Summer holiday Book Chat: The Hiding Place

Over the summer holiday break, we read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, a great Christian classic. It's a very inspirational story. Compared to many other stories of the Holocaust, this one left me feeling very uplifted in many ways, despite all the horrific stories about how the Jews were treated. God was truly working in many ways through Corrie and her family to bring people into His kingdom even in the concentration camps.

As a child, I remember seeing this book on my Grandma's bookshelf when I was staying with her and being curious about it. I never read it then though. Glad I finally had the opportunity to do so. It's really worth reading.

Our next book is Light Dawns in Nepal, a story of how missionaries entered Nepal back in the early 1950s to establish hospitals for people with leprosy. One of the members of our book group is a young Christian teacher who spent all of last year working in a school in Kathmandu for children of missionaries in Nepal and has now returned home to teach here. She is going to be sharing with us some of her experiences of the country as well. I think this will really help to make the book come alive for us.

And I am eyeing off Lit: A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke for later in the year. I think that one will be great for helping me to become a bit more intentional about what I read.

Anyone else read any good books lately that I can add to my list?

Holiday reading

Both very good reads, although the two heroines are very different!

This year, we're trying a summer holiday Book Chat. The Hiding Place is our book for that. Gone With the Wind is just a book that I really enjoy reading, but hardly ever have time to get through. I also borrowed the impossibly long DVD of the movie from the library to get through sometime in the next week or two. Will need to fit that in around all the tennis coming up on TV.

Hope you are all enjoying some rest and relaxation out there!

Knowing God

Why did I wait so long to read this?? What an amazing book.

I'm only about a third of the way into it (and I've had to read some of the chapters several times to get the full effect) but it is going well. I thought it would be much harder going than it is turning out to be.

There's so much gold to be mined in it that it's hard to know where to start on a review. But here's the short review for you. If you've never managed to get through it, pick it up and read it. Right now. Don't put it off any longer.

Book Chat: Tackling J.I.Packer in Term 3

Disciplines of a Godly Woman was a big winner. We had nine people turn up yesterday afternoon. Great for discussion. A very challenging book and one that I'll keep dipping into regularly, I think.

I think we might have gotten a bit carried away on the roll of excitement that this book produced. We decided that next term we'll tackle J.I.Packer's Knowing God.

I'm already feeling a bit anxious. I've tried reading Packer before. He's hard work. Packed full of great information (pardon the bad pun) but I've found when I've tried to read his work that I need to read every single sentence about three times before I understand what he's saying. We read another one of his books for Book Chat, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, last year, and had a very low turn-out for the discussion. According to our minister, Knowing God is supposed to be even harder to read than that one.

So I'm wondering what I can do or suggest to make it easier for people. Should we each choose a chapter (any one we like) and report back on what we learned from that? Or are there particular chapters in it that are "must reads"?  Apparently it's based on a series of stand alone talks, so it doesn't sound as though you need to read one chapter before reading the next. And of course, reading the whole book is perfectly acceptable for those who can battle on through the density of the information.

Just putting it out there to the blogging world (Meredith, if you're reading, I know you've tackled it!), are there any particular chapters in Knowing God that you'd recommend for Packer novices to start off with?

Book Chat Term 2 2012: Disciplines of a Godly Woman

This is a great book. Every Christian woman should read it. I've known about it for a long time but I resisted reading it for ages because the word "discipline" put me off.

Don't let it put you off the same way. Discipline in the context of this book is not about following rules and being legalistic, but about expressing your love and gratitude for all that God has done for us. This is a book you will refer back to often. It will challenge you to think about godliness and how it is lived out every day.

It would be a great book to work through in a small group Bible study. There are helpful discussion questions at the end of each chapter with Bible references included.

I was trying to explain to someone why it was so good and (as usual) not managing to express myself that well. The best I could come up with was that it's like that passage in Titus 2 where it talks about older women training the younger women in godliness. Reading this book is like learning from a wise and experienced older woman about how to live as a Christian. And reading a book like this always confirms for me why I believe that everyone should read good Christian books. I've heard some people say that they don't need to read anything that's related to Christianity other than the Bible. But when you read a book like this one, which so clearly applies Biblical wisdom to everyday life, then it becomes really clear why it's worth adding at least a couple of good Christian books to your reading list each year. If you're a big reader, it should be more than a couple.

Why do Christian women find it so hard to read Christian books?

A question I've spent some time pondering in the past few weeks, and after a small turn-out at Book Chat last weekend.

Why is this so, I wonder? So many women at my church have said to me that they really struggle to finish reading Christian books. They're great at buying them, but getting beyond the first few chapters is a big challenge.

