Sunday, December 22, 2019

Review: Science, Creation and the Bible: Reconciling Rival Theories of Origins

Science, Creation and the Bible: Reconciling Rival Theories of Origins Science, Creation and the Bible: Reconciling Rival Theories of Origins by Richard F. Carlson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While I felt that the authors could afford more depth and elaboration in certain chapters, I understood the brevity of the text was to maintain its accessibility. The summaries at the end of each chapter were super useful in helping readers (like me) who are new to this topic consolidate their thoughts. I would, however, have appreciated a suggested bibliography at the end of each chapter for further reading.

This book is like a free sample given out at a supermarket, meant to tempt one into getting sucked into the product. John Walton's The Lost World of Adam and Eve and The Lost World of Genesis One, also from IVP, would fit nicely into the category of further reading.

For me, an exceptional book would be concise (150-200 pages), accessible, engaging, theologically faithful and causes introspection. This title achieves all the abovementioned attributes; hence, for all these reasons, I heartily recommend this book!

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Sunday, November 17, 2019

Review: Replant: How a Dying Church Can Grow Again

Replant: How a Dying Church Can Grow Again Replant: How a Dying Church Can Grow Again by Darrin Patrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall, the book is great. While there are sections I felt that too much information was provided, at the end I can conclude that it was superbly edited, with as little narration provided as necessary to allow readers to understand the unfolding journey. The story is highly engaging and I managed to read it cover to cover in about three short sittings, all within the same day. That illustrates that it provided an interesting read.

However, as many other reviewers have pointed out, the narrative/content is actually different from the title. If you can get past the misleading title, I nevertheless still would recommend this title. It is useful for a leader/pastor of a deceased/dying church, because of many principles and journey that are highly applicable to their situation, even if the desired end result is not a merger/takeover by a larger church. Quoting from the authors' desired outcome of the book:
We hope to inspire you to take risks for God's glory, to raise your gaze to what's possible, to challenge what is comfortable, so that God's plan A-the local church-advances.

My takeaway was how even if the situation was terribly bleak and the nails were in the coffin for the dying church, the steely resolve and wise leading of the interim pastor was deeply rooted in seeking God's direction, and eventually seeing the church rise from the ashes and thrive even more than it had been throughout any time of its 150 year history.

The authors also recommended a few other books that I would like to include here and will review some of these in due time:
1. Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around and Yours Can, Too (Stetzer and Dodson)
2. Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work (Tomberlin and Bird)
3. Vital Merger: A New Church Start Approach that Joins Church Families Together (Elliot)

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Sunday, May 26, 2019

The Book of Esther and Theistic Evolution

I am introduced to one of the most interesting categories to date - Theistic Evolutionists - in layman's terms, Christians who believe that God employed evolution as a means of creation. Tremper Longman III cites the well-known theme of God's clear sovereign hand overseeing the impossibly coincidental events in the book of Esther to defend the Theistic Evolution.

From page 75 of Confronting Old Testament Controversies

Many... make much of what they think is a contradiction within the idea of evolutionary creationism. That is, if God is involved as evolutionary creationists insist, then how can the process of natural selection be random as the theory of evolution claims? However, we should not think that though the process of creation appears to us to be random, this means that it is actually random. Remember what we said about the book of Esther. It sure seems "random" or pure chance that on a sleepless night Xerxes had his people read about Mordecai's efforts to foil an assassination plot, but we all know that a deeper plan was at work. These critics of "randomness" in evolution again show an anemic view of providence.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Review: Seven Myths about Small Groups: How to Keep from Falling Into Common Traps

Seven Myths about Small Groups: How to Keep from Falling Into Common Traps Seven Myths about Small Groups: How to Keep from Falling Into Common Traps by Dan Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a serial reviewer, I try to keep my online (and especially offline) libraries small. It is only the truly exceptional books that I will seek to purchase both physical and electronic copies for easy access. This is one such title that I regard to be 6 stars. For me, a book is great when it compels me to reconsider my existing practice or theology (in this case the former) - specifically using a leader-led open group style for a small group. Now I am exploring and considering the utilised of (i) a closed group and (ii) a facilitative method (in contrast to the lecture style). The resources provided at the end of the book are a mine of gems. Do check it out!

