::Leading With A Limp::

Pop Goes The Church Review

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect when I got my advanced copy of "Pop Goes The Church".  I haven't meant Tim in person, but I do know him through his blogging and through the great works of Granger Community Church.  Would this be another feel-good, I-just-ate-too-much-sugar kind of motivational Christian book?  Or would it be the other extreme, an in-your-face reminder that everything I am doing as a church leader and a follower of Christ is wrong, and I need to do a 180 right now if I know what is good for me?  I'm pleased to report that neither of these extremes apply to this book, although my perspective on many things has been modified.

Tim writes with a very comfortable, almost conversational style.  I was halfway through the book before I realized that I was actually reviewing and critiquing the works...I had become lost in the stories, examples and proddings about how to leverage culture and weave it throughout a church experience.

Tim uses an appropriate amount of scripture throughout.  I don't believe he intended this to be a Bible study, so if you are expecting an exegetical look into Haggai, you're not going to find it here.  He also didn't intend this as a marketing guide for secular business, so the scripture he uses truly backs up his points well.  This book can be read and appreciated by all Christ followers (and hopefully many agnostics and atheists as well), but I think it's squarely aimed at church leaders. 

I would like to pull out some specific quotes and ideas that Tim brings up, because I think they are brilliant in terms of creating a conversation between traditionalists and post-modern or emergent thinkers.  But...I'm obligated to not do that.  There is a long list of bullet points about things I can and cannot do as a reviewer, and it's pretty clear that if I give you a sneak peak that would be bad.  I guess you'll have to wait for it to be published. ;)

I will say this...throughout my time of reading Pop Goes The Church, I was spurred to conversation with others.  Not about the book specifically (again, we'll have to wait for the official publication to have those conversations), but about the idea of leveraging culture within the church.  If your knee-jerk reaction is something like, "culture and church don't even belong in the same sentence" then you must read this book.  It will probably get you pretty ticked off (...you can't do that at church...), but it will no doubt cause a great amount of conversation to happen around you, which is a good thing.  If you think that the idea of leveraging culture for church purposes is a brilliant idea and you cannot imagine church without it, this book will create great conversation around you as well!  It will get you talking about why you do or believe what you do, and it will even challenge you in some new and exciting ways.

For me personally, I'm a better person for reading this, and I hope to bring much of Tim's encouragement into my own church, Bel Air Presbyterian.  Bel Air is uniquely situated...an amazing, well-known church with boat loads of tradition, planted smack dab in the middle of the cultural breeding grounds of the world.  Bel Air has a great balance of the old and the new, of the tradition and the pop culture.  When Tim finally does get this thing published, I will be getting copies for my staff.

Pop Goes The Church: Preview

No, I'm not going to post anything from the new Tim Stevens book "Pop Goes The Church", but I am uber-excited that I was selected as one of the handful of people from around the country to get a pre-published copy for review and comment!

Tim does some great stuff on the other side of the country from me at Granger Community Church.  I received the book from the publisher yesterday, I plan to read it over the weekend.

If you haven't checked out Tim's blog before, it is well worth your time.  Stop in and tell him I sent you over, and dig down into his current posts and archives while you are there...you just may learn something!

The Dip

I am leaving tomorrow to attend the Dynamic Church Conference in Dallas, Texas.  I was hoping to have a little time to catch up on my reading (probably on the flight down), and that thought had barely processed when I saw a package from Amazon in my mailbox.

I am now the proud owner of "The Dip" by Seth Godin.  I can't wait to read it! At 76 small pages, I'm sure I'll finish.

BTW, I love the acknowledgments in the back of the book.  It reads:

This book is really short.  Short books are hard to write, but you made me do it.  My readers are excellent correspondents, and this is something I've learned from them along the way: Write less.

Brilliant!  I'll write up a full review when I have a chance.

Review: 7 Reasons to be Grateful You're the Mother of a Toddler

You may be asking yourself after looking at the title of this post, "Why in the world is Matt reading a book about being grateful for being a mother? Is there something I need to know about him?"

Simple answer: I'm just braggin' on my girl!  The author, Karen Sjoblom, is a good friend of mine and I had the great privilege to work with her at one point in my life.  Seriously, she is one of my favorite people on the whole planet. I don't pepper my conversations with compliments like that, so pay attention readers.

I'm actually going to tell you about two books that Karen wrote.  The first is about mothering a toddler, the second is called "7 Reasons to be Grateful You're a Single Mom".  Karen speaks from experience in both books.  Her wit (which is off-the-charts-hysterical) is wrapped throughout as she talks about life with a toddler from a mom's perspective.  She weaves God into these short stories so well, you almost don't even see it coming.

If you are a mom or you know a mom (regardless of how old their children are) you owe it to them to get these books!  Click on the pictures that I have provided here and you will be taken straight to the Amazon.com website...the best way to order these. These wonderful hardcover books are less than $10 each and are worth every stinkin' penny.  I'm being serious...you really need to get these for your friends.

