It's been a good summer for reading with traveling, vacation, and long bus rides to PT appointments providing plenty of space to plow through my stack of books. Here are some of the highlights (in chronological order)...
Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me A beautiful memoir, gracefully told. Heartbreaking and hopeful Cron tells a story of family brokenness and healing. There are a lot of "evangelical" memoirs out there right now, and I have to think this is one of the best (if not the best).
The Great Emergence I have read a lot of books about the "emerging church." WAY too many. Most of them go like this: hey-there's-something-going-on-in-our-culture-and-I-think-we-should-maybe-think-of-some-ways-to-respond-to-it-so-here-are-some-ideas:story-candles-Jesus-mission-ancient-future-post-turn-down-the-lights-blah-blah-blah. Tickle stays far away from mechanics and offers one of the most interesting and compelling looks at historical trends that have shaped our current moment, not just recently but throughout the whole history of the church. Fascinating stuff.
The War of Art Pressfield's work has been around for a while now, but what a breath of fresh air this was! Not what I expected at all, it's unlike most books I read in several ways. Definitely a "this book found me at the right time" read. I especially enjoyed his section on the professional vs. the amateur. Very challenging and something I needed to hear this summer.
The Millennium Trilogy Summer is a great time to read some fiction, and though I am super late to this party, these three books about the Girl who did a bunch of crazy stuff were perfect (especially on those bus rides).
The Homiletical Plot Super helpful book on sermon prep, sermon writing, and approach to the teaching process. But also, a lot of good stuff on how story works, why we respond to it so powerfully, and how tension and arch are essential to great teaching (whether it is from the pulpit or not).
The Faith of Leap I had extremely high expectations for this book, so, honestly, I was actually a little disappointed in it. That said, I love what the authors are doing here and agree completely with their basic premise: risk and adventure are inherent in the gospel (and in mission) and should be a center holding our theology together, rather than an outlier experience we only have from time to time.
(Other summer reads: Why the Mystics Matter, How (Not) to Speak of God, Quitter, The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership, A Hidden Wholeness, For the City, My Losing Season, Falling Upward)
