Stephen King said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” There is a gift God has given us in an inexhaustible resource of good books that can shape us, form us, and help us through every season of life. In what is becoming a bit of a tradition, I’d like to share some of more meaningful books I read this year. (For the 2020 list, click here.) These are in no particular order.
A few caveats:
Because I enjoyed a book does not mean that I fully endorse any of the authors or books. By telling you about a book means I found it helpful, thought provoking, or interesting in some way.
All the links shared (click the picture of the book) go to Amazon. If you purchase from Amazon, I recommend you also support a local non profit like Gospel Rescue Mission, or Agape house through the Amazon Smile program. Or perhaps even better, support a local bookstore like Peregrine Book Company, or the wonderful people at Hearts and Minds books in Pennsylvania.
You can always check the local library. Some of the titles are available in Yavapai County!
Winn Collier gifts us a biography on the pastor/theologian behind The Message translation of the Bible. The story of Eugene Peterson is remarkable. This book is written carefully and beautifully. There is plenty to learn from the life, family, and ministry of Eugene Peterson.
In her second book, Tish Harrison Warren writes on suffering, grief, and the God who meets us there. The chapters are structured around an Anglican prayer of compline (nighttime prayer) and offer precious and helpful truth to meet our sorrows, struggles, and pain in a non-cliched way.
A book that takes the art of violin making and uses it as a metaphor for life with God? Yes please. This book is dense and rich, but is worth the work to uncover the gold. The author is a world renowned luthier and uses his craft with the truth of scripture to carve us a path toward seeing the beauty of God in the contours of life.
Dr. Diane Langberg is global leader in understanding trauma and abuse. She speaks to our present cultural moment by addressing how the church should follow Jesus when it comes to power and authority. Dr. Langberg gives a sober assessment of the way things really are, with a hopeful vision of how the church, shaped by the gospel, can bring healing and new life today.
I believe this was the right book at the right time for me personally. I started reading this while with a friend in the mountains of Colorado longing for fresh wonder and refreshment, and holy smokes, Eugene Peterson delivered. His approach to the final book of the Bible is pastoral and poetic. He shows how Revelation was meant to work both for the 1st Century church and God’s people today. It was refreshing, convicting, and helpful.
Honorable Mentions:
On Reading Well - Karen Swallow Prior - The subtitle is “finding the good life through great books” and in this work, the English professor takes readers through some classic books to see how they cultivate biblical virtues. It felt like catching up on some key books I should have read as a kid, but never did, while showing how Jesus forms his people through many different means.
Bomber Mafia - Malcom Gladwell - From one of my favorite authors comes a book about the invention of precision bombing in World War II. It’s a quick read that is thought provoking and intriguing. It covers a little wrinkle of the war that had great implications on history. The central question is “What if precision bombing could cripple the enemy and make war far less lethal?” I was told the audio book was really well done too.
When Narcissism Comes to Church - Chuck Degroat - This volume is a helpful companion with Diane Langberg’s book mentioned above. My friend Dennae writes a helpful endorsement, “For far too long the evangelical church in America has nurtured and supported narcissism in our leadership. The addiction to platforms, influence, new ideas, as well as unbiblical definitions of leadership, authority, and power has sustained a structure that dehumanizes our leaders and exploits God's people. When Narcissism Comes to Church is an important book in a season when we must ask deeper questions of the very structure, metrics, motivations, and means to the work we set out to do in the name of Christ. Dr. DeGroat does not merely point a finger at narcissistic leaders, but asks us to consider these individuals in our church as fruit of a more fundamental problem in the American church. May we have ears to hear, humility to repent, and courage to respond.”
Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown - A story from the 1930’s about an unlikely team of rowers working toward their quest for the gold medal at the Olympics held in Nazi Germany. It is quintessentially American and inspiring.
Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self - Carl Trueman - If you’ve looked at the current situation in our world of identity, sexuality, and how society arrived at some of its conclusions…This book answers those questions. The elders of Union read this book earlier this year, and while dense and difficult reading at times, it is extremely helpful in understanding how we arrived at this particular cultural moment. There is a more concise and accessible version due to come out in early 2022.