I love getting books in the mail. It probably started when I was a boy. We used to get book catalogs at school. I would flip eagerly through the heavy pages, searching for the perfect titles, then beg my hard-working parents to order books for me. They’d usually relent after first lecturing me about how hard they worked. Sometimes I’d catch secret smiles and proud looks. They had a boy who not only could read bu in fact t did read. Order money in hand, I’d give my selections and cash to my English teacher (Mrs. Griffith), and wait the 4-6 weeks for delivery. That seemed like forever! But I’d wait, holding my breath until the package came.
That excitement and anticipation lives on today. I come to the office, glance at my tray, and if there’s a brown mailing envelope my curiosity gets piqued. Oooh. What’s that? I wonder if it’s books. Sometimes I can’t even put my things in my office before going over to the tray to discover what goodies have come. I’ve even gotten skilled at associating certain envelope styles with particular publishers. Crossway mails in white envelopes with blue lettering. Most others use manila or yellow envelopes, sometimes padded to protect the precious cargo. It’s Christmas throughout the year!
This past week I received four books that each look to be real gems. One I’ve read and written a foreword for, so I know it’s a gem. The other three address vital topics and boast good endorsements. These books were so inviting I thought I’d start a new feature: Books in the Mail. When it comes to reading, I’m no Al Mohler, who reads more books before 6a.m. than most people do in an entire year. I’m not as prolific a reader as Kevin DeYoung, so I can’t post brief comments on the 20 books I read between the six sermons preached that week. I’m not the “evangelical Oprah” that Tim Challies is, able to make or break a book with a single endorsement. Nor am I a member of the literary Illuminati like Carl Trueman, who forces publishers to retract a book with little more than a glowering face and imposing accent (which somehow I hear through my computer).
I’m a local church pastor who pokes fun at his friends and receives good titles in the mail. I read slowly and can only (but gladly) pass along some “this looks interesting” recommendations from time to time. That’s what this new blog feature aims to do. So, if these titles look interesting to you, I hope you’ll pick up them up and let me know if they blessed you. If you’ve already read any of the books, please give a plug or mini-review in the comments section. Consider this the poor man’s equivalent of wikipedia for new book releases–a community of imperfect comments and additions that hopefully help us find good things to read.
Well, here are the four titles that came last week:
Crucifying Morality: The Gospel of the Beatitudes by R.W. Glenn. This one comes from the good folks at Shepherd Press. Good Reads has a page dedicated to this book.
Here’s the publisher’s description:
Christianity is not moralism. Christianity is not religiosity. Jesus was crucified because we are committed to saving ourselves by our religious stamina and moral efforts. The Beatitudes in their simplicity are not commands to be followed, principles to live by, or attitudes to adopt. They profile people who have crucified their own morality in Jesus’ death, resurrection, and rule.
Crucifying Morality walks through Matthew 5:1-12, where Jesus doesn’t prescribe what ought to be in order to experience God’s grace, but describes what is true of people who understand the grace of God.
Bound Together: How We Are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices by Chris Brauns. Zondervan publishes this new work from Brauns, who has established himself as a biblical, faithful, and practically helpful writer. Here’s how the publishers describe Bound Together:
We are not just isolated individuals. Instead, our lives are woven together with others. We have solidarity with other people—the choices one person makes affects the lives of others, for good and for bad. Because much of the pain we endure in life is in the context of relationships, this truth often strikes us as unfair. Why should a child suffer because of the choices of his parents? And on a grander scale, why do we all suffer the curse of Adam’s sin? Why should anyone be judged for someone else’s sin? In Bound Together, Chris Brauns unpacks the truth that we are bound to one another and to the whole of creation. He calls this, ‘the principle of the rope.’ Grasping this foundational principle sheds new light on marriage, the dynamics of family relationships, and the reason why everyone lives with the consequences of the sins that others commit. Brauns shows how the principle of the rope is both bad news and good news, revealing a depth to the message of the gospel that many of us have never seen before.
Rhythms of Grace: How the Church’s Worship Tells the Story of the Gospel by Mike Cosper. Crossway publishes this very interesting-looking read. Even the texture and
rhythm of the cover look interesting. I was ready to dig into the book when my worship pastor “took it off my hands.” So I need to get another copy. But I like Mike’s passion for Christ, his sensibilities, his generosity of Spirit, and his artistic skill. I’m guessing the book is filled with that blend and I’m looking forward to reading it. The publisher’s description:
Is it singing? A church service? All of life? Helping Christians think more theologically about the nature of true worship, Rhythms of Grace shows how the gospel is all about worship and worship is all about the gospel. Mike Cosper ultimately answers the question: What is worship?
Sixty-Six Books, One Story: A Guide to Every Book of the Bible by Paul Reynolds. Truth in advertising: Paul Reynolds serves as assistant pastor of children’s ministry and discipleship at First Baptist Church, Grand Cayman. I’m really excited about this book and pleased to see it in print. It was my honor to write the foreword. Here’s what I say in part:
The book you hold in your hands is forged in the fires of love for the Savior and for children. It’s written by the grandson of pioneering missionaries to China and the son of a faithful pastor in England. It’s written by a man with deep passion for the Word of God, who believes our children should know the Scriptures better than they know the players on their favorite sports teams or the characters from their favorite television programs. It’s written by a regular husband and father who struggles to keep family devotion engaging, who sometimes misses an evening, who longs to see his children walk in the truth. This book is written by “one of us” imperfect parents to encourage and equip both children and their parents in this holy ambition of knowing Christ better and loving Christ more than anythings else we know and love in this world.
Christian Focus publishes 66 Books, One Story. Here’s their description:
If you’ve read the Bible, you probably know some of the important battles, a good chunk of the life of Jesus, maybe a Psalm or two – but what do you know about the minor prophets and the epistles? Do you have some loose ends that need tying up? This is where a book like this helps. The Bible has one author – God – so we need to see the Bible as a whole, as God’s Word. Every book of the bible is the breath of God and the plan of Salvation spans all of Scripture. In this Bible overview each book of the Bible is summarised; background given; themes and theology explained. There are timelines throughout so that you can fix the context and chronology of the Bible in your mind. There is also a Salvation Thread feature that shows how God’s plan of redemption is not just part of the New Testament – but runs throughout the whole of the Bible.
If you pick up one or more of these titles, or if you’ve read them already, drop us a note and let us know what you think. Happy reading!