Tag Archives: Books

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Book Review – Hipster Christianity

Hipster ChristianityIt seems like Christianity is facing an identity crisis.

That is the main idea behind Brett McCracken’s book Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide.

I was immediately interested in the idea when I first saw the book. Take a look around postmodern Christianity; it’s all about trying to be cool, culturally relevant and hip.

But is that what the church is called to be? I’m not so sure. McCracken takes a stab at it in this book. And I think he hits pretty close to the mark in most of it.

In the first few chapters, McCracken defines hip and hipsterdom. And as I read those pages, I had to ask myself, is this even going to apply to my ministry situation? I mean, seriously. I live in a small town in rural southern Missouri, about as far from the centers of culture as you can get. What influence does the hipster mentality of Brooklyn, Chicago and LA really have on this area?

Quite a lot, actually. While Mountain View may not be a mecca of the postmodern hipster lifestyle, there are traces of hipsterdom in the church even here.

And then, the second and third parts of the book really started to hit home. What do Christianity and cool have in common? Should Christianity attempt to be so culturally relevant that it looks like everything else? Or is it perceived as a weak attempt at trying to fit in, after finally jumping on board eighteen to thirty-six months too late?

Is Christianity facing an identity crisis?

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Don’t Waste The Pain by David Lyons & Linda Lyons Richardson

Don't Waste The PainDon’t Waste The Pain was a difficult book for me to read, and yet very timely.

Brother and sister authors, David Lyons and Linda Lyons Richardson, take a deep look at the pain in their lives caused by cancer. Linda has dealt with cancer for a decade, while David recently lost a son to a rare form of cancer.

This book hit me pretty hard. It’s been five years since my brother Mike lost his battle with liver cancer, and now my dad is dealing with melanoma that has metastasized into several other areas of his body. Both of those are open wounds in my life.

While Don’t Waste The Pain was difficult to read, it was full of timely input into my life. At first, I didn’t really care for the style of writing, switching back and forth from David’s experiences to Linda’s. At first, I didn’t appreciate the jabbing prod into my own tender wound right now. At first, I wanted to put the book down and maybe read it later.

But I knew that if I could just get past my own mindset, I could really learn from this open and honest look into the pain of others who have dealt with similar situations.

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The Narnia Code, by Michael Ward

The Narnia CodeHave you ever read The Chronicles of Narnia? The Chronicles are some of the best loved stories of the 20th century, and for good reason; C.S. Lewis wrote so intricately and deeply that you can uncover new layers of meaning every time you read them.

Lewis claimed that each of the seven volumes were “all about Christ.” But how? Oh sure, Aslan is parallel with Christ, and other obvious comparisons. But is there something more?

Michael Ward seems to have discovered the underlying basis for just how C.S. Lewis filled each volume with Christ.

In the pre-Copernican view of things, people viewed the heavens as much more than simple scientific astronomy. Each of the heavenly bodies had symbolic significance; they held a much deeper meaning. And during that earth-centric time period, the cosmos was considered to consist of seven heavens: the sun and the moon, as well as Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

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The Summit Contest Winner!

The SummitCongratulations to Jami who is the winner of our contest to give away a copy of Eric Alexander’s The Summit.

Jami will recieve a free copy of The Summit.  New Leaf Press will handle the mailing of the book after Jami completes an online form that I will send to her.

Congratulations, Jami!

Note: The winner was determined by using Random.org’s generator. I entered the total number of legitimate comments and it gave me a random number to determine the winner.

Looking for more info about The Summit?
Read my review of the book.
Check out Eric’s website at www.highersummits.com.

If you are interested in reading The Summit, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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The American Patriots’ Almanac – by William J. Bennett & John T.E. Cribb

The American Patriot's AlmanacOne of my favorite subjects is history, especially American history. I love learning about the people who were a part of the foundations of our nation, and the people who have made a difference throughout our nation’s history.

The American Patriot’s Almanac just made getting my history fix a whole lot easier. Composed of short, concise readings about significant events, known and unknown, in American history, the Almanac allows you to read a little piece of history each day. Of course, you could gorge yourself, and read it all at once, also.

This fascinating Almanac will make a great additional resource for our homeschool history classes. And the stories told aren’t found in most other history books, so our kids are pretty intrigued.

The American Patriot’s Almanac provides the opportunity to learn about the history, heroes, and achievements that compose our great nation.

I loved initially paging through the book, as well as a second, more in-depth, reading.

If you are a history buff, then this one is for you! Check it out today.

If you are interested in reading The American Patriot’s Almanac, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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A Blueprint For Personal Growth

Leaders are committed to continual growth. Without a consistent habit of learning, a leader cannot expect to stay in that position for very long. The simple truth is this: people unwilling to change will never reach their potential. And there is nothing more effective when it comes to reaching potential than a solid commitment to personal growth.

Blueprints

There are several things that you can do to help develop you into a person dedicated to personal growth. These are not hard and fast rules, but they are principles that you can use and apply to your specific life situation.

Make a choice to grow.
Leaders are committed to the continual process of self-improvement. Make the choice to grow. Studies indicate that an overwhelming majority of people never read another book once they have completed schooling, at whatever level. Continual growth doesn’t necessarily mean more school, it could come in the form of books. In order to improve yourself, you have to choose to grow.

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Book Review – Primal by Mark Batterson

PrimalI read Mark Batterson’s Primal while at CIY Wilderness last week. All I can say is “Wow!”

Primal was a very interesting read. The concept is simple: The Great Commandment tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. But how do we do that? What does that look like?

Batterson describes those four areas as developing a heart of compassion, a soul filled with wonder, a curious mind, and energetic strength.

Each of these four areas has a section of the book dedicated to its discussion. And it’s a very interesting discussion indeed. Batterson sheds light on each of these four areas in manners and ways I’ve never thought of before.

For example, he starts the discussion of heart with the little known medical fact that heart transplant recipients often experience new cravings and feelings. This is called cellular memory, and is commonplace in the field of cardiology, as well as other fields.

Interesting idea. We have been given a new heart. Our heart has been replaced with the heart of Christ. Should we not start loving our world and the people in it the same way that Christ does?

Batterson makes you think. And he does this in all four sections.

Primal is definitely worth reading.

If you are interested in reading Primal, A Quest For The Lost Soul Of Christianity by Mark Batterson, you can purchase it at Amazon in print or for Kindle.