11 posts tagged “christian”
Borrowed from: that same Hannah
Rating: 9 out of 10
Synopsis: Throughout the world today Christians continue to face intense persecution, and Christian women are often the most vulnerable. In Pakistan, Christian girls are systematically kidnapped, tortured and raped. In China, underground church leaders are sent to labor camps for hosting illegal home meetings. In Sudan, Christian women are captured and sold into slavery or mutilated and left to die. And in many Muslim countries, a woman can be killed by her husband or father for converting to Christianity.In this deeply moving book, Kay Strom and Michele Rickett tell the stories of persecuted Christian women from around the globe. From Africa to the Middle East to Asia, they give voice to our sisters persevering under the yoke of oppression and injustice. Each section provides specific prayer points and practical action steps to equip us to respond.
Despite the challenges, God is active and present with his suffering people. Do not be discouraged. Take heart from these daughters of hope.
My review: I had a hard time starting this one because I knew it would be a difficult read. It's never easy to read true stories persecution, and these were no different. The stories of the women in this book were incredible, though. Reading about what they endure every day was inspiring. We live in such an isolated wonderland here in the US. Freedom of (or from) religion is something we shouldn't take for granted, no matter what we believe. The "persecution" we receive about our faith is nothing compared to what people go through in other countries. I have never been beaten, imprisoned, tortured, or raped because of my beliefs. My family have never disowned me. I have never had to hide my Bible, whisper at church, or sing silently. It made me extremely thankful to live here. It made me pray that if I am ever in a situation like the women in this book that my faith will stand strong. I liked this book, too, because it gave a lot of helpful suggestions for getting involved and helping the women in the book and around the world. Highly recommended! (Finished 9/25/09)Read for: September FBC Book Club
Borrowed from: my friend Jen
Rating: 6 out of 10
Synopsis: With eye-opening insights and soul-inspiring truths, One Month to Live challenges readers to embrace the life God has entrusted to them and to live it out moment by moment with wholehearted authenticity, honesty and integrity. Each of One Month to Live's 30 chapters—one for every day in a life-changing month—offers fresh strategies for overcoming habits that mire Christians in mediocrity. These strategies come to life through uplifting make-it-count moments, inspiring quotations, colorful true stories and questions for reflection. Readers examine how they can live passionately, love completely, learn humbly, and leave boldly to create a legacy that endures for generations after they're gone.
My review: I would have liked to have read this book several years ago. Not because I've been mired in medocrity and I wish I'd read it sooner. Instead, I feel like I've already applied a lot of this book to my life and now I'm wanting more. Compared to some of the other books I've read by Shane Claiborne, Gary Haugen, and John Ortberg, One Month to Live didn't seem to call me outside of the life I'm already living. It moreso explained how to be content and notice things on a day-to-day basis. Which is good advice, but I'm past it. I want my inspirational books to make me want to give up this very safe life I'm living so that I'll head for the edge -- I think Jesus loves to hang out at the edge. I'm tired of making small changes -- I want people to go, "Cori's doing WHAT?!" Still, I think it's a good book for people who feel like there's no light at the end of their tunnel full of chores and kids and commitments and money issues. But I am beyond that now. (Finished 9/14/09)
Read for: I am taking a Crown Finanical course through my church, and this was required reading.
Purchased from: Crown Financial
Rating: 6 out of 10
Synopsis (from Christianbook.com): Many people are experiencing financial challenges like debt, a frustrating job or inadequate savings. Recent surveys have found that over half of all divorces are the result of financial pressure at home. Suffocating materialism is robbing people of their spiritual identity. You will learn that the Bible has a lot to say about money; in fact, there are over 2350 verses that address everything you need to know about handling money. Indeed the bible is a blueprint for managing your finances.
