Best Reads in 2009

Here’s a list of the best books I read this year.

Life's Healing Choices: Freedom From Your Hurts, Hang Ups and Habits By John Baker

The 12 steps, with fewer steps and more explicitly Christ centered. Well worth the read.

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism By Tim Keller

An apologetic, sticking close to Lewis. Readable, reasonable and pastoral.

Rediscovering Catholicism By Matthew Kelly

I'm not returning to the mother church or anything, but this is a great book to share with your RC friends. My only major disagreement with it (not to mention the several minor ones) was that the author wrote that Protestant believe that salvation is "found in the Bible and the Bible alone." Uh...no.

The Yankee Years by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci

Of course my favorite parts were the ones about the 2004 season...hehe.

The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read The Bible by Scot McKnight

How do we read the bible and why do so many with opposing views claim theirs is the "biblical" position? Great stuff from McKnight here.

Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger

Very helpful. Been pushing it on my fellow church leaders.

ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch

This one almost didn't make it because it's long...real long. Good read though. It'll get you re:thinking.

Speaking of Sin: The Lost Language of Salvation By Barbara Brown Taylor

I mentioned this book in this post. The Amazon description is a good one:

"In Speaking of Sin, Barbara Brown Taylor brings her fresh perspective to a cluster of words that often cause us discomfort: sin, damnation, repentance, penance, and salvation."

We Might as Well Win by Johan Bruyneel and Bill Strickland

I'm a sucker for a bike book. This one is about Johan Bruyneel, the former cycling pro and team director or Lance's Tour victories.

The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III

I love his dad and really liked The House of Sand and Fog. This book tells a story that centers around the 9/11 attacks. It's not a "true story," so to speak. In many ways, it's more of a character study than a novel, but I enjoyed it.

Inside the Postal Bus by Michael Barry

Barry was a member of Lance Armstrong's US Postal team. His story is a behind the scenes look.

Easter Everywhere: A Memoir by Darcey Steinke

A pastor's kid who struggles with life and faith. Interesting, disturbing, engaging.

Youth Ministry 3.0 by Mark Oestreicher

Where youth ministry has been may give us some insight into where it's going.

Here’s a list of books I thought would be on this list, but, much to my surprise didn’t qualify as “best”:

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

This is a good book, but there were a few too many statements that left me shaking my head in disagreement. (Lots to agree with, too, but...)

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

I'm a sucker for the Wizard of Oz and thought I would love this book. Instead, I simply got through it. Going to see the show in few days. I hope it's better than the book.

Blogs

Scot McKnight once said (correctly) that, in general, one is either a good blogger or good blog reader. It is rare to be good at both. As I've said before, I'm a GREAT blog reader. That said, I've decided not to give up blogging because it can be a good outlet for me (even though I usually only think about blog posts and never get to actually writing them.) Also, my goal never was and probably never will be, to gain a big following of readers, so there's no real need to put out a ton of content. (Or coherent content...you know, theology, music, Bruins, youth ministry, biking, softball...I tend to be all over the map.) I'm humbled that a few friends found my blog and still check in now and then, and always appreciate those who stumble onto my (very) humble blog and leave a comment.

I have decided to do my "year end" book list, even though I feel like I've read fewer books this year than usual. Until that post, I'll point my five readers to a couple of blogs that I enjoy, and maybe will even get around to adding these blogs to my "Blogs I Read" sidebar.


Fat Cyclist
This blog is pretty well known amongst those who are somewhat into cycling. Elden Nelson is the Fat Cyclist and his blog began four years ago as a way to keep friends and family updated on his quest to shed some pounds cycling. Bicycling Magazine described his blog well in this article,

He wrote humor, mostly, and came off as an unassuming Average Joe who happened to enjoy eight-hour mountain bike mud baths and burying his buddies, as well as haute couture. (See his post "Knee Warmers Are Stupid.")

Thus his blog rolled along until the day he discovered his wife's cancer had metastasized. In that same article Nelson is quoted as saying of his blog, "I could have kept writing solely about bicycling," Nelson says, "but that would have seemed fake."

Sadly, his wife Susan passed away in August, but the Fat Cyclist rolls on. (Check out the article linked above for more of his story.) Recently, Elden got a chance to do a full on training ride with Lance Armstrong. (See article here and his website for more.)

I was so pleased to read of Elden's ride with Lance. Elden has taken this tragedy that struck his family and turned it for good. He's raised lots of money for cancer research as well as to provide bikes for schools in Africa. In doing so, he's been a good example to his kids. It's nice to see him rewarded with a top of the line Trek Madone and a ride with Lance. I have no idea of his understanding/ belief in, God, but Elden has demonstrated the truth of being created in the image of God. God is one who turns evil for good, who redeems and who has the last word. Cancer does not have the last word in the Fat Cyclist's story and that is a beautiful thing.


Chase Fireflies
My friend Kristin is a great writer. She also has a newly designed website. Check it out.