Star Wars

 I've admitted here before I am a Star Wars fan. I've watched the films numerous times and have all of them on video. A few years I decided to begin reading the books, and during the Covid quarantine I read several of them. The last I knew there were 381 Star Wars books published not counting comics and those for children. I've read 139 of them.

The funny thing about this is that before I began reading these books I seldom read a fiction book. I probably didn't average reading one fiction book a year before I began reading the Star Wars books. My reading was focused on ministry, leadership, personal growth, theology and similar interests. I thought reading fiction was a waste of time. I was wrong. For one thing, it's better than watching endless hours of TV. More importantly, it allows your mind to think about possibilities you may have never thought of before. I never got too excited about space before reading these novels, but now I try to watch the Space Station fly over every chance I get. No matter how many times I watch that amazing spectacle I think of how perfectly fine-tuned God created our universe that we can know exactly the time and the location that the Space Station will pass within our viewing range. Currently, I'm excited about the green comet that is expected to be viewable in my location on February 2. I think it's the first time in 50,000 years it has been close enough to earth to be visible. I doubt I'll get a second chance to see it if I miss it this time!

Star War books are the classic story of the battle between good and evil. Like many good novels, it often appears that evil will win, but somehow good seems to triumph. I have to admit as well that I often find disturbing parallels between the Senate and the evil Emperor in these novels and our own current government. The treacheries and deceit found in these books could easily come out the front pages of our current newspapers. After reading these books it could become easy to get a little paranoid any time our government seeks to reassure us that everything is fine!

One of the things I like best about these books is that it costs me nothing to read them. I have a large library of books that I have spent a small fortune to obtain. These Star Wars books are accessed through an app called Libby. I simply use my library card from our local library and can access any book that is available through that library. Since our library is connected to a larger group of libraries that means I have a large collection of books I can read on my phone or laptop. Everyone of these Star Wars books have been obtained this way saving me a lot of money. Depending on your library you may have tens of thousands of books available to you on virtually any subject you can think of that you can read without ever leaving your home. 

Leaders are readers. This app is a great opportunity for you to increase your reading with no cost to you. I encourage you to check it out.

2022 Reading List

 For the first time in my adult life this year I read more fiction books than non-fiction. The non-fiction books were all Star Wars related so I must admit to being a Star Wars nerd. They make good reading when one is standing in line at Wal-Mart, waiting for a meal to be served in a restaurant or while watching a ball game on TV. Fortunately, I did manage to read some other good books in 2022 and want to share the top six books that I read this year.

#6 - A Non-Anxious Presence by Mark Sayers. We live in a very chaotic world, and the church finds itself in the midst of that chaos. Few church leaders would question that the church is going through a transition time as we seem to be passing from one church era into another one. The author refers to this period as a gray zone, and it is in this gray zone that we must minister. None of us knows what the church will be like as it emerges from the gray zone, and this uncertainty makes many of us, pastors and lay people alike, nervous and concerned. One of the challenges of pastoral leadership to to lead in these gray zones. I found this book a very good guide for how to do that. The author also encourages us by writing, "gray zones are preciously the kinds of places that God seeds with renewal and rebirth." Believing that as I do makes it much easier to provide pastoral leadership during these uncertain times.

#5 - Intentional Churches by Bart Rendel and Doug Parks. One word that has been very meaningful to me in recent years is intentionality. I have grown weary of churches thinking they can continue to do what they've always done and somehow things will magically begin to improve. I feel the same way about individuals who drift through life never understanding why their lives do not improve. As the authors point out, intentional churches understand the vision God has for their church and take the steps to achieve that vision. Moving forward with purpose is always better than drifting with no sense of direction. They also point out that intentional churches needs intentional leaders. This includes both pastoral and lay leaders, and until these are intentional in their ministry approach, the church never will be.

#4 - Forward by David Jeremiah. I admit I am late to the David Jeremiah party. I've been watching his ministry on TV for the past few months and this is his first book I've read. I love his biblical approach to real life. Jeremiah points out that our best lives are ahead of us. That is especially encouraging to someone 74 years old, but it is one I readily accept! This is not only true of individuals; it is true of churches. I really loved this book.

