Review: The Sisters Brothers

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



The Sisters brothers, Eli and Charlie, are hired killers hired sent out to Gold Rush country in the 1850s to kill a thief. Eli narrates the story, and ends up being a fairly likable character despite his many shortcomings. Charlie is a psychopath whom you don't want to cross for any reason.

This book is filled with some very dark humor and quirky characters. I enjoyed the sub-plot of "Dub," Eli's doomed horse, and Eli's hilarious introduction to dental hygiene. In all honesty I found the book enjoyable, but in the same way as when I have a bruise and even though it hurts I keep pushing on it.

This book is definitely not for everyone. Those with an aversion to violence and bad things happening to good people (and animals) will not enjoy it. Otherwise, it's an enigmatic read that you might enjoy.

Review: Calico Joe

Calico Joe by John Grisham

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Calico Joe is a baseball story that's not really about baseball. The story is about brokenness and attempts at reconciliation which are, at best, only partial. The book was deeply troubling to me at some strange level I have yet to fathom (only having finished it last night). Most likely the feelings I have are because of my own up and down relationship with my dad when I was younger, my own little league days, and my own doubts, short-comings and miscues with God, which is what I believe this story is really about.

Paul Tracey's feelings are torn between his father who he grew up despising and his boyhood idol, "Calico Joe" Castle a young major league phenom. Most of the story concerns Paul's (odd?) effort to reconcile the two - figuratively and literally. As stated above, the book felt dark and depressing to me, but maybe it's just me and my "stuff." To be honest, I finished the book late last night and had trouble sleeping afterwards.

Questions remain. Why does John Grisham always use sports stories for his shorter, non-legal-thriller efforts (Bleachers, Playing for Pizza and this book)? And if I didn't really like this short book (I only gave it 2 stars), why did it make me think so much, and why is writing the review revealing and emotionally difficult for me? Maybe I do like the book? Perhaps this experience is like when I read Scripture and find that certain passages trouble me - and yet I know that even as they do God is speaking to me about something I need to deal with. I've always felt it's the passages that are most disquieting to you that you need to pay closest attention to. Maybe that's why this book grabbed my attention even though I didn't "like" it.

One thing I'll be interested in is to see if the story engenders the same feelings in a girl as a guy (assuming Donna reads it). Hopefully answers will come in time.

Review: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This book is the compelling, true tale of two men, one epitomizing light and the other darkness, set against the backdrop of the World's Fair of 1893 in Chicago, Ill. While Daniel Hudson Burnham is busy building and overseeing the Fair itself (nick-named the "White City" because all the buildings were white), H. H. Holmes, a charming young doctor and serial killer, is murdering people in a hotel he built for that very purpose within walking distance of the fair.

The book is rich with historical detail and a great primer on life in America at the turn of the 19th century. The story crosses paths with Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney's father (who helped build the fair), Archduke Ferdinand, Buffalo Bill, Susan B. Anthony, Samuel Gompers and a host of other luminaries. Larson also points out that shredded wheat, Juicy Fruit gum, incandescent lighting, AC current and the Ferris Wheel were introduced at the fair. The book is filled with contrasts; light and darkness, old and new, hope and despair. Devil in the White City is also filled with deadline drama: Will the fair be ready to open when promised? Will the people come once it's built? Who will be murdered next? Etc...

I enjoyed the book, though I must admit I got a bit bogged down in the middle. I also found the book just a tad depressing (aren't many true stories that way?). Death, figuratively and literally, abounds in the story, and then there is the shaky rise and sudden fall of the fair itself. In many ways reading this book felt like a twilight stroll through a cemetery - something I enjoy at times, and can't stand at others. I gave the book 2 1/2 stars.

Review: King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village

King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village by Peggielene Bartels

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



King Peggy is the real life story of Peggielene Bartels, a U.S. citizen and secretary at Ghana's Embassy in Washington who three years ago was awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call with news that her uncle had died and that she had been selected to succeed him as king of Otuam, a fishing village on the coast of Ghana. Peggy accepted the crown (actually she was "enstooled") and now divides her time between being a secretary at the Ghanaian Embassy (still) and King of Otuam.

Of course becoming King was just the start of the story. Bartels' book chronicles her difficulties dealing with the corruption, the grinding poverty, and the lack of infrastructure in her tiny village. Anyone who has spent much time in Africa will recognize and appreciate the struggles as well as the usual cast of "characters" in Otuam.

While I enjoyed the book, I found that by the end of the book Bartels' ended up sounding prideful with what all she took credit for ("I brought these people water...I gave them hope..." etc...) Even the concluding words of the complete title (..."How She changed an African Village") was a bit conceited-sounding. I also cringed repeatedly at the mish-mash of religious beliefs Bartels adheres too - like many Ghanaians she ends up coming across as a Christo-Animist and is not shy at all about jumbling prayers to Jesus, her ancestors and a whole assortment of local deities (she boasts her village is home to dozens of local gods). But then I know this is very common in Africa so I tried to make allowance for that.

All in all this is a good book. You will enjoy this improbable tale; it's good story-telling with lots of colorful humor; I gave it three stars.