I have had the privilege of being in small groups for a good two decades of my life, which range from the two-year short term ones, to indefinite ones whose members will vehemently oppose any leadership attempts to split them apart. I therefore am able to understand the pros and cons of each extreme. The author communicates in an easy to understand and engaging tone, providing many helpful methodological tips honed from years of experience (and trial and error). These practical and wise suggestions are a must for every small group leader, church leader and pastor to evaluate and consider! The many real-life anecdotes provide the reader with a pleasant read and illustrate the concepts presented.

Chapter 2 provided this super extroverted social butterfly a sombre reminder that closed groups (whereby visitors do not haphazardly drop in) is paramount for our introverted friends who find it hard to open up their hearts. By default, our cell groups are open in nature, as the venues and timings are openly publicised, but I am compelled to reconsider how we can care for friends who find it difficult to be vulnerable and be accountable in the presence of strangers. He also points out and addresses concerns about closed groups being self-serving etc. I am definitely going to have read up more on consider the purposes and benefits of such closed groups!

At first, I am baffled as to why a book this good is not a best seller or even got a revision... Then it occurred to me that megachurches would not want to promote the message of Chapter 3 (Bigger is not better), and the touch and go engagement with bible passages would raise eyebrows of reformed pastors; quotes from the leading commentators would improve its biblical credibility. Also, while all the other chapters were extremely well written, chapter 5 was less clear and slightly confused; an editor perhaps to help improve the clarity and message of that chapter.

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Sunday, May 12, 2019

Review: Small Group Idea Book: Resources to Enrich Community, Worship, Prayer, Study, Outreach

Small Group Idea Book: Resources to Enrich Community, Worship, Prayer, Study, Outreach Small Group Idea Book: Resources to Enrich Community, Worship, Prayer, Study, Outreach by Cindy Bunch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While I gave the earlier 1996 edition 3 stars, I'm mightily impressed with the improvements made in this revised 2004 edition! Kudos to the authors for the additional material and the editors for a job well done!

My main complaint (that the Chapter 1 "Community Resources" had only 15 good ice breakers and activities); the new edition's collection is vastly expanded. The references to the IVCF (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) were also vastly reduced and so the general audience would not feel as annoyed. I also appreciated while it still exists, many duplicated activities (with only very slight variations) were removed.

This book is targeted at novice and first-time small group leaders. The minefield of ideas and activities would provide a few months' worth. It is also great for planning activities for youth or church camps; some of the ice breakers and activities could be used for secular settings as well, maybe with a bit of tweaking. Maybe because this is an entry level book, the bible study segments are very simple and experienced small group leaders will likely find that it wanting in terms of depth. But using it for its intended purpose, the cell leader would do well to remember to include the occasional relationship-building or relationship-deepening activity when the small group meets. I nevertheless recommend this book!

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Sunday, May 5, 2019

Review: Small Group Idea Book: Resources To Enrich Community, Worship, Prayer, Nurture, Outreach

Small Group Idea Book: Resources To Enrich Community, Worship, Prayer, Nurture, Outreach Small Group Idea Book: Resources To Enrich Community, Worship, Prayer, Nurture, Outreach by Cindy Bunch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I especially appreciate the inspiration and reminded that the first chapter provided me! It alone was well worth the money I paid for the book! I realised that I had focused too much on faithful bible studying in the small group setting, that I had forgotten to include the occasional relationship-building activity.

I would have appreciated if Chapter One (titled Community Resources) of ice breakers and activities were twice as long, because the better quality suggestions that I had marked out for usewere only about 15. As a former applied drama student in polytechnic, I am inspired to revisit that world and adapt the ice breaker activities for gospel and small group settings.