#3 - Determined to Believe by John C. Lennox. One reason I read fewer non-fiction books this year is that I read more non-fiction books that took longer to read! This is one of those books. Not only was it 356 pages long, it was rich and deep requiring a lot of concentration on my part. Much of the church world is being challenged by the Calvinist-Arminian debate. I've read enough from both sides to know their proof-texts. Lennox moves beyond these to address the important issues regarding fatalism and freedom. Serious readers wanting to better understand this disagreement will want to study this book.

#2 - Canoeing the Mountains by Tod Bolsinger. This is a reread of a book I read a couple of years ago. I was so impressed with it that I felt it important to read it again. He compares Christian leadership today to the Lewis and Clark expedition. Their purpose was to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, a trade route everyone knew was there. Imagine their surprise when they reaching the Rocky Mountains and found their canoes would not take them where they needed to go! Does this sound like the challenge facing today's church? What has got us here will not take us where we need to go. Lewis and Clark had to ditch their canoes and find new ways to continue their journey. So must the church. I love this book.

#1 - Historical Theology by Gregg R. Allison. I'll start the review by stating the book is 733 pages not counting the index and glossary of words. This was slow reading for me, but I'll admit I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box. Maybe you'll read it in a couple of days, but I doubt it. Allison follows the bestselling book Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem. He traces the various components of Christian doctrine according to a topical-chronological arrangement. There are a lot of footnotes! The book leans towards a Calvinist approach to many of the doctrines, but not enough that is will be troubling to those who do not hold to that approach. No doubt this is a book that will be used in many seminaries as a text book, but it is accessible to most readers who will take the time to study it. It is well worth that time.

One of these days I've got to start cleaning out my library, but I don't have time right now. I've got more books coming in this week.

Pastoral libraries

I am currently facing a problem that all retiring ministers face towards the end of their ministries. What do I do with my library?

Numerous times in this blog I've posted articles about how much my library means to me. I've spent the past 35 years adding books to the library that I thought would be helpful in my pastoral and writing ministries. Having recently celebrated my 70th birthday I realize that decisions need to be made regarding my books. I don't want to leave them for my wife to deal with.

I posted some online and sold a few, but not nearly enough to justify the amount of time it took me to list them. I've boxed some up and sold them at auction, but not many people who attend auctions are interested in buying ministerial and theological books. The boxes that did sell only brought a couple of dollars for the entire box. I also realize that many of them are so marked up with highlighting and underlining that they have little value. (Let's just say I'm an active reader!)

At different times I've considered donating them to a church for its library, but I'm realistic enough to know how much many church libraries are used.

Of course, every time I think about getting rid of my library I begin to fear that I might need these books. I just completed a two-year stint as a Transitional Pastor, and my commentaries and theological books were invaluable as I returned to preparing sermons and Bible studies. My books on leadership and ministry were consulted as I was once again confronted with some of the leadership challenges of pastoral ministry. What if I get rid of my books and then am called to another interim position?

Then I hear the story from a retired pastor's wife who boxed up his library when they moved into a smaller house and no longer had a church office. His library is stacked in boxes sitting in a corner of their garage! I don't want that to happen to my library.

I would be interested in hearing from some of my retired readers to learn what you did with your pastoral library.

The pastor's library

I've written numerous times about how important a good library is for a minister. When I first began my ministry in 1981 my books would fit in a three foot section of one book shelf. As I sit here typing this I am looking at five seven foot tall bookshelves filled to overflowing plus two four foot bookshelves also filled. I realize some ministers have basements filled with bookshelves, but I feel pretty good about the books I've accumulated as a bivocational minister. Plus, I've given away and sold around 100 of my ministry-related books over the years.

Of course, at some point this becomes a problem. In a couple of months I will turn 70 years old. I am nearing the end of a term as the Transitional Pastor of a nearby church and have no idea if another similar ministry will be offered to me. I keep telling my wife I don't want her stuck with these books, and yet I struggle getting rid of most of them...just in case!

Recently I was talking to the wife of a pastor friend of mine. He has retired but is serving as an interim pastor. When they moved from their parsonage she gave away many of his books and boxed up the rest. He now has to tell her if he needs certain books so she can get them for him. As she explained, they moved into a much smaller house, and it wasn't possible for him to have shelves for his books. Maybe I just need to downsize to force myself to part with most of my library!

