The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is by NT Wright

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The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was & IsTakeaway: The search for who Jesus is, is important for every generation, not because Jesus changes, but because we do.

I honestly cannot express how disappointing it is that when listening to the introduction (this was an audiobook) I find that this book is based on a series of lectures that NT Wright gave while in Chicago speaking to seminary students and others for a conference put on by Intervarsity in 1999.  Because I was in Chicago, and was a seminary student in 1999, and I had no idea that this conference happened.

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Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (David’s Review)

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Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

One of the benefits of multiple reviewers is that we can read the same books and give our different takes.  Adam’s previous review of Unbroken is here.

Louie Zamperini has an incredible story. It’s amazing what one person can experience in a lifetime. His story made me really think about what I would do if I had to go through what he did.

While I don’t think Hillenbrand intended to make any political statements with the book, I couldn’t help but think about Louie’s story of torture and the current debate in our country on gathering intelligence on prisoners of war. Hillenbrand gives you a little bit of history on Japan during World War II.

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New Bible Reading Strategy

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I have been hit over and over and over again lately about how important it is to be intentional and regular in my bible study.  I have read through the bible multiple times.  I have a seminary degree and was a class short of a theology minor in college.  But I feel like scripture is more a knowledge thing than something that is in my soul.  What I can tell about most of the spiritual writers I read is that the real meaning of scripture has seeped into them.

So for the next year I am going to try a bible reading suggestion that I read recently.  I am going to spend six month at a time on a single book.  So my goal is 1) to read four books (mostly commentaries) about a particular book of the bible.  2) Read the book at least 10 times during the six months.  3) Memorize at least 10 verses of the book.  The goal is not study, it is soul work.

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Digital Disciple: Real Christianity in a Virtual World by Adam Thomas

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Digital DiscipleTakeaway: God is with us, whether we are in the virtual world or the physical world.

Billed as one of the first Episcopal priests of the Millennial generation (a bit too often).  I believe this is the first book on technology and Christianity that was written by a digital native.  While I appreciate some of the thoughts of Shane Hipps and Tim Challies and others, the reality is that we are still too early in the process to fully see how the digital revolution is going to affect our society and more importantly Christianity.

Adam Thomas is much more positive about God being with us as we are in digital space.  He adapts the Psalms 139 “if we are in the valley you are there, if we are in the heights you are there” idea to include “if we are on a quest in World of Warcraft you are there”.  This is the overriding message of this short book.

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The King Jesus Gospel by Scot McKnight

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The King Jesus GospelTakeaway: The Gospel is about proclaiming Christ as Lord over all, not primarily about personal salvation.

Some books just give words to those ideas that have been floating around in your brain and suddenly you have a way to express what you were not previously able to express.  The King Jesus Gospel is one of those books.

Over the past months, I have been struggling through understanding scripture and the church and the gospel and how it all relates.  Of course, not all of my questions are answered and of course, I am not sure about all of McKnight’s answers, but his basic thesis, that we need to re-orient the way we talk about the gospel I am convinced is one of the most important messages I have heard.

Early in the book McKnight summarized his thesis (which he does a number of times throughout the book).

“Perhaps the most important thing I can say about what this book will argue boils down to these points:

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Don’t Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never- Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems

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Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never- Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World ProblemsTakeaway: Great subtitle, not interested in the book

Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition

Today is going to be my day for writing about books that I am giving up on.  I tend to read most books I start eventually.  It may take a while, I may put it down for months at a time.  But at some point I have to decide whether it is worth it or I should just give up.

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The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm, illustrated by Gail Schoonmaker

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The Big Picture Story Bible (Book and CD set)

Takeaway: A picture bible for Pre-school/early readers that shows the whole story of the bible as centered on Christ.

I do not often review kids books, but I read a good number of them.  I am a full time nanny for my two nieces (3.5 and 2) and so spend a good bit of time reading to them.  My wife is a teacher and moved the reading loft out of her classroom and into the bedroom that my oldest niece uses at our house.  So we rearranged all the books and have spent a lot of time reading books that have not been read recently.

I have had a copy of The Big Picture Story Bible since it first came out.  Gail Schoonmaker, the illustrator, was the parent of one of my wife’s 1st grade students at the time the bible came out and gave it to my wife as a Christmas present.

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When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado

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When God Whispers Your Name (The Bestseller Collection)

Takeaway: God Loves you personally.

I understand why Max Lucado is such a popular author.  He is a great story teller.  He wraps up good lessons in humorous stories and retells scripture in modern versions that help the reader to think about them in a new way.  Lucado does what a good Christian author should do, gets us to think about God and and spiritual matters as part of daily life and not just as a portion of life.

I am not really sure whether this was a free promotion or if someone that shares my audible account purchased this.  I know I have had it for a while and just never listened to it.  It is a short books (really short if you have the abridged audiobook).  Still it feels a bit meandering (the positive version of the word, like walking on a wooded path).  Lucado keeps walking around the subject and taking different approaches.  The basic point is that God knows you as an individual.  That we feel want and desire because we long for God and that want and desire will never fully be satisfied short of Christ’s return.  It is a good message, one that I think that many people need to hear and to respond to concretely.

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