My Review of Amanda Jenkins’ Confessions of a Raging Perfectionist

“…grace is a big hill to climb for a perfectionist like me.”

Perfectionist.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “perfectionist?”

Focused? Calm? Peaceful?

or…

Driven? Excellence based? Absolutely perfect?

Well Amanda Jenkins’ description of perfectionist is more the latter than the former and she proves it with a new book published this month by Tyndale House Publishers, Confessions of A Raging Perfectionist.

It is a book that describes what I consider to be a common malady for both Christians and non-Christians alike – a drivenness to do everything well, no wait, perfect. It is a driveness that creates guilt, shame, and a relentness energy to show no weakness nor imperfection.

Divided into 12 chapters with subject titles such as Vanity, Parenthood, Recognition, Plans, Diet Coke, and Happiness, and sprinkled with self-effacing humor, Jenkins pulls back the curtain on her drivenness and why she is driven to perfection. Filled with stories about her life, parenting, and marriage, and those of her friends as well, she ultimately concludes that to live at peace with herself, others, and God, requires of her to “embrace my imperfection and to set my eyes on God’s perfection. Resolve to live free in Jesus.”

I have read several books about the issue of perfection written from both a faith and non-faith perspective. I have learned much about the issue from each of them but what Amanda brings to the topic is a fresh and personal perspective on the issue with a simple honesty.  As a pastor who has wrestled with perfectionism myself and understand the spiritual drain it places on a person Jenkins’ work is personal and helpful and one that I will recommend to others.

I rate this book a ‘good’ read.

Finally, as part of the blog tour via Tyndale House  I am happy to a offer a first chapter exerpt of the book by clicking on this link 978-1-4143-7870-1

and… a Q and A with Amanda herself by clicking on this link PerfectionistQ&A

Note: I received a copy of this book from the Tyndale House Blogger Review program in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review.

A Review of 90 Days Thru the Bible

Many people struggle to both read and understand the Bible. I do and it has been a part of my life all my life.

I believe that both professing Christians and those who seek to understand the Bible in a more academic fashion are constantly looking for helps in gaining a foothold in reading and understanding this very influential book.

I believe that 90 Days Thru the Bible published by Tyndale Momentum, an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, in cooperation with Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, offers readers a helpful, though very devotional, introduction to the Bible. Written for the purpose of drawing “the major themes out of each book of Scripture and to meditate on how each one contributes to God’s great story,” I found this book to do just that. It successfully provides an good and succinct overview of each book in the Bible without going into specifics that can be addressed in other books and materials. And in other ways, offers the reader a very helpful summary of some major themes and ideas that have challenged both the faithful and the skeptical.

For example here is a quote from the section on the Old Testament of Leviticus about the issue of holiness:

“But because God is relentlessly, passionately, and unfathomably good, holiness for us means becoming relentlessly, passionately, and unfathomably good.”

Most of the Biblical books are given a “one day” treatment. However books like Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, Luke, Romans, and Revelation are given a two or more day treatment. And while acknowledging diverse interpretations and view points on certain themes, such as Revelation, the book also stays to ‘big picture’ approach suitable for giving the reader a very good introduction to that book.

I liked it because it provided a very succinct, yet warm, introduction to the Bible that does not intimidate the reader but, I believe, draws them in to see a larger and more comprehensive perspective of a personal and passionate God and His love for us. I find it suitable for both those who are approaching Bible study from a personal faith perspective and those who have a more rigorous approach to studying the Bible.

I give this book a ‘great’ rating.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the Tyndale House Bloggers Review Program in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to write a positive view.

Review of Escapement by Rene Gutteridge

While this short novel or novella, did keep me reading for the ending, I was disappointed with it in the end.

I found the plot intriguing and the characters at first interesting as well. But as I kept reading, the characters grew dry and somewhat flat in characterization.

I rate this novella an “OK read.

Note: I received a complementary eCopy of this work from Tyndale Publishing House in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review.

A Review of Tim Owens’ The Search Committee

“It had occurred to Travis that it was hard work trying to steal a preacher. There was no easy way to do it.” 

When Tim Owens’ book became available via the Tyndale House Blogger Review program, I had to get it. Its title, ‘The Search Committee,” caught my attention as I had an idea of what it would be about. I was not disappointed. And it was about more than I expected with an ending (that you will have to read for yourself) that I did not see coming.