This book is targeted at novice and first-time small group leaders. More experienced leaders would possibly find that chapters two to four do not offer much new information. The countless references to the IVCF (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) were a distraction, hopefully these would be reduced in the revised edition.

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Sunday, April 21, 2019

Review: Baptism: Three Views

Baptism: Three Views Baptism: Three Views by David F. Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an exceptionally engaging, accessible and theologically rich title that is the best in its class. You'd want to compare it against the Zondervan Counterpoints title Understanding Four Views on Baptism (edited by James Armstrong), as it is not necessary to purchase both. See my review on the latter title for a comparison on why this IVP Spectrum Multiview title is a far superior choice in almost every way - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

When comparing the respective chapters on the credobaptist view (between Thomas Nettles and Bruce Ware) and on the paedobaptist view (between Richard Pratt Jr. and Sinclair Ferguson), it is obvious how the clarity and accessibility of the IVP Spectrum Multiview contributors clearly outshine that of the Zondervan Counterpoints. This IVP Spectrum Multiview title also provides each contributor to provide a concluding response to the response chapters of the other contributors, which is helpful in closing the loop and providing clearer interaction than the Zondervan Counterpoints book (which does not provide a concluding response to the rebuttal sections).

The only aspect that this title pales in comparison to the Zondervan is its introduction, which is written by Daniel Reid, the IVP editor. It is truly a pity that David Wright passed away before he could leave us with an inspirational introduction, but I guess we should be thankful that he managed to finish the marvellous editorial work in this delightful and informative labour of love. I would recommend borrowing the Zondervan Counterpoints title from a friend or library to read its glorious introductory chapter - that provides a helpful, sombre call for humility, love and unity even when we approach other Christians who hold differing views on baptism. If ever a revised edition is to be released, it would be great if a theologian could provide the introduction to this otherwise wonderful gem of a book.

I heartily recommend this title for novice readers who seek an introduction on the various theological positions on the topic of baptism, as well as seminary students and pastors who are examining the multiple views on a deeper level.

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Sunday, April 14, 2019

Review: Understanding Four Views on Baptism

Understanding Four Views on Baptism Understanding Four Views on Baptism by John H. Armstrong
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

One would have to consider this title from Zondervan's Counterpoints series against its counterpart in IVP's Spectrum Multiview titled Baptism: Three Views (Edited by David F. Wright). I read both titles a few months ago and leafed through them again for the purposes of this review.

Unless you have a lot of spare time on your hands, I recommend you skip this and pick up the latter for reasons due to its superior (1) format, (2) quality of scholarship and accessibility. I will discuss these two factors at length later, but if you can borrow this book from a friend or library, be sure to read the editor's introductory chapter, which provides a helpful, sombre call for humility, love and unity even when we approach other Christians who hold differing views on baptism.

1. The four view breakdown of this Zondervan Counterpoints title is messy and less relevant - (i) Baptist, (ii) Reformed, (iii) Lutheran and (iv) Churches of Christ. The latter two are not as well-known, and therefore not be of interest to the majority of readers. The extra two views (and contributors) makes the response sections longer and a great chore to read.

On the other hand, the three view breakdown of the IVP Spectrum Multiview title is more clean-cut and relevant - (i) Believer's Baptism (credobaptism), (ii) Infant Baptism (paedobaptism) and Dual-Practice (or plural practice). These three positions are an all-encompassing categorisation that the majority of readers would likely identify with.

2. The quality of scholarship in this Zondervan Counterpoints title is inferior to that of the IVP Spectrum Multiview one. I found myself struggling to retain an interest in the content of the baptismal view that I lean most toward. I felt that this editor could have wielded a heavier hand in summarising what felt like long and convoluted academic debates from the contributors. The scholars in the IVP title wrote in a more engaging, brief and accessible manner than their Zondervan counterparts. I make this observation by comparing the respective chapters on the credobaptist view (between Thomas Nettles and Bruce Ware) and on the paedobaptist view (between Richard Pratt Jr. and Sinclair Ferguson). The clarity and accessibility of the IVP contributors clearly outshine that of the Zondervan Counterpoints.

