Without This Ring: Surviving Divorce

Donna Pyle

This book was recommended to me by someone who had gone through a divorce as a resource for those who are going through divorce or who have been divorced.   I have recommended it and have heard feedback that it is indeed a helpful book for those whose lives have been upended by the end of their marriage and are seeking to rely on Christ to lead them through. 

Donna Pyle is a Christian writer and speaker.  I have used some of her bible study resources over the years.  What I didn’t know until I picked up this book is that she had gone through a painful divorce a number of years ago.  She tells the story of the end of her marriage and her road to recovery in Christ, but this book is far from being merely an autobiography.  She also includes insights from two other people who were helpful along her journey:  A Christian therapist, and her pastor.  Each chapter contains reflections and insights from each of them.

Pyle addresses a broad spectrum of concerns and consequences regarding divorce.  She speaks of her own experience and the help that she received, but she supplements each chapter with stories of other men and women, whose divorces were very different from hers.  In this way she seeks to provide a more broad application rather then writing a book that points to her path as the only way.  Through it all, she consistently points to Christ, His love and His strength, as the way forward.

I found this book helpful in helping me see through the eyes of someone whose life has affected by divorce. For that reason I recommend this book not just for those going through divorce or who have been through a divorce, but also for the people around them.  If someone near and dear to you is struggling through the end of marriage and beyond, I recommend reading this book and passing it on.

The Air We Breathe: How We All Came To Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress and Equality

By Glen Scrivener

We all believe in freedom, right?  That people should be treated equally and shown kindness, that we should be striving to make the world a place in which these virtues thrive? The importance of these values are assumed to be obvious to all, and it’s considered heresy to suggest their opposite.

But where did this values come from?  The assumption of many today is that they are self-evident and work hand-in-glove with an enlightened, modern, science-based, secular society.  This is in fact not true.  These values do not naturally flow from nature, from science, or anything that can be proven by naturalistic means.  There have been many cultures which have had very different values, in some cases, completely the opposite, such as ancient Greece and Rome, and pre-Christian Europe.

So how did our western culture become a place where freedom, kindness, compass, caring for the weak, and equality became accepted as self-evident and obvious?  The answer, according the Glen Scrivener (and many other writers), is Christianity.   The values of Christianity have been so baked into our western culture that they seem self-evident when in fact they are not.

One of the challenges of our modern culture is that it champions the fruit of Christianity (these values), but denies their root in Christianity.  How long will our culture maintain its allegiance to these values while denying the biblical story from which they arose?

Glen Scrivener is not the only Christian writing on this topic.  The book “The Secular Creed” which I reviewed a few weeks ago, makes the same contention.  I highly recommend this book as a concise, well-written analysis of our culture and where it’s most cherished values came from, and what that means for Christians today.

There is a copy of this book, along with previously recommended books on the Church Library cart in the Narthex, available for checking out.

A Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed by Individualism and Identity

Carl Trueman

Are creeds and confessions important?  In this book, Carl Trueman explains the purpose of creeds and confessions, how they serve the church, and are an important part of holding on to the centrality and truth of the gospel.  He makes the case that merely claiming, “We just teach the Bible,” is not enough since the Bible has been used to support every false teaching and heresy that the church has had to contend with. 

Every church and congregation has a confession, whether they write it down or not.  When a church calls itself “non-denominational,” it is referring to its institutional independence.  It still has a confession, which may be Baptist, Pentecostal, reformed, etc.  They’re just not putting it on the label.

St. John’s is an openly confessional church.  Nearly every Sunday, we confess together either the Apostles or the Nicene creed.  We confess the Apostles Creed at every school chapel service.  When we install new called staff, they stand before the congregation and take a solemn vow to carry out their ministry in a way which is faithful to those creeds and the other Lutheran confessions in the Book of Concord.  These creeds and confessions do not replace Scripture and certainly do not stand above it.  Their purpose is to announce to ourselves and the world what we believe the Bible to be saying about God, ourselves, the world, and the Christian Faith.  The creeds and confessions then serve to hold us to a consistent standard regarding what we believe.

But, as Carl Trueman points out, we live in a very individualistic culture, in which the idea of pledging to a document written hundreds of years ago seems to be an encroachment on my personal freedom.  He makes a compelling case for the value of confessions and creeds, and how they are more important than ever in such a culture.

Trueman is writing from a confessional presbyterian perspective, but his presentation is equally relevant and applicable to our confessional Lutheran position, or, for that matter, Anglican, Baptist or Roman Catholic.  It is important for the church to be clear regarding what it confesses, and to hold itself to that confession.

If you would like to dive into this topic and learn more about our creeds and confessions, as well as those of other churches, I highly recommend this book.

Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible’s Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture

By Christopher Watkin

The first bookshelf item for the new year is quite a tome (over 600 pages), and may only appeal to a few people to pick up and work your way through.  But the purpose of doing these “bookshelf” reviews is not just to make recommendations for all, but also to let you know what I’ve been reading as I seek to bring the Word of God to bear on our world today in my preaching and teaching.  This review will be a little longer, but that’s because of the scope of this book.

This is a book I was looking for before I knew it existed, so as soon as I read the description, I picked it up. (And the fact that the forward was by Tim Keller helped in that decision as well.)   Something that is very important to me in my teaching and preaching as your pastor, and you may have noticed, is helping us as followers of Jesus to think like Christians in a world that is becoming less and less Christian.  There are many assumptions and beliefs we take for granted in our modern context that do not come from Christianity, that are in fact opposed to Christianity, even though, because they are deep in our culture, they sound right.  This concern is what led to the “Did God Really Say?” worship series last fall.   These “cultural narratives” shape our world, and if we’re not immersed in Scripture, they will shape our thinking and living as well, and lead us away from Christ.

What Christopher Watkin has done in this book is provide a comprehensive overview of what it means to see the world through Christianity. Critical theory, in its various forms, is an approach to the world which seeks to explain everything in terms of an overarching issue.  For Marx, history is the story of economic class struggle.  For others today, our history can be explained as a conflict between races.  There are many varieties of critical theory at work today that are shaping how we approach issues and challenges in the world. Critical theories are often reductionistic in assuming that the chosen issue accounts for everything in history and in our world today.  In this book, Watkin describes the biblical lens through which Christians are to view the world.  In doing so, he compares and contrasts it with other views that are influential in the world today.  Unlike other critical theories, Biblical critical theory is not reductionistic, but rather comprehensive, taking in all of history and all of our world today, and all of eternity.

Watkin models his approach on “The City of God” by Augustine (354-430), one of the most important books in church history.  Augustine wrote his book as Rome was falling and people were blaming Christianity for weakening the empire.  So Augustine composed a thoroughgoing critique of pagan Roman culture, and then went through the entire Bible, pointing out how Christianity is not only different, but better.  Watkin’s intent is to provide a “City of God” for today.  In doing so, he goes through the entire Bible, and all along the way compares and contrasts the Christian view with the contemporary (Western) assumptions about reality. 

What can make this book difficult is that Watkin doesn’t do this on a superficial level, but rather dives deep into the philosophical issues underlying the attitudes of today.  I will readily admit  that there were sections that I had to read multiple times before moving on.  This is not because he is a poor writer (he’s actually quite a very good writer!), but rather because of my unfamiliarity with some of the contemporary philosophies he was dialoguing with.

I had the privilege of hearing and (briefly) meeting the author when I attended The Gospel Coalition conference last September.  I found him to be an engaging speaker on this topic as well.  This is an important book and is being recognized as such.  Christianity Today named it their “Book of the Year,” in their annual book awards.

Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next

By Rachel Gilson

This is a fascinating book by Rachel Gilson about her life – and so much more.   She is very up front with the fact that she has always been romantically attracted only to women.  She came to faith in Christ while a student at Yale.  She chronicles her ups and downs and struggles as she sought to follow Christ faithfully, including what the Bible says about marriage and sexuality, as a same sex attracted person.

But it is more than a biography.   As she describes her struggles, she also dives deeply into what the Bible says about sexuality and marriage, and how it is connected to Christ and our life in Him.  This was not a mere academic concern for her, but her life and fulfillment and hope.  She points to the richness of her life in Christ, and what that means for following faithfully in a fallen world as a fallen person.

I highly recommend this book.  If you are someone who is same sex attracted and desiring to follow Christ faithfully, Rachel Gilson’s story and reflections offer hope and encouragement.  But even if that is not the case, she provides a helpful window into the unique challenges of those who seek to follow the Bible’s teaching as a same sex attracted person, as well as the call to congregations to be places of welcome, support and encouragement.

Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History

By John Dickson

Since Christians have been given new birth by the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within them, we should expect Christian history to be one long story of kindness, love, selflessness, and service, right? 

