"To the Tenth Generation" (Ray & Jani Ortlund)

TITLE: To the Tenth Generation God’s Heart for Your Family, Far into the Future
AUTHOR: Jani Ortlund and Ray Ortlund
PUBLISHER: Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2024, (192 pages).
 

There is an ancient Chinese saying: "富不過三代." In other words, the wealth or the family's material well-being will not last beyond three generations. If we look at statistics among businesses founded by Chinese families, this seems to be largely true. For many Christian parents, one of the major concerns of faith is whether their faith can be passed on successfully to future generations. Each generation has its own challenges to overcome. What about faith or faith matters? Will it falter by the third generation? As far as the Christian faith is concerned, faith is a gift to be passed down from generation to generation. Using Deuteronomy 23:2-3 as an inspirational springboard, authors Ray and Jani Ortlund believe that God will bless families with every spiritual blessing from one generation to the next. We just need to join God in this holy endeavor. With this in mind, they help us journey through the perspectives of marriage, family, parenting, and grandparenting. Written in three parts, the authors point out ways to share the faith in the family, in our homes, and for many future generations. They call this book an "investment proposal." Part One begins with a call to think beyond our own shells. "Bigger thoughts grow bigger faith" is the mantra. Calling us to keep following Jesus and to use our lives as examples for our descendants, they believe that as long as we live our lives faithfully for God while we can, God can use our lives and legacies to form future generations. God uses us as channels of influence. They pay particular attention to marriages because our children pattern their lives after what they see in their parents. 

"Discipleship for Every Stage of Life" (Chris A. Kiesling)

TITLE: Discipleship for Every Stage of Life: Understanding Christian Formation in Light of Human Development
AUTHOR: Chris A. Kiesling
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (216 pages).

What have life stages got to do with discipleship? How do human sciences affect spirituality? Is it legitimate to connect Christian formation with human development? These questions should pique the interest of Christians who want to see discipleship expand and be applied beyond the regular youth and adulthood age groups. By bringing together curiosity about human sciences and the theology of Christian Spirituality, author and professor Chris Kiesling has given us a compelling work that engages the development of Christian discipleship for every stage of life. Using his thirty years of learning about human sciences, he maintains that discipleship strategies should adapt to the person's human development stage. It is hoped that not only will that help cultivate the path toward human flourishing, but it also opens up gospel-sharing moments at all stages of life. From birth to the end of life, readers learn about the stage of human development and the needed discipleship strategy. The purpose of this book is to allow the "wholistic, redemptive vision of salvation" to shine through each of the described human stages.

"Christian Academic Writing" (Benjamin L. Merkle & Adrianne Cheek Miles)

TITLE: Christian Academic Writing: Twelve Practices and Principles for Becoming a Successful Writer
AUTHOR: Benjamin L. Merkle & Adrianne Cheek Miles
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (pages).
 

Is academic writing only for academics? No. Is it limited only to people with writing experience? Not really. Is it difficult to even write to publish? Difficult but not impossible. Writing is hard work. Getting it published is even harder. Yet, we should not be deterred by anything difficult. Let our passion for sharing our knowledge and experiences inspire us to write. One cannot be a successful writer without first becoming a writer. Read widely but also write frequently. Just like the title says, this book looks at 12 "practices and principles" to encourage Christian writing as an academic writing. Although both authors come from different backgrounds, their purpose for writing this book is similar: To encourage Christians to write and share their knowledge and expertise with the public. It is not a how-to-write book. It is a book that gives "practical and proven advice" to encourage writers to write. Professors, pastors, teachers, anyone with advanced degrees, or those with lots of working experience can benefit from this resource which aims to bring more people into the writing fold. They do not mince their words when they say writing is hard work. Indeed it is. Sometimes, becoming too distracted by any perceived difficulty can put off any aspiring writer. 

"Hear Ye the Word of the Lord: What We Miss If We Only Read the Bible" (D. Brent Sandy)

TITLE: Hear Ye the Word of the Lord: What We Miss If We Only Read the Bible
AUTHOR: D. Brent Sandy and John Walton
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (192 pages).
 

