Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

9780801018350mThe New Pastor’s Handbook: Help and Encouragement for the First Years of Ministry by Jason Helopoulos. Believe the hype, Helopoulos’ book is indeed a “must read” for young pastors (seasoned pastors will surely benefit as well). As was the case in his first book, the instruction here is full of grace and truth. The New Pastor’s Handbook consists of forty-eight short chapters broken into five parts: The Beginning, Starting Out Strong, Encouragements, Pitfalls of Young Pastors, and Joys of Ministry. If any part is required reading it is the section on pastoral pitfalls; the one-two punch of “Taking Yourself Too Seriously” and “Not Taking Yourself Seriously Enough” hits home hard. Joe Thorn overstates his case by saying TNPH “will prove to be as helpful as The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges.” But he doesn’t overstate the case by much, this book is really that good. Tolle lege!

9781848716308mKnowing Christ by Mark Jones. If Helopoulos’s book is a modern version of Bridges’ The Christian Ministry then Mark Jones’ latest is a modern-day The Glory of Christ by John Owen. Knowing Christ is devotional Christology par excellence. Those familiar with Jones will know he is a faithful guide on the Christological paths; he employs the full range biblical theology, systematic theology, and historical theology (especially the Puritans) to make the heart happy in Christ. This is not a book to read quickly, I’d recommend reading one chapter during each day’s daily devotions. I was regularly so moved at the glories of Christ that I had to put the book down to contemplate, pray, and worship. May this book receive the widest audience possible.

31n6822EPKL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_Leading in Worship by Terry Johnson. I believe every pastor should have a nice little stack of liturgy books always within reach. We need to see how pastors of old led their congregations in worship. Old liturgies challenge contemporary notions of what should happen in gathered worship and help us consider what it means to worship with “aweful reverence.” Terry Johnson has labored long to see a resurgence of historic, Reformed worship in our day and I trust Leading is Worship will further the liturgical reformation. Here is an accessible, yet substantial directory of worship worthy of the liturgy shelf in your study. Well done!

51+kAdUZOyL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson. There isn’t anyone from whom I’d rather learn history than good Mr. Larson. With every published work he proves himself o’er and o’er to be a master of narrative history—and Dead Wake won’t slow down the accolades. Count me among the many Americans who know the Lusitania’s sinking played a role in bring America into World War I, but the exact nature of that role is beyond me. Or, was beyond me until Dead Wake informed my ignorance.  With envious ease Larson weaves together the story of the Lusitania (the fastest liner of the day), Walther Schieger and Germany’s U-boat project, alongside Woodrow Wilson’s romance with Edith Galt. Historical insight bleed through virtually every page and prove that the best history is nothing less than good ‘ol storytelling.

517UUhOaUnL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_Mightier Than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer. With the completion of Mightier Than the Sword my recent jaunt through the Clifton Chronicles is complete. And I must say, this series offers hearty and healthy entertainment for bedtime reading. Archer steers clear from the lasciviousness saturating most bestsellers and instead relies on proven tricks of the trade: character development, reasonable plot lines (although I must admit the Clifton enemies seem often to rise from the ashes like phoenixes with a heartache), clear prose, and compelling tension. As is his modus operandi, Archer satisfyingly ties up several loose ends at the book’s conclusion, but leave one major storyline dangling out for book six to address. To which I say, “Come on book six!

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series.

Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

9781922206251mSaving Eutychus: How to Preach God’s Word and Keep People Awake by Phil Campbell and Gary Millar. When D.A. Carson says, “I would make this little book mandatory reading for seminarians everywhere, and then urge them to read it a couple more times during the course of their ministry,” I pay attention. I first read Saving Eutychus back in 2013 and profited from it immensely. Last week, after talking with a fellow staff member about preaching convictions, I decided it was time for another read and I was challenged afresh. Campbell’s chapter “Dead, Dull, and Boring” is perhaps the best one stop shop for practical tips on preaching clearly. Millar’s initial chapter on the relationship between preaching and prayer is a most welcome start to a book on preaching, full of stimulating conviction. Tolle lege!

9781433541353mThe Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap Between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness by Kevin DeYoung. It would surely be a stretch to call The Hole in Our Holiness “a modern classic,” but I’m tempted to be stretchy. DeYoung hits all the right points in our contemporary struggle to understand what the Bible says about gospel holiness. We have our elder candidates at IDC read through THIOH during the final two weeks of training and so I was grateful to have a forced rereading. If you’re looking for a sure and steady guide to help you navigate the ocean of sanctification, this is it. Pastors will especially want to have copies on hand as THIOH is an extraordinarily useful book for discipling.

51MBqOUlT1L._SX321_BO1,204,203,200_Harlot’s Ghost by Norman Mailer. A few months ago I happened upon a list titled, “The Best 10 Books on the Cold War.” As an armchair Cold War historian I took the clickbait and was surprised to see a venerable historian recommend Mailer’s fiction book as essential reading. Considering I had a few long plane rides around the corner I purchased an old copy and dove into the two-time Pulitzer winner’s 1,200 (!) page novel. Mailer clearly had done his homework as the narrative spans all the essential Cold War events and even brings out some surprising conclusions. Readers will be disappointed the Mailer didn’t tie up the loose ends (as he evidently planned to write a sequel), but since I came to it more for historical interest I was more than satisfied.

512pPVzqqnL._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory. I remain convinced faithful historical fiction is the easiest way to get one’s mind around what life was like in ages of old. One age of continual interest for many—including myself—is the Tudor court of England. What would it have been like to live during the reign of Henry VIII, the madman who seemed as content murdering his wives as marrying them? Better yet, what would have been like to be one of those wives? That is task Gregory takes up in her latest Tudor tale, The Taming of the Queen, by focusing on Kateryn Parr, the last of Henry’s wives. If you don’t know the story, I won’t ruin it for you here. Just know that Gregory’s work proves the old maxim to be right: truth really is better than fiction. Trust me.

51pPrXUd+7L._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. After seeing Ng’s debut novel dominate the bestseller lists for months on end and find its way onto multiple bestseller lists I thought, “Why not give her a chance?” Well chance I did and Ng had me from the first line, “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” The story that unfolds is one of pain, coming of age, and the difficult work of understanding loved ones. Ng effortlessly probes the depths of human relationships while simultaneously keeping the truth around Lydia’s death full of intrigue. I admit to being a bit disappointed when that truth unveiled itself, but I cannot disagree with all the hype surrounding Everything I Never Told You. This is excellent work.

