LEARNING TO WORK TOGETHER - A GUIDE TO GOOD TEAMWORK

Trauma in church leadership teams can derail our efforts to be open to God, hope and mission. When pastors and deacons lock horns over who holds authority, when senior pastors and youth pastors fail to understand one another’s passions, when couples in ministry are on different wavelengths, when teams fail to develop trust and sweep conflict under the carpet, and when leaders refuse to be accountable, it can make for a traumatic experience for all involved.

     If I lead a church with active evangelism, authentic worship and widespread community engagement, but lack healthy teamwork, I know the church will not be reaching its potential.

     The best book on teamwork I have discovered is The Five Dysfunctions of TEAM. It is easy to read because most of the book is a story of new CEO Kathryn and her executives overcoming the natural but dangerous pitfalls Lencioni says can undermine any team:

    DARREN CRONSHAW writes about the best book he's ever read on working in a team...  | more... |

THOUGHTS ON A CHAPLAIN'S LIFE

A Chaplain Remembers is the memoirs of the ministry and career of Alan Wright and his inspiration for the William Carey Chapel. While chaplain at Carey Baptist Grammar School in Melbourne, Wright travelled overseas in 1966 on a Staff Travel Scholarship and had three significant experiences.

     First, he visited India and saw where William Carey had pioneered churches and schools, and pursued agricultural and translation work. He also visited a Gandhian-style Ashram with a secondary school where students studied academically and engaged in community development projects. They reflected and practiced how “to build a better world”. Carey and the Ashram inspired in Wright a renewed commitment to “engaged spirituality”.

     Second, he was inspired by Outward Bound’s capacity to turn on the “light in their eyes” of youth. Whereas secondary schooling can degenerate into a narrow academic sorting process whose pressure cooking works only for some, the active learning typified by Outward Bound engages students in experience and community issues and allows space for broader human values.

    DARREN CRONSHAW finds much to think about in Alan Wright's reflections on his time as chaplain at Melbourne's Carey Baptist Grammar School...  | more... |

A USER'S GUIDE TO TAKING A SABBATICAL

I turned to this book with a dream for an enriching adventure of long-service leave. It is good to have downtime each day, a day off each week, and holidays each year. But it is also helpful, I understand, to have sabbatical time every six to 10 years.

     In my work context, pastoral ministry, the experienced pastors say sabbaticals are essential for long-lasting and freshly energised ministry. I want to take my family on a family-bonding and perspective-broadening experience. And I want to have break that is out-of-the-box of my usual activities. I know this is something others do, and many more dream about. But I am curious how this is possible and what others do.

     This book is a treasure trove of ideas from those who have taken extended time-off. It responds to the excuses people use not to go (“I don’t have the money”, “I can’t find the time”, “My family and coworkers won’t go along” and simply “I can’t do that”).

    DARREN CRONSHAW on a how-to book all about taking a break... | more... |

LEARNING FROM BENEDICT

Benedict is becoming a hero of mine. I have reencountered his thought from Joan Chittister, a thoughtful and poetic writer who draws deeply on Benedict’s monastic life and Rule and points her readers in helpful directions for living an extraordinary life. I am curious to consider why Benedict appeals to me and why Chittister’s work was such good news for a recent retreat in everyday life.

     It might be because of Benedict’s challenge to stability, in contrast to our age of mobility and my tendency to look for the next best thing.

"Stability is not in vogue

In a world

obsessed with change.

The world tells us to move on

when things get hard.

This world tells us to start over

rather than to finish what we have begun." (p. 163).

     It might be because of his encouragement of leaders to be humble and mutual yet always carve out new directions and risk new questions, to help the community “to stretch it to the full height and breadth and depth of itself”.

    DARREN CRONSHAW reviews Joan Chittister's book drawing on the teaching of Benedict...  | more... |

AN INVENTIVE LOOK AT LIFE IN NEW TESTAMENT PERGAMUM

My son, who is in Grade 5, developed a keen interest in history early this year. By coincidence, I came across a book called The Lost Letters of Pergamum. I thought it might be a good book for me to read with my son. Last month we spent some time every other night to read it together. It was an amazing experience, to say the least.

     Pergamum is one of the seven cities mentioned in the book of Revelation. It was to the seven churches in these cities that John wrote Revelation. The main character of The Lost Letters of Pergamum is Antipas, who once resided in Pergamum, and his name is mentioned in Revelation 2: 13. The book consists of a collection of fictional correspondences between Antipas and Luke (the writer of Luke’s Gospel), as well as a few other Christians in late first century.

     Antipas is portrayed as a nobleman of high social standing, whose allegiance was to Caesar Domitian (who was Roman Emperor from AD 81 to 96). His interest in literature and history drew him to Luke and his monograph on the life of Jesus, which turned out to be Luke’s Gospel, as we know it today.

    SIU FUNG WU on an imaginative book about Pergamum's early Christian history that he was able to share with his son... | more... |

WHEN COURAGE COUNTS - FROST AND HIRSCH LOOK AT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE "LEAP OF FAITH" IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK

One of the main qualities I need as a pastor is courage. My leadership motto, inspired by systems thinking, is “courage and calmness”. I need courage to lead in new directions and to help us tackle big issues, but also calmness to help steer through any necessary conflict and keep us focused on what matters most. In our church we are looking at “the Fruit of the Spirit” soon, but I reckon alongside our journey from love to self-control, we also need to ask the Spirit of God to grow courage in us.

     Where is this kind of courage we need found in the Bible? In leaving the place he was comfortable and accepting his mandate to bless the nations, Abraham exemplifies this kind of risk, adventure and courage. It was a leap of faith, or as Frost and Hirsch call it a “faith of leap”. Joseph in Egypt, Jonah on the sea, David in the caves, and Ruth as a refugee all show courage in the face of threat, exile and condemnation.

ced throughout the book and form an interesting appendix.

    DARREN CRONSHAW writes about a new book looking at why bravery matters...  | more... |

A "GUIDEBOOK FOR MID-LIFE TRANSITION"

I’m 39, so have been thinking and reflecting about my first half of life, and dreaming about my next half - getting ready for my midlife crisis. As such I have appreciated reading Falling Upward by Franciscan priest Richard Rohr. It is a guidebook is useful for those of us in the midst of midlife transition, but also for those who are older wanting to understand what they have gone through, or for those who are younger wanting to plan and prepare.

     Rohr invites us to welcome and celebrate the journey from the first half of life to the second half. The first half of life does tend to be driven by a desire to establish ourselves, to build our careers and/or start our families, to mortgage to buy a house. As we get older - and especially as we encounter tragedy, confusion, failure, difficult relationships or perplexing ideas - we realise our boundaries and security were not as sure as we had presumed.

    DARREN CRONSHAW reads a book to help us move on to the next stage of life... | more... |

"BLUE OCEAN" THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

Alan Hirsch's writings are like old friends that help me think and act as a missionary in suburban Melbourne. Hirsch is a missional catalyst and founder of Forge Mission Training Network which I have been part of since 1995.

     In this latest volume, Hirsch has teamed up with Dave Ferguson who leads Community Christian Church (a pioneer of the multi-site model for North American megachurches) and New Thing Network (championing all sorts of reproducing churches and smaller-scale missional experiments). (See also David Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Movement, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010). Hirsch and Ferguson have been part of Future Travellers, a cluster of initially 12 churches seeking to implement the best of organic missional principles alongside existing mega-church models of growth. Their stories are spiced throughout the book and form an interesting appendix.

