What I'm Reading
Since I'm coming out of a writing season I'm doing a lot more reading these days. Loving it. It's fueling lots of creative ideas. Just thought I'd share a few books I'm reading.
My friend, Brad Lomenick, recommended The Shack a few months ago. Finally got around to reading it. Love it for lots of reasons. First of all, I love books that touch the emotions and inspire the imagination. This book does that. But it also has an amazing storyline that is really gripping. Serious props to William Young.
I'm finishing up The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Absolutely love this book. So readable. And so inspiring. Plus it's a true story!
I'm having our entire team read Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley in preparation for our daydream day in a couple weeks. If I had to describe the book in one word it would be: tight. It's so good, so succinct. And I feel like it'll help us define our dreams!
My friend, Brad Lomenick, recommended The Shack a few months ago. Finally got around to reading it. Love it for lots of reasons. First of all, I love books that touch the emotions and inspire the imagination. This book does that. But it also has an amazing storyline that is really gripping. Serious props to William Young.
I'm finishing up The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Absolutely love this book. So readable. And so inspiring. Plus it's a true story!
I'm having our entire team read Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley in preparation for our daydream day in a couple weeks. If I had to describe the book in one word it would be: tight. It's so good, so succinct. And I feel like it'll help us define our dreams!
14 Comments:
Hey,
Have you read a book called Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller?
This book really changed my prospective on religion.
Loved Blue like Jazz!
PM
I liked The Shack, we read it for Book Club, but I didn't like that it was all made up, none of the guys life was real, and that kinda chapped me since you feel like you are reading a real experience from a real life. BUT I loved the immagry and leasons in the book. Reminded me of CS Lewis but not near as good as Lewis.
Oh, I forgot, we are reading "There is no me without you" It's an amazing book about AIDS and Orphans in Ethiopia, written by Melissa Faye Green, a jounalist who has 4 adopted children from Ethiopia. REALLY great book.
Hey, when are you coming back to HPC? We (the book club life group)want our In a Pit books Signed and Marc Cleary said you were nice and would sign them for us if you ever came back ;-)
And we will have to read your new book when it comes out.
Ok, no more comments from me. :-0
Love to make it back to HPC!
Mark
On the topic of your third book listed, there's a chapter in Malcom Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" on the "stickiness factor" of ideas, maybe useful to you if not already considered.
I just picked up Making Vision Stick. It's next on my list. I'm just wrapping up The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church by Shane Hipps. Great insight into the statement that "it's not the method that counts, but the message." Hipps argues that changing the method changes the message. Good stuff.
"Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."
Not to be judgmental but that was how I felt about the last lecture. Aside from relationships with people it seemed as if his life was so void of anything of God. My heart breaks for that guy not knowing Jesus.
I have had a few people tell me how great they thought it was but I struggle with how to point out the obvious without seeming judgmental....
Brad,
Interesting. I did find myself wondering about where he was spiritually. It's the elephant in the book :) He did reference his pastor at the end. But faith seems like a really "personal" thing to him. I don't know how you face eternity without the hope of Christ. Maybe there is more there than he reveals. I don't know.
Having said that, so much of the book was so inspirational to me. I think we can learn some things from the way he enjoys life, the playful spirit. I felt like it inspired me to be a better dad, etc.
Mark
Mark, lots of people read your blog and I know that The Shack has raised some theological controversy. Maybe you could address some of this, considering you gave Young 'serious props'?
Brenton,
I definitely read it as fiction. While it certainly has a theology too it, I read it more as a fictional take. Sort of reminds me of "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis. If you read it theologically I think you have some issues. If you read it for fiction I think it stretches your theological imagination.
My two cents,
Mark
I saw Andrew Jones's review today of the Shack:
The Shack
Here's Brad Lomenick's comment:
Have you read The Shack?
Lots of people reading it.
all the best,
andy
Andy Rowell
Doctor of Theology Student
Duke Divinity School
Durham, North Carolina
Blog: Church Leadership Conversations
But "The Great Divorce" IS SO MUCH BETTER! :-)
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