2010 Book Wrap-Up, Part 2

Your God Is Too Small
J. B. Phillips
This little classic was first released in 1961. Written as a popular level book, it has dated references to the 60's, but they do not diminish the basic ideas Phillips is trying to convey. In fact, post-moderns of today may be more ready to receive what he has to say. I think it may be available as a free eBook.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell
I'm about ten years late on getting to this one, but it is so often quoted and referenced that I finally got a copy. Great stuff. I'm hoping to read his book, Outliers, in 2011.

The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry
Wendell Berry
These poems were selected for this volume by the poet. He did not include anything from his collection called A Timbered Choir because it had so recently been released. Deeply contemplative and profound, Berry's work is the rare combination of a voice that is both prophetic and pastoral. "The best teachers teach more than they know." (p.134)

A Timbered Choir: Sabbath Poems 1979-1997
Wendell Berry
Eventually I hope to have everything Berry has written in my library. I'll certainly keep reading his poetry, but I'd like to also read some of his fiction in 2011. "Now you have slipped away / Under the trackless snow, / To you the time of day / Always is long ago. / You're safe among the dead, / Alive, your death undone. / 'Come and dine,' Christ said. Consenting you have gone." (p. 197)

The Attentive Life
Leighton Ford
This is a book of meditations and reflections organized by the liturgical hours of the day. There were some nice moments, but all in all I found it to be a bit of a long ramble. I'm not as familiar with Ford as perhaps others are, so I found it a little too personal for me to relate too—Ford, in fact, says he wrote it for himself. What I mean is that I think friends, parishioners, colleagues, students, and family members of Ford will find the book much more compelling.

Even in the Quiet Places
William Stafford
Stafford is a poet I first discovered just a few years ago. He was prolific, but I find his poems to be pretty uneven in terms of craftsmanship. This little collection of poems, however, edited by the poet's son, Kim Stafford, consistently hits the mark. I think Stafford is an acquired taste, but there's something about him that I really like.

Rumi: In the Arms of the Beloved
Trans. by Jonathan Star
I love the work of this medieval Muslim poet and Sufi mystic. Christians who have never read any of his poems are likely to be startled by what they read, as I think they'll find the Sufi heart remarkably easy to relate to. "One who is frozen and withered is lost in his own affairs. Don't be lost in your affairs– be lost in mine!" (p. 35)

The Teaching of the Twelve
Tony Jones
This small book includes the entire text of the Didache, which Jones calls "the most important book you've never heard of." Tony is one of the leading writers and speakers on the subjects of the "Emerging Church" and post-modern Christianity. This book illustrates how those who are deconstructing modernistic concepts and forms of contemporary Christianity find plenty of support and inspiration from ancient sources. It's not really a book I'd recommend, unless you're a fan of all things emergentish. If you'd like a more straightforward academic approach, I'd recommend: The Didache: A Window on the Earliest Christians.

The Human Faces of God
Thom Stark
This is not a book for those who are close-mindedly Christian or faint of heart. The subtitle of the book is: "What Scripture Reveals when It Gets God Wrong, and Why Inerrancy Tries to Hide it." I think it's probably the most important book I've read in recent years! Stark methodically dismantles simplistic approaches to the Bible and demonstrates why there really isn't any such thing as innerancy. He calls for a much braver and honest approach to the Bible than most Christians are willing to entertain.

Has Christianity Failed You
Ravi Zacharias
I have read many of Zacharias' books and have enjoyed hearing him speak on several occasions. When I saw this title, I was encouraged by the conciliatory tone of the title. Let's just say, that's not the tone evangelical apologists usually take. I'm sorry to say that having read the book I was very disappointed. The book is not conciliatory at all. In fact, I would subtitle this book: Of Course Not, How Could You Ever Come to Such a Stupid Conclusion. Maybe Ravi is getting a little testy in his old age. I had hoped this book might actually be useful for someone who truly feels failed by Christianity, but it misses that mark by a million miles. His book, Cries of the Heart would be better for such a person.

My Prayer Book
Concordia Publishing
There was an estate sale at the house across the street from where I live. The old couple who lived there for many years have both passed away, and their children ran the sale to dispense of the may things none of them wanted or needed. I found a little prayer book on the shelf in one of the rooms and bought it for a quarter. It has morning and evening prayers for each day of the month, arranged by weeks one through four. If you've never used a prayer book before, this might be a nice one to try. A newer version (with less King Jamesy language) is still available. "In prosperity keep me humble; in adversity keep me strong; and at all times give me a deep devotion to duty and confident trust in Thy mercy." (p. 6)

To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings
John O'Donahue
A book filled with well-written blessings for a surprisingly wide variety of circumstances. It also includes essays on the lost art of pronouncing blessing. "We bless this year for all we learned, / For all we loved and lost / And for the quiet way it brought us / Nearer to our invisible destination." (p. 160)