40 Days of Spiritual Reads
We have entered in the season of Lent. Today it is day 10 so Fish Friday or do what I do and follow the recipes encouraged by CRS Rice Bowl. So why am I posting about that here when I usually post about books. Well I would just like to encourage all of you who participate in Lent to read only books that help you grow spiritually during these 40 days. I, personally, am committed to reading only spiritual books during this time even though I have also committed to the POPsugar Reading Challenge for 2017.
Since we are not very far into Lent I have only read The Case for Easter: A Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection and I am a little more than half way through The Enemy Within: Straight Talk about the Power and Defeat of Sin.
This was a very short booklet on fleshing out the story of Christ's resurrection. Since my entire belief system revolves around believing in the death, burial, and resurrection I am glad to say the evidence is strongly in favor of a risen Savior. He didn't just faint. He was truly dead. There truly were witnesses. This is not a fable. This is not fantasy. "He lives" Christ Jesus lives today.
In this book Lee Strobel interviews in high level fields of study who know their history, theology, and even forensics. I don't know if there is anything particular that I will remember from this book because I have heard a fair amount of this preached from the pulpit and lectured at from my professors. I don't think this book was extremely clear or really convince a hard skeptic but maybe someone with questions would really enjoy this book.
This book makes me feel like I have a lot of questions but mostly it makes me wish I could wrestle my sin as if it were a person- in a cage match and a crowbar in my hand. I wish I could have done an online study with this one but I am almost already done with it so maybe the next one that includes questions I should do a more serious study on here.
I hope you have an eye opening and stretching Lenten season. I don't really press this season on my children because strictly speaking we are not Catholic but I recently wrote a post titled Why I Receive the Ashes so I could try to clarify a little bit as to why a person such as myself- raised in all Baptist churches from toddler hood and almost exclusively attended Baptist churches throughout my life and even attended college at what use to be called Western Baptist Church and now my husband who is the Youth Pastor at, of course, a Baptist church, would dare step over the divide into a Catholic tradition. I am not angry or mad or feeling "unloved" or "reject" in my faith or denomination. I am actually so thankful for different ways to worship Jesus. I am not convinced besides the one way the Bible says to worship, which is in Spirit and in truth, that there is only one way to worship- IE loud music, hymns only, worship team, or choral leader. I know what I PREFER but I think worship should try to include a little bit of everything when possible. I didn't know this post was going to turn into a ramble. But my goal is to get through at least 7 spiritual books during Lent- one for each week- but many of them are short, quick reads so there may be more.
Last question, then I promise I will be done- How do I chose the books I will read? Good question! My husband supports a ministry called Truth for Life. They send us resources and I stack those books up and save them for my Lenten Readings. I think you can find some of the ones I read in their online store. But you can chose your own- I know you are smart enough. Ask your pastor or deacon or bishop or church leader for recommendations- I am sure, if they are Godly men and women of God they will point you in right direction, isn't that what they are there for?
Since we are not very far into Lent I have only read The Case for Easter: A Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection and I am a little more than half way through The Enemy Within: Straight Talk about the Power and Defeat of Sin.
This was a very short booklet on fleshing out the story of Christ's resurrection. Since my entire belief system revolves around believing in the death, burial, and resurrection I am glad to say the evidence is strongly in favor of a risen Savior. He didn't just faint. He was truly dead. There truly were witnesses. This is not a fable. This is not fantasy. "He lives" Christ Jesus lives today.
In this book Lee Strobel interviews in high level fields of study who know their history, theology, and even forensics. I don't know if there is anything particular that I will remember from this book because I have heard a fair amount of this preached from the pulpit and lectured at from my professors. I don't think this book was extremely clear or really convince a hard skeptic but maybe someone with questions would really enjoy this book.
This book makes me feel like I have a lot of questions but mostly it makes me wish I could wrestle my sin as if it were a person- in a cage match and a crowbar in my hand. I wish I could have done an online study with this one but I am almost already done with it so maybe the next one that includes questions I should do a more serious study on here.
I hope you have an eye opening and stretching Lenten season. I don't really press this season on my children because strictly speaking we are not Catholic but I recently wrote a post titled Why I Receive the Ashes so I could try to clarify a little bit as to why a person such as myself- raised in all Baptist churches from toddler hood and almost exclusively attended Baptist churches throughout my life and even attended college at what use to be called Western Baptist Church and now my husband who is the Youth Pastor at, of course, a Baptist church, would dare step over the divide into a Catholic tradition. I am not angry or mad or feeling "unloved" or "reject" in my faith or denomination. I am actually so thankful for different ways to worship Jesus. I am not convinced besides the one way the Bible says to worship, which is in Spirit and in truth, that there is only one way to worship- IE loud music, hymns only, worship team, or choral leader. I know what I PREFER but I think worship should try to include a little bit of everything when possible. I didn't know this post was going to turn into a ramble. But my goal is to get through at least 7 spiritual books during Lent- one for each week- but many of them are short, quick reads so there may be more.
Last question, then I promise I will be done- How do I chose the books I will read? Good question! My husband supports a ministry called Truth for Life. They send us resources and I stack those books up and save them for my Lenten Readings. I think you can find some of the ones I read in their online store. But you can chose your own- I know you are smart enough. Ask your pastor or deacon or bishop or church leader for recommendations- I am sure, if they are Godly men and women of God they will point you in right direction, isn't that what they are there for?
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