My review: Well, it wasn't anything I hadn't heard before. I've followed Dave Ramsey quite a bit and he and this book are quite similar -- debt isn't Biblical, honesty in financial dealings is important, "snowball" your debt, your money isn't yours -- it's God's, etc. So I was sort of bored througout the whole thing since I wasn't learning anything new, plus I was a little irked that so much of the book concentrated on the ways finances affect a marriage. Good info for some day in the future -- just sort of blah blah blah now. One small thing that resonated with me, however, was the idea that debt "stifles your creativity." In Wide Awake (my review), Erwin McManus made a connection between creativity and finding ways to serve your neighbors and practice social justice. I hadn't thought of debt that way, but it's true -- you can't go out and find solutions to problems in your community and the world if you're constantly worried about yourself and your financial state. My only debt is my house, but there is part of me that wants to pay it off as quickly as possible so that I can live more freely, without having to worry about my mortgage. We'll see how that idea plays out in my study course. I would definitely recommend both this book, however, and the Crown Financial course to pretty much any Christian who wants to learn what the Bible says about money (and it says a lot) and how to apply that to your own finances. It's more than tithing -- it's a stewardship of the money that you've been blessed with. (Finished 9/12/09)
Read for: TheOOZE Viral Bloggers
Received from: TheOOZE Viral Bloggers
Rating: 7 out of 10
Synopsis: In this panoramic view of two millennia of Christian history, Butler Bass (Christianity for the Rest of Us) attempts to give contemporary progressive (the author prefers the term "generative") Christians a sense of their family history, refracted through little known as well as famous men and women whose work within and outside the institutional church fueled sometimes "alternative" practices as they tried to follow Jesus the Prophet. "Without a sense of history, progressive Christianity remains unmoored," argues Butler Bass, a former columnist for the New York Times syndicate. Organized chronologically, each section of the book includes a chapter on religious observance and one on social justice, illuminating the author's conviction that authentic Christianity can be discovered in the practice of loving God and neighbor. Laced with stories from the author's own life and with contemporary examples of "generative Christianity," Butler Bass's version of Christian history includes familiar figures like the fourth-century church father Gregory of Nyssa and lesser-known individuals like the 19th century American abolitionist Maria Stewart. Is this truly "the other side of the story," as the subtitle proclaims? It's definitely a start.
My review: I haven't read Howard Zinn's bestselling novel A People's History of the United States, although it is on my to-read list (along with 487 other books -- I'd better get crackin'). I really like the idea, however, of re-telling history through the eyes of the people who lived it -- both those who were powerful, and those who stood up to the powerful. A lot of times contemporary Christians want to throw out all of church history, labeling it old-fashioned and irrelevant. Butler Bass makes the wonderful point that there is so much to learn from the people who came before us, and throwing out this history is detrimental to Christians in 2009.
Butler Bass's history of Christianity was a great overview of many of the people who influenced modern-day Christianity. Having studied for four years at a Christian college, not to mention having read more Christian books than I can count, I had heard of most of the people she covered in the book. But it was fascinating to learn how those people, through their writing and actions, shaped the face of Christianity. She skirts around the Big "C" Christianity -- Christ, Constantine, Christendom, Crusades, Calvin, Christian America -- and instead focuses on different people who spoke out against things they felt were wrong with the church at that time. I was especially moved by the early church's call to hospitality and social justice -- it's something that we've lost in our current Christian culture and I think it would do us well to learn from our predecessors in this area. Butler Bass notes that hospitality (opening up your home to those in need) was the highest morality -- I don't think it even registers on anyone's radar anymore. Which, to me, is incredibly sad. How could we have lost this particular part of our faith?
My only gripe is that sometimes she seemed to hit people who made me a little nervous, doctrinally -- Thomas Jefferson for instance, who cut out all of the supernatural elements of his Bible (she didn't mention this in her book, though). He did have some interesting thoughts on science and religion, but if you're deleting God from the equation, what are you left with? Still, I would definitely recommend this book to people who already know most of the Big "C" Christianity history. It's a great supplement for those who want to know more about why the Church looks and behaves like it does today. (Finished 9/8/09)
Recommended by: Brittney and Esther (again)
Borrowed from: the Sacramento Library
Rating: 8 out of 10
Synopsis: Fleeing assailants through alleyways in Denver late one night, Thomas Hunter narrowly escapes to the roof of an industrial building. Then a silent bullet from the night clips his head and his world goes black. Now Thomas wakes from a deep sleep, remembering the vivid dream he just had of being chased. Incredibly real. His head is even bleeding—but he's fallen on a rock. He's in a green forest, waiting to meet Rachelle, the woman he's falling madly in love with. That night, Thomas tumbles into bed and falls into a fitful sleep. He dreams. But here comes the real mind bender. Every time Thomas falls asleep in one reality, he awakes in the other. He truly no longer knows which reality is real. Each reality has dramatic impact on the other, each proves to be real, each presents huge stakes, and the fate of each will depend on one man: Thomas Hunter.
My review: So this one one crazy book. I haven't read anything like it. It took me a while to get into it, since I'm not super familiar with the Christian fantasy (if that's what this can even be classified as) genre and I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the concept at first (the two worlds, both real and yet both dreams). But I really did like it. It's dark and twisted and really gory in places. It has an over-arching allegory that would be fascinating to discuss in a book club setting (it's been suggested before at my Christian book club, but it keeps getting out-voted). The two worlds Tom is in are both described in great detail, especially when he's in the Dark Forest. And the big black bats are utterly terrifying. I can't wait to get the other books in the trilogy, Red and White. (Actually, now it's a four-logy...er, quadrilogy...um, tetralogy...uh, series -- Green just came out.) Highly recommended to people who like things a little off the wall. (Finished 8/19/09)
Read because: I finished the first book in the series a few weeks ago and had enjoyed it.
