I’ll admit that I’m often a bit hesitant when musicians set out to write books. Perhaps that’s a bit unfair, after all, these are people who craft words for a living, right? Nonetheless, a song is a far cry from a book. It helps that Andrew Peterson has always been a storyteller. His critically acclaimed songs are full of rich imagery and subtle detail. Peterson has recorded seven albums, tours every year and yet still finds time for his wife and three children in their Nashville home.

Peterson’s first book On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness weaves a riveting tale for all ages. The first volume in a series, the tale draws equally on fantasy and family values. The publisher’s summary sets the stage well:

In the quiet land of Skree , the Igiby children—Janner, his younger brother Tink, and their crippled sister Leeli—stumble upon the lost jewels of Anniera and determine to return them. Unfortunately, the scary-bad Gnag the Nameless seeks the jewels for his own evil ends… and so our band of friends, accompanied by their trust dog Nugget, must escape with the help of their mom and grandfather (who happens to be an ex-pirate).

Their journey takes them through an inventively fantastical world of wonders, complete with memorable characters (like Gnag’s evil minions the Fangs and Peet the Sock Man), fanciful creatures (like sea dragons, snickbuzzards, toothy cows, flabbits, and bomnubbles), and captivating places (like the Books & Crannies bookstore, Shaggy Tavern, the Dark Sea of Darkness that divides the land of Skree from Anniera, the Glipwood Forest, Ice Prairies, and the Stony Mountains).

One of the first things that struck me is the silliness (the sock man, toothy cows, snot candles, the “nameless evil whose name was Gnag the Nameless,” etc.). Yet the silliness is never the point and underneath it, behind it, and all around it is a well-crafted story for both young and old. Originally conceived as part of his children’s bedtime stories, the tale of the Igiby family is both entertaining and enthralling. Wrapped in short chapters deep in detail, the story flows well and will hold the attention and imagination of all ages, no small feat to say the least. The characters are not only believable but endearing. The attention to detail quickly draws you in to this fantasy world and while the footnotes can occasionally be a bit distracting, the attention to detail, as silly as it might sometimes be adds to the suspension of disbelief, drawing the reader in to the once quiet land of Skree.

It seems that one of the reasons songwriters sometimes have trouble crossing over into novels is that songs are highly encapsulated, whereas novels are often drawn out. Peterson makes the transition superbly, patiently allowing the action to build, planting just enough details into the soil of the imagination to allow a fully formed novel bloom.

A Christian writing about a fantasy world will obviously draw comparisons to Tolkein and Lewis. Fair or not, this is the path down which Peterson has taken the first step. If the fist book of the series is any indicator of what’s to come, I look forward to traveling this path with him, bringing my sons along for the read. Highly recommended.

• Purchase your copy of On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness at Amazon
• Visit Andrew Peterson’s official website

In addition to working as a Registered Nurse, a home-health nurse and being a mother, Nancy Ortberg served for eight years as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL as part of Axis, a ministry for, what Ortberg describes as “the eighteen to twentysomething generation.” Ortberg is also a founding partner of Teamworx2, a leadership consulting firm.

Ortberg’s first book, Looking For God: An Unexpected Journey Through Tattoos, Tofu & Pronouns is a collection of essays exploring various aspects of modern spirituality, while challenging us to realize that God is often found in more places and in more ways than we typically look.

Ortberg is a skilled writer with a keen attention to detail which helps the fact that the book is primarily a collection of personal anecdotes, each eliciting different levels of reflection and application. The thread running through each of the essays is the notion that we have “formalized” (a word she does not use but I hazard to guess she would agree with) our modern American pursuit of Christianity. In fact, she avoids the word “Christianity” altogether, instead referring to “Christ followers.” Ortberg makes the case herself:

We get so prescriptive with the spiritual life. We prepackage it, duplicate it, mass-produce it, insist upon it, and brag about it. We make it a formula. As a result, we tend to see God from such a narrow perspective. We box God up and compartmentalize Him into thirty minutes each morning. But in reality, He is waiting for us to realize that He invades all the parts of our days . . . if only we would just pay attention.

That is what Looking for God is all about.

One might rightly wonder whether we need another book telling us we have gotten it all wrong. Well, no, we don’t, but how many books do we really need? And yet, Ortberg’s sometimes brutal honesty penetrated many of my preconceptions about her agenda. This isn’t to say she doesn’t have an agenda, but her winsome approach will at least get your attention long enough for you to consider many of her points, even if you don’t agree at the end of the book.

