The Return

Review: I Am A Follower: The Way, Truth, and Life of Following Jesus Leonard Sweet 2012 Thomas Nelson Sweet has produced what I consider to be his best work lately. Apparently, I am not alone in my opinion as the book has numerous recommendations preceding the title page. To add anything more than what has already been said seems unnecessary, but since my name is not one of the recognized group I will try to add something from the bottom tier of readers. Sweet once again is coming against the business model method of church leadership. Yes, even the word leadership is a problem, but Sweet has a difficult time avoiding its use. He is correct though in opposing the mentality of professional churchmen and business practices that have driven the marketing of Christianity of late; however he is not opposed to “plundering the Egyptians” for items or techniques that might be useful. His repeated admonishment to the leaders of Christianity does help refocus on Who is actually sup...

Review: A Woman’s Guide to Fasting Lisa E. Nelson Bethany House Publishers 2011 I have read a couple of other guides to fasting, but this one is the best. At least, I think so. Lisa Nelson covers all the bases in this short work. Most important, is the repeated admonition that fasting is not a means to get something from God but that it has much to do with humility before God. That is worth taking the time to read this book in itself. The how-to part is necessary, but the why-to even more so. Nelson’s style is so relaxed and readable. Her encouragement and personal insights make me want to reconsider the idea of fasting. Yes, I had tried it a couple of times and failed miserably. She offers several approaches to fasting as to length of a fast and timing, like, don’t try to fast over the holidays, unless you are specifically called to do so. I like this lady! She’s also very honest about some of the effects that fasting can have on the body. Good to know stuff even...

Review: Going Deep: Becoming a Person of Influence Gordon MacDonald Thomas Nelson 2011 A quiet, well told account of the shift to depth from program by MacDonald. I really think the book would be better suited for a pastoral audience than a general readership. Having said that, I do not mean that the general reader will not benefit from this book. For them, this book is so illustrative of a pastor’s heart and his challenge to follow God’s leading in his life and how it affects the congregation’s lives. Want to help your pastor? Read this book. For the pastoral ministry group, this book shows how one pastor worked through a challenge put before him. The account is fictionalized, but still contains so much wisdom. Younger leaders need to have a mentor like this author portrays in this book. And the best part is that it so readable. Loved the presentation MacDonald chose for this. His characters are believable as well. The down side is that there needs to be a sequel t...

Review: A Heart for Freedom Chai Ling Tyndale House Publishers 2011 Powerful. Inspiring. Humbling. I was not expecting what this book delivered. It’s Chai Ling’s story to be sure, but it awakens so much more within the reader that I fear this review will fail to cover it adequately. I initially requested this book for review to discover the rest of the story of Tiananmen Square. The visual that is on the cover of that one student in front of the tank is all that most of us will know or remember of that time. Her ability to tell this story is described as “gripping” by one endorsement and that is so true. The underlying story that comes to life through this book totally captivated me. I found it hard to put down. The hard parts are there too. They can make you cry for her and her countrymen. It is a well written work and a testimony to perseverance and courage. Her story of freedom is more than Tiananmen Square; it’s the story of women everywhere and especially t...

Insightful, Illuminating and readable are the words that I think best describe this book. Jethani has focused on five tiny words---under, over, from, for, and with---to illustrate the different ways most of us relate to God. Brilliant idea, I think. The writing is clear, thoughtful, and even touching from time to time. He does not leaving you hanging with no recommendations for change and does go on in an appendix to give the reader a few ideas that he found helpful. Nothing new there; we know what needs to happen, but a reminder certainly isn’t out of order. You will find yourself identifying people you know, stages that you may have gone through, or even find yourself in the midst of now. This book explains one of the major reasons for burn-out and disillusionment among Christians. I liked the inclusion of Loyola’s examen and the brief explanation of that practice. Made much more sense and is doable in Jethani’s version. There is also a study guide for private or gro...

DeYoung and Gilbert have authored a thoughtful look at the mission of the church. The first task they undertook was to sort through the different ideas and definitions of mission. They do arrive at what seems a reasonable definition, which means I generally agree with it. Much of the book is devoted to developing their theme that mission and ministries can be distinctly different, even to the place of losing sight of one another altogether. Another point they make later is that the church, a Christian, and a bunch of Christians do not necessarily have the same focus, mission, or ministry. That is a very important point and I think needs to revisited and expanded. The confusion that these authors see about the mission of the church is based in that area, I think. But, as well written as this book is, the crowning glory for it is the epilogue, a fictitious conversation between a young church starter and a mature pastor. If for no other reason than this epilogue, this bo...

Review: Upside: Surprising Good News about the State of Our World. Bradley R.E. Wright, PhD Bethany House Publishers 2011 What a nice change of pace! Looking at the upside of major trends like finances, education, crime, marriage, environment and other big topics that are in constant conversation lately it seems. His approach to the material could not have been handled any better from a layman’s point of view. Wright’s area of expertise is sociology and he teaches at the university level. A textbook this is not. And I for one am very glad. So, when you flip through the book, don’t let the graphs scare you. His explanations are user friendly. The graphs are self explanatory and make nice summations of the discussion. I was surprised by some of the results of his work, in that they did show positive trends. I was just sure what I had seen and heard elsewhere was more the case. Worldwide educational levels were one such area. The trend is upward. And that is the key ...