Sadly and, at times, tragically, that is not the case.  There are two main reasons.  First, the institutional church is a mix of both believers and unbelievers.  Secondly, and more significantly, all of those believers still have a sinful nature, and are daily in need of God’s forgiveness.  Until Christ returns, His visible church on earth will be a mix of good deeds and bad.  In other words, it will consist of both bullies and saints.

In this way, church history is a lot like the history of God’s people recorded in Scripture.  The Bible is the story of God’s faithfulness to His unfaithful people.  And in some ways, church history continues that story.  (And, I might add, the story continues in each of our lives.)

In this very readable history of Christianity, John Dickson focuses on specific individuals as well as the big events (the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Religion Wars, the modern abuse scandals).  As a good historian, he sets these stories in their contexts, pointing out where the reality is sometimes not as bad as the popular assumptions (although still bad).  But he also tells about the heroic and saintly, the incredible Christ-like characters who blessed countless lives, and dramatically impacted the values of western civilization, but whose names and stories are not well known to modern audiences.

If you want to learn more about church history but don’t like reading “history,” then I recommend this book. 

The Christian History Almanac

1517.org

Not only do I read books that I like to pass on and recommend, I also listen to several podcasts that I find informative, helpful, and interesting. For the next few weeks, I will be recommending a few of these.

The Christian History Almanac is a daily 5-7 minute snippet of history, usually in the “on this day“ format, highlighting the birth or death of saints and sinners from the church’s past, as well as prominent events.  On weekends, there is a longer format podcasts, usually 30 minutes, that dives into a person or event more deeply.

The host of this podcast is Dr. Dan van Voorhis, historian and one of the scholars-in-residence at 1517.org.  His presentations are interesting and witty.  I consider myself well-versed in church history, but find myself constantly learning new things about people and events, and how they have shaped the church into what we are today.  This podcast has become part of my daily routine, as the weekday episodes are just the right length to listen to on my way from my home to either the church or the gym.

If you would like to learn more about Christian history in brief, entertaining snippets, then I recommend adding this podcast to your playlist.

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions

A Readers Edition of the Lutheran Confessions

This Sunday in worship, we will hear two of our teachers confess their adherence to the Lutheran Confessions as part of their commissioning and installation.  This is a key part of the installation of all called workers at our church.  By doing so, we assure that our church and school staff are carrying out ministry in harmony with our church’s confession of faith.

In light of this, it’s appropriate to highlight the Book of Concord, the collection of Lutheran Confessional writings, as my bookshelf item for this week.  What are confessional writings?  They are statements that summarize the teachings of Scripture.  They do not replace Scripture or place themselves above Scripture, but rather declare how we understand what the Bible says.  I am placing in our church library a relatively new edition called a “Reader’s Edition,” which also includes historical background information and explanatory introductions of the confessions.

What is contained in this book?  What are the Lutheran Confessions?  They include:

• The Three Ecumenical Creeds: The Apostles, The Nicene, The Athanasian
• The Augsburg Confession (1530: This is the essential Lutheran Confession.  It was written by Philip Melancthon and presented by German princes to Emperor Charles V in Augsburg in 1530
• The Apology to the Augsburg Confession (1530): This is a defense and explanation of the Augsburg Confession, also written by Philip Melancthon
• The SmalCald Articles (1537): This document was written by Martin Luther in 1537 in preparation for a General Council of the church, should one be called.
• The Power and Primacy of the Pope (1537): Written by Philip Melancthon to explain why the reforming churches rejected the authority of the Pope.
• The Small Catechism (1529): A summary of the Christian faith in question/answer format, written by Luther, for use by parents to teach their children.
• The Large Catechism (1529): Also written by Luther, this was written for pastors and teachers to better equipe them to teach the faith.
• The Formula of Concord (1577): This was written to address the division and disputes that had arisen since the death of Luther among the churches that subscribed to the Augsburg Confession.

But how relevant are these 16th century documents today?  We have issues that we’re dealing with that aren’t addressed in the confessions, and there are many items raised that are not pressing issues today, either individually or as a congregation.

They are relevant and important because the Christian doctrine they confess is from the Word of God which does not change.  Each of these documents has the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His person and work, as its center and focus.   An approach to Scripture and the world shaped by the confessions leads the church to address each issue in light of the Gospel, and the person and work of Jesus.

Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age

By Samuel James

Winston Churchill once said: “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” His point being that once we occupy and use a building, our lives begin to adjust and change in response to that building and its very architecture.

What Churchill said about architecture is actually true of all of our tools, and especially the tool we call technology.  For instance, the introduction of the printing press, the railroad, the automobile, and the television, to name a few, not only provided a new tool to benefit human life, they immediately began to change lives, change society, and change the world, as humanity adjusted to the new technology to the point that life soon seemed unimaginable without that technology.

The introduction of the smartphone may be the most profound new technology in terms of its impact on how we live our lives.  In just a decade and a half since the iPhone was introduced, it has had an enormous impact on daily life, to the point that for a significant number of people, and more and more businesses, life cannot be imagined without it, and is being shaped around it.

In this book, Samuel James suggests that the impact is even greater than we might think.  He pulls together research that shows that the online world, and its instant accessibility through the smartphone, is actually changing our brains, how we think, and how we interact with the world and each other.

But this is not an anti-technology screed.  Rather, James is calling us as followers of Christ to cultivate Christ-centered wisdom in how we use this technology.   We need wisdom not only regarding the content of what is available online – much has already been written about that – but also the way the online world shapes our values, our thinking, and our desires, by the very way it works.

This is an important book.  I highly recommend this for anyone who has a smartphone, who is on social media, and especially for anyone who finds themselves checking their phone for no apparent reason than to check it.

Don’t Follow Your Heart: Boldly Breaking the Ten Commandments of Self-Worship

By Thaddeus J. Williams

This is another book that lines up well with our current worship series, “Did God Really Say: Lies That Sound True.”   The author encourages us to be “heretics” regarding the worship of self.  He calls on Christians to break the “Ten Commandments” of self-worship which reflect multiple aspects of the individualistic secular culture of today.

What are some of these commandments?  The first is “Thou shalt always act in accord with your chief end – to glorify and enjoy yourself forever,” or, in other words #liveyourbestlife.  The third is “Thou shalt obey your emotions at all costs,” #followyourheart.  Another is “Thou shalt live your truth and let others live theirs,” #youdoyou.  For each of these, the author digs down deep into the core beliefs that they reflect, how we see it in the world today and in ourselves, and then compares and contrasts them with the life of following Jesus. 

For each commandment, he also includes a brief testimonial from someone who is a “heretic” regarding that commandment.  This is followed by a prayer, as well as practical ways to live God’s truth instead of the lies around us.

I had the chance to hear Thaddeus Williams at The Gospel Coalition conference I attended last week in Indianapolis.  His summary of his main points of his book (which was only officially released this week) convinced me to pick it up.  And now I am recommending it and sharing it with you. 

Embodied: Transgender Identities, The Church, & What the Bible Has To Say

By Preston Sprinkle

A few months ago, I reviewed another book by the same author, “People to be Loved.”  That book took a biblically-grounded, Christ-centered, and compassionate look at homosexuality and the church.  I mentioned at the time how much I appreciate the author’s presentation, including how he calls out where the church has messed up, both in saying things the Bible doesn’t say, and failing to love as Christ calls us to love.

In this book, he addresses transgender identities.  Similarly to his previous book, his work is based on a thorough exploration of the biblical record in its context, as well as numerous interviews with personal friends and others who identify as transgender.  All for the purpose of once again promoting a compassionate approach to those with gender dysphoria while remaining faithful to the biblical witness.

Sprinkle also wades through the information and misinformation on all sides of this discussion, and dives deeply into the medical and psychological data as well.  He wrestles with being created in God’s image as male and female and how that relates to transgender experience.  Finally he offers practical guidance for individuals and the church.

I appreciate that this book is not an alarmist diatribe, nor a capitulation to cultural trends.  His approach is even-handed, thoughtful, and caring.  I’m recommending this book because it is simply the most helpful on this topic that I have found.

Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible’s Story Changes Everything About Your Story

Nancy Guthrie

The Bible is a storybook.  A true story book, but a story book nonetheless.  It is the story of the fall in the Garden of Eden, and then the long process to get back to the Garden.  But actually the truth is, that what God has in store for us in the New Creation is not just a return to the Garden, but the fulfillment of all His promises in a “new and improved” Eden, that’s better than the original.

What Nancy Guthrie has done in this book is trace nine different themes that begin in the first garden and culminate in the New Creation Garden.  These themes include the wilderness, the tree, being made in God’s image, clothing, the bridegroom, the sabbath, the promised offspring, the dwelling place and the city.  These nine aspects of the story don’t just occur at the beginning and at the end, but rather they are woven throughout the story of the Bible, culminating in the life and work of Jesus, and finding their fulfillment for us in the New Creation that He has prepared for us.

