Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review, Environmental Tech, ET, Ethos, Politics, Popular Culture, Questions, Remarkable

Hot, Flat, & Crowded pt 1

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I love living back in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. I mean L-O-V-E, love it.

It is great to be living in a place where I am afforded great opportunities to do neat things. Every band imaginable comes through town, there are wonderful festivals and community events every weekend, and there are ample opportunities to see and hear great voices.

Last night, I had the opportunity to hear Thomas Friedman, author of The World Is Flat speak at the University of Texas at Arlington. Friedman was speaking on his latest book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution- and How It Can Renew America. This isn’t a pithy commentary on recycling your Coke cans or hooking up your home with solar panels. This is a call to radically change the face of the planet by harnessing the imagination and innovation of 300 million Amercans to once again solve a giant “multi-generational” problem. We’ve done it in the past, Friedman argues, and we MUST do it again.

I’m still trying to process everything and I’m plowing through the book as we speak. Like his other books it is dense but extremely engaging and highly readable.

I hope to finish the book over the weekend and I’ll post my thoughts on it and the lecture early next week.

Book Review, Discipleship, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Worship, Youth Ministry

Getting My Lead On

I am so excited about starting two new leadership books this week.

First up is Bill Hybel’s latest offering entitled, Axiom: Poweful Leadership Proverbs.

Axiom basically is a collection of “lead-speak.” Hybels opens up his leadership glossary and gives the reader a glimpse into the small but potent words and phrases that he and the Willow Creek staff use to get things done. Hybels breaks these proverbs into 4 categories: Vision and Strategy, Teamwork and Communication, Activity and Assessment, and Personal Integrity. Each category is filled with 15-20 bite-size chapters based on a different leadership principle. You begin to get the idea behind Axiom just by studying the chapter titles. In fact some of these leadership principles are made plain and clear by the title alone. Who doesn’t understand the truth behind titles such as “Never Say Someone’s No For Them,” “Pay Now, Play Later,” and “Speed vs. Soul”? Hybels always brings the heat so I can’t wait to delve deep into the leadership goodness.

The second book I’m excited about is It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It by Craig Groeschel. Craig is the founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv and he is one of my favorite leadership voices out there. The thing I admire so much about Craig and the LifeChurch leadership is how open and inviting they are into their process. I have been privileged to sit and discuss with them over two meals and I have walked away each time blessed in some capacity. They rock!

I have been excited about It because Craig’s desire to build leaders and to equip them to lead is the sole focus of this book. Look for a few updates and summaries of this book as I read It.

My challenge for you is to Get YOUR lead on!

Everyday is a new day for you to step up and lead where ever you are. If you’re a teacher, a bus driver, a mailman, a lawyer, a mechanic, a soldier, a minister, or a student you are called to lead. Let God guide you and strengthen you.

Get YOUR lead on!

Book Review, Discipleship, Ethos, Leadership

Book Review: Wild Goose Chase

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For me, Sunday is a work day. So I often turn to podcasts or books to supplement my Bible study. I just don’t have the opportunity to just sit and meditate on classes or sermons in a way that I would like. I try and fill my free-time by listening to different voices that motivate me, educate me, lift me up, and challenge me. One of those voices is Mark Batterson from National Community Church in Washington, DC.

I was blown away by Mark’s first book In the Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day. The idea that God is in the midst of the difficult times in your life and that He is redeeming the pain and struggle for his glory really resonated with my heart. Since reading In a Pit there hasn’t been a day go by where I haven’t thought about Chasing the Lions in my life and trusting that God will mold me and allow me to glorify him.

Now Mark is asking us to Chase the Goose.

Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit–An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ I love the imagery and implications. The name hints at the mysterious nature of the Holy Spirit. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to follow the Spirit’s leading through life than Wild Goose chase. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something that institutionalized Christianity has missed out on. And I wonder if we have clipped the wings of the Wild Goose and settled for something less – much less – than what God originally intended for us.