The purpose of readers picking up such multi-view titles is likely for the purpose of receiving an introduction on the various theological positions. The Zondervan Counterpoints contributors and editor have failed in the aspect of presenting their positions in a concise, understandable and interesting manner that a novice reader would find useful. I feel that the material is targeted at experts on the subject of baptism, who would probably go straight for the monographs that discuss a single theological position in detail.

In summary, I cannot recommend this Zondervan's Counterpoints series title, and instead point you to the superior IVP's Spectrum Multiview title - Baptism: Three Views (Edited by David F. Wright).

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Sunday, April 7, 2019

Review: Who Runs the Church?: 4 Views on Church Government

Who Runs the Church?: 4 Views on Church Government Who Runs the Church?: 4 Views on Church Government by Steven B. Cowan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was helpful in my going from zero knowledge to a little knowledge about the different types of church government. It would be helpful to have a sheet of paper stating the authors' names with their respective views, especially when they engage one another in the response sections. I did not give it 5 stars because many times the authors misunderstood each other's positions and were attacking strawmen arguments. I would definitely welcome a more heavy editing hand to remove all these misguided engagements that would confuse many first time readers (to the topic).

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Sunday, March 31, 2019

Review: How to Read the Psalms

How to Read the Psalms How to Read the Psalms by Tremper Longman III
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

While this book may have gotten a 4 or 5 star review score in the stone age era of 1988 (the book was published the same year I was born), today's digital age takes away much of its shine. A new edition would be welcome for several reasons.

Firstly, Longman III could update the quotes/interactions with and bibliography/recommendations with more recent commentaries/scholarship (not too difficult with reference to his 2013 Commentary Survey). It would be immensely useful to update the 30-year-old illustrations/explanations/analogies.

Secondly, although I found Longman III's how to read Genesis (also published by IVP) exceptional, Genesis' genre being a narrative allowed it to be taught through the medium of a book. But because the Psalms is poetry, it is arguably an art more than a science. A video or audio lesson about understanding, interpreting and preaching the Psalms is likely to result in better comprehension for the student. Longman III's text-based approach (without any graphics or diagrams) to explain synonymous or antithetical parallelism was a great challenge for me to understand, even though I have attended a two-week undergrad class in seminary on Wisdom Literature. I'd imagine other lay readers would struggle even more.

Thirdly, although in the preface Longman III indicated his intention to "make the book readable for the college student while still providing enough substance to make it appropriate for a seminary course on Psalms," the brevity of this title severely affects its depth and comprehensibility. I would argue that he misses the mark on the latter.

As one of the premier OT scholars, I hope that IVP work with Longman III on releasing an updated version to serve today's readers.

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Friday, March 22, 2019

Review: Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence For Every Believer

Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence For Every Believer Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence For Every Believer by J. Oswald Sanders
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This title provides for a refreshing, enriching and encouraging read. Sanders writes brilliantly - with clarity, insight and wisdom from being an elder statesman of theology. My guess is that it is a condensation of a lifetime of work - given the broad scope of topics and range of aptly chosen quotations from notable theologians sprinkled generously across the title (adding a welcome dose of added comprehension and intelligibility to oft theoretical propositions).

This is a masterpiece and wonderful labour of love - meticulously arranged and concise enough for readers to devour chapters at a time. Be careful not to rush though, as the material provides plenty of reflective opportunities. I especially appreciated the fine balance between brevity and depth - no extra ink was split in establishing the substantives of each chapter. Only in very rare segments of the book did I feel that more elaboration or illustrations would be rehired.

While I did not read the earlier editions of this title (and therefore cannot comment on the utility of editorial changes made), I found that the content highly comprehensible. I also note the effort (and added cost) to add a whiff of blue colour to the book. The contrast provided by the blue headings broke the monotony of otherwise black walls of text - I hope that more publishers would invest in such (seemingly) minor yet effective formatting decision. The unique texture of the book’s cover is another nice touch - adding an element of durability and quality to a book that would invariably be lent to others.