At some point I'll find a solution that makes sense and is one I can live with. Until then, I encourage you younger readers to invest in good books. I realize books are expensive today, but they still make a great investment for anyone involved in ministry. Don't be afraid to invest in quality books written by respected authors that speak to challenges you or your church are facing or that address issues important to you.

I also encourage you to not limit your reading to theology and ministry related books. To be effective in ministry it's important to understand people and the things that impact their lives. I have a number of books that focus on business issues, secular leadership, personal finance, and understanding the reasons people act and think as they do. I not only want to be able to exegete the Scriptures; I want to be able to exegete our culture as well so I can speak to it.

Earlier this year I boxed up some of my books, cut my name off the front page and sold the box at one of my auctions. About a month ago I stopped at a yard sale and found 2-3 of those books in the sale. I checked, and there was the place where I had cut out my name so I knew they were my books. I did a quick calculation and decided I had paid about $200.00 for the books in that box. It sold for about $5.00, and now the books are showing up in yard sales! There's a lot about that which could upset me, but it didn't. My prayer is that God will bring those books into the lives of people who need to read the material found in them. If reading those books transforms their lives that will be far better than them remaining on my shelves gathering dust until I decide to read them again.

The church library

I've posted articles here before about the importance of church libraries. In my former ministry, when I would visit the churches I served, I always enjoyed checking out the church library. I felt I could tell a lot about a church just from looking at their libraries. However, I've never discussed what I was looking for or what I consider a good church library.

Obviously, the size of the church will often determine the size of its library. I don't expect a small, rural church to have a large library as I would expect to find in a larger church. Regardless of size, what's most important is the quality of the books available.

I want to see a well-rounded collection of books that includes some that will appeal to anyone regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey. Some would be more popular reading selections while others would require a deeper level of understanding of the Christian faith. I want to see some books on theology, apologetics, church history, as well as autobiographies and biographies of Christian leaders. There should be books that explore challenges people face such as marriage and parenting, personal finance, and personal growth. I want to see practical books on evangelism, teaching, planning,, conflict, and leadership.

Persons in charge of the church library should ensure that newer books are added regularly to the library while not overlooking older books that still provide great value to the reader. They should be willing to listen to suggestions people make about the books to be added to the library. At the same time, they should strive to make sure these books are theologically and doctrinally solid. Frankly, not every book that is listed as a Christian book should be added to a church library due to its weak theology.

Many smaller churches struggle to have the funds to maintain a quality library. What we did in the church I pastored was ask people to donate money to a library fund or to purchase new books they wanted to see added to the library at a local Christian book store. Later, we added a line item in our budget for books. Again, it's important to check the donated books to ensure they are appropriate for the church library. If not, it can lead to problems so be careful with that suggestion.

One thing you do not want to do is ask people to donate their used books to the library. You will likely end up with a lot of old books that people want to get rid of that have little if any value in the 21st century. You may end up making a few trips to the dump and trying to soothe the hurt feelings of those who donated the books.

A church library requires a lot of work to maintain properly, but it is a valuable resource for a church to offer people. As we all know, books are expensive and some in our churches may not have extra money to purchase good Christian books. Having those books in the library can be a wonderful tool to promote spiritual growth among its members.

Books for sale

In my 35 years of ministry I have amassed a nice library. As is obvious from this blog, I enjoy reading and normally read 40-50 books a year. Most of these I purchase. Unfortunately, it's time to begin selling off part of my library. Having left active pastoral ministry I simply don't need many of my books, and I would not want them to be a burden to my wife in the event the good Lord called me home.

A few days ago I listed two books by N. T. Wright on E-bay. They are The Day the Revolution Began and Simply Jesus. However, it would take me a long time to list all the books I would sell, so I decided to advertise them on this site.

I wish I could list the books individually, but that would take too much time. If you have been interested in purchasing a particular book,  please let me know. I'll let you know if I have a copy of that book for sale.

