Category: Books


Not Just the Gideon Bible Anymore

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March 5, 2013

Hotel Room 1bIn the previous post, I was talking about my sabbatical to Marshall that ended up being unlike what I had previously imagined. I checked in to the hotel late Monday night. When I entered the hotel room after checking in at the front desk, I did what I have always done since taking vacations with my parents and my younger brother. Check out every nook and cranny of the room, beginning with the desk and all drawers.

The dresser drawers never had anything in them and they still don’t. Some hotels used to put extra pillows in the bottom drawers of the dresser, but that was years ago. When the desk drawer had hotel stationary. Now the desk does not even have a drawer.

Some things are the same. The book of information about the hotel and surrounding restaurants, shops, etc. A pen, a notepad, survey card, and the usual bathroom items. And the Gideon Bible in the bedside drawer. But when I opened the drawer this time – and found the Bible – the Mormon Bible was next to it. Which was comforting to me – like I said, I was there to quit a bad habit – simply because there is strength in numbers.

But it was also intriguing, because it was a hotel in Marshall, Texas – a town of 24,000 people. As best I could ascertain, there are two Mormon churches in Marshall. I don’t think two churches could afford to supply Bibles to all of the numerous hotels in Marshall. Which raises the question of which hotels and why? But that is a question for another time.

What matters is that the hotel having both a Bible and a Mormon Bible is a step toward understanding our neighbors and living with our differences. Perhaps there will come a day when you check into a hotel and there will be several Bibles or holy books of other religions. More for people of the different faiths who may stay at the hotel than for the proselytization of those faiths. The different holy books would also be available for anyone wanting to learn about other faith traditions.

Which will be a subject we will return to in this blog. One of the main purposes of Chasing After Wind is to write about those times – simple or complicated – in which life and theology intersect. And since I am a member of a few interfaith organizations, another purpose of the blog is to promote dialogue between all religions and faith-based organizations. Join me as we look for God in everyday life, and learn about other faith traditions.

Peace be with you.

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Happy New Year – Oh, The Places You Will Go!

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January 1, 2013

Rose Parade 1Cyndy and I were watching the Rose Parade this morning, as we do pretty much every New Year’s Day. The tv hosts are tolerable – more so, say, than those of the Macy’s Parade – and there is little more to watch on over 300 channels than marathons of shows we never wanted to see again. Not to mention the movies that we have already seen ad infinitum or do not want to watch anyway. Be that as it may, we usually end up watching the parade, which was themed Oh, The Places You Will Go this year, in honor of Dr. Seuss.

It is fascinating to see the huge creations painstakingly fashioned from plants with such vibrant colors. On the winning float an oversized Cat in the Hat was reading Oh, The Places You Will Go to Sally and her older brother while Thing 1 and Thing 2 looked on. Thing 1’s purple-colored hair was applied with tweezers. My patience has increased over the years, but is nowhere near the level it would take to complete that task.

While I was in the backyard getting some fresh air, my mind wandered and ended up in my childhood. My first books were the Dr. Seuss books. My parents signed up for the book club and each month we would receive a new Dr. Seuss book hot off the press. Since I was two years older than my brother, Dennis, I was always the first one to read them. There were days when I sat on the front porch, waiting for the mailman.

The day the book(s) came, I would rip open the package, remove the books, and head for my favorite bush in front of the left corner of the house. The bush was big enough to hide under and read. My memory is a little fuzzy on the bush – it could have been a weeping willow, which would make more sense. My mother later passed along the books to other parents with small children. I’ve often wondered while watching Antiques Roadshow how much that original set would be worth. As well as the Hot Wheels set that Dennis and I had running throughout the house that Mom also passed along when we no longer used them.

Needless to say – but I’ll say it anyway – this year’s Rose Parade held a little more interest for me than in other years. It also caused me to take a journey into the past and beckoned me to consider the new year and the places I will go. Not just to physical locations, but also in my personal and spiritual journeys.

Happy New Year everyone! May you all be blessed throughout the year and may your joys and successes outnumber the disappointments and shortcomings.

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Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions – Book Review

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June 20, 2012

Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions, written by James A. Beverley and published by Thomas Nelson is the ultimate comprehensive guide on religions of the world. It is the most thorough book on the numerous religions I have encountered. When I received the book at one o’clock in the afternoon, I spent the rest of the afternoon skimming  through the 740 page volume, reading much of it. I returned to other projects, but I kept picking Beverley’s book back up for another look. It is a book I will keep close at hand for future reference and referral.

