So glad to hear that Paul Miller has a new book out, A Loving Life (WTS | Amazon | Kindle). Not only can you buy a copy, but WTS has it half price ($6.50) and $5 a book if you buy three or more. I'm buying three.
The sale ends soon, so don't miss it. I won't.
Please, check out the new album by Damien Jurado: Brothers & Sisters of the Eternal Son. One of my favorite singer-songwriters working today. And he keeps getting better.
I sent out to this tweet a few weeks ago...
If you could only read 3-5 books of theology for the rest of your life, what would they be? Must be worth reading deep and rereading.
— Steve McCoy (@stevekmccoy) December 20, 2013I got great responses. A number of folks asked me to compile a list of all the responses. Here they are as one long list in the order they were received. I added a "*" for every extra mention. If you don't like something on the list, don't blame me. It's not my list. :) I will start, though, with my list which I didn't give on Twitter. Thanks to all who responded.
ALSO, I tried to offer links to WTS, Amazon, & Kindle. Buying by clicking the links though Amazon and WTS cost you nothing extra, but it helps me a lot as I need to buy my books as a pastor through these two companies. Appreciate it, if you are buying anyway, if you would consider using my links. Always a blessing.
My list...
Twitter responses...
Related articles
N.D. Wilson, author of non-fiction like Death By Living ($3.99 for Kindle) and young adult fiction like the 100 Cupboards series (Kindle) and Ashtown Burials series (Kindle), has a great piece up at Christianity Today. In "The Dark-Tinted, Truth-Filled Reading List We Owe Our Kids" Wilson explains why kids need dark stories. This article is geared for parents making fiction decisions for kids, but it's just as helpful for anyone thinking about how to tell the truth through stories. Here are a couple of lines from an article rich with quotes...
"God's artistic choices should govern our own."
"Shelter your children. Yes. Absolutely. But use a picnic shelter, not a lightless bomb bunker, and not virtual reality goggles looping bubblegum clouds."
"Faithful artists should provide sabbaths, not escapes."
"To tell the truth about what it means to be heroic, we must spin a fiction full of danger."
I've left most of the best stuff for you to discover. Please go read the whole piece at CT.
I encourage you to pick up a Kindle for yourself. Since I got mine I've gotten to the place where I'm using it most days. My recommendation is the Kindle Paperwhite or the Paperwhite 3G (which I have), but they are all great. You can even get one for $69 now.
It's Poetry At Work Day. Check out my latest article where I discuss why we need poetry. And then go find poetry in your workplace. Check out the graphic below for information and inspiration for the rest of your day...
In Jerry Bridges' beloved little book, The Pursuit of Holiness (Kindle), he describes in his chapter on the place of personal discipline three questions to ask as you read, study, or meditate on the Scriptures and then explains why being specific is so important.
The most important part of this process is the specific application of the Scripture to specific life situations. We are prone to vagueness at this point because commitment to specific actions makes us uncomfortable. But we must avoid general commitments to obedience and instead aim for specific obedience in specific instances. We deceive our souls when we grown in knowledge of the truth without specifically responding to it (James 1:22).
The Pursuit of Holiness (1978) by Jerry Bridges, pg 104. Bold is mine.
The Gloaming: The Gloaming | These guys were not on my radar until today. It's a supergroup of sorts with three Irishmen and two Americans. It has a singer, two fiddles, a piano and a guitar. PLEASE try this one and give it a few songs.
Damien Jurado: Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son | Really digging this one. Still another week before release. Too long.
Warpaint: Warpaint | Listened to a few songs this morning and really liked what I heard. Will be listening more.
Find other new albums streaming free at First Listen, Pitchfork Advance.
Inside Llewyn Davis Soundtrack ($5.99) -- Playing this one a lot right now. After seeing the movie on Saturday, it will get more play. Would love your take on the movie if you've seen it. You will enjoy this album whether you've seen the movie or not.
Check out last week's list of cheap albums as many are still on sale.
As we meet today with our local churches, may we remember the redemptive mission God has called us to, and may we refuse to settle for the "spiritual ghetto" when the everyday places of this world need the Christian faith lived out everywhere.
Steve
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"Being the body of Christ calls up another image, namely, that believers are called to be a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:9). They are called to redemptive mission in the world. They are called to be channels of God's blessing to a fallen and needy society. Findley Edge explains how this comes about.
There is...a basic difference in the priesthood of the Old Testament and the priesthood of the New Testament. In the Old Testament the priest offered the sacrifice. In the New Testament the priest is the sacrifice! He offers his life to God in behalf of the world which God is seeking to redeem.
