Sobering Book on the Church and Modern Culture

Last evening, I finished reading Dr. James Emery White's most recent book The Church in an Age of Crisis: 25 New Realities Facing Christianity published by BakerBooks. The 25 realities White addresses are organized under the topics of faith, mindset, marriage and family, media and technology, and mission. Having read several of Dr. White's books previously, I expected the book to be well-referenced with information plucked right out of the news and a variety of stories illustrating the points made and was not disappointed. I could find myself relating to many of the realities discussed. Frequent readers of White's Church and Culture blog will find many of the chapters have a familiarity.

As indicated the quality of The Church in an Age of Crisis and the information presented completely lived up to my expectations. However, I was not prepared for how overwhelmed I felt while reading about these 25 realities, and the heightened concern I felt for the world in which my children are growing up. Due to these feelings, I found I needed to read this book in short doses rather than reading it straight through. In fact, I would recommend the book be read in short doses so that individuals can thoroughly process the content that White presents. As I reached the end of the book, I would have liked a bit more content focused on what the church should do to counter these realities, particularly as the last sentence states "And there is so much we can do." However, I think that content was intentionally left out as the "what" may vary significantly from church to church and locale to locale.

I recommend The Church in an Age of Crisis for a variety of audiences. Undergraduate or beginning seminary students who are studying worldviews or reaching contemporary minds would find this book very engaging as a textbook or recommended reading. Every minister, church leader, elder needs to read this book. This book needs to not only be read but also should be the impetus for an action plan laying out what the church needs to do in the face of these realities. While it was somewhat depressing to have these stark realities laid out in succession, as believers we know that the Lord is in control of all things and these realities are not insurmountable. Read The Church in an Age of Crisis and then resolve to do something to help your church engage our culture concerning these realities.

Disclaimer I received a complimentary copy of The Church in an Age of Crisis in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Not just Christmas in Apple Ridge

As Christmas is just around the corner, I've been indulging a bit more than usual with Christmas stories. So I jumped at the opportunity to read Christmas in Apple Ridge by Cindy Woodsmall. I had not previously read any of Woodsmall's books so I wasn't quite certain what to expect although I knew they were Amish romances.

Christmas in Apple Ridge is a three in one collection containing The Sound of Sleigh Bells, The Christmas Singing, and The Dawn of Christmas. While each story stands on its own, as the location for each story is Apple Ridge the characters continue to appear in the subsequent tales. Thus, unlike some stories which leave you hanging as to what happens to the couple, you are provided clues and insights into their married lives as well. Unlike many Amish romances I have ride previously, the characters in these stories were all hesitant to marry, thought they would never marry, and had careers beyond what is typical among the Amish. The career focus of even the ladies, while well-respected in their communities, provided them opportunities atypical of most Apple Ridge residents. These opportunities, the older age of the couples, and the expectations of their community combine to create an enjoyable story.

Although this collection is titled Christmas in Apple Ridge and the climax of each story occurs around Christmas, these stories could be read at any time of the year. Several of the stories take place over several months and mention other holidays such as the Fourth of July. They would be an enjoyable read at any time of the year. Anyone who enjoys Amish fiction or pioneer stories would appreciate this book.

My copy of Christmas in Apple Ridge was provided by WaterBrook Multnomah Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Warm Christmas Story

If you are looking for a short, heart-warming Christmas story to read while you enjoy the lights of the Christmas tree or for someone on your gift list, do we have a book for you. Author Liz Curtis Higgs has written yet another winner set in Scotland in her Christmas novella A Wreath of Snow. However, this time the time period has changed to the Victorian era a la Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

In this brief novel, Higgs includes all of the trimmings of Christmas tied up with the customs of Scotland. However, in her usual style, Higgs also has several surprises up her sleeves which include romance, some mystery, and a good helping of a dysfunctional family. The overall theme of A Wreath of Snow is the importance of forgiveness and honesty. Although a large number of falsehoods and half-truths are utilized to carry the plot of the story along, Higgs definitely emphasizes that honesty is the best policy and shows how lies can effect families for years and generations. Fortunately, once the truth is allowed to emerge, the two main characters, Meg and Gordon, are finally able to act on their feelings toward each other. I'm quite hopeful that the story of Meg and Gordon will be continued in future stories as the reader is definitely left hanging at the end.

A complimentary copy of this e-book was provided by WaterBrook Press in exchange for an honest review.

American Patriots

Recently, I finished reading American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom by Rick Santorum. While a slim book, American Patriots packs a lot of content and introduces readers to a larger scope of patriots beyond Washington, Henry, and LaFayette. After a brief introduction, Santorum organizes the book into the sections Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Each section contains an overview of that subject and describes what those terms meant to the founding fathers and people of that time period. Santorum then proceeds to share biographies of various patriots who are less well-known yet were instrumental in the War for Independence.

Santorum includes a variety of individuals and does not limit the selection to "dead, white males." Included are individuals of varying racial and ethnic groups as well as many women. Perusing the table of contents prior to reading the book, I found that all of the individuals listed except for three were unfamiliar to me. While reading the brief biographies of each individual, I found that several are considered regional heroes and would be quite familiar to individuals who live in those regions. Santorum also includes multiple references for individuals who may wish to further research any of these individuals.