    DARREN CRONSHAW writes about a new resource on missions... | more... |

LESSONS FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW IN HOW TO NURTURE FAITH IN THE FAMILY

God is a welcoming God who likes people and wants to invite us to join in with God’s story, God’s plan, God’s business in God’s world.

     The Gospel of Matthew is full of invitation for people of all ages and levels of interest to discover what it is to live a Jesus-inspired life of love and justice.

     And we learn best as we learn from one another, in community, and mixed together with people of different ages and different backgrounds. Schools might age-segregate and ability-stream children, but churches and families will learn best as we learn from one another.

     These are the three basic frameworks or assumption of Welcoming Families.

     But the main idea it inspired in me is to be open and creative in inviting those I live and do life with to think about and act on the ways of Jesus. It has challenged me to help family and friends make natural connections between faith and the Bible with everyday life and the dilemmas of the world.

    DARREN CRONSHAW writes about a new resource for families... | more... |

OPENING UP THE BIBLE WITH GREATER UNDERSTANDING

The great thing about this book is the encouragement it provides for reading your Bible. The authors provide a range of simple 'tools' through which to access your Bible which are easy to use but also, even for someone who's been reading the Bible for many years, can give a new insight.

    Dig Deeper begins with considering what type of book the Bible is and how we should read it. The authors describe the Bible as divine as well human, containing stories about real people in real situations. It is alive - revealing God’s truth by the Spirit’s revelation - and not a dead history. Most importantly, it shows that God is in charge.

     The 16 tools include a "genre tool" which looking at understanding how the books of the Bible need to be read in terms of the genre in which they fit in - as poetry, for example, a "repetition tool" which looks at how repetition is used to emphasise a point, and a "linking words tool" which examines how words are used to show cause and effect.

    LINDA ADAMS on a book that helps you to get more out your Bible reading... | more... |

WELCOME MAT A "TOOLBOX OF IDEAS" FOR GETTING INTO THE BIBLE

Welcome Mat is a 262-page toolbox of ideas and principles for family mission, worship and Bible-engagement.

     Written initially for Scripture Union Family Mission Teams, it is relevant for anyone working with children, teenagers and their families. It digs into nine passages from the Gospel of Matthew – from Christmas to Easter and an exciting adventure of risk and trust in between.

     Beth Barnett’s vision is to invite people of all ages to question the Bible, process it, imagine themselves in it and grapple with appropriate responses: “If we want to get to know God, nothing can replace the centrality of engaging with the Bible (led by the Spirit). If opening the Bible is a hands-on, read-the-text-heaps, experiential, open event, there will be plenty of room for the whole person to be engaged – cognitively, physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

    DARREN CRONSHAW on a remarkable resource... | more... |

FIJI'S RECENT HISTORY COMES INTO FOCUS

This collection of articles is an important account of the background to the December 2006 military coup in Fiji. Recently a former military officer and close associate of Commodore Bainimarama, Tevita Mara, has defected from Fiji. His visit to Australia has given life to a political movement that seeks the restoration of a non-racialist Fijian form of parliamentary democracy.

     The study confirms that there is a persistent structural problem which is going to have to be addressed if and when the Fijian miliary (the RFMF) returns to barracks. That is its place in Fijian governance. Fijian society now inextricably interwoven with the military institution which has only grown from strength to strength with the emergence of "coup culture" from Colonel Rabuka's coups in 1987.

     Of special interest to Sight readers will be the chapter nine by Linda Newland 'Religion and Politics: the Christian churches and the 2006 coup in Fiji'. Back in the mid-19th century missionaries, as part of the taken-for-granted work of Australian and New Zealand Methodist colonists, brought the Gospel to the people of the South Pacific islands. Tonga and Fiji are very much indebted to their Methodist heritage.

    BRUCE C. WEARNE on a book which puts Fiji's recent history into context... | more... |

HEARTLAND'S INVITATION TO "EMBRACE A DREAM OF UNITY"

If we would need four to eight planets for everyone in the world to live like we in Australia do, what would it be like to live in a post-industrial-reliant world? Charles Fivaz's Heartland: A Parable offers one imaginative 22nd century narrative.

     Indigenous people have returned to a subsistence hunting and gathering lifestyle, but four different tribes still suffer from themes of our day – pride, exclusion, distrust.  The writer, from his experience in South Africa and Australia, knows what it is to experience prejudice, conflict and exclusion. He explores yearnings for journeying, belonging, and dreaming and acting for a better world.

      The story at one level one is of a young girl, Hannah, on an unexpected and spontaneous journey of exploration as she comes of age. She is searching for her identity and her tribal origins. One of her diary entries describes her gladness to learn of her history: “These are my roots. It’s about where I come from. My story is older than I thought and has unfolded in ways I never knew about”.

    DARREN CRONSHAW reads Charles Fivaz's parable of the 22nd century... | more... |

TACKLING THE SELF-ESTEEM DELUSION

Grace v Self-Esteem is the provocative title of the first book from Australian author Brett Glover. It is a book that is worth taking note of, having won the Review’s Choice in the CALEB Awards for faith-inspired writing.

     As the title suggests, Glover takes an informed swipe at the self-esteem industry our modern society, psychology and education system relies heavily upon. He suggests that self-esteem can easily become another name for hubris. A focus on high self-esteem, rather than being the answer to individual and societal problems, can have the opposite effect, creating a selfish and self-absorbed society. As Glover points out, most perpetrators of violent crime do not suffer from low self-esteem, but rather high, narcissistic, self-esteem.

     The ‘positive self-esteem’ worldview that has become dominant in the West, with the laudable aims of improving the lot of society and individuals, has inexplicably walked down the well-worn path of selfishness and pride that actually creates unhappiness and problems. Glover quotes numerous statistics to document this process.

     PAUL CLARK reviews Brett Glover's debut book... | more... |

UNTAMED TEARS AWAY THE CONVENTIONS OF OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH GOD, CULTURE, SELF-IMAGE AND MISSION

My response to Untamed reminds me of two boys in a fight. Their mum was cooking breakfast and Eddie and Murray fought over who would eat the first pancake. Mum in her loving wisdom saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "Boys, boys", she pleaded, "don’t argue – if Jesus was here He’d say "Let my brother have the first pancake’’. Mum was pleased when Murray’s eyes grew large with understanding. Murray turned to his younger brother and offered, “Eddie...you be Jesus.”

     I also tend to turn for a religion that suits me and a way to follow Jesus I choose. But that smooth path turns faith into a consumer product, which like everything else is only good as long as it helps happy living and getting what we want. Untamed is a useful guidebook for the adventure along a different path. Alan and Debra Hirsch tag-team in helping us untame God, culture, self-image and mission.

     They untame (our idea of) God, seeing God not in our own image but through a fresh picture of Jesus. Jesus was remarkably accepting of broken and bent people and the Hirschs ask, “What is it about the holiness of Jesus that caused ‘sinners’ to flock to him like a magnet and yet manages to seriously antagonise the religious people?...Why does our more churchy form of holiness seem to get it the other way around?”

    DARREN CRONSHAW finds Untamed a confronting read... | more... |

EXAMINING THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN PUBLIC JUSTICE, WITH CALVIN IN MIND

This volume is the translation of an early work of Herman Dooyeweerd (1894-1977), originally written and published in Dutch in 1931. It is the summation of extensive study made while he was a policy researcher for the Abraham Kuyper Foundation, think-tank of the major Calvinist political party in The Netherlands. It contains an initial systematic formulation of the Christian philosophy that is associated with his name.