View all my reviews

Review: The Innocent

The Innocent by David Baldacci

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Loved this book and can't recommend it enough. Can't wait for Donna to read it so we can discuss. I really thought Baldacci did a great job with another new character. Will Robie is an assassin but I couldn't help but like him. His interaction with Julie Getty was plausible and consistent. I have no idea how Baldacci keeps all his protagonists straight, but he does. Pick this book up and read it and lose yourself for a few hours!

PS - my regular followers probably think this is a weird post after nothing for so long, but I just figured out how to have Goodreads automatically feed my blog. By the way, those of you who are unfamiliar with Goodreads, it is a great place to track your reading, find new books to read, and to peruse reviews by normal people. Click this link to go there.

Windows 7 Released Today

Today is a big day in the computing world as the latest operating system from Windows, Windows 7, is being released. This event will cause nary a ripple in the life of 99% of the world’s population (including, for instance, my wife Donna’s world), but here I am sitting at my laptop typing using the “old” Vista operating system and suddenly I feel totally outdated. Why is that? I wasn’t outdated yesterday. Why do I feel that way today? What kind of hold do technology vendors like software companies, television makers (HD, 3D, 780p, 1080i, etc….) and telephone makers (Iphone I, II, III, etc..) have on me? What kind of power do they have over my mind that they can suddenly make me feel old fashioned with the release of the latest, greatest device or program that will instantly change my life?

The truth is, it’s impossible to stay updated with technology unless you are Warren Buffett, and he doesn’t appear to care about technology. And so I sit and wonder; should I spring for the $119 upgrade to Windows 7? Should I trade in my old-fashioned Blackberry for a sleek new Iphone?

Naah…the best things are the oldest. Give me a good old book – the paper and ink kind, not a Kindle. Give me a telephone that makes calls and doesn’t do everything else in the world. Give me Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Most of all, give me Jesus. He alone can satisfy that emptiness that makes me think I need to update my PC or buy a new television.

It does occur to me that the church has something to learn here however. Imagine if we could create the kind of thirst for God and the things of God that technology companies do for their products. Imagine driving up to your church on Sunday morning and seeing the line to get in going around the block like you see whenever the latest Iphone is released? Wouldn’t that be awesome? What can we learn from them? Food for thought….

Blogging - or the lack thereof...

Wow - it has been a long time since I last blogged. Believe me, I have my reasons, and none of them are pretty nor am I proud of them. With everything going on in our lives right now (my family, my church, and so on) honestly, my main goal has been to simply put one foot in front of the other, just trying to "keep on keeping on."

A good friend loaned me a book that has helped a lot in this regard - "Believe That You Can" by Jentezen Franklin. I have to admit that after watching Franklin on television (TBN - the "purple hair people) and after hearing him speak once (at a funeral) I never thought he would "have my ear." But his words have been encouraging me like words straight from the Lord; at least in the way that he has addressed my situation.

I will be back on the blogging bandwagon shortly. Thanks for your patience.

Book Review: Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham

I just finished reading Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham, a book whose self-proclaimed goal is to “equip Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, anti-family society” (from the cover).

In this book Baucham argues forcefully from Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6 that Christian parents have failed and continue to fail to bring their children up in the “training and instruction” of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

I agree with Baucham in general – who can argue with statements like, “Turn off the TV, and hand your kids a book” (p. 103), and “Raising godly children is not a matter of luck; it is a matter of work” (p. 105). The author is absolutely right in insisting that if Bible training and spiritual formation was done in the home as God intended we would begin to see multi-generational faithfulness and less children and youth walking away from the faith when they grow up.

Unfortunately Baucham, like many others of his ilk, insist on insulting everyone within earshot as they try to pound their point home, including parents who choose to send their children to public school, parents who allow their kids to attend church youth groups, and well-meaning and godly pastors and youth leaders who are doing their best in a very difficult environment. Statements like, “How does a father raise his son to respect young women and protect their purity only to send him off to the youth building with exposed midriffs, low-cut tops, and skin-tight jeans?" (p. 182) are low blows to pastors, churches and youth groups that I simply cannot abide with. Baucham has this angry tone through most of the book and, honestly, a “holier-than-thou” attitude where he acts as though his interpretations of Scripture are the only ones that count.

For instance he critiques others for misapplying and misinterpreting Scripture, then proceeds to do the same thing himself. For example, in arguing against public education, Baucham quotes 2 Corinthian 6 about not being yoked with unbelievers. This passage from Paul is clearly about marriage and yet Baucham has conveniently misapplied the text to blast public education.

Baucham also shoots himself in the foot in his argument that home school groups should be embraced by the local church because they are a great field for evangelism. After arguing throughout the book that parents should home school their children because home schooling is more effective at training up our children in biblical ways, the author says, “More than half of the parents who homeschool their children in this country are not Christians” (p. 209). If more than half are not Christian as Baucham claims, why on earth is homeschooling such a vast improvement over public education?

Baucham also sees fit to blast churches who hire pastors who are “unfit” according to the author. Sure, there are pastors and churches that are making huge mistakes chasing culture and the latest fads instead of searching Scripture to see what God has said, but what about the dedicated men and women who are doing their best in what is an increasingly hostile and faithless arena? Would a sentence or two lauding these tireless servants have been too difficult?