I will tell you that I often mark in my books with a highlighter and sometimes write comments in the margins. Many of these books will not be in like new condition, but none of them are in bad condition either. If you express interest in a book I will tell you the condition of the book before you decide to buy it, and my prices will reflect that condition.

In addition to my theological and ministerial books I also have a nice collection of books on leadership and business. I also have books on personal finance, military, and self-help. I have both older and newer books so if you've been looking for one that is out of print, check with me. I just might have it!

I've been telling my wife for the past couple of years I needed to begin selling my library. The last time I told her that she asked why, if I wanted to sell my books, I got a box from amazon the day before? Well...I hadn't read those books! I really like my library so this is not an easy decision to make, but it's the right decision.

Vacation and thoughts about a pastor's library

For the past couple of weeks I've been on vacation in Panama City Beach. I left there yesterday morning after sitting out on the beach and pool side the day before only to be greeted by a house registering 60 degrees on the thermostat. Although I was tired from the long drive, I was about ready to turn around and go back!

It was a great time away. We spent our vacation with our daughter and her family. I think the recent hurricanes down there had lowered the water temperature more than normal for this time of the year, but we still got to spend time in both the ocean and the pool and got plenty of nice Florida sun shine. I also enjoyed a nice round of golf and a couple of rounds of putt-putt with the grand kids.

We've been going there for vacation for several years and have several restaurants we enjoy. This year we did something a little different: we tried some new restaurants. Some had been around for a while, but we had just never gone to them while others had opened since we were there last year. I love fresh seafood and was not disappointed!

Surprisingly enough, I even had time to read. I took two books with me, and bought several more down there. I finished reading A New Kind of Apologist by Sean McDowell and read Deep and Wide by Andy Stanley. Some of the Goodwill stores down there always have a great selection of books and I bought several. The two I bought and read while there were The Time Keeper by Mitch Albon and The Radical Leap by Steve Farber. I really enjoyed all four books.

Books I bought there that have been added to my to-read list include Surprised by Hope by N. T. Wright, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson and Fresh Air by Jack Levison.

I know I've mentioned this before, but my experience in the Goodwill stores made me want to remind you of something important. Many of you who read this blog are bivocational pastors or pastors of smaller churches who do not have a lot of money for your library. Each of these books cost me between 2.99 and 3.99. New books are expensive, but you don't have to spend a lot of money to build up a good pastoral library. For less than 20.00 I added six quality books to my library. BTW - These books list new for $115.90. They have no marks in them and each are in nearly new condition.

Your local library probably has an annual book sale. Flea markets and auctions are great places to find books. If you live near a seminary there may be a used bookstore nearby where students sell their text books when they finish a class. I bought a number of books in such a bookstore.

If you are in pastoral ministry or any leadership role in a church you need a good library, and it doesn't have to cost a fortune to own one. Oh, and don't forget to enjoy a vacation or two every year!

The pastor's library

About a year ago I mentioned to my wife that I needed to do something about my library. I don't want her to have to deal with these books when I'm gone. As I sit here typing this post I am looking at seven bookshelves crammed full of books, mostly theological and ministry related. Actually, to say these shelves are crammed is a little bit of an understatement. Some shelves are double-stacked with books.

Although my comment about eliminating some of the library was meant to encourage her, she really wasn't buying it. In fact, she responded, "If you're going to reduce your library why did we receive a box from Amazon today?" Well, those were books I hadn't read! As usual, though, her observation was on target. I think I've eliminated one box of books so far and probably added more than that to the shelves.

It's hard for me to get rid of books. When I began my ministry in 1981 I had about one-fourth of a shelf of books, and they were not very good. Thanks to a book allowance from the church I was able to add to the library every year. Thanks to discount sellers like CBD I was able to spread that money much further than if I was paying retail for all my books. I also found a used theological bookstore in Louisville that helped me add to the collection. For years I attended the Friends of the Library book sale in my home town. I would head straight for the theological books and fill up at least 2-3 bags. My best deal at a FOL sale was the two volume Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament that I got for $1.00.

My books are highlighted, underlined, and written in the margins. The material highlighted has been recorded in a filing system I use to quickly find material I may want to use later.

I have an older version of a Bible study software program which I use occasionally, but there's something about holding a book in your hands and interacting with it with highlighters and pens. I have books on NOOK and Kindle, but I haven't added e-books in a couple of years. I just can't get excited about reading a book on a screen.