It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to name a religion or cult that Beverley does not identify. The author is commendably objective in his reporting on the many religions and cults of the world, past and present. Other than the most common religions of Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy, Judaism, Mormonism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Baha’i, as well as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, Scientology, Unification Church, and Sikhism, Beverley also includes chapters on groups of the New Age movement, Christian Sectarian groups, Satanism, and Witchcraft.

The Illustrated Guide to Religions includes a chapter on the Branch Davidians, their timeline, and the tenuous connection with the Seventh Day Adventist Church and Davidian Seventh Day Adventists (included in the section on Christian sectarian groups). Each section contains a history of the religion, movement, or cult, a timeline(s), chart of facts, and list of resources for those who wish to inquire further. A list of frequently asked questions follows many sections, particularly where misconceptions abound and are common.

In sections on religions not having a Christian worldview, Beverley provides ways for  Christians to respond to those religions. As Professor of Christian Thought and Ethics at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, Ontario and Associate Director at the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa Barbara, California, Beverley is extremely knowledgeable on the subject and presents a thorough, in depth overview of religions of the world. The author’s research was extensive and thorough, even listing the top subgroups, histories, and myths/facts pertaining to each religion.

Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions should be on the shelf of anyone desiring a knowledge of world religions, and Christians seeking  to know more about other religions in  order to dialogue with people of other faiths. The overall quality of the book itself is superior, with beautiful photographs and illustrations – combined with the text in an eye-catching layout. It is the most comprehensive guide for a Christian on the subject of other religions. It is, without a doubt, the book to suggest to anyone who only wants to buy or read one book on the subject of religions.

Peace be with you.

[Note: I was given the book for review by Thomas Nelson. I was not required to write a positive review and was not compensated in any way.]

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Author Spotlight

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June 4, 2012

I would like to introduce two more authors I met at the author signing at Manske Library a couple of weeks ago. Becky Wade, in her words, is “an author of inspirational Christian contemporary romance novels.” She was signing copies of her newest novel, “My Stubborn Heart,” published by Bethany House Publishers this year. I bought a copy and asked her to sign it to  Cyndy. Cyndy reads romance novels, among other types of fiction.

Becky is a personable and friendly person with a bright personality. I enjoyed talking to her. She was as eager to listen to other’s stories as she was to share her own. What I’ve read of her book I’ve enjoyed. Since it is not my favorite genre I skip around. After Cyndy reads the book, I’ll post a review.

I also had an extended conversation with Rita Dear, who was sitting at the next table. Rita has written ten books so far in the Eutopian Destiny series. The series follows the journey of INS agent Joseph Morris that begins when he infiltrates the small town of Eutopian Springs, New Mexico as the new Baptist preacher, Joseph Marsh. Dear has also written a novel entitled “Roxann – A Lady in A Chair.”

Rita Dear is a retired public accountant who has also dealt with breast cancer. She has written a booklet called  “A Smart Ass Guide to Breast Cancer.”  An avid reader, when she found current novels too graphic for her tastes, she decided to write a novel without digressing to the details currently being published. She is the “first to admit that she found it difficult to circumvent the situations she’d found offensive in other books,” but she did.

“In my novels, bedroom doors close and foul words are restricted. That may make my books too tame for the average reader, but it’s a pride point with me. My books have to stand or fall based on the story line.”

Check out Becky Wade’s and Rita Dear’s books and websites. They are interesting, dedicated women with intriguing stories to tell.

Peace be with you.

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I Knew Jesus Before He was a Christian – Book Review

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May 26, 2012

The full title of Rubel Shelly’s book published by Leafwood Publishers (ACU Press) is “I Knew Jesus Before He Was A Christian…and I Liked Him Better Then.” When I was asked to review the book, I was intrigued by the title. As I began to read, it became apparent that the title was not merely cute to boost sales, but was entirely appropriate for the material. Our small group was deciding what book to study next and I suggested this one. Rather than read through it before the group studied it, I waited to review the book in order to include it’s effectiveness for a small group study.

The conclusion is that I Knew Jesus… works well for small groups. Precisely because it compares the original churches to churches now and the Jesus of the Bible to the Jesus nonbelievers perceive to be preached in churches today. The subject is – and should be – on the minds of all church and small group members.