We often think of the Bible in terms of a Holy Book. So we encourage people to "read" the Bible like a text, study the Scriptures like an ancient document, and interpret each verse with careful eyes. If we limit ourselves to such a view, we would have missed the very essence of God's message to us. The Word was first delivered to human ears rather than eyes. Right from the beginning, the standard form of communication was oral. The receivers were listeners. Plus, it was noted that, unlike today, ancient people had fewer authors and more speakers; more hearers than readers. How the world has changed. The key premise of this book is that if we want to read the Bible well, we need to remember the original contexts of the Bible given to us to listen rather than to read. It is ok to read texts but do not miss out on the importance of listening to the Word. So convicted is author Brent Sandy that he puts forth 18 propositions about the what, the why, and the what then. Categorized in four parts, Sandy urges us to understand the original stage of communications, understand God's agenda, learn about the implications of oral scripture, and practice listening on top of mere reading. 

"Faith Beyond Youth Group" (Kara Powell, Jen Bradbury, and Brad M. Griffin)

TITLE: Faith Beyond Youth Group: Five Ways to Form Character and Cultivate Lifelong Discipleship
AUTHOR: Kara Powell, Jen Bradbury, and Brad M. Griffin
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2023, (224 pages).
 

What about the rest of the week? Is there more the faith than the weekly meetings? In recent times, there have been questions about what Church-goers do beyond Sundays. In marketplace ministries, this concern comes in the form of Faith beyond Sundays. Paul Stevens coins this as "The Other Six Days." Laura Nash and Scott McLellan write about this in "Work on Monday, Church on Sunday." Several other authors such as Wayne Jacobsen, Maurice Johnson, and Tony Carvalho word prefer to describe such emphases as "Beyond Sundays." All of these authors want to encourage believers to practice their faith not just on Sundays but every day of the week. What these authors have done, Kara Powell, Jen Bradbury, and Brad M. Griffin want to do the same for youths. Faith should not be limited to a mere once-every-weekend or regular once-a-week youth group meetings. It should be daily, or as often as possible. When interviewing youth ministry leaders, Powell et al note a common occurrence, that after a while, the enthusiasm loses steam. The "We agree it's not working" feedback is sending alarm bells across churches with conventional youth program models. Factor in the high burn-out rate of youth workers, perhaps, it is a good time for leaders to look at some of the more specific areas of concern beyond the mere rest of the week question. Questions such as:

• Are the lives of teenagers improved because of their time at youth groups?
• How is their faith strengthened?
• Are they becoming a positive force for the gospel? 
• Have they become more engaged in the spiritual disciplines in their personal time?
• How do we engage kids in such a way to form their faith in Jesus?
• ........

"Centering Discipleship" (E. K. Strawser)

TITLE: Centering Discipleship: A Pathway for Multiplying Spectators into Mature Disciples
AUTHOR: E. K. Strawser
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (224 pages).
 

What is the difference between a regular Church and a Discipleship-Making Church? Of course, most churches will claim to be doing some form of discipleship. The difference lies in the emphasis. Is Discipleship the center focus or is it merely peripheral to the Church? Pastor-Author, Eun Strawser hits the jugular when she points out that most churches tend to put discipleship at the peripherals. By declaring that discipleship is the heart of the mission of the Church, Strawser shows us the way to turning the nominal Church into a discipleship-making Church. This book is about the way to move discipleship from the peripherals to the center of Church life. This calls for a transformation of the Church at all levels. First off, Strawser calls for a shift from programs to pathways, which is a framework for discipleship. This framework is about adopting a life abiding in Christ, to grow in building a discipleship-making community toward fruitful lives that beget others to do the same for Jesus. In brief, it is to do what we can to help others follow and imitate Jesus. The first part is about self-denial followed by some paradigm shifts. We learn the differences between fan vs follower. We learn the emphasis on imitating Christ instead of mere Sunday sermon instructions. The author gives us several differences between what discipleship is and what it is not. This helps us to clear up the foggy Church scene which often confuses actual discipleship with Church activities. We learn about the marks of a mature disciple, which focuses on character, theology, wisdom, and missional living. 

