Fall '09 Must Reads!

Growing up, my dad would always say, "There are a lot of good books out there. Don't waste time with those. Read great books." He is right. I heard somewhere that over 400,000 new titles were released last year...400,000! You'll never be able to read all those titles, and it can be hard to know what to read when there are so many choices. To help choose wisely, I always try to find out what is coming out before it releases so I can decide what I want to grab. With a flailing economy, people are buying books less and choosing carefully, so I figured I would give you the five fall books I can't wait to read. In no particular order...

1. Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of The Holy Spirit by Francis Chan. Fans of Chan's bestselling book, Crazy Love, have been chomping at the bit for a second title. Finally, they will get what they want. This book will no doubt be a huge hit, and if it is half as good as his last one, it will be an amazing read. (Releases September 1, 2009)

2. Words from The Fire: Hearing the Voice of God in The 10 Commandments by R. Albert Mohler. There isn't a more foundational topic for Christian ethics than the 10 commandments, and there isn't a more brilliant theologian to tackle it than Albert Mohler. Pastors should be especially attracted to this book. (Releases September 1, 2009)

3. Scouting the Divine: My Search for God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey by Margaret Feinberg. It's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Margaret's work, but this one is even better than I expected. I finished the advance copy in a weekend, and it has changed the way I read the Bible forever. Margaret's stories of discovery and deep Biblical truths will warm your heart and blow your mind. (Releases October 1, 2009)

4. Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters by Timothy Keller. Church planter Tim Keller came roaring onto the scene a number of years ago with The Reason for God. This book, which is about the sin of idolatry, is sure to be powerful and an instant hit. (Releases October 20, 2009)

5. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller. His NY Times bestseller Blue Like Jazz made Don Miller an instant celebrity; this book makes him a human being. I received a copy a few weeks ago and rediscovered how great a writer he is. A Million Miles is a memoir filled with humor, pain and great takeaways that will undoubtedly connect with Miller's cult following. (Releases September 29, 2009)

So, there is my list. Is there something I missed? Any of these interest you?

Political Scandals Breed Cynicism Among Evangelicals

America can't stop talking about South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, the cheating state executive who disappeared for several days to make a love connection with his Argentinian mistress. In fact, Sanford is probably the only person in the United States who was giddy to learn that Michael Jackson had died because it would eat up some of his air time on the evening news.

It was this scandal that inspired the L.A. Times to run a fascinating story entitled, "Will scandals inspire evangelicals to stray from the Republican party?," which bolsters a trend that I have seen for some time. Christ-followers are becoming fed up with their traditional party of choice, but aren't finding the alternative Democratic Party a much better option. Instead, they are becoming increasingly convinced about "the unholiness of the political realm."

"The...rumors and sexual details make me want to avoid the voting booth altogether," Margaret Feinberg told the L.A. Times. "My head says that every vote counts, but my heart aches at the impropriety. How can I trust someone to uphold the laws of the land when they can't uphold their marriage vows?"

While Sanford's particular story is unusually shocking, political scandals in general have sadly become commonplace to many Americans. If you are like me, a Fox News Alert about a Governor who has embezzled money to bankroll his secret addiction or a Congressman whose been getting some nookie from his housekeeper doesn't make me bowl over anymore. As I speak with others like me, I am realizing that this creeping cynicism toward all things political may be pushing evangelicals into a less political phase of cultural engagement.

Have Western Christians placed too much trust in one particular political party? How can we be appropriately involved in the political arena as good citizens while maintaining our convictions as good Christians?

Flourish: The Connector for the Creation Care Movement?

This week, Cross Pointe Church hosted the first annual Flourish Conference. As a small part of the Flourish staff, I can tell you that the conference exceeded our expectations in many ways. First, our speaker list was amazing: Joel Hunter, Margaret Feinberg, Gabe Lyons, Matthew Sleeth, and Andy Crouch to name a few. Second, the community being built was unprecedented. People were connecting with others to share ideas and partner on projects. Individuals who have felt alone on these issues were comforted that there are others like them out there. Finally, the coverage of the event was great. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Associated Baptist Press, and others had great things to say. My favorite post was from Christianity Today who called Flourish "Creation Care Without the Baggage." I couldn't agree more.

Flourish seems to be becoming what Malcolm Gladwell calls a "connector." This movement is in desperate need of a connector--an organization that can bring together like-minded people from various social, cultural, professional, and economic circles who might not otherwise meet. This facilitates conversations and partnerships that might not otherwise occur and can push a movement into the mainstream. Our hope is that we can do this for the creation care community. Our goal is not to promote Flourish, but to promote great people and organizations who are living out creation care principles all across the country.

We had several organizations at Flourish that we showcased during the conference. This week, I will be profiling one each day. Look for the first post tomorrow.

Women's Roles Debated

An interesting pairing today in the CNN Newsroom. Margaret Feinberg, speaker and author of books such as The Sacred Echo, and Voddie Baucham, Pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church, went head-to-head on the issue of women in leadership. The debate was inspired by the recent nomination of Sarah Palin, and the segment can be found here.

Personally, I don't know much about Voddie Baucham except that he is an Oxford-educated, well-spoken pastor and I certainly wouldn't want to take him on in a live, television forum. That is why I was so impressed that Margaret handled herself with grace while standing her ground. And that is also why I was so stunned to hear his comments representing beliefs about women that I thought only existed in the distant recesses of Quaker country.