         The term Calvinist in the book's title, will for some suggest a political justification of the doctrine of predestination and the Biblical teaching of the "chosen people". Such a suspicion is not entirely unwarranted, given for example the historic connections between Dutch reformed theology and the apartheid ideology in South Africa. But readers of Dooyeweerd's work will discover that his "reformational" perspective is cut from another cloth. This is no work of Protestant triumphalism. It self-critically maintains a critical distance from the worldly pride that has repeatedly dogged many political contributions of those claiming a Calvinistic inheritance since the 16th and 17th centuries.

     BRUCE C. WEARNE looks at a new translation of Herman Dooyeweerd's book... | more... |

MAKING THE MOST OF VIRTUAL RELATIONSHIPS

Like 600 million people around the world and 10 million other Australians, I’m a Facebook user. Facebook has helped me connect with high school friends, keep in touch with family and friends living far away, discuss spirituality and theology, ask for advice on gardening and parenting, share photos with family, connect people with church, and communicate with other networks in which I have an interest.

     It has its downsides – it adds to information overload, can become obsessive, increases expectations of accessibility, and lacks non-verbal conversational cues. The reality is I can’t have deep friendships with my 1,143 FB friends (who’s counting?). But just as I need a few close friends, a lot of acquaintances help me make the most out of life. Friendship is a gift and is part of who and what we are created for. When communication technology can enhance relationships I welcome it.

     Lynne Baab, a Presbyterian minister teaching pastoral theology at the University of Otago in New Zealand, wrote Friending to bring together some of her key interests: friendship, spiritual formation and communication technology. She explores how the internet enhances or detracts from friendship.

    DARREN CRONSHAW on a new book that explores relationships in the world of social networking... | more... |

LEARNING FROM A COFFEE KING - HOW TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST

Howard Behar was the organisational leader who helped grow Starbucks from 28 stores to a world-renowned brand with thousands of stores worldwide. His book is an inspiring story of fostering humanity in an organisation. Behar describes his leadership principles, illustrated with stories of where Starbucks put people first while juggling challenges of exponential growth. It is interesting because it is about coffee but relevant because its principles are applicable to church. Behar prompted me to ask dozens of questions about humanity in church life.

     He places a big priority on people, teams, trust and caring like you really mean it: “People come before the coffee. After all, people grow the coffee, choose the coffee, ship the coffee, roast the coffee, brew and serve the coffee – and enjoy the coffee”. His passion prompted me to see people as more important than my resume as pastor, and to ask how can I cultivate that attitude in others? How can I grow a fruitful church and not compromise my sense of humanity? How can I make a big deal of each person?

    DARREN CRONSHAW looks at the lessons the church can learn from...Starbucks... | more... |

A PRIMER ON UNDERSTANDING SHARIA LAW IN THE WESTERN WORLD

This is not a critical review. Instead, I would strongly recommend this collection of essays to readers of Sight. Those seeking a Christian political response to the issues that have been raised about minority Muslim communities, whether as migrants or asylum seekers, will find helpful insight and analysis in this book.

     When I began writing this review, the internet was all a twitter with news of the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. This seemed an apt moment to pen this review, but I should add that this book is not about Al-Qaeda. The notorious terrorist organisation is mentioned once, and in passing, when the two editors describe "The Topography of Shari'a in the Western Political Landscape."

     Their focus, rather, is in the book's title: Shari'a in the West. In the initial chapter they discuss the difference between Islam and Islamism, and the prospects for the various reform movements within Islam. So I have no doubt that this book would have been written differently if "9/11" had not happened, but even with the death of Bin Laden important issues of jurisprudence still have to be addressed in our political life in the years ahead.

    BRUCE C. WEARNE takes a look that tackles the issue of Sharia law in the Western world... | more... |

HUMAN RIGHTS 101

What are human rights essentially? How do they concern us as Christians? And how can we act locally and globally for justice? If you or a small group are looking for a resource to help you understand and take action, here are two excellent introductory primers to get started.

     The No-Nonsense Guide to Human Rights

     This pocket-sized book is written by a pair of human rights advocates and researchers to help us understand the foundations, history and strategies of the human rights movement.

     In 135 pages it introduces the remarkable progress in recognising human rights since World War II, the international laws that have developed and the struggle to uphold them. It offers principles and stories that helped me grapple with the issues behind contemporary politically hot questions:

    DARREN CRONSHAW takes a look at two recent releases looking at the issue of human rights... | more... |

GOD AND GOVERNMENT EXPLORES AN OFTEN FRAUGHT RELATIONSHIP

This collection of essays by ten competent British Christian writers is the outcome of a creative joint project between Theos, an ecumenical "public theology think tank" located in London and the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics, at Tyndale House, Cambridge, England.

     The book formed the basis of a "God and Governance" conference held in Saint Matthew's church, Westminster, 10th November, 2010. The aim was to explore what such Christian reflection has to say about the vital issues of government in Britain today.

     Chaplin, Spencer and Wright are featured in the book along with seven other writers, academics, journalists and churchmen.

     Nigel Wright, former president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and principal of Spurgeon's College, outlines in his essay, "Government as an ambiguous power", what he believes are the implicit ambiguities of government. In order to clear a path for Christian political thought and action he outlines what the separation of church and state does and does not mean.

    BRUCE C. WEARNE on take a look at a book exploring some of the thorny issues surrounding church and state... | more... |

LOOKING DEEPER AT ISLAM'S INFLUENCE IN AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST NEIGHBOUR

On reading Pringle's book, I spent a few minutes on Wikipedia looking at all the countries in our South West Pacific region. I thought a rough calculation of the population of our country in relation to our region would provide a rule of thumb for how, at least in terms of population, Australia compares with our region and with Indonesia (and Malaysia) to the north.

      Interestingly, Malaysia, with 13 states and three federal territories has a population not much larger than Australia with 27.5 million people. But Indonesia is a much larger federal polity, with 240 million, and 33 provinces over 17,508 islands! Papua and West Papua, which since 2003 have been administered in two separate Indonesian provinces, have a combined population of 3.25 million. So, if I include them with East Timor as part of (historic) Melanesia - and thus as part of the (historic) South West Pacific region - then we can say that Australia with 22 million accounts for 56 per cent of the 40 million in this region.

    BRUCE C. WEARNE on why Robert Pringle's Understanding Islam is an important read for Australians... | more... |

YANCEY CONFRONTS TOUGH QUESTIONS IN WHAT GOOD IS GOD?

This book - and its challenging title - is typical of Philip Yancey - responding to questions many of us don’t dare to ask. Yancey introduces his theme in the forward: "I keep leaving home in quest of what happens when the faith I write about in a mountain cabin confronts the real world. Does it work?"

     When disaster, natural or manmade, hits our lives, our community, our nation, our world, it is natural to ask why and look for where God in it. If you expect an answer to why these things happen, this book is not for you, but if you want to see God in the centre of lives despite horrific circumstances, read on. Yancey sees these events and the aftermath as a testing time, to see how faith works itself out and how a belief in a loving God makes a difference.

     There are 10 chapters in which the author describes the event or circumstances, the people involved and the pain and grief which result. The second part of each chapter is Yancey’s response in the form of a talk which explores the event, tries to process it and to see God at work in it.

    CAROLE ADAMS finds lots of questions and no easy answers in Philip Yancey's What Good Is God?... | more... |

LOOKING FOR THE REAL YOU?