RSS Readers and email subscribers:  Go to the original post to get links to the books on Amazon

Click now!  Order both!  You will NOT be disappointed.  Karen, I hope you don't sue me, but I'm going to post up a snippet of one of my favorite sections. This is the opening and then the closing of the first chapter titled "Gratefulness means we get a do-over day" from "Toddler":

"Foot Book?  Foot Book?" Emma asked hopefully as she followed me around the house, toting a well-worn copy of Dr. Suess's classic. We'd read it so many times I heard it in my nightmares.  What I need, though, was a Butt Book: wet butt, dry butt, low butt, high butt.

Emma had caught a stomach bug and was ripping through diapers as fast as I changed them, emitting such robust and otherworldly noises in the process that I swore I saw little trails of steam wafting above her leggings. So it only made sense that the dog should have gotten into something in the yard and have diarrhea as well.  I found myself chasing him with a diaper wipe, muttering, "If I have to clean anyone else's butt..."

That day , it was not good to be Queen.

And the final paragraph (you'll have to buy the book to find out how she ties this all together):

Some do-over days come with repetition, with illness, with boredom, with questions, but thankfully ours is a God of second chances and more. It will mostly likely be good to be Queen again.  Perhaps tomorrow.

REVIEW: In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day

Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. is just about to release his first book.  It's got a catchy title, "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day".  I have to admit that when I first heard the title some months ago, I had no idea what it meant.

I've been educated since!  It seems that this is a reference to a story that we find in 2 Samuel 23:20-21.

20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

I have read through the bible many times, but I must confess to not remembering that verse.  It is interesting though isn't it?  Killing a lion on a snowy day...modern day movie heroes have nothing on this guy!

Mark recently asked bloggers if they would mind reviewing his book.  I told him that I would like to...and sure enough a PDF of the first chapter was sent my way shortly thereafter.  I just read it this evening.  My first impression?  I'm anxious to purchase the book!  It goes on sale Monday, go ahead and click over to Amazon to pick it up now.

As I was reading through it I was highlighting some of my favorite thoughts, as I intended on sharing them with you in this review.  When I got to the final page of the chapter, there in a tidy little summary was a write-up called Points to Remember'.  They are below, because they are the same thoughts that I marked.

• God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time. But the right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time often seems like the wrong time.
• Goodness is not the absence of badness. You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right.  Our calling is much higher than simply running away from what's wrong. We're called to chase lions---look for opportunities in our problems and obstacles, and take risks to reach for God's best.
• When we don't have the guts to step out in faith and chase lions, then God is robbed of the glory that rightfully belongs to Him.
• Spiritual maturity is seeing and seizing God-ordained opportunities.

My first impression of this book is very favorable.  I'm excited to get the full copy version, I will probably read it completely in just a few sittings.  Weather permitting, it will be on my back deck in my hammock, sipping an Arnold Palmer and getting challenged by Batterson's prodding toward God-willed risk taking.

I had the pleasure to hear Mark speak at the ministryCOM seminar in Arizona a couple of weeks ago, so I'm happy to have a chance to go over his printed thoughts.  A full review is to come, but from what I've seen of the advanced copy it's going to be an excellent book.  Check it out, then come back and post some comments here.

REVIEW: Praise Habit

Praise Habit by David Crowder...what a read! This book took my by surprise in its approach to the Psalms.  If you are familiar with David Crowder's music, it's usually good for residing in the Christian genre.  After the most recent album A Collision, I have told people that I think this band is the Pink Floyd of praise music.  That is a compliment.

So I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up. What I found made me think, pray, laugh and praise God! I don't really know how to describe this book other than a peek into the mind of Crowder.  I love his style, he writes very much like I give talks to groups: kind of a free-flowing stream of thought that bounces here and there, but always ends up with a focused point.  Take the introduction for example.  Okay, both introductions. He splits it into two parts...the first part being and explanation of what we were made for...the second part being a very detailed account, minute by minute, of his morning ritual.

8:30am-The Brushing of Teeth [I brush my teeth. It's a brand-new toothbrush.  One of those with bristles of different colors and lengths pointing in all different directions.  It looks quite formidable.  I would not want to be the spiteful plaque clinging to my teeth with this thing set free. It is a true technological marvel of destruction. It feels sensational. I spit. I am bleeding. I check the box for a warning or for proper-usage instructions...]

8:35am-The Discarding of Trash [I throw the toothbrush away. It is a danger...]

skipping forward a bit

9:12am-The Importance of the Choosing of Music [This will set the tone for the day. Your day must have an appropriate thematic background against which to unfold. I plug in my iPod. Today is Willie Nelson's...]

Where is this going? To this final paragraph of the intro part 2,

"Where were the God moments? Where was Living Praise? Did praise happen? Could praise happen? What if it did? Were opportunities miss? Was praise just beneath the surface? Could it be a flood? Maybe it's just dammed?...Do we dare pick up a sledgehammer and start swinging? It could be difficult. It could wear at you. This could be hard labor...My hands are dry to the touch. So dry I can't feel you anymore. Pick it up? It is needed? It is what is necessary? I want to drown...I will swing. I will swing. Over and over and over and over and over and over and over..."