Shelly begins by asserting that we can be both pro-Jesus and pro-church simultaneously. But not as long as a perception exists of disconnect between the two. Changing the perception necessarily requires elimination of the disconnect. The author quotes Stephen King when he wrote, “And while I believe in God, I have no use for organized religion..”

That is what many Christians have heard, unfortunately, far too often. Then there is the oft-quoted “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” In chapter four, Shelly tells the story of author Anne Rice. Rice renounced the Catholic religion at age eighteen. After a series of tragedies, including  the near loss of her life, she renewed her commitment to the Catholic faith. Rice wrote a book about the experience, dedicated herself to “glorifying God,” and launched a series of Christ the Lord books.

On July 28, 2010, Anne Rice posted a statement on her Facebook page that she was giving up Christianity and doing it “in the name of Christ.” She said that she remained committed to Christ as always, but not to being ‘Christian’ or part of Christianity. Rice followed the next day with “my conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I don’t understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following his followers.”

Which is precisely the point Shelly is making. The Jesus of the Bible – and by extension, of the original churches – is not the Jesus the people of the world see proclaimed by many of today’s churches. We should strive to be more like the Jesus of the Bible than the Jesus we portray through the filter of our organizational structure and polity. Rubel Shelly, in I Knew Jesus…, looks at different aspects of the disconnect and barriers between Jesus and the church. The author challenges and encourages the reader to work toward solutions in their own lives and churches, with questions found in the discussion guide.

Too many people have decided they are done with the church. They do not want to have anything to do with the church. “But you just might get attention with this radical, engaging, challenging, life-transforming, healing, rescuing person named Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, I think it is the only hope we have for communicating with a postmodern world. The best argument is…a living demonstration of kindness and acceptance, grace made incarnate, or love emptying itself for the sake of others.”

In I Knew Jesus Before He was a Christian, Shelly uses real-life and biblical examples to illustrate that while church membership may be declining, there are still souls searching for the life-affirming love of Christ. For a church to be a model of the first Christian churches and the life Christ displayed, they must first exhibit Jesus in the community and participate in ministering to those in need.

Peace be with you.

[I received this book free from Leafwood Publishers for a review. I was not required to write a favorable review.]

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Author Signing at Local Manske Library

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May 22, 2012

I was fortunate to be included in an authors and illustrators signing at the local library, Manske Library, on Saturday. About 20 local authors and illustrators were present from 3 to 5 p.m. to sell and sign books and meet with the public. Belinda Jacks, Library Director, was very hospitable.

I was there to promote my book, The Minutes of Salem Baptist Church, the story of a pioneer church north of Chattanooga, Tennessee in the 1800s and early 1900s. I was also promoting my upcoming poetry book, Timepieces, Contrasts, and Memories, and other upcoming projects. It is comforting to converse with other members of a profession that is largely a lonely one.

An author signing is an interesting event. Readers have a chance to meet authors and illustrators who have a chance to tell their stories. Illustrators such as Pat Kochan, a professional artist at the Artisan’s Studio-Gallery in Farmers Branch, with her book of watercolor paintings that capture the history of downtown Dallas. The book is titled Once Upon a Time in Dallas.

Authors like Tracey Richardson, originally from New Orleans, with her book, Florestine, telling the story of her ancestor about whom little is known. Taking the known facts and stories, Richardson used fiction to fill in Florestine’s back story. Or Lynette Norris Wilkinson, who grew up in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans. Living in Dallas by the time of Hurricane Katrina, she found herself with 16 family members and friends on her doorstep who had lost everything – except what was in their cars – during the hurricane. Which led her to write the book, UNTOLD: The New Orleans 9th Ward You Never Knew, and create the corresponding website with stories of the survivors. Proceeds from the book benefit New Orleans charities.

Martha Trevino Castilleja talked about her children’s book, The Courage of Little Alex, a story of doing wonders with faith and courage. Castilleja’s other book, Something to Remember, is a story about families surviving the devastating flood of 1954 in Acuna, Mexico, and the bordering town of Del Rio, Texas. In Dr. Grace Allman Burke’s book, The Stranger’s Son, the reader sees what it might have been like to witness the events from the Bible’s book of Exodus through twelve year old Gershom’s eyes. After reading the book, they will have a “whole new appreciation for what it meant to be Moses child.