Who are you? No, really, who are you? It’s this question that lies at the heart of Mark Sayers’ book, The Vertical Self - a book which attempts to explain why it is we struggle so hard to find our identity in God. And what we can do about it.

     The book starts with an explanation of what Sayers’ means by the term ‘vertical self’ - in a nutshell, looking to God as the authority instead of our peers or the media - and then goes on to explain the sorts of identities we can assume when we take the wrong path.

     Particularly interesting was Sayers’ discussions of the origins of the words ‘cool’ and ‘sexy’ - in the end just another attempt to define ourselves without reference to God.

     He then looks at tough question of what it truly means to be holy, a concept which Sayers says doesn’t mean fleeing from the world or being scared of becoming a “Christian dork” and embracing the world’s values, but rather understanding that God’s interest in our lives extends far beyond the moment of our salvation to the daily challenges we face.

    DAVID ADAMS reads Mark Sayers' latest book, The Vertical Self... | more... |

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS TO BIG QUESTIONS IN THE GOD I DON'T UNDERSTAND

I wholeheartedly recommend Dr Christopher Wright’s The God I Don’t Understand to everyone. Christopher Wright is a respected scholar in the Old Testament, and was formerly the principal of All Nations Christian College, a leading mission training college in England. Currently he is the director of Langham Partnership International, and the chair of the Theological Resource Panel of TEAR Fund, UK.

     The God I Don’t Understand is easy-to-read, honest, and full of insights. It seeks to answer four questions:

• What about evil and suffering?

• What about the Canaanites? (That is, how come such violence can be found in the Bible?

• What about the cross?

• What about the end of the world?

     Christopher Wright is gentle, Biblical and not dogmatic. He deals with the problem of evil and suffering skilfully. He insightfully says that while we often ask ‘why does God allow pain and suffering?,’ the people in the Bible more often ask ‘how long, Lord?’. This is so true!

    SIU FUNG WU finds some lucid anwers to tough questions... | more... |

UNCOVERING THE CHALLENGING TRUTHS OF JAMES

James is one of those books of the Bible that many of us are probably guilty of overlooking a bit (and may even struggle to find when the preacher asks us to turn to it). But while it’s only five chapters long, there’s much here – as Jim Reiher shows us - to chew over.

     Reiher’s take on this epistle, which is believed to have been written by James, the brother of Jesus and an important figure in the early church, provides a refreshing look at the issues which he shows are just as relevant today as they were when it was written almost 2,000 years ago.

     He starts in part I by looking at how James has been, in his view, wrongly interpreted in the past. Contrary to the opinions of some James, he says, should not be read as a “string of beads” but as a cohesive whole which was addressing issues of real import to those it was written to.

     DAVID ADAMS find fresh perspective in Jim Reiher's James: Peace Activist And Advocate For The Poor... | more... |

WHAT DIFFERENCE DO IT MAKE? AN HONEST AND CHALLENGING LOOK AT AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP

This book builds on the extraordinary influence of its predecessor, Same Kind of Different As Me. It tells stories of how readers of that book were influenced by the story of wealthy art dealer Ron, and homeless man Denver, and their initial reluctance and then determined perseverance to bring good news to the poor.

     The inspiration behind this story, though, is Ron's now deceased wife, Debbie, as she struggles and eventually succumbs to the ravages of cancer. Throughout this short but moving account, tales of Debbie's humility and determination to make a difference abound.

     The stories in What Difference Do It Make? are ones of hope amidst suffering, and of resilience in the midst of heartache. What I love about Denver's story in particular is that he tells it like it is, in his own language. There is no pretence, and no feeble attempts at respectability. It is just Denver, the way God made him. One of the points Denver brings across in different ways throughout this tome is that, if you want to know what it's like to be homeless, don't go to a conference on homelessness, but speak to someone who actually is or has been homeless (or better still, spend a few nights on the streets with them).

     NILS VON KALM is challenged and inspired by the relationship between a homeless man and a wealthy art dealer in What Difference Do It Make?... | more... |

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AMID AN EPIDEMIC OF DEPRESSION

This very good book starts by hammering home some truths that speak powerfully to our Western way of living and explain quite clearly how depression has become nothing less than an epidemic in our culture. The author, Stephen Ilardi, highlights the fact that our modern way of living is a wonderful recipe for depression.

     Although written primarily for a US-based audience, our very similar lifestyle in Australia makes this book particularly relevant for us too. Some of the facts that the author points out are the following:

     • The only American people group that hasn't been hit by the epidemic of depression are the Amish - and we all know their slow-paced lifestyle;

     •  In third-world countries, the rate of depression is a fraction of that in the West. But it has begun to increase in those countries that are moving from a more traditional-based lifestyle to a more American (read Australian) one;

     • Modern day hunter gatherer groups, like the Kaluli people of the PNG highlands, have almost no incidence of depression at all; and,

     • Despite the soaring rate of antidepressant use in recent years, the rate of depression is actually increasing.

     NILS VON KALM finds some interesting ideas about combatting depression in Stephen Ilardi's book, The Depression Cure... | more... |

FINDING COURAGE IN A SOCIETY GRIPPED BY FEAR

To be honest, I wasn't all that keen on this book when I first saw it. I imagined that it would be like just another self-help book when we need books about how we can give and show God's love to the world.However, knowing of Max Lucado's high regard, I gave it a go. Upon going through this book, my initial response just proved the old adage that you can't judge a book by its cover (or in my case, by its title!).

     As I began reading, I realised how much I wanted to be a person of faith and not fear. I truly felt inspired. The truth that this is a book for our times is evidenced in the fact - which Lucado states - that ordinary children today are more fearful than psychiatric patients were in the 1950s, and that, for the first time since the end of the Second World War, parents expect that life for the next generation will be worse than it was for them. 

     By taking the reader through many of the most common fears that a believer faces, the message that Lucado constantly reiterates is that you are special. His knowledge of the topic is clearly substantiated in such statements such as 'fear, at its centre, is a loss of control', and 'fear has never been famous for its logic'.

     NILS VON KALM reads Max Lucado's latest book, Fearless... | more... |

GEORGE MCARDLE'S AMAZING JOURNEY FROM WORLD-RENOWNED MUSICIAN TO MAN OF GOD

Help Is On Its Way
Curiosity Killed The Cat
Happy Anniversary
Reminiscing…

     This is the story of George McArdle, highly acclaimed bass player for the Little River Band (LRB) whose search for truth led him to God.

     LRB hit rock 'n' roll heights and, at the summit, George found his Maker, only to walk away from it all.

     The first Australian group to make the US top 10, the gold record achieving LRB played every major venue in North America alongside bands such as The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, the Doobie Brothers and Santana to audiences numbering more than 80,000.

     GURYEL ALI writes about a book which explores the "rags to real riches" life of LRB member George McArdle... | more... |

ANOTHER WAY TO LOVE HAS A CHALLENGE FOR US ALL

In Another Way To Love, World Vision chief executive Tim Costello talks about the “two bookends” of his faith - Matthew 25: 31-46, a passage in which Jesus highlights the importance of helping the hungry, thirsty or the stranger who needs clothes, is sick or in prison, and Matthew 28: 18-20 in which Jesus tells His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations”.

     Both passages are at the heart of what the Gospel - and Another Way To Love - is all about.

     Edited by Tim Costello and Rod Yule - global education officer for World Vision Australia, the book contains 12 essays which examine the issues of global poverty and justice and look at what the Bible says about a Christian’s involvement in advocating on behalf of the poor and gives an overview of some of the major campaigns taking place today - everything from Make Poverty History and Micah Challenge to efforts to address issues ranging from fairtrade to climate change to child slavery.