Now in my 25th year of being a minister/pastor/Reverend, I have had some interesting experiences as a pastoral candidate having served 4 churches in that time period. But I have been interviewed by probably another four to five churches as well.

I have also interviewed search committees as well. (The interview with my current congregation’s search committee lasted three hours at the local Pizza Hut!) However, the experience of being visited by a search committee (incognito) has not (as far as I know) been done to me. I have made judgments (yes judgments) about those sitting around a table in a room or restaurant as to their motivations and expectations.

And yet in the journey in that ancient Ford van which forms the basic setting in Owens’ novel, seven members of a North Carolina Presbyterian church;  Travis, Bill, Frankie, Matt, Dot, Joyce, and Susie; present us with an unforgettable journey not just to churches and preachers and bathrooms as they seek a pastor. They are also generational representatives of the various groups which congregations and their leaders spend so much time, print/pixel, and money on trying to understand and reach.

There is: Travis and Matt the young adults who are still trying to figure what they want to do and what life is about. Susie, the single parent in her thirties. Bill and Frankie the retired members. Dot and Joyce, the former the church gossip and the latter a widow who is not from the area.  They take us on the journeyinward to their souls and backward into their pasts that affect who they are and which, I think, shapes in ways apparent and not-so-apparent their likes and dislikes; their preferences and their revulsions; in and with ministers.

And it is this journey, their back stories, that constitute the core of this award winning novel.  For it is in their journeys, their flashbacks, the vivid dreams, and the unfolding events of their lives outside the van trips and church visits, we see that in their search for a pastor, they are in search of grace, hope, direction, and love, both human and divine, in their own lives. And we see them, not as representatives of a local church, but of the human race as well.

And though the chapters begin with quotes from the Presbyterian Book of Order as well as references from the Bible,  and there are brief passages of sermons appropriate to the story setting, there is only a cursory discussion of theology per se. Rather, the deeper and more important takes places within the characters themselves. What is more germane to this book is the human element of ministry and not the theological issues of the day.

This book is well written with credible characters and I give it a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review of this book. I was not required to write a positive review.

A Review of Tim Owens’ The Search Committee

“It had occurred to Travis that it was hard work trying to steal a preacher. There was no easy way to do it.” 

When Tim Owens’ book became available via the Tyndale House Blogger Review program, I had to get it. Its title, ‘The Search Committee,” caught my attention as I had an idea of what it would be about. I was not disappointed. And it was about more than I expected with an ending (that you will have to read for yourself) that I did not see coming.

Now in my 25th year of being a minister/pastor/Reverend, I have had some interesting experiences as a pastoral candidate having served 4 churches in that time period. But I have been interviewed by probably another four to five churches as well.

I have also interviewed search committees as well. (The interview with my current congregation’s search committee lasted three hours at the local Pizza Hut!) However, the experience of being visited by a search committee (incognito) has not (as far as I know) been done to me. I have made judgments (yes judgments) about those sitting around a table in a room or restaurant as to their motivations and expectations.

And yet in the journey in that ancient Ford van which forms the basic setting in Owens’ novel, seven members of a North Carolina Presbyterian church;  Travis, Bill, Frankie, Matt, Dot, Joyce, and Susie; present us with an unforgettable journey not just to churches and preachers and bathrooms as they seek a pastor. They are also generational representatives of the various groups which congregations and their leaders spend so much time, print/pixel, and money on trying to understand and reach.

There is: Travis and Matt the young adults who are still trying to figure what they want to do and what life is about. Susie, the single parent in her thirties. Bill and Frankie the retired members. Dot and Joyce, the former the church gossip and the latter a widow who is not from the area.  They take us on the journey inward to their souls and backward into their pasts that affect who they are and which, I think, shapes in ways apparent and not-so-apparent their likes and dislikes; their preferences and their revulsions; in and with ministers.

And it is this journey, their back stories, that constitute the core of this award winning novel.  For it is in their journeys, their flashbacks, the vivid dreams, and the unfolding events of their lives outside the van trips and church visits, we see that in their search for a pastor, they are in search of grace, hope, direction, and love, both human and divine, in their own lives. And we see them, not as representatives of a local church, but of the human race as well.