"Wisdom for Faithful Reading" (John H. Walton)

TITLE: Wisdom for Faithful Reading: Principles and Practices for Old Testament Interpretation
AUTHOR: John H. Walton
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (248 pages).
 

The Bible is not simply a book of good advice. Neither is it just a book of archaeology, cultural, or historical discourse. It is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, recorded for the world through many human authors, and fully revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the Bible has consistently been a bestseller. With modern electronic Bibles, the Word of God has also gone digital. Whatever the medium or the language used, we need wisdom in order to read, interpret, and understand the Word. With genres ranging from apologetics to history; narratives to proverbs; genealogies to parables; prose to poetry; etc, the Old Testament alone can prove challenging to interpret. We need not mere techniques or methods of interpretation. We need wisdom even to read the Old Testament properly. What better way than to learn from one whose life's work is all about learning from the Old Testament, and teaching us from the fruit of his labor. Professor Walton begins with a general overview of the interpretive process, giving us one quest, two caveats, three essential commitments, four fundamental concepts, and five principles for faithful interpretation. The "quest" is about "faithful" interpretation. The caveat explains the need for faithful rather than "absolutely right" interpretation, simply because imperfect persons cannot claim to be absolutely right. The commitment is toward basic accountability, consistency, and controls. The four concepts are about the need to recognize the four basic contexts (linguistic, literary, cultural, and theological); the need for interpretation; the awareness of gaps; and while acknowledging the complicated nature of interpretation, one also needs to see the clear big picture of the Bible. The five principles revolve around the authors' audience, background, contexts, intent, and how to find our place in God's story.

"Ordinary Discipleship" (Jessie Cruickshank)

TITLE: Ordinary Discipleship: How God Wires Us for the Adventure of Transformation
AUTHOR: Jessie Cruickshank
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Tyndale House Publishers, 2023, (224 pages).
 

The Bible has various metaphors to describe discipleship and spiritual growth. In particular, Jesus himself uses ordinary things to depict the Kingdom of God and spiritual growth. There is the parable of the talents to showcase the importance of stewardship. There is the parable of the tenants on the dangers of unfaithfulness. Chief of them all is the parable of the Sower which describes four different types of soil that seeds fell upon. Jesus also shares with us about the responsibilities of discipleship, to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus. All of these point to one thing: Following Jesus means living up to our calling and faithful stewarding of our responsibilities. However, like many churches and church-goers, discipleship is often talked about but meagerly understood. In this book, author Jessie Cruickshank takes us back to the basics of what discipleship means. In a nutshell, discipleship is for ordinary people wanting to follow Jesus in spite of their ordinary circumstances. Using the journey metaphor, Cruickshank maps out eight stages of what she calls, "The Hero's Journey" from ordinary people practicing ordinary discipleship. Disciplemakers are agents of transformation. They do not transform but they are willing channels for God's Spirit to transform people. According to the author, Discipleship is like "about helping people choose to go somewhere they have never gone before or do something they have never done before. It is about helping someone be brave enough to choose to change." It helps us conquer our fears of leaving our comfort zones. It is trusting that as we do what we can and let God deal with the rest, we learn to grow. So, a disciple is one who is willing to change or be changed. A disciple-maker, with the help of the Holy Spirit, facilitates that process. This map is listed as follows:

"Asking Better Questions of the Bible: A Guide for the Wounded, Wary, and Longing for More" (Marty Solomon)

TITLE: Asking Better Questions of the Bible: A Guide for the Wounded, Wary, and Longing for More
AUTHOR: Marty Solomon
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Tyndale House Publishers, 2023, (240 pages).