Probably younger pastors are more comfortable with electronic books and software programs for their study and sermon preparation. Regardless of whether you prefer the printed page or electronic books, I encourage you to regularly add to your ministerial library. Commit to a reading program. I try to read a significant book each week. I don't always hit that goal, but I'm at least close. If that sounds like a lot, there are people who read twice that many every year.

Invest in good resources. While you're reading, interact with the material. Develop a filing system so you can quickly find material you want to use later. If you'll do each of these you'll find your ministry to be much more effective and less stressful.

I need to put together another box of books to get rid of, but first I need to check something on Amazon. A church gave me a $50.00 Amazon gift card the other day as part of an honorarium.

Looking for nuggets

I always read a book with a highlighter or marker to underline the things I want to remember later. After I finish a book I go back through it looking for those thoughts that I want to file away for future reference. My favorite books are those that are really marked up.

However, not every book I read hits a home run. Sometimes there will only be a few nuggets of new information or thoughts. A book I am currently reading is like that. In fact, last week I seriously considered putting that book in my sale pile and starting on another one. I almost never start a book that I do not finish, but this one just did not seem to be worth my time. Then I started on a new chapter, and everything began to change. Finally, half-way through the book I found the gold mine I was looking for. There were nuggets on every page of that chapter, and the next chapter was the same way.

Those nuggets can be life-changers for a leader. It might be the illustration that really makes your message stick in the minds of your listeners. It might be the new idea that propels your church or organization to another level of growth. It might be the insight that helps restore balance to your life. It might be just the thing you need to share with the next person you coach.

I have to remind myself that gold nuggets are rare. That's what makes them so valuable, and that's what makes people seek them out. The same is true for the nuggets of wisdom you'll find as you read. There may be only a handful of nuggets in the book you're reading, but they will be valuable when you identify them and begin to use them.

As I've shared in other posts, I have a filing system where I record the nuggets I find when I'm reading. For too long, I would find a nugget and then forget where it was for later reference. These nuggets are too valuable to lose once they've been discovered so a good filing system is a must. Develop a good filing system that meets your needs, and you'll know exactly where those nuggets are located.

How to build a ministry library

When I began as a pastor in 1981 I had one-and-a-half shelves of books in my little home office. I had not been to seminary so I didn't have the collection of books that a seminary grad would have accumulated. Most of the books I did have were popular Christian books, nothing that allowed me any in-depth study that would be helpful in ministry.

I began to go to a nearby college library to find books that would be helpful in sermon preparation. To my surprise, I found other ministers there as well. However, as a bivocational pastor it wasn't always convenient to depend on the library being open nor did they always have the resource material I might need for a particular sermon or study. I needed to build up my own private library, and I did. Today, my study is lined with bookshelves around three walls all filled with books.

About a year after beginning my pastoral ministry I enrolled in a Bible school. The required books for my classes were helpful additions to my library. Some of them were found at an off-campus used Christian bookstore at very reasonable prices. I find that some seminary students are not interested in keeping their textbooks which become for sale at similar bookstores. If you live near a seminary or Bible college you should always check out to see if a used Christian bookstore is nearby. You can get some really good deals there.

Our local library has a Friends of the Library book sale each fall. For ten dollars you can become a member of this organization which allows you to purchase books at this sale a day before it opens to the general public. I found some great buys at this annual sale. My favorite story out of this sale is that I bought the two volume Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament for $2.00 one year. It retails for around $100.00.

While I have bought hundreds of new books from Christian and secular bookstores, I have also found some great buys at Goodwill, yard sales, and auctions. Most of my recent purchases have been used books through amazon.com. Sometimes you have no choice but to purchase a new book, but when you can buy some used ones as well it helps the average!

I have also volunteered to review new releases for one publisher. I got that book free plus the publisher sent me another new book for my trouble. I got to select the free book from a list the publisher sent me. I didn't do this very often, and I'm not sure the publisher still does it, but it was a way to add more resources at no cost.