And, there are some some points that I do have significant hesitation about. For example, while challenging the “traditional” notion of a (very) structured “quiet time” including reading, prayer and journaling, Ortberg comes dangerously close to implying that we don’t need to make the effort to actually be in the Word when our schedules are busy. By demonstrating how her relationship with God was refreshed by some overwhelmingly powerful emotional experiences, she seems to imply that emotional experiences can take the place of the Scriptures. I’m sure I’m reading too much into this section, but I doubt I’m the only one who will come away with this implication.

But there is also much to take to heart in Ortberg’s challenges. Throughout, she returns to the theme that our best intentions mean nothing if they don’t translate into action. This is a much-needed message to a much-deluded church that seems to believe that following Christ can be removed from our daily lives. Through sometimes painful, always challenging, Ortberg continually challenges us to put our faith into action.

This is an easy-to-read book that is not easy to digest. Not easy because Ortberg has lived through enough failure to point out these same failures to others with a bold compassion. By draping her admonitions in the everyday successes and failures of life, she has bypassed many of the pitfalls of a purely polemical book (again, that’s not to say she doesn’t have an agenda). She poignantly describes some of her own failings as a means to warn others not to make the same mistakes. Such transparency goes a long way in gaining an audience and will go even farther in getting readers to consider admonitions they might not have otherwise entertained.

At its best, this book reminds us to continually reexamine our faith, to fight apathy and remember that God is much “gooder” than we ever thought. A thought we can all spend some time meditating upon, even if we don’t buy all of Ortberg’s conclusions.

• Read Looking for God: An Unexpected Journey Through Tattoos, Tofu & Pronouns by Nancy Ortberg
• Visit Tyndale House Publishers page for the book

Ravi Zacharias. The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives. Zondervan, 2007. 200 pp.

Many know the name Ravi Zacharias from his radio program Let My People Think. Wikipedia describes Zacharias as “an Indian-born, Canadian-American evangelical Christian philosopher, apologist and evangelist.” Zacharias was born in India in 1946 and immigrated to Canada with his family twenty years later. His website says that “While pursuing a career in business management, his interest in theology grew; subsequently, he pursued this study during his undergraduate education. He received his Masters of Divinity from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois.”

Zacharias speaks and writes on a number of topics, all related to the idea of apologetics, defending the Christian faith. He does so in a compassionate yet thoughtful manner, appearing on CNN and other international broadcasts. In the book The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives, Zacharias sets out to answer the objection that life is little more than a series of disconnected, unrelated events, guiding by nothing more than chance. in other words, he is applying the idea of Intelligent Design, not to DNA or weather, but to the everyday events of our lives. Zondervan’s synopsis reads:

With inspiring stories and thought-provoking questions, Ravi Zacharias traces the multiple threads of our lives, describing how the unseen hand of God guides our joys, our tragedies, our daily humdrum to weave a pattern of divine providence and meaning.

As the title suggests, Zacharias centers the book around the imagery of a weaver. At the beginning and from close-up, it is nearly impossible to detect the pattern in the mind of the weaver. It takes time, effort and different threads before the beautiful pattern begins to emerge. Zacharias traces eight different “threads,” showing how each of them “matters” in our lives and has been orchestrated by a Grand Weaver (each chapter name follows the pattern: “Your _____ Matters, Your DNA, Disappointments, Calling, Morality, Spirituality, Will, Worship and Destiny”). Zacharias himself says that this book is about

seeing the designing hand of God and his intervention in our lives in such a way that we know he has a specific purpose for each of us and that he will carry us through until we meet him face-to-face and know ourselves completely.

Zacharias taps into that nagging suspicion we all hold: life has a meaning. He examines our family heritage, our sense of abstract “spirituality,” and the fact that we naturally worship. Though this book is likely to convince a true skeptic, I doubt that’s its purpose. Instead, it will prod those who have nagging suspicions that there is more to life. Zacharias examines many of life’s most desperate moments to show how they have meaning (and therefore we can have hope) only if there is indeed, a “Grand Weaver.”

While it is a well-written book, it is not a convincing argument. Zacharias has left himself open to the argument that he is simply “preaching to the choir.” Though the illustrations provided are often quite touching, much of their power comes from the fact that I am already a believer and see the “weaving hand” behind them. A skeptic might have a few sentimental moments, but is likely to have little more as a result of this book. For others, Zacharias provides many examples of God’s sovereignty in a practical sense, something many of us need to be reminded of time and time again.

• Read The Grand Weaver yourself
• Visit Ravi Zacharias’ official website
• Visit Zondervan’s page for the book

I don’t have a tremendously high-traffic blog by any means. But I have enough visitors that, once in a while, I’m asked to review some resources. Sometimes this is a joy, sometimes it is not. This resource was a joy to review and interact with.