This call to redemptive mission is to every believer and is a ministry which extends beyond the church building and into the marketplace. Churches must move their members out of the "spiritual ghetto" into stores, factories, offices, and homes. They must be trained and exhorted to practice their Christian faith wherever they happen to find themselves."
All God's People by David L. Smith, pg 413. Bold is mine. (Interested in the book, click the link and look at used prices. Get this one dirt cheap.)
Quite possibly the best picture of John ever created. He's known as the first follower of Jesus to work as a Cooler in a Roadhouse.
In Tim Keller's book, Center Church, he discusses four ministry fronts...
Center Church, pg 293
In the same section Keller explains three goals of ministry and their comprehensive scope as taught by Edmund Clowney...
In his biblical-theological work on the church, Clowney speaks of the biblical "goals of ministry" as threefold: (1) we are called to minister and serve God through worship (Rom 15:8-16; 1 Pet 2:9); (2) we are to minister and serve one another through Christian nurture (Eph 4:12-26); and (3) we are to minister and serve the world through witness (Matt 28:18-20; Luke 24:28; Acts 5:32).
Center Church, pg 294
I reproduce these here simply because they are ringing in my ears as I rework some of the groundwork of my church. Keller does such an excellent job keeping things simple, and yet puts them in one of the great new books on the complexities of church and ministry in our day. This is Keller's great service to the church. If you don't have Center Church, get it (WTS | Amazon | Kindle).
If you have a nice, short list like some Keller gives to explain the church, I'd love to see some in the comments. Or feel free to blog about it and share a link here.
Also, please check out my Tim Keller Resources page.
In Dallas Willard's classic book, The Spirit of the Disciplines (Kindle), he gives two lists of "main disciplines." I find it helpful for me to review some of my favorite books on the disciplines when I need spiritual renewal. Not all books and teaching on the disciplines float my boat, but this one adds some interesting insight to disciplines I tend to ignore. I don't agree with everything he says in the book, but this is worth checking out. I'm reading through his explanation of each of the disciplines below.
Disciplines of Abstinence
Disciplines of Engagement
Dallas Willard in The Spirit of the Disciplines, p158. I have a 1988 copy and the one linked is newer.
What are your thoughts on the disciplines? Helpful books? Unhelpful or helpful disciplines listed here or ignored here? Would love your feedback. Also feel free to engage with me on Twitter: @SteveKMcCoy.
What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it--the fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palms of his hands. I am never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his care falters.
This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort--the sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates--in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me.
J.I. Packer in Knowing God, pp 41-42.
It's -40F wind chill here, which means you light up the fireplace and listen to Bon Iver. One of my favorite EVER albums, For Emma Forever Ago, is $5.
If you haven't checked it out yet, my Best Albums of 2013 list is up. Would love your thoughts. What music from last year did you enjoy?
Damien Jurado: Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son - My love for this dude's music has grown the last few years. Excited for this one. I'm only five songs in and I'm very, very happy so far.
Cheap Albums from my 2013 list ($5 unless noted otherwise)...
Other cheap albums worth checking out...
Do you you know God or just know about God? That's the concern of J.I. Packer in the opening chapters of his excellent book, Knowing God ($2.99 for Kindle right now!). He lists four evidences explained through the book of Daniel of the effects the knowledge of God has on a person (pp 27-32). I'll give the four and quote from each of Packer's explanations, but I encourage you to read this section and the whole book. It's rich. I forgot how really great it is.
1. Those who know God have great energy for God
"Those who know their God are sensitive to situations in which God's truth and honor are being directly or tacitly jeopardized, and rather than let the matter go by default will force the issue on men's attention and seek thereby to compel a change of heart about it--even at personal risk."
[...]
"People who know their God are before anything else people who pray, and the first point where their zeal and energy for God's glory come to expression is in their prayers."
2. Those who know God have great thoughts of God
Packer takes a brief survey of the book of Daniel, ending by saying, "[God] knows, and foreknows, all things, and his foreknowledge is foreordination; he, therefore, will have the last word, both in world history and in the destiny of every man; his kingdom and righteousness will triumph in the end, for neither men nor angels shall be able to thwart him."
"These were the thoughts of God which filled Daniel's mind."
3. Those who know God show great boldness for God
"They may find the determination of the right course to take agonizingly difficult, but once they are clear on it they embrace it boldly and without hesitation. It does not worry them that others of God's people see the matter differently and do not stand with them."
4. Those who know God have great contentment in God
"There is no peace like the peace of those whose minds are possessed with full assurance that they have known God, and God has known them, and that this relationship guarantees God's favor to them in life, through death and on forever."
Albert Mohler - "Some Thoughts on the Reading of Books" - Here are his main points, but you should read his whole article. Reading between the lines, I think he reads lots of comic books.