I heartily recommend this title to all Christians (not just leaders) and give it the 6 stars it utterly deserves.

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Sunday, March 3, 2019

Review: Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?

Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion? Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion? by Bruce K. Waltke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As much as I hate to admit it, I am unable to shake off my charismatic roots and inclinations in relating to God. I, however, am rock solid in my conviction that Scripture has to be studied, taught and preached in context; exegesis is the only responsible method of conveying the Word of God - I can accept no compromises in this area. I am therefore caught in the middle of two seemingly contrasting traditions that advocate contradictory methods in seeking God's will.

Waltke's theological positioning is watertight and bases his substantives on a deep reverence and faithfulness to Holy Scripture. He starts off by explaining and cautioning against many wrong methods of ascertaining God's will that Christians, modern and ancient alike, are guilty of. He then lays out an easy to follow and convincing argument on the primacy of the studying/Scripture in understanding God's will.

I was anxious, confused and unable to discern about a major life decision (choice of career), having read this book again in 2019 (last time I leafed through it in 2015), I experience God's peace and a more informed seeking and decision-making process. I heartily recommend this book and hope that you too would be thoroughly encouraged, blessed and get pointed in the right direction!

Another good book on the topic (though not as good as this) would be Kevin's Deyoung's Just do something.

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Sunday, February 17, 2019

Review: Word-Centered Church: How Scripture Brings Life and Growth to God's People

Word-Centered Church: How Scripture Brings Life and Growth to God's People Word-Centered Church: How Scripture Brings Life and Growth to God's People by Jonathan Leeman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wholeheartedly agree with the title of this book and would enthusiastically defend the proposition. However, for a book with 4 pages of endorsement of the who’s who of the reformed circles, it fell spectacularly flat.

I struggled to remain engaged with Leeman, whose real-life illustrations/testimonies lack depth for the reader to connect with. The subject material is unfortunately boring and I found it a great chore to read. Given that Leeman is the principal author of many of the IX Marks series, I am genuinely curious about its quality.

The one highlight I appreciated from the book (that would live up the endorsements) would be the helpful summary of the storyline of the bible found in pages 45-48.

I cannot recommend this book, and instead would like to refer you to two other outstanding titles: Tim Keller’s Centre Church or Edmund Clowney’s The Church.

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Sunday, February 10, 2019

Review: If You Bite & Devour One Another: Biblical Principles for Handling Conflict

If You Bite & Devour One Another: Galatians 5:15: Biblical Principles for Handling Conflict If You Bite & Devour One Another: Biblical Principles for Handling Conflict by Alexander Strauch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Strauch writes in an exciting, engaging and informed manner on a topic that naturally would crush the pastoral heart of the Christian reader. I enjoyed the concise nature of and how accessible/easily comprehensible the text was. His real-life re-enactments, anecdotal illustrations and quotations of notable theologians/practitioners are spot-on, providing clarity and exemplification of the substantives.

I appreciated how the content was grounded in and with constant reference to Scripture; other well-meaning authors who base their material on their wisdom and experience, unfortunately, cannot provide the godly encouragement and direction that God's Word can. I thoroughly enjoyed and was so enriched by this book (that I borrowed from my school library) - I bought one copy to keep on my bookshelf of 6-star books.

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Sunday, February 3, 2019

Review: The Peacemaking Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict

The Peacemaking Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict The Peacemaking Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict by Alfred Poirier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For readers who have read his colleague Ken Sande's The Peacemaker, this book's formatting would be bizarrely similar; they are after all president and chairman of Peacemaker Ministries. I respect Poirier's brave confession that his pastoral ministry "has been shaped by reformation theology and Presbyterian ecclesiology" and therefore cannot claim to write from a "broadly evangelical, much less ecumenical, perspective"(p15). I appreciate how in spite of his clear experience in the field of peacemaking and church conflict resolution, Poirier writes with a refreshing humble stroke of his pen.