Compass Cinema has produced a series called “Modern Parables: Living In The Kingdom of God”, which they describe as “an original Bible study curriculum designed for people who like movies.”

This is an exciting opportunity to bring the parables to life in a way many of us have only imagined. And yet, I have to admit that I approached this series with a bit of hesitation. I know this might seem harsh, but Christians rarely do such things in such a way that the artistic endeavor matches the good intentions behind them. The teaching might be good, but the reenactments can sometimes fall a bit short. I can say that such was not the case here. These short recastings of the parables are top-notch. The package includes:

• Six Parable Films
• Six Application Videos each taught by a different pastor
• Six Director’s Commentaries for teaching Cinema and Theology
• 1 Teacher’s Guide with 2 intro chapters, 12 complete lesson plans + 6 bonus lesson plans (108p.)
• 1 Student Book with 12 in-depth chapters on the parables (200p.)
• 1 Teacher’s Prep CD with 12 audio lesson overviews for teachers

The content tackles six of Jesus’ “Kingdom Parables,” Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44), The Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), The Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-13), The Widow and the Judge (Luke 18:1-8), The Sower (Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:13-20, Luke 8:11-15), and The Prodigal Son(s) (Luke 15:11-32).

Each parable is cast retold in a different cinematic style and is followed by a teaching/application session. Both the student and teacher’s manuals begin by explaining basic hermeneutical principles to consider when approaching parables and then those principles are applied, both in the teaching sessions and study questions. There is also an extra audio CD with hints and putting together a cohesive lesson for the teachers as well as extra questions regarding the cinematic style and the truths being conveyed. Each parable also features a commentary feature encouraging everyone to more fully consider the art that should be film-making and viewing and how this medium can be used to further our faith. The study guides feature thought-provoking, text-examining questions that tie in well with both the cinematic presentations and the application sessions.

Though not intended primarily for children, the films are suitable for the whole family and held the attention of my oldest (6) through to my youngest (2), not to mention the parents. In fact, my children asked to watch the rest once we started. What a valuable resource to get people of all ages to see these powerful truths in a new light and see that this Truth is just as powerful today as it was 2,000 years ago. Though I haven’t had a chance to use these resources in a formal teaching setting yet, I can say that they prompted quite a bit of discussion with our family, and I’m sure it would work well with groups of varying sizes.

Each parable closely mirrors the original text while placing the action in a modern setting. The obvious goal is to drive us back to the original text with a new understanding. The Compass Cinema team has helped bridge the gap between text and application. Watching the biblical truth unfold in a familiar setting reinforces the impact Jesus’ original audience must have felt. For anyone “who like movies” (or even if you don’t) and takes the Bible seriously, I cannot recommend this resource enough.

Watch the trailers:

• Visit the Modern Parables official website
• Read Tim Challies’ review
• Read Justin Taylor’s review

Threads is a division of Lifeway committed to connecting with “younger” generations through small-group study materials. These typically include a leader’s kit, a DVD featuring live-action sequences rather than teaching sessions and an audio CD with more tools as well as music that accompanies the themes of the study.

What sets the Threads material apart from many similar offerings is not just the high-quality material, but also the commitment to make sure that it is implemented well. They include teaching hints and ideas about how to lead a successful small group. In other words, it strives to be more than just curriculum and for this the people at Threads must be commended.

The topic of the “tough sayings of Jesus” is certainly not a new one, but it is an essential one. It doesn’t take long (but it does take honesty) to realize that the Jesus of Scripture often doesn’t line up very well with our Sunday School, felt-board version of Jesus. In fact, Jesus said many things that do come across as “tough.”

Michael Kelley sets out to explore and apply these sayings of Jesus. Michael Kelley lives in Nashville, edits for Threads, grew up in Texas, received an M.Div. from Beeson Divinity School and travels the country writing and teaching. Kelley writes with a clear, direct but compassionate style, not as one preaching, but as one searching along with the participants (all the while guiding the study).

The study is broken down into four sessions, each accompanied by a DVD presentation playing off of the theme of the study. The introduction challenges us with the possibility that our understanding of Jesus might owe more to society than Scripture. Scripture, particularly the Gospels are presented as the authoritative Word of God which must be commended. From there, sessions include such challenging ideas as: “You Have to Give up Everything Becoming a Nobody,” (the Rich Young Ruler), “You People Are Dogs: Discovering a Faith that Melts Borders (Why Did Jesus Call the Canaanite Woman a Dog?), “No Forgiveness For You: Finding the Answers in the Question” (What is the unforgivable sin?), and “I Didn’t Come to Bring Peace: A War That Binds” (Is Jesus a Peacemaker or a Warrior? Or Both?).

