Spiritual Rhythm by Mark Buchanan

Mark Buchanan is a Canadian pastor on Vancouver Island. This is his 6th book. I’ve read several of his books and have also heard him speak a couple of times. He’s my favourite kind of communicator, direct, real and honest.

In this book he is comparing spiritual growth to Seasons, not to the seasons of life i.e. youth, adult, senior etc. but the actual seasons of Winter, Spring Summer and Fall. He begins with a statement that generally characterizes spiritual growth, busyness = maturity, the more you do for Jesus the more spiritual you are. Recognizing the fallacy in that he adds another component, busyness+commitment=fruit. But that doesn’t seem right either. Finally (and I’m obviously paraphrasing a chapter here) he realizes that the better model of spiritual growth is Seasons. “Fruit grows in seasons and all seasons are necessary for growing it” (pg18). Each season we go through has a purpose for making us more like Christ.

Then he goes on to describe the seasons. Winter is the absence of light, of God of friends, winter is death. A stark description but true I think of many people who have at times felt far from God either because of depression or circumstances or any number of reasons. Spring is hope, renewal, new beginnings. Summer is vitality, a foretaste of heaven, a time for joy and warmth and fruitfulness. Fall is harvest; a time to reap what we’ve sown in the other seasons. Each season has its purpose and he also describes various activities that can help bring clarity to your life as you experience each season. This is a book that he has lived. There are lots of personal examples and stories.

Part 2 of the book discusses the rhythm of the seasons, and how we can join in with the rhythm of each season. Often spiritual growth is discussed in terms of balance but he says we need more than balance. He says that while staying in the boat requires balance, getting anywhere in the boat requires rhythm. “We crave balance but we need rhythm”. (pg 198) Finding the rhythm of the season that you’re in will help to propel you through that season and on to the next. Of course he ends up with some spiritual disciplines like worship, reading the Bible, prayer and community. These are watchwords of any spiritual growth discussion. But in this book these disciplines are the well of water that sustain us through each season

This is a long review but I really wanted to give you a taste of what the book is like. I found this book to be very helpful in understanding the season that I’m in and in finding value in that season. I know that you will find it valuable as well.

The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley

The Principle of the Path is not rocket science or even a brilliant new way of looking at the Will of God. What it is though, is a very readable and thoughtful book about choosing the right paths in life. If you have a high school or college or grad in your family this year, this is the book I would suggest getting for them to read.

He talks about how good intentions aren’t the fuel that’s needed to reach the destinations we choose. His premise is that the path determines the outcome. For example if you’re on a path that is leading to an unhealthy lifestyle, that’s the destination you will reach no matter how much you may want to be healthy. You need to choose another path, i.e. a healthy lifestyle to get the desired destination.

The rest of the book fleshes out that premise. There are plenty of biblical stories and illustrations that help to prove his point. One part that particularly resonated with me was his statement that “Divine direction begins with unconditional submission. Not information” (pg.88). I think most of us would prefer the information first but that’s not always how it works.

Ultimately there’s nothing new in this book especially if you’ve been a Christian for a long time and have done a lot of reading on finding the will of God. However, what makes this book worth picking up is its readability and common sense approach. There’s something here for everyone who needs help in finding the right path.

Wrestling with Angels by Carolyn Arends

Carolyn Arends is a Christian music artist who also writes books. I don’t listen to much Christian music but I was able to attend a concert of her at Christmas time and while I enjoyed her music what I enjoyed more was her story telling. She is a natural story teller which also comes out in the songs that she writes.

The book is about faith and doubt. It’s a personal story but with universal application and appeal. The stories revolve around her questions and sometimes the answers that she arrives at during her questioning. There’s a lot of biography in it and some of my favourite stories were ones that included Rich Mullins a friend of hers and a favourite musician of mine.

Carolyn’s wrestling with questions that I think we all have. One of the final paragraphs in her book will give you a clue as to the kind of writing you will encounter if you pick this book up to read. Speaking of Pascal’s “God-shaped vacuum” quote she says, “calling this vacuum God –shaped may seem like a leap, unless of course you encounter a God whom you cannot prove exists, but nonetheless fits the hole in your soul like a key in a lock.”(pg. 232). I like that.

Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer

I often buy a book just because I like the title, and I liked this title. In this case though, I actually knew who Michael Spencer was and that was enough to make me want to pick up this book when I saw the title. Most of my friends know that I am an avid reader of blogs. A couple of years ago, I came across Michael’s blog called The Internet Monk. He was an ex-pastor with a Master’s Degree in Theology. I enjoyed his blog for its honest and often humorous look at Christians and the church. Michael passed away after a brief battle with Cancer, in early 2010. This book had just been finished and was in the process of being published when he died.

Mere Churchianity is written to people who are leaving the church. Michael assumes that these are sincere Christians who love God but who are finding that the church has disconnected somehow from Jesus. The first few chapters describe these types of churches. In this book he’s talking against the churches that have become institutions unto themselves; ones for whom the program is more important than the message. He says these are churches interested more in numbers than individuals and budgets than helping the poor.

As a former church staff person there is much that I agreed with. As a former church staff person responsible for discipleship and leadership training there is much that I disagreed with as I read this book. To read his book you would think that there were no churches all that were worth attending. I happen to know that’s not true. I know there are sincere people on church staffs who want nothing more than for people to know Jesus and to mentor them in their faith. One of my favourite quotes from the books is “You have a mission from your King. The church is called to serve and resource you as you live the Jesus –filled life in the world. (pg. 158) I think that would be a great mission statement for a church, simple and to the point.

While he seems to be applauding people who leave the church to make their own spiritual path he does insist that this must be done in some sort of community. He is not at all insisting that people try to follow Jesus all on their own. He says that a Jesus-shaped Spirituality is both personal and communal.

