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Jonathan Andersen

A young pastor in an old denomination

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Books I’ve been reading lately

My goal for 2014 was to read more books than I had in the previous year. I succeeded! And this year my goal is the same–to read more books than I did in 2014.

Below is the list of books I read last year.  In the comments, I’d love to hear your recommendations for this year.

2014 Books

The top five in no particular order:

Real Sex – Lauren Winner

Recently some middle school boys were at my house and they started giggling when they found this book. I don’t know what they thought it contained, but I assured them that it was one of the best Christian books on sex that’s out there. However, they didn’t seem too interested since there were no pictures. Most people aren’t interested in reading Christian reflections on sex and chastity, but if I could give one book on sex to young adult singles, youth pastors, and pastors in my denomination, it would be this one.

I experience the church’s teaching about sex as difficult. I chafe against it. Sometimes it feels outmoded, irrelevant, burdensome. But to rely on my experience here would be to rely on something frankly broken and distorted. Sometimes it is scary or inconvenient to trust the church. But it is more often a relief to know that I don’t have to rely solely on my intuition or experience to make decisions about ethical behavior. The church is here to teach me how to handle sex, money, time, relationships, & myriad other issues.

The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail – Oscar Martinez

You won’t think of immigrants from south of the border the same after reading this book. It’ll challenge you, scare you, and open your eyes to the dangerous journey many make and why they would risk so much to make it.

I’m not hoping readers will feel compassion for the men and women who go through this hellish trial in order to wash your plates, to cut your grass, to make your coffee. I hope, rather, that the book generates respect for these men and women, for those who have done something for their families that many of us could hardly find the strength to do. Respect for this drive that migrants have, a drive which is stronger than the criminal cartels, a drive more powerful than the train engine and a drive more vital than any limb— a leg, for example—of our very body.

Letters to Marc About Jesus: Living a Spiritual Life in a Material World – Henri Nouwen

Last fall I asked Jim Harnish what book he would give to people wanting to follow Jesus in a more serious way and this was his recommendation. I ended up teaching a class with this book as one of the texts and it challenged us all to picture Jesus in a fresh light. Although some people found it a level above the pop theology they were used to, it is concise, clearly written, and helps to answer the question “Who is Jesus?” in a beautiful way.

Jesus is the revelation of God’s unending, unconditional love for us human beings. Everything that Jesus has done, said, and undergone is meant to show us that the love we most long for is given to us by God—not because we’ve deserved it, but because God is a God of love.

Who? Solve Your Number One Problem – Geoff Smart & Randy Street

If you hire people in any context you need to buy this book, read this book, and use it as a reference for years to come. Their process, questions, and advice have already been extremely helpful to me and I’ll be using their techniques for years to come.

Who is your number-one problem. Not what. What refers to the strategies you choose, the products and services you sell, and the processes you use. … Who refers to the people you put in place to make the what decisions. Who is where the magic begins, or where the problems start. … Who mistakes are pricey, prevalent, and preventable.

Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed: Black Holes, Love, and a Journey In and Out of Calvinism – Austin Fischer

You can read my review posted on Seedbed here.

The rest:

Before You Hire a Youth Pastor: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding the Right Fit – Mark DeVries

This book provides some great practical processes and questions for any church staff hire. It helped my church hire a great new youth pastor last year.

Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality – Wesley Hill

Wesley writes as one who is often locked out of conversations on homosexuality. He openly identifies as a gay Christian, yet he also believes in the traditional Christian teaching/practice of celibacy in singleness and chastity in marriage between one man and one woman. In the midst of a grid-locked debate regarding sexuality in the American church, Hill provides a breath of fresh air.

A Blueprint for Discipleship – Kevin Watson

Looking for a simple way to teach others about basic discipleship? Try this book that uses Wesley’s General Rules as a framework.

On the Threshold of Grace – Donald Haynes

I attempted to use this book as the primary text in my Methodism 101. While the chapter structure works well for a discussion of Methodism, the content was poorly edited, confusing for the class, and we scrapped it before it was all over.

Being United Methodist: What It Means, Why It Matters – Ellsworth J. Kalas

A very accessible introduction to the history and practice of Methodism that works well to hand to laity.

Dialogues: Amongst the People Called United Methodists – William Abraham

This is for Methodist insiders. And as David Watson states in his review, this book pulls no punches in its discussion of the state of the UMC today.

