Each year I post a list of my favorite reads for the year. I try to read 50 books each year. Sometimes I read a few more, and some years I don't quite reach my goal. This year, with the Covid restrictions on travel, I managed to read 125 books.
I did something else different this year. I seldom read fiction. In fact, it is very unusual if I read more than one fiction book a year. Since I knew I would be reading a lot more this year, and since I enjoy Star Wars so much, I decided to read some of the books of that series. I thought they might give me some background stories that would make the movies more enjoyable. I was right! However, I didn't realize how many Star Wars books there are. Currently, there are nearly 200 adult Star Wars books plus quite a number of books written for youth, comic books, and others. More are being written. This year I managed to read 67 of them. While a few were not that good, most of them were very well written and enjoyable to read.
I will not include any of them in my top ten favorite books of the year but will focus only on the non-fiction books I read. Today I'll share numbers 6-10, and tomorrow's post will include the top five.
10. Christianity and Liberalism, new ed. by J. Gresham Machen was first published in 1923 as a defense of orthodox Christianity against the rising tide of liberalism that was becoming so prevalent in seminaries and churches. His commentary and warnings about the dangers of liberalism are as true today as when they were first written. As he points out the differences between Christianity and liberalism he correctly identifies the reason for their differences. He writes, "It is no wonder, then, that liberalism is totally different from Christianity,, for the foundation is different. Christianity is founded upon the Bible. It bases upon the Bible both its thinking and its life. Liberalism on the other hand is founded upon the shifting emotions of sinful man."
9. When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself was written by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. Most churches want to help people who request their assistance, but many churches struggle knowing how to best provide that help. The authors consider the case of the person who comes to the church requesting help in paying the electric bill. If they are able to do so, many churches will pay the bill, but perhaps the real problem is the person lacks the self-discipline to keep a stable job. The authors do a great job of identifying the true characteristics of poverty and provides ways churches can address them. While going deeper into a person's life is more time-consuming and challenging it often does allow the church to help the individual make lasting chances in his or her life.
8. Pastor as Public Theologian was written by Kevin Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan. This is a book I had previously read and found it so helpful that I re-read it again this year. At one time it was recognized that every pastor was a theologian first, but that is no longer the case. As the book points out, "Contemporary ministry has been the victim. . .of images of leadership that are not borrowed from scripture, but from the surrounding culture - the pastor as CEO, as psychotherapeutic guru, or as a political agitator." Pastors themselves often see their role as being another helping professional alongside therapists and counselors or that of a manager. The authors point out that this confusion about the biblical role of the pastor is one reason for so much of the theological confusion that exists in our churches. Rather than complaining about the theological deficits that exist in the congregation, pastors need to reclaim their role as theologians. This means that theological study cannot be something that pastors try to fit into their schedules but that they see such study as their duty. Personally, I believe this is a must-read book for anyone called into pastoral ministry.
7. Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church was written by Kara Powell, Jake Mulder and Brad Griffin. The authors are on staff at Fuller Theological Seminary and used research assistants to help them study and analyze numerous churches who are reaching young adults. Most churches claim they want to reach youth and young adults, but they struggle to do so. This book is a great tool to help churches reach out to those age groups, but the recommendations they make will cause some churches to feel great discomfort. One of their first recommendations is giving young people keychain leadership responsibilities. As they point out, whoever holds the keys has the power to keep people out or invite them in. Churches that effectively reach youth and young adults invite them in to assume leadership roles. Too many churches see young people as the future of the church, but the churches reaching these young people see them as leaders in the church now. Youth and young adults do not want to sit on the sidelines. They want to be engaged now in worthwhile roles and activities. This research-based book provides important information to the church serious about reaching young people.
6. EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches by Dave Ramsey. This is another book I had read earlier and wanted to re-read this year. I believe that pastors are by necessity entrepreneurs and leaders. Ramsey's book brings the two together. While this is a business book that describes how his business was founded and operates today, it has plenty of transferrable principles that will help pastors. Even before the pandemic, major changes were taking place in society and in our churches. Trying to pastor today using the concepts taught in seminary 10-20 years ago won't get the job done. Some say we have to think outside the box, but I'm not sure there is a box anymore! It's important that we are led by the Holy Spirit and by an entrepreneurial spirit to lead our churches through the rapid changes currently taking place. This book will help the reader look at challenges in a different light and seek new solutions to the new challenges we face.
Tomorrow I will share my top five books of 2020.
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