What I also like about this book is the down-to-earth application of tying these themes to our own lives.  One might think that a book that looks so far back and so far ahead would be light on our lives today.  But that is not the case.  For we are part of the story as well.

Every Waking Hour: An Introduction to Word and Vocation for Christians

By Benjamin T. Quinn and Walter R. Strickland II

What does our faith mean on Monday morning?  How are Christians to think about and approach their work and vocation?  This little book is a brief answer to those questions.

The authors being their presentation by reflecting on the fact that we follow a working God, who gave Adam work to do in the garden – before the fall.  Work is a good thing that is pleasing to God, not a punishment for the fall.  In fact, our work is the means by which God distributes His good gifts to all people.  It’s common to think that we are only serving God and doing a holy work when we are engaged in spiritual matters.  But the authors point out all our work is a holy work because God has given it to us to do and is at work through it.

This is about vocation, which is actually a broader topic than work.  Each of us have several vocations that in which we serve God and others: family, worker, neighbor, etc.  The point is to see that every waking moment is an opportunity to glorify God as we live out these vocations.

This book is a helpful resource in thinking about the work that we do, whether paid or unpaid, and how can be done to the glory of God and the good of our neighbor. There is a copy of this book, along with previously recommended books on the Church Library cart in the Narthex, available for checking out.

Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I?

Tim Keller

Forgiveness is at the heart of our relationship with God.  Jesus Christ went to the cross for us to win for us forgiveness of all of our sins.  But for those who follow Christ, forgiveness is not just what we receive from God; it is what we give to those who sin against us.  Jesus put this at the center of the prayer that He taught His disciples, where we ask God to forgive us in the same way that we forgive others. 

This is the starting point of this excellent book from Tim Keller. How do we take to heart the central role that forgiveness is to take in the life of a Christian? How do we forgive someone who has wronged us when the hurt is still weighing on our hearts?  Does forgiveness mean the same thing as reconciliation, or is there a difference?  What about injustice?  Abuse?  Am I even supposed to forgive the unrepentant?

I really can’t recommend this volume enough.  In his usual fashion, Tim Keller brings together the best of current thinking on forgiveness, both Christian and secular, while also digging deep into the scriptures and the nature of our Christian faith and life, and providing wise counsel on real world dilemmas and challenges.  I found this book extremely helpful when I put together the Lent Midweek series last year on forgiveness.  I recommended the book at the time, and now, through the “bookshelf,” I’m recommending it again.

If you are struggling to forgive someone who has wronged you, or if you are longing to receive forgiveness from someone you have wronged, I highly recommend this book.

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy

By Tim Keller

This quick read (only 44 pages) is a very helpful look at Gospel-centered humility.  Tim Keller points out the flaws and dangers of our current “self-esteem” culture and the notion that the key to a fulfilled and ethical life is loving yourself.  But he also critiques its opposite, the belief that humility means that we are to think less of ourselves and focus on our faults and deficiencies.

In Christ, we have something better than either.  Our identity comes not from the circumstances of our lives or the feelings of our hearts, but rather the grace of God in Christ.   Encouraging what he calls “self-forgetfulness,” Tim Keller points to Christ as the source of seeing ourselves rightly:  As people richly blessed and utterly dependent on our redeemer.  It is our identity in Christ that is to shape our thinking about ourselves and our reactions to the good and the bad around us.

I highly recommend this little booklet as a very helpful and practical application of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.  If you haven’t read any Tim Keller, this would be a quick introduction to his gospel-centered approach to life.

There is a copy of this book, along with previously recommended books on the Church Library cart in the Narthex, available for checking out.

The Genuine Jesus: Fresh Evidence From History and Archeology

By Paul L. Maier

We rightly look to the Scriptures for the truths about Jesus upon which our faith is based.  But are there things we can learn from history and archeology?  Is there evidence outside of the Bible for the familiar stories?  The answer is yes.

Paul Maier has a distinguished career as an historian specializing in Christian origins and the 1st century.  I have benefited from several of his other books, especially his books on Josephus and Pontius Pilate.  This book is an updated version of previous writings, including new information from archeology.

The book focuses primarily on the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the early church from Acts of the Apostles.  Maier simply tells the familiar story, but bringing into it important insights from history, as well as information about the Jewish, Greek and Roman cultures that shed light on the Bible’s accounts.  He supplements his writing with numerous photographs of sites and artifacts.

I highly recommend this book if you are wanting to better understand the New Testament in its original context. 

Getting to Know Jesus: Using the Six Core Teachings of the Bible to Grow in a Deeper Relationship with Jesus

By Paul Schult

Is the Christian faith mainly about relationships, or is it about teachings and doctrines? Is it about having an authentic relationship with Jesus, or having the correct biblical understanding of the Bible’s teachings, with Jesus at the center?

The answer is “yes,” and this little book by Paul Schult helpfully makes this connection.  He uses the six core teachings of the Bible, as presented in Luther’s Small Catechism, to teach what a relationship with Jesus is all about.

If you would like a straightforward, very readable review of the basic teachings of Christianity, with the emphasis on relationship, I highly recommend this book.  I have used it to supplement the “Foundations” class, and have recommended it frequently in that capacity.

The author, Paul Schult, is the pastor of our sister congregation, Redeemer Lutheran Church in Redwood City. 

The Gospel According to Satan: Eight Lies About God That Sound Like the Truth

By Jared C. Wilson

Do we really want to hear the gospel according to Satan?  Author Jared Wilson assures us that we are regularly hearing it in the sayings and cliches of our culture, as well as some of the things we tell ourselves.  There are things that sound true about God and ourselves that are actually false and misleading and harmful

If this sounds similar to our current worship series “Did God Really Say,” it’s no accident.  This is one of several books I read in preparing this series.  (I’ll be reviewing a couple of other similar books in the weeks to come.)

As the author explains in his introduction, his approach is to imagine what the gospel would sound like if Satan proclaimed it.  Keeping in mind that Jesus calls Satan the “father of lies,” the gospel according to Satan would consist of supremely deceptive lies about God, all designed to deprive us of the peace, comfort and hope that only comes through the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And the sad truth is that there are many such lies that are commonly heard in our world today.

If you want to dive more deeply into some of the topics I have been raising in our current worship series, check out this book.  

Gospelbound Podcast

The Gospel Coalition

This week I am again recommending a podcast.  But this one fits very much with the overall “bookshelf” theme in that it is a podcast about books.

This weekly podcast is hosted by Collin Hansen, who is the executive director of the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, named after Tim Keller.  Each week Collin Hansen interviews the author of a recently published book that touches on the challenges and opportunities in living as followers of Jesus in a post-Christian culture.  Not all of the authors are Christians, and not all of the books directly address theological or biblical themes.   The common thread running through all of them, though, is seeking an understanding of the times we live in and what that means for Christians and the Christian church.

Obviously, this podcast has pointed me to books that I have read or that are working their way up my reading list.  But I also appreciate the podcast because the interviews touch on the key insights also of books that I know I will probably never get to.  Through the podcast, I have the opportunity to benefit from the books, even if I will never read them.

I recommend this podcast for anyone seeking to better understand our times and what it means for us as Christians.

The Great Divorce

By C.S. Lewis

Yes, another C.S. Lewis book this week.  I have been enjoying re-reading several C.S. Lewis classics of late.

This book is not about marriage, but rather about heaven and hell.  But it is not a theological or devotional essay.  Rather, it is a work of fiction, depicted as the dream of a man who visits heaven and hell in his dream, and wrote about what he saw and experienced.  Just as Lewis used fiction in “The Screwtape Letters” to depict the contours and scope of temptation, so in this brief book, he uses fiction to write about heaven and hell.  But the real point that Lewis is making has to do with the direction and shape of the Christian life.  So, like “The Screwtape Letters,” this is really a book about discipleship, a very creative, imaginative look at the meaning of the Christian life.

One of the fascinating and thought-provoking points in Lewis’ depiction of hell and judgment is that the those who are under God’s judgment in hell have essentially chosen it and prefer it to the alternative.  The same weaknesses and foibles from their earthly lives continue in eternity, and are in fact magnified, such that the denizens of hell, despite an opportunity to visit heaven, are eager to get back on the bus and go “home.”

In one of the memorable lines which is spoken as the narrator is conversing with a resident of heaven, is that there are essentially two types of people: There are those who say to God in faith, “Thy Will be done.”  And then there are those to whom God ultimately says, “Thy will be done.”

