A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Donald Miller

As I read through the first few chapters of this book, my first impression was ‘this is curious’.  Most of the books I read are of a different genre.  What, really, was this book about?  He had my attention, but where was he taking me?

My next impression came as a particular sentence insisted that I stop and think about what I had just read.  This was more than curious.  This was insightful.  He wrote: A character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it is the basic structure of a good story.  My life was flashing before my eyes.  Hmmm.

It became difficult to put the book down and to pursue the requirements of my usual day.  This guy, Don, was on to something that was inviting me to see life – my life – from a fresh new perspective.  He had more than engaged my attention, he was doing surgery on my life. 

There was, I confess, one event in his story that got past all my well-constructed defenses and had me so thoroughly in tears that I had to put the book down for 24 hours. It was the story about search for his dad. I’m a sucker for reconciliation stories and the one Don relates in this book is a wing-dinger! 

This book moved from curious to insightful and then to inspiring.  Don’s story was not merely something to escape into, to vicariously live within for a time, and then – finally - leave the reader with a wise set of proverbs to occasionally revisit and cleverly share with others through life.  The inspirational elements of this book challenge us to live life differently – providing not only opportunities to join something Don has created, but to imagine for ourselves novel ways to serve our world.  In other words, to see ourselves in a much larger story than ourselves – much as described in John Eldredges’ book, Epic.

This book does not end with a pretty  finale.  Rather, his story leaves the reader with an invitation to re-imagine.  I can’t imagine anyone who would not be more than blessed by reading this book – in fact, in reading all of Don’s books.  Then, re-reading them.

For more info: http://donmilleris.com

The Tangible Kingdom, by Hugh Halter & Matt Smay

Insipid. Having no flavor. That, despite the call to be the ’salt’ of the earth, is what the church is, and has long been, for most folks. With stinging accuracy, sprinkled with consistently self-deprecating humor, Halter and Smay present not only the dismal ’state of the 21st century church’, but also offer insightful and practical solutions designed to reconcile the body with it’s true head, Jesus Christ.

Here is a book every church leadership team, and every believer, ought not only to read and re-read – as I have – but to utilize as a discussion starter for planning the way back home. The world must ’see’ and ‘touch’ the tangible evidence of the kingdom of heaven in the lives of God’s children. The church must make visible what God has already done.

Unfortunately, we neglect to question the status quo and persist in repeating the ways of church that may have worked in years gone by, but have morphed into a fatal autoimmune disease that is killing us in the present. What the world knows today as the ‘church’ is a parody of the kingdom. It is time to stop, look, and intentionally re-imagine in the Spirit how God chooses to reveal himself through his people.

The authors are not mere philosophers, speaking into something they have themselves never tried. They present a scripturally sound, personally tested, and marvelously hopeful way forward. Beware, though, their observations are guaranteed to push your buttons. On the other hand, their solutions are elegantly simple – to the point where you will immediately say, ‘oh, was it always that simple? Why didn’t we see that before?’

It’s Really All About God, by Samir Selmanovic

At first glace one would think that this book is just another in a long line of publications making the case for Christian pluralism. It isn’t.

Rather, Samir asks, ‘does God have to be absent out there in order to be present in here?” What if God is at work in ‘others’ as well as within my life? Do we need to vilify others in order to be really certain about what we believe? Would the conclusion that God works in the lives of others who believe differently than I do, necessitate that what I believe is erroneous? Does God ‘favor’ me more than others simply because I was lucky enough to be born into and then personally received my particular – and often peculiar – religious faith?

This book is not a call to reconcile all religions, nor even to look for a middle way. It is an invitation to notice and to value the presence of God in the lives of every being on the planet despite tremendous differences in our belief systems. It presents an opportunity to engage the kingdom of God without denying the religion of Christianity – or any other religion.

God is always at work. He has always been at work – even in that which is ordinary, different, and seemingly inimical to self. The kingdom of God is here and yet it is not the same as Christianity. Christianity cannot ‘manage’ God nor contain him. God is ungraspably beyond any creed or ritual. It is humbling to acknowledge that “our speaking of God is never actually speaking of God, but only of our understanding of God”.

The author’s key thesis, in my thinking, might well be captured in the following quotation: ‘when we disagree against one another, destruction or even death results; when we disagree for one another, life happens”. Samir does not encourage us to yield up our current creedal notions, rather he suggests that when we embrace one another in the universal language of love – despite differences – we both confess and proclaim the presence of God in our world. It really is all about God.

Truly, a through provoking book and one that I will need to re-read often.

The Search for God and Guinness, by Stephen Mansfield

I do not believe that the average Joe would expect a biography about beer to uplift one’s spiritual being. Yet a more than ordinary man, Arthur Guinness, was full of surprises – as you will discover in this book.