In the final analysis, I totally agree with the author that we must always do our best to promote a biblical view of marriage and family, a biblical worldview in general, and a biblical definition of “success.” There is no question that many of the problems we face today would go away if fathers took their spiritual responsibility in the home seriously. In Baucham’s words, “No amount of money, toys, or fringe benefits can replace a godly father” (p. 155). And yes, I agree with the author that motherhood is a noble occupation (Prov. 31). Would in home worship and catechism study be helpful and effective in raising up godly children? Absolutely! Is the “pull of prosperity” (p. 149) deadly to our faith? Absolutely!

But, do I think the answer to the tailspin the evangelical church is in today is to simply do away with age-segregated learning environments including youth groups, Sunday-School classes and small groups? Would that solve our problems overnight? Not hardly. The problem is much deeper than that. Like many authors, Baucham falls prey to the error of "if you are a hammer, then everything looks like a nail." Baucham pounds his “family worship is the answer” hammer to every nail he sees, whenever and wherever he sees it, and he sees it everywhere. Voddie, the enemy is not public education or youth group or Sunday school. Let’s don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater in our rush to fix things!

The church’s role is to partner with parents to help children grow in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord. No church that I lead will ever forfeit that role. But we are also not willing to sacrifice even one child on the altar of “we told you so” when parents default on their part of the equation. We will take each child and help him or her; we will do our best to help parents develop a biblical view of parenting and their most important task as parents, to transmit their faith to the next generation.

Book review: The Count of Monte Cristo

Feeling it was time to read a classic, I just read The Count of Monte Cristo by French novelist Alexandre Dumas (who also wrote the Three Musketeers). This book is one of the most popular novels ever written and makes every “classic” book list I have seen. Written in 1844, the book is set in Marseilles, Rome and Paris in the nineteenth century, and tells the story of Edmond Dantès. Dantès is a young sailor who seems to have it all before being falsely accused of treason and imprisoned in an island dungeon for fourteen years. A fellow prisoner tells him where to find treasure buried on a Mediterranean island called Monte Cristo. Upon his escape, the book’s hero acquires the treasure, gives himself the name Count of Monte Cristo, and goes about systematically taking revenge on his enemies.

Count of Monte Cristo is a great adventure novel; just a few of the chapter titles assure you of that: “The Two Prisoners,” “The Treasure,” “The Smugglers,” “The Secret Cave,” “Roman Bandits,” etc… The way Dumas unfolds Dantès intricate scheme of revenge seems part James Bond, part Sherlock Holmes, and part Alfred Hitchcock. The surprising twists and turns in the story are as current as anything Dan Brown (DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons) has conjured up recently, and yet the story is over 150 years old.

I enjoyed the book but must admit I got a bit bogged down in the middle. There were a few chapters there that, to me, could have used a good editor. That could be the problem to begin with though. The original version of the book was some 1100 pages long. Most copies today have around 500-600 pages (the Penguin Classic version I read had 500 pages). The effect of reducing the story by almost one-half makes the story confusing in some places. In the version I read the ending is very confusing and makes practically no sense. I had to go online to find an unabridged copy of the story to figure out what really happened in the closing chapter.

One of the things that intrigued me most about the book apart from the great characters and storyline were some of the locations in which the story is set. Marseilles, where the story begins, was a favorite stop on a 2005 cruise our family took. Our ship went right by the notorious prison of Chateau d’If which sits just off the coast of Marseille. We also viewed the famed harbor of Marseille from high atop the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde. Our home PC desktop picture is still a photo we took from this scenic spot. Several locations in Rome (the Colosseum) and Paris (Champs Elysees and Pere Lachaise cemetery) brought back fond memories when I read about them in the book as well.

Dumas' characters ranged from the very, very good, to the diabolic. On some of the characters the jury is still out in my mind. For instance I was troubled and confused by the limits and extent of both the vengeance and kindness of the story's hero, Dantès. Dumas did a good job portraying the wide range of emotion this character must have felt. I still cannot decide if Dantès is a hero or not. At times he appears to want to put himself in God’s place both in a good way and in a bad way. In fairness to him, it does appear the "Count" repents of this in the end, especially as his revenge reaches its full strength and the extent of the suffering and carnage it causes becomes evident.

Generations of readers have responded to this riveting tale and doubtless future generations will return to it as well. That’s what good literature is all about. I’m glad I finally waded in and took the time to read this novel. It was definitely worth it.

Book Review: Tribes by Seth Godin

I actually got this book as a “freebie” at last October’s Catalyst Conference and just got around to reading it tonight. Godin is a self-described “best-selling author, entrepreneur, and change agent.” I think of him as the Leonard Sweet of the Internet era. He specializes in marketing and communication, especially Internet marketing and connecting. He is a prolific blogger, writer, and speaker who loves to challenge the status quo, dares to question the accepted order and who specializes in debunking commonly held assumptions ("myths"). He calls doing this being a heretic.

Tribes is actually the first book of Godin’s I have read (he has written a dozen), but I read his blog faithfully. In the book he defines a tribe as "any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea." Tribes can be religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). Godin contends to be human is to long to be a part of a tribe.

With the Internet and all its social networking opportunities (Facebook, Twitter, etc…) it is easier than ever today to form or join a tribe. With the exponential expansion of modern forces of connection anyone who wants to make a difference now has the tools at his or her fingertips to form a tribe or to locate one to be a part of. The main question this opportunity presents, Godin contends, is who is going to lead all these tribes?

