New Kid on the Blog

Every now and then I get books to review - and I am very glad I got this one!  Have enjoyed, and am enjoying it very much...  Here's a copy of the review I added to Amazon.ca Awakening Faith - James Stuart Bell Interesting insight into early Christian writings and an inspiring devotional So often, as was the case in my own studies, introductions to that group of bishops, theologians, monks, writers etc that we call 'The Church Fathers' (not so many women, unfortunately) are only found in dense, dry, academic collections; so this gathering of devotions is a pleasant alternative which gives some idea of the breadth and depth of the Church in it's formative years. With a substantial, but not overly taxing, amount of writing for each day (one page) along with a verse of Scripture, there is the opportunity to see something of what these early Christian's were wresting with, considering, praying over and formulating. Remembering that the Bible...

I've been enjoying listening to audiobooks as I have travelled around lately, and am fortunate to be a part of ChristianAudio's reveiw panel, so here is my latest review: Andy Stanley - Next Generation Leader After spending a fair amount of my Masters reading books on leadership I can honestly say I wish I'd had this one to refer to! A warm, practical and spiritual guide to what makes a good leader tick and a good grounding for all of us called to any form of leadership in business or ministry. One of the pleasant aspects of this book is how Stanley's advice, rooted firmly in Biblical narrative, is transferable between 'sacred' and 'secular' occupations. It's makes clear yet unforced connections between our own integrity as Christians and our ability to function as effective leaders. Many books of this type seem to try and shoehorn Biblical examples into contemporary living, whereas Andy Stanley uses the stories and characters of Scripture to b...

This is a surprisingly honest, thoughtful, reflective account of the Creed frontman's experience. From the vivid opening statement of a 'fall from grace' (and from the balcony of a hotel) through the rollercoaster of Scott Stapps life this is an honest, intelligent reflection on the story of a creative, thoughtful, troubled soul. A more cynical listener might dismiss this as Stapps trying to explain his reasons why all of the criticisms levelled at him are unjustified. If one listens carefully, though, there is an almost brutal honesty about his own failings, the pain he has felt and darkness that has often been overwhelming in his life. The big surprise is how articulate Stapps is about his own faith and life - obviously he's a creative singer and writer, but the way he is able to talk openly about an abusive father, substance addiction, his own 'hero complex' and rejection of narrow Church experience is a revelation. This six and a half hour opus i...

I have recently read a book which was sent to me by booksneeze.com . Called 'The Map' it's all about men and the Church Book Description A map, hidden in the gospel of Matthew, is the key to awakening the sleeping giant in the church—men. Sounds like fiction, but it's true. The apostle Matthew embedded a map into his gospel. History's greatest men, including Christ himself, followed this map. The Map begins as a fictional tale of murder, deception, and greed as three men fight to uncover the most important discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls. Then, using the tale as a parable, Murrow shows men what the map looks like, where it is found in the Bible, and how to walk its three ancient pathways today: * Submission * Strength * Sacrifice David Murrow stumbled across the map by accident in 2006. After three years of research and writing, he is ready to reveal it to the world My thoughts: No matter what you think about the state of masculinity and...

...I did a book review Here's one that came on my jaunt to Paris last weekend. It's a very well written, well researched book, which gives a massive (and well informed) overview of how the Jewish and Christian Scriptures came to us. Talking about origins, construction, with historical and sociological insight, alongside a consideration of how Scripture has been viewed and used over the past twenty or more centuries, Karen Armstrong presents a beautifully crafted and accessible insight into exactly what the Bible is, where it comes from and the many different understandings of how it should be used, studied, considered and critiqued which have accompanied its development. Some of a more conservative bent might be concerned by the way she states as matter of fact that, for instance, Genesis has no concern to be a literal work, or that other compilers of scripture freely contradict, re-interpret and re-cycle each others ideas. It does present, though, a pretty dispassionate, th...