Wednesday, July 27, 2005
The Firm by John Grisham
Okay, Okay. This isn't quite the intellectual meal that Mere Christianity was, but everyone needs some sweets every now and then. Which is exactly what Grisham is: cotton candy. After working through several heavy, mentally challenging books, I decided to go back to an old standby: The Firm. This was the first Grisham book I read and one of the first books I latched on to after college (probably rebellion against the books I was forced to read there.) I remember thinking, "I never knew reading could actually be fun and interesting!"
My friend Phil and I used to joke that the church we worked at really was the Firm. We had both come from situations where life and ministry was difficult and working here was like a dream come true. We actually had bosses we liked, got paid reasonable well, got Christmas bonuses, etc. We just kept waiting for the day when Ben (our Sr. Minister) would call us in to his office and say, "We need to fill you in on some things. This church is really funded by the Mafia. You've been under constant surveillance since you arrived and you have no hope of leaving...EVER! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!" (insert evil mad scientist laugh here.) I'm still waiting for that dreaded summons to the big office.
The Firm is a classic legal thriller. It is like cleansing your pallet after dinner. It's not rocket science or theology, but it sure if fun. I think I've read it about five times now. Even the pages are starting to fall out of the book. In case you've seen the movie the book is 1,000 times better than the movie.
Rating: Three Stars
Sunday, July 24, 2005
A Spy's Journey, by Floyd Paseman
I was at the library with my kids on Friday and did something that I've never done...I picked up a book that I knew nothing about. It was on the "New Releases" shelf and I got a wild hair. I ended up reading it over the weekend (while I should have been reading a book for my discussion group!)
This is the memior of a career CIA agent who did just about everything immaginable and served all over the world. If you ever wanted to know what a spy does and how he does it, this book will tell you. Of course, he can't reveal any names of people or places, but that isn't really important. The book reads more like short stories and recollections that are somewhat connected by chronology than a year by year account.
One of the more enjoyable aspects of the book is the wide variety of stories. They range from breathtaking operations to KGB encounters to idiot bosses to practical jokes. It is very entertaining reading. The end kind of peters out as he is finishing up his career in management, though. Overall, not a bad read for a weekend. It certainly makes you appreciate all those people who are out there lurking around in dark alleys for the good ol' stars and stripes.
Rating: Two Stars
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
I'm leading a book discussion group this summer at church. I've never been in a discussion group, so I had no idea how to lead one. I also had to choose the books, which was daunting. The theme of the books is "Classic Books on Discipleship." I knew I couldn't go wrong with this classic. In fact, Mere Christianity was voted as the #1 most influencial Christian book of the century by Christianity Today.Anyway, I read the book originally in college (which was 15 years ago!!!!) I had forgotten how conversational it was. (It was originally given as radio addresses during WWII.) In fact, I could almost hear a stately English accent as I read. I believe it has the be the most accessable, easy to read book on theology ever written. Actually, you don't even thing that you're reading theology.
Two things stand out. First, the entire basis of his reasoning seems to be based in simple logic. Christianity is true because it makes the most sense of the world and facts. While I agree with his conclusions, I wonder how this approach will resonate in a post-modern setting? His starting point is the assumption of absolute truth and the general belief among post-moderns is that there is no such a thing as absolute truth. I do think, however, that the majority of people still operate under a modern reasoning process.
Second, Lewis seems to wander dangerously close to universalism. While there certainly is an element of truth in other religions, all roads do not lead to Jesus. I believe that he is mistaken on this point.
Overall, this book has probably been instrumental in leading countless people Christ, which is great. It is probably the greatest single articulation of the Christian faith outside the Bible itself.
Rating: Three Stars
American Soldier by Tommy Franks
One of my friends at church gave this book to me and honestly, I wasn't in a hurry to read it. I love reading about WWII and biographies about Generals. However, I had never read anything about modern warfare or contemporary people. Give me Patton, Eisenhower and Rommel. (Deep down in the scary recesses of my mind, I think wanted to be one of them.)
I was pleasently surprised. You never know how much was written by him or his cowriter, but you get the feeling that you're just sitting around the kitchen table listening to a master story teller (complete with the occassional well placed expletive!)
The story begins with his early life in the 50's and then moves to his days in Vietnam as a junior artillery officer. Then he quickly moves over his time during the last days of the Cold War in Germany. The main chapters tell the story of his time as a One Star General during Desert Storm and then the Four Star General commanding the whole shootin' match for the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The story bogs down toward the end as it seems like it is the same thing over and over. However, this is a great read the does nothing but deepen your appreciattion and respect for the men and women who devote their lives to protecting ours.
Rating: Two Stars
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Serious Times by James Emery White
I made the mistake of picking this book up when I was supposed to read a different book. Well, the book I was supposed to read had to wait. What an insightful, challenging, convicting, and interesting read. The basic premise is that God has called us to make a difference in this world by living our lives like we can. The fist half of the book is an examination of the current state of our society and how we arrived at it. This is one of the most succinct and insightful descriptions of post-modern thought that I've ever read. He gets to the heart of the matter without getting too involved in technical analysis.I got to the half-way part of the book and thought, "Wow! This is a great book, but the rest can't be this good." The last half was even better than the first. White turns personal and gives very practical advice on how Christians can make a difference in the world. The four ways are: deepen your soul, sharpen your mind, answer your calling, and allign with the church. While all these chapters are top-notch, I thought the best one was "Answer the Call," which dealt with understanding vocation in the light of service to God. It was very helpful.
Overall, I whole-heartily recommend this book to everyone who wants to make their life matter for God. You can find out more this book here.
Rating: 4 stars
