This is a rambling and reminiscing blog post! This happens from time to time as I've got some things I'd rather put in a series of Facebook Statuses (statii?) or Tweets, but work just about as a rambling blog post. So what am I rambling about?
I've just had a great weekend with UCCF Midlands, at the 'Forum' training event. It was a great time, with powerful teaching, brilliant worship in unity, and plenty of time for fellowship, networking, and having the conversations that we love and need to have. It even snowed! One of the things I love about UCCF is their partnership with IVP, the publishers, so I enjoyed browsing the bookstall they provided. Naturally, I was fairly tempted by a few things, but given the amount I've got to read at the moment, I didn't go overboard. The highlights for me were a copy of Don Carson's "Scandalous" for just £2, and Graham Beynon's new book "Emotions" for £4. My wife loves his "Mirror Mirror", and so this was a joint buy that I hope she will review on the blog soon, continuing from her guest post on identity...
So, books! There are a few in the pipeline, and I've been reading voraciously about Prayer recently. The main conclusion from reading all these books on Prayer has, oddly enough, been a desire and conviction to pray more. Thats still a work in progress, but something I'm learning to cultivate and develop. The current 'reading list' on Prayer is photographed below;
And its fairly broad! The highlights for me thus far (and I hope to eventually review the majority of these books) have been Leonard Ravenhill's "Revival Prayer", Colin Whittaker's "Prayer Mountains", E.M.Bounds On Prayer, and Philip Jensen/Tony Payne's "Prayer and the Voice of God". The others have all been interesting, and you can read my reviews of "Long Wandering Prayer", "New Testament Prayer for Everyone" and "Simple Ways" on this blog.
On getting home from the weekend, I was delighted to find two new books to review from SPCK. The first is one I'm particularly excited about, the first in a new "For Everyone" Series. This time, rather than Tom Wright's New Testament Series and the Old Testament from John Goldingay, its "Christian Belief for Everyone". The first volume deals with Faith and Creeds. Look out for my review coming soon. Secondly is a new book by Trystan Owen Hughes (brilliantly Welsh name, which is good seeing as he's the Anglican Chaplain at Cardiff University) called "The Compassion Quest".
In a similar vein - and continuing a trajectory I've been thinking on since I wrote "Lifetime Justice" last year - I'm looking forward to finally getting round to reading Gary A. Haughen's "Good News About Injustice", which I've had recommended to me several times! For now, though, why not check out posts 'tagged' with 'Social Justice', and read my review of Tim Keller's brilliant "Generous Justice"?
Penultimately, three issues that have been on my mind recently, even as I start (with Amy) thinking more and more seriously about the future, are dealt with in three books of very different sizes I've currently got on the go. The slimmest of these is Tim Chester's "Will You Be My Facebook Friend?', a look at Social Media and the Gospel by a great English Pastor and Author. I'm also re-reading J. Gresham Machen's "Christianity and Liberalism", which alongside Abraham Kuyper's "Lectures on Calvinism" have been robust challenges to some of the views I've assumed as an 'english' and 'evangelical' Christian. Finally, I've started to grapple with Christopher Wright's massive "The Mission of God", which is an intriguing look through the whole bible from the perspective of mission. Hopefully, I will get around to reviewing these three at some point soon!
Finally, I've been enjoying some new music. My current favourite, even if it does re-hash a few songs from "Passion: White Flag" is Chris Tomlin's new Album "Burning Lights". Some gems and some puzzling pieces, I'm hoping and intending to review it soon. To close, though, I've been listening to and puzzling over the latest release from Worship Central, whose "Spirit Break Out" led to an interesting phenomena on the iTunes Chart... The new song, with a video featuring both famous Worship leaders and a cameo from a friend of mine, is called "Let it be Known", and I can't make my mind up about it.
I've just had a great weekend with UCCF Midlands, at the 'Forum' training event. It was a great time, with powerful teaching, brilliant worship in unity, and plenty of time for fellowship, networking, and having the conversations that we love and need to have. It even snowed! One of the things I love about UCCF is their partnership with IVP, the publishers, so I enjoyed browsing the bookstall they provided. Naturally, I was fairly tempted by a few things, but given the amount I've got to read at the moment, I didn't go overboard. The highlights for me were a copy of Don Carson's "Scandalous" for just £2, and Graham Beynon's new book "Emotions" for £4. My wife loves his "Mirror Mirror", and so this was a joint buy that I hope she will review on the blog soon, continuing from her guest post on identity...
