The Simple Pastor
Simplicity & Generosity
Plantar Fasciitis: So a couple of weeks ago I ran a good 16.2 miles, really pleased with the effort and the sustai... http://bit.ly/dnt2D2 12 hrs ago
Sometimes it seems that God is silent when He should be speaking. Knowing how to know that God is there at those times is the basis of this book. Gregory has clearly had her own struggles this area and this sense of understanding and empathy is the book’s strongest point. There are some moving stories, some flashes of a sharp sense of humour and the odd memorable turns of phrase but not enough to make this a recommended read.
Gregory adopts a conversational tone in her writing but there are only so many times that an author can write, ‘don’t misunderstand me’ before you wonder whether she shouldn’t have made her point a little clearer in the first place. It’s this looseness in writing and lack of clarity in thought at key times that unfortunately left me wondering what the point was.
This isn’t a bad book but neither is it a particularly good one and when it comes to knowing a God that seems silent there are great books available. It just doesn’t reach the standards of say, a Philip Yancey or a John Ortberg. It’s crowded territory for books such as these and I fear Silent Savior will struggle to stand out.
I quite like the symmetry of the date which is, I think, a bit sad. Anyway here are some links:
No spin, sleaze or scandal…Just Politics is a brand new title edited by Krish Kandiah of the Evangelical Alliance.
It’s an easy read with virtually no section being more than 3 or 4 pages long and lots of different contributors. The book opens with short messages from Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg but avoids vote-seeking or any political favouritism. It’s also insightful featuring several contributions from 3 Christians, each an MP in one of the three main parties, giving you a feel for the calling, pressures and prayers needed for those who represent us in Parliament.
It gives links and resources and tips to getting involved locally or nationally, in politics in general or on specific causes. I’ve sent a lot of campaigning postcards and emails and have wondered how effective they are, the answer from the MPs was helpful, ‘not very’! Letter writing on the other hand remains incredibly effective.
I found the sidebar quotes and the sections like ‘top 10 reasons to vote’ and ‘10 ways a church can get involved’ helpful as I’ll reproduce them for my church come election time.
It’s a different read to Votewise Now (review here) which addresses different issues and gives some analysis as to the different party positions. It’s intention is to engage Christians in politics and would be especially useful for first time voters in the upcoming election but helpful also to the disengaged voter and the leader looking for short accessible information. Both should be read and used.
See also this post for more political resources
“A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with his or her character than comfort. Obsessed people know that true joy doesn’t depend on circumstances or environment; it
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Forgotten God:Reversing the tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit is Francis Chan’s second book after Crazy Love (review here). As in his first book each chapter…
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Bit of a bumper edition for the weekend this one, but some treasure in here I think.
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“People who are obsessed with God have an intimate relationship with Him. They are nourished by God’s Word throughout the day because they know that forty minutes on Sunday is
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After having recently visited this school in Pakistan and writing about it, I was contacted by Michael Wakely of Starfish Asia who support…
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I’ve been thinking for some time about how I use the computer and the internet, it’s probably one of the biggest daily challenges I face. Not simply in avoiding…
I believe Jesus when he said 'life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions'. I believe he offers something better. This blog is mostly about that search.
I'm also a church pastor, a bookshop owner, a husband, a father, a keen runner, reader, and motorcyclist. These and a few other things make guest appearances from time to time.
I’m not a scientist. Nowhere even close. I barely passed physics and biology GCSE’s, I’m fairly rubbish at maths beyond mental arithmetic (as long it doesn’t include long division) and…
So the other day the TV went into the Garage for a month of solitary confinement. At the end of the month we will pronounce judgement on said…
A while ago I read my friend Dave’s account of the impact of a talk I gave, and he listed the questions I posed that night, I’ve turned those…
The last few weeks have been crazy busy and busyness tends to lead to a blogging drought but as the level of activity resumes more normal (and sustainable) levels, space…
Sometimes it seems that God is silent when He should be speaking. Knowing how to know that God is there at those times is the basis of this book.…
No spin, sleaze or scandal…Just Politics is a brand new title edited by Krish Kandiah of the Evangelical Alliance.
It’s an easy read with virtually no section being more than…
Forgotten God:Reversing the tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit is Francis Chan’s second book after Crazy Love (review here). As in his first book each chapter…
I’ve been thinking for some time about how I use the computer and the internet, it’s probably one of the biggest daily challenges I face. Not simply in avoiding…
I quite like the symmetry of the date which is, I think, a bit sad. Anyway here are some links:
…
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Bit of a bumper edition for the weekend this one, but some treasure in here I think.
…
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