Why the book overall is informative, I felt that a heavy dose of brevity would do it much good - cutting maybe 50-100 pages with better editing and removing repetitive content could make it a masterpiece in the church conflict/resolution category. Often I felt that going through the content was a chore and I struggled to remain engaged in the material. Maybe the content would work better in the form of a week-long seminar, but presented in its current textual form, it needs to be made far more concise and captivating.

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Sunday, January 27, 2019

Review: Managing Conflict in the Church

Managing Conflict in the Church Managing Conflict in the Church by David W. Kale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is well-researched and packed with information that is sometimes cited from other authors in the Church Conflict circles. Kale and McCullough make an attempt to provide reenactments of real-life church conflicts to illustrate the substantives but often fall short of the believability factor that Dan Allender, for example, is a master of. Sometimes, the stories drag on for way too long; a dose of brevity would be much welcomed. Each chapter closes with a short story in a segment titled "from the pastor's desk" that is similarly unimpressive. One such uninspiring example would be Chapter 8's mentioning of Charles Swindoll's irritation with an unruly cow that led him to threaten to sell her to a Presbyterian who could strike her (he as a Quaker apparently could not) but then it did not lead well into the substantive thereafter.

The content is relatively insightful, although the book's formatting made it lose some lustre in terms of readability. Much can also be improved with regards to how engaging the material is - avoiding walls after walls of text by providing quotation blocks of notable concepts and by adding pictures/comics. Overall the book is so-so - it has some sparks of great content but other times the material is clearly off the mark. For readers who would like to learn more about manging church conflict, I'd instead recommend the excellent If You Bite & Devour One Another: Biblical Principles for Handling Conflict by Alexander Strauch (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2619174098).

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Sunday, January 20, 2019

Review: Pastors at Greater Risk

Pastors at Greater Risk Pastors at Greater Risk by H.B. London Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book is written in an engaging, authentic manner. London and Wiseman display their immense experience and also tap on the insight of leaders from other like-minded organisations that care for pastors (through Q&A/interview sessions at the end of most chapters) to lay out the unique challenges of being a pastor. I'd imagine that their wise (preemptive) recommendations and (reactionary) interventions would be thoroughly insightful to practising ministers. Indeed it’s much better to learn from the mistakes of others rather than making them yourself. Its best use perhaps is as a reality check to pastors - STOP running yourself dry and take the necessary measures to not crash and burn!

I appreciated how in including letters from pastors and their family members to illustrate specific topics, London and Wiseman do not sugarcoat the crushing toll of pastoral ministry and opt to publish it in its raw form. Also great was the highlighting of key principles by featuring them as block quotations, which broke up the monotony of walls of text. If I could feature a paradigm-shifting principle I learnt from this book, it would be the advice to avoid having monday as an off day - read Chapter 7 for the full scoop!

Even at 300 plus pages, it did not feel that long because the content was accessible and topics discussed were highly relevant. What keeps this book from being rated a full five stars would be the tone of the book - I felt the full weight of the gloom and doom that would befall the lives and families of the pastors. My impression was that it would be better to avoid ministry rather than to have to struggle unsuccessfully against the insurmountable odds placed on a pastor; I felt rather depressed and helpless when I saw how much I had to do in my own strength to not destroy my family and my ministry. My guess is that the authors' target audience would be Arminian-leaning pastors and so the slant of works (pursuit of holiness; not overworking etc) and practical step-by-step applications would resonate deeply with them.

How is a pastor ever going to survive? I'd rather have wished for London and Wiseman to remind us of the supernatural life-changing power and the blessed everlasting hope of the Gospel. Practical advice is great, but we ministers need to be captured and consumed before imparting a love of Christ to their families and flock.

