"Reviving Mission" (Linson Daniel, Jon Hietbrink, and Eric Rafferty)

TITLE: Reviving Mission: Awakening to the Everyday Movement of God
AUTHOR: Linson Daniel, Jon Hietbrink, and Eric Rafferty
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (240 pages).
 

Are missions outdated? Does God still speak today with signs and wonders? Is there any similar outpouring of the Spirit like the 20th-century Azuza Street revival? Are revivals a thing of the past? Are revivals in general considered anomalies? Inspired by the Asbury revival of 2023 which spread to several campuses in America, the authors of this book excitedly proclaimed that mission can be revived. This book is about reviving: a) our conceptions of mission; b) the impact of mission on the people we are sent to; and c) the impact of mission on the people who are sent. Instead of jettisoning the old ways of mission, the authors urge us to renew our old ways in terms of re-contextualization. Go back to Jesus as the root of all missions. Follow the ways of Jesus in everyday living. Be Christlike to all. Claiming that "The Old Way is an Everyday Way," they encourage us to follow Jesus' ordinary life in an ordinary society. Once we recognize the many similarities of first-century culture and our modern society, we can breathe new life into the ordinary. 

"Our Cry For Revival" (Nick Harrison)

TITLE: Our Cry for Revival: 365 Devotions and Prayers for an Outpouring of God’s Spirit
AUTHOR: Nick Harrison
PUBLISHER: Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2024, (384 pages).
 

"Revival comes only through prayer," so declares the author of this book of daily devotionals. Throughout history, prayer has been the common trait in any revival movements recorded. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the Early Church to the present evangelical movements, God moves chiefly through the prayers of His people. The patriarchs touched God's heart through prayer. The prophets of old prayed constantly for God to intervene in their decaying world. The Pentecost event occurred when the disciples were praying together in unity. In our modern era, we have the First (18th Century) and Second Great Awakening (19th Century), the Azusa Street (20th Century), the Asbury Revival (1970), as well as the Asbury University blessing (2023), etc. All of these have one common thread: Earnest Prayer and Fast. How do we turn our prayers into desperate cries for revival? According to Nick Harrison, this devotional can be that guide. It is a daily guide through the whole year. Each day begins with a selected Scripture passage followed by a short devotion. Following that is a wise quote from a well-known believer, evangelist, pastor, preacher, professor, or spiritual writer. At the end of the devotion is a prayer prompt to kick start our prayer for revival. Written in an accessible and easy-to-read format, it takes less than a few minutes to read through the page. The reflection and prayer can last longer, perhaps throughout the day. 

The author believes that God creates a hunger in people for revival. Led by the Spirit, the people will start pouring out prayers in faith consistently and passionately. This is not a quick-fix solution. It is a call to sense God's calling, direction, and timing. With earnest praying comes various spiritual practices like confession, repentance, and obedience. As the popular song "Pass It On" says, "It only takes a spark to get the fire going." Our role then is to be spiritually flammable so that when God's spark comes, we ignite and become fire for God. We connect with God and with people. We then obey where the Spirit leads us toward. That is what revival is all about. 

Churches today need revival and they need it desperately. May this book spur more to join in the community of prayer for revival first in our immediate communities, then our neighbourhoods, our cities, our states, our nations, and throughout the world.

Nick Harrison is the author of more than a dozen books including Magnificent Prayer, The One-Year Life Recovery Prayer Devotional and five books in the One-Minute® Prayer series, including One-Minute Prayers® When You Need a Miracle. His books have been endorsed by Anne Graham Lotz, Jim Cymbala, Tony Evans, Sheila Walsh, Chip Ingram, and Lee Strobel. Nick has a background in the book world both as a bookstore owner and as a senior editor at Harvest House Publishers. Nick and his wife, Beverly are the parents of three grown daughters and grandparents to two boys and two girls.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of B&H Publishing via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Becoming by Beholding" (Lanta Davis)

TITLE: Becoming by Beholding: The Power of the Imagination in Spiritual Formation
AUTHOR: Lanta Davis
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (240 pages).
 

