3 Quick Reviews

One of the best things about being at the beach is the extra time to read. No better way to spend an afternoon than to have your feet in the sand and a book in your hand. In the last week I paged through three different books...one a spiritual novel, one a practical ministry volume, and one a bit of an expose. I enjoyed all three but for very different reasons.

The Shack   After a significant loss, Mack, the main character (besides God, Himself) is invited personally by God to a lonely cabin in the woods. His interactions with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are full of theology and completely laced with real-life imagery. This book coerced tears from my eyes as Mack takes steps to minister to one of his daughters after his weekend in the woods. This is a great book that will challenge your preconceived notions about God and will cause you to hug your kids a little tighter.

Pop Goes the Church, Should the Church Engage Pop Culture?

Tim Stevens challenges us all to take a position in our culture. To leverage our culture so that people can catch a glimpse of God through what they are already watching and listening to. "The theology of our day is found in the cineplex" and we, as the Church, need to capitalize on this by sincerely engaging with our culture. This engagement will allow us to understand what is being communicated and use that as our springboard to the truth. This book is practically challenging with some great examples to "borrow" for your own ministry.

The Family, The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power

I once sat down at a dinner table at a conference at Billy Graham's the Cove in Asheville, North Carolina. Once I exchanged pleasantries with the people around me, the woman to my left said in a hushed tone "So you live near DC? Do you know about that secretive ministry with all the houses?" I told her what every good DC suburbanite says..."Yes, I do, but if I told you about it, I would have to kill you." This book is a "supposed" expose (depending on your point of view) of that under the radar group called "The Family" and it is all the more enjoyable when you personally recognize some of the names listed on these pages.

Order these, get a cold drink in your hand, set the umbrella just right and enjoy your reading.