As regular readers of this blog know, I’m always reading something (and hopefully something interesting). Here’s a quick look at a few books that are on my currently reading and to-read piles right now:
Otherworld: A Novel by Jared C. Wilson
Something strange is happening in Houston and its rural suburb, Trumbull. It starts with the bizarre mutilation of a farmer’s cow, sparking rumors of UFO sightings and alien visitations. It’s all an annoyance for the police, who would prefer to focus on the recent murders in the area. Mike Walsh is a journalist with a nagging editor and a troubled marriage who finds himself inexorably drawn into the deeper story creeping up on all who dare get close enough: a grizzled small town police captain, a depressed journalist, a disillusioned pastor, and a little old man. They are unlikely allies against the otherworld.
I’m about 35 per cent through this one; it’s a fun supernatural thriller with more than a few quotable moments.
Learn more or buy it at: Amazon
The Pastor’s Family: Shepherding Your Family through the Challenges of Pastoral Ministry by Brian and Cara Croft
Featuring insights from the perspective of both a pastor and his wife–The Pastor’s Family identifies the complicated burdens and expectations ministry brings to the life of a family. Brian and Cara Croft identify the unique challenges that pastors face as husbands and fathers. They also discuss the difficulties and joys of being a pastor’s wife and offer practical advice on raising children in a ministry family. In addition to addressing the challenges of marriage and raising children, they also highlight the joys of serving together as a family and the unique opportunities pastors have to train their children and lead their families.
With discussion questions for use by couples and pastoral reading groups, this book is ideal for pastors and their spouses, pastoral ministry students and their wives, as well as elders, deacons, and others who wish to remain faithful to the care of their families while diligently fulfilling their calling in ministry. The Pastor’s Family equips pastors with time-tested wisdom to address the tension of family and congregational dynamics while persevering in their calling.
Learn more or buy it at: Westminster Books | Amazon
Called to Stay: An Uncompromising Mission to Save Your Church by Caleb Breakey
Will You Stay?
Caleb Breakey prays to God you do.
In Called to Stay Breakey takes a refreshingly honest look at the church, the problem of Millennials leaving, and the stark reality of why the church desperately needs them. He holds nothing back as he unleashes an ambitious rallying cry to heal the church and inject his generation’s desire for truth, passion, and conviction into other believers.
Caleb knows that answering the challenge of his own generation leads to a transformed church.
And a changed church can change the world.
Learn more or buy it at: Amazon
Gray Matters by Brett McCracken
Culture. As Christians we’re encouraged to engage it, create it, redeem it. And today many of us are actively cultivating an appreciation for aspects of culture previously stigmatized within the church. Things like alcohol, R-rated movies, and secular music have moved from being forbidden to being celebrated. But are we opening our arms too wide in uncritical embrace of culture? Can there be a healthy, balanced approach–or is that simply wishful thinking?
With the same insight found in his popular Hipster Christianity, Brett McCracken examines some of the hot-button gray areas of Christian cultural consumption, helping to lead us to adopt a more thoughtful approach to consuming culture in the complicated middle ground between legalism and liberty.
Learn more or buy it at: Amazon
Broken Vows: Divorce and the Goodness of God by John Greco
Marriage is supposed to be for life, but divorce still happens. How can a Christian reconcile the reality of divorce with the biblical view of marriage? How can the wronged spouse forgive? And how can God still be good when bad things happen?
In Broken Vows: Divorce and the Goodness of God, Greco doesn’t offer pat answers. It combines Greco’s personal story with a biblical view of suffering. He provides pastoral help for those who have experienced divorce and gives all Christians a way to think biblically about this difficult subject.
Learn more or buy it at: Amazon | Cruciform Press
That’s a quick look at what I’m reading (and going to be reading) over the next few weeks. What’s on your pile?