When young, our parents tell us fairy tales and other bedtime stories. In school, we learn through play and imagination. At home, we love watching cartoons with happy endings. Tales often begin with the familiar words "A Long time ago..." and end with that memorable phrase "... And they lived happily ever after." As we grow, imagination seems to take a backseat. Life then becomes a crazy rat race that leaves little room for imagination. Fantasies dissipate. Realities mandate. Imagination stagnate. Author Lanta Davis asserts that it is time to restore a healthy sense of imagination, in particular, to Christian Spiritual Formation. This is done by learning from our forefathers of the faith through tradition and the historical expressions of the faith. If we unearth the treasures of Christian artistic tradition, we can rediscover the rich legacies of the past. We can renew a fresh imagination to breathe creativity into our present world. We can also restore our understanding of identity and beyond. From an archeological dig into history and tradition, the author develops for us a three-pronged approach: "Right Belief," "Right Practice," and "Moral Character." 

"Heavenward" (Cameron Cole)

TITLE: Heavenward: How Eternity Can Change your Life on Earth
AUTHOR: Cameron Cole
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2024, (200 pages).

Life is difficult. For some, life is terribly cruel. In an honest lament after losing his firstborn, author Cameron Cole writes about the need for hope by cultivating a heavenward perspective of life. Linking personal experience with Scriptural teachings, he describes what heavenward means, who the book is for, and some ways to live with heavenly thoughts while on earth. Written in three sections, Section One begins with a description of what "heavenward" means for the Apostle Paul and for the rest of us. Using Paul as an example, Cole shows us from the Bible how heaven-mindedness transforms Paul's entire life. From Paul, Cole then moves to what it means in our present world. In top-down, we let the love of God from above motivate our earthly living. In bottom-up, he links earthly circumstances with a perspective of heavenward mindset. Another heavenward posture is through waiting.

Section Two looks at five different factors affecting Paul's heavenly outlook. The first is about seeing the coming of the Kingdom with Christ as the centre. The second is a powerful take on how the way to transform conventional earthly living with heavenward earthly living. Whether on earth or in heaven, we can live that eternity perspective and that changes everything. The third points moves this further along toward a target: Jesus. Heaven is less about a material place but more about that spiritual union with Christ. The fourth takes us even deeper toward seeing God for who He is. This glorious outlook is beyond understanding. Finally, the power of the Holy Spirit moves us to become heavenward people.

"On Getting Out of Bed" (Alan Noble)

TITLE: On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living
AUTHOR: Alan Noble
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (120 pages).
 

Mental health is increasingly in the news. In the past, the mere mention of mental problems can be taboo. Thus, there is a subconscious effort to dumb down any such talk. That said, times are changing rapidly. At the onset of Covid, talk about mental struggles has come to the fore, primarily because it is experienced in many places, thanks in part to a lockdown world.  This seems to create a greater openness to discussing mental health in a post-covid world. This book is about "mental suffering" which is an all-encompassing term to describe mental afflictions of all forms, both clinical and non-clinical conditions. Author Alan Noble is convinced that for most people, it is less about clinical techniques or medications to solve the mental issue and more about understanding the person's unique situation. The trouble arises when people presume a clinical solution to anything related to mental health. This will be just like a hammer solution that presumes every person is a nail. Another problem is the social stigma that comes with anything mental-related. As the author is not a medical professional, this book is about sharing his thoughts based on Anne Harrison's alternative approach to "mental affliction" that is beyond medical realms. Rather, it is acknowledging the "cultural, social, and familial circumstances" surrounding the person concerned.  The book traces the thoughts of Noble along this line. Noble begins with personal encounters with people struggling with their lives. Hiding behind their external smiling faces, many people do hide their struggles in more ways than one. Some even "choose" the path of suffering. On top of that, they choose their own prescription, thinking that mental issues are problems to be solved, instead of being understood and lived. Noble cautions us about reliance on techniques. He uncovers potential barriers such as "fear of failure," presumptions of "PTSD," over-reliance on "the language of mental health," etc., all of which minimizes the need for simple human touch. This might lead to finding the right prescription for a wrong diagnosis. The author's prescription: Do whatever it takes to motivate one to get out of bed.

"Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God" (Gordon D. Fee)

TITLE: Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God
AUTHOR: Gordon D. Fee
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023, (240 pages).
 

