I have come to terms...

I have finally come to terms with my BOOK A.D.D. I no longer have to feel guilty for putting down a book to start another book. Instead, I read 5-6 at a time. I have a schedule (based on the things I want to learn about) and a designated day to read the book that falls under that category. Here is my schedule and the books I am currently reading:

• SUNDAY- "Marriage" (Currently reading Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas)
• MONDAY- "Creativity" (Currently reading The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharpe)
• TUESDAY- "Leadership" (Currently reading Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders)
• WEDNESDAY- "Youth Ministry" (Currently reading Speaking to Teenagers by Doug Fields and Duffy Robbins)
• THURSDAY- "Theology" (Currently reading Religion Saves by Mark Driscoll)
• FRIDAY- "Current Events" (Currently reading a variety of online news articles)
• SATURDAY- "Fiction/Poetry" (Currently reading Untune the Sky by Douglas Wilson)

Religion Saves

I recently picked up Mark Driscoll's new Book, Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions. It is wonderful, full of so much truth and practical theology. I really enjoy Driscoll's teachings and find his prophetic ministry (speaking truth into our cultural situation, not "prophetic" in the sense of telling the future) awesome!

Here are the table of contents:

Introduction

Question 9: Birth Control

Question 8: Humor

Question 7: Predestination

Question 6: Grace

Question 5: Sexual Sin

Question 4: Faith and Works

Question 3: Dating

Question 2: The Emerging Church

Question 1: The Regulative Principal

In the Name of Jesus

Currently reading this book (for the second time...I read it about 4 years ago).  It is an amazing read and really quick.  Nouwen has so much wisdom to share on Christian leadership based on his experiences working with the disability community.  I highly recommend it!

So Much and So Little

Recently, I have had SO MUCH to blog about, but SO LITTLE time to do so.  Life is crazy--full of wedding plans, school, work, relationships, being sick, and very little down time.  However, the Lord has blessed me with strength to get up in the morning and do it all over again.  Here and there I see God in the ordinary and am recharged!  Isn't it amazing that our awesome God is real and involved in the daily?!  It's so rad.  

So anyway, these could all be blog posts by themselves, but I the time is short.  I will do my best to recap the highlights of all things.  Here we go:

• Biola Youth Conference -  This was way fun. We talked about how " The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14).  Not only that, there were some sweet pics with the Jesus mural!!!

• Hindu Temple-  Kaitlin and I went to a Hindu temple with our World Religions class.  It was an interesting experience, full of dancing, crazy artwork, loud bells, and chanting.  There was a lot of beauty in the worship, but I sensed a lot of spiritual strongholds.  I spent most of the time we were there praying.  
  

• Hanging out with students- This has been a blast.  A lot of my relationships are starting to grow with students in the group.  Each day looks different and there are always surprises.  This is what ministry is all about, though.  
• Wedding plans- Coming along well.  Kaitlin is making our wedding awesome!  She is working so stinking hard, and I feel like all I do is say "Yeah I really like it!"  I'm so excited... Less than 3 months away!!! CRAZY!!!

• When God Weeps- This book is really interesting.  It was written by Joni Erickson Tada (a quadriplegic) and she is speaking in my Theology of Suffering and Disability class next week.  I really am enjoying exploring suffering on a deeper level.  God is using this book in little ways in my life right now.
• Little encouragements- I have been blessed by so many things and so many people.  It is incredible to me!  I love random things like this!

Well, that's a little recap.  Hopefully I will be on top of blogging.  If not, just check my Twitter.

crazy love.

Francid Chan's new book, "Crazy Love" is a real gem.  I am reminded of the fact that one person's passion really does matter, that it's all about God, and it's all worth it.  This book has breathed a spirit of fresh air into my life and ministry mindset.  I have been blessed by good old Mr. Chan!  Check out the website that goes along with the book: www.crazylovebook.com

Simple Church.

Our church staff and elders started reading a new book together.  It's called Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger.  So far (and I'm only a couple pages in), they are talking about the revolution of simplicity in our culture, and how the healthiest churches in America are not busy, but simple.  This seems like a fascinating book and I am excited to dive into it more deeply and also engage in the exercises our Senior Pastor is leading us in to move our church in a more simple direction.

Yes, I Like Eugene Peterson!

Some may call me a heretic.  Not so fast.  I'm not even talking about The Message, though I think it has its place.  I'm talking about Eugene Peterson's writing and preaching ministry concerning spirituality and spiritual theology.  I was exposed to his amazing, lesser-known-to-The-Message work titled Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Place.  My rating = A!  

He does a beautiful job weaving together theologies that we learn about in classes and congregations into a "big picture" that is saturated in Scripture, but screams for living it out in the daily life.  He uses a poem, As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Gerard Manely Hopkins to set the stage for his conversation:

As king fishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;

As tumbled over rim in roundy wells

Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's

Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;

Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:

Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;

Selves -- goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,

Crying What I do is me: for that I came.

I say more: the just man justices;

Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces;

Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is --

Christ. For Christ plays in ten thousand places,

Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his

To the Father through the features of men's faces. 

I have been greatly blessed by this book over the last year.  It has taught me wonderful practical theology (which I believe is the only necessary theology--If it doesn't change us, there's no use studying it.  What a word of truth for myself and peers in Biblical Studies!).  This is the only place that I have found excellent bible exposition, background study, literature, art, and poetic stories of daily life.  

Haven't convinced you yet? Check out these articles or READ THE BOOK!!!

Christianbook.com describes it this way:

Eugene Peterson realizes that within our seminaries, congregations and, most importantly, our lives, spirituality and theology have been estranged. Thus, in Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places Peterson works to ground our spirituality in Trinitarian theology and provides an illuminating discussion of how such theology shapes spiritual lives. After sweeping aside the misunderstandings that hinder our discussions of spiritual theology, Peterson clearly describes how spiritual theology can remain sensitive to ordinary life, effectively present the Christian gospel and find its rooting in the "fear of the Lord." The foundational book in a new series on spiritual theology, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places serves as an essential resource for those of us who have committed ourselves to incarnating the Christian gospel in a contemporary context.

Read the Christianity Today article on Eugene Peterson and spirituality. 

A Conversation with Eugene Peterson article concerning spiritual theology.