ we discovered outside our solar system), and we’ve got the right ingredients for life.  His stuff just doesn’t add up.  It makes much more sense to me–and I’ve looked at the evidence–that God does exist.  An overhyped, highly bloated read from an overly confident, over-bloated ego.

Crazy Love (Francis Chan)
Francis Chan pulls absolutely no punches.  He goes straight for the gut… and we can all use a knockout punch.  “Crazy Love” is all about the matchless, incomprehensible love of God, and the reaction it should create in us, but often doesn’t.  Chan challenges his readers to really surrender everything to Jesus instead of making Him another area of our already overcrowded lives.  It is not easy.  It is not pain free.  But it is worth it.  One of those books I will revisit multiple times.  A heart-piercing challenge to really follow Jesus lock, stock, and barrel.

The Game Plan (Joe Dallas)
A friend lent me this book.  He found it at a local book fair for $4.  It’s worth the original purchase price.  Written by someone who has been there, this book is for anyone dealing with sexual sin.  It gives biblical and practical guidance for repenting from and “staying sober” from sexual sin.  The principles within the book are commendable for any sin.  Well worth the read.

What Customers Really Want (Scott McKain)
I picked this little gem up at a local book fair.  I looked at the table of contents, and immediately saw its usefulness in the church.  This book is all about the disconnects between companies and their customers.  McKain’s main point is that companies need to really focus in on what their customers REALLY want–a memorable experience, not just a transaction.  Companies don’t need to be satisfied with customer service and customer satisfaction.  They need to create raving fans.  He then goes through six disconnects between customers and companies that prevent companies from delivering a truly fantastic customer experience.  There’s a fine line with this book in relation to the church–we can totally go overboard and unintentionally (or intentionally) create a totally consumer driven culture in our churches.  Or we can find out from people who are far from God why they’re far from God… and how the church has played a part in widening that chasm, and work to biblically create a “customer experience” that helps people discover Jesus and become followers of Him in ways that go beyond the current trends of overloaded techno stimulated entertainment in many of today’s “cool, relevant” churches.

The Jesus of Suburbia  (Mike Erre)
I picked this book up at a local book fair, and it was worth every penny.  Mike Erre’s book is a call to rediscover the real Jesus of the Bible and totally ditch the “Jesus of Suburbia”–the Jesus that wants us to be happy, safe, and secure (something mostly unheard of outside the American church).  He writes that our approach to Jesus in the American church–through countless Bible studies, through branding everything “Christian” or “nonChristian”, etc.–has totally warped our view of Jesus and what it means to be a Christian.  Following Jesus is to follow a rebel, to be part of a revolution.  It’s to give him every fiber of our life, not just a part of it.  It’s about risk-taking faith, not playing it safe.  A great read–heck, a must read.

The Secret Message of Jesus (Brian McLaren)
I didn’t care for the last McLaren book I read.  I liked this one, with two exceptions.  It has, like all his other books, sparked a lot of controversy.  I really like how McLaren fleshed out the sermon on the mount, as well as Jesus’ use of parables.  I also liked his approach that being a follower of Jesus means living like Jesus.  What I didn’t like… First, he seems to hint at the possibility that the Kingdom of God will become fully realized in this life.  On paper, sure.  In reality, no way… because Satan, although defeated, is still at work.  There will always be opposition until the return of the King.  Second, he really seems arrogant in the final chapter when he asks why the church hasn’t figured out the secret message of Jesus until (surprise) now.  Yeah, the church has gone through significant valleys in her history.  There are spans of time when it looks like the church in no way, shape, or form represented what Jesus intended.  But it isn’t like this was “just discovered” by (surprise again) the “emergent” crowd.  Somewhere, someone has always been living out the message of Jesus.  Perfectly?  Of course not.  But to hint that, essentially, no one has been able to figure it out until now is ludicrous.  We are no more “enlightened” and “evolved” than those Christians who’ve gone before us.  Technologically advanced?  Sure… but probably more to our detriment.  An interesting read, but like the other stuff I’ve read by McLaren, it goes too far at points.

The Tangible Kingdom (Hugh Halter, Matt Smay)
Check out my post on this book.  Killer book.  Must read.

The Dirty Little Secret (Craig Gross)
This book is an examination of porn–the industry, the consumption, the horrific results.  The author is one of the founders of XXXChurch.com.  Gross shares the early days of XXXChurch, stories of people he knows who’ve struggled with their addiction to porn, stories of those who wanted out of the industry and couldn’t get out, and a story of someone in the industry who wanted out… and allowed XXXChurch to help them get out.  A sobering read when you realized just how many people are affected by porn–a $13 billion a year industry.  The church can no longer afford to ignore this problem–because it’s affecting many within the church as well as many outside the church.

Total Church (Tim Chester, Steve Timmis)
A totally great read.  These guys have really nailed what it means to be the church–getting past the productions, the philosophies, and the flawed views of success that seem to predominate the western church.  Filled with Scripture, “Total  Church” lays out a vision to get the church back to being a gospel-centered community based on a community-centered gospel.  They flesh out how discipleship and pastoral care take place in the context of the gospel community.  They look at the failings of a strictly reason-based apologetic (although it has its place) and show how living out the gospel in community is a far more powerful apologetic.  They also talk about children in the community, and how including them instead of segregating them so as to reduce the attrition that usually takes place when students leave home, and thus leave the church in masses.  While this has applications to all forms of churches, the book is especially useful for organic churches.