     DAVID ADAMS takes a look at Another Way To Love... | more... |

BARACK OBAMA ASKS KEY QUESTIONS IN DREAMS FROM MY FATHER

Dreams from My Father is a story of race and inheritance. Originally published in 1995, in this book Barack Obama takes us on a journey into his life and invites us to explore some poignant questions around identity, class and race.

     The book consists of three parts. The first part is about Obama's childhood and teenage years. He was born to a Kenyan man and a white American lady in Hawaii. Obama's mother separated from his father and married to an Indonesian. Obama subsequently lived in Indonesia for some time and learned about how hard life can be in an Asian country. He then lived in Hawaii with his American grandparents. It was there that he began to realise he was different from other Americans because he was black.

     The second section of the book is about Obama's work in Chicago in the years after completing his first degree at university. He learned to work with the African-Americans in the poor neighbourhoods in Chicago, and wrestled with the social issues there.

     SIU FUNG WU reads the US President's autobiographical book, Dreams from My Father... | more... |

GOING BACK TO JESUS' JEWISH ROOTS

Imagine if you could take yourself back 2,000 years and immerse yourself in the world of first century Palestine; to a little Jewish backwater where you were hearing reports of a man who was healing people and making the most extraordinary claims about himself.

     Imagine if you could follow him on the way for a bit and listen to some of what he was saying, and see some of these things he was doing; these things that had people talking and spreading all sorts of rumours about him. But imagine your disappointment if you had no idea of the meaning of what he was saying; if you were just thrown back in time to try to understand the scandal that this man was creating everywhere he went.

     If we could somehow have the opportunity of stepping into a time machine and stepping back in to the world of Jesus, I would recommend that you read Sitting At The Feet Of Rabbi Jesus before you go. It would help you grasp the meaning and impact of His words and deeds. We would begin to appreciate the chaos He created, the incredible love He showed, and the news that He brought; indeed the news that He was.

     NILS VON KALM gains a new perspective on who Jesus was after reading Sitting At The Feet Of The Rabbi... | more... |

JESUS: A SHORT LIFE PROVIDES A FASCINATING INTRODUCTION TO AN HISTORIAN'S VIEW OF CHRIST

John Dickson, director of the Centre for Public Christianity and a lecturer at Macquarie University’s Department of Ancient History, is upfront about the premise of Jesus: A Short Life. His aim, he says, is to provide an historical view of the life of Jesus. No more. No less. And while, as may be expected, his book touches on many issues that move beyond this realm, it’s a premise to which he endeavours to stick to rigourously.

      As he concludes: “History can only ever hope to provide ‘indications’ of the reality of Christian faith. It demonstrates that the story at the heart of the Gospels is neither a myth nor a fraud, but a broadly credible account of a short first-century life. Such indications are certainly consistent with the decision to devote oneself to the risen Christ but they in no way compel that step. Other, more mysterious, factors also come into play...”

      With that acknowledged, Jesus: A Short Life provides a good overview of the life of the historical Jesus for anyone - Christian or not - interested in finding out more about what ancient history says about Him.

     DAVID ADAMS reviews Jesus: A Short Life... | more... |

TIM FLANNERY CALLS TIME IN NOW OR NEVER

It has become noticeable that the tone of recent reports, articles and books on climate change is becoming increasingly urgent. This book by 2006 Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery, continues the theme of urgency, with its desperate sounding title, and it's picture of a clock showing just a couple of minutes to midnight on the cover.

     This volume, which first appeared in Quarterly Essay in September 2008, outlines the desperate situation the earth now finds itself in, and Flannery's solutions to the crisis. It is then followed up by a series of replies by others in the field of climate science or research (the one exception being Richard Branson who, through his Virgin group of companies, is making his own attempt at limiting his carbon footprint). One of the responses is from Ian Lowe, current President of the Australian Conservation Foundation. As Lowe points out, “the fundamental message of Flannery's essay is that we need to recognise the limits of ecological systems and build that recognition into our planning”.

     NILS VON KALM reads Tim Flannery's latest book... | more... |

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE BRINGS 'DEAD' WOMEN BACK TO LIFE

Dead Women Walking is about the startling stories of three women whose lives are plagued with addiction, idol worship and abuse. It is about the work of Elisabeth Weinmann, an OMF missionary, among working-class Taiwanese, where less than 0.5 per cent of them are Christians. It is about God's grace and love touching people whose lives are entangled by broken relationships and damaged emotions.

     Dead Women Walking does not have the most engaging plot, and occasionally the material seems a bit repetitive. But the stories will surely draw you to the wounded lives of the women. Page after page you find tragic tales that will break your heart. You will discover the destructive works of evil spirits as people seek spiritual release from their desperate situations through idol worship. Dead Women Walking is a book for those who have a passion to see authentic Christianity at work in real life situations - domestic violence, alcoholism, poverty, racial and class discrimination, and even demon possession.

     SIU FUNG WU finds God's power at work in Dead Women Walking... | more... |

IMAGINING THE FUTURE

We all like to contemplate the future. What do we see? What would we like it to be? It's the enduring question with an endless array of answers. However in a freshly-published book, 14 of Australia's emerging young leaders tackle this question with courage and optimism.

     The Future By Us, edited by Hugh Evans and Tom O'Connor, is a collection of 10 essays by some of the nation's Gen Y thinkers who outline their visions - and hopes - for Australia beyond 2020.

     Launched in March, the book also comes with the ringing endorsement of some prominent Baby Boomer and Gen X representatives: the foreword is by Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, and it receives plaudits from actor Hugh Jackman and veteran social campaigner Tim Costello.

     SALLY HOLT is impressed with the vision and hope presented in The Future By Us... | more... |

THE TROUBLE WITH PARIS TAKES A TIMELY LOOK AT THE WEST'S "HYPER-REAL" CULTURE

I believe Mark Sayers' book, The Trouble with Paris, should be compulsory reading for all Christians living in our affluent western culture. Taken from a comment from a friend of Mark's who talked about moving to Paris to freshen up her life, and from another idea that Mark has formulated called 'How Paris Hilton made me a better Christian', this book is a landmark work in exposing the unreality of our consumer-driven culture.

     Quite simply, the church needs more people like Mark Sayers. In a Christian culture which puts more emphasis on what Jesus can do for me than seeking to find out how I can serve Jesus, Mark Sayers is a breath of fresh air. But the freshness is not because his message is anything new. Rather, it is because it is Biblical. This book exposes the fallacy that our hyper-real culture can provide the happiness we seek. It then proceeds to show why the real message of dying to self, and that life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions, that Jesus spoke about, is what really satisfies.

     NILS VON KALM says Mark Sayer's The Trouble With Paris is a book every Christian needs to read... | more... |

LOOKING FOR A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF GOD IN THE SHACK

The Shack is a journey to the heart and soul of a grieving man, battling to trust a God who appears to have no control over the chaos of the world.

     When a family trip turns into the biggest tragedy of Mackenzie Phillip's life, he is left in a dark and lonely place, believing, as many do, that a loving God could not stand by and watch such evil being perpetrated by His creation. Years later 'Mack' receives a mysterious note signed 'Papa', beckoning him back to the scene of his nightmares. What follows is a supernatural rollercoaster of events that take him to a new level of reality and into a personal encounter with his Maker, shaking him to the very core of his 'Christian' foundations.

