Book recommendations are one enduring blessing of blogs. I appreciate seeing what others do and do not like. This helps me to curate my reading list. At the end of each month, I try to pick out a few books I’ve read to recommend. Here are some of the books I enjoyed in February.
The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis. I have not read a lot of C. S. Lewis. And if I’m honest, what I’ve read, I’ve not really enjoyed. This, along with the widespread enjoyment of Lewis, has left me a bit flummoxed. What’s wrong with everyone? What’s wrong with me? Recently, a friend challenged me to read Lewis and stick with it. Per his advice, I started with The Weight of Glory. The book is a collection of 9 sermons delivered during World War Two. Right away, I was intrigued. Lewis was developing a defense for the Christian faith by deploying word pictures and a precision of logic that drew me in. I was hooked when I got to the chapter on Pacificism. I found Lewis thoughtful, careful, fair, and inviting while rigorously maintaining his position. He invited the pacifist in to evaluate the basis of their reasoning. Pastors today could benefit from his triad of facts, intuition, and proofs. I liked the book and decided to read more.
C. S. Lewis — A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet, Alister McGrath. I picked up a copy of McGrath’s biography of Lewis at my local library because I was not quite ready for the commitment a purchase might bring. I couldn’t put the book down. I found Lewis to be intriguing and instructive. McGrath helped me to understand his persistent wrestling and how God brought him over from atheism to theism and finally to Christianity. Along these lines, the author helped provide the historical context of Lewis’s relationships (with family, friends, faculty, and fans) and the historical setting he found himself in (early 20th Century in Ireland & England). As I read, I felt I got to know Lewis a bit, even if I was beginning to understand him. I’m convinced his voice is one I need to hear. His blend of apologetics and fiction writing gives me an on-ramp to enjoying and learning from him. I only wish I would’ve started sooner.
The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart, Harold L. Senkbeil. Reading Senkbeil felt a little bit like reading Wendell Berry. Combining pastoral ministry with the writing cadence and flavor of Berry is a delight. Senkbeil, a veteran pastor, helps readers understand the minister’s noble work. He focuses on establishing the rhythm or habit of the Word and Prayer. This is to be not only in the pastor’s own life but in the life of his congregation. He writes with many antidotes to flesh out his instruction. Drawing upon decades of ministry, his stories combine the teaching with natural texture. Also, he comes from a Lutheran background, which is slightly different from my own. This nuance helped some of his points to land a bit differently. He surprises me and instructs me in the work. I don’t see how a pastor would not be helped by reading this book. It’s worked its way into one that I recommend pastors read to both learn about ministry and be refreshed after years in ministry.
Church History 101: The Highlights of Twenty Centuries, Sinclair B. Ferguson & Joel R. Beeke. I was looking for a concise and clear book on church history and picked this up. I wanted a book to help me review important dates and events. This book was perfect. Ferguson and Beeke are helpful guides. Drawing upon their experience, they help walk through church history, making connections and explaining essential people and events. My only critique is that it was a little light on the Baptists. There were more Baptists than the Anabaptists! It was beneficial. If you are looking for an introduction or a review of church history in a manageable bite, pick this up.
The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future, Ryder Carroll. A while back, I saw a video from Ryder Carroll about the importance of intentional reflection and evaluation. I was intrigued and considered that some of what he was saying might be helpful to me. I picked up his Bullet Journal book because I like to journal and have used a variation of this for a while, and he said that he invented the method. I enjoyed the book. He helps you develop a system to identify what you need to do, and then he helps you work through evaluation processes. I enjoy analog methods and took away several actionable tips from Carroll. One is the integration of daily planning with a calendar and a journal. Putting this all together helped simplify things for me. I don’t particularly like task managers on my phone or computer. I’d instead write it down and plan out my day. His method provided simple ways to integrate monthly and quarterly snapshots into my routine. This was the most innovative and helpful thing I’ve read for an analog guy. If we can just get organized and stay on task, we will get much more accomplished and feel much better about ourselves.
Thanks for all of the feedback on the previous book lists! I hope these books are helpful.
Some Previous Recent Reads
January 2024
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
September 2021
Summer 2021
April 2020
March 2020