As a work of fiction, it shouldn’t be pressed too hard or mined too deeply to discern every facet of Lewis’ doctrinal stance.  But his main points come through quite clearly:  We are too quick to excuse in ourselves that which does not reflect Jesus simply because it’s convenient, provides short-term gain, or satisfies our ego.  The point of the book ultimately is not to provide doctrinal answers regarding the nature of heaven and hell, but rather to invite us to take a hard look at our own thoughts, words and deeds in our lives today, and to ask ourselves how well they match up with the character of the Savior we claim.

Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ

By Timothy Keller

Since Advent is right around the corner, it seems appropriate to highlight a book for the season.  This week’s book is a little gem by Tim Keller about the meaning of Christmas.

What does it mean that the Lord of the Universe became a helpless baby in a manger?  Was He just revealing things about Himself, or was this a rescue mission for a humanity in desperate and hopeless need?    The Christmas story is so familiar that we can easily lose sight of deep meaning of the action of our God.  Beyond the lights and songs, the traditions and the gatherings, is God’s grand mission of rescue that gives us hope.

Tim Keller has been and still is my favorite author, and I recommend anything that he has written.  But as we head into Advent and Christmas, I recommend especially this little book. Its message provides a helpful orientation and grounding for all the activity of the coming month.

There is a copy of this book, along with previously recommended books on the Church Library cart in the Narthex, available for checking out.

How Much is a Little Girl Worth?

By Rachael Denhollander 

This week’s recommendation is a children’s book.  You may remember that a couple of months ago I recommended “What is a Girl Worth?” by Rachael Denhollander.  One of the issues that she confronted in that book is the devaluing of girls and women, not only by abuse, but by not taking seriously the need to protect them from future abuse, and to bring justice to abusers.  

But one of the tragedies of abuse is the victim’s own devaluating of herself.  A low sense of self-worth can heighten a girl or woman’s vulnerability to an abuser.  The damage that abuse does to the victim’s sense of self-worth is also a factor in their reluctance to speak up, seek help and seek justice.

In writing this book, Rachael Denhollander seeks to encourage young girls to have a healthy view of their worth.  In many ways, she makes the point “You are worth everything.”  Little girls are worth being cared for, caring for themselves, and being protected.  She grounds that sense of self-worth in the fact that they are made by God in His own image and redeemed by Jesus by his life and death on the cross.  Self-worth flows from creation and salvation.

She has also written a similar book for little boys, “How Much is a Little Boy Worth?”

I Am a Church Member: Discover the Attitude that Makes a Difference

By Thom Rainer

In a time of hyper-individualism along with a general distrust of institutions, the notion of “church membership” can seem rather quaint and outmoded to some, a relic from a different era.  Many take a consumerist approach to congregational life – taking part in and benefiting from certain programs and ministries but opting out of making a commitment that involves working and serving to make those ministries happen.

Thom Rainer has put together a very helpful little booklet that explains what church membership means, and why it is an important part of our lives as Christians, as well as the health of the faith community as a whole.  Pushing back against some of the individualist trends of the culture, as well as the “country club” mentality that has plagued many congregations, Rainer describes very practically how pursuing an active church membership strengthens our discipleship, the health of the church and the mission of God.

I recommend this book for every member of St. John’s, as well as those considering membership.  It’s a very brief read, only 78 pages and will only take an hour or two to read.  There are several copies of this book, along with previously recommended books on the Church Library cart in the Narthex, available for checking out.

Joining Jesus as a Family: How to Raise Your Children to be Followers of Jesus

By Greg Finke and Susan Finke

There is no shortage of books that focus on helping you grow as a disciple.  But not nearly as many  books on how to raise your children to be disciples.  Greg and Susan Finke have done the church a big service in making their insights available in this book.

If the author’s name sounds familiar, it is because this is the same Greg Finke who put on a personal witnessing workshop last year: Joining Jesus on His Mission.  What Greg and Susan have done with this book is taken the material from his first two books and placed it in the context of raising your family.  The focus then is not merely how I can join Jesus on His mission, but how to raise children to join Jesus as well.

Our St. John’s Leadership team read this book together, discussing also how some of the insights from this book translate into the school setting, as the Christian school seeks to support parents in raising their children to be disciples.

Although this book is targeted primarily at families with children at home (and grandparents who are involved in their grandchildren’s lives), others would benefit from this book as well.  If nothing else, it will serve to remind and reinforce the call to join Jesus on His mission each day. 

Let Kingdom Expansion Encourage You

Trevin Wax – The Gospel Coalition

This week I am again recommending a podcast.  In fact, a specific episode of a specific podcast.  The link above will take you a podcast which is a recording of a presentation by Trevin Wax at The Gospel Coalition Conference in 2023, as well as a follow-up discussion.  I was at that conference, and although Trevin Wax has become one of my favorite authors, bloggers, and podcasters, I was not at this presentation, so I appreciate it being made available this way.

Why do I recommend this?  What Trevin Wax does in this presentation (about 35 minutes) is provide a succinct overview of our cultural context at this time.  He addresses not just the surface level challenges but gets at the core values of our times that have changed the context for doing ministry and pursuing the mission.   Why have the sexual ethics changed so dramatically?  Why have so many left the church and view it as irrelevant?  How did the church go from being viewed as a positive for society to a negative by so many?

This is an area, a topic, I have read much about in my own efforts to better understand what’s going on behind the dramatic changes we have seen in how people think and live. I’m highlighting this presentation because I think that his presentation is the best I’ve encountered at summarizing the issues in an understandable way.  The follow-up discussion is also very interesting and enlightening as well. 

For this reason, I have already recommended this podcast to various leaders in our congregation, including the Board of Directors, the Leadership Team, the Ministry Advisory Team and the Call Committee. 

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life

By Tish Harrison Warren

This book is a gem.  I just finished reading it for the second time and believe myself to be blessed as much as reading it the first time.

Author Tish Harrison Warren (one of my favorite writers) walks through an ordinary day and the mundane tasks that make up our days: Getting up, making the bed, brushing our teeth, eating lunch, checking email, etc.  In each of these activities, she sees reminders of God’s activity in our lives and His presence and grace among us.  She also connects each of these activities with the parts that make up the historic liturgical worship service.  In doing so, she brings together things that we don’t often think about as being together:  Worshiping God in Word and Sacrament and, for instance, brushing our teeth.

Every moment of every day is a gift from God, with numerous indicators and signposts of His love, as well as His call on our lives.  I highly recommend this book for those who would like to look at their daily lives through a sacred lens.

The Lord Bless You & Keep You: The Promise of the Gospel in the Aaronic Blessing

By Michael J. Glodo

Most of our worship services conclude with the familiar words of the Aaronic Blessing as the benediction: “The Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.  The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.”  In this book Michael Glodo unpacks these words and invites us to hear them in their original context, as well as the echoes of them throughout the Old and New Testament.  In this way, he invites us to consider the depth and richness of this take-for-granted blessing, and instead treasure it as the gift from God that it is.

Any time we speak of God, we are speaking analogically or metaphorically.  Since God is spirit, it is only in a derived sense that we can speak of God’s “face” and that with it He “looks” upon us.  But these images, along with that face “shining,” appear frequently in the Scriptures.  For God’s face to shine upon you is to be visited by His grace and favor.  On the contrary, for Him to remove His face from you, to turn His face away, is the most severe of judgments.  Glodo provides rather exhaustive examples of this in His book.

But ultimately, where he is going in this study is to show how the grace of this blessing is seen and given most abundantly in Jesus through the Gospel.  In Him, all that would lead the Lord to turn His face away has been forgiven.  Instead, the gracious face of the Lord shines on us through the work of Jesus on our behalf.  What then should be on our minds when a pastor pronounces these words over the congregation?  How should we receive them?  What is being given and received?

As a Lutheran, I would have taken a different approach in the chapter, “The Aaronic Blessing and Worship.”  Glodo writes that we are to think of God as being the audience of worship and we ourselves as the actors.  He writes this to counteract trends in worship toward entertainment, and the notion that the leaders are performing for the congregation as audience.  He is quite right to point to the faults of thinking of worship in this way.  But actually, I think a Lutheran approach to worship better supports his main point about the Aaronic Blessing.  God is not just the audience, but also the actor.  God is present to shower His blessings upon us as we gather.  He does through His Word and Sacrament, delivering the goods of salvation.  The Aaronic Blessing is the final way in which God serves us in worship, placing His name and grace upon us one more time as we set off to embrace our vocations in the world.

I recommend this book if you would like to get behind and into these familiar words and to be led into thinking more deeply about words that sometimes just roll right by us. 

The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host

David Gibson

There is a reason why Psalm 23 is the most well-known and well-loved psalm.  There is so much grace and promise pouring through these six brief verses.  For me, it is one of those passages that is like a mine full of precious ore and gems that never runs out no matter how long and how deeply I dig.  So although I have both taught and preached on this psalm many times, I was still blessed and my understanding enriched by this little volume.