     The novel's plot gives a tangible setting for this spiritual dialogue that dares to ask the seemingly unanswerable questions. Young succeeds in telling a gripping story while also revealing timeless truths in a new and dynamic way.

     CHELSEA MERRY finds herself challenged to look for a deeper understanding of God after reading The Shack... | more... |

SEVEN WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD - JIM WALLIS' CHALLENGE TO A GENERATION LOOKING TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

Get involved. That, in precis, is the message of US evangelical Christian political thinker and activist Jim Wallis in his latest book Seven Ways To Change The World: Reviving Faith And Politics.

     Following on from his best-selling God’s Politics, Seven Ways To Change The World charts some of the positive moves that have been made in the US in recent years with regard to the vexed issue of religion and politics - particularly the loss of the hold of the ‘Religious Right’ as the only voice for Christianity in the US political sphere - and posits the idea of the political position of ‘conservative radical’ as an alternative to the left and right partisan politics currently on offer in the States.

     Wallis then turns to seven major arenas in which Christians can make an impact and, in doing so, change the world for the better. These subjects he covers under the banner of his seven themes, such as 'Life and Dignity' and 'Equality and Diversity,' are broad and include everything from poverty to caring for the environment and tackling racism and sexism, through to human trafficking, slavery, abortion and the Iraq war.

     DAVID ADAMS is challenged afresh with Jim Wallis' latest book, Seven Ways To Change The World... | more... |

FOLLOWING FIRE A USER'S GUIDE TO BEING LED BY THE SPIRIT IN FIGHTING INJUSTICE

Released by UNOH Publications, this is a collection of essays and articles by some of the world's most engaged Christians about how the Spirit leads us to fight injustice. When I first looked at some of the names of the contributors to this work I realised quickly that this would be something worth looking at.

     Not that I should read a book simply because of the reputation of its author(s), but these are people I deeply respect for their genuineness, brutal honesty, and concern for the poor. People such as Tony Campolo, Ash Barker, John Smith, Tim Costello, Shane Claibourne, and Dave Andrews are just some of those who have given their time and effort in this publication to describing how the Holy Spirit is essential in the Gospel work of fighting injustice in the world.

     NILS VON KALM reads Urban Neighbours of Hope's latest... | more... |

DARWIN'S GIFT TO SCIENCE AND RELIGION

Francisco J. Ayala mentions the mysteries existentialism invites us to inquire about, but he does not choose to ask existential questions. He asks only scientific questions: How do signals from nerve cells transform into ideas, the mind, and the self? He rejects existentialism and a transcendental level of knowledge, perhaps, because of a fear of mystery and a fear of the infinite. Or, he might derive satisfaction from the simplification that the scientific method can render the universe intelligible. In any case, his scientism is nothing but a superstition that places a barrier between himself and the incomprehensible and infinite One.

     The “religious answer” to the question of whether human beings evolved from apes can be found in Humani generis by Pope Pius XII. This 1950 encyclical says that the evolution of human beings refers only to our bodies and that our souls are created by God. The pope also said that regardless of what evolutionary theories there are about polygenism, the Roman Catholic Church knows from the Bible that all human beings descended from Adam. That the whole man - body and soul - did not evolve from apes was considered by the Holy Father to be a scientific and existential truth knowable by reason alone.

     DAVID ROEMER replies to Francisco J. Ayala's book Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion... | more... |

THE IRRESISTIBLE REVOLUTION A MUST READ FOR WOULD-BE "ORDINARY RADICALS"

Shane Claiborne’s The Irresistible Revolution is a must read for every Christian who wants to be a true follower of Jesus. It is not a book for those who want to settle for a mediocre life. Nor is it for those who want to be extraordinary. Instead, as the subtitle of the book says, it is about “living as an ordinary radical” for Jesus.

     No doubt there is a yearning in the church today for a type of Christian life that shines not just on Sunday but every day of the week. We want to bear witness to the Gospel in our everyday life. But we struggle to work out how this can be done. We long to have a sense of community. We run programs that attempt to reach out to our neighbourhood. But often we don’t see much long-term effect for our effort. Perhaps we are not living out the authentic Christian life? Perhaps what the world sees in us is not exactly what we see in the Gospels?

     SIU FUNG WU says The Irresistible Revolution is not for those who want to settle for the mediocre... | more... |

THE KITE RUNNER A POWERFUL TALE OF HUMAN FRIENDSHIP

“There is a way to be good again,” Rahim Khan said to Amir in the The Kite Runner – the New York Times number-one seller for over 100 weeks.

     The Kite Runner is a beautiful story about the friendship between two Muslim boys, Amir and Hassan, in Kabul in the 1970s. Amir belonged to a prominent and wealthy family. Hassan, however, was from a despised ethnic and religious minority (a Shi’a Muslim from Hazara). He was a servant in Amir’s household.

     After the Soviet invasion, Amir’s father took Amir to America and sought asylum. They were no longer wealthy and life as immigrants was hard. But eventually Amir finished college and became a successful writer

     SIU FUNG WU finds The Kite Runner a challenging read... | more... |

THE DAWKINS DELUSION? - A REASONED RESPONSE TO "DANGEROUS ATHEISTIC FUNDAMENTALISM"

This is a timely book that was needed to expose some of the nonsense that Richard Dawkins has put forward in his book The God Delusion. It is to be recommended if you struggle with some of the arguments that Dawkins has raised and the force with which they are presented.

    McGrath is a former atheist himself, which gives him some credibility in his critique. There is probably no better positioned person of religious faith to do so (and he is ably assisted by his wife, Joanna Collicutt McGrath). This book provides a rational and well thought-through counter to the dangerous atheistic fundamentalism that Dawkins postulates and that sadly follows the lead of religious fundamentalism over so many years.

    McGrath does not, however, go into the detail of rebutting each of Dawkins' arguments. Instead, he shows them up as a whole by exposing the fact that Dawkins' reasoning (or lack of), as well as his arguments, are deeply flawed. There is really no need for any thinking person to repudiate, in detail, the nonsense put forward by Dawkins such as the idea that all religion is evil and that it is a form of child abuse to subject your children to a religious upbringing. These are just some of the arguments with which Dawkins has tried to influence his readers.

     NILS VON KALM on a credible response to an unreasonable diatribe ... | more... |

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON FASTING

For anyone who has never fully grasped the purpose of prayer and fasting or the highly understated benefits that it can bring, This Chosen Fast is guaranteed to set even the most seasoned of sceptics straight.

     The book, written by Matt Madigan is the result of a personal and unexpected life-changing journey brought about through forty intense and compelling days of fasting.

     As we are led on a spiritual tightrope through Matt’s gripping account, we are often challenged about the fundamentals of what we believe as we observe his unyielding conviction in God’s faithfulness. Would you be able to trust God in the face of such impossible circumstance?

     CHOE BRERETON reviews Matt Madigan's book, This Chosen Fast... | more... |

LEE STROBEL TAKES ON CHRIST'S CRITICS

This is the latest of Lee Strobel's 'Case for' books and is probably the most timely. Strobel, who used to be an atheist and has a strong journalistic background, uses his sharp investigative skills again and asks the tough questions that any sceptic would ask.

     The reason this is such a timely book is because it challenges head-on some of the charges made against the Christian faith in the seeming plethora of publications and documentaries in recent years. Author John Dickson said recently that Jesus has become very popular in recent times. The question to ask, though, is which Jesus are we talking about?

     Strobel takes the main arguments that have been put forth and, through interviews with respected and learned Biblical scholars, presents the case for the real Jesus and leaves the reader to make up their own mind.