ScribblePreach.com - "14 Resolutions for Writers" - I encourage you to check out ScribblePreach. I've been reading Nick for a short time and enjoying it. Here's one of his resolutions...
Start a project you can finish. Finish something this year: a short story, a series of essays, a short book. Before moving onto the big novel or book, finish something small to keep your momentum going.
Journal of Biblical Manhood & Womanhood - "The Wedding Vows 20 Years Later" - My post was published in the Fall 2013 issue...
I love you, Molly. Keep walking with me in these broken bodies and with these selfish struggles with sin; hold my hand, and let’s stay on this narrow path to something far better than what has so far been so amazingly good.
John Piper - "Don't Waste Your Weaknesses in 2014"
In 2014, I encourage you to identify and exploit your weaknesses for the glory of Christ.
[...]
Since 2007, millions of people have read books and taken inventories designed to find our strengths. These are useful for positioning people in places of maximum effectiveness.
But I am calling you to give attention and effort in finding your weaknesses and maximizing their God-given purpose.
I've written an article at Gospel Centered Discipleship on the importance of reading poetry. I've added reading and writing poetry as a discipline for the new year, not just something to do occasionally. The truth is, you already consider poetry as an important part of your life (Psalms, hymns,etc). I think reading the poetry of the culture is important too. I talk about three great benefits to the regular reading of poetry...
- The Importance and Power of Words
- Slowing Down
- Seeing and Feeling
Go and read my whole article, "3 Reasons to Read Poetry" over at GCD. Make poetry a part of your year. It offers many blessings.
The first nine months this year were just ok for me, but some late year discoveries bridged the gap. I bought less albums this year. As always, I found some real gems. Some you know about. I hope a few that you don't. Music discovery through year end lists is a joy for me and I hope for you. For my favorite compilation of year end lists check out Metacritic.
I'll given a lot of thought to my top 20. The honorable mentions are many, and all worth checking out. Also check out Greg Thornbury's year end list. There are albums there I'm just getting to know.
Buying Through Amazon: Some albums are pretty cheap right now, so if it looks interesting click through to Amazon to check prices and listen to samples. Clicking through my links and buying music (or anything) helps me to buy books & music as my family has no budget for either. And it costs you nothing extra to use my links! Thanks for your support.
Previous Years -- My Best Albums
2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006
Now, on to the good stuff from 2013...
2013 Honorable Mentions (no particular order): Danny Brown: Old | Deerhunter: Monomania | Derek Webb: I'm Was Wrong, I'm Sorry, and I Love You | Disclosure: Settle | The Lone Bellow: The Lone Bellow | Laura Marling: Once I Was An Eagle | Kanye West: Yeezus | Local Natives: Hummingbird | Low: The Invisible Way | Neko Case: The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You | Phantogram: Eyelid Movies | Pusha T: My Name Is My Name | Boards of Canada: Tomorrow's Harvest | The Avett Brothers: Magpie & the Dandelion | Okkervil River: The Silver Gymnasium | Woodkid: The Golden Age | Frightened Rabbit: Pedestrian Verse | Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience | Chance the Rapper: Acid Rap (free) | Kurt Vile: Wakin On A Pretty Daze
20. Burial: Rival Dealer EP | I'm cheating as I don't put EPs on my best albums of the year list, but Burial is always amazing and this is remarkable. Hear the culture speak to us.
19. Foxygen: We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic | A lot of fun with throwback sounds and harmonies. Playful music but not childish.
18. The National: Trouble Will Find Me | These guys can do no wrong, but that can do better. A lot of the sound you love from The National, but it just doesn't have that handful of amazing. Still, it's really good. Oh, that all bands would miss like this.
17. Phosphorescent: Muchacho | "Song for Zula." Nuff said.
16. Junip: Junip | An early contender for a top list album, but the second half of the album just didn't hook me for long. Still, some great stuff here from Jose Gonzalez. "Line of Fire" is the bee's knees.
15. Chris Thile: Bach: Sonatas & Partitas | It's classical music with a mandolin. Love. I listen while working, reading, or doing nothing but listening.
14. Savages: Silence Yourself | Grinding, growling, rocking, rolling, loud, aggressive without jumping in your face. In lots of ways, I think this is where punk music now resides.
13. Gregory Alan Isakov: The Weatherman | Gorgeous. Gentle & calming. Solid songwriting.
12. Autre Ne Veut: Anxiety | An emotional trip, but not without fun. The whole thing is good. Falsetto R&B, pop, electronic. Head bobbing will happen.
11. Forest Swords: Engravings | A sonic wonderland. Cinematic. Walking in slo-mo in your own movie scene. I can work to it, and I can just sit alone and let myself be swallowed up in the wonder.