David Gibson presents the psalm as a series of three relationships:  The sheep and the shepherd, the traveler and the companion, and the guest and the host.    David (the author the psalm) is in a place of peace and contentment because he has a shepherd who graciously provides, a companion who accompanies him in dark times, and a host who welcomes him to a gracious feast that lasts forever.

The psalm has brought comfort to so many people over the past 3000 years because, with an economy of words, it celebrates the relationship of grace that we enjoy with our loving God.  And the appreciation of this love is only deepened when we understand that the grace of the shepherd, the companion and the host is grounded in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I recommend this devotional meditation for anyone looking for the comfort, peace and hope that are found only in Christ. 

Martin Luther: A Spiritual Biography

Herman Selderhuis

It seemed appropriate on this Reformation Day, to review a book about the reformation.  I mentioned during the sermon last Sunday that I had read a new Martin Luther Biography recently.  This is that biography.   There were a number of new Luther biographies writing around the time of the 500th anniversary of the posting of the 95 these in 2017, some better received than others. 

What I appreciate about this one is the emphasis on Luther’s spiritual journey from a typical medieval Catholic youth to seasoned and hardened reformer.   In many ways, Luther’s pursuit of reformation was an outgrowth of his own spiritual struggles.  Championing the gospel of salvation by grace through faith was not merely an academic concern arising from a proper reading of the text.  It was a matter of spiritual life and death for a young man feeling the hopelessness of standing before a holy God who knows our sin and sinfulness.  The gospel was truly good news that brought peace and hope.

I also appreciate that Selderhuis doesn’t gloss over Luther’s weaknesses, missteps and errors. He wasn’t very kind to those with whom he disagreed, and sometimes wasn’t very kind to his own friends, as his closest colleague, Philip Melanchthon, stated in his eulogy at Luther’s funeral.  Later in life, he also wrote very harsh words regarding Jewish people.  His antisemitism was not racially based, but rather centered on the Jews rejection of Christ and the gospel.  But even with that distinction, the words are hard to read.

Luther was a brilliant reformer and champion of the gospel, seeing all things through their impact on bringing people the comfort of the gospel, the comfort that he had found in Christ’s grace to him.  But, like all of us, he was flawed, and much in need of the gospel that he proclaimed.

If you would like to learn more about the life of Luther, I highly recommend this book.  content here…

The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God

By Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller

Since last week’s sermon focused on marriage (Hebrews 13:4), I felt it was only appropriate to highlight a book on marriage.  Both Pastor Mark and I have recommended this book in the past, and there’s a very good reason for that.  It is quite simply the finest book on Christian marriage and how to live it.

Marriage is among God’s first gifts to humanity and also provides a picture of the gracious love of Christ for His bride, the church.  But what does that mean in our complex contemporary context?  How do we live as Christian husbands and wives today?

Tim Keller does a masterful job of pulling together insights from brilliant thinkers and helpful resources, and then presenting them in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This book takes a deep dive into the philosophical and social trends that have landed our culture in troubled marriage waters. But he, along with his wife Kathy, provides down-to-earth practical guidance to help navigate these streams.  All with the goal of helping husbands and wives better love and serve each other, as Christ has loved and served them.

Mere Christianity

By C.S. Lewis

A few weeks ago, I reviewed “The Screwtape Letter” by C.S. Lewis.  It kind of got me started on a C.S. Lewis kick, re-reading books of his that I had first read 30-40 years ago. (It also helped when I learned that many of them are included in my Audible subscription.)  There is value in reading again very good books because as we grow in knowledge and life experience, the teachings and insights take on fresh relevance and application.  Such is certainly the case with the writings of C.S. Lewis

“Mere Christianity” occasionally shows up on lists of the most important Christian books of the 20th century, sometimes at the top of the list.  This is a work of apologetics, a defense of the Christian faith.  Lewis is addressing the skeptic of his time regarding the reasonableness of the faith.   What stands out about Lewis’ writing is his sharp, incisive logic, his down-to-earth applications, and, above all for me, his memorable illustrations.  I was reminded while reading this book again of a number of illustrations of the faith that I regularly use in teaching that I had forgotten were first learned from this book.

Mere Christianity was not initially a book, but rather a series of radio lectures that Lewis gave at the request of the BBC during World War 2.  The BBC wanted to avoid any dead air space since it left the airwaves vulnerable to hi-jacking by German infiltrators who could then broadcast propaganda to the British people.  The BBC thought they should have some Christian programing and so asked popular Oxford professor Lewis to put together a series of brief talks to fill up the airspace.  Little did they know that those lectures and the subsequent book would become one of the most important works of Christian apologetics of the century, a book that over the years many have credited with being part of their coming to faith in Christ.

If you have never read this book, I highly recommend it.  If your only familiarity with C.S. Lewis is the Narnia books (which are very good as well), this would be a good introduction into his formidable theological mind and impressive gift of communication.

On the Incarnation

By Athanasius of Alexandria

As we head into Christmas, I’m recommending a timeless classic of theology about the incarnation, what we celebrate on Christmas.  Athanasius wrote this book in approximately 319 AD, in part as a refutation of Arius and the Arian heresy.  (I talked about this at the Advent Midweek service on December 13 in providing background to the hymn “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.”) The Arians taught that Jesus was not true God as was the Father, but rather the Father’s first creation, making Jesus kind of a God, Jr.

In this book, Athanasius lays out the meaning of the incarnation, that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is true God and true man.  He provides the solid biblical foundation, and also covers why it is so important that we get this right.

This book has held up remarkably over the centuries and Athanasius’ presentation is just as timely and relevant today as it was in the 4th century.  I know of people who read this every Advent to help ground them in the truth that we celebrate as we gather to the manger.

There is a copy of this book, along with previously recommended books on the Church Library cart in the Narthex, available for checking out.

The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict

By Ken Sande

This highly-recommended book has been around for awhile, but remains extremely timely and helpful.  As long as we are sinners living among sinners, there will be personal conflict in our lives.  Unfortunately, our sinful nature also often leads us into unhelpful and unproductive ways of responding to conflict.  On the one side, we may just ignore the situation (and the person), or, on the other side, may engage in unproductive attacks and accusation.  Social media and electronic communication have made the latter response very easy.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to pursue peacemaking and reconciliation.  Jesus put this right at the heart of the Lord’s prayer, calling us to link our willingness to forgive others to our prayer for forgiveness from God.  At a time when there is so much destructive conflict in our culture, among politicians and nations, Christians are called to a different way of life, seeking peace and reconciliation in the name of Christ, and to the glory of God.

In this book, Ken Sande explores the biblical call to live as peacemakers, and provides very practical, down-to-earth, boots-on-the-ground recommendations and strategies for putting it into practice.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Some of you may remember that we used this book as the basis for a worship series about 20 years ago.  That same year, it also formed the biblical basis of our school theme “Blessed are the Peacemakers.”  There is a copy of this book, along with previously recommended books on the Church Library cart in the Narthex, available for checking out.

People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue

By Preston Sprinkle

This is a hard topic to have meaningful discussion about.  It’s so easy to devolve into a clichés and “us” versus “them” thinking, as well as looking at homosexuality simply in terms of sin and doctrine, rather than also taking to heart the real people with real lives who are made in the image of God.  The author says of his approach, “The question of homosexuality defies simple answers, so I refuse the give thin answers to thick questions.”  This book is the result of rigorous study of what the scriptures say as well as listening and taking seriously the stories of his LGBT friends. 

This is a very helpful book.  His scriptural analysis is some of the best I have read on this topic.  He goes deep into the interpretation of the relevant passages, as well as their historical context, and what it means in our context today.  He also looks fairly and honestly at the way Christians have spoken about this issue and how the church has treated those who are attracted to their own sex.  This is certainly an issue where it is possible to be right and wrong at the same time.

I highly recommend this book as we strive to live lives that are marked by faithfulness to our Lord and love toward those around us.

Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ is Essential

By Collin Hansen & Jonathan Leeman

Do we need the church?  Are congregations essential?  Can’t I just be a Christian on my own, just me and Jesus?  In a culture which is arguably more individualistic than any in history, valuing personal autonomy over relationships, these are questions that people ask about Christianity.  The fact that COVID forced us into individualized screen-based worship didn’t help much either.

In this book, Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman cover ground that would have been taken for granted a couple of generations ago, but must be articulated today.  We need the church.  We need each other.  The foundational reason is because this the will and design of God.  Jesus created the church, called it into being through the sending of the Holy Spirit.  The congregation is the context where people are baptized, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, hear the word preached, and worship God is ways that an individual cannot.