I understand that “wild goose chase” typically refers to a purposeless endeavor without a defined destination. But chasing the Wild Good is different. The promptings of the Holy Spirit can sometimes seem pretty pointless, but rest assured, God is working his plan. And if you chase the Wild Goose, He will take you places you never could have imagined going by paths you never knew existed.

Wild Goose Chase is another winner from Mark Batterson. Mark takes the reader through 6 cages that keep us locked up and prevent us from running free to chase after all God has in store for us. With each emotional cage the reader is given a biblical hero who struggled through being caged and how God set them free and called them into the Chase. Here is how Mark structures the book:

  1. The Cage of Responsibility (Nehemiah)
  2. The Cage of Routine (Moses)
  3. The Cage of Assumptions (Abraham)
  4. The Cage of Guilt (Peter)
  5. The Cage of Failure (Paul)
  6. The Cage of Fear (Jonathan)

Wild Goose Chase succeeds because it is succinct, practical, and grounded in scripture. Another reason that this book is so great is that Mark isn’t afraid to use his real-life experiences (poignant, funny, or embarrassing) to show that this isn’t some high-minded theological mumbojumbo. The Chase is real and as such can be experienced by all who passionately seek after God.

Mark has such a heart for God that you can’t help but be inspired by his message. The reader will walk away from this book with a sense of God’s grace, majesty, and calling. Beyond that Mark fills the book with useful step-by-step suggestions to starting the chase through goal-setting, prayer, and service ideas.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Maybe you feel like you’ve just been spinning your wheels lately. You’ve lost sense of your passions, your purpose, or your first love. You want to pursue this great God who created you, loved you, sacrificed for you. You just don’t know where to start. Wild Goose Chase might help you reconnect with that One who has been pursuing you. Maybe it can help rekindle your desire and maybe it will introduce you to the One who is worth every hour, every minute, every ounce of strength you can put into the pursuit.

Go on…Chase the Goose!

Want a FREE copy of Wild Goose Chase? I have a copy of Wild Goose Chase sitting on my desk for one lucky reader. If you want it, email me at kickingatthedarkness (AT) gmail (DOT) com and tell me why you want to read this book. Make sure you send your address and phone number so I can contact you to tell you that you have been chosen. I will take entries from today (8/12) through Noon (CST) this Friday (8/15). Good luck.

Official Website for Wild Goose Chase

Details:
Title: Wild Goose Chase
Author: Mark Batterson
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books
Release Date: August 19, 2008

Book Review, Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Leadership, Ministry, Youth Ministry

Great Freedom and a Greater Responsibility

I’ve been reading Leading From the Second Chair by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson this week. What a great resource this is! I only wish I had read it a few years ago so that I could have implemented some of its perspective in my first ministry position after college.

According to Bonem and Patterson, a Second-Chair Leader is a person in a subordinate role whose influence with others adds value throughout the organization(2). Basically it is someone who is a leader but is not the “lead leader.” Success for the Second Chair leader is found through influence and building strong relationships.

There is a great amount of freedom in that and I feel a great sense pride knowing that God has allowed me to gain influence and build strong relationships in every single working opportunity I’ve had. From working at a restaurant to campus security to my current position as a youth minister, being in the second chair (or third or eighth) has allowed me to serve in the most pure form of leadership there is: leading/serving without formal authority.

Have I always embraced this truth? Unfortunately not. I have complained and I have missed or refused many opportunities to look at the big picture. The reality is, thankfully, that God has used/is now using/will use my experiences in the second chair as a “transformational season” in my life. That is an awesome truth that I will and must embrace!

Bonem and Patterson go on discuss the three paradoxes of Second Chair Leadership: subordinate-leader, deep-wide, and contentment-dreaming. In discussing these paradoxes I realized how incredibly privileged I am to be in a second chair role. There is freedom but as the number two (or three or eight) I have a even greater responsibility not just to my particular ministry but to everyone that I come in contact with. I’ll unpack these paradoxes tomorrow.

