Ministry Forum

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to drive up to Fresno Pacific University and spend the day listing to a lecture from Donald Miller.  The lecture was amazing.  He talked about all sorts of ways to let your life become a story that will inspire others to follow Christ.  If you have not yet read any of his books, I encourage you to do so.  

He has written four books so far, Blue Like Jazz, Searching For God Knows What, Through Painted Deserts, and To Own A Dragon.  In addition, he will have a new book being released in September of 2009.  For a first read, I recommend Through Painted Deserts.  The story has a lot of good humor as well as a great dialogue between Don and his spirituality.  Another reason this is a good first read is because it is a story that takes place in his early twenties.  You are introduced to his spiritual growth as he is discovering it himself.

Another great thing about the trip to FPU was that I bought a new copy of Blue Like Jazz and was able to get Don to sign it.  In doing so, I passed on the tradition of introducing the book to someone else by giving my old copy to a good friend.  (Thank you Katy, love you and miss you)   

Paul's Shipwreck

I finished this book last night.  A truly amazing story.  The author Robert Cornuke is the founder of the BASE Institute.  He is been on many expeditions in search of Bible based archeology.  He prides himself on fallowing the Bible during his searches.

There is a chapter he put in the book that talked about his trip home from his first visit to Malta.  He came home on a plan during a major ordeal known as September 11th 2001.  He was over the Atlantic during the attacks.

This is a great book.  I recommend it to anyone.  Enjoy. 

Harry Potter

I am not what you call a big reader. At least before the last two years. In school, I hated to read. I couldn't even get through a book that was required reading. It took along time before I really started to enjoy reading. A friend of mine gave me the first Harry Potter book, The Sorcerer's Stone. I have to admit, I didn't want to read it.

I started as soon as I got out of bed one morning. That way, if the book was bad, I wasn't wasting a day. Needless to say, I was done with the book that evening. I just couldn't put it down. You could really tell it was a children's book. It had a simple feel to it.

Lucky for me, when I started reading the books, the first six were already out in stores. So, I started reading the books. I was happy to see as I went on, that Rowling's started to write the books for a more adult audience. I read the first four books rather fast. I finished the fifth book as the movie came out this last July. I just got through the sixth book this last weekend. If you have not yet read these books, I recommend you do. They are well written with plenty of adventure. I just started the last book in the series yesterday. I will post about it when I am done. It may take me a bit longer to finish, seeing as though I have to balance school reading with reading of pleasure.

Velvet Elvis

I just finished this one. Velvet Elvis is the first book Rob Bell wrote. It is a book about Repainting The Christian Faith. I would recommend it to anyone. If you are trying to find your faith, already have your faith, or just want to read something about faith. This is the book for you.

Rob uses an old painting of Elvis he has in his basement as the inspiration for this book. Here is snippet from the introduction.

I am learning that what seems brand new is often the discovery of something that's been there all along- it just got lost somewhere and it needs to be picked up, dusted off, and reclaimed. I am learning that I come from a tradition that has wrestled with the deepest questions of human existence for thousands of years. I am learning that my tradition includes the rabbis and reformers and revolutionaries and monks and nuns and pastors and writers and philosophers and artists and every person everywhere who has asked big questions of a big God. Welcome to my Velvet Elvis.

The whole book was great. It was a quick read, and that is saying something coming from me. I think a snail could slid its way through a marathon before I could... well, I think you get the point.

Sex God

Okay, stop! No that is not what this book is about. Now, pick your mind up out of the gutter.

I just finished this book, written by Rob Bell. Exploring the endless connections between sexuality and spirituality is the concept of the book. I must say, this is a great book. I would recommend this book to anyone. With chapters like; God Wears Lipstick; Leather, Whips, and Fruit; and Whoopee Forever, you can see why your mind might run in the direction of the gutter.

And no, it is not that type of book. Here is a definition of the book from the introduction by the author:

"Because this is really about that. It's always about something else. Something deeper. Something behind it all. You can't talk about sexuality without talking about how we were made. And that will inevitably lead you to who made us. At some point you have to talk about God. Sex. God. They're connected. And they can't be separated. Where the one is, you will always find the other. This is a book about how sexuality is the 'this' and spirituality is the 'that'. To make sense of the one, we have to explore the other. And that is what this book is about."

All in all, this is a remarkable book and suggest everyone read it. It has a great deal of scripture that he breaks down rather well. Also, Rob teaches a good deal of Greek work definitions that are used in the bible.

Under God

A good friend at work told me about this book, Under God. It was written by Toby Mac and Michael Tait of DC Talk. Both gentlemen have also written two other books, Jesus Freaks and Jesus Freaks II.

The reason I picked up this book was because I like history. Let me tell you, this book is full of it. Under God is full of historical stories that were taken out of school history books in the 1940's. Yes that's right, taken out of the history books. Why? do you ask. Well, look at the title again and you tell me, "Under God".

All of the stories have to do with the historical figures of this beautiful country, and their Christian beliefs. Ripped out of educational books because some fat bureaucrats seem to think that anything religious needs to be taken from schools all together.

This country was founded on our forefathers Christian beliefs. In a short story about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Samuel Adams said, "We have this day restored the Sovereign, to Whom alone men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and... from the rising to the setting sun, may His Kingdom come." In a small fact, written in the book, it states that on December 4, 1800, Congress decided that the Capital would also serve as a church building. That fact is on record in the Annal of Congress (anyone in this country has access to that document if they do not believe men) and confirmed in the journals of various representatives and senators.

In fact, John Quincy Adams recorded on October 30, 1803 that, "religious service is usually performed on Sunday at the Treasury office and the Capital."

I don't know how many times I have read or heard that some group is trying to take something about God out of the schools or government. EXCUSE ME!!!!! The country was founded on the religious belief in God and Christianity, and it needs to stay that way. All of this stupid debate on taking the Pledge of Allegiance out of the schools because it has the words "Under God". Just because someone doesn't believe in God, does not mean that he or she has the right to take that belief away from someone else.