Pagan Christianity (Frank Viola, George Barna)
To borrow the thoughts of one review, “Don’t drop this one.  It’ll explode!”  This book is volatile!  The publishers even put a preface in the front about how they don’t agree with everything in it.  In this book, the authors painstakingly document from history where some of our practices in the church came from… and it may surprise you.  While being a little harsh at points, this book is pretty much spot on.  I’ve known a lot of the things in this book for awhile, but have never seen anything documented as these authors have done.  So, pick it up at your own risk.  You might love it.  You might hate it.  But you’ll definitely be challenged by it.  The first book on next year’s list is the follow-up, Reimagining Church.

Wild Goose Chase(Mark Batterson)
I actually won this book through a contest over at Vince Antonucci’s blog.  I’ve had it for several months, but didn’t get a chance to read it until early December.  I read most of it while taking a sick day.  It’s not my favorite book in the world.  I felt it was a little uneven in places, and some of the Bible references used I felt had some details read into them.  Having said that, it was, ironically, a timely read–a “divine appointment” as author Mark Batterson wrote.  The book is all about pursuing God.  It is comprised of several character studies to show the “cages” that often imprison us, like responsibility, guilt, and a few others.  The parts that struck me the most were Batterson’s honesty about the early days of National Community Church, and how he placed so much importance on numbers.  When they didn’t show, it would depress him.  I’ve been there.  Following God is all about risky faith, and sometimes the most godly thing to do is wait on Him.  So, although it wasn’t my favorite book, it was the perfect time to read it, because I’m now preparing my church to send me off to another state to plant another, and I’m getting very reflective… looking back on how things have progressed.  This book certainly helped me do that.  It’s worth a read.

Jesus For President (Shane Claiborne, Chris Haw)
This is one of the more thought provoking books I’ve read in awhile (and I’ve read plenty this year).  The basic premise of the book is to get the reader to consider what following Jesus really means (specifically in his sermon on the mount), and how it looks practically today.  I’ve got really mixed feelings on the book.  First, the good.  The basic themes of the book are worth examining for everyday living.  What does it look like to turn the other cheek?  What does it look like to give someone your inner garment when they demand your outer garment?  What does Christian community look like?  The authors make some really good points.  They also offer some interesting insights on the historical background of Jesus’ teachings and times.  Now, the bad.  Some horrible research (which you can read about on the Amazon reviews of the book, especially the two star reviews), and reliability on some really shady “scholars”, especially John Dominic Crossan (widely known for his insanely liberal views on Scripture).  While Crossan’s research on the historical background of first century Palestine may be valid, he is widely known to have totally revised who Jesus was, and basically discounts the historicity of the biblical gospels.  Secondly, I’m not 100 percent sold on the idea that the sermon on the mount is applicable to government.  It is certainly applicable to followers of Jesus living as agents of the kingdom of God now in their everyday lives.  While I can appreciate the idea of creative submissive subversion (such as Claiborne’s sleeping in the park with the homeless which lead to the repeal of anti-homeless laws), some of this “creative subversion” really boils down to nothing more than lawbreaking.  Yes, Jesus wrecked shop in the temple (twice) and “broke” some oral traditions, but it wasn’t to make a political point.  It was to show the oppressiveness of the religious establishment’s legalism.  Would Jesus have purposefully set up stations of the cross so that it lead people to trespass onto the property of a major weapons manufacturer?  I seriously doubt it.  Jesus’ conflicts weren’t with Caesar (although his teachings certainly do show us when civil disobedience is needed–to obey God rather than men); they were with the legalistic religious establishment.  If, however, a follower of Jesus lives as he is supposed to, he may find himself at odds with the political establishment.  Also, the authors are clearly against the idea of “redemptive violence.”  Many of the Old Testament accounts are exactly that!  Having said that, the Old Testament stories cannot be used as justification for the nation building that is taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Overall, this book does have some really good points–it made me do some thinking about certain things.  Readers need to read with common sense and with discernment, and really dig into Scripture to see if the conclusions of the authors are correct (as should be done with any book).

Epic (John Eldredge)
I’d seen the DVD presentation of this by John Eldredge several times (which the above link goes to–the book/DVD set), but this is the first time I’d read the book.  It’s “artsy-fartsy”, but not so much that it will turn off meat-eating, beer-drinking, belly scratching dudes because it arouses a sense of adventure and mission.  Eldredge conjures up images of our favorite stories (especially movies).  They all have similar themes–they’re love stories, there’s an enemy, there’s a battle, there’s sacrifice, and there’s victory.  Why is that?  Eldredge says it is because they draw (whether intentionally or not) from the story–the story that God is telling.  Eldredge presents God’s story as a four part epic (and we’re nearing the end of Act 3).  It is a battle that we’re in, but most of us don’t realize it yet.  God is working through history to bring about final victory over Satan, a victory that was accomplished through the cross and empty tomb, and will fully be realized at the return of the king.  This book definitely inspires the imagination and motivates a sense of mission, helping us move from simply Christ-Admirers to Christ-Followers.  To quote the last sentence of the book, “May we play our parts well.”

The Greatest War Stories Never Told (Rick Beyer)
This was a Christmas present from my mom-in-law.  I loved every page.  It is a collection of brief two-page sketches of some little known stories of war.  I read it with a grain of salt as some of the stories are based  on rumor rather than research (Davy Crockett’s death is one of these), but for the most part it was a very entertaining read.  A nice way to end the year.