Review: Has Christianity Failed You?

Has Christianity Failed You? by Ravi Zacharias
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy reading/listening to Ravi's work. I had begun listening to this a while back, but recently found the time to finish it while mowing (at least a 2 hour process with a push mower, haha). Overall this is a pretty solid book, especially for its subject matter. I'm not going to take the time to cover his points or anything like that but simply recommend who I think would benefit from this book. If you have ever wrestled with the though that maybe your faith and this thing called Christianity has failed, this book is for you. If you've questioned whether or not another 'faith' system other than faith in Christ is more true or helpful for life, I would encourage you to give this work a glance and wrestle through the arguments presented. Finally if you find yourself in conversation with anyone who fits in the previous two categories, this is a read/listen that would you might greatly benefit from in trying to present and guide another through the implications of a life with vs a life without faith in Christ. Aside from exploring the implications of both in this book, Ravi also takes the time to respond to one or two of the leading/popular alternative worldviews that people find themselves a part of after leaving/considering a faith in Christ. As with the other Ravi books that I've read/listened to, his writings are deep and really should be read with 'active reading' (i.e. take notes and the time to think through what he's writing!). This is certainly a book that I want to provide for our campus ministry as a resource for our students to wade through and process the question and implications thereof of the question so many people today seem to be wrestling with, "Has Christianity failed me?"

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Review: The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker

The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker by Brad Lomenick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall this is probably one of my favorite books on leadership that I have read (granted that number is still relatively small). There are parts of the book that might be 'common knowledge' for anyone in a leadership position or have read other leadership books, however one thing that Brad Lomenick does with this book is compile everything in a memorable and easy to read manner. I remember talking with my wife about parts of the book and ideas that he gave well after I had read them (which is a big deal for me, haha). I would recommend this book for people in leadership positions, even for the simple reason of refreshing and being encouraged in the responsibility you have as a leader.

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Review: The Hum of Angels: Listening for the Messengers of God Around Us

The Hum of Angels: Listening for the Messengers of God Around Us by Scot McKnight
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Starting off, Scot McKnight has become one of my favorite authors to read over the past 8 years. It all started when I picked up his book "The Jesus Creed" as an optional read for a class, but ended up just reading it for fun during a summer. That being said, I have read a total of 4 books that he's authored (including this one). Overall 'The Hum of Angels' is a decent read. It's not my favorite book that I've read by McKnight, but it's certainly not 'bad' by any stretch of the imagination. As he did with his book 'The Heaven Promise" McKnight sets out to look at the subject at hand (in this case, angels) from an informed and Biblically-backed perspective. I did find myself not fully convinced by a few of his conclusions in the book, but nothing that I would say I have to stop reading him altogether for. (The specific incident that I'm thinking of is him concluding that the angel present in one narrative in the O.T. [which is identified as THE angel of YHWH] is the exact same as an angel that presents itself in another narrative in the O.T. [which is identified as AN angel of YHWH]. Can these angels be the same one? Sure. However I'm not convinced that they necessarily HAVE to be. I know I'm splitting hairs here, but I figured if I were to create the most helpful review about this book, I should include it in my review.)

Overall, I would say this is a solid effort contribution to an area of study that can super weird, super fast. I personally haven't read any other books that have been specifically written about angels, but I can say that I'm thankful that this is the first one that I've read. As I mentioned earlier, with his balanced and conservative approach to the subject matter, McKnight's 'The Hum of Angels' has positioned itself as an excellent introductory book that anyone seeking to study angles more in depth or simply become a little more informed, should give it a read.

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

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It's OK to not go to a Christian college!

One of the things that I'm trying to do more purposefully here in 2017, is work on at least one area of skill development or personal development each and every day (other than on my day off). I'm currently reading through a leadership book by Brad Lomenick, one of the main guys over at Catalyst. (How this applies to the title of this post, you'll see in a second.)

