Read and Grow.

There is great value in reading books that inspire, grow, and challenge our faith as well as our thinking. So, I am passing on some of my latest literary conquests:

1) Well, I can’t say enough good about Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son. Nouwen was smitten by Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal Son, and springboards from it to Christ’s parable of God’s great love for us, and then back again to Rembrandt’s own spiritual journey. He looks at the perspective from the Prodigal, the Older Son and the Father, and how at times, we may be like each of them. It is a beautifully written book and its message of the Father’s love for us is timeless. (incidentally, it is a pretty book too, with Rembrandt’s rendering on the cover—one you could feel good about giving) 1992, Doubleday.

2) A totally different read that impacted my thinking is The Generosity Factor by Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy. What might appear to be a nice little allegory is actually a real life story of a man’s discovery that true joy flows out of generosity. Followers of Christ know they are to be generous with time, talent and treasure, (at least we say we know it… but are we?) Blanchard adds a fourth dimension of personal generosity, and I shan’t spoil it here—also starts with a “T”--rather novel, and a mind blower for me.

The Generosity Factor discusses the different between a Successful person and a Significant person, between Driven people and Called people … both meaningful for
consideration. The book is quickly read, (just 109 pages), but on the other hand, there is quite a bit to highlight for further reflection. A great gift for the businessperson in your life, but truly worthy of anyone’s time! 2002, Zondervan.

3) My friend loaned me an incredible book called Chasing Francis by Ian Morgan Cron. Oh, my goodness, where do I start? This book really captured my attention, both head and heart, because it takes a Christian pastor’s honest crisis of faith and juxtaposes it with his journey into St. Francis of Assisi—his works, his own journey, including where he walked and taught.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” (A quote from Marcel Proust, cited in the book) This book could give any honest seeker new eyes. It is artful, provocatively-deep, and cathartic as well. I highly recommend it. Thank you, Christa! 2006, NavPress.

4) A long-time fan of John Ortberg, I have read just about everything he has written. He is clever, honest, and well read—he quotes a lot of the classic writers of Christianity, like Augustine, C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, and Martin Luther; he also references contemporaries such as Lewis Smedes, Frederick Buechner, Elie Wiesel, and Dallas Willard. The insights from these men alone are worth the cost of my favorite Ortberg offering, Love Beyond Reason.

My Women of Passion have been reading and discussing this book, and even longtime believers of Jesus Christ, have gained new understanding of how God loves us, and how we can in turn love others. “God’s heart is filled with tenderness and delight at the mere thought of you,” an Ortbergism. Perhaps it is just the book that will move God’s heart from your head to your heart! 1998, Zondervan.

5) For me personally, being on the New York Times Bestseller list doesn’t guarantee that a book will interest or move me; however, Same Kind of Different as Me did both. First
of all, there are so many parallels to the subject of the book, Denver,
and my Long Beach bodyguard, the Duke of Earl—between the passionate
woman, to feisty Deborah, who forges a relationship with him and the
homeless, and me, (so many as to be almost eerie!)

The author tells the story, switching off between the real-life characters. It is at once engaging and eye opening as well. Typically, if a book moves me to tears I put it down, (because everyday life has enough to contend with, without voluntarily reading something that makes
me cry!) but this book did not allow me to put it down. I loved it! Thank you, Eric. 2006, Ron Hall, Nelson Publishers

6) The continuing story is captured in What Difference Do it Make? also by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It is ‘the rest of the story’ and includes some of the stories of people who have been moved to action by the first book. Quite inspirational, it sparks ideas for getting off the church pew and out where Jesus would be—with the poor and disenfranchised. 2009, Thomas Nelson.

7) And finally, one more—With Christ, In the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray, an old Dutch Reform preacher from South Africa. The reader should savor this book line by line, not page by page—that’s how rich it is--do you know what I mean? Remember, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray … well, Murray proposes that all of us stay centered on that thought—that because Jesus lives
to intercede for us, we too should be constantly asking him to teach us
to pray. It was first published in the 1890s, but you should be able to readily put your hands on it. Rev. Andrew Murray, Revell Company.

Read and grow, my dear friends~

Christine