Tribes has some good leadership thinking in it. Much of it is very relevant to the church too. He talks a lot about the “tightening the tribe” using all the tools available to leaders in our new more connected world. He especially touts the efficiency of blogs for doing this. “A blogger has a free, nearly effortless tool to send regular (daily? hourly?) messages to the people who want to read them. And with comments and trackbacks, the members of the tribe can talk back and to each other. Discussions take place, ideas are shared, decisions are made – quickly” (pg. 53).

I loved Godin’s important distinction between "fans" and "numbers." He writes, “A true fan brings three friends with him to a John Mayer concert…a true fan connects with other true fans and amplifies the noise the artise makes…” “Too many organizations care about numbers, not fans. They care about hits or turnstile clicks or media mentions. What they’re missing is the depth of commitment and interconnection that true fans deliver…the real win is in turning a casual fan into a true one” (pg. 33)

There is a plenty of other good leadership insight in this short 147 page book. I definitely need to go back now and reread the book with a highlighter in hand. I plan to encourage our staff at NewSong to read the book and to use its principles as they form their tribes within NewSong as well.

In conclusion, I encourage anyone interested in thinking outside the box about their church or business to read this book and to apply its principles.

Book Review: Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener

This book was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1948. It is a collection of short stories that take place in the South Pacific during World War II. The stories are narrated by an unnamed naval officer and several characters reappear in some of the stories. The climax of the book is a fictional military offensive code named “Alligator.” The “war” parts of the book are sandwiched between captivating tales of love and loss as the bored naval men mostly sit around and wait (and consume lots of alcohol!).

Michener is a good storyteller and crafter of characters. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical South Pacific was based on Michener’s colorful characters in this book including nurse Nellie Forbush who falls in love with French plantation owner, Emile de Becque (remember?) There is also Lt. Cable and Bloody Mary, the island souvenir dealer and her daughter Liat. I still remember seeing the play being performed at Central High School in Jackson, MS way back in the sixties when my dad was an ROTC instructor there. I also recall my parents had the old LP album of South Pacific (the movie). I can still hear Mitzi Gaynor singing, “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” (here it is on YouTube).

I am sorry it took me so long to read this book. It really is good. I think Michener’s characters are well-developed. I liked the pace of the book and how he wove the stories together. I thought the climax of the book, the landing at the island of Kuralei, was especially moving. As Michener’s narrator surveys the littered beaches littered with the dead and the detritus of battle the full horror of war is revealed. It is really a shame that this book has been omitted from most “best read” lists in academic circles. One can only speculate why. Perhaps because the musical followed so closely upon the book’s release. It definitely deserved better. I am glad I finally found it.

Elder/Staff Retreat Part Two

Our Elder/Staff retreat held this past weekend was about as good as it could possibly be. I could definitely sense the prayers people were praying for the weekend. When I got home Saturday night I told Donna (my wife) that I honestly could not imagine a single thing about the retreat that could have been better. Everyone came. Everyone participated. No one held anything back. We all shared our life stories, including our personal testimony. Everyone had read the Simple Church book and done their homework in advance. Our staff was prepared with exciting well-done reports on their ministries and plans for the future. There was plenty of laughter, tears, good food, great worship, and amazing fellowship (including a few odd bed-partners, but that's another post for another day).

Things we accomplished:

- We thoroughly went over Clarity - Movement - Alignment - and Focus from the Simple Church book. We know our work is cut out for us; mainly in properly communicating the "why" we need to do this to our congregation. As Vicki Eitel reminded us, Jesus never said anyone "had" to do anything. But "if" one wants certain things to happen then he or she "must" make certain changes or do certain things. We need to make our process crystal clear to everyone and in time, hopefully it will become a part of our church's DNA.

- Our staff leaders gave overviews of their respective areas including their mission, lens, target audience, and what constitutes a "win" for them.

- We raised the commitment level for leadership at NewSong by agreeing on what is expected of a "Level One Leader."

- We simplified our organizational structure so everything we do fits under the "Five Things We Do at NewSong" These five are: Weekend Worship, Small Groups, Missions, Youth, and Children. Existing ministries that do not "fit" will be phased out as an act of stewardship of our resources and faithfulness to God and His mission through us.

- We reduced our number of leaders from over 50 this year (2008-09) to less than half that number for the upcoming ministry year (2009/10). We also came up with a concensus list of leader candidates to fill those positions.

- We decided we will handle our ministry sign-ups differently this year (in August). We will still have sign-ups but we will try to have many people already recruited and signed up by ministry team leaders relationally.

- During the chapter reviews from Simple Church and the staff reports we kept a running list of significant changes we have recently made (or will make soon). These include:

1) Worship (Love) as our "Front Door" at NewSong. This is part of our new evangelistic focus, which is our number one strategic ministry priority in 2009. Our services are now being designed and targeted more towards non-believers so when our members invite their unbelieving friends, relatives and neighbors they will be able to more easily connect to God. We believe we can do this and still satisfy existing believers' needs for engaging worship and relevant, biblical teaching. What believers miss out on in "depth" in worship they will now get in their small groups.