51XTVuclXyL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. I ended up finishing Harlot’s Ghost faster than expected and so I needed something breezy to occupy my time in the sky. For over a year Archer’s The Clifton Chronicles were in the Kindle queue and so, out of necessity, I finally dove in. What a joy this dive has been! As the series follows the Clifton family through the 20th century I expected it to feel something like Follet’s The Century Trilogy. But Archer is no Follett—and I mean that in a good way. In place of the salaciously captivating storylines Follett loves, Archer leans on some good ‘ol storytelling. What’s unique about the Chronciles is how Archer tells his tale through multiple vantage points. I raced through the series’ first four books (Only Time Will Tell, The Sins of the Father, Best Kept Secret, Be Careful What You Wish For) in less than a week and am due to finish the most recent one this weekend. If you’re looking for a safe saga that just might keep you up at night, this is it.

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series.

Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

51KPk4AX8PL._SX346_BO1,204,203,200_The Privy Key to Heaven by Thomas Brooks. It seems to me that the best criteria by which to judge a book on prayer is whether or not it drives you to your knees in greater fervency in prayer. For intellectual increase in the Bible’s teaching on prayer is a good thing, but heart increase in storming the throne of grace is even greater work. By that measurement the best book on prayer I’ve ever read is Thomas Brooks’ The Privy Key to Heaven. The greatest seasons of devotion to closet prayer in my life can be directly traced to this book. Maybe it’s because Brooks rebukes my apathy for prayer. Maybe it’s because my love for the Puritans means I’m uniquely inclined to profit from his pithy pen. Or maybe it’s because the book is saturated with the earnestness of the Spirit and wisdom of Scripture. Whatever it is, I continue to owe a great debt to Brooks for helping me to frequent the closet each day. If you don’t want to purchase the Brooks’ collected works from the Banner (and you probably don’t), simply pick up the Puritan Paperback edition—The Secret Key to Heaven: The Vital Importance of Private Prayer—and see if Brooks doesn’t drive you to your knees.

9781884527999mOpenness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. Butterfield’s incredible story of conversion to Christ from homosexuality and active lobbying in the LGBTQ community was the focus of Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, one of my favorite books of 2013. I thus came into Openness Unhindered with high expectations and, oh my, did she surpass them. What an incredible book! Her chapters on “Conversion” and “Repentance” are simply brilliant. Of particular interest, given the trajectory of our culture on homosexuality, are her thoughts on sexual orientation and some Christian’s self-representation as being “a gay Christian.” Biblical wisdom, warmth, and winsomeness permeate these most difficult of subjects. The final chapter on “Community: Representing Christ to the World” is perhaps the best treatment of Christian hospitality I’ve ever read. This is a book to read meditatively and prayerful; a feast for the soul awaits. Tolle lege!

41yoLmf6a7L._SX319_BO1,204,203,200_The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon. In her fine chapter on community Butterfield recommended this work by Patak and Runyon, saying it offered some useful tips for engaging one’s neighbors. A light went off in my head as I suddenly remembered I’d downloaded a free Kindle edition of The Art of Neighboring a few years ago. “Kindle here I come.” Pathak (a Vineyard pastor) and Runyon (leader of a non-profit) each went through a personal renaissance in reaching their neighbors and this work offers wisdom from their experience. To be honest, I found the practical counsel predictable—throw a block party, overcome your fear, be intentional, etc.—but that doesn’t mean one can’t profit from the book. At the very least it will exhort you to know your neighbors better than you do, and that’s a most valuable consequence.

515p3OrN1KL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Those who know me best know I’m something of a hermit regarding pop culture (and I don’t mean this to be a badge of honor, it just is what it is). I never know what movies are out, what TV shows are popular, or what music gets the most spins. I do, however, know what books are currently runaway bestsellers—such is the confession of a true bibliophile. I’ve thus seen Hannah’s The Nightingale occupy a prominent place on the bestseller lists for months. Additionally, I’ve noticed it’s maintained five stars on Amazon after over 12,500 reviews; if that’s not impressive I don’t know what is. As a work of World War II historical fiction it has unique appeal to me, but my sense of it being something of a romance novel held me back from taking the literary plunge. But plunge I finally did and am here to tell you The Nightingale is quite good. The prose is compelling, if more flowery than the subject matter deserves, yet Hannah gets high marks for realism in her portrayal of two French sisters resisting Nazi occupation—the plot is full of pain and death, as it ought to be.

51mKNvdwEwL._SX276_BO1,204,203,200_Gray Mountain by John Grisham. Grisham’s latest has all the makings for a courtroom thriller. Set during the recession of 2008, Samantha Kofer loses her job at the world’s largest law firm and finds herself relegated to non-profit work at a legal clinic in small town, coal mining Virginia. The nefarious coal mining companies quickly come into view and the reader would be forgiven of expected a showdown with Big Coal USA to ensure. But it never does. In fact, when the book ended I thought, “Where’s the second half?” The ending is too abrupt and unresolved for my mind. The pages do turn fast as one might expect they would, but in the end Grisham missed out on what could have been an admittedly formulaic, but fast-paced thrill ride. To which I conclude, “Oh well. At least I learned a lot about the sinister coal mining industry.”

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series.

Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

9780310513971mThe Gospel at Work: How Working for King Jesus Gives Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs by Greg Gilbert and Sebastian Traeger. Lord willing, this coming Sunday the men of IDC will meet to discuss The Gospel at Work, so it was time for a reread. If I could ensure every man in our church would read one Christian book this year, The Gospel at Work may just be it. Gilbert and Traeger are immensely clear, relentlessly practical, and unashamedly biblical. It’s as good a discipling book for ordinary church members as you will find. Tolle lege!

51XiJN8N2-L._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_Future Men: Raising Boys to Fight Giants by Doug Wilson. Another recent reread was Wilson’s excellent manifesto on parenting boys. I’ve said it before in this space, Future Men is my handbook for raising boys. As the father of four boys I’m unusually predisposed to glean from this book (and thus may be biased), but I really do think it’s Wilson’s best work. His first chapter on delineating biblical masculinity is as good a short treatment of the topic I’ve ever seen. He offers a compendium of wisdom, appropriately ripped from Proverbs, on training boys to submit to Christ and conquer the earth in every facet of life. You likely won’t agree with everything The Man from Moscow says, but he’ll make you think in ways you probably haven’t about raising boys. If you have a son, get this book.