The authors take it further than these theological truths and point also to the practical blessings and benefits to active participation in a church community.  Coming from a reformed Baptist background, some of their explanations leave out things that as Lutherans we would emphasize, especially the communal aspect of the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.  That being said, there is much of value in this book and I recommend it for anyone who wants to focus on the important of church and congregation in God’s design for His people, for our growth and for His mission.

Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West

By Andrew Wilson

This was the most fun history book that I’ve read.  Maybe you don’t associate “fun” with reading history, and maybe this is just because I’m a history nerd.  But I really enjoyed this book.

The point of reading and learning history is not to better understand the past.  It’s to better understand the present.  By growing in our understanding of how the world got to be the way it is, we are better equipped for discerning the meaning of the major issues today, and what they mean in our lives, and perhaps better discernment about where we are going.  Learning history reminds us that the way things are today is not the way things have always been, and the things that are taken for granted and assumed to be true are actually reflections of greater historical and cultural trends.  As Christians, we are better prepared to share the gospel in meaningful ways in the present context when we have a good understanding of how the present context came to be.

In this book, Andrew Wilson explores the roots of the WEIRDER world that we live in.  What is WEIRDER? Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic, Ex-Christian, and Romantic.  It’s easy for us to assume that this type of world is normal, self-evident and just the way things are.  But our culture is actually weird in the context of history and around the world.  Andrew Wilson points to the years 1776 as the year when the WEIRDER characteristics all took a big leap forward and set us on the path to the modern world.

As Americans, when we hear “1776,” we think of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our nation.  But Andrew Wilson (who is British) points out that many other things happened that year, such as James Watt’s steam engine which triggered the industrial revolution, and the publication of Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations,” which defined capitalist economics and was part of the beginning of the explosive economic growth of the West compared to the rest of the world.

But what does this have to do with Christianity?  Much in every way.  Although this is mainly a history book, Wilson’s ultimate point is to call the church to be its authentic self in the present age.  He calls Christians to a greater understanding of the world we live in so that we might more effectively bring the light of the gospel to a world in need.

I really enjoyed this book.  I had many moments of saying to myself, “I didn’t know that!” as Wilson pulled together some amazing synchronicity regarding the events of 1776.  I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to better understand our present context in the West and what that means for the church.

But I’m sorry.  I won’t be putting the book on the shelf just yet.  I will most likely be reading this book again as well as citing and referring to it in teaching. 

The Resurrection of the Son of God

By N.T. Wright

As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, I want to share with you a recommendation for a book that has become the definitive study of the historicity of Jesus’ bodily resurrection.  I have to point out, though, that this is a massive scholarly tome that might not appeal to all because of the depths to which the author goes in presenting his case, and the sheer length of the book (over 800 pages).

Wright approaches the topic as an historian, seeking to account for the well-documented rise of the very early universal belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus by the early Christians.  In doing this, he explores the beliefs of the contemporary Jewish context, as well as beliefs of the Greeks and Romans among whom the news of the resurrection of Jesus spread.  Through it all, Wright explores nearly every explanation for the rise of the belief in the bodily resurrection, and finds them all untenable with one exception.  That one exception is that Jesus actually, physically rose from dead. 

In writing this book, Wright, as one of the foremost New Testament scholars today, interacts with nearly every theory that has been advanced by skeptics to explain the facts that are accepted by nearly all: That the tomb was empty and that certain early Christians truly believed that they encountered the risen Jesus, including former unbelievers James and Paul.  He also explores every viable explanation for why the New Testament authors wrote what they did about the resurrection and its meaning.  He pays particular attention to the notion, common among skeptics, that the early church, when speaking of resurrection, really referred to a spiritual ascension, and not a bodily, physical resurrection.  He thoroughly debunks this idea as unsupported by the facts.

I have read of numerous skeptics whose views were changed by this book, sometimes expressing shock that they had never encountered this information before.  One notable skeptic, historian and journalist Molly Worthen, spoke about the role of this book in her conversion in a podcast with Collin Hansen of the Gospel Coalition. www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/gospelbound/happened-molly-worthen/

It actually took me multiple months to finish this book.  Because of the density of the information, I found I could only read 10-15 pages at a sitting.  But I’m very glad for having persevered.  I’m going to hang on to my copy but if you would like to borrow it, let me know.

For a less imposing work on the historicity of the resurrection, I suggest “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus” by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona, or Gary Habermas’ website, which has links to many videos: www.garyhabermas.com/

The Screwtape Letters

By C.S. Lewis

This book is a classic, one that I have read several times.  It never fails to entertain, challenge, convict and educate, even after several readings.  As I prepared to preach on the Lord’s Prayer for our Lent Midweek services (especially “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”), I thought it would be a good time to return to Screwtape’s instructions to his protégé Wormwood.  Once again, I found it a blessing, not just to my sermon preparation, but to my personal walk with the Lord.

The book is a series of fictional letters from Screwtape, a senior devil and close associate of “our Father below,” to Wormwood, a junior devil who has been charged with pursuing the damnation of an ordinary young man.  Screwtape’s instructions are at times comical, satirical, but also profoundly insightful regarding the true purposes of the demonic.  You will never look at the scope and breadth of temptation in the same way.

Lewis first published this book in 1942, therefore many of the events of the young man’s life are in the context of wartime England.  For that reason, some of it might feel a bit dated.  But even still, the depiction of the fallibility of our human nature, and our persistent susceptibility to temptation is, unfortunately, timeless. 

This brief read is also a testament to Lewis’ brilliance as a creative writer.  That he conveys so much through one side of a fictional written correspondence is really rather amazing.  I can’t recommend this book highly enough for anyone seeking to grow in understanding what we’re up against in the daily spiritual warfare we are engaged in.   All for the purpose of clinging every more tightly to Christ, in whom all the forces of evil are defeated.

Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible

by John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry.

Have you ever wondered how we got the Bible that we use today?  What about those footnotes in your Bible that refer to alternate texts and different translations?  What about the suggestion by some that the Bible has been translated so many times that we can’t trust it?  Is that right?  And how do we choose among the myriad English versions available today?

This book provides answers to all these questions and more.  The authors cover the origins of the original text as well as textual criticism, the art and science of evaluating the differences and similarities in ancient manuscripts.  They also describe the fascinating process by which the canon (which books are included in the Bible) was developed over time, dispelling some of the popular myths of today.  They also cover the importance of translation and the history of the English Bible in all its varieties.

Finally they address the Bible as the Word of God and why, despite and because of its history, we can have full confidence in the truths it contains.  I recommend this book for anyone who is curious to learn more about the Bible.

The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims

By Rebecca McLaughlin

In this helpful little book, author Rebecca McLaughlin considers five commonly-heard sayings.  These sayings are normally associated with a more secular outlook, rather than a Christian outlook.  But the author points out that they still flow from a Christian worldview.  And, in fact, on the surface, Christians can gladly affirm them.  Black lives do matter.  Love is chief among values.  Women’s rights are human rights.  Historically, it was Christianity that first championed diversity and inclusion as flowing from the truth that we are all made in the image of God, and that God is a God of both justice and love.  

The challenge for Christians is that these saying, as popularly used, often carry connotations that Christians cannot affirm.  What the author does in this book is help us see the Christian roots and values behind these statements, so we can better understand and engage when discussing where we differ regarding their application and relevance today.

I appreciate the compassionate heart of the author as she calls Christians to live out our own creed as we engage the challenging issues of the day.  Too often, Christians have forgotten about love, kindness, and mercy in responding to societal issues.   She has written a book that is not an angry polemical tirade against the culture, but rather a call to follow Jesus. 

I highly recommended this book.  Rebecca McLaughlin is becoming one of my favorite authors for her compassionate and rigorous analysis and application of God’s unchanging Word in changing times.

Set Adrift: Deconstructing What You Believe Without Sinking Your Faith

Sean McDowell and John Marriott

What is “deconstruction”?  It is the process of analyzing, evaluating, and reassembling the content of your faith.  It’s being more intentional with your doubts and questions regarding what you believe, and seeking new answers.  Sometimes it might lead to a renewed appreciation of your current faith, or adopting a different version of expressing and living the faith.  Sadly, for some, their process of deconstruction leads them to de-convert from the Christian faith altogether.  You can find many deconstruction and deconversion stories online.

Deconstruction seems to be a trend among some younger believers.  McDowell and Marriott have written this book as a guide and resources for those who are in the process of deconstruction.  Their goal is to assist youth believers in adopting a more intentional faith, which may very well be different from what they were raised with (i.e. a different denomination or style of church, or way of worshiping), yet still within the fold of orthodox Christianity, which they define as adhering to the Nicene Creed.  A different flavor of Christianity is the goal, rather than de-converting.