2) Small Groups will become our main discipleship (Grow) vehicle, rather than traditional Sunday School. True life change happens best in small groups which will hopefully all eventually meet in the more intimate setting of a home rather than in sterile classrooms. Besides, we have many more homes available to us at NewSong than we do classrooms. We are planning a church-wide small group emphasis in the fall built around Saddleback's "40 Days of Love" campaign where we hope to launch 10-12 small groups.

3) In Missions (Share) our focus going forward will be "to serve Christ so others see him." We we will no longer artificially divide this area between "ministry" (inside the church) and "missions" (outside the church) but instead will focus on doing everything for Christ so that those we are serving will see Him in our service. We believe you can hand someone a worship guide, or prepare refreshments, or operate a sound board as though you are doing it for Christ Himself. Doing so would constitute a "win" for us in this area.

4) In our Children's Ministry our focus will be on developing a parent-church partnership to help our children come to know God instead of parents simply taking their children to church for the church to teach them "about" God. A win in this area would be when the families in our church are intentional about teaching biblical truths in their home on a daily basis.

5) One final noticeable difference will be an emphasis on being intentionally relational in our worship, grow groups and recruiting for our share ministries. This is a shift from our former "warm body" method where we were just looking at numbers, having multiple ministries, filling slots and always having impersonal sign-up sheets in the back. Strong churches are built on solid, godly, peer relationships. We plan to take full advantage of the strong relational ties that already exist at NewSong and to strengthen them further.

Book Review: In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

This National Book Award winner recounts the tragic shipwreck of the whale ship Essex and her crew and is the true story that that inspired Herman Melville’s epic novel, Moby Dick. Just a few years after the Essex was wrecked, Melville was working aboard a whaling ship in the Pacific when he had a chance encounter with one of the Essex’s survivor's sons. After receiving a copy of the father's narration of the disastrous voyage, Melville was moved to write Moby Dick.

The Essex left Nantucket, Massachusetts in 1819 on a two-and-a-half-year voyage in the whaling grounds of the South Pacific. On the morning of November 20, 1820 the ship was attacked in a remote area of the Pacific by an 85 foot long sperm whale. The ship sank and her 20 crewmen escaped in three 25-foot poorly provisioned whale boats. The crew was adrift for three months in the Pacific and had to fight the elements, thirst and starvation.

If you like survival tales you will absolutely love this book. Philbrick did a great job researching the story (he lives in Nantucket) and, adventure-wise, it reads every bit as good as Melville’s thriller. Ironically Mellville’s story ends when the whale sinks the ship. In Philbrick’s account, the story is just beginning when the whale appears.

A word of warning, this book is not for the squeamish; the author thoroughly researched how people die of starvation and thirst and spares none of the details including the cannibalism that followed the shipwreck and such esoteric information as how much “meat” can be harvested from the average human body (65 pounds). But do not let that keep you from reading this excellent book. Philbrick brilliantly captures what it must have felt like drifting for months in one of the small lifeboats wondering if you are going to survive. The author also marries great history lessons about nineteenth century whaling with tales of man and the at sea, racism, Quakerism, navigation, seamanship, and leadership. I especially appreciated the author’s careful examination of the different leadership styles exemplified by the ship’s captain George Pollard and his first mate, Owen Chase. Writing in the Penguin Reading Guide to this book Philbrick comments on the Captain’s leadership:

“Pollard was certainly unlucky, but he also had difficulty asserting his will upon the crew. Pollard was a first-time captain and seemed hesitant to overrule his subordinates. In just about every situation, his instincts were correct, but he inevitably allowed himself to be talked out of his convictions by his two mates, Owen Chase and Matthew Joy. As leadership psychologists will tell you, a leader, particularly in a survival situation, must make decisions firmly and quickly. Pollard was too much of a Hamlet.”

If you enjoyed books like Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm or Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air you will enjoy this book as well. Of course you can also wait until the book is made into a movie. According to Variety a movie based on the book should head into production sometime this year. Just remember; a movie is never as good as the book it is based upon.

Book Review: The Pearl

Tonight I read a classic, The Pearl, by John Steinbeck. As I got into the tale I realized I had read it before, probably in high school, but nevertheless it is a great book by an outstanding writer, especially in his attention to detail and symbolism.

In the story, a young couple named Kino and Juana live in a poor Mexican fishing village with their only child, a baby named Coyotito. The baby is stung by a scorpion and the family becomes desperate for the town doctor to help them. But the doctor refuses to help the poor villagers because they cannot pay. The couple goes out collecting pearls from the bottom of the sea as they do every day and as luck would have it (or as “something” would have it) they find a great pearl, the “pearl of the world.”

Word of the couple’s find spreads like wildfire in the small village, even reaching the doctor, who is now more than glad to help and who tricks them into thinking they still need his remedy even though the baby was recovering fine.

Suddenly this young couple has the world open up before them as never before possible. For a brief moment there seems to be a chance to break out of centuries of poverty and predictability in their family and village, but also just as suddenly, the world becomes a dark and ominous place for the couple as they deal with unscrupulous pearl buyers and multiple unknown parties trying to steal the pearl buried in the dirt floor of the couple’s grass hut.