So, books! There are a few in the pipeline, and I've been reading voraciously about Prayer recently. The main conclusion from reading all these books on Prayer has, oddly enough, been a desire and conviction to pray more. Thats still a work in progress, but something I'm learning to cultivate and develop. The current 'reading list' on Prayer is photographed below;
And its fairly broad! The highlights for me thus far (and I hope to eventually review the majority of these books) have been Leonard Ravenhill's "Revival Prayer", Colin Whittaker's "Prayer Mountains", E.M.Bounds On Prayer, and Philip Jensen/Tony Payne's "Prayer and the Voice of God". The others have all been interesting, and you can read my reviews of "Long Wandering Prayer", "New Testament Prayer for Everyone" and "Simple Ways" on this blog.
On getting home from the weekend, I was delighted to find two new books to review from SPCK. The first is one I'm particularly excited about, the first in a new "For Everyone" Series. This time, rather than Tom Wright's New Testament Series and the Old Testament from John Goldingay, its "Christian Belief for Everyone". The first volume deals with Faith and Creeds. Look out for my review coming soon. Secondly is a new book by Trystan Owen Hughes (brilliantly Welsh name, which is good seeing as he's the Anglican Chaplain at Cardiff University) called "The Compassion Quest".
In a similar vein - and continuing a trajectory I've been thinking on since I wrote "Lifetime Justice" last year - I'm looking forward to finally getting round to reading Gary A. Haughen's "Good News About Injustice", which I've had recommended to me several times! For now, though, why not check out posts 'tagged' with 'Social Justice', and read my review of Tim Keller's brilliant "Generous Justice"?
Penultimately, three issues that have been on my mind recently, even as I start (with Amy) thinking more and more seriously about the future, are dealt with in three books of very different sizes I've currently got on the go. The slimmest of these is Tim Chester's "Will You Be My Facebook Friend?', a look at Social Media and the Gospel by a great English Pastor and Author. I'm also re-reading J. Gresham Machen's "Christianity and Liberalism", which alongside Abraham Kuyper's "Lectures on Calvinism" have been robust challenges to some of the views I've assumed as an 'english' and 'evangelical' Christian. Finally, I've started to grapple with Christopher Wright's massive "The Mission of God", which is an intriguing look through the whole bible from the perspective of mission. Hopefully, I will get around to reviewing these three at some point soon!
Finally, I've been enjoying some new music. My current favourite, even if it does re-hash a few songs from "Passion: White Flag" is Chris Tomlin's new Album "Burning Lights". Some gems and some puzzling pieces, I'm hoping and intending to review it soon. To close, though, I've been listening to and puzzling over the latest release from Worship Central, whose "Spirit Break Out" led to an interesting phenomena on the iTunes Chart... The new song, with a video featuring both famous Worship leaders and a cameo from a friend of mine, is called "Let it be Known", and I can't make my mind up about it.
What do you make of it?
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If you've read my blog for the first time, or are a regular reader, then I'd love you to find and 'like' my Facebook page. You can read about that, and the recent name change in this post.
____________________
If you've read my blog for the first time, or are a regular reader, then I'd love you to find and 'like' my Facebook page. You can read about that, and the recent name change in this post.
Re Let It Be Known - what's not to love? Great song and good video.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by this comment: "I love about UCCF is their partnership with IVP, the publishers, so I enjoyed browsing the bookstall they provided"
For me this is actually one of the worst things about UCCF! When I was part of a CU, I went to a UCCF event and as usual some book recommendations were given. That's fine, no complaints there! What I took issue with was the way people said "this is THE best Christian book on ___" evangelism, worship or whatever. This wasn't true. It was the best book IVP published on evangelism, worship or whatever!!!
If UCCF really want to give students the best books, they need to understand there are plenty of great publishers outside of IVP and offer students those books too!
Sam, thanks for your comment!
DeleteInteresting - I'm puzzled as to quite what to make of it as the first verse doesn't seem to say much. Thats tempered by fact that I love the chorus. Ho-hum.
Aha, a classic comment. Well fortunately no-one said 'the best' about any of the books, which would be subjective anyway. IVP actually have partnerships with a few other companies, so that was reflected in the bookstall at Forum Midlands. Several of the recommendations were non-IVP books, as they should be, and for the most part they sold like hotcakes! Tim Keller (who is Hodder in the UK) was pretty much sold out on the first session. Except for his Marriage book, to be fair.
Thanks for commenting mate!