If you’re easily offended, you might not like this book, but you should probably read it anyway. This book will challenge you and your assumptions about church and Christianity.

The Me I want to Be by John Ortberg

I've read a lot of books about spiritual growth over the years, alot of them have been by John Ortberg. He is one of my favourite authors and speakers. Some of his other titles are "Everybody's normal till you get to know them", "If you want to walk on water you've got to get out of the boat" and "The Life you've always wanted" to name just three of them. His writing is clear, entertaining and thought provoking. And I generally find lots that I can apply to my life. So, because I've read so many of his books I did wonder if he would have anything new or different to say to me.

I was hooked in the first chapter. He introduces his book by saying that only God knows my full potential and that He is guiding me toward the best version of myself all the time. My uniqueness is designed by God and my spiritual growth is best accomplished when I keep that in mind.

Chapter 4 was my favourite. Find out how you grow. He says that God does not do "one size fits all". What works for one person may not work for me. This made me feel better about not having devotions in the morning. I'm not a morning person, I don't want to talk to anyone in the morning, even God! So normally I will read my Bible and pray in the evening and I enjoy it much more. And God is ok with this. Ortberg says "sustainable spiritual growth happens when I actually want to do what I ought to do (pg.53).

The rest of the book is about finding those things that you want to do that will help you mature and grow in the spiritual life. He talks about temperament; he talks about finding those things that block your growth; he talks about relationships and prayer. His suggestions are practical and filled with grace.

If other spiritual growth books have left you feeling guilty or lazy or both then you owe it to yourself to read this one.

Find your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

Have you ever wondered if you can or should “have it all”? Does life feel seriously out of whack? Is a balanced life really attainable? These are questions that Marcus Buckingham confronts in his new book, Find your Strongest Life. The tag line is What the happiest and most successful women do differently. He says that a strong life isn’t about what you do but what you feel and he defines success as “feeling effective and capable.” Find Your Strongest Life is positive, affirming and challenging. It acknowledges the complicated lives women lead and offers help in finding focus and clarity. It’s the next best thing to having a personal life coach

I found this book to be very helpful. If you’re worried about a man writing a book like this for women, don’t be. He has a lot of experience in counseling and coaching and really seems to understand women. In fact reading the book felt like being in a coaching session with lots of good advice and information to help you move forward in your life. In addition, the book is full of stories from women who are moving forward and finding their strongest life. He’s formulated nine life roles that he says identifies women’s character. He’s developed a test to help the reader discover lead and supporting roles. There is a detailed description of each role and suggestions on how to make the most of your role.

I recently had a few friends over for dinner and we ended up spending part of the evening talking about the book. Everyone took the online test and we read the descriptions and discussed how right on most of them were for us. That made me realize that one of the best uses of this book might be in small group discussions. Read if for yourself first and then join with other women to discuss and really make the most of what you’ve read.

Fearless by Max Lucado

“Imagine your life without fear” and “What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats?” These two phrases alone would be worth the price of the book. But it gets better. This is a great book, one for our uncertain and fear-filled times. Max Lucado fans won’t need a reason to buy this book, but this is a book that everyone else should read as well.

The chapters describe different types of fear and how trust in God allays those fears. Some of the titles include, fear of not mattering, fear of not protecting my kids (every parent should read that chapter), fear of worst case scenarios etc. Each chapter is filled with personal illustrations and stories of people overcoming their fears. He also gives practical advice, for instance 8 worry-stoppers is a list worth pinning up on the bulletin board and taking to heart.

Max is a great writer; the man knows how to turn a phrase and make it sing. Often I would find myself re-reading passages not just because the content was great but because it was so well put together. But even if you don’t appreciate good prose you will appreciate the content and what he has to say about fear and trusting God.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

In Crazy Love, Francis Chan attempts to mobilize a sleeping, lukewarm church into action. The first chapter is entitled, Stop Praying. By which he means we should stand before God in awe and silence, drinking in who He is and what He’s done for us. The first three chapters describe the greatness of God in creation, in what He did for us and is doing for us. The rest of the book talks about how we should live our lives in light of the fact that God loves us so much.

Chan is passionate about this subject. He really wants us to get it. So much so that he often comes across in his writing as an angry or maybe disappointed parent wishing his children would understand what he’s trying to teach them. He has some harsh things to say about lukewarm Christians and whether or not you can really be lukewarm and a Christian. One of the things he does in the book is to keep directing us back to the website and videos he’s done on the subject... The videos are good but it distracted me from reading the book.

Ultimately though, despite the tone and distractions this is a challenging book. It will challenge you to really think about God and the place He has in your life. It will challenge you to live your life as if you really do believe that the God of the universe does love and care for you. And because of that, it’s worth reading.

Let Go by Sheila Walsh

I have a confession to make. I’ve never read a Shelia Walsh book before, nor have I heard very much of her music. I tend not to listen to Christian music much and as a single woman I find that I don’t usually relate to most women’s books with their family and marriage illustrations. So it was with some trepidation that I opened Let Go.

Happily, I enjoyed the book and found much in it that I will need to think about and continue to apply to my own life. I found her to be an easy writer to read. Her style is warm and comfortable, almost like a conversation over a cup of coffee. Her topic is not always warm and comfortable. There are things to make you think and concepts to wrestle with and these apply whether you are a single or married woman.

What I liked most about the book is that she doesn’t try to give easy answers. This isn’t a how-to book. I think it’s more of a theology of freedom and deliverance. From it we learn what God can do, how He accomplished it in the life of the writer and her family and how He will continue to accomplish it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6).

If you are a woman burdened by life this book will give you the tools to find freedom in Christ and let go.