Borrowed from: the Sacramento library
Rating: 6 out of 10
Synopsis (from Amazon): Having discovered rats in her luxury apartment, Ashley Stockingdale is living with her friend Kay, a.k.a. Martha Stewart But With Scruples. Soon Kay wants Ashley to buy out half the house so they can remodel it in style. With no hint of a proposal on the horizon from her commitment-phobe boyfriend, Ashley goes on an independent-woman streak. She sinks her savings into the deal. As Seth squirms, wondering if the investment into Kay's house indicates Ashley doesn't see a future with him, the nightmare of remodeling begins. Meanwhile--in lieu of a diamond?--Seth gives Ashley a darling if ill-advised gift: a puppy! More than a trendy accessory, this puppy requires nearly constant attention and more food than a family of four. He's out-growing his pink collars faster than you can say Diva Dog! The mayhem is escalating, but like everything else, Ashley knows she can handle it…or can she?
My Review: I really liked the first book in this series, but this one didn't do it for me as much. Ashley seemed more flighty in this book, although I really did feel bad for her as she deals with Seth and his commitment issues. I just wanted to shake her and say, "GIRL. The hot doctor likes you! Hello!" But I can understand why she wouldn't believe that. Anyway, I wish I'd waited a little longer between books. I might have had some Ashley overload. I'll wait for a while before I hit book #3 in the series -- which is Sheena's favorite. (Finished 4/15/09)
Read for: FBC Book Club
Purchased from: Amazon
Rating: 7 out of 10
Synopsis (from Amazon): Cori signs up to take a mission trip to Indonesia during the summer after her senior year of high school. Inspired by happy visions of building churches and seeing beautiful beaches, she gladly escapes her complicated love life back home. Five weeks after their arrival, a sectarian and religious conflict that has been simmering for years flames to life with deadly results on the nearby island of Ambon. Within days, the church building the team had constructed is in ashes, its pastor and fifty villagers are dead, and the six terrified teenagers are stranded in the mountainous jungle with only the pastor's teenage son to guide them to safety. Ultimately, Cori's emotional quest to rediscover hope proves as arduous as the physical journey home.
My Review: This is one of those books that I thought I would like more than I did. Especially with a main character named Cori. I didn't dislike it -- not at all. But after hearing a lot of really positive reviews from friends, I was mildly disappointed. Just mildly. The story (Christian fiction, by the way) itself was interesting and felt fresh -- these six kids and the pastor's son and younger sister have to find their way off the island after some deadly religious fighting breaks out. The story got a little repetitive as the kids escaped one close call after another. McKay writes how I think I would write if I could ever get a novel down on paper -- clean and smart but not spectacular. I found myself having to remind myself that the characters were teenagers so sometimes they behaved like annoying teenagers and not adults and that was okay. I wish the God aspect had been highlighted more -- I felt like it was touched on here and there, but I'm not sure where the main character stood at the end of the book. But I enjoyed it and got a little choked up in a few places. Recommended to those who like Christian fiction -- I think it's a stronger contender in a genre that I sadly find to be weak a lot of the time. (Finished 4/13/09)
Borrowed from: the Sacramento library
Rating: 8 out of 10
Synopsis (from the back of the book): Ashley Stockingdale, 31, has a respectable (read: boring) job in Silicon Valley as a patent attorney. Given that in Silicon Valley the single men outnumber the women 2 to 1, Ashley can't help but wonder why a cute, eligible, Christian girl ("with absolutely adorable shoes") sits home most weekends. Even her church singles group fails to satisfy, endlessly watching The Matrix and "splurging", obnoxiously, on un-cool dinners at Applebee's and unhip franchise restaurants. So Ashley resolves to go for it! If only she knew what "it" she's going for. Perhaps that ever-illusive promotion that would give her the glamorous career girl image she's longed for? Or, best of all, winning the affections of the handsome doctor she's met through her work with the youth center! Ultimately, Ashley finds that what a girl wants and what a girl needs aren't always the same thing.
My Review: HA. I don't know if this book was as good, as it was accurate. Seriously, it was a humorous look at being a Christian single, that nailed all sorts of truths about being in your late twenties or early thirties and trying to date in the Christian world. The Christian geeky world -- Ashley is in Silicon Valley. Best line of the book (from memory): "don't these boys know they could be having sex right now if they just stopped playing Mario XIII for a while?" Plus, it mentioned Cat Cookies for People, one of my coworker's favorite (cardboard-flavored) treats from Trader Joe's. Anyway, I laughed through the book, and even though it was predictable, I thought it was funny and true and I found myself going, "YES" a lot. (Finished 3/31/09)
Another book to check of my list this month is Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. The book, told in a very conversational style, is about reinventing the church and the way we live as Christians. I've heard a lot about this book, mostly from my youth group kids, who all really liked it. We've also watched a couple of his Nooma videos in youth group, which are designed to take one aspect of the Christian faith and expand on it in an easy-to-understand way that is very applicable to teenagers.
