July Reading Report

I’ve not provided a true reading report for a while. You may or may not be interested in what’s crossing my desk (screens).  I do think it is important for Christians to keep their fingers on the pulse of culture. Each of us have domain knowledge in our chosen profession which we are obligated to strengthen and deepen. Beyond that, we are called to make disciples. Disciple-making requires basic knowledge of the culture in which we live and the approaches to knowledge that prevail therein. A good, diverse reading list helps us to understand the environment in which we are called to make disciples. 

Preaching & Teaching

I am currently going through two preaching series transitions. I have completed my preaching from Nehemiah and am moving into a 5 sermon series on various theological topics. As that series unfolds I will be engaging in the deep preliminary dive for 1 Corinthians. Consequently, much of my “study” time the last couple of weeks has been tracking down and preparing Bibliography. I did, however complete reading: 

Carson, D. A. Christ and Culture Revisited. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008.

I thought this would be a good prelude to 1 Corinthians. Additionally, cultural and social issues will play a significant role in the exegesis for this series so I wanted to get the pump primed with a good discussion of culture. 

The first actual book I read in preparation for 1 Corinthians 

Dunn, James D. G. 1 Corinthians. London; New York: T&T Clark, 1999.

A fairly brief guide to the study of 1 Corinthians with a clear grasp of the direction the discussion flows. Though somewhat dated the discussion was lively and did not get bogged down. Many of the scholars he highlighted are in my Bibliography so I look forward to the process of preparing what I pray will be a significant series of messages. 

General Knowledge & Curiosity

An interesting read for the times 

SIchlesinger, Henry. Battery: How Portable Power Sparked a Technological Revolution. San Francisco: Harper-Collins, 2011.

I had not expected this book to be as interesting and timely as it proved to be. Electrical innovation began with battery technology. In the late 19^th century, largely driven by Edison, electrical power was turned into a public utility. Now, in the 21^st century, battery power is again the cutting edge; whether that be in our devices or, in the near future, powering many of our automobiles. 

Gawande, Atul. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. First edition. A Metropolitan Book. New York: Picador, 2010.

This book fed into my tendency to be as organized as possible. Because I am already a checklist guy it was more of a review, but I appreciated the research he put into the question and the anecdotal evidence that using checklists to organize work is effective as one both prepares to work and evaluated outcomes. 

Truman Cal, The Real Scandal of the Evangelical Mind. Chicago: Moody, 2012.

The essential takeaway—no theology=no mind. 

Conclusions

I am not sure if August will have a reading report. Or, more accurately, my reading report for August can be best appreciated by listening to me preach from September—November. Good preaching requires deep study. It requires difficult “conversations” with scholars you disagree with. It requires a process of reading and reflecting, taking notes, comparing, and evaluating different perspectives on the text. And that’s just the secondary reading! The real work is detailed examination and exegesis of the text. 

I hope that this little glimpse inside my “mind-at-work” gives you some perspective on what it means to be a pastor-scholar. Preaching is a divine calling which requires dedication and determination. One must know the text, congregation, and community in which one serves. There is no greater responsibility and no greater blessing. If you are a preacher—I pray for you. If you are a preacher—let me encourage you. Read deeply. Study diligently. Prepare with discipline. Preach directly.