"Reading For the Love of God" (Jessica Hooten Wilson)

TITLE: Reading for the Love of God: How to Read as a Spiritual Practice
AUTHOR: Jessica Hooten Wilson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2023, (208 pages).
 

Why do we read? Some read for mere information. Others read for leisure. A few might read for spiritual formation. The latter reason is what this book is about. Spirituality, spiritual disciplines, or spiritual practice all come under spiritual formation. A key question that asks of us is this: Are we reading for the purpose of utility or for enjoyment? With this theme, author Jessica Hooten Wilson takes us through several different ways in which people read before showing us the way forward to better reading. By comparing and contrasting the various forms of readings, she helps us deal with the whys of reading rather than settling merely for the whats. This calls for some paradigm changes in the way we read. Gradually, she turns our attention toward the art of reading well. There are lots of gems in this book that merit not just reading this book, but also reading in general. First, we learn about ourselves and our reading attitude. She invites us to question ourselves on what kind of reader we are, pointing out the many varied reasons people read in the first place. Her hope is that once we recognize what kind of readers we are, we can then see the difference between where we are and Wilson's proposal about where we ought to go.

"50 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know" (Rose Publishing)

TITLE: 50 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know
AUTHOR: Rose Publishing Group / Hendrickson Publishing Group
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishing, 2023.

The Old Testament is written originally in Hebrew while the New Testament is in Aramaic and Greek. Since then, there have been translations into many different languages for the masses. Not only is the Bible the bestselling book in the world, safe to say, but it is also the most translated book in the world. Those of us who have studied Hebrew would know that Hebrew and Greek are a lot more nuanced than the English language. In fact, Hebrew words like "hesed" and "lev" are not easily translated into English. The word has to be considered in the context of the passage, and the passage in the context of the way it is being used. Plus, there are grammatical considerations on how the word is used. While the ordinary layperson might not be expected to learn biblical Hebrew like seminarians, it is beneficial for them to know some. That is where this book comes in. The publisher has chosen 50 words to help us appreciate the beauty of biblical Hebrew.  From "Adam" to "YHWH," "Shalom" to "Amen," this book comprises the words, followed by their definitions, where they are found in Scripture, and insights into the word from the way they are used in the Bible. Arranged in a table format, readers can reference each word with ease. The purpose of this book is to give the general readers an appreciation of the beauty of the Hebrew words used in the Bible. We learn how to spell and pronounce it with the help of transliteration. Arranged alphabetically according to the English alphabet, the words are arranged from A-Z, making it an easy reference for English speakers.

"Signals of Transcendence" (Os Guinness)

TITLE:  Signals of Transcendence - Listening to the Promptings of Life
AUTHOR: Os Guinness
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (132 pages).
 

How do people find faith in God? What led them to recognize the divine presence in their lives? Why do people believe in God? Respected author Os Guinness tells us that it all boils down to positive responses toward divine promptings. These promptings come in many different forms. A lot of us might be expecting amazing signs and wonders happening in the terrestrial heavens or the skies above. Truth is, things often happen amid the ordinary circumstances of life. Sometimes, it occurs in periods of immense crises. "There must be something more to life as we know it." This is the basic question to gear one up toward anticipation of something bigger than ourselves. As people become more inward-looking, society is in need of people to have an outward-looking mindset. Lest we become a nation of self-loving, self-indulgent, and self-centered people. Ironically, the first step toward being more other-centered is the right perspective of oneself. The fundamental questions asked by Guinness all revolve around self-awareness and self-discovery: "Who am I? Why am I here? What is life all about?" I believe everybody asks one or more of these questions from time to time. If not, they would have been prompted in some ways, in what the author entitles, "signals of transcendence." For the Irish, these are "thin places."

"Acting in the Wake" (Walter Brueggemann)

TITLE: Acting in the Wake
AUTHOR: Walter Brueggemann
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2023, (154 pages).

