BOOK REVIEW - CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: HOW THE WORLD KNOWS WHO REPRESENTS JESUS BY JONATHAN LEEMAN

Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus by Jonathan Leeman is a short read, as is characteristic in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series. Also, as is characteristic, it takes you out of the comfort zone and gives you things to to think about.

Leeman starts off by raising the question if our view of church membership and whether it is not just important but necessary in a Christian's life. He doesn't candy coat the subject; there are concepts that are, to be honest, jarring, such as the phrase "Submitting to the church". With authoritarian movements and cult groups, there is a reason for that distrust. On the other hand, some of that discomfort is that we are looking at things from our individualistic, materialistic, often hedonistic societal American worldview. (By the way, when you read the book, "submitting to the church" is not as scary as it sounds.

One question that is dealt with is whether there is a difference in dealing with a person who is a part of the "universal church" and one who also is a part of your local church. Another is whether where you live and work is your personal decision or whether one should consult the church in making these important choices. Like I said, this book will take you out of your comfort zone.

This book is to-the-point, but Leeman also gives some humor in the book to help make this an enjoyable read. I would suggest this as a book a new member of a church should read. Just as important, I would recommend reading with others, be it in a Sunday School class or a discussion group.
 

BOOK REVIEW - BITTER TRUTH BY JANET SKETCHLEY

There are some stories that I find hard to give a teaser for without being a spoiler as well, and this is one of those stories. What does that usually mean? It means you've got a well-written novel that will keep you glued till the end.

Bitter Truth is part three of the Green Dory Inn Mystery series by Janet Sketchley, and yes, I'd recommend that you read the previous stories to help you become more familiar with the characters and what had previously occurred.

I've enjoyed this series, but as far as mystery, this one is the best. A nice assorted cast of possible suspects, and lots of twists in the plot that will keep you guessing.

However, the best part are the characters. It was nice to see some favorites like Nigel back in the story, as well as some visitors from Sketchley's Redemption's Edge trilogy. But the other characters are definitely three dimensional, and there are plenty of issues to think about. I've read some cozy mysteries that seem shallow and even silly; this is not true about this series.

I've read reviewers that seem allergic to anybody mentioning issues of faith, and mainly the Christian faith. This book does have a faith thread in it, but 1) that thread is organic to the story and not used as an opportunity to preach and 2) recognizes that the Christian life isn't easy and deals with true dillemas many believers have.

I would without reservation recommend this book and the rest of the series. You also might enjoy Sketchley's Redemption's Edge stories.

I received a free copy of this book from the author for my unbiased review.

One last comment for my blog readers: This is a book I'd love to be able to discuss in a discussion group. 

WHAT ARE MY 2022 GOALS FOR "FRIEND OF THE PROPHETS" (AKA FAITH: FACTS AND FICTION)?

Passed along by author Rick Barry

 Let me start by informing you - this will be the last blog I post until next year. Hopefully you can wait for 2022 for me to resume. I do have some questions for you below.

I do have some plans for this blog. Starting the first day of 2022 (tomorrow), I'll be posting a fourteen part look at Church Fathers, influenced by Bryan Litfin's book Getting To Know The Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction. I also will be doing series on Romans 14, intriguing Bible characters, and whether prophecy exists today. There are some stand alone blogs I'll post as well.

One question I asked myself was whether I should do series for Lent (40 days) and the 50 days from Easter to Pentecost. I decided I will do them. For Lent, I'll be doing a series on Psalms, looking at various portions that I've memorized and review regularly. Starting Easter, I will be sharing favorite hymns.

Most of the blogs I've posted with the most views have been interviews. Unfortunately, most of those readers are there for the interviewee and don't read my blog regularly. But I still plan on doing more. Additionally, I'll still be posting reviews (and feeding an author).

By the way, I might interview some of my characters from my novel. I'll also check if some of my other favorite characters are up to being interviewed.

One thing I wouldn't mind if for the viewership to increase. Any ideas on how to get more viewers or more comments? I do paste a link on my Facebook wall, but I got the impression from one person that it's not obvious where the link is.

Finally, do you suggestions for blog topics, reviews, or interviews? Would any of you be interested in doing a guest blog? And were there any blogs that were favorites?

BOOK REVIEW: CORPORATE WORSHIP BY MATT MERKER

 

This is the third of the 9Marks books I've read, and thus far it's my favorite. Matt Merker does an excellent job of pointing out why Christians should gather. (The Greek word translated "church" is εκκλησία (ekklesia), which means "an assembly.") He then points out how the church worship service is not just a show but where we can encourage each other.

One thing I like about this book is the author is aware his readers may disagree about other issues, and in his notes tries to present opposing views, keeping his focus on encouraging corporate worship.

Too often, in Christian circles "worship" is synonymous with "music." Merker (who is a musician/songwriter) does deal with the singing in the service, but he views the whole service to be worship and singing is just one form of worship during the service.

Allow me to add one area where I disagree with what he says, though I agree with why he says it, and he may agree with my ideas on the subject, which deals with Special Music. In fact, starting next Sunday (October 3, 2021), I'll be doing a four part series on church music.

I highly recommend this book for all Christians, and especially for pastors/elders and music leaders, not just to read themselves but have discussion groups with the congregation about this book.

What ways can you think of to develop Christian community, especially during the Sunday morning worship service?