One last thing I did was to ask my bivocational church to give me a book allowance. Part of my salary package was a $400.00 a year allowance to buy books and other resources. That's less than $8.00 a week, but it does allow the pastor to add to his or her library with no out-of-pocket expense, and because it's an allowance it's not taxable. BTW - I always spent more than my $400.00!

Of course, there are now computer libraries that can be purchased for far less than one would spend for books. While they do include some excellent resources, some of their material is dated and not as helpful. Still, it can be a very good way for ministers to build up their resources. I've owned a couple of these, but I have to admit that I prefer holding a book in my hands.

I'm the same way about e-books. I have a number of books on my Kindle and NOOK devices, but I prefer to use these for general reading and not research and study. I also question the pricing of these e-books. As an author I'm glad that the cost of these e-books is not much less than the price of the book, but as a consumer it seems to me they should be much less expensive.

Building a library can be very expensive, but it's something that every minister must do if he or she wants to be effective. As I talk with bivocational ministers many of them say they just don't have the funds to build a good library. However, as you can see, there are many ways to do so without spending a lot of money. What you do spend must be seen as an investment and not an expense. You are investing in God's call on your life and on the people you have been called to serve.

On my bookstand

Yesterday I shared my top seven books of 2014.  Today, I want to let you know what I'm currently reading and what's sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.

For my devotional reading right now I am reading Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters by N. T. Wright.  The back cover explains that this book "breaks down the barriers that prevent us from fully engaging with the story of Jesus in the Bible.  By appreciating the historical complexity of reading a two-thousand-year-old story and the distorting effect of two millennia of debate over these stories, Wright reveals a breathtaking vision of Jesus that more than matches the needs and complexities of our time."  I'm about half done with the book and appreciate the insights Wright shares.

Things That Matter: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes and Politics is written by Charles Krauthammer, one of the best political commentators of our time.  He is a Pulitzer Price winning syndicated columnist, political commentator and physician.  He left psychiatric medicine to work in the Carter administration and was a speech writer for Walter Mondale before becoming a conservative.  I always enjoy hearing his perspective on the events of the day and believe that he is one of the leading conservative thinkers in our day.  However, he is also a very independent thinker and conservatives will not always agree with some of his views especially around feminism, evolution, and the death penalty.  This book is a collection of some of his written columns from the past thirty years.  I find it to be quite enjoyable reading.

Jesus on Every Page: 10 Simple Ways to Seek and Find Christ in the Old Testament by David Murray is on the Kindle app on my I-Pad.  I always keep at least one book on the Kindle to have available to read when I'm at the doctor's office or sitting in a restaurant or have some time before a meeting.  In this book Murray presents a way to find Jesus throughout the Old Testament.  It is an interesting study.

On the shelf are several books just waiting for me.

• You Can Make a Difference: 14 Principles for Influencing Lives by Gary Collins.
• Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip and Dan Heath.
• Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller.
• What's Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done by Matthew Perman.

I'm looking forward to reading these and many others throughout 2015.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

What to do with a minister's library?

A reader of this blog sent me a question last night about how to dispose of his ministerial library.  He retired from the ministry a few years ago and still has his library which he no longer needs.  Interestingly enough, this is a question my wife and I have been discussing for the past few weeks.  Although I am not retired, I left pastoral ministry 13 years ago to serve as a judicatory minister.  I have a large collection of commentaries and other Bible study books that I no longer use for sermon preparation.  A large percentage of the remainder of my library would be more useful to a pastor than to someone in my current ministry role.  I don't want my wife to have to deal with this when I'm gone so we've been looking at options.  (BTW - the thought of giving up my books horrifies me!)

Several years ago I sold a few commentary sets I didn't find helpful to Baker Books.  At that time, they were buying used books.  They paid for the shipping and a fair price for the books, but I don't know if they still do that or not.  A few years ago a young man began pastoring a small church.  I asked him about his library, and he admitted he didn't have much.  I gave him a very nice set of New Testament commentaries, and about three months later resigned from the church and moved away.  That didn't work out well!

I'm sitting here looking at seven book cases stacked full.  The vast majority are ministry related, and most of them are newer.  If you are retired, what did you do with your library?  If you are approaching retirement, what are your plans for your books?  I think this would be a great question for discussion on this blog, so let's here from you!