The Bible has been the bestselling book in the publishing industry for many years. It is the most read, researched, studied, and referred to book since the invention of the printing press. Even today, it continues to be the book of books of all time. Despite the best intentions, many people still find it difficult to read and understand the Bible, especially parts of the Old Testament. Desiring to understand the Bible better is a good thing. That is why this book has been written to help those who genuinely want to learn and obey its teachings. With his passion for teaching the Bible, author Marty Solomon writes this book to help readers ask better questions in order to learn and follow the teachings of the Bible. He begins with an affirmation of the divine inspiration of the Bible. This is a crucial presupposition because it differentiates the types of questions thrown at it. Some skeptics cast stones for the purpose of discrediting the Bible. Others manipulate questions and twist the Bible to fit their purposes. Academics can sometimes use textual criticism mechanisms that make the analysis cold and impersonal. Some laypersons comb the Bible for soundbites to pacify their fear and insecurities. However, people with a genuine desire to understand the Bible better will let the questions guide their learning and curiosity. This book is written for this group.

"A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better" (George H. Guthrie)

TITLE: A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better
AUTHOR: George H. Guthrie
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2022, (176 pages).
 

Christians believe in the Bible. They declare it in their creeds. They study it in small groups. Many would spend their devotional time with an open Bible. Some would also be inspired to go to Bible School. For the layperson, while the spirit is willing, the know-how is weak. Many of us can read but not many know how to appreciate the different genres, interpretive methods, or basic reading skills. God's Word is life-giving but do we know how to receive this life-giving Word? Whatever it is, all if not most of us would agree on one thing: Whatever our stage of expertise, we all need to take our Bible reading to the next level. This short book helps us to do just that. Author and professor George Guthrie is a well-known teacher of the Bible. Having been involved in several Bible translations, he knows the nuances and skills necessary to read the Bible well. He starts off the book with an invitation to consider and ponder the power of words. Subtly, he hints at the following: If words can be such powerful tools to move the human heart, what about God's Word? Surely, that would move not only human hearts but inspire them to do greater things that no ordinary mortal being could do. Guthrie focuses on:

"The Call to Follow" (Richard Langer and Joanne J. Jung)

TITLE: The Call to Follow
AUTHOR: Richard Langer and Joanne J. Jung
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2022, (224 pages).
 

There are many resources on leadership. From seminars by well-known leaders to books written by famous authors, stuff on leadership continues to be highly sought after. In many societies, aspiring to positions of leadership is a badge of honor. Many schools even have special curricula to teach leadership. Training leaders is now a multibillion-dollar industry. In contrast, not much is talked about or taught with regard to the call to follow. Jesus clearly said: "Follow Me." It is a call to discipleship. For authors Richard Langer and Joanne Jung, this is a tough call. Tough because followship cannot hold a candle to the topic of leadership. Many people prefer to lead but few want to follow. Truth is, few are called to lead but we are all called to follow. Langer and Jung back this up with multiple statistics. When they search Amazon to find our books about leadership, the results outnumber followship on a ratio of 400:1. Even those books that teach us the importance of following eventually become another resource about leadership. The authors want this book to speak to all of us, regardless of whether we are in or not in any position of leadership. They then lead us through the steps to obey our calling to follow, more specifically, to follow after Jesus. In Chapter One, the authors call us to distinguish between helpful and harmful teachings of leadership, before turning to the topic of what it means to follow. They define followship as "we follow Christ (deference) through the power of the Spirit and with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (engagement and zeal) in order to glorify God and build his kingdom (mission ownership)." They help remove layers of myths regarding the call to follow. Comparing "followship stereotype" and "biblical followship," they help set the stage for us to boldly walk the path of discipleship and followship. They point out the significance of followship that should not be undermined. They help us with reasons to learn more about followship. 

"I Am a Christian" (Thom S. Rainer)

TITLE: I Am a Christian: Discovering What It Means to Follow Jesus Together with Fellow Believers
AUTHOR: Thom S. Rainer
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum, 2022, (128 pages).
 