The plot thickens and fills to overflowing with adventure, fear, murder, and revenge. Steinbeck packs a lot of story into a this short "novella sized" book. And there is so much symbolism: the European doctor and all that he stands for, the gulf, the “songs” Kino and Juana hear (of ‘family’ and ‘evil),’ and of course, there is the symbolism of the pearl itself. One thing I enjoyed most was watching how the images Kino and others see when they gaze into the pearl change over time. It goes from being the most beautiful pearl in the world where Kino sees a bright future for himself and his family, “things Kino’s mind had considered in the past and had given up as impossible” (pg. 24) to being “ugly…gray, like a malignant growth” (pg. 89).

In keeping with his other works, the ending of The Pearl is unpredictable. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say the story certainly would not be categorized as a “feel-good” tale. The book does leave you with lots to think about however; and that, after all, is the mark of a great book. Read it, you'll enjoy it.

Book Review: Same Kind of Different as Me

Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, was recommended to me by my friend Doug Davis. I mentioned the book to Donna and she said we were already on the waiting list to get it from the public library. I couldn’t wait to read it so I went out and bought it.

The book is the true story (the best kind!) of an angry, black homeless man, Denver Moore, and his unlikely friendship with a wealthy international art dealer, Ron Hall, who came together when Hall’s wife insisted she and her husband volunteer to serve food once a week at a homeless shelter in Forth Worth, Texas. What begins as a grudging trip to please his wife turns into a deep and fruitful relationship between two disparate characters. The story is told from the perspective of the two main characters, Moore and Hall, as they alternate chapters giving their perspective on a series of events.

I do not want to give away too much of the story here so I will not. My only criticism of the book is that Hall comes across a bit self-indulgent and “holier-than-thou” in a few places. But he seems to recognize that, and it actually turns out to be part of the storyline.

This is a story of deep pain, but also one of incredible redemption. The story is awe-inspiring and hopeful. I highly recommend the book though I must admit I cried a few times while reading it. In the end the book demonstrates – as the title implies – that while we are all different, we all have something in common as well; the “same kind of different as me.”

Book Revew: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

I just finished A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. What a struggle to read! I don’t know why I have this thing about finishing every book I start, but I do. It is as if there is some great ghost professor somewhere who has assigned me any book I pick up to read; somehow I feel like failing to complete a book I start means that I am a failure. I read a lot of classics so sometimes when I find a book difficult or boring, I research the story, either online or in a couple of books I own. Then I just charge on through it; at least after reading the summary I know what I am reading and why it is supposed to be so important. That is exactly what I did with this 246 page book. I knew about 20 pages in it was going to be a tough read, but I carried on. Why I'll never really know.

James Joyce is one of modern literature's most important authors, yet I’m not alone in finding his work difficult to grapple with. The main character of this book, Stephen Dedalus, in my mind is a highly flawed person with a very sad life. He has problems with bullies, with people who do not understand him or like him, sexual issues, “mommy and daddy” issues, teacher issues, spiritual issues, and more. Life for Stephen appears to be a random succession of cruelty, isolation, injustice and anger. He only finds escape through a few short-lived personal victories, most of which he later regrets deeply.

The way you learn all this is from inside the main character’s head. Using a stream of consciousness technique, Joyce presents the thoughts, impressions, emotions and reminiscences of his protagonist, often disregarding their logical sequence. This is intended to mirror the complexities of the subconscious mind. The book is also highly autobiographical. Joyce, like Dedalus, grew up a Catholic, and even studied briefly for the priesthood before renouncing his faith at age twenty spending the rest of his life living in Paris, Trieste, Rome, and Zurich as a poet and a writer.

Metaphorically speaking (and you can’t read a classic without speaking metaphorically!), the book is a proto-typical coming of age story. It is about how to forge your own identity and to make your own way. Like Icarus (son of Dedalus in the Greek myth) the reader watches as Stephen tries to fabricate wings of his own so he can fly above the tribulations of his life and establish his own life elsewhere. In doing so he rebels against the religious beliefs he inherited, his family and friends, and the deeper, and more complex struggles he faces in society as a whole. He concludes that if he is ever going to find his true soul (in his case, the soul of an artist), he must sever all bonds of faith, family, and country and then spread his wings and go follow his dream.

To be honest with you, I do not recommend this book unless you want to be confused and depressed – or, unless someone assigns it to you to read like my “ghost professor.”

Book Review: Here's the Story

I stopped by the library with Donna recently and looked in the “new books” section and found the 2008 biography of Maureen McCormick titled Here’s The Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. I love to read biographies and usually pick more, shall I say, "historical” characters, but I could not resist reading a book about one of the Brady Bunch. Because I’have always been a big Brady Bunch fan – I’have also probably seen every episode at least two or three times. At our house the girls have a running joke about me because they think my deep sayings often sound like Mr. Brady; things like, “You have to be a friend to have a friend, kids.”

But I digress; the book only takes a few pages to cover the “Brady” years. I believe Barry Williams wrote what is considered the definitive “Brady Bunch" book. Instead McCormick’s book is more of a personal memoir covering the ups and (honestly, mostly) downs of her life.

McCormick was born the same year as me, 1956, and grew up in Southern California (where she still lives with her husband and daughter today). She began her career at the tender age of six after winning the Baby Miss San Fernando Valley beauty pageant. She then appeared in numerous commercials for great sixties brands like Mattel Toys, Kool-Aid, and Mr. Bubble (to name a few). She also appeared in early episodes of some great sixties shows like Bewitched and My Three Sons before landing her role as Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch, which aired in prime time from 1969 to 1974.