I used to be like this. Someone would tell me a Christian book was really good, so I would go out and buy it. Then it would sit beside my bed, unread, or if it was lucky, with the first few pages read, and nothing more would happen. I thought setting up a Christian book discussion group might help me to finish reading some of the ones I had and encourage others to do the same.

This has had an inconsistent response. Sometimes numbers have been really good, other times much less so. Sometimes I think it's the book. We had a go at reading J.I. Packer's Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God last year. Very worthwhile reading but I did find it hard going and I think some others found the same. We only had a small number at that discussion as well.

But other times...I'm not sure. The book we read this time around (The Murder of Jesus) was a great read. And it wasn't too hard to get through. Once I started reading it, I finished it within a few days. There were a few cancellations for last weekend, due to health and transport issues. These things happen. But then, in typical fashion, I start to wonder if maybe it might be me. I start thinking about other groups I know about who are reading books (of the non-Christian variety) that don't seem to be having difficulty attracting numbers. I suppose that's what Satan is wanting me to think.

I don't think women avoid reading Christian books because they're too busy or time-poor to read. I enjoy reading and I know that if I really want to read something, I'll make time to do it. I do this all the time. The books that aren't the Christian ones look a bit more interesting so they often find their way to the top of the "to read" pile beside my bed. But they don't challenge me to change my life in any way, or to become more godly in my thinking.

Perhaps that's what lies at the heart of the problem. I sincerely hope it's not me that's stopping people from coming to Book Chat, although in the moments I spend wallowing in self pity, I feel like it is. What I actually think is that it takes discipline and effort to read a Christian book (and finish it). What I read is going to make me painfully aware of my sinfulness and how I need to change myself. That's hard and confronting to deal with. It's much easier to go to the group where I can have a good time talking about some other book that's good for now but less meaningful in the eternal scheme of things.*

Even though numbers weren't high last Saturday, the quality of the discussion was wonderful. I would have loved to hear what others thought of the book too. I often think that reading a book that links heavily to Scripture chapter by chapter in a Bible study group is something we should do more of.

So with all that in mind, next term we are going to read Barbara Hughes' book Disciplines of a Godly Woman. The link takes you to a review by Tim Challies who is a well-known evangelical blogger.

The word "discipline" is already putting me off a little bit. But that's what I think reading Christian books comes down to in the end. Discipline isn't easy. And it's only by God's grace that we can do it. It's much easier to pick up the other stuff on our bedside tables waiting to be read. But as Christian women, why wouldn't we want to be disciplined and to read something that helps us to live a more godly and less wasted life that matters for eternity?

*All this is not to say that we should only read Christian books. I think that reading both is a great idea and I do go to a group that discusses other books, which is really excellent too!

The Murder of Jesus

Book Chat Term 1 happens next Saturday. For the past week I've been reading the book. Nearly two thirds of the way through it now.

It is a fantastic read. I've never said this about a Christian book before (sad, but true...) but this truly is a book that is "hard to put down." It was a bit difficult to get started on, but once I was into the story I just wanted to keep reading and reading. The way Macarthur weaves together the different Gospel accounts (and draws on Old Testament prophecy as well) is brilliant.

If you've had this one sitting on your shelf for a while (it was first published in 2004 around the time when the movie The Passion of the Christ was getting lots of attention), get it out and read it. It's not as easy to buy these days, although you can try here, it only costs $14 with free postage. It's also available as an ebook for even less.

It's a really good book to read as Easter approaches. A sobering reminder of what Jesus went through to save us from sin and death.

I'm hoping other people enjoyed reading it too. I'm going to make hot cross buns for afternoon tea to go with all the Easter discussion.

Book Chat Term 1 2012

Hoping to track this one down to read for Term 1 Book Chat. I borrowed a copy from a friend and have also discovered it's available as an ebook so I will probably buy it in that format. Now I just need to find some paper copies for those who prefer real books.

I'm about halfway through it at the moment. It looks like it will be a great book to read in the lead-up to Easter. Anyone else read it?

High Tea for Book Chat

So much fun. There were seven of us enjoying the cups of tea and ocean views.

But I think that the two sandwiches (on white bread), one chocolate chip biscuit and one lemon curd butterfly cake sent my glucose levels into the stratosphere somewhere. I had a blow-out last night as well. Two slices of home-made pizza on Lebanese bread (high GI as I discovered afterwards) and two pieces of garlic bread. I wondered if that might start labour but it didn't.

Back to this afternoon. Because I overdid it, I had trouble concentrating and felt like my thinking was all over the place. I now know this either means my BGLs are too high or too low.

Looking forward to life after gestational diabetes where I can enjoy afternoon tea and a (hopefully) clear mind again. Just have to keep it all in moderation. Because I now know too that eating well helps me to feel so much better!

