I recently got off a mini-kick where I read the biographies of famous comedians. The two most recent reads were Steve Martin's autobiography "Standing Up" and the biography of Chris Farley. Both were great reads. Did you know that Martin dated Christian writer Stormie Omartian for quite a while? Just a little trivia minutiae. I recommend both books. The language occasionally gets a little salty in Farley's biography, but it's hard to put it down. A unique writing concept helps peel away the layers of one of my favorite comedic actors. What a waste of a gifted life!
I'm currently reading three books that are challenging, informative, and thought-provoking. Jim Wallis's The Great Awakening is a call to social revival, a revival that must come from those who share the Christian faith and have a moral conscience. Wallis (founder of Sojourners) points out the historical significance of previous social revivals that helped shape our nation, such as the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement. His call is for the church to actively care quit hoping that politicians will solve culture's ills. Many of the church leaders and lay people that I know are more concerned with enforcing a catalogue of rules (many of which aren't even in the Bible) than they are with loving people. They're also often set on pushing a Republican political agenda than they are with reaching out to real people with needs in their community. A sad commentary on the church. And, trust me, I often find myself in that trap. I'm admittedly on the Republican side of most issues, but I've figured out that they don't many more answers than the Democrats. While I don't agree with everything Wallis proposes, I'm all for a reviving of the church's social conscience.Clinton in Exile has been an excellent book so far. President Clinton has always intrigued me, even as a teen I remember wondering what kind of guy he was. My perception has been that he's a hedonist to the very core, compromising morality and conviction for pleasure and poll numbers. This book has yet to point to anything that would sway my opinion. I really do think I would like Bill Clinton if I had the chance to meet him, though. He definitely has a winsome personality, portraying a caricature of being one of the boys. This book looks at his life after leaving the White House, exploring his psyche as he came to grips with becoming just another American. Carol Felsenthal does a great job of bringing Bill Clinton the person to the microscope in a non-partisan sort of way.
Church Unique is my favorite read of the three, so far. Will Mancini argues that strategic planning isn't necessarily the method churches should employ when determining their future. He proposes a visioning process that is driven by a church's gifts, a focus on it's community, and one that involves the entire church from the member to the janitor to the ministry volunteer to the senior pastor. The focus is outward instead of internal. Mancini points out that many churches get so caught up in fulfilling their strategic goals that the plan becomes an end in itself rather than a means to the end. A missional leader (and church) identifies the main thing(s) that they're good at and they then refine, enhance, and implement those gifts. Mancini contends that churches need clarity, not complexity; synergy, not accountability (in the sense of fulfilling a proposed set of goals); adaptability, not predictability ("the assumption that the near future will resemble the recent past"). When changes to the plan come they aren't necessarily viewed as a negative because the end result is driven by the church's mission. Missional leadership is fluid and adaptable to the circumstance. It definitely debunks the myth of the cookie-cutter, one style fits all mantra being proposed by large churches such as Saddleback and Willow Creek. Your church is unique, specially crafted and gifted by God for a specific ministry to a specific community. The timeless message of redemption is carried out and implemented by playing to the gifts. An interesting point that Mancini makes is that churches spend more time on shoring up weaknesses than they do in fine-tuning their strengths. Read this one.
I've also been jamming away to some new music lately. Matthew West is currently one of my favorite CCM songwriters. If you want to be challenged while enjoying a fresh musical sound I suggest West's latest release Something to Say. My favorite tracks are "The Motions" and "Stop the World". WOW! Highly recommended.
A little while ago I shared how I've been trying out new artists by buying a CD here and there at the pawn shop (yes, I know it's cheaper to check them out at the library). Well, I found a gem: Natalie Merchant's Tigerlily. Natalie's been around forever, but I don't listen to secular stations much so I haven't heard her music. I was blown away by her voice. This is a great mellow CD. If you like folksy, laid-back grooves you'll dig this CD.
One of my favorite purchases in the last few weeks has been Rodney Atkins project If You're Going Through Hell. I heard "Watching You" on the radio a year or so ago and actually had my eyes tear up while listening to the lyrics. This CD is awesome. For those of you who have written it off already because of the title, let me assure you that it's based on a Winston Churchill quote: "If you're going through hell, keep on going" and an old Irish toast that says "May you be in heaven five minutes before the devil know you're dead". I like every song on this CD. I rarely buy country music, but this is a must-have.
I bought Toby Mac because nobody knows how to jam like the old dcTalk frontman. Welcome to Diverse City is an infectious CD with great tunes, witty lyrics, and the occasional provocative message.
Every song on Selah's Bless the Broken Road is a duet. Some of the artists featured include Nichole Nordeman (what a voice!), Barlowgirl, Jason and Aaron Crabb, Christy Nockels (of Watermark), and Cynthia Clawson. This is an awesome recording! Beautiful songs featuring big voices. I'm hear to tell you that Selah's Todd Smith has one of the best voices in gospel music. He's a vocal animal.
I've enjoyed listening to Legacy Five's latest release God's Been Good. This a solid recording from a solid group who is starting to find their niche since Roger's death. These are great guys and some of my best friends in the biz. While this isn't my favorite recording they've ever put out, it's still worth buying. Frank Seaman sounds better than he's ever sounded on this recording, while the rest of the guys put forth stellar efforts on their featured solos. Good stuff.
So, that's what I've been reading and listening to for the last month. What about you?