The Holy Spirit is God's Empowering Presence. Paul teaches and lives it. He urges the people of God to do the same. How do we not only learn more about the Holy Spirit? Is it possible to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit, maybe like what the Early Church had experienced? Perhaps, before we move into the actual application, we need to learn more about the continuity and discontinuity gap between the Old and New Covenant. Recognizing the struggles to link these two important truths, well-respected professor, Dr. Gordon Fee has written his Magnus opus on the Holy Spirit from the perspective of Pauline theology. From Paul's window into the Holy Spirit, he draws out the connection between what Paul says and what we experience in our present life in Christ, before extending it to the relevance of the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of the Church. For that to happen, we need to draw a series of connections between the past and the present. This includes relationships between:

• Understanding and experiencing the Theology of the Holy Spirit;
• The old covenant and the new;
• The Individual and the Community;
• Present and Future
• Soteriology and Eschatology;
• Conversion to Covenant;
• and more...

"The Long COVID Survival Guide" (Fiona Lowenstein, ed)

TITLE: The Long COVID Survival Guide: Stories and Advice from Twenty Long-Haulers and Experts
AUTHOR: Fiona Lowenstein, ed
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: The Experiment, 2022, (288 pages).
 

It has been more than two years since the pandemic began. Since 2020, people around the world have become more cautious about face masks, vaccination requirements, handwashing, disinfectants, and many other healthcare concerns. Many have gotten covid and subsequently recovered. However, not all recoveries are the same. Some continue to suffer symptoms called "long covid." While the rest of the world chug along, those with long covid symptoms find it the journey long and often lonely. From initial diagnosis to constant anxiety about whether it gets better or worse, even medical professionals are learning new things every day with regard to how to help patients deal with covid, especially long covid. In this book, we hear directly from contributors who have experienced either directly or indirectly the challenges of long covid. In this book, twenty contributors share their stories. Sabrina writes about her loss of smell, headaches, stomach flu symptoms, and a sense of exasperation of not having anyone who could expertly tell her what to do. She tells us that there are a lot more nuances to know with regard to healing and recovery. Many who have struggled with long covid realize they are no longer the same persons they used to be. We learn about what it takes to be a knowledgeable, understanding, and supportive community. We learn about logistical and financial advice. We learn about symptom management, crowdsourced guidance, discerning the theories floating around covid-19, and a host of other issues pertaining to understanding more about Long Covid. Conventional words like healing, recovery, care, disability, patient, are all redefined under the new awareness of long covid. From a first-person perspective, we read about:

"Songs of Suffering" (Joni Eareckson Tada)

TITLE: Songs of Suffering
AUTHOR: Joni Eareckson Tada
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2022, (200 pages).
 

Colossians 3:16 exhorts us to let the Word of Christ dwell in our hearts richly, that when we have deep gratitude in our hearts, we will be able to respond to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. The Book of Psalms is a wonderful collection of amazing spiritual insights and worship. We sing not only when we are happy, we sing even as we lament the struggles of this life. Entitled "Songs of Suffering," this book is an attempt to make sense of some of the most popular and powerful hymns used through the centuries. Written and compiled by one who has known suffering personally, Joni Eareckson Tada who is a quadriplegic, shares with us spiritual insights and learnings from 25 hymns. Not only should these hymns be sung more frequently, the author believes that the lyrics should be memorized as well. Many of the hymn lyrics contain powerful theological truth. Included in this collection are devotional lessons, inspiring events, and strength for the soul. Each chapter begins with a Bible verse to anchor our thoughts on. The author then weaves her own stories and experience into the telling of the story and the relationship to the hymn itself. This is followed by a melody score with words and music for musicians to play and sing along to.This is helpful for those who find the hymns unfamiliar.  She ends the book with a "reprise" which is a musical reflection and some last-minute advice. 

"Stories of My Life" (Katherine Paterson)

TITLE: Stories of My Life
AUTHOR: Katherine Paterson
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2022, (352 pages).
 

We all love stories. Since young, many of us would recall listening to how our parents and grandparents told us all kinds of stories. From fairy tales to modern legends, biblical narratives to personal testimonies, stories captivate us in ways that no prose nor non-fiction could. Stories help us appreciate and understand tradition. They also teach us lessons about life, just like the world-famous Aesop's Fables. It takes a conscientious storyteller to tell a good story. It takes a gifted storyteller to tell a great story. Author Katherine Paterson tells her own story to give us many glimpses into her fascinating life as a writer, a missionary kid, teacher, preacher's wife, devoted mother, and a Christian. She shares about the ups and downs of her life. Events like her topsy-turvy days when living with her missionary parents to China to having children of her own following a miscarriage, Paterson shares her stories with vivid description and brutal honesty. She introduces the book from a readers' perspective via three "Frequently Asked Questions." 

