Vol 4 – The Stuff Christians Like "Like List"
Sep 5th by Jon1. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day
I am great at starting books, not so great at finishing them. But in the last three years, this book, by Mark Batterson, is one of the few that I not only finished but would actually read again. Part of the reason I try to be honest about my junk on this site is because of his approach to mistakes. I won’t do it justice here in a snippet, but I was really challenged by one of his ideas, “Your ability to help others heal is limited to where you’ve been wounded … No one rolls out the red carpet and invites tragedy into their life, but our greatest gifts and passions are often the byproduct of our worst tragedies and failures.”
Granted, it has one of the longest book names in Christian book history, clocking in with 18 words in the official title, “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive when Opportunity Roars.” But I really liked it. Check out lion pit
2. Burnside Writers Collective
Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, started this website. I am tempted to Jerry Maguire this and just say, “You had me at Donald Miller, you had me at Donald Miller.” But I’ll resist the temptation. Burnside Writers Collective is “an online magazine presenting an alternative to franchise faith.” That means you’ll find everything from fresh essays on deep spiritual issues to reviews of the new album from Weezer on this very cool site.
3. Be Still My Heart – by State of Man
Sometimes, when I am jogging, I write soundtracks to my mistakes and my eventual Rocky-like return from them. (I know, I’m a dork.) My new favorite song for those moments is by State of Man, a band out of Atlanta. It’s called, “be still my heart.” Here is an excerpt of the lyrics and a video of them performing it.
I want you to know, I have fallen on my own, I have failed to be all the things you need.
I want you to see, I’ll get back eventually. There’s just someone I’ve forgotten to be.
Previous Like Lists:
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Comments
I’ve read Blue Like Jazz and really liked it. Thanks for the site!
Jerry Maguire can be used as a verb?
Man, what is it about Blue Like Jazz that is so intoxicating to the church community?? I remember when it first came out and everyone in my college group was like, “Yeah sure, that chapter in 1 Peter is great…but have you read Blue Like Jazz?!!” I think Donald Miller, in a very ninja like way, single-handedly created a companion to the Bible…like the book of mormon commercials. This isn’t knocking Donald Miller in any way, cause the book is good…I’m just saying that we christians love to take this book and lovingly tuck into those strange bible pouches we use as if it was the Bible’s long lost forgotton twin.
I have a few recommendations. I don’t guarantee you’ll like them, but they’re along the same lines of number 1 and number 3, so there’s a good chance you could.
The first is the book Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli. It’s an easy read, but at the same time, pretty deep.
The second is the song Come Home Running by Chris Tomlin. I’m not normally the biggest fan of songs by the worship gurus, but this one’s pretty good.
Anyways, have a nice day.
Michael
http://acriticalspirit.blogspot.com
Thanks for the link love, Jon. I’m the associate sports editor at Burnside, and we’re honored to make it to your like list.
I think your readers will definitely want to bookmark our site as we are knee deep in a major redesign right now (at least the planning phase of it) and when we come out on the other side, the site will be even better.
Thanks again!
The new Weezer album was all too much razzle and not enough dazzle, man.
Agreed, Burnside is awesome. SCL and Burnside are right next to each other on my fav links. cool.
I agree with michael about Yaconelli’s Messy Spirituality, but I liked the new Weezer cd. I” be checking Burnside out.
As Bryan said above, thanks very much for the shoutout, Jon.
For those heading to Burnside, I also recommend the Burnside Writers Blog
, which is usually updated twice daily or so (whereas the main site is a weekly publication).
Thanks again!
Wow, there is so much to say…. unfortunately I have very little time today so Ill limit myself to two things. Recently, you (Jon) responded to a couple of posts that you are not ‘emergent’ – I would just like to say that if Donald Miller and his ‘seminal’ work are your standard, you ARE emergent my friend. Second, this statement
“Your ability to help others heal is limited to where you’ve been wounded … No one rolls out the red carpet and invites tragedy into their life, but our greatest gifts and passions are often the byproduct of our worst tragedies and failures.”
is one of the worst things ive ever read on your site. The only true help for anyone’s problems comes from the one who knows all – our Lord Jesus Christ – and through the inspired word he has given us. e.g. I don’t have to be addicted to pornography to help someone who is. What I need is the truth God has given me about the human condition. So much more can and should be said – but I have about 30 hebrew translations to get done today.
Hi, Ryan. I do some work with a Christian non-profit called The Grief Resource Center. They train believers that have personal experience with loss to lead grief support groups for those that are currently grieving. The cornerstone verse of this ministry is 2 Cor. 1:2-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
Andi, love that verse…
Ryan -
Thank you for your comment. This is the third post in the last few weeks where you’ve shared a different opinion. (“Forgetting who we are” and “Church Mafia” were the other two). I appreciate that you still keep reading and still keep adding to the discussion.
Jon
Andi –
Great verse. Thanks for sharing that.
Jon
jon,
i know its probably a bummer to get a guy who only posts in the neg. at some point, ill make a more substantive comment – probably to you personally. let me just say one thing about the ‘emergent’ movement whose teachings seem to be ingrained in much of your writing – i have spent a small amount of time reading and studying what they are saying and the most frightening thing to me is their denial of absolute truth found in scripture. so when i see it on a site i like and frequent i do react a little viscerally to it.
andi, good verse – but let me say that there is a danger in taking one verse and making it your ‘constantinian chi-rho’ to lead you into battle…
Ryan – I don’t think that’s what I was doing, but then again I have no idea what “constantian chi-rho” means, so who knows. I did make sure to print the verse(s) in context, instead of just one of the verses or part of a verse.
Ahh…the Constantian Chi-Rho. That’s my favorite Starbucks drink. Although I wish it had a little more chi than ro.
must be iced.
“In a Pit with a Lion” is a book that will change your life…I should know. After reading it (3 times) – I got the guts to leave a job at my church (where I had been 13 years) to pursue a career in the medical field! It was one of the scariest moves of my life…
Have you read “Wild Goose Chase” yet? Man…Batterson just gets better and better!
I’d never heard of State of Man before. I really liked that song. Think I’ll buy it off of itunes and put it on my ipod for running.
Thanks Jon
love Messy Spirituality…..
I know I am late in this post but here I go anyway. Ryan…I dont think Jon was saying that God and the inspired Word wasnt the source of solutions to our problems. I think what the quote meant was our ability to connect with someone in that area of their life depends somewhat on what we have experienced in our life.
Certainly I dont have to slam my hand in a car door in order to know it will hurt. But since I have done that I can better empathize with someone who does. We should never step into sin so that we may better minister to others. (Rom 6:1,2) But those if us who have stepped into it..and like me..wallowed in it..slept in it..bathed in it..I really think once we come out clean on the other side we have a unique perspective in ministry to others.
anonymous,
i don’t know what jon’s personal take is, however – and read the quote again – miller says that we can ONLY help others where we have been wounded. that sounds pretty exclusive to me.