While I may not agree with everything the authors say, I think this is a very good resource for someone who wants to remain a Christian, but is struggling with aspects of the church or tradition they grew up with.  The authors point out the importance of having “guard rails” for this process by being clear what belongs to essential Christianity. 

And as a side note, one of the authors, Sean McDowell, will be one of the main speakers at the California-Nevada-Hawaii District All Workers Conference in November, which most of our ministry, church and school, will attend.

10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) About Christianity

By Rebecca McLaughlin

It’s not an easy time to be a Christian teenager.  There are many questions that teens might have about their faith and what it means in today’s world, when many of the values of the post-Christian West seem to be out-of-sync with historic Christianity.  On the other hand, they may also be aware that the Christians have not always handled these issues well, and at times have responded to challenges and disagreements in very unchristian ways.

In this helpful book, Rebecca McLaughlin identifies ten important questions, and then provides answers.  After the introduction, entitled “Note to Parents, Grandparents, Guardians and Friends,” the rest of the book is addressed to teens, speaking to them as teens.  She uses familiar books and movies to illustrate her points, and addresses concerns that teens have today.  Here are a few chapter titles: “Can Jesus Be True For You But Not Me?”  “Is Christianity Against Diversity?”  “How Can You Believe The Bible Is True?” “Hasn’t Science Disproved Christianity?” “Why Can’t We Just Agree That Love Is Love?” “Who Cares If You Are A Boy Or A Girl?” 

That being said, parents should read the entire book, not just the introduction.  Her presentations are very straightforward and understandable.  Her illustrations from movies and books and music are very helpful as well.  Parents who read this book will be better equipped to meaningfully and compassionately discuss these topics with their teen.  (And other adults as well!)

The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals

By Gene Edward Veith, Jr.

In our culture today, spirituality is in, and religion is out.  More and more people identify themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” seeking to define their own self-made spirituality outside the established religious traditions.  This is a spirituality that looks within for truth, picks and chooses from sources outside of oneself, and is essentially not accountable to anyone or anything else, except personal conscience and feelings.

But how well does such a spirituality address the life as we know, with its blessings and challenges and tragedies?  How well does such a spirituality account for our own failures to live up to our own standards, let alone others, as well as the darkness that lurks within?  What answer does a self-made spirituality have for the inevitability of the grave?

Gene Edward Veith describes in this book his own spiritual journey through multiple approaches to spirituality before finding his home in Lutheran spirituality.  What is Lutheran spirituality?  He describes it as a “spirituality of the cross.”  Christ and His cross are at the center.  We look not within but to Him as He speaks to us in His Word and comes to us in His sacraments.

This brief book provides an excellent overview of Lutheran spirituality, and how to think and live spiritual growth from an authentically Christ-centered perspective.  I have recommended this book to quite a few people over the years and have discussed its contents with individuals and in classes.  Highly recommended for anyone looking for a spirituality centered in Jesus and His Word.

The Story of Reality:  How the World Began, How it Ends, and Everything Important That Happens in Between

By Gregory Koukl

What is Christianity all about?  What’s the big picture of the Bible? What’s the big picture of existence itself?  This little book by author Gregory Koukl lays out straightforward, down-to-earth answers.  He presents the basic Christian story in terms of five easy-to-remember words: God, Man, Jesus, Cross, Resurrection.  Along the way, he contrasts the Christian story of reality with other competing stories, especially the secular story which dominates our culture today.

Why is this helpful?  Sometimes we get bogged down in bible reading, losing site of the forest for the trees.  Having a good grasp of the over-arching story helps us better understand how it all flows together, and where we fit in to God’s grand narrative.  Being well-grounded in the basic story of Christianity also equips and prepare us to share the good news of Jesus with others.

Koukl’s style is very down-to-earth and not overly technical, which is quite an accomplishment since he is presenting weighty topics.  I was so impressed by his presentation that I have incorporated some of his approach and technique in my class on the key teachings of the Christian Faith, “Foundations.”

Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution

By Carl R. Trueman

Have you ever looked around at the world today, especially regarding some of the dramatic shifts in how society looks at sexuality and gender, and wonder, “How did we get here?”  How did we get from certain concepts being considered absurd a generation or two ago, to a place where those notions are broadly accepted?

In this book, Carl Trueman provides an answer.  Eschewing simple explanations, he dives deep into the historical, philosophical and technological roots that have led to personal identity becoming so highly politicized and sexualized.  In doing so, he also addresses how the contemporary notions of identity compare to the biblical perspective of personhood.

This is not light reading.  But well worth the effort.   And if you really want to go even deeper, I recommend Trueman’s other book, “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.”  “Strange New World” is a concise and more accessible version of that highly academic work.  I have found both books extremely helpful in understanding how deep societal shifts can affect the way we view ourselves and our world.

Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges

By Gregory Koukl

Peter encourages us in 1 Peter 3:15 to be prepared to speak about our hope in Christ:  “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”   The purpose of this book is to help us to do that, especially when challenged on key teachings of the Christian faith.

Author Greg Koukl encourages readers to think about witnessing more in terms of “gardening,” rather than merely “harvesting.”  Not every witnessing opportunity leads to a conversion, a harvest.  The bulk of the witnessing opportunities that come our way are more like gardening.  We seek to positively portray our Christian faith, while also hopefully giving others something to think about.  We may not see the harvest yet, but we may be used by God to remove an obstacle or encourage thinking or further explanation.

The technique that Koukl encourages is asking questions.  Rather than merely announcing what we believe or what we think is wrong with what someone just said, we ask questions.  The two main questions are some form of these:

• “What do you mean by that?”
• “How did you come to believe that?” Or “Why do you think that’s true?”

We cannot witness effectively if we do not seek to learn where they are coming from, or what lies behind their belief or assertion.  Sometimes the second question itself leads people to realize that they haven’t really thought through what they claim to believe.

Then comes the more difficult third question:  Using questions to uncover potential difficulties or inconsistencies in their belief or assertions.  For instance, instead of just telling someone who identifies as an atheist that they are wrong because God exists and made all things, you can ask “Then how did the universe begin?  What caused the big bang?”  This is a more fruitful and gentle way to broach the subject that a naturalistic worldview does not have an adequate origin story.

Koukl provides many sample dialogues on a variety of topics that often come up in discussions today.  Not that we expect any of the conversations that we may have to play out identically, but his examples are helpful in pointing to his “questioning” approach.

This is actually the second book Koukl has written about using questions in witnessing.  I also recommend his first volume, “Tactics.”  The former book goes into greater detail on the questioning approach, whereas “Street Smart” provides more examples.  But both books are valuable and each stands on its own.  I highly recommend either or both.

Talking with Your Kids about Jesus: 30 Conversations Every Christian Parent Must Have

By Natasha Crain

In Deuteronomy 6:7, Moses calls upon parents to be the teachers of the faith to their children, saying about God’s commandments: “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”  Paul commended Timothy’s mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5) for teaching him the Word, pointing out “how and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).  The point is that an essential part of parenting is teaching the faith to our children.

This book is aimed at helping and supporting parents in carrying out that responsibility.  She points out that this is not only a matter of formal instruction, but rather a continuous faith conversation that uses the events of life as starting points for teaching, discussing and living the faith.  In this book she covers the essential teaching, focusing on the identity and work of Jesus.  Because children today are growing up in a more secular culture, she strongly encourages including apologetics in that instruction.  While I endorse nearly all of what she teaches, please note that her view of baptism is not sacramental, not Lutheran.  She also includes discussion questions for digging deeper.

We have recently started at SJL a zoom-based bible study for parents that meets later in the evening after the kids are (theoretically) in bed.  For our first study, we used the Right Now Media version of Natasha Crain’s presentation, along with a study guide. 

Ten Questions to Ask Every Time You Read the Bible

By Andrew R. Jones

Do you want to get more out of your Bible reading?  To dig a bit deeper into the text as well as its application in your life?  This book provides a helpful framework for doing just that.  Andrew Jones (pastor of First Lutheran Church in Concord) has put together a list of 10 questions to ask about the text, its context, and yourself as you engage a bible verse or bible passage.

This is an eminently practical book, filled with not only examples, but also suggested practice exercises, complete with worksheets, to help you begin asking those ten questions.  The last section of the book provides an opportunity to put it all together in analyzing several passages.

Andrew Jones’ writing style is very down-to-earth, and his analyses of familiar bible passages were very insightful and helpful.  Highly recommended for anyone wanting to grow in their engagement with the biblical text.

Unforgivable? How God’s Forgiveness Transforms our Lives

By Ted Kober and Mark Rockenbach

We who have been forgiven freely by Christ are called to forgive those who sin against us.  But this is often much easier said than done.  How do we forgive those who have seriously offended and hurt us?  We know this is essential to the Christian life, so much so that Jesus put it in the middle of the way He wants us to pray, where we pray that God forgive us in the same way we forgive others.  But how do we do this when we don’t feel like it?