Until then, Are you in the second chair leadership position where you lead? If so, have you ever looked at this position as an opportunity for growth and strength?

What would it take for you to begin gaining influence and building stronger relationships across your entire organization from your current second chair position today?

Book Review, Ethos, Leadership, The Word, Theology, Wrestling With Scripture

The Real Political Alternative

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From Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw:

Our president is not organizing another political party, nope… not even running with Nader on the Green ticket.

Jesus is forming a new kind of people, a different kind of party, whose peculiar politics are embodied in who we are. The church is a people called out of the world to embody a social alternative that the world cannot know on its own terms. We are not simply asking the government to be what God has commissioned the church to be.

After all, even the best government can’t legislate love. We can build hundreds of affordable housing (a good thing by the way) and people still might not have homes. We can provide universal health care and keep folks breathing longer (another nice move), but people can be breathing and still not truly be alive. We can create laws to enforce good behavior, but no law has ever changed a human heart or reconciled a broken relationship. The church is not simply suggesting political alternatives. The church is embodying one.

I didn’t agree with everything in this book. The author’s painted with a very large brush (they admit that right up front) and some of their theological conclusions (read: oversimplifications) made me scratch my head.

At times the book even made me angry. I was angry at the authors, politicians, the man, the left, the right, the system, and most of all, at myself. I wrestled all day long with Jesus for President yesterday as I wrestled with my decision to involve myself in the political process.

One thing is for sure: If Jesus did run for President he would lose in the most devastating landslide in the history of democracy. The way of Jesus stands in stark contrast to the agendas of the Republicans and the Democrats. His Kingdom is not of this world.

All of this did make me think yesterday, if none of these candidates look like Jesus, talk like Jesus, walk like Jesus, or live like Jesus then who do I vote for?

Book Review, Discipleship, Ethos, Questions, Theology

Book Review: Pagan Christianity pt 1

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It seems that every so often a ministry book will be released that catches the collective imagination of one group of people and at the same time raises the blood pressure of another group of people.

It seems that the revised and updated edition of Frank Viola’s Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices is that kind of book.

Some have applauded it’s message while others have completely dismissed it. Some have even freaked out like tiny spider monkeys on meth attacked the book and those who have written positive reviews for it. My favorite criticism was leveled at Brant Hansen for his positive review.

I could care less, whether you “post” this on your sorry site, or not. You are an arrogant ignoramus, “approving” two others (Barna and Viol). Of course, your warm endorsement of Viol shows up on his blog. What shameless sluttery is this! It never ceases to amaze me, how one ignoramus (yourself) endorses two others (Barna and Viol), and “presto!”; instant legitimacy! I think in your “heart of hearts” you know what a joke you are, and that your “Imprimatur” of these two anti-Christs impresses no one credible.

God have mercy on you!

Pastor James Parker

Grace Gospel Church (Calgary)

Can’t you just feel the love?

So far I have enjoyed the book. I too have my criticisms but I have been trying to be fair and even handed. Having grown up in a tradition that claims to throw out any tradition that doesn’t have it’s roots in the New Testament I feel that at times the authors are throwing cold water directly in my face.

There were no “church” buildings in the NT.
There were no paid, locally-specific ministers in the NT. (I’ll ignore that one)
There were no pulpits.
There was one body per city and one set of elders for that city.

The list goes on and on. Again, I have some criticism but all my discomfort comes from traditions and practices rather than scriptural authority.

It just got interesting. More to come.

Here is a question for you:

Which current church practice do you think hinders the body of Christ from being radically effective in the 21st century?

Book Review, Ministry, Parenting

Cross-centered Focus

Tony over at The Shepherd’s Scrapbook recently commented that it is difficult to find children’s books that are specifically cross-centered. There are hundred of titles that focus on the “adventures” of OT heroes such us Daniel, Joseph, Moses, and David but very few storybooks focus on the life of Christ. Almost none seek to responsibly describe the importance of Christ’s sacrifice in terms that children can understand.