Lots of suggestions for books came up. Old ones and more recent releases. I have just ordered a couple of newer ones online to review over the Christmas break and I will check out the church bookstall tomorrow too.

Ouch

"How many lives are wasted by people who believe that the Christian life means simply avoiding badness and providing for the family. So there is no adultery, no stealing, no killing, no embezzlement, no fraud - just lots of hard work during the day, and lots of TV and PG-13 videos/DVDs in the evening (during quality family time), and lots of fun stuff on the weekend - woven around church (mostly). This is life, for millions of people. Wasted life. We were created for more, far more....

....no one will ever want to say to the Lord of the universe five minutes after death, I spent every night playing games and watching clean TV with my family because I loved them so much. I think the Lord will say, "That does not make me look like a treasure in your town. You should have done something besides provide for yourself and your family. And TV, as you should have known, was not a good way to nurture your family or your own soul."

From "Don't Waste Your Life." We're discussing it tomorrow afternoon at Book Chat. Lots of good stuff in it. I think the above quote is a direct challenge to most Christians in Western society.

Book Chat Term 4

This term we are reading Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. Our discussion group is on November 5th so that's another reason to hope the baby stays inside for a bit longer.

I finished reading it a few weeks ago so have passed it on to a friend to read. I didn't find it too hard to read, although I did struggle a bit with some of his "men in the war" stories. Don't know whether that would be more appealing to men than women.

But there was plenty of good stuff to take away from it as well. I was challenged by his words on wasting time watching too much television and spending too much time on the internet (guilty of both here), and he had some helpful things to say about living as Christians in secular workplaces as well.

Not sure if Book Chat will continue next year. The numbers haven't been huge (not sure if that relates to what we've been reading, scheduling issues or other things) which has been a bit discouraging. But I'm hoping that those who have joined in have found it encouraging and a good way to grow as Christians.

I've achieved my aim which was to finish reading Christian books rather than getting stuck in the pattern of just reading the first chapter and then never picking up the book again, so I'm thankful to God for this.

Thinking about Book Chat: God's sovereignty vs our responsibility

I mentioned in an earlier post that our Book Chat book this term is J.I.Packer's Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. The date for the get together is only a couple of weeks away so I am starting to think of some ideas to get discussion going. Unfortunately I haven't found many discussion questions for Christian books online, so generally I've had to try and come up with ideas/questions myself.

I was having a look at Meredith's blog earlier this evening and found this great post which relates to our responsibility in relation to God's sovereignty. It looks beyond just evangelising to consider our own responsibilities more broadly. This might be an interesting topic to explore a bit more, I think.

I'm really looking forward to the discussion. I missed the last one because I was sick. Our numbers haven't been huge but I think the ladies who have participated are enjoying it. And I've been challenged to make sure I finish reading the Christian books that I start, which is a good thing.

Praying that God will bless our discussion and grow our little group of readers as time goes on.

Book Chat Term 3

This term we are reading a J.I. Packer classic. I haven't read it before.

Several people told me that they found it heavy going to read. So far, I'm not really finding that. Maybe it was the expectation that it would be difficult that is making it seem okay. It's challenging material though. If I'm completely honest about it, evangelism is something I'd rather let someone else do because they're likely to do a much better job of it than me. But it's not helpful to think that way.

Would love to hear thoughts from anyone else who might have already read it.

Book Chat this Saturday

This term we've been reading My Seventh Monsoon, by Naomi Reed. Naomi is a physiotherapist who worked with her husband Darren (also a physio) in Nepal as a missionary for many years during the 1990s.

I enjoyed reading the story, although I wouldn't say the writing style is fantastic. I'm putting that down to the fact that she's a physiotherapist. Physios, by and large, get into the physio course at University because they are good at maths and sciences rather than humanities subjects. They might like reading, like my physio husband does, but generally writing great descriptive stories isn't their thing. (Although I do work with a physio who is a bit of an exception to this rule. She is an artist when she is not working as a physio, and is pretty creative. But, like I said, she's an exception rather than your standard garden variety physiotherapist).

What I probably found most interesting was the story of how Naomi and Darren became missionaries and how God led them to Nepal. It's amazing how God worked in their lives for it all to come about. And it was also good to read about how sometimes, God's reasons for why events happen may only be revealed with the wisdom of hindsight rather than at the time they are actually happening. Her conceptualisation of life as a series of seasons was helpful too.

Worth a read if you're interested in what one person's experience of missionary life was like. I'm looking forward to the day when Wendy gets her book of stories of missionary women's experiences published. Since I would guess that there are as many different experiences of missionary life as there are countries they go to, I think it would be great to read lots of different stories on this topic.