Bauchum believes that a woman's place is as "keeper of the home" (Titus 2:5), which he interprets as Joan Cleaver or Donna Reed or something. When faced with the Biblical figure, Deborah, a woman and wife that God hand-picked to lead the nation of Israel--a nation full of capable warriors, I might add--Baucham replied, "She certainly was, and the fact that something happened doesn't mean that it's normative for the church. In Isaiah Chapter 3, for example, one of the signs that a culture is under judgment is that women are in leadership in their nations. So Deborah was actually a sign that things were very bad in Israel. Not a norm for the church."

So, according to Mr. Baucham women in leadership illustrates divine judgment. Luckily, Margaret responded to this looney-toon comment with her trademark kindness refusing to call Voddie a "sexist" even when CNN Anchor Kyra Phillips pressed her.

When Voddie stated that a woman should be "keeper of the home," Margaret aptly replied, "But Voddie, being a keeper of the home can be translated in so many different ways. And that means that if a woman happens to be the breadwinner, shouldn't they have the opportunity to step out and take care of their family in that way?"

Baucham was left speechless.

Voddie holds a view of women that is surprising for a man with his pristine educational background. (Not to mention that he keeps referring to things as "the gospel" that are clearly NOT part of the gospel.) I certainly believe that God has uniquely equipped women for motherhood. I don't think anyone is denying that. But, when Baucham claims that women lack the occupational credibility and Biblical license to work in the 21st Century, he twists the scriptures and places an unfair constraint on many working Christian women.

Take a look, and you be the judge.

On friday, I received a call from a staff writer at the Washington Post asking how John McCain's VP pick, Sarah Palin, might influence evangelical women voters. Not being an evangelical woman, I felt it best to refer her to one or two people that I believe could give her a better answer. The first name that came to my mind was Margaret Feinberg.

Recently, Margaret posted a blog article reflecting on the Palin pick that I think deserves a read. It touches on the hutzpah of McCain's move as well as what this means for American progress. As Margaret writes, "I think McCain couldn't have made a better decision. As a woman, I'm excited that we're seeing progress on the ballot on both the Republican and Democratic tickets."

Check out her article, and then let me know what you think of the Palin pick and Margaret's assessment.

Margaret Feinberg has done it again. I just received a review copy of her latest book, The Sacred Echo, and I am astonished at the transparency of her stories and depth of her spiritual insights. "The real beauty of prayer is not just in the request but in the repitition. Something enchanting happens when we ask God for something more than once, as if with each request our heart aligns itself a shade closer to God's heart." she says. "We also become more sensitive to the sacred echoes of God in our own hearts."

If you read her last (wildly popular) book, The Organic God, you know how warm and rich her words can be. It is hard to be consistently great, but this book hits just as hard as The Organic God and resonates with experiences that are common to us all.

I can't say much more because I am already committed to review this book for a magazine, but I can tell you that if you have not already placed a pre-order for The Sacred Echo, you shouldn't wait. Pre-order it now, and discover the "sacred echo" that God is speaking into your life.

Authenticity . . . Finally.

Perhaps I am being pretentious when I call Margaret Feinberg my "mentor," much less my "friend." Author of more than 30 life-changing books who has been named "one of the 30 emerging voices" that will lead our church into the next decade, Margaret is a gifted and respected author and speaker. Amazingly, meeting her for the first time is like seeing an old friend or rendezvousing with a former college companion - minus the memories.

I met Margaret over a year ago when she was speaking at Catalyst. My friend Jennifer and I took her and her husband Leif to breakfast. It was the most inspiring, encouraging hour and 1/2 of my professional adult life. Over the next year, she and I began to correspond and God used her to mature me. She has opened doors for me in the professional world that would have been solidly shut otherwise. Even though she did not know me and benefited in no way from our friendship, Margaret took the time to cultivate my inner writer and teach me the ropes. If I live a hundred lifetimes, I will never be able to repay her.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of bringing Margaret down to for a Twentysomethings retreat and introducing her and The Organic God to our church. It was a great for us to relax and refocus, and everyone fell in love with Margaret, Leif, and Hershey (their charming toy poodle).

Relevant. Authentic. Trustworthy. These are just a few of the exhausted words used to describe the values of our generation. Though they are more worn-out that a 10-year old pair of Chuck Taylor's, they are pretty accurate descriptions of what I believe we want most. We want straight-shooters, open books, warm hearts, torn down walls. We want a no-strings-attached shoulder to cry on when things bounce off rock bottom and for people who claim to be Christ-followers to windex the spiritual window through which we see Jesus in them.

*Toothy, disingenuous smiles from politicians

*A firm handshake from an automobile salesman that places a check in your spirit

*Friends who claim they will remain faithful companions until a boyfriend or girlfriend hits the scene and suddenly they forget your name

*Contrived church services intended to produce a "worship texture"

These are things that are not authentic, they are counterfeit. They turn us off and roll our eyes. Worse still, they permeate our culture. They are all around us. That is why we are doubly revived when we encounter a splash of authenticity.

Margaret Feinberg is a refreshing splash of authenticity in a wave-battered world of veritable counterfeits. Her book, The Organic God (Zondervan), is the manifestation of her spirit. If you want a fresh look at God's character that will captivate you from cover to cover, this book is for you. When you finish The Organic God, you too will want to call her your friend.