Current reading

Recently finished:

• Preaching Without Notes, Joseph M. Webb - read this for the preaching class I just completed. Pretty lightweight stuff. A small book that could've been smaller, if you get my drift.
• The Witness of Preaching (2nd ed), Thomas G. Long - ditto (although I thought it better than Preaching Without Notes). The best part was the model of a preacher being someone who is sent by the congregation into Scripture to bring back "a word." Worth reading just for that part, although the sections in the second half on the mechanics of sermon prep and structure were desert-dry.
• Mission: The Small Church Reaches Out, Anthony Pappas, Scott Planting - finished for upcoming "social mission" class. I liked it because it pointed out that a small church's main weakness (it's, ahem, small) is also its main strength. There is no need to form committees and have endless meetings to help others. If something needs doing, a few motivated people in a small church can "just do it." Good stuff.

In process:

• Sabbath and Jubilee, Richard H. Lowery - almost finished, for the "mission" class. Very interesting so far. Will be curious to see where the book goes with the theme (it is no small recommendation that this is also one of our pastor Michelle's favorite books).
• A People's History of Christianity, The Other Side of the Story, Diana Butler Bass - for the upcoming history of Christianity class. I can already tell this is going to be a good book and a good class (I've had the teacher before).
• The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Sherman Alexie - my "fun" book right now. Those who know me know I don't read much fiction any more, so the fact I am reading this and truly enjoying it is doubly surprising. I bought it after watching the movie Smoke Signals last Friday with Les, which was based on some of the characters from this book of short stories about life on an Indian reservation. The writing is...amazing. I am reading one short story a night and just letting it absorb. Recommended.