As most of you who know me know, I read a lot. Usually three to four books a week, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on how life is treating me.  I wanted to bring to your attention a couple of new books that I just finished reading that were very good.

On the Christian front, the book Risking the Truth by Martin Downes is a book of interviews with pastors and scholars on the nature and problem of error in the church.  This work is really helpful on a number of levels.  It is a very interesting way to deal with such subjects at the New Perspective on Paul, Annihalationism, End Times, and other issues.  As is to be expected in a book like this, the interviews range from very strong and helpful (Horton, Duncan) to not as clear and not so helpful.  All in all this is a very good place to start if you would like to know more about current issues in theology that are making their way into the church.

The second book is as far away from the first as is possible.  It is a novel that contains some adult language as well as adult themes (death of children, war, the holocaust).  The book is called The Book Thief and is narrated by the character of death.  On every page I found beautifully written sentences and the story carried me along like a magic carpet.  It is the story of a girl who loves books (thus the theme of this blog) and who sees the power of words in the books that she reads as well as in the speeches of Adolf Hitler.

The story is deeply moving and wonderfully redemptive in many ways.  It is a rare thing for me to miss “characters” after a book is over.  I miss Rudy and the book thief.  If you love good writing and a good story, I believe that you will miss them as well.

Pick up a good book and read it, but don’t forget that the greatest of books has been given to us by our Father in heaven.  Don’t neglect THE book for other books (I speak to myself here).  Whether you read electronic books, or still prefer the old fashioned paper kind, remember that words have power.  Never forget that The Word is most powerful, has become flesh and dwelt among us, and has made it possible for us to be seen righteous in front of a perfect and holy God.  The Word is powerful!