Since the very beginning of my time working in the field to which God has called Emily and me, one of the most distressing and saddening things is how many churches (sometimes inadvertently) 'excommunicate' or ostracize those youth in their congregations who make the decision to attend a 'secular' college rather than a Christian one. This past school year, just prior to the start of school, I saw on a Restoration Movement minister's Facebook page ministers talk about how we should take time to pray and support those students who are about to begin their semester at one of 'our' Christian universities. (Of course I couldn't simply let that pass without saying something, so I did so in the most loving and kind way that I could.) However the fact remains, I believe this post reveals an issue that is troubling and that has resulted in some drastic implications/consequences for our students who make the decision to go somewhere else other than a Christian university. From serving in campus ministry, I see many students who have grown up in youth groups and plugged into the 'typical' American church programs make the decision to simply walk away from the faith in which they had been raised. A lot of times, this is a result of their own lack of discipline, spiritual depth, etc. Yet I think the truth that a lot of congregations today would like to ignore, is that we very much so carry a part of the blame in this. What am I talking about? I believe it's rather obvious. By emphasizing our 'pride' of those students going to 'Christian' universities over non-Christian ones, we've effectively removed a support structure (even if it's just perceived by the student as removed) for those who choose the non-Christian college route. While working up in PA, this was one of the BIGGEST sought after things of why students got plugged into things such as sororities, fraternities, and why they looked anywhere and everywhere for a new support network.

 If you ask me, I believe that in reality, the students who enroll in non-Christian universities need our support even more than those who enroll in Christian ones. Now don't hear what I'm NOT saying. I still think that students who go to Christian universities need our support, but we shouldn't neglect those who feel God's calling into a career that requires them to study and train at a school other than a Christian university. Even the simplest of things can help combat this feeling of 'non-support' that these students deal with. For example, the next time your church decides to send care packages to your college students, DON'T FORGET THE ONES AT NON-CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS! (Not getting a care-package while hearing that your buddies at the Christian college got one communicates that you don't really care about them whether you mean that or not.) Another way to think about the importance of supporting these students is to think about it this way. While students who enroll in Christian universities are often training to be the next preachers, ministers, and pastors of our churches, it is the students who come out of non-Chrisitian universities who are (primarily) becoming the elders of the church of tomorrow. I firmly believe the 'church' today needs to stop only rewarding and supporting students who are obeying God and pursing their calling into vocational ministry (enrolling in only Christian universities), and start ALSO rewarding and supporting students who are obeying God (in arguably a more risky way) and pursuing THEIR calling into a field where they are going to be missionaries in their own right.

 What prompted me to write all of this and finally get it out of my head so others can read it, you ask? Well, it was a small blurb I read in Lomenick's book, that when I read it confirmed (once again) all of what's been bothering me for so long. I'll conclude and challenge you with this:

"When the time came to begin looking at colleges, I was naturally drawn to Christian colleges. I figured if I anted to apply my love for God to my full-time job, I needed to go into the ministry. Though I didn't fell called to work in the church world, I wasn't going to let go of my commitment to live out my faith vocationally. A Christian college seemed like the most natural next step. For months, I struggled with this decision. My mind was torn between what I believed I needed to do in order to follow Jesus and what I felt in my heart God was pushing me toward. One day, I woke up with a startling realization: I didn't need to become a minister to follow Jesus. The stress of the decision miraculously lifted off of my shoulders and I decided to attend the secular university I felt God was leading me to. Though I had accepted that the pastorate wasn't for me and didn't yet know where I'd end up, I felt confident that I could bring my faith to bear on any career."

Review of 'Resident Aliens'

Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony by Stanley Hauerwas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a phenomenal book, and I can't help but marvel at how good and relevant it is even though it was published back in the 80's. I first heard of this book (and bought it) back when I was a sophomore in undergrad. It was an optional supplemental reading for my ethics class. I didn't really read it then, but because it had such high marks, I've had it on my 'to-read' list for quite a while. I REALLY like the concept that the authors take up and that reflects in the title, that we as Christians need to start living as we are meant to. We are resident aliens, living within a 'Christian colony' while here on this earth. In a nutshell, in addition to dealing a little with ethics theory and the like, this book very strongly deals with church and culture relations.

While I took my good 'ole time reading this book (mainly because I got sucked into other books or had to read/study other stuff for ministry), I remember liking and underlining a number of different places to come back and check out later. From the parts that I read just recently to finish up the book, I was able to remember some of the material that came earlier. Overall, what the authors attempt to do with this book, is challenge the 'safe' way of pastoring/ministering by many clergy, while at the same time encouraging laity to step up in their faith. I'd say this is an excellent book to read for any person in ministry. There are times where I didn't think the book was SUPER engaging, yet there were other parts that kept me turning the pages to even get through those times. This book served as an encouragement for me while serving in campus ministry.