Since reading Tony’s post my reticular activating system has been working overtime. (When you buy a red car and then you begin to see red cars all over the place- that’s your RAS)

Everywhere I look I have been surveying children’s books to see if they are cross-centered or merely moral tales of values and ethical behavior.

I have only found one book so far that fits the criteria of being a) a children’s reading book and b) focused upon all aspects of Jesus’ life, teaching, ministry, and sacrifice.

The Book of Jesus For Families (Bethany House, 2002) is a great little book that would dutifully serve countless hours of reading and teaching time for you and your child. The book is divided into 7 “chapters” or sections categorized by different points in the life of Jesus. Chapter Six is titled “When Jesus Died” and Chapter Seven is titled “The Big Surprise”. When was the last time you saw a children’s book deal with the sacrifice and resurrection? Each chapter has a variety of different essays ranging from one to five pages written by some of history’s greatest writers.

From the dust jacket:

Calvin Miller presents The Book of Jesus for Families, a keepsake collection of stories, songs, parables, and poems about Jesus Christ. Writings by Charles Dickens, Walter Wangerin, Pearl S. Buck, Calvin Miller himself, and many others depict the life of Jesus, his teachings, and the amazing things he did. Lavish, full-color illustrations bring the stories to life.

The selections, some original to this collection, have been especially chosen for a young audience to help parents introduce their children to the greatest man who ever lived and help children identify with Jesus as a real person, not just a character in a story.

Whether enjoyed together as a family or alone, The Book of Jesus for Families is a treasury of literature and art that will inspire and delight readers of all ages.

Unfortunately, it seems that the book might be out of print but maybe you can find it somewhere. It would be well worth the search.

Awesomenessness, Book Review, Discipleship, Faith in Action, Leadership, Ministry, Remarkable, Youth Ministry

Catch A Fire

holy.tiff Let It Burn Within.

I have been stuck in the refugee camp Atlanta airport most of the day. I’m trying to make my way to Washington, DC. but I have had a rough go at it.

On a positive note I was able to start and finish Bill Hybels’ newest book, Holy Discontent: Fueling the Fire That Ignites Personal Vision.

I am extremely tired and weary but I have to say that it was just what the Doctor ordered.

Hybels describes holy discontent as the one thing that motivates you to act. What upsets you? What injustice boils your blood? What makes you stand up and say, “Hey, I’m not going to take this anymore!!! Something has to be done and I’m doing it.”

Hybles does a great job at reminding us that it isn’t enough to be discontented on your own. We must marry the things that break our hearts to the things that break the heart of God. That where the holy comes in.

My mind is swirling right now with my holy discontents. What are they?

I smell a post series!

Book Review, Ethos, Leadership, Popular Culture, Questions

My Experience

As repeated polls have revealed, when asked what they spend most time talking about with their child, her As, Cs, or Fs, more than 70 percent of parents say the Fs.
-Marcus Buckingham

Was that your experience because it was mine? Everytime I brought home a report card or a progress report hardly two words were spoken to me about my good grades. The conversations always revolved around how bad one grade was and what I must do to turn it around.

Usually that wayward grade would be in some math class. My English grades were always high and I did very well in Science and in History because it is in those subjects that my strengths lie. I knew deep within my heart that I would never excel at math. I could only get a little better.

However, that isn’t what the world believes. Maybe it isn’t what you believe.

According to Marcus Buckingham, formerly of the Gallup Organization, 61% of people believe that you will grow the most in your areas of weakness. Really? I will grow the most in my areas where I’m weakest?

It has been my experience that simply cannot be true. My weaknesses shouldn’t be ignored (I would have failed if I had completely ignored those math grades) but they cannot be my focus. According to Buckingham, a far better use of my time would have been spent working on my strengths. That what I kept yelling whispering to my parents all those years ago.

