From time to time, I get asked about what Christian books are out there and which ones I would give as a recommendation. Here’s one for you. It’s titled, “Cure for the Common Life,” and it’s written by Max Lucado. In my opinion, it’s one of Lucado’s best. I really enjoyed it and think a lot of folks would. If you are looking for a good “Spring or Summer read” to sit just outside, drink a class of tea, and enjoy this would be it. “Cure for the Common Life” isn’t going to make you consult a thesaurus or deal with a lot of difficult concepts, but it will help you wrestle with some great truths and thoughts that ought to shape our soul, our life, and our perspective.
If you have some other recommendations, go ahead and post them. I’m sure others will enjoy seeing what’s being read and what’s being recommended.
May 2, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Ohh, I am like a kid in a candy store with this one. I have read a lot of good books in the last two years which I would highly recommend to other Christians. Which ones to choose?
1) The Cross & The Prodigal by Kenneth Bailey
An incredible book from a theologian and missionary to the Middle East. Bailey disassembles our Western understanding of this most well-known parable and tells it in terms of how Middle Eastern peasants would have interpreted the story. An eye-opening book about what we often miss when Jesus spoke and an introduction to the economy of words he had. 80 pages – you could read it in a weekend!
2) Running Against the Wind by Brian Flynn
Who better to warn Christians about New Age practices infiltrating the church that a former New Age medium? This is a part autobiography, part educational warning which introduces much of the error entering the American evangelical church through New Age influences and “Christian” Mysticism. Big fan of of Thomas Merton, Richard Foster, Brennan Manning, and Dallas Willard? Read this book and decide if you think practices like contemplative prayer are biblical, or just centuries-old Eastern religious practices dressed up with Christian terminology with no biblical basis.
Okay last one:
3) Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper
Piper is a well-known author whose message is repeated in every book he writes: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied with Him. This book challenges the shallow teachings of “Name it and Claim it” theology and the so-called Prosperity Gospel. We as Christians waste our lives when we choose things and make decisions that do not glorify God entirely. It was a great book for our small group to do. Nothing is safe. Money. Television. Relationships. You get the idea. Highly recommended.
You can read this book (and all of Piper’s books) for free online:
http://www.desiringgod.org/media/pdf/books_dwyl/dwyl_all.pdf
Okay, I have more but this is JP’s blog.
May 3, 2008 at 5:24 am
The Language of God by By Francis S. Collins
Collins directed the Human Genome Project at the National Institutes of Health – the project that produced a map of the human genome and probably the greatest scientific achievement since Armstrong walked on the moon. In Collins’ own words, “As a scientist, I have the incredible privilege of being able to explore the natural world with the tools of science and the intelligence that God has given us as human beings, and when I have a chance to uncover something that wasn’t known before, that is both a moment of exhilarating scientific discovery and it is very much a moment of worship…” A man of deep Christian faith and a top scientist of our day, Collins offers credible views that may help us better respond to non-believers whose doubts stem from misunderstood claims of modern science.