For the Sake of the Bride: Restoring the Church to Her Intended Beauty – Steve Harper

Harper’s plea for Christian unity is sincere and needed. However, Harper’s “modest proposal” to redefine Christian marriage in just a few pages with little reflection on scripture and tradition left this book lacking.

Reclaiming the Lost Soul of Youth Ministry – Jeremy Steele

A great discussion starter for a student or family ministry team on how to reclaim depth and a Wesleyan heritage back into your ministry.

The Radical Wesley – Howard Snyder

This updated version of an old classic highlights parts of John Wesley’s life and ministry in ways others rarely do. You’ll come away from reading this (especially Part 1) with a renewed appreciation for the early Methodists and for the work God did through them. You’ll also begin learning how to adopt their patterns and practices into the church today.

Soul Keeping: Caring For the Most Important Part of You  – John Ortberg

The metaphor about the soul as a stream found at the beginning of this book is worth the purchase price. This book served as a good reminder of the importance of soul-care, and while I enjoyed it, most people in the class I taught it in loved it.

Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry – Paul David Tripp

While this book could’ve been fifty pages shorter, it does an excellent job living up to its title. If you’re married and in ministry, I’d highly recommend you read it with your spouse.

Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go – Adam Hamilton

A simple book on a complex topic that’s great for small groups or a sermon series.

Forgiving As We’ve Been Forgiven: Community Practices for Making Peace – Greg Jones & Célestin Musekura

A more complex book on a complex topic that helped me while preaching on forgiveness.

In the Name of Jesus – Henri Nouwen

This was the first Nouwen book I had ever read and it made me want to read more. He paints a beautiful picture of cruciform leadership that any Christian leader should aspire to.

Jesus Is Better than You Imagined – Jonathan Merritt

You can read my review here.

Not Yet Christmas: It’s Time for Advent – J.D. Walt

I love reading J.D.’s daily devotionals and this little book provided some needed preparation time for Christmas.

Too Busy Not to Pray – Bill Hybels

A good basic introduction to prayer full of practical advice for individuals.

What should I read this year?

Obviously I need more fiction in my life…

February 17, 2015 by Jonathan 6 Comments

Where is God in the Hunger Games?

The Hunger Games trilogy is set in the nation of Panem, home to a dystopian society that exists in a post-America and “post-God” world.

Panem largely occupies what was formally North America.  Its residents live in “The Capitol” and thirteen other geographically distinct districts.  The elite and wealthy of the nation live in the Capitol alongside the leaders of Panem’s dictatorial government.  The districts are governed by this regime and face constant oppression as they fulfill what the Capitol sees as their sole purpose for the nation — the production of goods and services for the people of the Capitol.  In most of the districts the people are poor, dependent on welfare from the government, and live in fear of what may happen if they step out of line.

The Hunger Games are an annual event that the Capitol established for the purposes of keeping the districts in line and providing the citizens of the Capitol entertainment.  The Hunger Games Wiki (yes, the trilogy has its own dedicated wiki community) sums up the games well when it states that the games are an event “in which twenty-four children between the ages of twelve and eighteen, one boy and one girl from each district, are chosen from a lottery and entered into a gladitorial competition where they must fight each other to the death until only one remains standing.”

The games are brutal and savage.  They put on display the gross manifestations of the sin and desire for survival that lies deep within the contestants.  The games also display ways the oppressive government sins against the contestants and the districts.  And if all of this weren’t bad enough, the people in the Capitol love watching every minute of the games, capitalizing on the contestants who become celebrities, and talking about them wherever they go.

This background material helps one understand why the author, Suzanne Collins, named the nation Panem.  According to The Hunger Games Wiki, the name “derives from the Latin phrase panem et circenses, which literally translates into ‘bread and circuses’.  The phrase itself is ‘used to describe entertainment used to distract public attention from more important matters.'”

The idea of distraction and the nation of Panem fit well together.  The Hunger Games distract the people of the Capitol from realizing the ways that they oppress the people of the districts.  The Hunger Games distract the people of the districts from realizing that they have great power even in the midst of the oppressive system that they are under.  And everyone in the nation is distracted from asking big questions about the government or why their world is organized the way it is.

The questions that the series raises about oppressive governments, love beyond boundaries, the effects of war, self-sacrifice, the brutality that people can inflict upon others, dedication, and hopelessness are all relevant for us today.