1. How did you become a writer?
2. Where do you get your ideas?
3. How does it feel to be famous?

"Turning Points in the Expansion of Christianity" (Alice T. Ott)

TITLE: Turning Points in the Expansion of Christianity: From Pentecost to the Present
AUTHOR: Alice T. Ott
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2022, (320 pages).

Ever since Mark Noll published his classic work "Turning Points" over two decades ago, it has become a popular framework to study the history of Christianity. Such "turning points" are essentially significant moments in time that have changed the course of history. In Noll's book, some significant moments include the Fall of Jerusalem (AD70); the Formation of the Council of Nicaea (AD325); the Monastic Period (AD530); the Coronation of Charlemagne (AD800); the Great Schism (AD1054); Rise of Protestantism (AD1521); The Second Vatican Council (AD1962-5); etc. These significant events helped shape the Church into what it is today. For all his valiant efforts, even Noll's latest edition of his classic only touches the tip of the iceberg of history. It will take many more volumes to uncover the multitudes of decisions that have shaped the many developments throughout the history of the Church. Using Noll's framework that covers events from AD70 to the 1970s, author and professor Alice Ott boldly apply the same methodology to events from Pentecost to the Present age. She defines her turning point as both the beginning of a "new trend" as well as the "climax and culmination" of mission work outreach. Some of the unique features in this book include:

• Anecdote or illustration to introduce readers to the impact of the turning point
• Five chapters cover Christian influence before the Protestant Reformation
• Seven chapters cover the turning points after the rise of the Protestant movement
• Additional material on East Syrian and Roman Catholic missionaries
• Themes of missiology, theology, and history highlighted throughout the book
• Methods and strategies for evangelization
• ...

"Hollywood Heroes" (Frank Turek and Zach Turek)

TITLE: Hollywood Heroes: How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God
AUTHOR: Frank Turek and Zach Turek
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Tyndale House Publishers, 2022, (256 pages).
 

We watch a lot of movies. During a pandemic when most of us are either locked down, working from home, or simply spending more time isolated from the general public, we tend to stay indoors and in our leisure moments, watch even more movies While some of us simply want to be entertained, in the midst of searching for nice movies to watch, there is a little child inside each of us craving for hope. This heart desires to be inspired by heroic acts and heroes who could save the world. Whether fantasy or sci-fi, drama or romance, we all want something good to happen in this world. With the popularity of Marvel movies, characters from Justice League, and memorable personalities from Harry Potter, Lord-Of-The-Rings, etc, these superheroes have captivated our imagination about special powers and unique abilities. These are skills that the common person does not have. Spiderman can swing. Harry Potter casts spells. Batman has his special gadgets and the futuristic Star Wars gives us an out-of-this-world experience. Common to all movies described in this book is the hero who aids mankind with the accomplishment of the greater good, and often to save the world. This hero figure essentially tells us that fictional characters represent hope and inspiration in real life. Throughout these movies, there are many other lessons we could glean from, such as questions about the divine, ethical dilemmas, the reality of evil, the downfall of arrogance, the consequences of personal choices, and the sanctity of life. Authors Frank and Zach Turek assert that these movies actually reveal our desire for God. With an intrinsic sense of good battling evil, these stories speak of salvation, justice, senseless evil, and the eventual culmination of good. These superheroes and gallant protagonists often represent the inner human need for retribution against evil and the victory of the good. Yet, they assert that however heroic or virtuous each of these heroes may be, they are a far cry from the God of the Bible. This book is essentially about how these Hollywood heroes reveal our hearts' desires and how they ought to point us to the Greatest Hero of all: God. 

"Breaking Ground" (Anne Snyder and Susannah Black, editors)

TITLE: Breaking Ground: Charting Our Future in a Pandemic Year
AUTHOR: (Anne Snyder and Susannah Black, editors)
PUBLISHER: Walden, NY: Plough Publishing House, 2022, (400 pages).