Nevertheless, because this title is so exhaustive in its sweep and extremely helpful in its depth of suggested interventions, it would still be an invaluable resource in any pastor's library (even for the slightly reformed ones like myself). Just be sure to read Edmund Clowney's inspiring Called to Ministry alongside this to catch a glimpse of Clowney’s enrapturing love for his Saviour and great awe and joy of being in his service.

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Sunday, January 13, 2019

Review: Pastors Are People Too: What They Won't Tell You but You Need to Know

Pastors Are People Too: What They Won't Tell You but You Need to Know Pastors Are People Too: What They Won't Tell You but You Need to Know by Jimmy Dodd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dodd and Magnuson couldn't be boring even if they tried - the content was engaging, captivating and highly relatable. I've had the privilege of spending five years studying in bible school, and have interacted with many pastors. They are dedicated to the Lord's work, their hearts beat for their sheep and yet I sense the toll of ministry on the well-being of themselves and their families.

This book is targeted at all Christians, and especially elders and board members. My heart broke many times as I read the regrettably lamentable real-life accounts of the pain and carnage that pastors and their families have been put through. Dodd and Magnuson both lead (two different) organisations that care for pastors, and with their vast insight and experience, provide a glimpse into the struggles, expectations and risks of pastoral ministry. They also provide useful practical guidelines and suggestions to care for the well-being of the pastoral staff, both in the form of pre-emptive measures and also resolutions for ministry workers who have flagged problems with their personal and family lives. Even if you arent in a position to influence church policy, there are still many viable suggestions for an ordinary church member to bless, love and care for their pastors.

I enjoyed the read so much that I bought 8 copies to give away; it's an easy 6 star rating for me! I heartily recommend and endorse this title!

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Sunday, January 6, 2019

Review: Am I Called?: The Summons to Pastoral Ministry

Am I Called?: The Summons to Pastoral Ministry Am I Called?: The Summons to Pastoral Ministry by Dave Harvey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The content is relatively engaging and he quotes from theologians like Sinclair Ferguson and Charles Spurgeon. Especially insightful and inspiring would be the small excerpt of the struggles/journey of a minister at the end of each chapter. Also great would be the recommendations for further reading, also found at the tail of the chapters. Harvey's illustrations are so-so, but not as gripping as Duane Elmer, Sherwood Lingenfelter or Dan Allender's. There is, however, a critical and unnecessary flaw in the book.

While I appreciated how concise and accessible the content was, I felt that it was a great pity that Harvey started the book by being divisive with his proclamation of complementarianism on Pg 19 "I believe the Bible clearly teaches that the call to pastoral ministry is only for Christian men." Well, that is his interpretation of what the bible says, and to claim that it is the clear teaching of Scripture is a bold but unfortunately misinformed assertion. To make such a definitive claim (on what to me is a non-dogma issue) leads me to be concerned about Harvey's submission to the authority of Scripture of whether he is making Scripture affirm his theological positions. Hence, I'd recommend Edmund Clowney's excellent title Called to Ministry (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...) instead for readers seeking direction on this topic.

I hope that Harvey would heed the advice of his fellow complementarian and bible scholar Thomas Scholar on this matter to “bend over backward to love those with whom we disagree, and to assure them that we hope and pray that God will bless their ministries, even though we believe that it is a mistake for women to take on a pastoral role.” (P85-86 from Women in the Church: An Analysis and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 by Kostenberger and Schreiner, 2nd Edition, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25...).

For readers wondering what this matter is about, the most helpful title on Women in Ministry would be Zondervan's 2005 Counterpoints title Two Views on Women in Ministry (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...). I affirm the co-editor's position on this doctrine; Craig Blomberg “modified hierarchicalism” makes a full egalitarian argument with the exception of the senior pastor role being reserved for males only (p326). I also uphold Craig Keener’s advice to “give the ‘benefit of the doubt’ to who claim that God called them and who evidence that call in their lives, rather than passing judgment on them.” (p113 from Paul, Women & Wives: Marriage and Women's Ministry in the Letters of Paul).

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