We pray with our hearts awake for God, for as Augustine teaches, "Prayer is the conversation of the heart addressed to God." Who is this God? In his preface to this book, author and prayer-writer Walter Brueggemann sees God as righteous, just, steadfast in love, merciful, and faithful. Based on these attributes from Hosea 2:19-20, we can pray with clear minds and open hearts. Most people would understand God as Omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Brueggemann takes us deeper into God's character, by paying special attention to the Old Testament use of prayers. The German Theologian, Karl Barth once said: "Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible." Brueggemann not only does that, but he also takes Barth's triad of "faith, obedience, and prayer" as instructive for this book. He also borrows from Anne Lamott's three moments of prayer as per her book title, "Help, Thanks, Wow." He notes that the Bible has a particular interest in the plight of the poor, the weak, and the marginalized. "Restorative socioeconomic and political justice" are things that God cares deeply about. We ought to learn to pray as taught by the Scriptures and also to be able to connect existing needs in our prayers. He divides the prayers into "We-Prayers" and "Thou-Prayers." The latter pleads with God to act on the injustice while the former prayers for God to use us as He deems fit. Taken from his public prayers from the 80s to the present, this book is a unique collection of such "We-Prayers" and "Thou-Prayers." The theme of justice flows throughout the prayers. 

"I Believe" (Thom S. Rainer)

TITLE: I Believe: A Concise Guide to the Essentials of the Christian Faith
AUTHOR: Thom S. Rainer
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2023, (176 pages).
 

What do Christians believe? Maybe, the question ought to be: What are the basic beliefs of the Christian? Today, there are many people who say they believe, but many are simply superficial or worse, ignorant about basic doctrines and fundamentals of the faith. As a new generation emerges, the need to pass down the basics of the faith grows. The hymn "Faith of our Fathers" captures this sentiment eloquently. "We will be true to Thee till death." True to what? It's true to our basic beliefs. This book is a summary of 15 of the most fundamental doctrines of the Christian. For many believers across all denominations and non-denominations, the historic Apostles Creed summarizes the faith in crisp statements. Today, this creed continues to be recited regularly in many churches. If the Creed is likened to the skeletal framework of the faith, this book fills in the flesh. Author Thom Rainer does a good job of describing to us the various tenets of the faith in a simple and clear manner. His purpose is to help believers know them, understand them, and in due process, to know God better so that this knowledge can spur one further to love and serve God better. I would even venture to say that we can use this book also as a discipleship resource or Christian Education class. Not only is it educational for new believers, but it also serves as a good reminder for older believers. As a discipleship resource, this book goes through a good summary of the following:

"Rich Mullins" (James Bryan Smith)

TITLE: Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven
AUTHOR: James Bryan Smith
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (240 pages).

This book is a collection of stories and recollections about the late Richard Wayne Mullins (1955-1997). For author James Bryan Smith, it is a "devotional biography." His aim in writing this book is to pay attention to the extraordinary life of Rich Mullins. Mullins had been a student, an example, a friend, a housemate, and a fellow pilgrim of the faith. Ten chapters highlight salient areas of Mullins's life. Smith writes about how family identity shapes Mullins's awareness of his uniqueness and how his roots impact his understanding of life. Mullins had wanted to be a basketball player, a mechanic, a good farmer, an athlete, etc, but often felt like a misfit. He found great solace and joy in one area: Music. Church offered him an avenue to channel that enthusiasm. He believed that there is no such thing as a one-shot faith, but an ever-ending learning journey. Against the tide of negative sayings about the Church, he continued to believe in the Church. His songs reflect his love for the church, songs like "Creed," "Liturgy," and hymns. Unlike many church-goers who choose their churches based on the quality of service or the dynamism of leaders, he believed that the key criteria ought to be the devotion of the people to the faith. He nearly converted to Roman Catholicism as he found difficulties accepting some of the teachings. His love for God grew when he experienced the deep grace and love of God. He often wrote songs reflecting his faith discoveries. Songs like "Boy Life Me/Man Like You" was about the incarnation of Christ, and "All the Way to Kingdom Come" was about the way God came searching for us. Mullins also had that St-Francis fascination over the naturally created order. Like the psalmist of old, he wrote songs of praise to reflect that admiration for God in his creation. The song "Calling Out Your Name" was one of the beautiful results of his spiritual discoveries. Mullins criticized the prosperity gospel movement frequently, primarily because they shunned the reality of human struggle. His song, "Bound to Come Some Trouble" not only taught the reality of human suffering, but it was also his unique way to comfort a hurting world.