If there is any specific life-changing event at the turn of this decade, it would nonetheless be Covid-19. Never before have there been so many deaths, fears, disruptions to the local economy, and global repercussions for the general public, businesses, friends, families, and loved ones. From multinational corporations to non-profits like charities and churches, the arms of the pandemic have spread like wildfires affecting every continent, every country, and every culture. In early 2020, a group of thoughtful individuals came together to ask the question: "What would a post-pandemic world look like?" Refusing to accept a mere "Things will never be the same again," the contributors boldly attempt to see the future through renewed thinking of the many facets of life we have often taken for granted. That is not all. Even after removing the pandemic factor, there remains a deep-seated self-deception among people that they are presumed correct until proven otherwise. That sets the stage for arrogance and pride that refuses to learn, to the detriment of our future generations. We need a way to help us humbly learn from our mistakes and to break new ground for growth and human progress. This collection of essays is written by individuals who hail as cultural critics, scholars, speakers, businesspersons, professors, psychologists, philosophers, poets, political observers, professionals, researchers, venture capitalists, and many more. Written between June 2020 to June 2021, the writers explore issues pertaining to three types of needs, the need to:

Movie: American Underdog (Opening Christmas Day 2021)

I watched a preview of the movie "American Underdog" and was wowed by the quality of the acting. Based on the story of Kurt Warner's rise from a rejected football player to become the MVP at the NFL, the film inspires us not to give up on our dreams. The movie begins with statistics. Each year, over a million young boys dream of going to the NFL. Out of this pool, only 10% get a fair shot to be drafted. Out of this 10%, less than 1% is eventually drafted. What was amazing is that Warner was undrafted, and yet able to join the NFL eventually. How is the movie inspiring? Let me summarize it in three ways.

"Hinge Moments" (D. Michael Lindsay)

TITLE: Hinge Moments: Making the Most of Life's Transitions
AUTHOR: D. Michael Lindsay
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2021, (176 pages).
 

College paths. Career choices. Marital options. Life-changing moments. Even moving addresses. Some moments are exhilarating while others are plain tragic. Some call it a fork in the road. Others call it a choice among many. Christians often describe it as discerning one's calling. Historians call it turning points. Still, many would call it transition moments. For author Michael Lindsay, he calls it "hinge moments." After recalling his own hinge moments, he shares his findings on leadership in America, based on a ten-year study of 550 top leaders in America. He calls these people "Platinum Leaders" and notices a common thread going through the lives of these people: they responded by converting crisis into opportunity. He shares about the early life of Oprah Winfrey, who rose from poverty to stardom. Along the way, she encountered isolation, rejection, even abuse. Prashan De Visser left his war-torn country in Sri Lanka, found a new passion for peacebuilding at Gordon College, and eventually started an organization for reconciliation called "Sri Lanka Unites." He interviewed Jamie Dimon, former CEO of JP Morgan Chase Bank on how he felt when he was fired involuntarily. Another successful CEO, Bruce Kennedy of Alaska Airlines voluntarily walked away from his job to transition toward spending more time at a non-profit. When Condoleezza Rice changed her major from Music to International Relations, her career soared. These stories and many more show us that hinge moments happen to people across all kinds of economic and social strata. 

"Glimmers of Grace" (Kathryn Butler, MD)

TITLE: Glimmers of Grace: A Doctor's Reflections on Faith, Suffering, and the Goodness of God
AUTHOR: Kathryn Butler, MD
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2021, (224 pages).

Faith and Fear; Hope or Despair; Health or Sickness; Life and Death. These are the daily issues that plague hospitals all over the world. As a critical care surgeon who sees patients experiencing struggles of life and death, author Kathryn Butler has seen a wide spectrum of human ups and downs.  As a Christian, she has also questioned why God had allowed people to go through pain and suffering. Where is God in all of these? What happens when one does not see the promises of God fulfilled in their lives? How do we locate our feelings in the field of grace? This is what this book is about. Seeing God's grace in the midst of medical calamities. Written in three parts, Part One shows us how medical situations could challenge our faith. Part Two looks to the Bible for insights into who God is and how we can find comfort in God. Part Three moves forward to show us how to live with hope based on the Resurrection Promise. 

