family reading

A little while back Lisa picked us up a new children's Bible to read with the boys. Sorting through the options, she found one with a name she recognized--Lloyd-Jones (one of my pastoral heroes is D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones for his committed and skillful preaching of God's Word). It wasn't by Martyn, but Sally Lloyd-Jones called The Jesus Storybook Bible. A daughter perhaps? Some type of relative? It would seem the answer is no. Just one of those happy coincidences of life.

As it turns out, this kids Bible is one of the best I've ever seen! For once, here is a Bible written at a young child's level of understanding that doesn't violate the text to turn the Bible into a Christian collection of morality tales. Instead, the focus is on God and His redemptive plan throughout history as revealed in the person of Jesus. AND it's fun to read! As Sally Lloyd Jones says of her book, "I wrote this so children could know that God is for them and loves them with a Never Stopping, Never Giving up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love."

I was recently pleased to discover an endorsement on Amazon from another big influence on my life, Tim Keller (pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City) and his wife Kathy. Keller says, "I would urge not just families with young children to get this book, but every Christian." Kathy says, "A unique resource for communicating the gospel to children in all it's fullness."

We try and take a few minutes each evening after bath time to read a section (5 minutes or less, so don't be impressed) and sing a little. It's great time together as a family and I feel I'm understanding Scripture better while David and Matthias are learning the storyline of the Bible and God's Rescue plan in Jesus. I highly recommend this Bible if you're looking for a Bible that "gets" kids and keeps faithful to the intention of the flow of Scripture.

what i'm reading

I have turned to 9 Marks Ministries and their excellent leadership interviews for a couple of years now as a source to feed my soul for life and in pastoral ministry. I finally just finished reading Mark Dever's 9 Marks of a Healthy Church and am encouraged and challenged by hte issues Dever puts forth.

He makes clear from the beginning that these marks aren't an exhaustive list of practices that should occur in churches. He choses these because he believes they are hte oens that are falling more and more out of practice in today's church. I can say that I agree with Dever for the most part. I found his chapter on leadership very practical, the chapter on church discipline has done much to improve my undestanding of that practice and I was stirred by way of reminder as I read the first chapter on Expositional Preaching.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand God's calling on the Church.

The 9 Marks are:

1. Expositional Preaching
2. Biblical Theology
3. Biblical Understanding of the Good News
4. Biblical Understanding of Conversion
5. Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
6. Biblical Understanding of Membership
7. Biblical Church Discipline
8. Biblical Discipleship and Growth
9. Biblical Understanding of Leadership

simply christian

"Simply Christian" goes beyond C.S. Lewis's great classic Mere Christianity. N.T. Wright is simply crucial; his writing can transform one's life. This will become a classic."

-Anne Rice, author of Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt

That's quite a claim for a person to make. In some ways it it strikes me as the Christian version of claiming the hot new band is the next Beatles (Can you believe someone actually claimed that Terrence Trent D'Arby was the next Beatles? If you're asking Who?? my point is made). Nevertheless, as an accomplished author herself and as one whose life was transformed in part by Wright's writing in her journey to faith, I think we can give Rice credit for more than another blurb on the back of a book.

I recently finished reading and enjoying Simply Christian for myself. As a C.S. Lewis fan, I think I fairly say that only a scholar of Wright's stature and broad appeal could even dare to, let alone pull off, the task of writing the Mere Christianity for today's postmodern context. In my opinion, Wright accomplishes his goal. I will say from the start that I don't agree with everything Wright says, while I can only say I'm in process over other issues he raises. (Although, as much as I love Lewis, I don't agree with him on everything either.)

Nevertheless, I would recommend this book as an intriguing introduction to Christianity that leads us into the story of Christianity--the story of Israel and especially of Jesus--through the echoes we hear in life of a voice who tells us there's something more than what we experience. When we examine the world around us and our longings for justice, relationship, spirituality and beauty, we are acknowledging that all is not right with the world. Wright argues this is not because the Christian worldview is false, but rather because it is true! Our world groans because God's good creation has been marred by humanity's rebellion against our creator and needs to be "put to rights." This is where the echoes meet the story and voice of Jesus, come to bring redemption and new creation--to individuals and the world.

Not everyone will resonate with this book, but I think especially those of you in college and into your early 30's will find this book a helpful aid in your own faith and in your conversations with unbelievers.