I'm not sure if I was disappointed in Velvet Elvis, or if I've just heard it all before. I think it was presented to me as something new and radical, but our church is already ahead of the game when it comes to a lot of the things that Bell posits in this book. For example, he talks about the need to get out into the community without an agenda, but instead just to serve the people out there. Every week our church becomes more involved with the community, collecting food for families that can't don't have enough, delivering dontated furniture to the poor, making blankets for cancer patients, and giving our money to a home for street boys in Africa.
My favorite parts of the book are when Bell delves into the historical context of Jesus, and why the things he said were directly related to the Old Testament and to what Jewish people were studying. A lot of it makes the Bible seem even more alive when it is given context. This stuff was fascinating and I could have probably read a book twice as long on this subject. The other stuff was "eh," mostly because I'm already doing most of what he talks about. Had I read this book five years ago I probably would have thought it was better.
My rating: 6 out of 10, for enlightening me...a little.
Anyway, I just assumed growing up that I would be married by now. But instead I'm sort of caterwauling through these uncharted waters. The freedom to be a woman in this age, and to be able to support myself and be a complete and whole woman on my own is amazing, and I wouldn't trade these freedoms for anything. But I also ache for someone to share my life with, someone to be my partner through life's journey. Someone to learn from and to teach, someone to laugh and to cry with. Someone to just *be* with.
Gilliam nailed what it is to be living a Christian life of unintended singleness. Note that for the most part I'm overjoyed with the life God has blessed me with. Still, there are times when it's like I'm stuck in a haze and can't see a way out to the light. When the thought of opening my door to no one when I come home from work for the rest of my life leaves me short of breath and on the verge of tears, that's when I know that something in my soul is not okay. And I've finally decided to do something about it. This book offered some great advice to overcoming this sadness and living this life now with unbridled joy.
Gilliam covers a lot of subjects in this book, much more than what to do when you're feeling particularly helpless. She talks about your relationships with your married friends (both male and female), how to work with your parents who are feeling just as helpless as you, how to admit that it is a struggle, and it's okay that you do suffer with unintentional singleness, and how to answer the most annoying question in the world: "why aren't you married?"
I did a lot of highlighting in this book (yes, I highlight and dog-ear and write in my books.). Gilliam's thoughts struck deep, and in many ways I felt validated for feeling like I do. Here are some of my favorite things:
On letting go of friends when they get married:
"Letting go is never easy under any circumstances, but I think it feels more difficult when it seems like you're letting someone go toward something more and you are being left with something less."
"Letting go with grace is the only way forward. What does it look like, letting go with grace? ... I think it can look at little like this: being willing to face the ugly, empty, scared parts of your own soul--no matter how ridiculous and embarrassing--and naming them aloud. Usually for me this sounds something like telling God and a friend, 'I'm insanely jealous and feel highly ripped off and left out.'"
"Only Someone bigger than I am could enable me to know in my gut, 'This is a good gift my friend has been given. Let her enjoy her gift.'"
On why we need men in the first place:
"... but my conclusion is that men and women, together, reflect God's image ... Even if you or I lack any practical, urgent, or felt need for men, men--as equal image bearers of God--are integral to our knowing, seeing, and experiencing him."
On why we need family, friends, and community:
"Marriage ... is strained in our country not because it is valued too little but because it is valued too highly. We expect too much of it. The emotional needs and relational desires that were once met through both nuclear and extended families, which themselves were grounded in larger communities, are now telescoped onto only once relationship: that of husband/wife. That burden creates a level of pressure that marriage is not intended to sustain.
On how being single is another way of being homesick:
"Sometimes I've wondered if the search for husband, kids, and a house is, in the soul of so many of us, inextricably linked with the even deeper desire for something that is more that then simple sum of those parts. It is a search for home, for some intangibly warm and languid sense of permanent place and belonging."
So basically, I'm feeling better about my singleness than I have in a while. I still ache for someone to share this life with, but I'm experiencing God's grace in my search in a way that is for the first time exciting."So for now, I recognize my homesickness as something through which God's going to walk with me, in ways that I think will surprise me for the good. And when the ache is too much--when I just have to plop down on the floor and burst out crying--I'll again get his help to keep walking, realizing that homesickness is simply a reminder. My longings are in line with my design; I'm created for the secure joys of coming home."
My Rating: 9 out of 10, for being exactly what I needed right now, and good enough to inspire a much-longer-than-usual blog entry.