McCormick clearly had her share of troubles, especially after the show ended, and she writes candidly and courageously about them. It seems most child-actors end up going down the road of drug abuse, rehab and multiple marriages. Honestly though, McCormick seems to have had an even more difficult time than most. In addition to the usual stock of downfalls McCormick also survived depression, an eating disorder, and more. Of course, all this makes her more human, and thus easy in some ways to relate to. I could see how women my age who idolized Marcia Brady could gain a sense freedom in the fact that prim and perky Marcia Brady struggled like we all do.

After kicking her drug habit, McCormick battled depression, reconnected with her mother, whom she nursed through the end of her life, and then found herself in a pitched battle for her family with her weird brother. McCormick also chronicles her faith experiences in the book. She admits that she was “not an easy or quick convert” (pg. 146). She also recounts her conversion experience where she was walking down Westwood Boulevard in LA when, suddenly and without warning, she was thrown to the ground by God. Then she saw two hands reaching down from the sky towards her; “it was Jesus,” she said (pg. 148). After that McCormick began attending a Vineyard church, but she still seems like more a a seeker to me.

The “story” has a relatively happy ending, although not everything is resolved. What's more, since “Marcia” is still alive, her story continues. This biography is definitely worth reading. I consider it a good, but not great, read. Reading the book held my attention but I did not feel as though I lwas reading a barn-burner.

Book Review: The Principle of the Path

I just finished Andy Stanley’s latest book, The Principle of the Path. I love this book. Stanley never ceases to amaze me at his ability to lay out deep spiritual truths in easy-to-understand ways. He does this in a way that makes you think, “How could I have missed that?” or, “How did he see that? I have read that passage a hundred times.”

The essence of this book is the “principle” Stanley wants to get across. Again, it is so simple, you wonder how come you haven’t picked up on it before. The 'Principle of the Path' says that the direction you are currently traveling – relationally, financially, spiritually, and so on – will determine where you end up in each of those respective areas. This principle is true regardless of your goals, your dreams, your wishes, or your wants. In other words, “The principle of the path trumps all these things. Your current direction will determine your destination” (pg. 15).

This principle explains why so many seemingly smart people – people with good intentions – often end up far from where they intended to be. They start out with a clear vision of where they want to be in five or ten years, but then they miss that destination by a mile. Why? Because the path they chose was not headed in that direction despite their best intentions. Stated positively, if you want to arrive at a certain destination, you must choose the right path. The problem, of course, is that we have a propensity for choosing paths that do not lead in the direction we say we want to go. This disconnect happens because “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Most of us actually do know what is right and true, and honorable; the problem is we are not on what Stanley calls a “truth quest.” Instead we are on what he calls a “happiness quest.” We want to feel happy - now - and our quest for happiness often overrides our appreciation for what we know is true; what we know we should do. In our pursuit for immediate happiness we refuse to delay gratification for the greater good that will come later. The answer to this problem, Stanley says, is to pursue truth; to stare it right in the eye and then pursue it, because as Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

The good thing about the principle of the path is that even though it often works to our detriment, it can also be leveraged to our advantage. Like the law of gravity it works all the time. That means just as there are paths that will led us to places we never intended to be, there are paths that will lead us away from those places as well – and paths that will lead us exactly where we want to go – the key is acknowledging the truth, and then getting on the right path to begin with; and then sticking to that path.

Most of the biblical wisdom in the book comes from Solomon and the book of Proverbs. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived (besides Jesus) and much of his wisdom is written down for us in Proverbs. Like I said above, the great thing about Andy Stanley is he takes things a step or two deeper than many teachers and he really points out places of application where we can apply these truths. One of my favorite features of the book is the questions he suggests we ask ourselves along the way to analyze why we have chosen a particular path. Questions like, “Why am I doing this, really?” And, “If someone in my circumstances came to me for advice, what course of action would I recommend?” And, “In light of my past experience, my future hopes, and my dreams, what is the wise thing to do?” This last question is probably the best one of all.

My prayer is that the next time I find myself standing at a fork in the path I will use my head more than my heart and choose wisely. After all, the direction does determine destination, every time.

Thanks Andy!

Book Review: Crazy Love

I just finished reading Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan. Amy gave me this book for my birthday (thank-you!) and I’m glad because I have heard so much about it. My overall impression of the book is that it is really good, but not necessarily life-changing.

I have decided my “less-than-over-the-top” reaction to the book stems more from unrealistic expectations of what it was going to be like rather than from any shortcoming on Francis Chan’s part. I had heard this was a life-transforming book, and it might be for some, but personally I have been wrestling with these same issues for quite a long time now (at least since I first received my call to ministry in the early 90's) so mostly what I found myself doing as I read was nodding my head thinking, “Yes, that’s right” instead of shaking it in amazement and saying, “Wow! I never thought of that,” or “Really?”

Chan describes why he wrote the book on page 168, “I wrote this book because much of our talk doesn’t match our lives. We say things like, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,’ and ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart.’ Then we live and plan like we don’t even believe God exists. We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine even if God doesn’t come through. But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God’s fidelity to his promises.”