What does it mean to be a Christian? What do people mean when they say they believe in Jesus? What about people claiming that they are second, third, or fourth-generation Christian? Answer: It varies. Some might claim that because they say they believe, and they attend Church regularly, they are Christians. Many would say that as long as they believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, they are considered saved believers. Others raise the bar to say that if one's faith is devoid of discipleship, that casts one's faith in doubt. With various interpretations of what it means to be Christian, this book comes in to clear the fog for those still bugged by that question. Using seven key distinctiveness, popular author Thom Rainer leads us through seven declarations of faith. Each statement is a statement of intent not just as an adjective but more as a verb. Rainer asserts that anyone who claims they are Christians must know WHY they believe. Right from the start, readers get to realize the importance of this very question. We live in a world of distractions that continue to influence and confuse our sense of identity as Christian. For example, the culture we live in is largely individualistic, leading some people to think that they could be "Lone Ranger Christians." Inspired by the gospel of John's seven "I AM" statements of Jesus, the author uses the same framework to provide us with seven identity statements of a Christian. They are:

"The StoryChanger" (David Murray)

TITLE: The StoryChanger: How God Rewrites Our Story by Inviting Us into His
AUTHOR: David Murray
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2022, (128 pages).
 

What is the gospel about? The story of the gospel can sometimes be described in terms of these words: Creation, Fall, Israel, Redemption, Jesus, Cross, Resurrection, Church, and New Creation. These are theological milestones according to many Bible scholars. Unfortunately, for laypersons, these words alone might not communicate much meaning to how these come together as one big story. Enters David Murray with a creative way to pull these themes together under the "story-changer" motif. Basically, the story of the good news according to the Bible can be told through a series of interconnected stories. In particular, he shows us how God redeems humankind from their follies, historical, contemporary, and future follies. We learn of how God helps rewrite our stories for the better. Starting off with the famous declaration in Ecclesiastes that everything is meaningless, we are reminded that without God, everything indeed is and will be meaningless. The First Story is about the events in Genesis where God created everything great until sin entered the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Calling Satan the "Story-shredder," we get a picture of how evil could be. Humans try all they can to try to write their own stories. All, if not most, fail to tell it adequately. Showing us why we need a Story-Changer, Murray devotes the book to help us see the importance and significance of letting Jesus help us re-write our stories. We have a new story to write and to tell. Thanks to Jesus of course.

"Why Believe" (Neil Shenvi)

TITLE: Why Believe? A Reasoned Approach to Christianity
AUTHOR: Neil Shenvi
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2022, (272 pages).
 

As society gets more secular in outlook and atheistic in practice, why should anyone consider religious beliefs? With the ongoing religious controversies and wars, why should we give religions a chance? Amid the religious scandals reported on mainstream media, religious outlook in general has taken a dive. With churches in the West registering sharp declines annually, why bother about Christianity at all? These are some of the questions that fly straight at anyone considering any religious beliefs, and in particular, Christianity. Even among religious believers, it is a tough sell to even get them to consider believing in Jesus. In this frank book about the merits of Christianity, author Neil Shenvi takes us through his personal journey of faith and how he is eventually convinced about the message of Jesus Christ. Like many earnest seekers, he sought to deal with the key questions such as:

• Are all religions true?
• Are they all subjectively true?
• Will there be true peace if all religions are eliminated?
• How do we make sense of the Resurrection?
• How do we deal with the arguments against Theism?
• What evidence is there for the existence of God?
• Can one be good without God?
• What is the uniqueness of the gospel of Christ?
• How do we understand sin and salvation from the Christian perspective?

All of these questions center around this: "Why should we think that Christianity is true?" 

"Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through Community" (James C Wilhoit)

TITLE: Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through Community
AUTHOR: James C Wilhoit (2nd edition)
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2022, (288 pages).

