My favorite books...

...of 2005. I am a firm believer that God uses books. Time and time again I have found that he brings a book into my hands at just the pivotal moment. There is a crucial nexus of information and the need for that information. It goes without saying that the Bible is the ultimate guide to my thoughts and hopefully my actions. But here are some of the other books that have impacted me over the past year. I give them to you in no particular order - and I encourage you to read them.

Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechener

This is a beautiful book that looks at words, primarily theological words, and restores some of the wonder to them. I found myself smiling, laughing, and feeling the truths expressed by words my mind had long filed away as somehow important but irrelevant.













Christianity Rediscovered by Vincent J. Donovan
This book chronicles one man's journey to communicate the essence of Christianity to people groups who had never heard. It's quite insightful in regards to helping identify and challenge the cultural baggage we strap on to Christianity.














The Courage to Teach by Parker J. Palmer
I have become a big fan of Parker Palmer this year. His main premise in this book is that you teach out of who you are. Until you can realize your own fear and weaknesses and learn to teach from a place of humility you can never help others learn.















The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
A great "leadership fable" about how teams work. This book came along during a time that I had very little hope for the team that I was leading. It gave me a new understanding of team dynamics as well as some practical steps to take to make things better.













The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church by Reggie McNeal
This is a must read for anyone wondering what the church needs to be asking itself in order to impact our rapidly changing North American culture.














Unceasing Worship by Harold Best
Harold Best calls us to a worship that is more than music - a lifestyle of worship. This is without a doubt the most valuable book that I have ever read on worship.















The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs
Want an education about the state of poverty in the world? Read this book. Feeling overwhelmed with the need and wondering what you can do? Read this book.















Lifesigns by Henri Nouwen
Nouwen always challenges me to a deeper faith in Jesus - one that is more than just doing things for Him - one that calls me to deeper intimacy with Him. This book is no exception.















Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us by Scot McKnight
McKnight deals with one of the questions that I think we have to ask as a church today. "What is the Gospel?" It's a question that we think we know the answer to, but I'm not so sure we do.














Confident Witness - Changing World by Craig Van Gelder
Much like The Present Future, this book talks about the intersection of cultural change and faith in Jesus. How do we maintain our confident witness to Christ in our ever changing world?














There are so many more that have impacted me. I encourage you to read - and read a lot. It changes your life...

And by the way, if you're wondering what I want to read next year you can look at my Amazon wishlist here.