American Patriots is recommended for multiple audiences. As Christmas is coming, American Patriots would be a great gift for a history buff. Teachers and home school families would appreciate the behind the scenes information beyond dates and battles American Patriots would add to a unit on the American Revolution. Families who enjoy read-alouds will find this a great resource as each chapter is brief yet meaty enough to elicit great conversation and character building. Our family plans to add this to our read-aloud pile. Individuals who may not agree with Santorum politically will still enjoy the stories of these unsung heroes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Pubishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Gentle Frontier Read

An advertisement mentioned Janette Oke fans would enjoy this book. Since Janette Oke was the first Christian author I read and I devoured all of her books, I knew I had to see if Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof would live up to this claim.

At the beginning of the story which was originally published as Cry of My Heart, still is not an adjective that describes anything about the characters. Instead,both characters have a horrible home life. Unfortunately, a mostly innocent walk home and a kiss results in a shot gun marriage which neither Gideon or Lonnie desired. This rocky start becomes even rockier as the young couple heads out on their own.

Heading out Gideon and Lonnie experience more than their share of downs as they getto know each other and begin a journey to where they can hopefully find jobs. Completely down on their luck, they are taken in by an elderly couple who love and mentor them particularly when they find Lonnie is expecting. Love grows gradually between the couple as they realize they are the only family they have. The example of a godly marriage is critical in forming a new Christ-honoring family. Heart break is necessary before a strong marital bond can be formed.

The Janette Oke comparison is apt as "love comes softly" between the two young people and they are mentored in marriage by an older couple. Be Still My Soul is a good heart warming story for a chilly fall afternoon or a cold winter's night. The story was enjoyable but not a gripping tale that you can't put down. However, the story was engaging enough that I will watch for the sequel Though My Heart Is Torn slated to published in April, 2013.

As usual, a free copy of this book was provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl in the Glass

I recently read Susan Meissner's newest novel The Girl in the Glass. I was previously unfamiliar with Meissner as an author, although I plan to become further acquainted with her work. The initial description of The Girl in the Glass caught my attention due to the juxtaposition of art history and a travel story. Although I haven't traveled much yet, I yearn to do so and thought this story looked interesting. However, as I began to read The Girl in the Glass, the story was not simply interesting, but held me completely captivated unlike many other books I have read recently.

Meissner combines several great stories into one mesmerizing tale. The larger story focuses on Meg, an editor whose lifelong dream is to visit Florence, Italy where her grandmother lived as a child. As part of Meg's story, we become introduced to Sofia whose story ends up holding multiple twists and turns with a very suprising ending. Throughout the story, in between each chapter and through the story of Sofia, we are also introduced to Nora who lived in renaissance Florence. Many other characters appear and help to tie these various stories together in a most surprising way.

Part of what makes The Girl in the Glass so captivating is the mixture of various genres of writing. The Girl in the Glass definitely contains some mysterious qualities although it is not strictly speaking a mystery. There is a definite romantic overtone although it is definitely not a stereotypical romance. It is also part travelogue and part memoir as well, with just enough history thrown in so that the reader understands the Medici family and renaissance Florence.

The Girl in the Glass is published by Waterbrook Press which is a Christian publishing house. As such, I initially read the book expecting church or Christianity references and as is typical in much Christian fiction, a clear presentation of the Gospel. However, all of those elements were missing. One of the characters mentions attending church and there were a few passing references to prayer. Otherwise, I had no idea I was reading a "Christan" novel. Not having read any of Meissner's other works, I am not able to indicate if this is typical of her books or not. The only thing that kept me from thinking this was any other contemporary novel was the absence of foul language and sexual encounters, although there were several lingering kisses to give the story some sexual tension.

All in all, I give Susan Meissner's novel The Girl in the Glass an enthusiastic recommendation for anyone who is looking for something new to read. It is a great novel for a relaxing afternoon. Some reviewers indicated the story was a bit far-fetched. I did find that to be true but instead found Meissner to be an imaginative author. I look forward to locating and reading some of her previous works.

The Girl's Still Got It

Anyone who's grown up in church or been a believer for any length of time probably feels they understand the book of Ruth. It's only four chapters and a quick story. However, Liz Curtis Higgs' newest Bible study The Girl's Still Got It shows that there is much more to the book of Ruth than meets the eye.

Being familiar with the fiction books by Liz Curtis HIggs, I jumped at the opportunity to read one of her Bible studies and I am so glad I did. Her study on Ruth is enjoyable and easy to read. Higgs has a very engaging writing style using the first person voice which makes the study very accessible. You feel like you are sitting down around a table with a good friend. However, the engaging writing does not mean the study is weak on content. In fact, just the opposite is true as Higgs has included a plethora of footnotes and a bibliography of resources. The footnotes do not get in the way of reading but are there in abundance.

The Girl's Still Got It digs into the details of Ruth and Naomi's story. The details about how Naomi ended up in Moab, Ruth's heritage as a Moabite woman, and both being widows are uncovered. Later we learn details concerning why Ruth would need to glean in the fields of Boaz and stay with his servant women. And if you have wondered why Ruth needed to lay at Boaz's feet, that's all here too but I don't want to give away the details. As you read along, Higgs shows how God was there at every instance and was guiding Naomi and Ruth. She also shows what we as 21st century women can learn from this book of the Bible.

The Girl's Still Got It includes discussion questions for book clubs who wish to discuss the entire book at one time. There are also a study guide for groups who wish to engage in a slower chapter by chapter study. If your Bible study is looking for a new resource or wants to explore an Old Testament book, you won't be disappointed by choosing The Girl's Still Got It.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”