9781433542442-1mThe Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden by Kevin DeYoung. Believe the hype, DeYoung’s latest work is superb. This is biblical theology made deliciously digestible for children. His emphasis on returning to God’s garden through the work of the ultimate Serpent-Crusher is a welcome one for instructing kids in God’s story. But we must say DeYoung isn’t the true star of The Biggest Story, for that honor goes to Don Clark. His illustrations are, as my boys like to say, “So awesomely cool!” I’ve never seen a kids’ resource illustrated with such profound elegance. Kudos to Crossway for their work on this project—The Biggest Story is an absolute treasure.

51BPNsNtYXL._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms. It’s always good to try to understand viewpoints that differ from your own. Storms’ view on spiritual gifts represents something like “the other side” from where I stand on pneumatology and ecclesiology. His voice is probably as sound and sane as any in the continuationist camp, so I listen to be sharpened. Storms believes what the church needs more than anything else is to be set aflame in manifestations of the Spirit (9). The bulk of the book goes on to show how the most debated gifts—healing, miracles, prophecy, and tongues—should be pursued in earnest today. I’m grateful that Storms lets exegesis, not experience, be the primary arbiter of truth in his work. I just happen to disagree with the vast majority of his exegesis, often more vigorously than I anticipated.

51zU26kmJqL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_American Dreams: The United States Since 1945 by H.W. Brands. Bill Brands is my favorite lecturer on American history. History is never boring when found in the hands of Brands. He has a pronounced gift in communicating huge historical and political concepts in most compelling way. I tend to not only watch any lecture of his I can get my hands on, but also any book of his I can carve out time to read. American Dreams is something like the history of my life. It recounts the story of our country since the close of World War II, which is the story of my grandparents, parents, and my childhood. Brands and I are not on the same page politically, thus some of his interpretations rub me the wrong way, yet I found American Dreams—on the whole—to be sublime. If you are looking for an insightful and accessible account of our nation’s recent history check this one out.

41-YkFaghDL._SX302_BO1,204,203,200_The Martian by Andy Weir. About eighteen months ago a member of our church, who is an engineer, told me he was reading a fantastic book called The Martian. He said, “You’ll probably like it, but just know that it can get quite technical on the astronomical side of things.” Being a simpleton (read, not an engineer) when it comes to matters of outer space, that warning was enough to deter me from reading. Yet, I kept seeing Weir’s book rise in popularity and get made into a major motion picture with Matt Damon, so I finally decided to dive in. My thought upon completion was, “Oh man, this was brilliant!” You should go read the summary to see what’s it all about. What I’ll say here is that I can’t remember the last time I read a thriller so thoroughly laced with laugh-out-loud-you-wake-your-sleeping-wife-up humor. If ever there was a book on made for box office success, The Martian is it. If Ridley Scott messes up his soon-to-be-released adaptation . . . well, I’m really not sure how that’s possible.

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series.

Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

41uPANGbOYL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_Awakening: The Life & Ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne by David Robertson. Robertson’s chronicle of M’Cheyne comes with the author’s unique vantage point: he is the current minister of St. Peter’s in Dundee, M’Cheyne’s church of old. The consistent interest and “unrealistic expectations of many who came to inquire about M’Cheyne” set Robertson on a course of discovery. He cynically thought, “Was [M’Cheyne] not just famous because he died young and had a book book written about him?” Robertson’s research lead him to conclude . . . wait for it . . . M’Cheyne has amazing relevance for today! The saintly Scotsman continues to awaken ministers today. Like almost every biography of M’Cheyne, Awakening is arranged topically instead of chronologically. Will we ever have a modern, chronological biography of RMM? One day, I hope. I personally found Robertson’s lack of citations maddening from a scholarly perspective, but his work on setting M’Cheyne in his historical context is magnificent.

9781433523731mJoseph and the Gospel of Many Colors: Reading an Old Story in a New Way by Voddie Baucham. Several years ago Baucham woke up from homiletical moralism when a Conservative Jew sent him a letter after listening to one of his Old Testament sermons. She said she’d “never imagined being able to get so much out of a message preached by a Gentile!” This started Baucham on journey of evaluating the degree to which his preaching was Christ-centered. Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors represents his model of Christocentric, not moralistic, preaching on the Old Testament. I figured I’d give the book a whirl as I plan to preach Genesis 37-50 tomorrow night at IDC. He does an excellent job focusing on Genesis’ land, seed, and covenant themes, but I felt he missed some big redemptive-historical points on God’s election of Judah and providential protection of His people by placing them in Egypt. Ironically, almost every chapter’s exposition ends with a section of “Takeaways,” which—from my perspective—are actually very . . . well, moral. So, maybe there is a place for moral application after all.

0801021073mCreation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis by Allen Ross. Throughout the summer we’ve been preaching through the book of Genesis with some noticeable velocity (doing all fifty chapters in fourteen weeks). As such, I simply didn’t have time to read many commentaries cover to cover. Walton’s commentary alone takes almost two hundred pages to just get through Genesis 3! Ross’s work is long (coming in at over 700 pages), but gloriously useful. Not every expositor will agree with what Ross contends to be the main point of a given pericope, but I found him especially helpful on historical context and contemporary application. Any pastor preaching through Genesis should have this resource on hand.

9780830842018-1mGenesis by Derek Kidner. The only other Genesis commentary of which I read every page is this one by the venerable Derek Kidner. I found it characteristically lucid, occasionally brilliant, and consistently insightful. The book’s brevity (just over 200 pages) means it won’t be as exhaustive as some preachers might want, but it is nonetheless a model of essentiality in biblical studies. Thus, Kidner doesn’t veer into every possible debate, but instead chooses to focus the reader’s concentration on the concentration(s) of Genesis itself. Well done.

51Ht7pv4TtL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_American Apocalypse: A History of Modern Evangelicalism by Matthew Avery Sutton. Sutton’s history of modern evangelicalism breaks from the common historical mold on four points: 1) he places substantial emphasis on World War I’s impact on radical evangelicalism, 2) he argues historians have exaggerated the significance of the Scopes trial, 3) he stresses greater continuity in the fundamentalist story than Marsden, and 4) he eschews sharp distinctions between the politics and tactics of pre-World War II fundamentalism and postwar evangelicalism. Knowledgeable readers understand that what Sutton attempts in American Apocalypse is nothing less than a reshaping of how we interpret the history of evangelicalism. The unifying force for his interpretation is late-19th century to late-20th century evangelicalism’s love affair with premillennialism. His impressive, sweeping research shows how apocalyptic sensibilities dominated evangelicalism’s political moves in the 20th century. Not everyone will agree with his conclusions, but this reading of modern evangelicalism is one to be reckoned with. Tolle lege!

