Last week, Mark Halvorsen sent me a link to Bill Gates’s summer
reading list and asked if I would be willing to put one together for off the
shelf. I happily agreed, but then came the question what should I include? As I
thought about it, I had a few criteria. First, I wanted to avoid the heavy
stuff, so you won’t find Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology on this list (as useful as it is). I
also wanted to give our listeners a variety, to keep things interesting. So
this list includes a mix of biography, fiction, non-Christian, and of course a
little something from Larry Crabb. So without further ado, here are my 6
summertime reads:
Right at the top of my list, I am
putting the Hawk and the Dove Trilogy by Penelope Wilcock. In the early 1990s,
Wilcock wrote three books that were set in a 14th century
Benedictine Monestary called St Alcuin’s. Admittedly, when I first heard that
basic background, I was not hopeful, but as I began to read them, I couldn’t
put the books down. Through the lives of the monks, Wilcock explores life and
relationships in a deeply meaningful and engaging way.
The second book on the summer
reading list is All of Grace by Brennan Manning. If you are unfamiliar with
Brennan Manning, he was traveling preacher who couldn’t stop talking about the
love and grace of God. Although he is
most well-known for his excellent book the Ragamuffin Gospel, All of Grace was
written near the end of his life. They are his memoirs, his confession. You
will be deeply moved by his story.
The Great Divorce by CS Lewis is
the third book on my summer reading list. As you may know, CS Lewis wrote many
different books. In fact, many of you probably have read some of them like Mere
Christianity or the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As good as those books
are, The Great Divorce is my favorite Lewis book. In just over 100 pages, CS
Lewis writes an allegory, or a story about what the afterlife might look like.
The story opens with people at a bus stop waiting to go to heaven. No doubt you will see a bit of yourself in
some of the characters.
My fourth book is Daring Greatly
by Brene Brown. In Daring Greatly, Brown explores the roots of shame that so
many of us deal with and points us to a life of vulnerability and authenticity.
If you are like me, you have spent much of your life wearing various masks to
help keep people out of your mess, but Brown talks about the importance of
taking off our masks.
The Pilgrim’s Progress is my fifth
on my list. If you have never heard of the Pilgrim’s Progress, pay attention.
This book was written by John Bunyan in 1677 when he was in prison for
preaching the gospel. Since then, it has never been out of print and remains,
after the Bible, one of the most popular books ever published. In it, Bunyan
tells the story of a man appropriately named Christian who journeys from the
City of Destruction to the Celestial City. It is what is referred to as an
allegory, or metaphor for the Christian life. If you have never read it before,
don’t delay.
The Pressure’s Off by Larry Crabb
is my sixth book. As I was looking over my Crabb shelf at home, I was thinking
that a book about getting out from under pressure and learning to live in the
freedom of Christ is just what we need for the summer. Plus, my copy has two
kids jumping into a lake. This summer, break free from rules and performance.
These are just a few suggestions.
There are so many good books out there. As Augustine said, Tolle Lege—take up
and read.
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