Overdue Book Reports 2009

The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
A wonderful little book with a great big message. This inspired me to preach my "The Prodigal Church" sermon series. 2009.02.12

New and Selected Poems, Vol. 1 by Mary Oliver
I just love the poems of Mary Oliver. Her powers of observation, sense of wonder, precision of words, and nurturing tone are nurturing and inspiring to me. 2009.03.01

The Last Word and the Word after That by Brian McLaren
I finally got to the last of the books in McLaren's New Kind of Christian trilogy. I thought his writing style got better with each new book. I appreciate the fictional narrative approach to provoking conversation and awareness about a myriad of relevant and difficult topics (theological, doctrinal, ecclesiological) facing Christians today. 2009.03.11

Between Two Worlds by John Stott
I finally got to this classic book about preaching written by one of the finest preachers I have ever had the privilege to hear. The book included biblical, historical, practical, and personal insights on the craft of preaching. 2009.03.15

Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne & Chris Haw
I thought reading this book would give me a good idea of Claiborne's views on politics and social justice. I was right. Lot's of great stuff here, and every page is illustrated in full color. 2009.04.15

Prayer Coach by James L. Nicodem
I heard about this book through Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed blog. It's a very practical "how-to" sort of book for anyone looking for some ideas to be intentional about the practice of prayer. While there is some good basic coaching here, there is also a pretty substantial amount of cheerleading. 2009.04.30

Culture Making by Andy Crouch
There was a lot of buzz about this book. I enjoyed it and thought it was well written. I got the most out of the first half of the book. 2009.04.24

New and Selected Poems, Vol. 2 by Mary Oliver
"I tell you this To break your heart, / by which I mean only / that it break open and never close again / to the rest of the world." (From "Lead" p. 54) 2009.05.07

Local Wonders by Ted Koozer
Deceptively simple essays and short prose pieces filled with all kinds of profound insights. The book is arranged in sections that correspond to seasons of the year. I read the book out of order, but in sync with the actual seasons I was experiencing. Took me back to lots of Nebraska memories.

"If you can awaken / inside the familiar / and discover it new / you need never leave home." (p. 94) 2009.05.13

The Myth of a Christian Nation by Gregory A. Boyd
This is a book I read at the same time as one of my high school students from church. The goal was to discuss Christian perspectives on politics. This book is a thought-provoking corrective needed in this time when so many let their faith be confused with and co-opted by a political agenda. It's a good reminder that the Lordship of Christ stands above and apart from your country and your political partisanship. 2009.05.17

God's Rivals by Gerald R. McDermott
Yet another book I read with a high school student from our church as part of the special Leadership U group I was leading. Rather than simply seeing other religions as nothing more than rivals to Christianity, McDermott explores possible reasons for why they exist and the potential purposes they may serve. 2009.06.01

Creation by Alister McGrath
One of the short and beautifully illustrated books in the Truth and the Christian Imagination series by McGrath. In this book he explains important Christian theological perspectives relating to creation. The commentary is accompanied by seven masterpiece paintings from the history of art. 2009.06.15

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory
Read through this little book as part of my prep for the Dinner with Jesus sermon series I preached last summer. I wondered if it might be something worth putting in our church resource center. I didn't find it to be too good. Typical evangelical "pat answer" approaches to questions unbelievers have. 2009.06.25

The Useful Sinner by J. David Hawkins
Heard about this confessional memoir through the Mockingbird website. It's out of print, but they had a few copies for people who were interested. I read it on vacation up on the North Shore. 2009.06.26

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus
by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg
Just something I ran across on an Amazon.com search. It had a few good insights, but was written in almost too much of an evangelical vernacular. 2009.06.27

Consider the Oyster by MFK Fisher
I read this little book at my son Tyler's suggestion. He had heard about it on NPR. Didn't really ring my bell. Maybe I'm not enough of a foodie to really truly enjoy it. 2009.07.05

Living Things by Anne Porter
I discovered Anne Porter's poetry through Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac on Minnesota Public Radio. Her depth, perceptiveness, warmth, and faith come through everything she writes. I hope to read everything she has written. 2009.07.20

At Table with Jesus by John O. Gooch
A nifty little study book I used as a reference while preaching my Dinner with Jesus sermon Series. 2009.08.31

Christianity in Crisis by Hank Hanegraaff
I read this because one of the high school students in my church was reading it. He was very interested in reading a critique of the "prosperity," "word of faith," "spiritual warfare" preachers like Hagin, Copeland, Hinn. I wish there were some other books on this topic. 2009.09.02