The “tough sayings” that Kelley addresses are not really all that difficult to understand, they just don’t necessarily fit with our conceptions of a “comfortable” Jesus. And that is much of the point of the study, moving past our personal conceptions to the Jesus presented in Scripture. Kelley does a fine job rooting the study in Scripture rather than opinion and he has picked “tough sayings” that do contradict many popular conceptions of the Savior. The Jesus of Scripture doesn’t always come across as “nice” as the Jesus of our imagination. The Jesus of Scripture demands allegiance.

Each session is accompanied, not just with the DVD and audio accompaniments, but good, though-provoking questions and discussion-starting ideas. It’s clear that much time and effort has been put into making this an interactive study that moves toward application rather than just discussion. While discussion can be good, if it does not result in application and changed lives, we’re just spinning our theological wheels.

One caution might be that the DVD sessions might be a bit powerful for younger audiences. The first features a man captured by another man. As the scene unfolds, the captured man is revealed to be a billionaire businessman. The capturer gives him the choice of walking away from everything or dying and the scene closes with a gunshot on a black screen. The point, of course, goes hand-in-hand with Jesus command that we must be willing to give up everything. The point is correct, the scene is powerful, but might not be appropriate for all age groups.

The curriculum does well in sticking to the Scripture and driving participants to the Word for answers rather than just “What does this mean to you,” or “what do you think this means” type questions. This is important and appreciated. I appreciate the attempt to incorporate appropriate music as a reminder that the Gospel is truly about all of life but I wonder how many groups will actually use this tool. It presents an interesting concept and I’d love feedback from anyone who has used the Threads material on this aspect. The e-mail-able audio files also help participants move to a “whole-life-integration” model while incorporating a variety of learning styles.

It must be said that the Threads approach to small-group studies does require more work from the leader than some other approaches. This is not a bad thing, in fact I quite appreciate it, but it will be a departure for those who have been able to “wing it” at the last minute. The mid-week emails and the in-depth discussion will require that the leader is prepared, which again, seems like a simple thing, but sadly, this doesn’t always happen.

Kelley challenges the attitude of becoming “comfortable” with Jesus, which is a worthwhile task. This study is a good first step in engaging the Jesus of the Bible. After this quality study, I’m quite interested to see how Threads continues with the approach that they’re developing.

• Visit the Threads media official website
• Order the “Tough Sayings of Jesus” curriculum
• Watch the promotional video for the study

3 Seconds: The Power of Thinking Twice
Les Parrott, foreward by John C. Maxwell
Zondervan
Hardcover, 192 pages
Suggested retail price: $19.99/Available for $13.59 at Amazon

I once worked at a Christian treatment center for women and adolescent girls suffering from eating disorders. During that time I became somewhat aquainted with the world of “integrationism,” and “Christian psychology.” One cannot travel far in that world without encountering the name Les Parrott.

Parrott has established himself, according to an article in the Seattle Times as a “relationship expert.” Despite Parrott’s background in “Christian” psychology, to the best of my estimation, this book as no “Christian” ties other than being published by Zondervan (in conjunction with Harper Collins). Truth be told, this book is actually marketed not just as a “relationship” book but as “business/professional growth.” Let’s just call it what it is: self-help. In trying to convince you of your need for this book, the jacket asserts:

Just three seconds. The time it takes to make a decision. That’s all that lies between settling for “Whatever’ . . . or insisting on “Whatever it takes.”

3 Seconds show you how to unleash the inner resources that can move you to a whole new level of success. It comes down to six predictable impulses that most of us automatically accept without a second thought. You can replace them with new impulses that lead toward impact and significance.

The book is built on the assumption that we are steeped in negative thinking and to overcome this, we need to let our “first instinct” pass and actually think about the decision we’re about to make, taking three seconds to work things out. He focuses on six specific areas of putting this into practice by reminding that it only takes three seconds to:

1. Empower Yourself
2. Embrace a Good Challenge
3. Fuel Your Passion
4. Own Your Own Piece of the Pie
5. Walk the Extra Mile
6. Quit Stewing and Start Doing

The assumption, of course, is that if we just take “three seconds” to examine our first impulse and then replace it with a more “positive” one, that many of our problems will be solved. We might as well market this as a companion book to Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now because it’s all focused on making your own life better. It’s certainly true that we need to break destructive patterns in our lives, but it’s equally true that Scripture teaches that we cannot do this on our own. The approach with this and books like it is that they simply present everything as up to you, minimizing sin and therefore salvation in the process. What happens when the person still living in slavery to sin (John 8:34, Romans 6:15-23, Galatians 4,, etc.) tries this and soon fails at even taking three seconds to make “positive” changes?