And though the chapters begin with quotes from the Presbyterian Book of Order as well as references from the Bible,  and there are brief passages of sermons appropriate to the story setting, there is only a cursory discussion of theology per se. Rather, the deeper and more important takes places within the characters themselves. What is more germane to this book is the human element of ministry and not the theological issues of the day.

This book is well written with credible characters and I give it a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review of this book. I was not required to write a positive review.

 

Review of Matt Mikalatos’ Night of the Living Dead Christian

When the opportunity to review this book as part of a dedicated blog tour came from Tyndale House Publishers, I was somewhat at first skeptical about reading and reviewing it.

I have never been a fan of werewolves and vampires (though I liked Chewbacca (who isn’t one) and was (and still am) a fan of the original Dark Shadows. (I cannot believe that Jonathan Frid is still alive! Wonderful! He is the original Barnabas Collins. What a name for a vampire, Barnabas. What would St Paul think?)

I watched the original Dracula in college as part of a film class as well as Frankenstein. Bela Lugosi was legendary in his performance. (And I will be leave the puns off this review, like “the critics were ‘bitten’ by his performance.”)

When I think AMC I think Mad Men (and I am anxiously awaiting its return) and not The Walking Dead. And The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde scared me to death. (Though I think that Robert Louis Stevenson would enjoy Matt’s book.)

And Zombies? No.thanks!

But I went ahead and requested the book and I am glad I did. At first, it was hard to follow the story line because I had trouble understanding the symbolism of the main characters, and characters they are, as the story unfolded.

But Matt Mikalatos has done us a big favor. He has depicted the brokenness of humanity in a refreshing way that younger generations who are enthralled with Twilight will understand…

…namely, that there is a monster within all of us that has, can, and does destroy people and their vital relationships.

As the hapless, okay, well almost hapless, side kick and neighbor to a werewolf, Luther Martin, Matt takes us on a journey both inward and nearby as we truly go behind close doors, secret doors, secret hideouts (a Toyota? My goodness Matt why not a Pacer?), and almost secret secret laboratories right next door, across the street, and downtown (if you live in a place that has a business district sometimes called Main Street) to look into the lives of people we are with, or nearby, nearly every day, our neighbors, fellow church goers, and family.

Seriously, it is not a pretty picture at times. For the werewolf gives into a base nature that causes his family much pain and the lonely vampire, who still struggles with her past, is always looking over her shoulder to see if someone is still after her. But in the midst of such pain and sadness, Matt, with candor and appropriate wit, develops the case for a faith in God that can, and does help Luther to start stopping his werewolf episodes. However Matt,  again with candor and caring honesty, reminds us that it is not always a happy ending as Martin’s marriage falls apart before he asks God into his life.

Written in 28 fast paced chapters that includes first person narrative accounts, (given by Matt), and several back story chapters of Luther and some others, the reader gains a glimpse of the inner lives of people that we often overlook quite frankly, in our own zombie state of being. And this is where I think that Matt does us a second big favor. He gives us a glimpse into the contemporary American evangelical church and challenges us to move beyond a heartless faith and embrace one in which we love Jesus not with just our brains but our heart and soul. And he shows us, in an imperfect and halting way, what a mere friendship with those who struggle can do, if we stick with them. We need to embrace a discipleship that is not a continuous soul ‘numbing’ “fill-in-the-blank and read Rev. So and So’s books” discipleship. But a discipleship that requires us to tell safe others of our own ‘monsters’ that are threatening to destroy us.

On my very unscientific rating scale, I give this book my first ever 4.5 It is a ‘good’ (the 4.0 part) book with ‘great’ (the 5.0 part) elements. (And I encourage new readers to refer to the section “Are You a Monster?” at the back of the book as you read. It will be a helpful guide to navigating the rich allegory of this book that essential for understanding it.)

Now, if this review has whetted your appetite to go out and howl at the moon and eat something raw.

Please,don’t!

However, if it has whetted your appetite to read this book, then, if you are the first to reply to this post, I will send you a certificate for a free copy of Night of the Living Dead Christian. (No operators are standing by, sorry.)

If you would also like to hear more from Matt about the book then enjoy this video by clicking on the link.

http://www.tyndale.com/video/296

Also get to know Matt at his website http://mattmikalatos.com/

And for information about Tyndale Publishing go to http://www.tyndale.com

Thanks Matt for this book!

