Songs
1) How He Loves Us - David Crowder Band
click here for what I’ve already said about this song...I haven’t appreciated a corporate worship song this much for a long time.
2) Blood Bank - Bon Iver
three seconds in to this song and you will already be feeling numerous emotions...that’s the genius of Bon Iver: immediate, deep emotional connection.
3) Daylight - Matt&Kim
totally weird and totally catchy...features a mildly chaotic beat and piano frenzy that will keep you humming for hours. the fun side of indie-pop.
love regina, but I'm not sure if this is my favorite song of hers...good place to start though...and it did get a lot of listens this year.
5) Epistemology - M. Ward
great love/be yourself song with theological undertones (or is it overtones)...but the best part comes at 1:33 during the “solo” when the fuzzy guitars and mandolin/banjo get all funky...i could listen to that bit of the song over and over again.
Honorable Mention: I listened, as did the rest of America, to a lot of Kings of Leon this year, so I guess I should mention that honorably.
Books (required reading)
1) A Million Miles in a Thousand Years Donald Miller
everyone has an opinion on Donald Miller...he’s the greatest thing ever...he’s an Anne Lamott hack...he’s the voice of a generation...he doesn’t like women...and on and on it goes. but people have an opinion because he’s successful and because he’s honest. that will get you every time. i’ve already written and talked (God's story-Your story) about this book, so I don’t have much new to say except for this: you can see that Miller has been broken by life and matured since Blue Like Jazz and so have I, so I think I appreciated that as much anything. also, Amy and I LOVED reading this out loud to each other.
2) The Drama of Doctrine Kevin J. VanHoozer
the most scholarly book i've read since seminary, this served as our staff reading for the fall. vanhoozer’s masterpiece is both grounding and will also push your thinking. i found it both greatly affirming of the way we do campus ministry while also helping us to take some important steps forward, particularly as we think and dream about Sojourn campus expressions.
3) Drops Like Stars Rob Bell
this book is a little silly actually. you can read it in about an hour or two, but it is the size of a laptop computer...more of a coffee table book. don’t let the unusual packaging fool you, though, it is quite profound. we saw Rob Bell speak on this book and I think that experience is what pushes Drops Like Stars in to the top 5. i could watch him talk about the weather and I would still be riveted...a master teacher.
4) Flickering Pixels Shane Hipps
a lot to think about but not a lot of answers. certainly important and timely.
5) Introverts in the Church Adam S. McHugh
i found this book to be highly affirming...a little funny at times...i think it has also Amy and I to understand each other a little bit better.
Book (non-required)
1) Sex and the Soul Donna Freitas
I could not put this book down...as weird as it sounds...absolutely captivating. her exploration of college relationships and the hookup culture leads to some interesting conclusions, some of which could not be popular in today’s academic climate. primarily she wants to know: “where, or in what context, are college students actually able to discuss matters of faith and how faith connects to the rest of life, if it does at all?” every bit as affirming to my work with Sojourn as Drama of Doctrine.
2) Getting the Blues Stephen Nichols
thank you Dennis Benson for this suggestion. i love the idea of “theology in a minor key.” my dad always wonders why I like sad songs, and now I have some theological backing. even if if you don’t like the blues, we all have to “sing” them from time to time.
3) Plainsong Kent Haruf
one of the only novels I was able to read this year. terse prose and a bleak outlook turns out to be an apologetic for community.
4) Tribes Seth Godin
a short, practical book on leadership, it has several applications, not the least of which are its implications for fund raising. no other book I read this year has been as helpful in shaping my thinking on fund raising as this one.
5) Same Kind of Different As Me Ron Hall and Denver Moore
an inspiring true tale of an unlikely friendship that saves two men’s lives. you will cry if you read this book!
1) Up
those pixar people are really, really good at story telling. i guess ultimately, this movie is about the journey being less about where you are going and more about who you are going with, but to me, it’s really about marriage and the story you tell with your spouse. i have never been as moved by a movie as when we saw this in the theater.
Honorable Mentions: didn’t watch very many movies this year but here are a few more I enjoyed: (500) Days of Summer, Away We Go, Coraline, and I Love You Man...there are a lot of movies from this year that I would really like to see =(
the end...comment away. Happy NEW Year!
1 comment:
Thanks for the recommendations, Stevie. You always make me want to read them! I tip my librarian hat to you...
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