I'm hopeful I'll be able to take away some of the challenges and encouragements that the authors issue here, and use them to spur me to be more faithful in my calling as a campus minister and in turn be more effective in mentoring and discipling the students that I engage with on a consistent basis.

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Review: In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars by Mark Batterson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I remember first hearing of this book back when I was in college from a friend saying I should read it. When I learned that it was being rereleased and updated this year and saw that I had an opportunity to request a copy to review, I figured it was time that read it. Overall, I'd say the book isn't too bad. There are parts that I really like, and there are parts that I don't. The main premise of the book is centered around Benaiah and 1 Chronicles 11.22ff, specifically utilizing the account found here of Benaiah chasing a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killing it (hence the title of the book). From here, Batterson's message centers around facing opportunities in front of us (that often appear as lions) as Benaiah would, head on and fully abandoned.

For the parts that I really like, I love Batterson's encouragement for people to take more risk in their lives. Here in America, we as Christians play life too safe often times. We settle for the status quo, we allow culture to tame us down, and we often times (as Batterson believes) miss out on some of the great things that God has planned and wants to do in/through us. In terms of what I didn't care for as much, there are many times in this book that I feel Batterson will 'take a little liberty' with a passage of Scripture. I'm not saying this in terms of him blatantly misusing Scripture, but there are many of this conclusions on passages that seem a little forced (or at the very least those aren't the likely first/only conclusion that a person would derive from a text.)

Overall I think the message of this book is nothing new, but (as is the case with a lot of things) still needs to be heard and shared today. I encourage you to read this book if you are debating about a major life/ministry/etc. change. It might not necessarily give you answers to your questions, but it does provide helpful encouragement to pursue God and take risks, pursuing what He's calling you to.

Mark Batterson has a writing style that is highly engaging and very easy to read/follow. I haven't read any of the his other books, but I do look forward to checking them out (I currently own All In, Circle Maker, and The Grave Robber).

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Review: The Structure of Hebrews: A Text-Linguistic Analysis

The Structure of Hebrews: A Text-Linguistic Analysis by George H. Guthrie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

To start, I have to admit that I did not 'read' the book like I do most books. What I mean by that, is that I didn't read every word on the page, but rather read for content, skimming through sections at times (it's a method I had to adopt in grad school to get through all the reading I was assigned at times). I was given a reading list by a mentor whom I meet with regularly, and this book was HIGHLY recommended that if I were able to get my hands on it, I had to read it. Looking at the price on Amazon for used copies almost gave me a heart attack, but I was quickly surprised when (out of just sheer humor) I submitted a request for an interlibrary loan at my local library to see if they could find it. To my amazement, about 1-2 weeks after submitting the request, they called me and said my book was in. Having a limited time to read it also played into the factor of reading for content rather than making sure I absorbed EVERY last word on the page.

Overall, this is a very helpful book for one who wants to study the book of Hebrews. HOWEVER, it is NOT the easiest read I've ever trekked through. The first half of the book is HEAVILY involved with the history of text-linguistic analysis involving Hebrews, and once the author moves on to addressing the actual text, he utilizes the Greek text at times (without translating). Luckily for me, I've been continuing to work on my Greek so I was able to get through it, but it might prove a little more difficult for someone who hasn't done any work with Greek.

I found Guthrie's structure of Hebrews highly fascinating and a great help to grasping the overarching picture of what the author of Hebrews might have been trying to accomplish when writing the letter. I ESPECIALLY love the various charts and illustrations that he provided in the book to illustrate what he was trying to say. I was able to create my own flow chart based upon his findings that I'm planning on utilizing next semester for our guy's bible study in our campus ministry.

Having never really studied Hebrews super in-depth, I am unable to compare this book and the structures within to other scholar's, however I can say that what Guthrie presents here is pretty convincing. Looking at the letter as two genres that are interwoven and are both moving to bring the hearer to an overall conclusion (though doing it different ways) is something, that to quote Guthrie, "makes our methods of outlining difficult, but rhetorically would have been super effective and powerful!"

If you're ever studying Hebrews and have an opportunity to read this book, I recommend that you at least attempt it! At the very least, check out chapter 7 (and utilize the index to look up techniques/methods that are talked about in the earlier chapters to fill in any confusion you face).

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