AWTA Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer by Lyle Dorsett. Before reading Dorsett’s work my knowledge of Tozer was limited to his two most famous works: The Knowledge of the Holy and The Pursuit of God. He had a huge impact on my grandparents and subsequently my parents, so I thought it’d be enjoyable to dive into this brief introduction. I can’t say I was disappointed; what an interesting life and ministry! Here we find many strange inconsistencies housed in one man (but isn’t that true of us all?). He came out of Pentecostal background and didn’t ever repudiate it, nevertheless he focused not on Christ as Healer, but Christ as Savior and Sanctifier. He was a powerful preacher and man of prayer, but fell way short as a shepherd, husband, and father. Dorsett ably moves the story along, but I found his pen regularly repetitive and somewhat odd (see his affinity for the word “purposive”).

51bFUMo4RJL._SX296_BO1,204,203,200_Flight of Passage: A Memoir by Rinker Buck. In the summer of 1966 brothers Kern and Rinker Buck—aged seventeen and fifteen respectively—flew from New Jersey to California in an old Piper Cub. Their story captivated the media and had reporters chasing them from one country airport to the next. Rinker’s memoir of that special summer makes for perfect summer reading. The prose is breezy, the story is simultaneously poignant and hilarious, and the history is joyfully informative. I found myself longing for youthful days of old when summers with friends were times of unusual freedom to pursue our wildest dreams.

61Zx9Zxba+L._SX301_BO1,204,203,200_A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett. Around twenty years ago, while gardening at High Glen House, Follett found a prisoner’s collar with the engraving, “This man is property of Sir George Jamisson of Fife, AD 1767.” The keepsake became a paper weight and eventually the catalyst for A Place Called Freedom. Here Follett creates some historical fiction about one who may have borne the collar, a Scottish protagonist he names Mack McAsh. With Follett’s usual intensity the story moves along rapidly, finding McAsh heading off to the New World to find freedom, all the while with his enemies in hot pursuit. The portrait of plantation life in early Virginia is particularly fascinating, even if a few of Follett’s sociological conventions are a bit too modern.

92375Hornet Flight by Ken Follett. Before his smashing success with The Century Trilogy Follett’s bestsellers usually were works of World War II-era historical fiction. Hornet Flight is one of those works. Here Follett’s invents immense intrigue in the realm of Danish resistance to Nazi occupation. The Danes developed one of the most successful Nazi resistance movements of the war, helping almost all Denmark’s Jews escape Hitler’s grasp. Follett tells the story of a few ordinary Danish citizens trying to help the RAF successfully breakthrough the Luftwaffe’s hold over Denmark. I’ve come to the conclusion that Follett is so adept at historical fiction page turners because he’s quite superb at developing believable, yet tyrannous villains. And few places in history had so many ghastly, ordinary villains as Nazi Germany. This one is entertaining all around.

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series.

Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

ScottishChristianHeritageThe Scottish Christian Heritage by Iain Murray. What a feast this one is! I personally find Iain Murray’s books to always be edifying and The Scottish Christian Heritage did not in any way deviate from this trend. It is quite amazing to consider how, in God’s providence, the little English-speaking island of Scotland has had such an effect on church history. Here Murray recounts Scotland’s major figures and movements from Knox to Bruce to Chalmers, from the Reformation to the Great Disruption. I found the biographical chapter on Chalmers to be soul stirring. But the chapter on Scottish preaching offered some surprising insights I’d never before considered, and really is worth the price of the whole book. Tolle lege!

51whFdmHY9L._SX302_BO1,204,203,200_Standing on the Promises: A Biblical Handbook of Childrearing by Doug Wilson. With the completion of Standing on the Promises my roughly three-week journey through Wilson’s Family Series is now complete. As the subtitle suggests this book is Wilson’s manifesto on parenting. As such, I expected great things. Imagine then the letdown it was to find the book has much more to do with the covenant than raising children in the covenant. And because I so greatly differ with Wilson on a biblical understanding of the covenant I found myself disagreeing with almost all the book’s instruction. The sense I felt at the end was, “Oh well.”

51ogd0KZWPL._SX319_BO1,204,203,200_The Life of Edward Irving by Arnold Dallimore. Have you ever heard of Edward Irving? Probably no. I likely wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for my studies in Robert Murray M’Cheyne. But Irving is of great interest to M’Cheyne students because his view of eschatology played a huge part in M’Cheyne’s ardent premillennialism. Although you can’t necessarily call Irving a proto-dispensationalist (he close on several points), you can call definitely him a proto-charismatic. He created a Pentecostal church before such an assembly existed. Dallimore writes, “He was exceptionally tall and elegantly handsome; his mind was that of a genius, though tending towards eccentricty; his spirit was almost childlike in it simplicity, yet at the same time mightily masculine, full of courage and unflinching in conviction, and as a preacher he was known as ‘the greatest orator of the age.'” This Life is one of the more fascinating ones I’ve read in a long time.

51WRCJ37G6L._SX308_BO1,204,203,200_Excused Absence: Should We Send Our Kids to Government Schools? by Doug Wilson. If you know anything about Wilson you won’t be surprised to find him answering the subtitle’s question in the negative. Excused Absence is his passionate cry for Christian parents to educate their children in a Christian environment. Although I think he goes to far in essentially saying Christian teachers can’t truly serve in public schools, I’m thoroughly sympathetic to his argument for educating our children in an institution submitted to Christ’s lordship. The work is, of course, helped by Wilson’s prodigious pen. Take this for example,

When God is excluded from the classroom, we are not merely remaining silent about God. We are teaching children that they may safely disregard Him. Whether or not God exists, the lesson goes, His existence is irrelevant to what we are doing here. So when God is omitted, we are not silent about Him; rather, we are teaching the children in the most convincing way possible that God is irrelevant. They can safely omit Him when it is convenient to do so. (62)

51g9Qim8ogL._SX297_BO1,204,203,200_The Case for Classical Christian Education by Doug Wilson. On the surface Wilson’s Case might seem like a good resource for parents interested in learning what classical Christian education is all about. Yet, while they will surely benefit from Wilson’s work, The Case for Classical Christian Education is geared more for educators—for those thinking about starting a classical Christian school. I have a hope of doing something similar at IDC down the road, so I read this book and was helped. It gave insights on matters of school boards, rules for teachers, the value of Latin, and the “biblicity” of the trivium I hadn’t  considered before.