Book Chat #3

It went well. There were seven of us, a perfect number for me to cope with without feeling overwhelmed. Room for a few more so it can grow in the future. Lots of people brought food. We sat out on our front deck in the warm sun and enjoyed the breeze and afternoon tea.

And there were some interesting comments on the book. I loved the chatty anecdotal style of writing but somebody else found that annoying. Side tracks and tangential discussion happened but that was okay. We are only in the early formation stages of a new group, after all.

I'm pleased it went well. We decided to rotate it around people's homes, but continue the Saturday afternoon tea as the time it will run. We will have it once a term if all goes well. Next time we are hoping to read a book about a missionary (either a 21st century missionary, or somebody older....will depend on what we can find). I like the look of My Seventh Monsoon. But it is between print runs at the moment so I will have to see when the new edition is coming out. It is a lot cheaper than the first edition, so hoping we won't have to wait long.

Book Chat #2

Or maybe I should have called this one...the ups and downs of attempting to organise something.

After freaking out a couple of weeks ago that too many people would come along to the book chat on Saturday, now I am getting lots of apologies and "sorry, I can't make its."

So in the true style of one who is never satisfied....now I am feeling a bit discouraged. Why aren't they coming when they seemed so keen a few weeks ago? Didn't they like the book? Didn't they finish it? I would love people to come even if they didn't finish it. I like knowing why people haven't finished it...Was it too boring to get into? Was there not enough time? Is it me/my house they don't like?? (well, maybe the last one isn't true but hey, why let that get in the way of catastrophizing?).

So I hope there will still be a few of us to chat about it. I really REALLY enjoyed this book, it highlighted heaps of fantastic memory verses to learn.

I have also learned stuff about how to organise this group next time. Find out who is actually coming so I can email around to remind them and maybe send out a discussion question to hook them into not pulling out (thanks Deb for the tip!). Get more books to begin with so that I don't have slower members of the crowd who don't buy it in the first two weeks saying to me, "they've sold out of the book on the stand so I can't read it now..." (when this happened and I asked if we could buy some more for the book stall I was told it would be better if we could try to share the other copies around). Find out who has actually bought it early on so I can see if they've finished with it and are happy to pass it on to one of those who are slower off the mark so that then they can read it and come along.

I will not feel disheartened by this. It is going to make me clean up my house, so that can only be a good thing.

Feeling stretched to the edge of my (limited) creative powers...

...Trying to come up with some discussion points on "God Is Enough" for our Book Chat this Saturday. I don't know how many people are coming, I didn't want this to be a stressful thing (just a few women chatting about a book that was pretty enjoyable to read), yet I feel a bit anxious about how it will go. Just needing a couple of thoughts in case the discussion stops or gets off track.

Then I have to prepare an RE lesson for Jesus Club (the group of kids at the local special school) next week on the message of Easter. Not a difficult topic, but the audience need it simplified to younger child level without it looking too much like a preschool activity.

My creative ability isn't much good at the best of times. Give me something already prepared and I can organise it and run it, but having to invent things on my own isn't a strength.

But maybe these are challenges that God is using to extend me beyond my comfort zone.

Book Chat

In the true style of one who begins every year full of enthusiasm for new projects, I have started a couple of new things this year. One is at the kids' school where I am using my occupational therapy skills as a parent volunteer to run a gross motor skills group with some of the Year 1s and 2s. More about that one coming next week after I run the first session.

The other new project is at church. Inspired by a post on Jean's blog last year about reading a good Christian book and seeing if others wanted to read it together with me, some women from our church are currently reading "God Is Enough" by Ray Galea. Then they are going to come around to our place for afternoon tea on a Saturday in a few weeks' time and we will all discuss it.

I would have been happy if just one other person had been interested in reading it with me. Just the thought that someone else might be reading it as well was enough to get me to finish it and get it off the rather large "unfinished" pile of Christian books that I own.

But demand has been greater than I thought. All ten copies that were ordered for the church book stall have been sold. And some of those are being shared around a couple of people. I am starting to get worried that our house will not be able to hold everyone who is reading it. And maybe I will have to think of a few more questions beyond "What did everyone think of the book?" and "Which of the Psalms in this book were particularly relevant to your life right now?" And of course, I am now experiencing the fear and anxiety that accompanies that feeling that I may just have overcommitted myself.

I am excited though. It's great to have so much interest. I've deliberately called it "Book Chat" rather than a "Book Club" so that when we run it again (if it takes off, we will do it once a term) other women who didn't read with us this time can feel free to join in.

And "God Is Enough" is a fantastic book. It encourages you to read your Bible as well since Ray Galea suggests that you read each of the Psalms he covers in it twice before you read the chapter he wrote about it. And all the Psalms are ones we should be memorising verses from.