my good friend Tim Loh asked me what’s my top 10 list of books to read. Well, I’ll try with five that has really helped me until May 2003.
1. Gift and Giver by Craig Keener
~ since the day I “spoke in tongues” after an extended time of praying (about 1 hour)when I was 15, my mind has always been searching for answers through the study Scriptures to better anchor spiritual experiences to Biblical truth. Keener’s proposals are attractive, Biblical and sensitive to practical experience (Evangel bookstore probably one copy and MPH has copies too I think).
2. More than You Realize by Brian D. McLaren
~ yup, my hero again. I like his idea of “counting conversations more than conversions”. Really takes the pressure off, and helps me to focus on just listening and conversing with people who are searching. Don’t need a lot of heavy training for that! (You can get this in SUFES, P.J, just one or two more)
3. The Story We Find Ourselves In by Brian D. McLaren
~ here he is again! .. I enjoyed his story telling in this book better than the one before, i.e. “A New Kind of Christian”. The Characters he portrays are very realistic and engaging. he calls this book Creative Fiction. The issues he deals with from Creation to Consummation with loads in between aren’t fiction but crucial faith issues. I said it before this book Rocks and is Expensive .. got it for about RM71 at MPH Bandar utama. OUCH!
4. Community of Kindness by Steve Sjogren and Rob Lewin
~ Starting BLC from scratch has been harder than I anticipated but very rewarding. I just like the authors nugget like approach to church planting and the practical tips give me some sanity when I’m going insane. I followed one advice .. which landed me to watch X2. (Glad Sounds has plenty in stock)
5. The Younger Evangelical by Robert Webber
~ I needed to find myself after three years of “learning kung fu” in and through BLC. Webber provided a landscape to locate myself better (though not 100%). We don’t have many Asian authors helping us here. I guess, we’re too busy doing the work rather than reflecting on it. Obviously, we’re affected by “Modernity” (though very different from Western Civilization), and I guess we’re as much more “pre-modern” and “post-modern” (in the cultural sense of the word) at the same time … Anyway, This book provided some helpful charts and pointers how the “younger evangelicals” in English speaking world is wrestling with their “post-modern” context. I can relate to quite a bit of that (I got it from MPH Bandar Utama again)
These are the less intensive theological stuff … though Keener’s book has a great deal of theological and biblical reflection. Juicy indeed! Hmm .. After camp I should mention my top five CDs. 🙂