Two books

We're back from a break in Egypt to stay with friends and see others who also live there and obviously saw a pyramid. Also visited a Coptic cave church on a rubbish dump that seats over 5000. Amazing place and people.

This post made a deep impression on me and so I've taken to re-reading 'The Heart of a Servant Leader' daily and intend to go through the whole book bit by bit. It's blessing me mightily. These are Jack Miller's letters penned to friends, pastors, missionaries and people who came across his path. I read a letter or two each morning and then mark key sentences and journal their wisdom. Jack Miller is mentoring me from the grave through this invaluable and amazing collection of his correspondence sent to people over many decades in ministry. Anyone involved in any sort of leadership, church work, prayer or pastoring would do well to linger long and prayerfully in these letters- particularly if you need guidance or encouragement.

Eric Metaxa is a super author. His latest book called '7 Men' is a look at seven men's lives and gives a potted account of their impact and achievements. So many people these days don't have time to read a big thick biography (if you only manage one read this). If you're short on time then you might be blessed by either reading or listening on audiobook to the stories of Bonnhoeffer, Eric Liddel, Wilberforce, Chuck Colson and others. You not only glean a good overview of each man but Metaxa also seeks to tease out the secret of what made these lives great ones. Here is a tiny insight into a secret from the life of William Wilberforce:

"He also memorised lots of Scripture......he memorised the entirety of Psalm 119. That's hard to believe when you see how long it is, but it's true. Wilberforce would also sometimes walk the two and a half miles from Parliament to his home, and the second half of the walk took him through the portion of Hyde Park. Wilberforce had it timed so that if he began reciting Psalm 119 when he entered the park, he would be finished by the time he got home. It took about twenty minutes to recite the whole thing' [Pages 48-49]

Imagine if a few of us memorised Psalm 119 or another (perhaps shorter) one or Romans 8 or Ephesians 3 or The song of David in 2 Samuel 22. Imagine too if when we walked through the park or along a river or on our commute we prayed daily a chuck of our chosen Scripture for our churches, marriages, children, friends, workplaces, cities and nations. Just think what might happen.