Yet, readers may notice that in the midst of these “ultimate questions” there is no form of religion or concept of God among the people of Panem.

This fact is what led the professor of one of my preaching classes, Dr. Joy Moore, to assign our class the first book of the trilogy.  Dr. Moore pointed out to us that a “post-God” and “post-Christian” world is one that we as preachers may soon inhabit.  As religious concepts and the story of God’s redemption of the world in Jesus Christ fade in importance throughout society, the preacher will have to be ready to tell the story in new ways.

In order to help us begin practicing living and preaching in such a world, Dr. Moore assigned us the task of preaching a sermon to the people who reside in the Capitol city of Panem based on the first book in the trilogy, The Hunger Games.  Dr. Moore asked us to look for echoes of the Christian story and glimpses of ways God might be working in the post-America and post-God world of Panem that is narrated in the book.  We were then asked to faithfully preach the Christian story, the Gospel, to this “congregation” who has no conception of God.

Below are three sermons from my class.  We each took a different creative approach.

I envisioned preaching my sermon, which is audio only, to a group of Capitol citizens I encountered on the Capitol’s busy streets. Here is the audio:

Audio MP3
Audio MP3

 

Pete Brazier, a visiting student from the Methodist Church in Britain, produced a short sermon that he envisioned would be given to small groups of Capitol citizens and perhaps also be broadcasted over the airwaves.


Andrew Ruth’s sermon assumed that any challenge to the Capitol’s reign would warrant immediate death.  He produced a 5 minute video to quickly convey his message.

Andrew aptly introduced his video by stating:

I don’t think that my single sermon can include neither all the nuances of Christian faith nor the particularities of every Bible story. These will require conversations and community to gain intelligibility (cf. Kallenberg).

Thus, I am pretending that there exists an underground Christian community. I assume that I am a product of this community, and their faithful, though clandestine witness to the Triune God. This underground movement retains copies of the Bible in languages they comprehend. As I imagine myself in this community, I assume that at one point I was a full participant in the culture and life of the Capital City. I altered my appearance and filled my existence with entertainment. The physical alterations I made to my body via cosmetic tattoos still remain, while I have slowly relinquished other practices I once held.

We as a community have decided after much prayer and fasting that the Lord is calling us to announce our existence, even if it means inviting persecution. To do so, I will hack into the national television feed during the middle of the Hunger Games, and as quickly as possible share the content of the Christian faith. We pray that the Holy Spirit falls, like at Pentecost, and that through this sermon and the subsequent conversations instigated by the Underground. Pray with us.

This assignment stretched our thinking about how we are to proclaim Christ in a modern world that is quickly changing.  And it led most of us to delay our other assigned readings so that we could finish the trilogy.

Best of all, it pushed us to see anew that God’s redeeming activity pops up in our everyday lives.  We asked: Can we recognize it?  Can we communicate it?

Can you?

Have you read The Hunger Games? If so, what were your thoughts on the book and how it could connect to Christianity?

February 29, 2012 by Jonathan 3 Comments

A Classic: Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together

Reading in community is a practice that has been done by people for ages and continues today.  For some this looks like a weekly shared scripture reading in Church, and for others it means gathering weekly at a friend’s house as a branch of Oprah’s book club.  And the majority of us will never forget dreaded summer reading.

I never liked mandatory summer reading, and I always waited until the final week to complete it.  But this summer, before my friends and I departed for Central America, we decided on two books that we would read together — Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together and Oscar Romero’s The Violence of Love.

Reading with others is a powerful way to get to know people and books better.  As people publicly ask questions and discuss what they’ve been thinking privately, personalities are revealed and relationships grow deeper.  Passages, topics, and themes that some caught and others missed are also brought to the table.

This was my first time reading a book by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and while I felt like I could’ve tweeted the whole book, I wanted to spare my followers.  As a group we learned a great deal, and reading this together revealed weaknesses, strengths, and much new wisdom in our lives together here in Central America.  This book certainly deserves the place it has on lists of “Christian Classics.”

Below I’ve included some quotes from each chapter of the book that were memorable to the group and I.  All quotes were taken from  Bonhoeffer, Dietrich (2010). Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works) (v. 5). Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Kindle Edition.

[Read more…] about A Classic: Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together

July 5, 2011 by Jonathan Leave a Comment

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