books and blogging

Sometimes I wonder if anyone still stops by anymore, what with my continually decreasing frequency of posts. However, for today I will not wonder and will instead get to the point.

There exists the distinct possibility that I will be published for the second time in my life, though my name will not be on the cover. I've been contacted about my participation in a blog book collaboration that I participated in, specifically it was a series of blog-type discussions about a variety of spiritual topics. I think I've mentioned it in the past: A New Kind of Conversation. Turns out they just finished editing the book, and in that process decided that some of my contributions would be included. Per the expectations that were set at the beginning of this experiment, I'll be receiving a complimentary copy of the book in return for my thoughts and writings being included. I'm fairly excited about it, especially since I had almost completely forgotten about the whole thing. The book should be up for pre-order at your favorite online booksellers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Buy.com, etc) if you're interested. Otherwise, maybe I'll keep ye olde blog around a little longer and give you a review when I have the book in hand and read it.

On that topic, seeing as my blogging has become more and more sparse, I've been debating about officially closing up this shop; maybe take an archival copy for my own writing bag of tricks, post one last piece and move on to something else. Lately, it just seems no matter how much I try to slow my life down, things get more complicated and my schedule fills up leaving very little time for much else. I haven't decided, and maybe I never will, but I don't know that this little blog will get back to the type of content and purpose that it had at the beginning for quite some time. But then again, maybe that's not such a bad thing...

simple yet difficult

I'd apologize for the lack of posting, but unfortunately I have no excuse save the lack of new ideas and new progress on the various things going on in my life. On the book front however, I have finally gotten around to reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell -- suffice it to say, it is an awesome book. I am consistently amazed at what I perceive as God's influence in shaping the appropriate times in my life for me to stumble upon information that directly impacts things I am thinking about or experiencing. And as you might have surmised, Velvet Elvis was a book filled with ideas and concepts and stories that directly related to a lot of stuff going on with me or around me lately.

I think that if I were to take all of the information that I have absorbed from various books, including another perspective as added by Rob Bell, I could boil down my current insight to the following statement.

Being a Christian - following the way of life that Jesus taught - can be, more often than not, a difficult life... but it is very simple.

I know, I know... that sounds so contradictory and confusing, but let me give a quick illustration from my Christmas holiday. We gave my aunt and my mom a small puzzle, it consists of 9 squares that you must arrange into a 3x3 grid. The puzzle when completed will look like a Pennsylvania Dutch quilting pattern. Each square forms a portion of the pattern, and in order to connect to squares into the 3x3 grid that reveals the pattern, you need to match up some pictures. The squares' four sides have each have 1 of 8 images: the bottom or top of a blue "tulip", the bottom or top of a blue "rose", the bottom or top of a red heart flower, the bottom or top of a red "rose". There is only one solution to the puzzle. The concept is extremely simple, arrange the squares in a 3x3 grid so that the sides of the squares that touch form a complete flower (matched tops and bottoms). Would you guess that even after having 2 medical professionals, an engineer and computer scientist, a teacher, an environmental manager, and 2 quilters all try separately and teamed together in various combinations, we still haven't been able to solve that stupid puzzle! The game is simple, solving it is difficult. There are many combinations that nearly solve it and come up short by one square; also, there are times where you think you've gotten it licked, only to realize that you mismatched one element by mistake. However, there is an upside to this simple yet difficult puzzle -- we spent time together, we laughed, we talked while we played with it, we helped each other, we pointed out mistakes each other's mistakes when we noticed them to save future frustration. In short, no one got it perfect, but by simply knowing the guiding principles and giving it our best shot, we had some fun together.

The way of life that Jesus taught is an extremely simple life, but actually living it out everyday can be extremely difficult. Love your neighbor. How much more simple can it get? It's a profound statement with wide ranging implications, and yet we screw it up all the time. Certainly, we could ask what has already been asked; who is my neighbor? But there are even more complex situations that make that principle difficult to live out. I know my neighbor includes everyone that I come into contact with throughout my life, but how could I possibly love someone who wrongs me deeply? Say a loved one was killed by a repeat drunk driver; could you suppress your grief, anger, rage, loneliness, and utter sense of loss and love that neighbor? What if you were the victim of identity theft which then resulted in your house being foreclosed on, car repossessed, and required you to file bankruptcy before they caught the person responsible; could you love that neighbor?

Such a simple way of life, and yet so difficult to live it....

all about books

I was "tagged" to answer these questions, and so without any ado, here they are with my answers...

A book that changed my life: I would have to say, that in recent memory a book that has changed my life would be A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren. The main reason is because in reading it, I saw a reflection of some of my own struggles with questions for which I didn't know the answers or had developed unconventional answers. After reading that book, I began my current book binge that includes a much healthier mix of NY Times best-sellers, Star Wars novels, and new Christian authors.

A book I’ve read more than once: Surprisingly, there are very few books that I've read more than once, primarily because I have a fairly decent memory for a book's major plot line once I've read it. After that the reading becomes a refresher course in the details. However, I have read I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole a couple of times, and I'm about halfway through A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren for the second reading.

A book I would take with me if I were stuck on a desert island: As a nod to a comedian I once heard, Ardal O'Hanlon; "She asked me for two books I'd take with me to a desert island, and I didn't like the threat implied in the question. I said that the first would be a big, inflatable book, and the second would be How to make oars out of sand." Honestly though, I think I would hope that before becoming stranded on a desert island that I had in my possession a copy of either The Lord of the Rings, or the original Star Wars trilogy (both of which are available with the entire trilogy in a single volume).

A book that made me laugh: I know I've read a couple, but I can't remember which ones, but basically any Dave Barry book is hilarious. I also love his articles at the Miami Herald.

A book that I wish had been written: "Facing the Truth: Realizing you can't be right about everything all the time and learning that this is okay"

A book that I wish had never been written: Honestly, I can't think of a book that I disliked enough to wish its existence undone. I try to only read books that I feel will be a good read, or that friends have recommended. Although I will say, The Fingerprint of God by Hugh Ross nearly put me to sleep and Hard Times by Charles Dickens DID put me to sleep. I wouldn't necessarily wish they never were written though.

A book I’ve been meaning to read: I actually have a few on my site here already, but I will add here Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell. I've heard a lot of good things about it, and I now have a copy of it (thanks Allen!). I just need to find time to read it.

I’m currently reading: I'm still reading Emerging Churches (by Gibbs & Bolger), and I am about to start The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. I also have A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren, which when I am in-between books I pick up and continue reading my way through for a second time. While I could also start up Velvet Elvis, I'm going to wait until I finish Emerging Churches... and I am getting a craving for a good Star Wars series, which I have not been reading lately – I think picking up where I left off in the New Jedi Order series is probably in order.

I’m Tagging the Following Bloggers to answer these questions:
Anyone who reads my blog and feels like answering the questions.

I'm not big on chain mail or chain email forwards, I always "break" them. Why should I be any different with this chain blog topic? So feel free to take these questions back to your own blog to answer or if you don't have a blog and want to respond, leave your answers in a comment. If you do answer them at your blog, please drop me a comment letting me know; I'd love to read what books influence you.

preaching reviewed

Found an interesting article at the ooze this morning. It's a review of Doug Pagitt's Preaching Re-Imagined. Granted, the book was published last September, so the review could seem a bit late in coming. However, since I've not read the book, have not heard a lot about it, but have been attempting to rethink various aspects of church community life, the review was very interesting to read. I might have to pick up the book one of these days. That or recommend it to a few friends of mine...

Preaching Re-Imagined: A Review - Mark Shivers

Enjoy!