So Many Books.... .So Little Time

If you had to create a list of books as "recommended reading" for your church, what would you choose? What if you were forced to narrow it down to 10? And (attempt) to have a variety?

I'd love to know what your favorite books are!

Unity of the Church

"The unity of the church will consist
not in organizations,
not in dogmas,
not in liturgies,
not in pious hearts,
but in the word of God,
in the voice of Jesus Christ."

- Bonhoeffer

Playing Favorites

A few weeks ago, my church began a six week series titled "Be Different." In some ways, it is a follow-up of our "Creed" series where we went through the Apostle's Creed and took a closer look at basic tenets of our faith. Topics like Creation, Christ, God, Salvation, etc. "Be Different" in a way says that, because of what we believe, we now go out and DO things. Our beliefs fuel our action.

Belief is very important, especially to me. I am always wondering what is truth? Is there absolute truth? What does it mean when people say "all truth is God's truth" because.... in some ways, I kinda almost feel like we invent our own brand of truth and what is 'right or wrong' is now rooted in our own personal belief systems. I can't recount how many times last week I kept reading that "everything changes" when we hear a person's personal story. How can we say something is wrong when we know there story? But does their story or experience change truth?

Truly, I search for answers and am finally very nearly coming to wonder if there are any. (though I still believe there must be absolute truth!)

Sorry; those that know me understand my little tangents and strings of questions. Infuriating quirk, I know but this is really a personal blog and no one reads it anyways!

Our "Be Different" series began with one of the pastors preaching on "John Newton and the Gospel". It was fascinating, partly because Pastor Philip did a very good job, but also because John Newton is quite a character and study in life transformation. I was already aware of John Newton's life so it wasn't quite as shocking to me, but in later conversations with others, I realized that if you didn't know the story it was even more impacting. John Newton was simply a horrible person, yet redeemed and transformed and such a difference! You can listen to Pastor Philip's message HERE. 

This past Sunday, Pastor Joe spoke on Mother Teresa and did a very good job as well. Mother Teresa was also a compelling character, not because of her wretchedness like John Newton, but because of her goodness. Pastor Joe kept coming back to the fact that Mother Teresa was really just a normal, ordinary person who was simply obedient. Nice try, but I think we all hold Mother Teresa up as a saint!  Personally, knowing that Pastor Joe was speaking about her, I was wondering how he'd address what she has described as her "dark night of the soul"...... her feelings that God had abandoned her. That intrigues me; to speak openly and honestly about what perhaps is a universal feeling: the absence of feeling God. The doubts. The agony of feeling abandoned and what the truth is in that situation. I think that would be really interesting to hear from the pulpit. Admitting that sometimes faith is not perfect.

Still, it was a good message and part of it was an encouragement and a challenge to not just pray but go and do; to take action. Love someone, do what you can in obedience. At least that's what I got out of it without going back and double checking my notes.

At the end of every message in our "Be Different' series, we're issuing a challenge to the congregation and to the readers of twinoakschurchblog.com. Philip's challenges are listed HERE and hopefully Joe's will be posted tomorrow. This coming Sunday one of our elders, Steve, will be speaking on Brother Lawrence. (wait; isn't he a mystic? My oh my!)  Other historical  figures we'll be discussing are Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Sister Irma (and I will admit: I have no idea who she is!) and ending it with Martin Luther King, Jr. (again, I'm looking forward to how MLK Jr. is handled.)

Did you notice? At least 2 of the 6 are Catholics! And I wonder if Sister Irma is too and that would make it 3 out of 6. The Very Reformed Protestant in me is offended; do the Catholics have a "market" on serving the poor in love, or prayer? But then I realized that some of my favorite authors are considered "Catholics" and C.S. Lewis isn't and yet, everyone wants to claim him.

My questions to you are:

1) Who is your favorite Catholic? (it can be author, humanitarian, religious figure)

2) Who would you choose for this "Be Different" series? Which historical figures would you select that embody the characteristics of:

• the Gospel 
• worship
• discipleship 
• prayer 
• missions 
• social justice 

My answers? My favorite Catholics are Tolkien and Chesterton, both primarily known for their writings. 

As for who I'd choose that reflect the spiritual truths above, I'm not really sure. Definitely I'd choose Bonhoeffer for discipleship. And I do think that John Newton was a perfect choice for understanding the Gospel. (just read the lyrics of "Amazing Grace"). I'm still musing over the others. 

It's been awhile...

It's been awhile since I've blogged. Partly because I've nothing coherent to say; partly because does it really matter what I have to say, think or believe?

I'm still pondering those questions. In the meantime, please share with me what books you are currently reading (or recently read) and your thoughts on the books and if you'd recommend them to folks. (namely ME!)

If you are wondering what I'm reading, I just finished Bob Goff's Love Does and actually enjoyed it and think most people would too.

Also recently finished was Douglas Wilson's Evangellyfish.  I have to admit, that at first it just filled me with dismay, thinking of the dysfunction and hypocrisy and immorality in the Church but at the end, I simply enjoyed it and gave me much food for thought. Plus, it is incredibly engaging and well-written.

Real Marriage DVD Kit

There's been so much controversy about Mark Driscoll and his book and book tour of "Real Marriage." I will admit, I wasn't looking forward to this DVD series and so I gave it to a friend who is doing the group study in her small young marrieds community group. She's actually going to give me a better, more in depth write up of the study. From what I looked it, (without doing it in a group) is a DVD kit that looks like it would be excellent for use in a small group. There's an openness in the DVD that promotes people to be open about their own struggles; there are topics addressed that would be difficult to approach had it not been brought up in the DVD. The questions are probing but constructive. I am looking forward to hearing what my friend thought of it in a group couples setting. Mark Driscoll often gets in trouble for the brash way he can come across but many really need to hear the straightforwardness of his words and, though I might not always like or agree, I am thankful for him and his ministry. I received a copy of the DVD by booksneeze. The views I hold are my own.

Words I Loathe

"Buy In"

Oh how I cringe when I hear the word "buy in" in church. Why is it like this? Why do we need to get our own people, people who come to church faithfully and worship freely, to manipulate them to "buy in" to what the church is doing and its existence?

Why?

It fills me with sadness and yet, it's such a reality: marketing, making it attractive and presentable.


Why isn't the Gospel and the Glory of God enough of a "buy in"?

Everything

Everything by Mary DeMuth is a good, challenging book! It is broken up into 3 sections. Part 1 is Head - What We Think. Part 2 is Heart - Who We Are and Part 3 is Hands - How We Live. Basically, these three components add up to 'everything'. Jesus wants our everything - Head, Heart and Hands.

At the end of every chapter are Questions for Reflection and Discussion, that really add to the book. These questions would also be useful if you were to do this in a group study. Mary writes from the heart and is very sincere and passionate, as well as very open about her life and journey. Because of this, it doesn't sound like a sermon, but one person earnestly sharing her journey with others.

Everything is a good, challenging book. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.