#582. Reading books that are not the Bible.
Jul 17th by Jon(A while back, talented writer Brannon Golden gave us a chart that clearly laid out the awesomeness of specific types of serving. Now he’s back with sharp look at our penchant to p.s. the Bible when it comes to the list of books we read. Long live the guest post. Hope you enjoy.)
A few months ago, I was visiting with a guy from our church who became a Christian about a year ago. Before that, he had spent something like the previous thirty years of his life practicing devil worship. I was just a little intimidated. (True story.) We were talking about the Holy Spirit, so of course I asked him if he had read The Shack, and he shook his head no. “In fact,” he said, “the Lord has me reading only His word right now.” And I thought, “How adorable. This little guy is so new to The Game, so fresh. He just has no clue how this works.”
I don’t think I could seriously consider myself a “believer” if I hadn’t prayed that God would expand my territory, just like that guy Jables. The only way I know of to learn that kind of thing is to read a book about it. How else could I learn how to pray in just 28 days? That’s less than a third of the time it takes to do P90X! And I don’t know how I’d fight my everymanly-battles without lassoing those old mustang thoughts of mine into the old corral. I’ve often wondered how those delightful people from the early church managed to keep themselves unstained by this world. But then I remembered that there was that huge library in Alexandria, Egypt. People were probably coming in there all the time, like, “Hey man, has that new scroll Your Worst Life Was Yesterday come in yet? No? Well I wanna reserve a copy. Will I get an email when it’s in?”
My wife Kendra works for our church, and part of their success is that they read (and even also sometimes apply) all sorts of principles from business and other books. In fact, when Kendra discovered her strengths, it was very helpful to our relationship for me to learn that Ideation is her number one. Previously, there were times I would feel a little sheepish when it would occur to me, “You know, Kendra, that’s literally the 218th insanely great idea you’ve come up with…today.” It made me wonder why she married me, and I kept nosing around looking for secret life insurance policies she had taken out on me. I never found any, but I can honestly tell her, “Because of you, I never stray too far from the sidewalk.”
And why are all these management principles floating around anyway, if not for us to effectively apply to ministry? Certainly the Holy Spirit can speak to us however It sees fit, whether through a secular book or some other donkey. (I used to only refer to the H.S. as “He,” but ever since The Shack, how can I really be sure? And I certainly don’t want to offend H/er/im—I’m pretty sure that’s the unpardonable sin.) There are just so many good, dare I say, even great, models that we can learn from. Who wouldn’t want to share in the success of enterprises like Circuit City, Fannie Mae, Philip Morris, and Wells Fargo? I mean, just imagine the Relevance quotient of grabbing some of the headlines these guys do. I’ve had Getting Things Done
Please don’t misunderstand me. The Bible certainly has its place of due honor in my life. I’m all about firing off some heavy revvy from James: “You know, Nick, the tongue is a fire, setting your life on fire with the fires of hell. But it’s also a rudder, like on a ship. Kind of fire-rudder, if you will…” And it’s certainly not beneath me to work in an analogy about the intricacies of Melchizedek’s lineage during a casual conversation about which restaurant chain has the best bacon cheeseburger. Knowing scripture is the only way I can put all those other books in their proper context.
A few months ago, I asked some acquaintances involved in ministry to tell me some good books that I could read—like big, important, seminary-level works. I ended up with a list of about 15 or so, tomes like A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God 
Then just recently I heard Francis Chan in an interview, and the guy asked him what sorts of books he reads to keep himself challenged and fresh. I leaned slightly forward in my chair with smug anticipation. He answered, “You know, I’m not much of a reader,” and he laughed. “At least not things besides the Bible. There’s still so many challenging things in there that I know I should be doing that I’m not yet.” I worry about the future of their church. But a book I read once said that when I feel like worrying, I should pray instead. I thought that was pretty good advice. So I’ll pray for them. And maybe send them my copy of Cost of Discipleship.
Random haiku disclaimer:
Exceptions exist
Jon’s book drops Spring 2010
I will buy a case
What are you reading?
And what is God showing you through it?
" like bacon" !!! love it 
Comments
Kate @ 8:36: I love the medieval mystics as well. I've been reading them for over 25 years and find them wonderful. What do you find "iffy" about them?
A book by Mary Pipher called Seeking Peace, Chronicles of the Worst Buddist in the World". I am indeed seeking peace in my life and this book is fantastic. Hugely helpful to me in discovering what i brought from childhood that affects my daily being now. Kind of like analysis without anyone else there. She is hugely frank. Are there any Christians that have been frank (AND wonderful writers) that have shared their stories of their breakdowns and struggles with lack of sleep and lack of peace-if so someone list them please. They are awfully hard to find and this book was a jewel.
I must say, I'm a little startled by many of the comments today, and very sorry for any misunderstanding. The last time Jon graciously allowed me to write for SCL, the comments were mostly about how great I was.
If I offended you today, please read my other post instead.