Mansfield takes us, as usual, on a delightful journey. He prepares us with a rather comprehensive, yet intriguing, tutelage on the history of beer. From the Fertile Crescent fields of barley, washing down Roman roads, into the hands of papal beer saints, and all the way north into the mug of Irish reverends – beer has delighted and distracted humanity for millennia,

Monasteries, Wittenberg, Institutes, the Awakening, and Cape Cod miracles were not unusual shared drafts between brewers and the faithful. Christians have consistently favored a moderate consumption of malted barley as part and parcel of vibrant faith – as a gift from God. Arthur Guinness took this art to newly appreciated heights, teaching the world how faith in God, good business principles, love for fellow man, and ethical living is always a win-win blessing to community.

The Guinness family has been, over several centuries, an incredible example of the good that god-fearing people of wealth can do for the less fortunate. The Guinness family has produced not only excellent leaders in business, but also many influential clergymen, legislators, and servicemen. Their steadfastness to tried and true principles as well as a willingness to do the research necessary to lead in new ventures has enlightened our whole world.

Whether you like beer or not, whether you are a teetotaler or not, Mansfield’s story of the Guinness family will uplift your soul and offer the reader a set of principles worthy of the attention of all.

Called to Worship, by Vernon M. Whaley

Worship wars are an all to frequent reality among Christians – despite the fact that this should be an oxymoron.  Whaley’s book is an attempt to address the various issues regarding worship by surveying the biblical testimony on the topic from Genesis to Revelation. 

The reader will discover many useful insights into the history of worship practices.  I appreciated the author’s emphasis and evidence for looking at the principles of worship, rather than preferences in worship styles.  Worship is portrayed as heart-felt adoration the is our gift to God rather than a specific manner. For those who are wading through worship wars, you will find this book well written, informative, and organized in a manner that is easy to grasp and to share with others.

There were a few things about this book that I found questionable.  Having come from a very different worship context I encountered several expected  novel perspectives of scripture.  Interestingly, I also found interpretations that seemed clearly anachronistic in nature.  There were some, in my opinion,  inconsistencies in logic where an argument for interpreting one text was not used for another. 

Additionally, I found the author’s appeal to old testament scriptures to inform new testament practice lacking the usual re-interpretation through the knowledge of a risen savior.  In other words, the worship practices prior to the cross cannot be directly applied to today without some careful re-examination.  New covenant, kingdom existence by necessity changes worship practices.

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand how believers have worshipped God throughout time.  I would recommend that a second edition address the issues raised above and include an addendum listing critiques and the authors responses. 

Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions, by J.A. Beverley

The introduction to this book ought to be read by every pastor and church administrator. It is a clearly articulated review of Christianity 101 – which is so easily forgotten as we get diverted by ‘doing’ church. The introduction also sets the stage, as it ought to, for the authors approach in reviewing each religion.

From a coherent foundation on what makes Christianity Christian, each religion is generously approached while carefully compared to Christian basics. Obviously, all religions are not the same, nor are all ‘good’.  But it would be wise to have a fair-minded understanding of the religions of this world.

This is designed to be an introduction to world religions – from the Baha’i to Witchcraft – rather than a detailed study. Yet, it is well organized, captures the essence of each religious group, & offers sufficient and useful references for further research.

One other aspect of this publication that makes it far more than a useful reference book of dates, beliefs, and historical events is that the reader is introduced to personalities associated with most of these religions. Though succinctly written, each religion is a story and not just a chart of facts.

This book is pleasant and a fascinating read, not merely another book to add to one’s dust-collecting shelf of reference-only texts.

Finding God in The Shack

Randal Rauser’s recent book, Finding God in the Shack, is an important addition to the emerging church ‘conversation’. Rauser addresses many of our long held assumptions about God and our traditional understanding of the nature of inspiration. The Shack confronts our comfortable theological conditioning by presenting God the ‘Father’ as a large African-American woman and the Spirit as and Asian woman. Moreover, the story line forces us to think through our notions about the trinity and why God allows suffering.

We accept the testimony of the scriptures that its authors were inspired by God. We therefore assume that the descriptions of God found in scripture are factual. But, what if they speak truths without being facts? In other words, could God have been speaking in a manner that fit the finiteness of human minds? When a mother speaks babble to an infant and the infant responds with joy, she isn’t factually speaking any known language but she is – in truth – speaking love. Could we have assumed more about the scriptures than is really helpful? Just because something is ‘inspired’ doesn’t necessitate that it is factual. It can be pointing us to truth without being fact. To assume otherwise is to suspect that the infinite eternal God speaks to us as equals – which, clearly, is not a fact. Rather, the infinite God accommodates us.

The curious question is, what happens when humans become aware of accommodation? Does such awareness insist that we re-examine the nature of inspiration and rethink many of our theological notions? Wasn’t the incarnation an accommodation?

Our human tendency to make concrete that which is metaphorical is immense. God is good, therefore God would never speak non-factually, said a preacher friend of mine recently. With such narrow thinking former Christians who are now atheistic used that same reasoning. If God truly was good he would never have allowed my innocent child to suffer abuse – the underlying story in The Shack. But, what if God is good and does allow suffering that he could have prevented? What if God is good and yet does meet us where we are as sinful human beings, speaking to us through ideas that are not factual, but were intended only to convey truths?