Ted Kober and Mark Rockenbach have provided a very helpful and practical book addressing that topic.  It all starts and is empowered by taking to heart the gracious forgiveness that we have received through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  But then what?  How do I practically apply that do the broken relationships in my life?

In some ways this is more of a workbook than a textbook.  The authors are intentionally writing for those who are struggling with this topic.  Each chapter includes questions that encourage personal reflection and application, as well as a call to write out prayers for God’s help in working toward forgiveness.  This book is written to lead readers along that journey.

Ted Kober is writing out of his decades of work as a Certified Christian Conciliator.  Mark Rockenbach, in addition to being a mental health counselor, is an associate professor at Concordia Seminary.  Their years of experience with this topic have provided them with many examples with which to illustrate the points that they are making.

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering

By Timothy Keller

This is simply one of the finest books in my library.  It has helped me personally in dealing with pain and suffering, and also helped me in helping others.  I have recommended it to others, given away copies, and at times, met with others to discuss its content as they have worked through its pages.

This book consists of three sections, which don’t necessarily have to be read in order. In fact, Keller recommends picking which section to start with depending on whether you are approaching the topic as an academic question, or in the throes of suffering at the moment.

The first section addresses the topic of suffering from a philosophical/historical perspective, exploring how different cultures and worldviews address and respond to the presence of suffering in our lives.  Especially pertinent in our context are the profound differences between the secular explanation for suffering, and the Christian explanation

The second section focuses on the Christian theology of suffering, centering in the suffering of God for us in Christ on the cross.  What does it mean for us that we follow a suffering Savior, and the central image of our faith, the cross, is an image of suffering?

The third section focuses on coping with, enduring, persevering and growing through suffering.  Keller draws together the best from numerous authors on the topic of relying on God in the midst of suffering.

I know I recommend each book I review, but I can’t recommend this one highly enough, especially for those who are dealing with suffering.  The first section is rather academic, well worth the read, but perhaps not the place to start when struggling under a present suffering.  But the other two sections, are so helpful in understanding the place of suffering in the fallen world that Christ died for, and what it means to walk with Him through it.

We the Fallen People: The Founders and the Future of American Democracy

By Robert Tracy McKenzie

This week’s recommendation continues what we’ve been focusing on in worship this past month.  We just completed last Sunday our “Citizens of Heaven Living on Earth” sermon series, in which we looked at what it means to follow Jesus in a contentious election season.  We are continuing to discuss faith and politics in my Sunday Bible Class. 

In this book, historian Robert Tracy McKenzie takes a look at the faith of the founders and the ways it affected the shaping of democracy in our country.   The title of the book reflects one of his main insights, the role of belief in original sin.  Even though the vast majority of the founders were not orthodox Christians, they still held on to a rather pessimistic view of human nature.  This is one of the reasons for rejecting any kind of monarchy that invests too much power in one fallen sinful person.  But democracy does not eliminate the problem either, as it renders the country subject to the (fallen) whims of the mob.  The founders wanted nothing to do with a straight direct democracy for that reason, and some in fact were more frightened of the mob than a monarch.

So they cleverly crafted a form of government never seen before which was filled with checks and balances, finite terms, and distributed powers among distinct branches.  The purpose of these systems of accountability was to prevent the abuse of power.  The key point is that they were so pessimistic about human nature, so convinced of the reality of the effects of the fall, that they were convinced wherever there is unchecked power, there will be abuse.

McKenzie then traces how this thinking has changed over the years, especially during the populist presidency of Andrew Jackson.  The original skepticism regarding human nature has gradually been replaced by a confidence that people are naturally good, and that the collective will of the people cannot be wrong.  This is a profound theological shift that has had profound political ramifications up to the present age.  What does it mean that we have a form of government built with an assumption of original sin, but the views of the majority of people of the country no longer believe in it, but rather that they and others are basically good?  McKenzie traces this tension through our history up to the present day and the current tension regarding democracy.

I found this a fascinating study.  Not only as a history book, but one that brings together history, theology and political thought in thinking through challenges that our country faces today. 

What God Has to Say about Our Bodies: How the Gospel is Good News for Our Physical Selves

Sam Allberry

God did not make us as disembodied spirits.  We have bodies.  We are physical beings.  The fulfillment of our Christian hope is the resurrection of our bodies.  And the source of that hope is the Word that became flesh, who lived, died, and bodily rose from the dead.

In this book Sam Allberry explores what it means for us that we have physical selves.  Sometimes we take our bodies for granted.  Other times, we’re profoundly disappointed in them.  Allberry highlights the importance, in spite of difficulties with our bodies, of taking to heart that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13).  All of this factors into how we think about gender, sexuality, aging, illness and death.   And, of course, the meaning of the resurrection that we confess in the creeds each week.

This particular area of theology has not received a lot of attention until recently.  The contemporary discussion regarding the meaning of gender have sparked an interest in digging into the Scriptures for insight and guidance on this topic.  This is one of several that have been written in the past few years.  One thing I like about Allberry’s treatment is his very down-to-earth language.  This is not a treatise written for the academic, but rather for people in their everyday life seeking to better understand the meaning of God’s gift of our bodies.

What is a Girl Worth? One Woman’s Courageous Battle to Protect the Innocent and Stop a Predator- No Matter the Cost

By Rachael Dennhollander

This book is both disturbing and inspiring.  It is the story of the first woman to publicly speak out about the mega-abuser Larry Nasser when he was a highly respected doctor for gymnasts, including the USA gymnastics team.  Rachael Dennhollander pressed through numerous obstacles and fierce opposition, along with coming to terms with her own abuse.  But she never stopped in her pursuit of justice, and as a result, Larry Nasser will be behind bars for the rest of his life.

Why is this book on my list as a recommendation?  It is because Rachael Dennhollander is also a very committed Christian, dedicated to following Christ while pursuing justice, including Christ’s call to forgive others as He has forgiven us.  How do justice and forgiveness work together?  How do we forgive someone who is unrepentant, and has done great evil against us and others?

Not only is Rachael’s story compelling, her theological insight and application provide one of the best from-the-trenches presentation of living Christ’s forgiveness that I have ever read.  I told her story as part of the “Forgive” Lent Midweek series earlier this year.  I highly recommend this book, but please be warned: parts are very disturbing.

What is a Girl Worth? One Woman’s Courageous Battle to Protect the Innocent and Stop a Predator- No Matter the Cost

By Rachael Dennhollander

This book is both disturbing and inspiring.  It is the story of the first woman to publicly speak out about the mega-abuser Larry Nasser when he was a highly respected doctor for gymnasts, including the USA gymnastics team.  Rachael Dennhollander pressed through numerous obstacles and fierce opposition, along with coming to terms with her own abuse.  But she never stopped in her pursuit of justice, and as a result, Larry Nasser will be behind bars for the rest of his life.

Why is this book on my list as a recommendation?  It is because Rachael Dennhollander is also a very committed Christian, dedicated to following Christ while pursuing justice, including Christ’s call to forgive others as He has forgiven us.  How do justice and forgiveness work together?  How do we forgive someone who is unrepentant, and has done great evil against us and others?

Not only is Rachael’s story compelling, her theological insight and application provide one of the best from-the-trenches presentation of living Christ’s forgiveness that I have ever read.  I told her story as part of the “Forgive” Lent Midweek series earlier this year.  I highly recommend this book, but please be warned: parts are very disturbing.

Why Do We Feel Lonely at Church?

Jeremy Linneman

One of the challenges of our age is the increasing prevalence of loneliness.  Social media was supposed to bring us together and better connect us, but it has not always lived up to its promise and the culture’s hopes.  The COVID shutdowns drove us away from each other, leading us to view personal proximity as a problem.  But this is not just about social media and COVID.  The trend in our culture toward individualism has been building for decades.  Loneliness and isolation are just some of the fruit of this trend.

This affects the local congregation as well.  As a congregation, we are not just a store for spiritual needs, or a place to absorb religious information.  We are a community that comes together to worship, to pray, to grow, to serve, to grieve, to rejoice, to eat, to play, and more.  Jesus identified the love between Christians as an identifying mark of His church.  Christianity is inherently relational, and so when the culture is struggling relationally, it affects the church.

How should we think about this as Christians and what should we do?  In this little booklet, Jeremy Linneman, who serves as a pastor in a congregation, writes about the practice of building community.  He encourages authentic fellowship through certain practices:  Hospitality, being patient with one another, persisting through conflict and praying together.

This book is a quick read, but has long-lasting suggestions and insights.  I highly recommend it for our community as we strive to grow in doing the Christian life together.  There is a copy of this book, along with previously recommended books on the Church Library cart in the Narthex, available for checking out.