Conquered Words: January

This is my monthly post where I tell you what I have read and (ever so briefly) what I thought about each work. If you haven't read these books, then read this blog and pretend that you did!

Well it's a new year and I'm super excited about it. In 2010 I, among other things, will get married to the my favorite woman (who also happens to be incredibly beautiful), hold a new job, graduate from college, and read tons of new books.

Here, then, are those books which I have already conquered this year. Since I have started another term of school, I will list the books I read for classes at the end, which I will not tell you about because I have to tell multiple professors about them and that would be both a waste of time and boring. While it may seem like a read a lot of books, I also have read more scripture this month than I think any other month. It's been great to dwell in some of the most powerful and beautiful words humans have uttered.

Here's what I read:

1) The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction by Eugene Peterson (Eerdmans, 171 pages) I was so close to finishing this that I just want to lump it in to December. But here we are in the January edition. I think I finished this on the 3rd or something like that. Peterson is, as I have said before, such a brilliant and completely unique voice in Christian thought and is another one of my new favorites. His closeness to God can be noticed in his writing. This book, which came in my life at the right time, is a wonderful meditation on the pastorate. Peterson has worn many hats, but he always prefers people call him "pastor." He has great thoughts about the life of a pastor and what it really means biblically to shepherd and guide a group of people in the ways of God. It was an extremely humbling read.

2) Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller (Dutton, 240 pages) I love Tim Keller. He is my total role model pastor and teacher. Unfortunately, I will never be exactly like him because God built me this way. But next to C.S. Lewis, Keller is the man. If we look back in 20 years and recognize a few people who are responsible for this whole urban church planting phenomenon, we'll mention Tim Keller for sure. This is his book on idolatry where he argues the preeminence of idols in current American Culture and their effect on the Spiritual vitality of the world. It is more biblical than the rest of his books, while at the same time he keeps a very good eye on modern culture. Pretty good for a dude pushing 60. I couldn't say enough good things about Tim Keller.

3) The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis (HarperOne, 208 pages) YES, I've read this before. But due to what was going on in my life, I needed to read it again. This is Lewis' best work; a smattering of lectures and sermons he gave in local churches in London and elsewhere. The topics are all over the place but are simply a delight. It also includes the last sermon Lewis ever delivered, "A Slip of the Tongue," which speaks to the person who can believe in God but just can't surrender it all to Jesus. Fitting. "The Weight of Glory" is the title to one of his lectures at the beginning of the book. I had some guys I'm discipling read it and we had an amazing discussion over Lewis' words...he is close to scripture.

4) Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts by Les and Leslie Parrot (Zondervan, 176 pages) I first met Les Parrot when I walked in to Psych 103 at Seattle Pacific University. He was an ego maniac. I did not like him, I'll be honest. He made us read one of his books and write a review about it and then tell us in class only the good things about it. Yeah...So when Joel and Joy (our premarital counselors and long time friends) told Ali and I to read this book, I was a bit skeptical seeing as I would be reading marriage advice from a guy with the last name Parrot and I bit of an ego problem. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT...wasn't so bad. The couple is renowned for their marriage tips and they attach seven questions you should be able to answer at the time of your wedding and their thoughts have been very good for me to steep in. It has provided Ali and I great conversation and I'll most likely write a little bit about it here later.

5) Your Jesus Is Too Safe by Jared C. Wilson (Kregel, 287 pages) This was the first book given to me by Jeff Patterson, my new boss at Willamette Christian Church. He said that this was the best book he read all year as he gave it over to me. With such high expectations, it is good to report that this is a wonderful book. I know nothing about this author except for his vision of who Jesus is which is biblical, historical, and transformative. Wilson walks through different aspects of Christ: Promise, Prophet, Man, Shepherd, Judge, Redeemer, King, Love, Savior, and many others. Essentially his argument is to much credit of Driscoll, Elderidge, and pretty much anybody who speaks out against the "safeness" of Jesus. In some ways this book is not unique at all as Wilson's idea is perhaps as old as Paul. However, Wilson's rhetoric is refreshing and not repetitive, which is something Christian authors fall into ALL THE TIME. Anyways, if anything, this book gave me more Jesus, which I could always use.

You'll notice I read a lot of Christian books, which is something I don't always do. But I read a lot of Christian books because of the changes God was throwing at me, but also because I'm in the middle of the school year and in the middle of the school year I have low amounts of vitamin D and read a lot of very dry, scholarly books. HEY, don't get me wrong, everything listed below I really did LOVE. I just can't comment on them. Here's what I read in class:

Plato's Meno, Republic, and Ion
Random scholarly articles from Ph.D's in Rhetoric and Composition
Bonk by Mary Roach
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace

Wow. I didn't realize I read that much. I guess those two weeks of unemployment really helped out. Some of these books were just finishing them up after I started them over Christmas break. ALSO: NO CABLE TOTALLY HELPS.

Keep reading, friends.