Maybe that is why Buckingham’s work has really connected with me. Last October, I heard him ask the grades question. Twelve years of arguments and frustrations all came flooding back to me in that instant. It all made sense to me. Instead of being encouraged to focus on my strengths I have been told my entire life that I need to focus on the areas where I’m lacking. While the motivation behind this belief is all well and good it is merely a wild goose chase.

According to Buckingham, to learn about success you must study success not failure. Studying failure will teach you more about, well, failure.

I’m more interested in success anyway.

Check out Marcus Buckingham’s Go Put Your Strengths to Work. Click on the link to watch a preview video.

Also check out Trombone Player Wanted. A great video resource to supplement this great material.

I will be attending another seminar with Buckingham on Wednesday. I am absolutely stoked about this event. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Until then- focus on your strengths not your weaknesses!

Best of 2006, Book Review, Books

The Best of 2006: The Books

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One of my resolutions for this coming year is to keep better track of the books that I read. So, to the best of my memory, here a just a few of the best books that I read in 2006.

Ministry
Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication by Andy Stanley and Lane Jones

Best. Preaching. Book. Ever. Just as in other Northpoint Ministry Resources, Communicating for a Change is divided into two parts. The first is a fictional tale about a burnt out pastor who desperately needs help in connecting his sermons with his congregation. He finds just what he’s looking for when he takes a road trip with a truck driver who helps him map out and prepare his messages for maximum impact. Section 2 takes the nuts and bolts from the story and turns them into highly practical tools for any communicator. This is a highly practical book not only for ministers but for teachers, businessman, and coaches as well. This is a quick read that will change the way you prepare for and deliver the important messages in your life.

Confessions of a Reformission Rev. by Mark Driscoll

A lot of ink (both real and digital) has been spilt over Driscoll, the pastor of Mars Hill Church Seattle. Whether it is his headbutting with Emergent or his recent comments about Ted Haggard that landed him in hot water with many bloggers Driscoll seems to draw a lot of attention. Regardless of what you think of him this is an interesting little book. Part how-to and part tell-all Driscoll takes you through the planting of Mars Hill and his own growth and development through the years. He isn’t afraid to say “Hey this didn’t work” and he is quick to give credit to the Almighty when something works like gangbusters. Driscoll might seem a bit rough around the edges but I relished in his honesty and was amazed at how different his voice sounded. Great read for church planters and manly men.

Notable: Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeshel, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World Chap Clark & Kara Powell, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson

Business
Small Is the New Big Seth Godin

Small Is the New Big is a collection of business guru Seth Godin’s greatest blog posts culled from his personal blog and others like Fast Company. Each post is listed in alphabetical order and is full of great wit and wisdom. Godin has an incredible knack for writing the simplest yet most profound statements. Small is a great primer to introduce you to Godin’s best ideas. Everything from free prizes to purple cows gets plenty of play here. Keep this book by the bedside table for quick inspirations before bed or for the first thing in the morning.

Pop Culture
The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness by Steven Levy

My favorite part about this book: The chapters are shuffled! How cool is that? Levy takes us through the development of the iPod and its impact on the culture at large is this punchy little book. Each chapter is crafted with great care. Levy’s writing is real and relevant as he carries us through topics such as podcasting, business models, Microsoft, iPod fights. One of my favorite books of the year.

One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those seeking God Christian Scharen

Just as Get Up Off Your Knees, a collection of sermons featuring U2 references, was a completely new look at the gospel in culture genre this too is not your typical U2 and the Gospel book either. One Step Closer wants to challenge the reader to “think about how U2 fits within a larger tradition of Christian voices” pointing us toward the cross. Scharen is able to accomplish two things in this work. First, he does the work of U2 justice by letting the statements and lyrics speak for themselves. Secondly, and most importantly, he doesn’t twist the Gospel to fit into the U2 box. What comes out is a reflective, prayerful tome that introduces people to a band made up of Irish friends whose music is flavored by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Masterful work.