A key purpose of the Christian life is this: How do we become more Christlike in all we say and do? What does it take to grow deeper in Christ? At a time in which the image of the church is undergoing tremendous cynicism, how do we recover from the negativity in order to live as salt and light of the world? For author James Wilhoit, the answer lies in the revival of local congregations to make spiritual formation their key goal. This goal must be manifested in all activities and programs of the Church. The how, the why, and the curriculum for doing it are all described in this book. More importantly, it reminds us that the best crucible for spiritual formation is not the individual disciplines but the Church. Now in its second edition, this book has been updated with positive psychology based on an Augustinian formation perspective. Readers are reminded that spiritual formation is not another kind of self-help project but an expression of the gospel given to the Church. Using the metaphor of public health by providing clean drinking water and vaccinations, Christian Spiritual Formation is about providing the best possible communal environment for individuals to flourish. Wilhoit sets the stage by affirming how spiritual formation need not be something extraordinary. Instead, using ordinary means and ordinary contexts, we can cultivate our souls within the ordinary environment of church and community. He then gives us some principles and patterns that we could adopt. Based on various Orthodox faith traditions, he combines them with some of the modern psychological practices such as Robert Emmon's work on gratitude and reducing anxiety. He uses mostly the spiritual traditions of orthodox theology. He takes inspiration from recent spiritual practitioners like the late Dallas Willard, Thomas Oden, Adrian Van Kaam, etc, as well as the spiritual masters of old. Before presenting his CSF curriculum, he helps us clear the decks about what CSF is and what it is not. This helps sets expectations. 

"No Shortcut to Success" (Matt Rhodes)

TITLE: No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions (9Marks)
AUTHOR: Matt Rhodes
PUBLISHER: Wheaton IL: Crossway Publishers, 2022, (272 pages).
 

In a quick-fix society, people want fast results and easy solutions. If there are short-cuts, take it. If not, make one. This has unfortunately impacted the philosophy of Christian missions. Thinking that modern methods could spark a quick and easy approach toward missions, many people are looking for ways to bypass traditional approaches by adopting quick-fixes and practices. This has appeared in various forms that seem logical at a superficial level but lack foundations. Author Matt Rhodes gives a critical analysis on the popular shortcuts being adopted in many modern approaches to missions. Some feel that professionalism is to be avoided in favor of relational skills. Others prefer speed or silver bullet strategies. Still there are some who are skeptical of anything too "intellectual" or "academic." The temptations are real. Just hearing about "amazing successes" from anecdotal sources might scupper any attempts to be trained in the traditional ways. Such sources tempt planners with numbers like some success story. Rhodes critiques the Church Planting Movements for their overemphasis on rapid growth instead of biblical shepherding. He questions the notion of a DNA for rapid growth, saying that they prioritize sociology over theology. In a nutshell, such approaches tend to be based on management over biblical principles; numbers over patience; results over means; and human expectations over spiritual movements. 

"The Good and Beautiful You" (James Bryan Smith)

TITLE: The Good and Beautiful You: Discovering the Person Jesus Created You to Be (The Good and Beautiful Series)
AUTHOR: James Bryan Smith
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022, (240 pages).

From writing about what is good and beautiful about God, the life we could have, and the community we could cultivate, we have the fourth book in this series about the Good and the Beautiful: You. Many self-help books begin with or are aimed at readers as the first person. The key assertion in this book is about the kind of people we could become rather than mere beliefs and practices. That is not all. In order to become the person we are called to become, we need to shed away false selves. Such false images are created when we link our identity with our jobs or things we do. They are also created when we confuse the self with the soul, that we are "selves" rather than "embodied souls," something that modern psychotherapy and our cultural narratives tell us. 

How do we distinguish the differences between the self and the soul? Firstly, recognize our narrative. Smith shows us how the self has become defined in terms of self-reliance; self-dependence; and ultimately; self-idolizing. He pushes back against this type of self which is less about authentic spiritual growth and more about self-absorption, self-accumulation, and self-accomplishment. He lists out several differences between the self and the soul, focusing on the longings within our souls and how only in God can we find true fulfillment. One exercise we can do to distinguish our soul's need from self-needs is an exercise of restraint.

"Following" (Jason Byassee and Andria Irwin)

TITLE: Following (Pastoring for Life: Theological Wisdom for Ministering Well)
AUTHOR: Jason Byassee and Andria Irwin
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021, (208 pages).
 