A few clarifications:
1. I love you guys. Seriously. Like the brothers and sisters that you are to me.
2. In attempting to keep in the spirit of SCL, What I wrote was 92.6% sarcastic.
3. The books I referred to are all books I have actually read. I read books that are not the Bible.
4. IMHO, Kelly Clarkson is an underrated genius.
5. Katdish? Stacy from Louisville? Hucklebuck? Where are you guys when I need you? Help!
6. Francis Chan consistently rocks the authenticity of my relationship with Christ… for which I could not:
a. Thank him enough.
b. Love him more.
I KNEW I should have made a chart. Everybody loves a chart. Charts are the worship eagles of a good blog post. Or a cute animal picture. My bad.
b.go (Brannon)
I couldn't agree more Brannon. In fact I've found that reading actual full length books isn't even necessary anymore. I just call up current, relevent Christian blogs and web sites, read the Twitted sound bites and find I have all the really important Christian Life Info I need.
P.S. Maybe people don't understand sarcasm unless you add a winky face to your statements.
Love your post, babe. For those of you unsure about Brannon, he is always 92% sarcastic. He reads more than anyone I know, The Bible, Christian books, business books, and even (gasp) secular books. (But we would never stoop to reading a Harry Potter book though. But only because the movies are way faster.
Is it OK to pray that Jon has JKR's writing success?)
And to clear the record, we CRAZY LOVE Francis Chan at our house and would move to Simi Valley if it weren't for the sticky fact that we go to the church we wer called to instead. When I heard him say that, I felt stabbed in the chest, not because of the "being so holy I only read the Bible" part, but because of the "there's so much in there I know but don't do" part. That was his point.
(My WV is poter, as in Hary Poter I guess.)
Generally, if the author has been dead more than 10 years and people are still talking about the book, THEN I'll consider reading it.
In a total act of self contradiction (in that the author is still kicking) I'm currently reading "Addiction and Grace" by G May- which if you've ever, ever struggled with habitual sin is an awesome read.
Mission of God by Christopher Wright
When I Don't Desire God by John Piper
Both are blowing my mind; well written, inspiring, and thought provoking.
And I definitely agree with the guy who said that The Shack is a terrible book. In fact, me and my buddies always say, "That's a piece of Shack" whenever we hear something that is complete herecy/whimpy doctrine.
great thought provoking and HYSTERICAL post!!!! For real, any post that has a Kelly Clarkson quote & a haiku gets my vote. We are voting right? No? Oh well.
Books I'm currently reading (odd combo, I know):
The Bottom Billion: Why the poorest countries are failing and what can be done about it. By Paul Collier
The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest have done so much Ill and so little Good. By William Easterly
Crazy Love. By Francis Chan
Good job Brannon! Loved the post and the subsequent reactions! And Jon should definitely have you back as a guest writer! (Is that enough, or should I continue??) As for me, I'm currently reading "The Hobbit" as well as some suspense novels I picked up from the library. And I honestly don't think I've ever read a book and not had God speak to me through it, and I've even read the Twilight series twice, as well as listening to the audio books once!
Seriously though, God and I normally have a great dialogue through what I'm reading, whether it be the Bible, CS Lewis, or Stephenie Meyer. I have yet to read the Shack yet, but apparently I should because it certainly has some people's panties in a twist! 
Great post Brandon! don't worry, totally got that you were being sarcastic not patronising!! It's SCL for goodness sake – sarcasm is default:)
Currently reading:
1. 'The Element: How finding your passion changes everything' – Ken Robinson. Loving this – totally recommend it!! Apparently nobody ever noticed John Cleese was funny or Paul McCartney was musical the whole time they were at school…
2. 'Us Aussies' – Mal Garvin
3. 'Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity without Hierarchy' – Pierce, Groothuis and Fee
…and the Bible of course;)
Great article! I'm still not sure what everyone's problem with "The Shack" is.
No, I wouldn't recommend it for most new believers, but there is nothing in it that flat out contradicts the Bible.
The (fictional, BTW) characters are all actual (biblical) characteristics of God found throughout Scripture, based primarily on how his people needed him at the time.
Remember, God is not a "he"; per Jesus, "God is Spirit" (John 4:24). Gender pronouns are for us to relate to him, not the other way around.
Finally Alive by John Piper.
What causes people to be born again? What is the new birth? What are the benefits of the new birth? What if a person is not born again?
I highly recommend this book.
You can buy it cheap or download it free here:
http://www.desiringgod.org/Store/Books/815_Finally_Alive/
Perhaps we need a new font to show when someone's being sarcastic. Call it Sarcastica.
I re-read Dallas Willard's "The Divine Conspiracy" every year. It is life-changing and life-challenging, and always returns me to the Bible.
I am also finishing my re-read of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which also greatly deepens my understanding of the Christian life. (Yes. It does.)
And I really, really don't understand anyone who feels it's wrong to read anything other than the Bible or "Christian" books, or who feels guilty about doing so. Excuse me? (Or should those comments have been written in Sarcastica?)
Janet–Sarcastica–love it!!!
Brannon, I think that when people do not know you that well, they do not understand your humor or sarcasm as much, at least that is what I have run into with my humor.
