NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Book Review: “Tithing” by Douglas Leblanc

by Leave a Comment

Tithing: Test Me In This

In Tithing, Douglas Leblanc provides much more than a narrow discussion on a traditional issue. He doesn’t repeat the same worn out arguments, the same boringly technical way.

Instead, and probably because he admits to being “no theologian or exegetical writer,” Douglas has found an intriguing way to cut to the real heart of the issue. He shares the experiences of eleven different couples and one lone Monsignor, all of whom practice tithing for a very similar reason: selflessness.

Each example demonstrates an intentionally cultivated concern for the needs of others.

And the people he features will surprise you. They come from a broad range of very diverse backgrounds, giving the impression that tithing is not a denominational distinction:

  • Conservative Episcopalian
  • Liberal Episcopalian
  • Brethren
  • Mennonite
  • Methodist
  • Bible Church movement
  • Church of God
  • Adventist (with Jewish upbringing and experience with Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God and Salvation Army)
  • Jewish
  • Catholic

Not only does he retain the old wine, he gives it a new skin and shows that the taste for it is thriving in many unexpected places.

What the book lacks in theology it makes up for in philosophical substance. The gems of wisdom are clear and poignant. [Read more…] about Book Review: “Tithing” by Douglas Leblanc

Book Review: Radical by David Platt

by 12 Comments

Radical represents David Platt’s concept of discipleship and he explains it best by derogating what he considers its biggest obstacle, the American Dream. However, even though he holds significant degrees and is clearly articulate, the book is thin on substance, sketchy on interpretation and heavily emotive.

If you follow his lead you might find yourself joining the prophets as they “wander in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.”

One woman, in response to David’s teaching, donated a wedding ring to help rebuild homes in an earthquake-ravaged area of Indonesia. On the surface it sounds noble…but!?

To drive his point Platt magnifies the Rich Young Ruler as the model for New Testament Christians – sell all, give everything away. Not exactly a mainstream concept. It would be easier to identify with the spirit of the book if his abandon-everything approach to missions was at least accompanied with a little more detail and maybe a long-term view but it just isn’t there.

It also doesn’t help that his teachings, in principle, aren’t original and he offers no fresh angles to consider. Even the misinterpretations (Rich Young Ruler) sound familiar and, sadly, the whole thing lacks creativity. The word “plethora” – hackneyed to say the least – was used twice!

The main points of the book – personal sacrifice and compassion for the less privileged – are accepted by all but covered only in broad strokes and his arguments are bolstered mostly by examples from the most abused and least provisioned Christian communities in the world.

It isn’t difficult to see how this combination of ideas can produce a lot of emotional turbulence. [Read more…] about Book Review: Radical by David Platt

Review: “Heaven Is For Real” by Todd Burop

by 21 Comments

Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo

Heaven is for Real is a bio of a “near death” experience (NDE) but without all the “weird” and “sketchy” images that usually accompany such stories.

My review takes a positive approach. I believe Colton’s experience was genuine and his report is as accurate as any retelling of an event can be. And since heaven is not only real but very close we shouldn’t be surprised when it bleeds through occasionally.

The story is different in that it doesn’t focus on “long tunnels with lights at the end” or the sensation of watching medical personnel feverishly operate from a hovering out-of-body perspective. It is a matter of fact story shared from the perspective of an almost four-year-old child who had no preconceived ideas beforehand and explains everything casually. To him it wasn’t strange.

Colton Burpo, just before his fourth birthday, has a ruptured appendix that is misdiagnosed for several days. Because the event takes place in rural Nebraska, medical personnel and facilities are few and far between. The experience involved miles of travel between hospitals and desperate dependence on professionals who were not hopeful but gave it their best shot. His death was so expected his recovery was dumbfounding.

But recovery, though miraculous, is not the story. God’s answering many prayers in a hopeless situation is also not the story. Heaven is. [Read more…] about Review: “Heaven Is For Real” by Todd Burop

Book Review: Made To Stick by Chip & Dan Heath

by Leave a Comment

Made To Stick by Chip and Dan Heath

Every person has a message to deliver or instructions to give or a lesson to teach or a point to make but they aren’t equally effective at being remembered. In fact, from experience we know that the same message conveyed by several different people will be remembered indelibly or forgotten depending on the messenger not the message. Made To Stick explores why this happens and what can be done to make your ideas more memorable.

According to the authors, Chip and Dan Heath, the manner in which you convey your message is just as important as the message itself, if not more so. It can make the difference between leaving a lasting impression or generating haze. And let’s face it, the message rarely changes.

  • All parents encourage their kids to avoid drugs, drinking and smoking, to get a good education and to develop life skills. Why are some effective and others not?
  • Every employer provides their employees with up to date information on job related issues. Why does the lag time between lesson and learning differ from one company to the next?
  • All Algebra teachers are dealing with the same material. Why is one class motivated to excel and others bored with the whole thing?

Messages and purposes don’t vary significantly from one situation to the next but the methods used to communicate do. It’s the method that really makes the difference and that is the point of Made to Stick. [Read more…] about Book Review: Made To Stick by Chip & Dan Heath

Review: Jungle Warfare – A Basic Field Manual For Christians In Sales

by Leave a Comment

In Jungle Warfare, Christopher Cunningham takes cues from a military field manual written by his grandfather to put together a series of devotions for Christians in sales.

A salesman himself, Christopher knows first hand the difficulties facing those who make a living moving products, through sales, from manufacturer to end user and that makes him particularly suited to write this material. Additionally: he has a long history of relating to Christ and spiritual truth, having become a Christian at an early age and he grew up under the influence of parents and grandparents who encouraged his spiritual growth.

Part one of the book has 22 devotions based on familiar verses of Scripture along with anecdotes from his life and others. [Read more…] about Review: Jungle Warfare – A Basic Field Manual For Christians In Sales