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of Night of the Living Dead Christian in exchange for a review of it. I was not required to write a positive review.

Tuesday Book Review of Plugged In Parenting

Image by Adam Crowe via Flickr

“After listening to some speakers or reading their books, you might get the impression that media discernment is something negative-even cruel- you must do to your children. It’s all about limits and warnings and turning things off and saying, “No.”

The truth is that making healthy entertainment choices is a positive exercise with positive results. When you teach your kids to consume media wisely, you may restrict them in some ways-but broaden their horizons in others.”

Chapter 3 of Plugged-In Parenting

“Doing Your Child a Favor”

Having teenage boys, it was with interest, that I selected Bob Waliszewski’s book Plugged-In Parenting: How to Raise Media-Savvy Kids with Love, Not War, to review for Tyndale House’s Blogger Review Program.

What I found was a book that provided me with a personal soul check on my own media consumption as well that for my kids.

Plugged-In Parenting is 10 chapters in length and divided into three sections. Bob begins by reciting both a litany of statistics regarding media usage as well as many stories of families struggling to provide good media experiences for their family.

Of those 10 chapters I found chapter three to be the heart of Waliszewski’s argument for helping your kids to learn to consume media wisely. In that chapter he lays out the positive side of helping kids to be ‘media savvy’ by helping them to see the value of really thinking through what they are watch and why and to honor God in those choices. Of note were the rewards of finding time “to explore the real world,” and the like.

Also of note are chapter 6, “Ten Things You Can Do to End Fights Over Family Entertainment” and chapter 7, “Your Family Entertainment Constitution,” which outlines a proactive way to develop a media strategy for your family when the kids are younger. These chapters offer practical suggestions for working with kids in making helpful media choices and consumption.

Plugged-In Parenting is a book that attempts to avoid the extremes of “letting kids do whatever” and “absolutely not!” What I like is an attitude and approach that empowers kids to learn how to consume media (and the focus of the book is primarily on music and movies) so that they make good and spiritually healthy media choices as adults.

What I would hope to see if a future edition of the book is written is an additional chapter on social media as that, from my perspective, is now a large part of a teenager’s life. And I also want to encourage parents of young children to be thinking about their kids media assumption now rather than later. And I also suggest that you read this book now as a pro-active way of helping your kids become great media ‘critics’ later!

On my rating scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being a bad read, 2 being an so-so read, 3 an ok read, 4 a good read, and 5 a great read), I give this book a 4 a ‘good’ read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review. I was not required to give a positive review.

Tuesday Book Review: The Prisoner in the Third Cell

Cover via Amazon

Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Gene Edwards’ The Prisoner In the Third Cell, is a gripping fictionalized account of the life and death of John the Baptist. Written primarily in a third person narrative voice, The Prisoner In the Third Cell takes the known Biblical account of John and weaves in a narrative in which John’s serious faith and commitment to God is demonstrated in his decision to return to the Essenes’ community in the harsh desert where he and his now deceased parents had fled to when Herod’s decree to murder all Jewish boys in light of the awareness of Jesus’ birth; in his harsh denunciation of the religious leaders along the banks of the Jordan; and in his stance that ultimately ends in his beheading.

Though devotional in nature, the book is not a sentimentalized and shallow presentation of who John the Baptist really was. In his writing Edwards provides a very human and realistic emotional coloring of John’s very simple but profound persona. There is credibility in the characterization of not just John but also those whose lives intersected his, notably those of the guards who imprison him in his final days, as well as the people who find strength in his words..)

Though we know the outcome of the John’s life as noted in the gospel accounts, it is the question that John asks some of his followers to put to  Jesus that Edwards’ focuses on as he writes the final chapters. As he does so, Edwards envisions the tension within Christ as He anticipates John’s death and the unanswered questions his cousin was dealing with from the prison cell. It is a tension that Edwards expresses through Christ’s voice in the book, “Your God has not lived up to your expectations.”

Having never heard of either Edwards nor the book, I was pleasantly surprised by it. It is more of a novella than a full novel (I read the book from the Nook version and it was 64 pages in total length). I appreciated Edwards’ sensitive but honest treatment of John as a man whose faith was costly. I recommend it for your reading pleasure and ponderings.