My journey into this book began after that introduction.  I must admit that I wasn't prepared for what was to come.  I knew it was a book about praise, but he has found a wonderful way to wrap my childhood into it (seems we all share some common childhood memories...), a crazy sense of humor (I was chortling in the corner of the local Subway like a maniac. Why am I laughing so hard reading a book about the Psalms? People think I'm crazy, I know they are looking at me. Concentrate on the book Matt, just read.  Don't spit olives through your nose when you laugh), and a deep love for praising our Lord:

"And we think that if we pray before a meal, it will set this moment apart and other unbelieving peoples might observe our devoutness and we will make a statement that will surely cause them to stop in their tracks...But it is in the moments that follow our prayers that we are able to follow the trail of our true affections, our hidden motivations. It is in the gluttonous idolatry or tearful gratefulness that we consume the burger. It is in our conversations over the meal-the valuing or devaluing of the ones with whom we find ourselves exchanging conversation. It is found in the gratuity at the end of the meal. While somebody else is talking, I usually find myself busily plotting ways to divert the subject matter back to myself rather than lending heart and ear and thought to their discourse."

The latter half of the book is dedicated to a close look at (presumably) some of David's favorite Psalms.  They are presented via Eugene Peterson's The Message, and then pondered.  Usually a hilarious personal story or thought intros the exegesis, following by an amazingly relevant and personal synopsis of how the aforementioned hilarious story relates to the Psalm.  All in all, a fantastic and thought provoking read!

You probably have never heard of this book.  You likely won't find it at your local bookstore unless your local Christian store is smart enough to carry it.  I suggest finishing this blog post, going immediately to amazon.com and ordering this book.  When it arrives in the oh-so-familiar Amazon packaging, pause in whatever book you are reading, it will be there when you are finished with this one.  This book will give you a fresh perspective on the Psalms, and some fond memories of childhood too!

REVIEW: The Important of Being Foolish

The Important of Being Foolish, by Brennan Manning, ISBN 0-06-075165-7, Copyright 2005 Brennan Manning. notice that when I mention Brennan Manning to people, I get one of three reactions: 1) Who? 2) He's a little rough around the edges for me, or 3) That guy is right on!  Hard hitting and full of truth.  I subscribe to the third idea, that Brennan Manning is a man of our times.  He doesn't sugar coat the truth, although Grace is often pushed hard between the lines.

'Being Foolish' is no exception.  Manning does an amazing job of capturing the character of Jesus.  We are, after all, called to be like Jesus (Philippians 2:5) so we should try to understand how he things, shouldn't we?  Here is the first paragraph description from the inside jacket flap:

In the eyes of the world, Jesus was a fool. He did not abide by the rules of his day; the people he associated with were shunned by society; his Sermon on the Mount reads like a primer on being left behind, stepped on, and ignored.  In order for us to truly be the people Jesus wants us to be, we too must learn to become "foolish".

This paragraph drew me in (that and the shelf-talker at Powell's Books). I have been feeling a little too homogenized in my relationship with the with the Lord lately...something has been missing.  I felt like I was just blowing in the wind, following whatever theological trend was sweeping through.  I skimmed through the pages of Being Foolish to decide if I wanted to pick it up.  I read a few paragraphs and ended with this brilliant sentence on page 14, "Weathervane Christians who cannot be trusted, their number is legion".  Brilliant.  That is what I have been thinking, that is what I have been feeling!  I was drawn in.

Manning does a remarkable job of mixing personal stories (he lived in a cave for an entire Winter!) with gospel truth.  I found myself really enjoying this book, to the point of having to finish it.  During my lunch breaks I would bring this over to the local Subway, order an Italian BMT on wheat and sit in the corner and pour over this book.  Some of my favorite snippets:

"Contact with Christians should be an experience that proves to people that the gospel is a power that transforms the whole of life. Instead, our presence in the world is often marked by rank insincerity, a dilution of grace, and a failure to act on the Word."

"Two curious phenomena dapple Christian life in America today.  The first is our tendency to criticize more than compliment...the second phenomenon is not unrelated to the first. It is what might be called the preponderance of the negative self-esteem. Self-esteem consists of how we see ourselves reflected in the eyes of others...negative self-esteem would not be so damaging except for the fact that we interact with others in terms consistent with our own self-image..."

"Disinclined to renounce managerial control of our lives and unwilling to run the risk of living in union with Yahweh, we seek personal security and reassurance in rituals, devotions, liturgies and prayer meetings...we have not surrendered to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within. We stand close enough to the fire to stay warm, but we never plunge in."

Throughout the books, Manning entertains, ponders, challenges and admonishes.  I found it all to be very well written and very powerful, ending with a beautiful crescendo of pleading for Jesus. "The exploration of the mind of Christ is a journey to nowhere if the pilgrim is still handcuffed to the flesh".  If you want a feel-good, I-just-ate-a-spoonful-of-sugar kind of book, avoid 'Being Foolish'.  If instead you want to be really challenged about your relationship with and in Christ Jesus, I emphatically recommend this.  Brennan Manning is many things, but above all he is a lover of Christ.

"Once you come to know the love of Jesus Christ, nothing else in the world will seem beautiful or desirable".