Even with technological advances, there is almost always a constant divide between two poles. There are the Technological Luddites and the Technophiles. There are the modernists and the mystics. In a digital age, there are digital immigrants and digital natives. These are some of the distinctions between the old and the new forms of thinking. In a book written by a digital immigrant (Byassee) and a digital native (Irwin), we get a fascinating conversation about what discipleship means in a digital age. While getting online is easy, discerning what is going on is not so straightforward. In the area of discipleship, learning how to discern is increasingly important as many Christians go online and interact more on the Internet. Theologically, one of the biggest heresies throughout history was Gnosticism. This heresy is basically about dualistic views of life, seeing earthly things as evil and heavenly things as good. Salvation is thus a matter of running away from this world into the real good one. It is still occurring today to fuel any inclination toward escapism especially in times of trouble. Closely related to Gnosticism is Manicheism, something that had influenced St Augustine in his earlier days. This heresy is not as extreme as Gnosticism but still retains semblances of Gnostic beliefs into seeing some things as good and some things as evil. The Truth is, God has created creation as good, and right theology needs to discern what is good and fallen, against what the heresies claimed as inherently or naturally evil. The authors here seek to find a balance between the two heresies so as to make sense of what is theologically true and coherent with the human experience. In an age where the online environment is threatening to pull people toward any heretical extremes, they urge readers to learn to refrain, to restrain, and to rest from constant online engagement, without jettisoning the usefulness of technology. They also show us how to discern what are the things that can and cannot be done online. One of the key questions posed is:  "How might we use technology, perhaps despite its intentions, to trick ourselves into a more embodied life of discipleship?"

"7 Ways to Pray" (Amy Boucher Pye)

TITLE: 7 Ways to Pray: Time-Tested Practices for Encountering God
AUTHOR: Amy Boucher Pye
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Tyndale House Publishers, 2021, (192 pages)

Christianity is a relationship. Like any relationship, it needs regular communication. Prayer is that spiritual conversation that reflects the ongoing relationship between God and us. For most people, praying is simply asking for things when one is in need or seeking help when one is in trouble. Such a strategy comes from a Santa Claus theology of prayer, turning prayer into some kind of a spiritual invocation for a physical requisition. What if we move away from such a conventional manner of praying? What if we do less of asking for things and more of desiring God? If God is All-Knowing, surely He already knows all that we need. That being the case, our prayer life should orientate in a different way. Author Amy Boucher Pye offers us seven ways to pray. Using the wisdom of the spiritual masters of old, Pye leads us along seven paths of prayer. They are:

1. Letting Scripture Guide our Praying
2. Using the Lectio Divina
3. Practicing the Presence of God
4. Listening
5. Lamenting
6. Imagining
7. Remembering

"A Habit Called Faith" (Jen Pollock Michel)

TITLE: A Habit Called Faith: 40 Days in the Bible to Find and Follow Jesus
AUTHOR: Jen Pollock Michel
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2021, (256 pages).

Don't just think your way to faith. Practice it. This is the crux of this book about spiritual formation via the practice of faith. Practice it regularly enough until it becomes a habit. This is the way of faith. For repetition is one of the most proven ways to cultivate memory. What better way than to use 40-days as a memory forming benchmark. The use of "40 days" has been well-documented in both Scriptures as well as popular literature. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness. Stephen the first martyr told the story of Moses in three 40-year segments. Rick Warren's famous book about purpose-driven was based on 40 days on intentional purpose forming. Written like a devotional, there are 40 days of exercises with daily readings, Bible verses, the author's reflections, and two questions. Designed more for individual and to some extent for group use, the key advice the author gives to any reader is to simply finish the book. The fruit is sweetest if this is practiced to the fullest. Michel divides the book into two parts. The first 20 days are based on the book of Deuteronomy while the other 20 days are reflections on the gospel of John. Interspersed every five days are testimonies of faith from different people. Mark Lawrence talks about his habits of church attendance and Sunday School. Ian Cusson's experience of Church is very much liturgical. In spite of his indigenous background of the pains of residential schools, he aims to be a bridge between "indigeneity and Christianity."