81sN0UiNqoL._SL1500_Archangel by Robert Harris. What if Joseph Stalin left a secret hidden that, when revealed after his death, could potentially change the history of his people? Harris takes up that very fictional question in Archangel. The narrative revolves around one Fluke Kelso, something of an exasperating English historian whose expertise is Soviet Russia. He comes across Stalin’s old leather bound journal and proceeds to thinks riches and fame await. Yet, on further review the journal hides a secret long hidden, but soon to be revealed. What the secret is won’t surprise the reader, but I did find myself taken aback by the abrupt—and unexpected—ending. The story lacked any substantial character or plot development, so as it barreled along I often felt it need to be longer than it was. But if it was longer I’m not sure I’d have read it.

51OON2-+I-L._SX297_BO1,204,203,200_Flight Over Water by Ken Follett. I find few popular authors as consistently riveting as Follett—a fact proven over and over in Flight Over Water. It’s September 1939 and war has just broken out over Europe. A group of miscreants and millionaires board the vaunted Pan Am clipper bound for New York. Follett’s whole story tells what happens over the next thirty-six hours or so. And he creates drama and intrigue at every turn, and it’s surprisingly believable. The deeper matter at hand for the reader is that of what we might call rooting for rightness; Follet begs the reader to root for the thief, adulteress, and gangster—will you or won’t you?

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series.

Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

51ZlZrXw9EL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision by Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson. I must say from the start, “This is a magnificent book!” It will undoubtedly be very high on my favorites reads of 2015. Whatever high expectations I had were well surpassed as the authors promote a compelling vision for recovering the long hallowed, but now forgotten, role of the pastor theologian. Full of piercing historical and sociological analysis, rich reflection on God’s word, and surprisingly helpful tips, this is a book every pastor should read. Not all of us will become Ecclesial Theologians (the true burden of Wilson and Hiestand’s model), yet we all need fresh encouragement to zealously pursuing a learned ministry. Tolle lege!

51IimGVOk+L._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_Robert Murray McCheyne: A Burning Light by Alexander Smellie. Out of all the M’Cheyne biographies I’ve read Smellie’s might just be the best one after Andrew Bonar’s classic. Written in the early 20th century Smellie’s account benefits from simultaneously being near enough to interview some who knew Mr. M’Cheyne and having enough historical distance to provide pointed analysis. Smellie’s pen is also up to the task of the great Scotsman; he eloquently says of M’Cheyne’s preaching, “There was pathos in it; there was winningness; there was fire.” This is stirring stuff.

516BVHWMAYL._SX333_BO1,204,203,200_Robert Murray M’Cheyne: A Good Minister of Jesus Christ by J.C. Smith. Smith’s entry into the cottage industry of M’Cheyne appreciation is quite scattered. He spends more time collecting stories about M’Cheyne from contemporaries than giving a linear account of the pastor’s life. But what is surely a drawback to most readers is a gift to M’Cheyne students like myself. For here we have documented eyewitness experiences and firsthand accounts of the man’s power in preaching, prayer, and pastoral ministry. A goldmine indeed.

51v1Lqj1gCL._SX309_BO1,204,203,200_They Were Pilgrims by Marcus Loane. I had never heard of Loane before picking up this book, but have since found out he was a formidable figure in the mid-20th century Reformed world. They Were Pilgrims is a delightful “Banner-of-Truthy” (let the learned understand) book consisting of four biographical portraits: David Brainerd, Henry Martyn, Robert Murray M’Cheyne, and Ion Keith-Falconer. Each man died around the age of thirty, burning out with a missionary zeal. Under Loane’s able hand each man’s zeal for Jesus and His salvation bleeds through each page. Readers beware: the lives and ministry of these humble men just might be what the Spirit uses to ignite a white-hot, fast-burning flame in your life.

41xGGv4FBmL._SX319_BO1,204,203,200_Her Hand in Marriage: Biblical Courtship in the Modern World by Doug Wilson. This book is brief and full of everything one would expect from the “Moscow, Idaho Man.” He is unrelenting in his call for parents to take a biblical role in the relationships of their children. The idea of “courtship” connotes lots of crazy things with modern Christians, but I found Wilson’s vision to be utterly compelling and needed. The simple statement, “Boys leave for marriage, and girls are given in marriage,” may reshape some parent’s view of the whole business. If you take anything away from the book it ought to be a re-centering of children’s relationships around the wise, loving authority of the father. You may read it and disagree, but that’s just fine—Wilson is always good for stirring up convictional conversations.

510CK89F2ML._SX306_BO1,204,203,200_My Life for Yours: A Walk through the Christian Home by Doug Wilson. It took me a while to “get” what Wilson was up to in My Life For Yours. As the subtitle indicates, Wilson walks the reader through a Christian home and meditates on whatever major theme is present in the given room. So, when he comes to the Living Room he speaks of humility and holidays, the Dining Room calls to mind idolatry and food, and the sight of an Entertainment Center gets him going on worldliness. Almost no stone related to the Christian home goes uncovered in this excellent little book. It would be a good tool for discipling church members to use their home for the glory of God.

51afLCXGeQL._SX311_BO1,204,203,200_Praise Her in the Gates: The Calling of Christian Motherhood by Nancy Wilson. Having finished reading every Family Series entry from Doug, I ventured over to read those written by his wife. Reading such books help me understand my wife and, I hope, better ministry to the women in my church. Wilson says, “Building a home—childbirth, education, discipline—requires holy joy and a love of beauty. The mother who fears God does not fear the future.” And all God’s people said, “Preach!” Although her literary pen isn’t as potent as her husband’s it is mighty clear nonetheless. Praise Her in the Gates represents Mrs. Wilson’s splendid and short manifesto on motherhood. She hits all the necessary parts with biblical sensibility and without belaboring the point. Her chapters on “The Church as Mother,” “Loving the Kids,” and “The Pleasant Home” will encourage mothers across the spectrum. This would be an excellent book for a few mothers to walk through and encourage each other in the high calling of motherhood.

41A0hBGmDQL._SX309_BO1,204,203,200_The Fruit of Her Hands: Respect and the Christian Woman by Nancy Wilson. I’m not sure if there’s much I can say about this one as it’s overwhelmingly about wives respecting their husbands. I think Praise Her in the Gates is more useful and pithy, but The Fruit of Her Hands will surely be of use to women desiring to honor the Lord in marriage. I’m still waiting for my wife to finish it and let me know what she thinks. Until then, I’ll just mosey on over to a corner of Recent Reads where I better belong . . .

