Interesting Books I've Read Lately

I'm a writer which means that I also actually like to read. But it seemed for awhile that I got stuck in a rut of not reading much outside of work (e.g. the oh-so-thrilling investment world of topics like collateralized debt obligations, subprime mortgages and global tactical asset allocation).

Don't get me wrong--I made time for the Bible and magazine tidbits from Oprah and InStyle...and weird things like the nutrition facts on Lean Cuisine boxes. :) Probably because I do read so much at work, by the time weekends and evenings hit, I was more prone to do other things.

However, lately I'm trying to get more into the "reading for fun" habit. So here are a few books I've read recently...and some tidbits from one of them (the other--equally good--is in my car waiting to go back to the library.

Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer

This book is all about viewing your life as having a calling. Whether you're called to ministry or to secular work, Palmer believes that all of us are called to be and do something. Perhaps the key question and premise of the book is, "Are you living the life you were born to live?" It's a short book, but definitely philosophical (just in case you're not into that). Palmer is a Quaker and an academic and has very interesting perspectives--most of which I agree with, but some I don't as well. Here are a few interesting quotes that stood out to me:

• "Today I understand vocation quite differently--not as a goal to be achieved, but as a gift to be received...Vocation does not come from a voice 'out there' calling me to be something I am not. It comes from a voice 'in here' calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood given me at birth by God." (pg. 10)
  


• "Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic selfhood, whether or not it conforms to some image of what we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks--we will find our path of authentic service to the world. True vocation joins self and service, as Frederick Buechner asserts when he defines vocation as 'the place where your deepest gladness meets the world's deep need.'" (pg. 16)
  


• "...there is as much guidance in what does not and cannot happen in my life as there is in what can and does--maybe more." (pg. 39)
  


• "One sign that I am violating my own nature in the name of nobility is a condition called burnout. Though usually regarded as the result of trying to give too much, burnout in my experience results from trying to give what I do not posess--the ultimate in giving too little! Burnout is a state of emptiness, to be sure, but it does not result from giving all I have: it merely reveals the nothingness from which I was trying to give in the first place." (pg. 49)
  


• "Our strongest gifts are usually those we are barely aware of possessing. They are part of our God-given nature, with us from the moment we first drew breath, and we are no more conscious of having them than we are of breathing." (pg. 52)
  


• "We are here not only to transform the world but to be transformed." (pg. 97)

The New Birth Order Book by Dr. Kevin Leman

Maybe it's because I'm a writer, but I have this innate curiosity about people and what makes them tick. Perhaps that's why the whole concept of The New Birth Order Book appealed to me (plus the fact that I'd heard Dr. Leman speak at our church--and thought he was funny and insightful). So I stumbled upon this book at the library and checked it out.
It was definitely interesting. Dr. Leman spices up the book with a lot of personal stories and examples from his role as a counselor. I also liked that the book had sections about how you can apply principles learned about the different birth orders in business, marriage and parenting. I also like the fact that he's careful not to pigeon-hole people into neat and tidy little categories--clearly saying that birth order is simply one factor of many that shapes us all into unique individuals.

Any ideas on what I should read next?

Totally open to your suggestions ...

Google faith

Do you have Google faith?
Sometimes I think we approach the Bible like a search engine. Like, "I need to find something to prove my opinions are right—right now." So we look for the right verse—something that will prove a point perfectly … but does it?

What’s the problem?
The Bible was not designed to be a search engine. It’s not built for juicy, newsy sound bytes. It’s a message. A story. Life’s instruction manual. A narrative about who God is, what His Kingdom is all about, and how He created and interacted with people throughout time.

Approaching the Bible like a search engine causes us to miss out on something key—context. If we pick the Scriptures we like without looking at context, we can miss out on their meaning or application to our lives.

The dangers of cherry-picking …
Sometimes it can even be dangerous … cherry-picking Scripture is what cults do, but I’ve also seen it done in mainstream Christianity.

• It’s also dangerous because it can cause us to miss out on intended meaning.
  
• By hand-picking verses, we can become Biblically illiterate or perpetuate Biblical illiteracy (particularly to new believers). How? We get people to say "Amen" (or "Amen" ourselves) to stuff that may not be correct in the context of the whole Bible—this means that people are putting more trust in our opinions as speakers/leaders than they are in the Bible itself.

So what’s the answer?
Obviously, pastors, Sunday school teachers and small group leaders are not all Biblical scholars. Nor do they have the time to always fully explain the context of every Scripture they use in a message. But I think Christian leaders can help people learn how to read and understand the Bible more effectively through our example and how we use verses ourselves.

How do I approach reading the Bible?
So here’s some things I've learned about reading the Bible (mostly from my days at Trinity Western). I’m definitely NOT an expert, but I think these questions have helped me (and may help others) to better understand the Bible and apply it to our own lives:

• What does this verse/passage mean in and of itself?
  
• How does it apply to me?
  
• What comes directly before or after it? (For example, are there any, "If…then…" clauses?)
  
• What’s the context of the particular book of the Bible? (Who is it written to? Who was the author—and what was his purpose?)
  
• What’s the historical context? (For example, how did Jesus treat women compared to what was "normal" or expected during His time in history?)
  
• What’s the relationship between this passage/verse and other things I’ve seen in Scripture? (For example, most Christians believe "God is love." but the Bible also shows that "God is just"—how do those two ideas interact together?)
  
• (And if you want to get really in depth...) What do other reputable Biblical scholars have to say about this passage?
  
  Note: You can usually find out by reading a few Biblical commentaries ... but choose carefully--some can be outdated or in a weird context (e.g. some are anti-Semitic). A few of my TWU professors have written multiple commentaries that I would recommend ... Dr. Craig Evans or Dr. Martin Abegg.