The book sets people up for an autonomous free-will approach in which your entire life is up to you and is all about you. At least Rick Warren understands that it’s not about us. Parrott seems to still be learning that lesson.

The book mentions the Bible and prayer, but without placing such practical steps in the context of the Gospel and under the influence of Scripture, Parrott is helping us do little more than rearrange deck chairs ont he Titanic. For those wanting some bandaids to their problems, a book like this might be a good option but for those wanting to actually understand why we make “bad” choices we make, I would consider a book that considers Scripture.

• Read the book for yourself
• Read the Seattle Times piece on Parrott

Holy Discontent: Fueling the Fire That Ignites Personal Vision
Bill Hybels
Zondervan
Hardcover, 149 pages
Suggested retail price: $14.99/Available for $10.19 at Amazon

Though I don’t agree with much of his approach, there is no denying that Bill Hybels is (or was?) one of the most influential figures in modern American “Christian” circles. As the founding pastor of Willow Creek Church in South Barrington, IL Hybels is credited with being at the forefront of what has come to be known as the “seeker sensitive” church movement. With an attendance of somewhere around 15,000, Hybels had the pragmatic ammunition to back up his philosophy.

And that’s just it for me. Much of what Hybels promotes boils down to pure pragmatism. In his latest book Holy Discontent: Feuling the Fire that Ignites Personal Vision, Hybels sets out to answer the question:

What is it that motivates people to work where they work, volunteer their time to the groups they serve, and donate money to the causes they support?

To put it even more simply, Hybels wants to know “Why do people do what they do?” Hybels argues that it is because God has placed a “holy discontent” inside each one of us. Everyone has a sense that the world is not quite right and that there are things to be fixed. In short, this is the point of Hybels’ book that God has given us the desire to fix things that are broken. The book jacket says it this way:

What is the one aspect of this broken world that, when you see it, touch it, or get near it, you just can’t stand? What reality is so troubling that it thrusts you off the couch and into action?

In striving to understand which aspect of the world God has given us a “discontent” about, Hybels encourages us each to find our own “Popeye Moment.” You know, in the Popeye cartoons after Brutus has just made off with Olive Oyle for the last time and Popeye gurlges out “Thats all I can stands and I can’t stands no more!” Then, just as Popeye opens that can of spinach, we know that that’s not the only can he’s opening! We must each examine our own lives and surroundings for that which we can’t take any more of and GO FIX IT! Hybels mixes several historical and biblical narratives of people who “made a difference” until you’re left feeling guilty for sitting long enough to even read the book.

If all of this sounds vaguely like a motivational speech, that’s because it is. Hybels is a great public speaker and a great motivator. Yet that doesn’t mean Hybels is a great theologian. It’s not that there’s necessarily anything theologically incorrect in the book, it’s just that for all the talk of God giving us the “holy discontent,” it’s a book that at the core, is just reminding us that we need to be active in “doing good.” There is no theological framework of sin explaining why things are the way they are and there is conversely no theological framework of redemption demonstrating how they ought to be made. It is simply a motivational book. Though he does deal with Ephesians 2:10, and 2 Corinthians 3:18, the bulk of the book merely uses Scripture as part of the motivational pep talk rather than as a foundation. Scripture almost feels like an afterthought rather than a motivation itself.

The book’s approach almost leaves one with the impression that the battle against sin and it’s stains on the world can be won with just a big community clean up campaign. If we all got together and “did more,” the world would be a better place. While it’s true that we need to be encouraged to be more active, this undermines the seriousness of sin, salvation and our reliance on God in the fight against sin.

Another word of caution: some readers with less discernment may feel that any burden they have been given is automatically God’s burden. Though Hybels does try to strike this balance, his overall approach might lead many to assume that everything we are discontent about is everything God is discontent about and that’s not necessarily the case, especially without establishing the proper theological framework with sin as the primary battle. Again, even a brief discussion about the impact and continuing stain of sin would have been quite helpful and set many of these issues in their proper context. Though sin is alluded to, it is never directly addressed in depth.

At the end of the day, it is a good motivational book that dances around rather than with many important theological issues. If you’re looking for a pep rally, this might be a good book for you. If you’re looking for some meat, perhaps you shouldn’t be shopping in the dairy aisle.

• Read the book for yourself
• Watch Popeye cartoons

NOTE: I was given a copy of this book by Zondervan for review but the views expressed here are entirely my own.