51ffJRTYXsL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy by David Hoffman. I’ve long fancied that in another life I’d be some type of super spy or intelligence agent—think Jason Bourne. So naturally my outlet for such silliness has been studying the Cold War, those golden decades of espionage. Yet, as time has gone on I find myself increasingly fascinated by the politics of the age as well. When I thus saw David Hoffman’s Pulitzer winner on the untold story of nuclear arms race I knew I had to pick it up. What a fantastic work of scholarship and narrative history! If only every award winner had such verve in telling its story. I never knew how close the world came to nuclear meltdown in the 1980s. Additionally, the fall of the Soviet Union has a new depth of meaning after reading this one. Hoffman’s portraits of Reagan and Gorbachev are most illuminating. The Dead Hand is essential reading for any armchair historian—or professional historian, for that matter–of the Cold War.

41OA4CHPoZL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien. My journey through Middle Earth continued with The Two Towers. As I said last week, it’s been about thirteen years since I last ventured upon these hallow grounds and many of the intricacies had been forgotten. For example, I hadn’t remembered—I blame it on Peter Jackson, of course—how compartmentalized the original narrative is. Tolkien doesn’t weave the separate stories of the broken Fellowship together, instead choosing to tell each one’s part in full before moving on to the next. I’m pleased to tell you the Battle of Helm’s Deep is still passionate and heroic, and the last march of the Ents remains a joy to behold.

51MlPWDaXGL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien. One thing that must be said about the Jackson versions of LOTR is house stupendous was his job with brave Samwise. For throughout the whole trilogy, and most acutely in The Return of the King, the Gaffer’s son is a model of selfless valor. One can’t read this final volume without feeling stirred by the courage of Frodo, Sam, and their hobbit friends. I confess to getting a teary-eyed as I turned the final page and the Grey Havens came . . . such is my love for this wondrous world of fiction.

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series

Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

41JFINGg09L._SX362_BO1,204,203,200_Positive Preaching and the Modern Mind by P.T. ForsythA few months ago I noticed a trend in several of the preaching books I’d read: some of the best parts of each book were nothing more than quotations from Forsyth’s Positive Preaching and the Modern Mind. “Ad fontes!” I cried and so here we are. Forsyth’s opus on preaching was originally delivered as part of the Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching at Yale University in 1907. The Scottish theologian barrels out of the gate saying, “It is, perhaps, an overbold beginning, but I will venture to say that with its preaching Christianity stands or falls” (3). “You sir,” I say, “are worth listening to.” Forsyth wanders around more than I’d prefer, but he often finds himself in a place of brilliance. His thoughts on preaching and “Religious Reality” are particularly smashing. This isn’t a fast read, but you’re preaching will be helped.

SOPThe Soul of Prayer by P.T. Forsyth. I liked Positive Preaching enough to pick up Forsyth’s much shorter (95 pages) work on prayer. The book is straightforward enough as it consider seven attributes of prayer: Prayer’s inwardness, naturalness, moral reactions, timeliness, ceaselessness, vicariousness, and insistency. He rambles about again without a cohesive center, but—like Positive Preaching—the rambling proves to offer continual spiritual profit. I found myself freshly challenged to prayer through an old man illuminating old truths in fresh ways.

51k7go4DHcL._SX314_BO1,204,203,200_Constrained by His Love: A New Biography of Robert Murray M’Cheyne by J.L. Van Valen. Originally published in Dutch in 1992, Christian Focus translated Van Valen’s work and made it the most recent major English-language bio of M’Cheyne in 2002. The work reads less like a chronological narrative and more like a systematic treatment of M’Cheyne’s thought/practice. Once I got around that—and what seemed to be some literary verve lost in translation—I found my soul edified. Frankly, it seems impossible to me for anyone to write anything about M’Cheyne and not edify the reader. The Scotsman is just that compelling. Pictures of M’Cheyne’s cultural context, personal letters, and major figures help illuminate the story at every turn. Van Valen’s final chapter of summary thoughts on the man’s life and legacy is worth the price of the book.

519NcKsavrL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_Uneasy in Babylon: Southern Baptist Conservatives and American Culture by Barry Hankins. I picked up Hankins book as something of a personal treat after completing my spring seminars at The Institution back in early June.  Hankins book attempts to answer the question, “How did the conservative leaders of America’s largest Protestant denomination come to hold culture views that put them at odds with the moderates who had preceded them in the leadership positions of their denomination?” His short answer is, “Conservative leaders came to believe that America, including the South, was in the throes of a cultural crisis that necessitated a warlike struggle against the forces that were hostile to evangelical faith.” Sounds fun, doesn’t it? I thought so. As a conservative Southern Baptist I predictably disagree with some of Hankins’ more moderate conclusions, but on the whole this is some mighty fine denominational history.

51GosQ6C6CL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_Baptists in America: A History by Thomas Kidd and Barry Hankins. The month of Baptist history continued with Hankins joining forces with the redoubtable Tommy Kidd. They ably tell the fascinating story of Baptists rise from persecuted minority to the Protestant majority in our country. Their research is impeccable and immense, best seen in the very personal vignettes woven into each chapter regarding forgotten individuals. I did, however, find this literary approach giving the story some narrative slack. But these brothers can be forgiven. The chapters on “Slavery, Schism, and War” and “Black Baptist in Babylon” were particularly insightful. At the end of the book the authors write, “In all of this, Baptists are notorious for two things—evangelism and schism.” Sounds about right to me. Well done!

51XaAWyvXRL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_Reforming Marriage by Doug Wilson. I know some think of Wilson as the dark lord of Reformed theology, particularly all you “TR” (Truly Reformed ©) brothers. But I love him. Not that I agree with everything he says, far from it. But, Wilson always makes you think and he writes with skill that’s, as the kids say, “stupid good.” I’ve long considered his Future Men as my manual for raising boys, so I decided to dip into the rest of the Family Series catalog. First up was his little treatise on marriage. And let me say what many don’t want to say, this is brilliant. I thought his chapter one honoring the marriage bed is as good as anything I’ve yet read on the topic. This is biblical conviction worth listening to.