Read the book.

It Happened In Italy, by Elizabeth Bettina

Concentration camps in Italy during the Second World War? I hadn’t read that in my High School History books – even in the Catholic parochial school I attended. What were these camps like? How many Jews were cruelly forced into incinerators, inhumanely experimented upon, and maliciously treated like animals? How much like Auschwitz were the camps in Italy?

Not only was I surprised to learn about Italian concentration camps, but equally surprised with the rest of the story. Italian Catholics protected and hid many Jews who had escaped the German atrocities. Sure, they were placed in ‘concentration camps’, but they were treated like fellow human beings – Italian style – with schools for the kids, marriages, parties, and the gift of dignity. In fact, many lasting friendships developed between Catholic Italians and Jewish refugees. Though Italy and Germany were allies, the Italian people proved that political covenants were never going to change their unique character and culture.

I am half Italian. My grandfather came to America after the war. In our many discussions – having lived with my grandparents during my first year of college – I never heard any stories such as these. Why have these stories not been told before? In the midst of unforgettable human insanity, there was also human compassion.

The world owes a debt of gratitude not only to Elizabeth Bettina for her tireless efforts in sleuthing out these details and helping us understand this wonderful truth, but also to the many Italians and the Catholic Church for their willingness to risk their own lives to save so many Jewish lives.

This book is written simply, outlining the unfolding drama of discovery – life after life – where Italian and Jewish families were brought together and forever connected through many acts of compassion.

The Noticer, by Andy Andrews

Some times, seemingly just at the right time, we meet a person who, in a few short words, changes our whole perspective on a life circumstance.  In Andy Andrews newest book, The Noticer, there is one such character that looks for, notices, people who just need to see things from a different point of view.  He finds a way to cleverly insert himself into their lives, caringly confronts them with questions, and helps them ‘see’ the better way.

Andy begins his story by sharing his own providential encounters with this stranger who self-describes his particular gift as noticing things.  He had watched Andy, cared about Andy, discovered a way to help Andy, and then made it a point to meet Andy.  Some strangers are heaven sent, or so it may seem. 

The story continues by introducing us to others who have met this peculiar, yet much loved man. Each person sees him, though, somewhat differently, but everyone grows to like him and is thankful for his unexpected and even uninvited entrance into their lives.  No one really knows where he has come from, where he lives, what his real name is, or exactly how old he is.  It doesn’t really matter.  He has taken the time to engage them in conversations that turned out to be welcomed incredible blessings in their lives.

Though the reader is immediately captured by the stories of everyday people struggling almost helplessly with everyday kinds of issues, Andrews uses these real-to-life events as a skilled therapist, counseling each of us, the readers, as well.  ‘Wow, that’s pretty good advice’, I kept saying to myself chapter after chapter, story after story.  I need to ‘notice’ things around me in a manner that broadens my own perspectives in life.  In fact, I just need to be more intentional about keeping a larger perspective in mind.  In the end, the Noticer visited me through the pages of this fabulous book, and I’m forever thankful for his words of counsel that have changed my life.

The Principle of the Path, by Andy Stanley

Thomas Nelson 2008

In brief, this is a common sense, no brainer book. In one sense, unfortunately, it rehashes that which many other authors have said – which makes me wonder why Andy wrote this book. True, we all need to have these ideas re-iterated from time to time with freshly minted illustrations. Also, each writer has his/her own dedicated followers who will hear from their favorite author that which they won’t bother to attend to from a less favored author. Now, having said the above, let me just say that what Andy has written is great stuff!

The perversity of human nature leads even the most successful, intelligent, and gifted people astray – undermining the good they have already accomplished and often destroying their potential for more. Why? Andy makes it quite clear. When we put ourselves in the seat that should only be inhabited by the eternal One, we’ve gotten both feet firmly placed – yet on a banana peel. Human society functions best when we operate under laws, understand the reality and nature of principles, and depend upon the guidance of God – from whom true wisdom comes.

If we get ourselves headed in the right direction (other wise known as being right headed), i.e. finding in Christ the strongest emotional attention-getting presence in the universe, we are far less likely to fall prey to the plethora of life-destroying enticements designed to capture our soul. Good intentions are insufficient. We all need something greater than ourselves to ground us and maintain us in a healthy direction. In addition to a deep commitment to God, we need each other. We need to hear from diverse voices that are equally committed to God – voices that hold us accountable, encourage us, strengthen us, and love us.

Not all dreams come true, writes Andy, because some things truly are out of our hands. Yet, why shoot ourselves in the foot, why sabotage ourselves, when we could have accomplished so much? Grab this book and read it from cover to cover. If it seems familiar, don’t stop reading. Andy gives fresh new illustrations that are designed to keep this message clear. Follow the tried and true principles articulated in this book. The results will speak for themselves.