Butler shares many stories about the amazing grace in the hospital room. She sees how a dying man was able to hang on to his very last breath until his wife arrives. She marvels at how one Christian by the name of David continues to minister to his Church members in spite of his health condition. She remembers a strong and independent friend who just needed prayer even in the midst of discouragement. She notices how the best of medical sciences cannot measure up to the miracle of God's design. God heals from the inside out and the outside in when humans can only apply a band-aid. Each chapter comes with reflections about various medical situations and assurances from the Bible. Readers can sense quickly that the author needs the assurances herself too. Recognizing the limits of science and medicine propels her to embrace the mystery of God's assurance and eternal comfort. Science might define life as a beating and death as flatlining. Faith enables one to go beyond these parameters into the mysteries of the afterlife.

"100 Poems to Break Your Heart" (Edward Hirsch)

TITLE: 100 Poems to Break Your Heart
AUTHOR: Edward Hirsch
PUBLISHER: Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021, (512 pages).

"We live in distracting times," writes one of the most popular poets in our modern era. In the midst of widespread superficiality, we need a more down-to-earth reality. Driven by an overwhelming rush for success, we often do not spend time licking our wounds of failure, reflecting on setbacks, or grieving over losses. Busyness could be a convenient coverup for emotional weakness or vulnerability. The difference between prose and poetry is quite well-known. Prose tends to be relatively direct while poetry requires time to digest. It also takes on a more pragmatic mode rather than imaginative; information-driven vs experience-led; utilitarian vs expressiveness; and so on. Poetry on the other hand gives one the freedom to express our feelings that allows us to use a variety of literary art such as art, music, or various methods of illumination. There is more freedom of expression, something that adequately sways with the feelings of the poet. Poet Edward Hirsch gives us a powerful collection of poems from various contributors, both past and present. He writes this book of poems as a way to invite us into a world of how many people have expressed their hurts, pains, and struggles. People from the past such as William Wordsworth who mourns his daughter's death with a poem "Surprised by Joy" or Alfred Lord Tennyson's "In Memoriam" that describes his distress over the passing of a dear friend. People in the present such as Mary Oliver who mourns the loss of loons due to lead poisoning in New England where her poem "Lead" laments the failure to protect the environment we live in. Anne Sexton's "Wanting to Die" is a counsel for a friend wanting to commit suicide. Muriel Rukeyser's "Poem" is an anti-war cry. Anya Krogovoy Silver's "Persimmon" is a mindful meandering over fruit in the midst of cancer. Michael Collier's "An Individual History" expresses the struggles and pain of seeing one's grandmother going through a potpourri of medication and drug side-effects. Philip Schultz's "Failure" expresses a humiliating situation where one needs to borrow money from his father's debtor to pay for his father's funeral. 

"Ward Nine: Coronavirus" (Alys Morgan)

TITLE: Ward Nine: Coronavirus: One Woman's Story
AUTHOR: Alys Morgan
PUBLISHER: Cardigan, Wales: Parthian Books, 2020, (150 pages).

We are now in the second year of the global pandemic. Since late 2019, many parts of the world have been locked down, travel curtailed, and in many countries, the mandatory wearing of masks. In the early part of 2020, it was also common to see members of the public coming out regularly to openly support workers in essential services. These are the front-line workers in healthcare, people who face customers regularly, and those in public services who had gone beyond their call of duty to serve others. Most of us see these healthcare professionals and frontline workers from the outside. What about scenes from the inside? What about stories and perspectives that come from the patients of hospitals, especially in those wards that are focused on caring for Covid patients? This book is about the story of a Covid-19 patient admitted to a special ward on March 21st, 2020, and her 48-day journey to recovery.

Part One of the book describes all the activities prior to her entering Ward 9, the NHS Wales and Mind. It all began with caution. With impending city lockdown, public facilities like libraries were all preparing to close. People were told to avoid gathering in public and to stay home. The news throughout the country was about the lockdown. Soon Alys Morgan was working from home. Some people were panic buying. People were starting to wear masks when they venture outside. Ten days later, her daughter Caitlin got sick. Soon, Alys got the sniffles, which coincided with the British Prime Minister who was moved into the Intensive Care due to Covid-19. By mid-April, it was Alys turn to get sick. As her illness struggles linger longer, her daily notes grew shorter. Soon she had to be hospitalized. She has been infected by the dreaded coronavirus. Even in her weakened condition, she manages to put down her observations in writing. She writes about how she was admitted to hospital. She remembers the different nurses and doctors checking her blood pressure, taking her temperature, monitoring her overall health, and the presence of so many different medical specialists. It was a surreal moment when she saw her ward description: "Ward Nine. Coronavirus: No Unauthorised Entry."