FidelityFidelity: How to Be a One-Woman Man by Doug Wilson. Wilson ups the ante in Fidelity by saying, “Some of what is said here may be offensive to some Christian women, but the point is certainly not to give offense. The point is to provide biblically specific and pointed help for Christian males” (13). “Help on what?” you might ask. The answer is, of course, being a one-woman man grounded in God’s word (1 Tim. 3:2). So, while the book is certainly not for all people, it does have many helpful things to say about “the various allurements which distract Christian men from their sexual responsibilities.” While I didn’t find every chapter useful, his work on “Lust and Pornography” and their incumbent perils is oh so helpful.

51fY0WvGBLL._SX311_BO1,204,203,200_How to Exasperate Your Wife and Other Short Essays for Men by Doug Wilson. The cover and title are quite hilarious, but they belie a serious little book. After Reforming Marriage and Fidelity I wondered if Wilson’s latest was going to be something of a “Doug’s Best Hits on Husbandry” album. So I was pleasantly surprised to find him treading on familiar ground in a fresh way. Every chapter is short, packed with pithy little punches and delightful spiritual digs at much of the masculine bufoonery plaguing Christian men today. I’ve already invited a few men to read the book with me as I think it will be quite edifying for all as we desire to represent Christ in our homes.

41uijkhSxCL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship by John Macarthur. Every Tuesday morning at 7:30am I meet with the other two staff members of IDC and we’re always working through a book. I can’t remember how it came up, but one of them suggested we read Macarthur’s Strange Fire. And read we did. And that particular staff member still isn’t sure if his decision was a good one. He thought Macarthur’s arguments were compelling biblically, but failed the “winsomeness test.” I’m not sure if I agree with the latter issue, but I can see how Macarthur’s utter confidence in his interpretation of God’s word can come across as arrogance to some. I still believe anyone looking for a popular, evangelical case for cessationism would do well to read and wrestle with this book.

HobbitThe Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. One day while running—any good thought I have usually comes while on a run—I decided I’d been away from Middle Earth for far too long. I soon realized it’s because I last ventured into the original, literary world of Tolkien about thirteen years (!) ago. That’s terribly long for a Hobbit loving soul like mine. So back to the world of hobbits, dwarves, elves, wizards, rings, and bad guys I went. I’d forgotten how much singing there was in middle earth and actually managed to lose a few characters over the years (Beorn being the most notable). After the book finished you know what first popped into my mind? “My, my how Peter Jackson bungled the whole Hobbit franchise.”

41i-SJkyCQL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien. Peter Jackson’s version of The Hobbit again managed to weave it’s way into my mind as I read the next book in the series. I was surprised to find how many little asides—Radagast anyone?—in the cinematic Hobbit actually came from The Fellowship of the Ring book. The Fellowship’s glory and beauty remain unstained, I am pleased to report. Tolkien’s longer introduction to the history of hobbits in this volume caused me to realize something for the first time: my natural disposition is strikingly hobbit-like. Let those who know me best and lovethe trilogy to rule all trilogies” understand.

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series.

Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

9781433549373What Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality? by Kevin DeYoung. If ever there was a book uniquely suited for the times it’s DeYoung’s latest. What Does the Bible . . . ? is after an admittedly small slice of the categorical pie, for DeYoung writes, “This is a Christian book, with a narrow focus, defending a traditional view of marriage” (15). The work’s utility lies in it’s simplicity: part one deals with the five most debated passage on homosexuality and part two deals with the seven most common objections to the traditional view. As we should expect by now DeYoung is winsomely logical, ruthlessly biblical, and pastorally helpful. Every pastor should get have multiple copies on hand to distribute to church members. We can’t seem to keep the book in stock at IDC and I continually hear of it being an immense help to our congregation. One of the must reads of 2015.

WWSWater, Word, and Spirit: A Reformed Perspective on Baptism by J.V Fesko. The appropriate word for Fesko’s volume on baptism is “tome.” It’s an immense work of scholarship spanning the disciplines of historical, biblical, and systematic theology. The immensity is matched by a density of language; this is really an academic monograph on the subject. Fesko is strongest in the section on biblical theology as he highlights the reality of baptism being covenant and eschatological judgment—these are often neglected in my baptist circles. He also usefully points out how often baptism in Scripture is connected to the Noahic flood. Of particular importance is chapter 14, “Baptism and Its Recipients,” as Fesko goes full throttle to convince readers of paedobaptism’s rightness. I’m still not convinced, but if you want to understand the historic “Reformed perspective” this is the book for you.

9781587433498mSpiritual Friendship: Finding Love as a Celibate Gay Christian by Wesley Hill. Back in May I sat in a doctoral seminar entitled “Patristic & Celtic Spirituality” and heard Dr. Michael Haykin say something like, “Wesley Hill’s book Spiritual Friendship is teaching me things about friendship I’ve never seen before—and I’ve been studying the topic for years!” I immediately ordered the book and finally got around to reading it this week. Although I’m not convinced of Hill’s apparent desire to resurrect “vowed friendship” is a wise move (Allberry’s spot on in this review), I found myself continually rethinking my own views of friendship. Part 1, “Reading Friendship,” is illuminating in every way as Hill traces the decline of friendship in the Western world over the last few centuries. Part 2 is less helpful, for me at least, because it more acutely applies to those struggling with same-sex attraction. Nonetheless, I think anyone’s understanding and practice of spiritual friendship will be improved by this book.

9781433544613mThe Prodigal Church: A Gentle Manifesto Against the Status Quo by Jared Wilson. Wilson says he doesn’t want The Prodigal Church to be a rant, an argument for a traditional church, or reactionary rejection. Rather it’s a “gentle manifesto” in which he dares attractional church aficionados to ask, “What if what we’re doing isn’t really what we’re supposed to be doing?” By “attractional” he means “a way of doing ministry that derives from the primary purpose of making Christianity appealing” (25). Although I think the overwhelming majority of readers won’t actually be attractional apologists (I imagine he’ll be mostly preaching to the choir), this book does achieve its stated aims. With gentility and honesty Wilson pokes at the sacred cows of attractional churches to see if they can stand withstand the light of Scripture and reason. If you know a pastor withering at an attractional church or wondering if the model is actually misguided, give them this book. They will be helped.

513F52vnKLL._SX341_BO1,204,203,200_The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. There isn’t anyone from whom I’d rather learn about American history than David McCullough. The two-time Pulitzer winner writes with such a warmth and familiarity of understanding I feel as though I’m listening to my grandfather tells stories of days gone by. His latest work focuses on how Wilbur and Orville Wright created their “flying machine.” This story of the boys from Dayton, Ohio is quintessentially “American”—two men rising from obscurity to change the world through undaunted industry and ingenuity. The Wright Brothers is a story we all should know. And McCullough’s reverent and beautiful prose is the perfect guide. Highly recommended!

