Best Reads of 2014

1. Captive in Iran by Rostampour and Amirizamdeh: Mrs C and I saw the authors being interviewed at HTB and then took their book on holiday with us. Our copy is dog-eared and underlined and we discussed whole segments with each other as we sat in the sun. These women displayed such love for God and obedience to his ways as they suffered that it is truly astounding. Iran now has a special place in our prayer lives.

2. Proof: Finding freedom through the intoxicating joy of irresistible grace by Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones: I discovered this book mid-year and it sat on my unread pile for a while. 'Proof' impacted me in all sorts of ways but it was the story about adoption (p.81-84) that Jones tells about his own family that moved me most deeply. I walked away from the pages of this book changed.

3. Prayer: Experiencing awe and intimacy with God by Timothy Keller: This is a very thorough work on prayer and ends up with Keller commending the BCP and the daily office which made me smile. The chapter on repentance is the one that really did me in and this is a book that will benefit from serial rereads down the years.

4. Fail by J R Briggs: I happened on J R Briggs through his blog which was a real blessing to me as I was planting our church. He has gone on to write a book about what happens when things go wrong in ministry and life and when they don't turn out like you planned. How do you cope personally and as a church when it all goes pear-shaped? No one is immune to failure and acknowledging this fact will help keep you humble- especially when you experience any measure of God's blessing on your ministry and life.

5. When love is not enough by Lois Wilson: My sister put me onto this read. If you are involved not just in church but in life you will soon enough come into contact with those who have battled addiction. AA is the most extraordinary movement and I have always wondered about its origins and history and this is a pretty good primer if you too are interested. It is told from the perspective of Wilson's wife Lois who describes so vividly the agony of living with an alcoholic.

6. Miracles by Eric Metaxas: Eric Metaxas takes on the subject of miracles and divides his book into two sections. The first is allotted to telling you what miracles are and making the case for their very real and tangible existence. The second half has about twenty case studies of miracles that Metaxas has personally researched and come into contact with and therefore he can attest to the authenticity of their sources. I can recall a few of these very vividly (especially one of a marriage being rescued and the other about Larry Crabb's son). This is a very good book to give away to others who perhaps are sceptical about the supernatural intervention of God in human circumstances.

7. Facing Leviathan by Mark Sayers:  I am always interested in books about leadership and this is a far from run of the mill one. It's starting point is failure and breakdown and unusually it doesn't try to offer neat solutions and take away principles and tips. Instead, Sayers uses story and history (a backdrop of Paris in the 19C) to work out what it means to lead and create in a culture that is not naturally disposed to God.

8. Shrink by Tim Suttle: Many of us who are involved in leading churches struggle to know if we are doing it right or doing it well. The primary measure used by many is whether or not the church is growing and this, suggests Shuttle, is not always the best indicator of health. As someone who spent years in the corporate world, I worry when I see churches that seem to be run like biscuit companies instead of communities of broken disciples. Of course there is much to be learnt from the marketplace but the great swathe of church history holds a much richer and more demanding treasure trove than simply setting a few SMART objectives. This was a helpful read for me.

9. The Dark Inside by Rupert Wallis: This is a book written by my sister's partner and is aimed at teenage boys (which I was once). I read it on holiday and particular scenes have stuck with me since reading it. A twist and turn saga about a young lad evading his adversaries and coping with/processing a complex family history. Dark, vivid, quirky and interesting.

10. The Walk, Steps for New and Renewed Followers of Jesus: I have been reading this book slowly with a new follower of Jesus in our church and we have been really blessed by it. If you are looking for a book to unpack the basics of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus with someone else then do check this out. Simple but deep and rich stuff which is accessible to all. Find someone to read it with in 2015.

Christmas musings

Apologies for the lack of blogging recently.

I enjoyed 'if politicians scripted nativity'

The Green Report is causing a stir in the C of E and apparently we are looking for talent. Ian Paul has some good thoughts but I recommend reading the report for yourself. I do also commend reading Shrink for a perspective on both sides of this discussion and always a take in a good dose of Eugene Peterson.

Hyatt has some apps that made a difference to his team.

Once upon a time a person was drowning

Libby Lane

Justin was on Desert Island Discs

The Everything Book

I've been mulling on the prosperity gospel and the level of my own generosity as I read 'The Blessed Life' 

We are going to be singing Hallelujah for Christmas at our late service on Christmas eve as we share communion. Do join us.

I watched this and felt encouraged and amazing. Not even a kiss.

Leadership Journal on the lessons of Mars Hill and Bob Hyatt on 5 lessons from Driscoll.

Book of the year lists: Tim Challies,  Michiko Kakutani, Justin Buzzard, Trevin Wax, Kevin de Young.  I will try and get my own out before the end of the year for anyone who is faintly interested.

This was fascinating on the mysterious disappearance of a celebrity preacher in 1926 (h/t Mark Meynell)

“We must realize that the Reformation world view leads in the direction of government freedom. But the humanist world view with inevitable certainty leads in the direction of statism. This is so because humanists, having no god, must put something at the center, and it is inevitably society, government, or the state.” 
― Francis A. Schaeffer

21st Century Christmas

"It's better with Jesus"

Do listen to Philippa's story that she told in 3 minutes at our Carol Service. So encouraging and real.

Monday musing

1. I have been reading the sermon collections 'Come thou long expected Jesus' and 'Proclaiming Christmas' as fuel for Advent.

2. It's hard to put into words the moment I had reading Chapter 13 'Intimacy: Finding His Grace in Keller's 'Prayer'. Finding his grace indeed. It is interesting that he concludes that the most complete method of prayer is to be found in Cranmer's daily office in the BCP and in his monthly rotation of the Psalms confirming what some of us have suspected for a while- that Keller really wishes he was a clergyman in the C of E :)

3. J John told the story of O Little town of Bethlehem at our Carol Service and used this verse as his salvation receiving prayer.

'O holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.'

4. I love the question 'If God could do a miracle in your life what would it be?'

5. I read 'Mountains of the Mind' while having a few days off last week. 

6. I am 90 pages into Boettner on Predestination as a result of Joni Earickson Tada's recommendation of it in Indelible Ink. Article 17 for those of you who are Anglican.....

7. If you want a 'new year is coming sort yourself out and get organised in your soul' type book packed with common sense and basic biblical wisdom then 'Simplify' might be for you.

8. We will finish up Galatians before Christmas and of all the commentaries I read I really appreciated 'Exalting Jesus in Galatians'

9. Maybe you should start a journal? Put this on your list for Santa (a bargain @ £0.01).

10. Ian Paul's piece on the autumn statement is worth a read.

Saturday blog-sweep

How successful people stay calm

David Keen's Christmas bits and bobs

Why apologetics still matters

Episcopal theological quotas

Four books that deserve to be classics

Why everything you think about ageing may be wrong via David Murray

To God be the glory great things he hath done

John Stott's 'Right Hand'

Don Carson on the 'Five failures of the Young, Restless and Reformed Movement'

Testing leadership ambition via Dash House

Challies on Notable Books

Tom Wright on A Theology Joy and Miroslav Volf on 'The Difference between Joy and Happiness' via Preacher Smith