A few years ago, people were predicting that books would disappear and computer screens would be the main source of reading material. Then somebody decided to build a Borders store by the mall, and the truth was exposed: books are still our favorite companions, particularly when the pace slows and the heart is hungry.
What are you reading this summer? Here is what I might recommend for your summer book list:
1. The Most Famous Man in America (Doubleday, 2006) comes recommended by my friend Jim Thyren. It’s a wonderful biography of Henry Ward Beecher, one of the most influential Americans of the nineteenth century. The brother of abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, he was an incredible preacher and a seriously flawed person. I’m halfway through it, and a number of themes are emerging: how much does grace abound? Can good things be accomplished by imperfect people? What are the hidden costs of public attention?
2. Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? (Zondervan, 2006) is Philip Yancey’s new work. It promises to be a thoughtful reflection on the chief practice of the Christian life. One reviewer observes “Yancey reports on how his prayer life has deepened from a spiritualized to-do list to a conversational communion with God.” Hmm…that caught my eye. And when I saw it in Ollie’s for a few bucks, it seemed well worth the investment.
3. Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading (Eerdmanns, 2006) may be the most important book yet by Presbyterian pastor Eugene Peterson. At the end of a fruitful career, Gene reflects on how to read scripture. Too often, he notes, we read it as a cookbook full of recipes for the successful life, rather than to chew on it as the means by which God speaks to us.
4. Johnstown Flood (Simon & Schuster, 1987) is an “old” book by historian David McCullough. It makes the 1889 tragedy into a riveting read. So riveting, in fact, that I’ll probably make a day trip to Johnstown to explore the site for myself. 2200 people were killed by a flood that could have been prevented. Tragically, some self-indulgent Presbyterian industrialists refused to take care of a dam in their hunting camp…and the rest, as they say, is history.
5. The Psalms of Ascent: Psalms 120-134 – These fifteen brief prayers are tucked away in the middle of our Bibles. They offer deep insight for anybody who takes the spiritual journey. Along the way, they give guidance for keeping our eyes fixed on God and teach us a vocabulary for prayer. I will preach through a number of them this summer for my sermon series. Hope you can join us for the journey!
Take care, stay in touch, and let me know when you come across a good book!
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