"J.I. Packer" (Alister McGrath)

TITLE: J. I. Packer: His Life and Thought
AUTHOR: Alister McGrath
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020, (192 pages).

To many Christians around the world, he is known as the author of the bestselling book, "Knowing God." To North American evangelicals, he is known as the Puritan evangelical from England. To students at Tyndale, he was remembered as the theologian who impacted their ministry and preaching. For those in Regent College, he was their beloved professor, a friend of Regent's co-founder, James Houston, a scholar who is passionate about equipping the layperson for ministry. For budding authors, he was always willing to contribute a preface, a foreword, or a brief commendation about a book waiting to be published. In a richly informative and inspirational biography of Dr James Innell Packer, Oxford scholar Alister McGrath has written a beautiful tribute. It is a story of the life of a man that simply needs to be told, for the benefit of anyone considering ministry or theological education. In it, McGrath gives us wonderful snippets of Packer's life and most interestingly, some of Packer's most famous quips. His reminder about the value of old books as well as the three ways to engage tradition with theological reflection is worth the price of the book.

"Able Soul" (Lucy Goncalves)

TITLE: Able Soul: Empowering God's Spirit Within
AUTHOR: Lucy Goncalves
PUBLISHER: Vancouver, BC: Able Soul Wheel Press, 2019, (90 pages).

Many of us take our physical freedom and mobility for granted. Those who lack the use of any part of the body would be labeled either "disabled," "handicapped," or the more politically correct phrase, "physically challenged." For many people, this would pretty much define our outlook in life. As the saying goes, it takes one to know one. What about a book where we can see life from the eyes of those who are physically challenged? This book is a beautiful example of one who has multiple challenges. Speech impairment and the inability to walk may restrict one's lifestyle choices, but the most crippling of them all, is a broken and downhearted spirit. Such a mood would easily break down one's enthusiasm for life. Lucy Goncalves discovers this early, that the biggest barrier is put up by oneself. She writes with honesty that she's "the one who puts up the barriers" with her negative emotions and unwillingness. Her story challenges us to pray in spite of helplessness; to press on in spite of weakness; and to persevere on in spite of challenges. She shares twenty personal reflections on God, faith, life, and lessons. Each time she compares and contrasts what she lacks with what she receives from God, family, friends, and the kind things that are visible to her when she is willing to see it. I like the way she credits the writing back to God, that the books was "birthed in prayer." This is the essence of all books written about spirituality.

"Strength for the Cancer Journey" (Deborah Barr)

TITLE: Strength for the Cancer Journey: 30 Days of Inspiration, Encouragement, and Comfort
AUTHOR: Deborah Barr
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2020, (208 pages).

Cancer is a tough experience to go through. Not only is it difficult for the patient, it also wreaks havoc on family and loved ones. In fact, just to say "hard" would be an understatement. For many, it begins with shock and denial; proceeding with anger and anguish; followed by resignation or depression. Individuals express it in their own ways. In this book, author Deborah Barr writes a 30-days inspiration with inputs drawn from eight different cancer patients. The emotional ups and downs range from sleepless nights to physical pain. The key question posed in this book is this: Would you face cancer on your own strength or God's strength? If you choose the latter, this book is definitely for you. Meant as a 30-days devotional and journal, this book helps us to journey along both spiritually and emotionally along the difficult path of cancer. Each day introduces a particular thought or emotion. Barr parallels each occurrence with a corresponding set of Bible text to help us lament and learn. We lament the state of brokenness while learning to deal with faith matters. Using real life stories to describe the human experience, Barr helps readers to meander through the many range of emotional expressions without dumbing anyone down. Remembering our pain does not necessarily deny the reality of faith. Acknowledging our questions does not mean we answers are immediately available. Each day is an opportunity to build strength through daily meditation and prayer. With intentionality, the book helps us not only to honestly deal with our questions but also to wait for spiritual enlightenment.