I obtain a free e-copy of the book via a notice from Tyndale House on Twitter that it was available for free.

 

 

 

Review of Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware’s The Purpose of Passion (Tuesday Book “Report”)

Image via Wikipedia

“Whether we find true love or ache from its absence, whether we treat sex as a gift or a game, our love life drives us toward or away from God,” writes Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware in their introduction to their book The Purpose of Passion: Dante’s Epic Vision of Romantic Love. Drawing on The New Life (La Vita Nouva), Inferno, and The Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia) Bruner and Ware trace, through Dante’s life and writings, the ups and downs of romatic love as it plays out in God’s plans and purposes.

 

Now I will confess that I have read some of Dante’s works in bits and pieces and so at times, I felt lost. But then, as if coming out of the woods, I would regain my bearings and find myself reading myself some very insightful thoughts.

 

The Purpose of Passion is split into three parts: “Love Kindled,” that focuses on “a look at how and why romantic love invades our unsuspecting lives;” “Love Gone Astray” where the reader will “discover the tragic consequences of defective love –including the downward pathways often chosen on love’s perilous path;” and “Love Fulfilled” where we “discover the true and eternal object of our affections.”

 

What I appreciated and have taken from this book is a view that romantic love is a part of God’s great purpose and is not to be dismissed nor taken lightly. In fact, I think that by tracing Dante’s own personal journey through his writings, Bruner and Ware make the case that through the intensity and passion of romantic love we are driven “toward or away from God.”

 

I will read this book again.

 

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishing as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

 

Review of “What’s In the Bible?”

The creator of “Veggie Tales,” Phil Vischer, is back with a new animated series on DVD called “What’s In the Bible?” that is produced by Tyndale Publishers.

In an opening segment that quite frankly moved me to tears, Vischer, in a tactful and honest way spoke of the rise and fall of the “Veggie Tales” franchise and the lessons he learned from it, primarily how his original vision of helping children learn the Bible: who wrote it, how it came to be, and what it means for us today, was clouded by all the demands of the fast rising “Veggie Tales” that ultimately ended up in bankruptcy.

Now, through that crucible, Vischer is back with a new series that is an expression of his original vision and passion, “What’s In the Bible?”

When I received my preview copy, it said episodes one and two on the cover. However, when I started the DVD, I found it confusing and thought that there should have been section titles that most movie DVD’s have so that I could have a clearer picture of what constituted the episodes. As a result it took me about one hour to finally get to the two episodes and understand the flow of the program.

But that aside, I was very impressed with what I saw: Fast paced and lively, “What’s In the Bible?” introduces a new line of characters that are intergenerational and gives honor, in my opinion, to those persons, lay and clergy, who have made the teaching of scripture a touchstone of their ministry.

With a blend of sometimes humorous references to modern technology and a nod to that of the past (the flannel graph), “What’s In the Bible?” takes the viewer on multi-media kaleidoscope of music, humor, interviews, and sketches such as the “Pirate Phil’s Church History lesson.” It also dealt with the serious stories such as Abraham and Isaac in an honest and clear way.

As both parent and pastor, I decided to have my family watch it with me. My 12 year old at first had trouble tuning in to the “plot line” if you will, and felt it more suitable for 1^st through 3^rd graders. However, by the time the full episodes were showing, he grew to enjoy it though some of the humor was above his current level of understanding. My 14 year old was immediately drawn into and sat through the second half of the DVD. He, too, found the humor attractive. (As a result my wife said, “It is suitable for 1^st through 3^rd graders and middle school students!)

I believe that this series will not only help children, but also teens and adults, to get the big picture of the Bible. My wife is already thinking of showing it to her adult Sunday School class and I am planning to use with it my mid-week adult Bible Study!

If you would like to see a preview of “What’s In the Bible?” then click on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-Mnq_sqMus and watch it!

Please also visit these sites as well to learn more about this new series:

www.whatsinthebible.com and www.tyndale.com

Finally, if you would like to win one of two copies of this DVD series, be one of the first two persons to respond to this post with a comment and include your e-mail address so that I can communicate with you directly and send you a certificate for a free “What’s In the Bible?” DVD from Tyndale House!

I believe that “What’s In the Bible?” is a needed addition to the Christian education of all ages and I thank God, Phil Vischer, and Tyndale House for making it happen!

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishing as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)