Recommended Reading
books that are worth raving about
Some of these books have changed my thinking, my theology and my churchmanship and my life. Some of them are going to make you laugh. Some of them are going to make you cry. Some of them are going to make you rethink your assumptions - which is always worth doing!
In my extremely humble opinion, all of them are worth a read.
They are placed in a rough order of when I have read them and so the most recent one that I am raving about it on top!
Have fun!
Matt Hyam
Searching for god knows what - Donald MIller
What a great book! This guys is a fantastic writer. Laugh out loud stuff in here but also stuff that hits you like a train and you say, "oh my goodness, he's right"!
This books has left me thinking about my insecurities and realising how much they shape my life. This book has left me desperate to know Jesus better.
What I'm trying to say is, read this book!
jesus wants to save christians - ROb Bell & don colden
"There is a church in our area that recently added an addition to their building which cost more than $20million. Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty.
"This book is about those two numbers"
If that doesn't make you want to read it then nothing will. Its about justice and God's view on it. Good book. You should read it.
Jesus for President - Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw
This is my new favourite ever book! It is fantastic. Easy to read and great teaching.
This book has changed my life and my thinking. I would put this as one of the three most significant, lifechanging teachings that I have had*. I cannot put it any stronger than that!
*the other two are Stuart Murray's on Christendom and Dallas Willard's on what it means to be a follower of Jesus, in case you are interested.
the irresistible revolution - shane claiborne
Just DO NOT read this book if you are happy with a mediocre life. THE most challenging book that I have ever read. I do not know anyone who has read it who has not had to put it down and walk away from it at least once! I just cannot find anything that I disagree with - thats the trouble. This guy is SERIOUSLY living it!
sex god - rob bell
I am biased because I love anything that Rob Bell does. This is great stuff. I love the way that he is committed to understanding the jewish culture and understanding, and thus how they would have heard and understood what Jesus meant. Because surely, we want to know what Jesus really said and not just what we want him to ahve said.
Great book. Powerful stuff.
Blue like jazz - donald miller
Funny, really honest, brilliantly written and full of profound stuff. Great read.
intelligent church - steve chalke
Steve Chalke seems to have been extremely controversial in recent years. Personally, I think that he has earned the right to be so, but even so, the fact that he is making people rethink assumptions is a good thing. Surely!!!?
This book is great. An intelligent church is one where our understanding of Jesus shapes our understanding of mission which shapes the way that we are church. Sadly, with most churches it is the other way around!
velvet elvis - rob bell
I just LOVE this book. It is fantastic. Even though Rob is the latest trendy thing in the Christian world, he is still brilliant. For me this is one of my top three ever books! Seriously!
buck naked faith - eric sandras
My mate Eric wrote this. It is really funny, brutally honest and very challenging. What does it really mean to follow Jesus? Real Christianity and not the half-hearted kind.
post christendom - stuart murray
The teaching in this book COMPLETELY changed the direction of my life and ministry. I cannot put it any stronger than that!
Stuart talks about the way the church was before Constantine and then the changes in agendas, thinking, theology and practice that came in with "Christendom" (the church and State becoming inked). It explained so much of what I saw in the church that I just could not find in the Bible and so much of what I just could never be comfortable with.
The lost message of jesus - steve chalke
Yeah, yeah, controversial, I know! Try reading it the way that Steve wrote it - to challenge us to think about our assumptions. If you cannot question your assumptions then perhaps you are not actually trusting God at all? Perhaps you are leaning on your own understanding.
I think that he is a little risque in how he has presented some stuff and I would not do it like that, but he still has a point!
the divine conspiracy - dallas willard
A friend of mine who is a writer described this book as the hardest book she had ever read that was worth reading. It IS worth reading - again and again until you get it.
As much as Stuart Murray's teaching was foundation for me because it helped to plough up the ground of my assumptions, this book planted the seeds of me growing a "better" understanding of what it actually means to be a disciple and from that, rebuilding my faith and ministry!
The Challenge of Jesus - Nt Wright
This is not an easy book to read but it is REALLY important. As Tom Wright says, we want to be following the real Jesus and so this book puts Jesus in the real context of the time and explains a lot of the expectations and language of the first century Jewish culture and thus helps us to understand what he was really talking about.
I also recommend NT Wright's article "How Can the Bible be Authoritive?" This teaching iis foundational for us.
I still have more questions than answers
Well, I wrote this so I have to plug it! This is our story and this is our best guess at putting into practice the stuff we have learned. Worth giving it a go, even if the author is a bit dodgy!