      NILS VON KALM finds answers in Lee Strobels's latest book, The Case for the Real Jesus ... | more... |

NO OPPORTUNITY WASTED - INSPIRING DESPITE THE BUNGEE JUMPING OBSESSION

I have recently finished reading a book written by New Zealand adventurer Phil Keoghan, possibly better known as the presenter of The Amazing Race television series than as a writer. The title of the book hints, in a less than subtle way, at its intention: NOW - No Opportunity Wasted.

      In summary, the book is an exhortation, an encouragement to live life to the full, to make the most out of the allotted time one has been given. In itself a noble intention, and surely a message that can be accepted by all who delve into the words of wisdom contained therein. Yes, I am being tongue in cheek, because while the book does contain many inspiring suggestions and illustration, there are also some serious shortcomings. But more about that later.

      RUSSELL STUBBINGS has no intention of going bungee jumping but he finds Phil Keoghan's book nonetheless inspiring... | more... |

CREDIBLE WITNESS - "BEING FAIR DINKUM TO BOTH SCRIPTURE AND CULTURE"

In this, his first book to be published, Darren Cronshaw lays the groundwork for effective and relevant mission in Australia.

      Flicking through this book before I bought it, I was reminded of John Smith’s Advance Australia Where?, written in 1988 as a search for the reasons behind the extraordinary lack of meaning in a nation like ours which has everything one could materially ask for in life. In fact, Cronshaw refers to Smith in Credible Witness, and provides us with a detailed and fascinating recollection of the spiritual history of this nation. I must admit to a sense of cynicism when I began reading that Australia has a long history of spirituality, as I was always of the opinion that this ‘Great South Land’ is one of the most godless nations on the planet.

      NILS VON KALM finds his preconceptions challenged by Darren Cronshaw's Australian take on mission... | more... |

SIMPLY CHRISTIAN: WHY CHRISTIANITY MAKES SENSE

The latest offering from N.T. Wright, the current Bishop of Durham in England, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense is a brilliant layout of the faith for seekers, doubters and anyone needing a good solid grounding in how the story all fits together. Written in the mould of C.S. Lewis, I recommend it wholeheartedly.

     Wright is one of the world’s foremost, if not the foremost, New Testament scholars. He has written many books and articles on Jesus, the Gospels and Paul. Perhaps his best known and greatest work has been The Resurrection of the Son of God, a book that Dr Ben Witherington describes as ‘magisterial’ in its thoroughness of the accounts of the resurrection and of the beliefs of people of the time about the idea of resurrection.

      Interestingly, Wright has been viewed as being quite conservative in his outlook. However, if being conservative means believing in the physical resurrection of Jesus and believing that the Gospels are an account of what actually happened in history, I'm happy to be on the same side as Wright.

      NILS VON KALM finds Simply Christian provides a solid grounding on the Christian faith... | more... |



HOW DO YOU KNOW HE'S REAL?

As far as celebrity status is concerned, this book will have more appeal to those living in North America than people in Australia but it is nonetheless a great book to reflect on the power of God to work in the individual lives of people on every continent.

    How Do You Know He's Real? features 35 testimonies from people like actors Gary Burghoff (you may know him better as Corporal Radar O'Reilly in MASH), Kirk Cameron (remember him from Growing Pains and, more lately, the Left Behind movies?) and John Schneider (Superman's dad on Smallville) and musicians and singers like Bill Ray Cyrus (he of the Achy Breaky Heart) and Leon Patillo (formerly of Santana) as well as a former Miss America, US football and basketball stars and a host of other celebrities.

      With a handy themed index covering subjects ranging from abortion, anxiety and addiction through to truth, worldliness and worry, the book tells of how God has worked in their lives in a range of different areas.

      LINDA ADAMS finds How Do You Know He's Real? a reminder of the many ways God can work in our lives... | more... |



TOO SMALL TO IGNORE: WHY CHILDREN ARE THE NEXT BIG THING

There is an image from a trip I made to Kenya in the late Eighties that burns indelibly in my mind. It’s that of a small boy standing in the dust outside a feeding station wearing an oversize T-shirt and shorts.

      A boy who lived in a notorious slum in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi known as the Mathare Valley. A boy who had no family. A boy who ate once a day. A boy who slept alone at night on the street and who, if he was lucky, might get invited into someone’s home on the odd occasion. Did I mention this boy was three-years-old?

      It’s that image that springs to mind when I read a book like Too Small To Ignore: Why Children Are The Next Big Thing. Written by Dr Wess Stafford, the chief executive and president of global children’s ministry, Compassion International, this book is a passionate cry from the heart. And just as the image that burns in my mind, it commands our attention. More than that, it commands our response.

      DAVID ADAMS finds Dr Wess Stafford's book challenges the way we perceive children, both our own and those in the wider world... | more... |

THE CHURCH OF 2020

The future starts now. And anyone that wants their church to be an influential part of that future needs to get moving.

      Such are the central pillars of Mal Fletcher’s book, The Church of 2020.

     “True influence is not a product of how well we celebrate the past or enjoy the present,” he writes. “True influence is a result of how well we engage with the the future.”

      The world is changing, says Fletcher, and Christians had better get used to - better yet, embrace - the idea.

      In writing peppered with Biblical examples and quotes from numerous futurists - including Dr Patrick Dixon and Dr Tom Sine, Fletcher sketches out a vision of how technology will continue to shape our daily lives - a dramatic expansion in the use of micro and nano technologies as they penetrate almost every aspect of our lives from the clothes we wear to managing the temperature in our homes, the melding of man and machine, and the use of holographic projections, to name just a few of innovations he lists.

      DAVID ADAMS encounters a vision of a Christ-centred future... | more... |

GOD'S POLITICS: WHY THE AMERICAN RIGHT GETS IT WRONG AND THE LEFT DOESN'T GET IT

Warning: this is not a passive read. Forget the niceties of dinner party conversations, Jim Wallis’ book dives straight into the issues of religion and politics and makes no apologies for doing so.

    Global poverty, the conflict in Iraq, the “War on Terror” and corporate misconduct are among key issues Wallis - a world renowned preacher, theologian, activist and author - dips into in the pages of God’s Politics as he challenges, in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets, what have become the established Christian attitudes in the US on both sides of politics and warns against such things as the emergence of a “national theology of war” in the US.

    In their place he offers a new paradigm for the future of Christianity in politics, one in which Christians weigh up the policies of all parties against the Biblical model and which sees Christians moving beyond "single-issue voting" and applying equal weight to issues such as abortion and capital punishment while at the same time ensuring a Biblically-based consistency when looking at issues, whether they be corporate governance or global poverty.

      DAVID ADAMS is challenged by God's Politics... | more... |

THE SHAPING OF THINGS TO COME

The Shaping of Things to Come is a seminal text with regard to mission and ministry within the postmodern Australian context. One of the most refreshing features about the book is that it is written by Australians, Mike Frost and Alan Hirsch, both of whom have extensive experience as practitioners and thinkers within the Australian Christian community, for Australians, and with the Australian social and spiritual context in mind. This makes it directly relevant to any who seek to understand the tension between mission and ministry within the Australian setting.

    The framework for the book is the premise that Christendom is dead. While we once lived in an overtly Christian country where church-going was a common, even popular activity, that landscape has now changed. Simply, the authors assert, the approaches used for mission 40 or 50 years ago are no longer applicable since we live in a post-Christendom culture.

