Within the Palace Gates, by Anna Siviter This book is a retelling of the story of Nehemiah, and is a good example of historical, biblical fiction. The story is well done with much attention to detail, culture, religion etc. and plenty of action. The story begins with Nehe (Nehemiah) enjoying his position in Persia. The …
Regular readers may notice the addition of a new feature in the left column- a daily passage from the Greek New Testament. I found this on some other sites (which ones I now cannot remember) and decided to add it here as an encouragement to pastors to labor in the original languages. If you are …
The Red Keep: A Story of Burgundy in 1165, by Allen French (1939; reprint, Bethlehem Books, 1997), 370 pp. My boys (ages 9, 8 and 6) and I came to this book with much anticipation having greatly enjoyed French’s Rolf and the Viking Bow (see previous post; my 3 year old wasn’t much interested!). This …
There is a good bit of talk going on around the blogosphere and elsewhere about the validity (or lack thereof) of video churches- i.e., churches where the preaching comes via satellite or video. The arguments for this can easily be found. I am simply going to register my complete dissatisfaction with the idea. Some of …
Here is a quote from Blaise Pascal which I have on my filing cabinet. I keep it there because I think it captures well the combinations of aspiration and humility. In our work as pastors we must aspire and long for advance in the kingdom, and we must realize that such advancement comes in the …
Gabriel’s Magic Ornament , by Randall Bush (Pristine Publishers, 2002), 110 pages; $11.95 This magical little book, written by my colleague Dr. Randall Bush, has become a Christmas favorite in my family. Dr. Bush has crafted a tale reminiscent of C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia in which the fantasy land is itself the Christmas …
“Bedtime With My Boys” One of my favorite times is bedtime with my boys, When we turn aside from the day’s busyness and noise. We linger then together to read, talk and ponder Over the Bible, stories, the day and wherever our minds might wander. In this time more than any other of the day …
One of my favorite books on pastoral ministry is Eugene Peterson’s The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction. I differ from Peterson on a number of topics, but he is particularly good on discussing pastoral ministry. This quote is a gem. I encourage you to read it all carefully. He is describing …
Continue reading ‘Peterson and Priorities of the Pastorate’ »
African Adventures , Dick Anderson (Christian Focus Publications, 2003), pb. 96 pp. ISBN 1-85792-807-5 This is a book of missionary stories written for children. Rather than a collection of stories from different people, as I had assumed, it is a group of stories drawn (with some modification) from the experiences of one missionary doctor and …
Tirzah, Lucille Travis (Herald Press, 1991), 159 pp. This is the story of a young Israelite girl, Tirzah, as she and her family follow Moses out of Egypt to Sinai and toward the Promised Land. We read this book about a year and a half ago and my boys (about 8 and 6 years old) …