I could not agree more. As a pastor I see this all the time. In fact, as a pastor (and as a Christian) I do it myself. I often find myself planning “exit strategies” in case God doesn’t show up, which I realize demonstrates a definite lack of faith. I did it earlier this week when the Elders and I were wrestling with whether or not to proceed with buying a piece of land for the church to eventually build on. It is a huge financial commitment for us. As I prayed through the issue I kept thinking in terms of "What if it isn't God's will" instead of boldly claiming the land, "by faith." I wish I didn’t do that. Truth is, the father's cry in Mark 9 of, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) often could be used to sum up my spiritual journey. I do believe, but then by my actions I prove I don’t really have faith.

My main criticism of the book is I don’t think Chan really provides an answer to this problem. He sees the problem is we don’t love God enough so the answer is we should love God more, but love can’t be forced, can it? Isn’t that the nature of love? The reason we don’t love God enough, according to the author, is because our understanding of God is deficient (page 22) so he proceeds to write three chapters to show us who God really is and why he is worthy of our love. He expects us to be convinced and then expects we’ll be driven to our knees in worship, which ultimately equates to love in Chan’s vocabulary. I don’t blame him for not being able to explain "how," I struggle with the same issue myself and in my church.

In the next seven chapters Chan examines what he perceives to be the sorry state of the church (apparently mainly thinking about the church in America, and in particular in Southern California). His conclusion is that we are lukewarm Christians who attend lukewarm churches spending our time striving for a life with God characterized by control, safety and an absence of suffering.

Are we “missing it?” as Chan contends? Are we even “good soil” (saved) as he asks? Do we offer God our “leftovers” instead of our best? Perhaps… probably...maybe. To the extent that we ask ourselves these questions and wrestle with the answers, the book is helpful. When it comes to the answer to the big question, yes, God is definitely the answer, and yes, God is love, but I’m not sure I’m any wiser for having been retold this so many times; mostly I just feel guilty.

Book Review: The Unforgiving Minute

I just finished a book called The Unforgiving Minute by Craig M. Mullaney. This enjoyable read is a memoir of the author’s life as a student, soldier, and veteran. The book begins with his first day at the US Military Academy at West Point. From there he survives the challenges of the US Army Ranger School, Oxford University (as a Rhodes Scholar), falling in love, and then combat in Afghanistan as a Platoon Leader. As the book ends the author is a combat veteran teaching at the US Naval Academy. As amazing and interesting as all that sounds, the story is actually deeper than that; it’s also the story of someone coming of age, finding love, dealing with disappointment in his family, wrestling with incredible disappointment in life, and finally coming to terms with life as his own man.

The title to the book comes from the last stanza of one of my favorite poems, Rudyard Kipling’s “If.”

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a man, my son!

The “unforgiving minute” the story builds toward is the riveting account of a firefight on a barren ridge in Afghanistan where Mullaney and his platoon are engaged with al-Qaeda fighters when a message crackles over the radio that one of his men is “KIA” (Killed in Action). In that one unforgiving minute everything changed. Doubt crept in. Was the loss of this soldier his fault? What could he have done different? As one reviewer said in the liner of the book, “Learning from his experience can help us face our own unforgiving minutes.” I hope it will help me with mine.

The lessons learned are many. Near the end of the book the author visits his brother who is now attending West Point himself. He sums up some of the lessons learned as he reflects on what he wants to say to his brother:

“There was so much I wanted to say to him that I wasn’t sure where to start. I wanted him to know that the greatest privilege I ever had was leading men in combat. He was going to be tested over and over again in ways he could never predict or simulate in training. There were going to be times when he would be afraid, but I wanted him to know that courage has more to do with facing that fear than forgetting it. His men would expect him to share their risks and stand with them in the storm. But they would also expect him to set a course, decide, act, and lead. He couldn’t afford to doubt himself. The only way to never make a decision he would regret would be to never make any decisions at all. Finally, I wanted to tell him that doing everything right might still entail heart-wrenching consequences. Gary would have his own unforgiving minutes, I feared, but what mattered was that he fill those minutes with ‘sixty seconds worth of distance run.’”

The book is full of leadership lessons, stories of military life (including an amazing account of what it's like to go through Ranger school) and what it’s like to be a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. I highly recommend the book. The memoir also contains some great quotes; everything from Winnie the Pooh to Napoleon and Winston Churchill. Here are a few of my favorites from the book:

In case of sudden and temporary immersion, the important thing is to keep the head above water.
- A. A. Milne, Winnie-the Pooh

Infantry platoons and squads rely on two truths:
1) In combat, infantrymen who are moving are attacking.
2) Infantrymen who are not attacking are preparing to attack.
- Infantry Field Manual (FM 3-21.8)

Do your duty – and never mind whether you are shivering or warm, sleeping on your feet or in your bed.
- Marcus Aurelius

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward.
- Soren Kierkegaard

I have not been at the front; I have been in front of it.
- Wilfred Owen, 1917

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
- Afghan Proverb

If you’re going through Hell, keep going.
- Winston Churchill

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
- Tennyson, Ulysses

The Unforgiving Minute
A Soldier's Education
by Craig M. Mullaney
© 2009 by The Penguin Press