I regretted that I didn't say in my post that your writing was hilarious. I just didn't understand exactly where you were going with, which is why I concluded with saying both.
Please keep up with your writing, you do a great job.
I fully understand this idea, I've been through times in my life where I have done away with all reading except the Bible. I still work at keeping the Bible my #1 source of reading and now read very very few other books. I want to know God's word so well that the minute I read something I have the discernment to know if it's truly biblically based or if it's an idea that the author happened to find some scriptures here and there to support.
I want my relationship with the Lord to be as close as humanly possible. I want it to be my biggest priority on a daily basis.
There is no reason for us to know anything about "great thinkers", or "great authors" of our time because the world's wisdom is not the Lord's wisdom. None of that will serve us in anyway in eternity. Nor is it necessary now. Everything we need is contained within the Word of God.
It disturbs me when I hear "believers" justifying their leisure time as something necessary to live on this earth instead of just acknowledging it for what it is: enjoyment of earthly endeavors, which is not wrong by any means.
Brannon,
I left you a comment, then realized that I must have had the WV wrong and not noticed, because the comment isn't there.
What I said was…I loved your chart last time. Sorry for the delay in commenting. And the book that I am reading (when I do read) right now is an old Puritan book called "The Doctrine of Repentance". Very challenging book!
Like many who have posted before, I am able to read quite a bit. It is a perk of my job – I get to keep up on what's popular (and not so popular). The books I'm reading right now are "The Company of Preachers: Wisdom on Preaching" edited by Richard Lischer. I'm also reading "Noah's Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards" by Sara Stein.
I have not read The Shack, but would like to get to it one of these days (I'm on the waiting list at my local library). It's interesting to hear people's opinions on this book, and I'm looking forward to reading it.
Also on the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word we translate as Spirit is Ruah which is feminine. The Greek word we translate as Spirit is Pneuma and is gender neutral. Whenever you see "He" in reference to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament it is typically because the adjectives are masculine.
I think that my favorite part is how people feel that if they aren't reading the Bible, they need to be reading some hyper-spiritual sounding title. You know, Tuesday night book club meetings have to be great. Folks are stiffly sitting in the circle clutching their KJVs, C.S. Lewis, and Strobel, and wouldn't DREAM of touching Amy Tan, Steven King, Jodi Picoult, or *GOD FORBID* Harry Potter!
Though I do have a confession: I'm not in the middle of a secular guilty pleasure book right now; I'm reading "Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan." And thoroughly enjoying it.
I'm reading "A Return to Modesty" by Wendy Shalit. Rob Bell recommended it in one of his sub-notes in the back of one of his books. Yes, I'm that avid of a reader that I like to read the books my favorite authors read.
But I wonder if you would do a blog post on this subject. In her book, Wendy has a lot of case studies, statistics, and stories about how our culture has become overly sexualized and the affects it's having both on men and women.
One thing I really reprove is when "Christian" ladies dress like they are going to the beach at church (I've lived in Florida my whole life). It kind of aggravates me that Christians aren't more subject to the counterculture that is trying to promote modesty, and not in a prudish way, but in a way that promotes respect and integrity.
What exactly is appropriate clothing in church anymore? When I was young… there was certain "look", but now in all these hip/non-denominational churches… it's like you are planning on going clubbing afterwards.
What gives?
Girls (and guys) are still using sex appeal to win over the other gender… and is that what church should be about?
Oh… and on another note, there's a quote my pastor (Isaac Hunter, Summit Church, Orlando, FL) uses a lot that I really appreciate concerning the Bible:
"The Bible was not written to us, but it was definitely written for us. And to understand what it means, you have to understand what it meant."
- As in, the Bible is obviously applicable to everyone's life and God speaks through it, but I'd agree that there are other God inspired authors who also speak God's truth. And we have to understand that though the Bible is God's holy word, it was written to a culture, in a context, that can be (and is repeatedly) lost to today's generations.
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Sara
http://pianotutorial.net
I'm cracking up here. Too funny. I am enjoying reading your blog. Especially since reading is my passion. Sure the bible is great and I read it. But I can't not read another book….fiction, non fiction, whatever. I will read it. How else are you going to know what you believe in. Recently I was told I couldn't share a curriculum at a homeschool meeting because it was a Christian group and this curriculum was based on a book that had *gasp* "Magic" in it. The book? Chronicles of Narnia. My response is… unless you have read it and formed your own opinions you have no right to censor my reading/sharing.
All you need is the Bible. God provided everything you need to know. This whole "I need other books to help me in my walk" is just deception. Granted, some books may offer a fresh perspective, but the Bible is more than capable of doing that. I wouldn't be surprised if it was in fact a sin to read anything else besides the Bible. I know I will be criticized for this, but I'm concerned with God's opinion, and searching to see that I am completely obeying His Word in everything. Also, I can't see how it would be justifiable when you do not know the Bible word for word. Can any of you meditate on His law while reading? If you can, then so be it, but I'm willing to bet you can't, since you're picturing the story. So you've been led into sin by not even knowing it.