51U9Ph+IX6L._SY498_BO1,204,203,200_The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. After almost seven months of nonstop PhD reading I permitted my mind a two-week break of relative mindlessness in terms of bedtime reading. For some reason—I’m still not exactly sure how—I grabbed Larsson’s international senstation The Millennium Triology (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest). Interestingly enough, Larsson was never able to bask in the success of his greatest success as Millennium was published after his death. Aside from a few brutal scenes and occasional reveling in innuendo the trilogy is taut, keep-you-up-too-late reading. I can definitely see why it’s such a smashing success.

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series.

Recent Reads

I love to read. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.

It’s been over six weeks since I last offered up a “Recent Reads” post, but my reading hasn’t slowed down. In order that this post doesn’t become unnecessarily long I’ve selected seven of the books I completed that might be of most interest to ordinary pastors.

9780525953036mPreaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller. The Manhattan Man’s treatise on preaching has been in the works for a long time. Thankfully it has arrived. Those familiar with his preaching ministry and homiletical convictions won’t find anything new in this work. But don’t mistake that as being a bad thing. Preaching is saturated with instruction on concerns you’d expect from Keller: preaching contextually, understanding cultural narratives, and making the gospel of Christ central in every sermon. The book shines brightest in the last two chapters, “Preaching Christ to the Heart,” and “Preaching and the Spirit.” Two chapters that ought to be required reading for every preaching student or preaching pastor.

9781433686207mGoing Public: Why Baptism is Required for Church Membership by Bobby Jamieson. The focus of 9Marks’ latest book is pointed—should believer’s baptism be required for all church members? Jamieson gives a thoughtful emphatic, “Yes,” as you’d expect from reading the subtitle. His primary interlocutors are John Bunyan and John Piper, for they represent 17th century and 21st century convictions of “open membership” (the view that paedobaptists can be accepted as members in a credobaptist church). I’ve heard one prominent Baptist say the book paves new ground in our understanding of the sacraments and church membership, but I couldn’t discern what this new ground is supposed to be. I can see some parts of the argument being new for Baptists, but many aren’t new to—what I see as—a more historically Reformed understanding on specific matters. Case in point: the chapter on baptism as “The Initiating Oath-Sign of the New Covenant” is as rich a treatment on the covenantal realities of baptism I’ve seen put forth by a Baptist (and probably a new way of thinking about baptism for many Baptists). Yet, Reformed treatments on the subject have been making similar arguments for centuries. Nonetheless, this is a very valuable book and necessary reading for anyone interested in the intra-Baptist debate on open membership and closed membership.

ConfessionsConfessions by Augustine. Simply magnificent. For years this has sat on my shelf begging to be read, yet it took a PhD seminar in Patristic Spirituality to get me to actually read Augustine’s classic. I’m not sure if I should say much about Confessions lest I break out into a string of redundant superlatives. So I will only say, “Read this book!”

 

9781433539718mNewton on the Christian Life: To Live is Christ by Tony Reinke. The praise for Reinke’s book on Newton was so eye-grabbing that I couldn’t help but grab the book myself. “Here is mastery!” cries Packer. “For some readers, this book may just become the most important book, outside the Bible, they will ever read,” declares Ortlund. I think the hyperbolic endorsements created unrealistic expectations, for I confess to having felt a bit disappointed when I finished . . . even though the book is solid. Maybe it’s because I found the book too long, a bit redundant, overly italicized, or maybe it’s because I can be a stodgy reader. Who knows. But you must not mistake my unmet expectations as being reason not to read the book. In fact, I recommend the book to anyone. Read this dissertation with slow meditation. Read it to observe a man—Newton—stare hard and long at the glory of the Savior. You just might find Newton giving you fresh insights into Christ and the human heart. If he does that for you, Newton on the Christian Life will be worth every penny.

9780718022013mThe Happy Christian by David Murray. I’m utterly delighted Murray has given us this book. The title and cover may seem a bit sappy (Murray admits he didn’t like the title at first), but The Happy Christian is a book worth everyone’s attention. For Murray is right, Christians should be the happiest people in the world! The man from Puritan Reformed Seminary weaves together biblical insight, scientific research, and personal anecdotes in convincing fashion. Each chapter offers a mathematical spiritual formula for happiness and many of them are worth memorizing. Formulas such as, “Facts > Feelings = Positive” (chapter 1), “Done > Do = Positive” (chapter 3), or “Future > Past = Positive” (chapter 5) are handy guides for everyday happiness in Christ. Several of the chapters are longer than necessary, but Murray fills them with plenty of short sections and never overtaxes one’s attention. I can see this being a useful discipling resource for churches and small groups.

questradicalmiddleThe Quest for the Radical Middle: A History of the Vineyard by Bill Jackson. One reason for my recent blog hiatus was a research paper I needed to complete on the spirituality of Vineyard music. One of the many invaluable resources I came across in research was Bill Jackson’s excellent history. This is the definitive account of a movement that swept through and swept up evangelicalism in the late 20th-century. Jackson writes as sympathetically (he’s a Vineyard pastor), but not uncritically. As the book was published only two years after the death of John Wimber, the Vineyard’s leader and shaper, it’s essentially a history of “The Wimber Years.” And what fascinating years they were! I only wish all PhD research was so intriguing from cover to cover.

51KJkX3idkL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_Reinventing American Protestantism: Christianity in the New Millennium by Donald Miller. In 1997 sociologist Donald Miller published his study of what he termed “new paradigm churches,” the most influential of which are Calvary Chapter and the Vineyard. Miller argues, as Larry Eskridge ably states, “New Paradigm churches achieved a unique balance, incorporating aspects of the therapeutic, individualistic, and antiestablishment values of the counterculre [of the late 1960s to early 1970s] while rejecting its inherent narcissistic tendencies. He goes on to demonstrate that while Calvary Chapel and the Vineyard were fundamentalist in many areas, their organizational pragmatism broke the mold of traditionally evangelical denominations and thus ushered in a new age of “doing church.” I leaned heavily on his study of music in the New Paradigm churches, where he concludes, “Worship may be viewed as a form of sacred lovemaking.” And that, my friends, is a “memorably correct” conclusion.

Click here to find other entries in the Recent Reads series.