     RUSSELL STUBBINGS finds The Shaping of Things to Come a refreshing take on the subject of mission... | more... |

PORRIDGE AND PASSION

This book continues the story of Jonathan Aitken’s life after his fall from a position of power and influence as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the British Cabinet. At the end of his first book Pride and Perjury, Aitken is awaiting sentencing after issuing a confession statement to the prosecuting authorities admitting his crime of perjury during a libel trial against the Guardian newspaper. During the court case Aitken suffered public humiliation, media vilification and personalised vindictiveness from his enemies, and his marriage ended in divorce. At the same time Aitken had become a Christian, repented of wrong doing, and was reaching out to God and other Christians for support.

    Porridge and Passion begins with Aitken being sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and starting his life as a convicted criminal. He gives a detailed account of his first night in Belmarsh Prison, and the conflicting emotions he went through as he entered an alien and disorientating world. The author’s account of his own reactions to prison life is often humorous, but he is also honest enough to admit his fear which was only controlled when he realised that God was still with him and still promised him "unfailing love and full redemption".

     CAROLE ADAMS finds herself encouraged by Jonathan Aitken's story... | more... |

WOMEN, LEADERSHIP & THE CHURCH

Does the Bible present a set of guidelines for women, different to those for men, on ministry opportunities and leadership responsibilities in the church?

     According to Jim Reiher the answer is no and his avowed task in writing this short book is to win the "diehards" who cling to a tradition rather than the scripture.

    Let's "look again", says Reiher, at the foundational texts on men and women, the verses that are timeless and the verses that address local or situational issues.

    He identifies Genesis 1, Acts 2 and Galatians 3 as "foundational moments" because they deal with "the start of humanity, the start of the New Covenant and the explanation of the gospel". In each of these chapters God's heart for men and women to be equal in "worth" and in "the function of rulership" are evident.

      LLOYD HARKNESS finds Jim Reiher's latest book a good introduction to what can be a controversial issue... | more... |

THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE

I will start this review by drawing two quick portraits, of which there could be a thousand variations, and setting you three questions to consider.

    Person A. Successful in business, I have always applied the principle 'what you sow you reap'. I have tithed to my local church and given extra to visiting ministries. God has prospered me and my God's desire is to prosper you too.

    Person B. I am a wage earner whose income doesn't always keep pace with inflation. God provides for me but I'm never going to own a house on a hill. I work at maintaining a generous spirit so I can give to people and organisations that are bringing honour to Jesus. God is my provider and He will be your provider too.

      LLOYD HARKNESS finds Jim Reiher's The Eye of the Needle: Discipleship and Wealth provides a thoughtful response to the so-called 'prosperity doctrine'... | more... |

PRIDE AND PERJURY

It’s the story of a man at the height of his career, newly promoted to Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the British Cabinet, even tipped as a possible successor to the Prime Minister John Major. But it’s also the story of a man seeking a real relationship with God. This is the story of two journeys - a very public fall from grace, and at the same time, a very personal search for the reality of Christianity.

    Jonathan Aitken's tale begins with him experiencing power and influence at the forefront of British politics, while at the same time realising that he was feeling an inner “emptiness and lack of fulfilment within”.

      CAROLE ADAMS finds the first part of Jonathan Aitken's autobiography - Pride and Perjury - an intriguing look at a man's struggle to come to terms with two worlds... | more... |

GLIMPSES OF THE DEVIL

Dr Peck is perhaps best known as the author of The Road Less Travelled, a bestseller since it was released in 1978. He is also a Christian, and a psychiatrist.

      I am not one to give too much attention or focus on the devil, but at the same time it is important to realise that he does indeed exist and that his mission is to attack and destroy Christians, preventing them from fulfilling the purposes of God in their lives. This book offers a rare chance to “know thy enemy”.

      Peck writes about his professional and spiritual experiences with two patients that he suspects may be in the grip of something supernatural.

      JANET CAMILLERI finds a book that provides an insightful look at the ways of the "enemy"... | more... |

THE PURSUIT OF GOD IN THE COMPANY OF FRIENDS

My attention was caught by the title of this book when I was browsing at a book sale. Not just The Pursuit of God, but the second half of the title was what really held my attention. Christian community always sounds so wonderful in theory, but in practice often seems to create as many problems as it solves. Richard Lamb says in the introduction “as much as community has become a buzzword these days, a deep experience of community seems elusive”.

      The author believes that what we are all seeking is the reality of God himself in our lives, and that the pursuit of this desire will bring you into deeper relationships with those around you. On the other hand, if what you desire most is deeper and lasting friendships with those around you, this will lead you to pursue God. Lamb explains that friendship did not come naturally to him, and that his company of friends has, over many years, been a very big influence in shaping his life and his relationship to God.

      CAROLE ADAMS finds Richard Lamb's book, The Pursuit of God in the Company of Friends an insightful but challenging read... | more... |

THE HEART OF THE FAMILY

I must acknowledge that I was initially a little disappointed with this book. I have enjoyed reading the works of this author for a number of years, and was looking forward to fresh stories and insights. This, however, is a compilation of his previous works containing reflections on his, and God’s, family.

      Having got over my initial disappointment however, I found I was really enjoying each chapter with its mix of true stories, fiction, dialogues, sketches and poetry, even if it wasn’t totally new to me. Plass has a very down-to-earth and humorous way of sharing stories about his life and his walk with God which touch the heart. The author’s own comment about this book is revealing. “I have the feeling that people who run perfect families will not appreciate this book. They would prefer one of those ‘how-to’ books, even though they don’t need one because they are perfect. This book, by contrast, will certainly not tell you how to bring up your family, but it might reassure you that most of us are making the same sort of mistakes along the way.”

      CAROLE ADAMS on Adrian Plass' The Heart of the Family... | more... |

COME THIRSTY

Readers of Max Lucado’s books will once again enjoy, and be inspired by Come Thirsty. Lucado has a passion to see people receive and enjoy all that God provides for them daily, and in this book he encourages readers to receive the living water that God longs to give us: “If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It’s free!” (Revelation 22:17 CEV).

   The book is written in the usual Lucado style - descriptions of simple everyday stories and experiences, combined with scripture, and the author's personal spiritual insights. The introductory chapter is a modern day story of Jesus and the woman at the well, where He offers a young woman living water so that she will never thirst again. It sets the scene for what follows, and the concept of living water, which can be quite difficult to understand, is thoroughly explored.

      CAROLE ADAMS on Max Lucado's book Come Thirsty... | more... |

90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN

We’ve all heard miraculous stories of survival in which someone has survived against all odds only by hanging onto God. 90 Minutes in Heaven is not such a story. Rather, it’s the tale of a man who tasted heaven and didn’t want to come back to earth. Despite the miracle of his survival, Don Piper tells of his despair at having to battle incredible pain and his strong desire to give up, begging God to take him back to heaven. The answer was ‘no’.

      CAROLE ADAMS reads an unexpected story in Don Piper's 90 Minutes in Heaven... | more... |

      CAROLE ADAMS finds questions worth answering in Philip Yancey's collection of articles, I Was Just Wondering... | more... |

CAROLE ADAMS is inspired by John Eldredge's book, Waking the Dead... | more... |

DAVID ADAMS takes a look at Don't Look Back: The David Bussau Story... | more... |

TONY TOWNSEND on a book he says gives a refreshing and timely perspective on Islam... | more... |

TONY TOWNSEND on a book which digs deep in an investgation into Christianity... | more... |

BRUCE WEARNE finds a book about soccer even Collingwood supporters should enjoy... | more... |