Stay tuned – as they say – for more authors’ stories.

Peace be with you.

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Holocaust Survivor To Speak at King of Glory Gusto! Program

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January 7, 2012

Holocaust survivor Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth will talk about her experience as a schoolgirl in Hungary during World War II at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 9 at King of Glory Lutheran Church. The presentation is part of the Gusto!  event series.

Ozsváth and her immediate family survived the final days of the war with the help of her nanny and dear friend, Erzsi, who found food and safe houses for them. More than half a million Hungarian Jews perished between 1941 and 1945 as part of the Nazis’ Final Solution.

Ozsváth recorded her experience in a memoir titled When the Danube Ran Red, which was released last year. She will discuss the events documented in the book and be available to sign copies.

Ozsváth is the Leah and Paul Lewis Chair of Holocaust Studies and professor of literature and history of ideas at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has written extensively about Holocaust literature and the Holocaust in Hungary. She holds music degrees (piano) from Bartók Béla School of Musical Arts and the State Academy of Music at Hamburg. She completed her Ph.D. in German language and literature at the University of Texas.

Come at 9:45 a.m. for coffee and conversation, and join us for a reception to follow the presentation. Everyone is welcome!

Never Forget: Tour of Dallas Holocaust Museum – Monday also begins sign-up for the trip to the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance on Monday, January 23. The self-guided audio tour will include permanent displays plus a traveling exhibit of children’s artwork from the Terezin ghetto, Czech Republic. Late KoG member Col. Gil Ackerman’s war crimes trial documents will be displayed especially for our group. Bus transportation and carpooling will be available. Cost is $6 at the door. The museum is located at 211 N. Record St. in downtown Dallas. More information is at www.kingofglory.com/gusto.

——– From the Gusto! media staff.

Peace be with you.

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Tyndale House Publishers’ NLT Translation Bible Giveaway

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December 8, 2011

 Tyndale House Publishers is having an NLT Facebook page giveaway. Here are the details:

Starting on November 29th until December 24th at the New Living Translation Facebook page Tyndale is giving away lots of great prizes and something free for you just for singing up.

By visiting the giveaway entry page (located on the NLT Facebook page, the link is under the profile picture) and entering your name and e-mail address you’ll be entered to win the following prizes:

One random person each day will win a Life Application Study Bible Family Pack (Guys Life Application Study Bible hc, Girls Life Application Study Bible hc, Student’s Life Application Study Bible hc, Life Application Study Bible hc, Life Application Study Bible Large Print hc).

One Random person each week will win an Apple iPad 2!

Everyone that signs up gets a free download copy of the Life Application Bible Study – Book of Luke!

Good luck!

Peace be with you.

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Faith and Pop Culture – Book Review

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June 11, 2011

[Re-posted from former blog]

Faith and Pop Culture is the eighth installment of the Christianity Today Current Issues Bible Study Series, published by Thomas Nelson. As stated in the introduction, “[t]his Current Issues Bible Study is designed to facilitate lively and engaging discussion on various facets of entertainment and how it connects to our lives as Jesus’ followers.” The Faith and Pop Culture study examines the compatibility of our faith with the current culture as it pertains to the various parts of the entertainment industry. The book includes observations on movies, books, sports, television, and violence in entertainment media.

The study also takes a look at how entertainment affects Christians and vice versa. Must all entertainment Christians enjoy be “family friendly?” Can Christians influence the entertainment industry? With “entertain me” as the cry of our culture, is it compatible with a life of faith? These are questions to be discussed during the eight weeks of this study.

The Current Issues Bibles Studies are designed to be small group studies. Each session of the Faith and Pop Culture study begins with a Scripture Focus which provides the passages pertaining the lesson. After a brief introduction, a relevant article from Christianity Today magazine and ChristianityToday.com follows. The study guide of each session following the article are Open Up – discussion activities, The Issue – focusing on the main issues with which the session is concerned, Reflect – sharing thoughts and observations on the Scripture Focus passages, Let’s Explore – discussion questions, and Going Forward – taking what is learned and discussed and putting thought into action within our culture.

Each study guide includes ample questions and activities. Which allows for flexibility within the small groups using the study. If the group meets for two hours, they have plenty of questions, scripture reading, and activities. A group that meets for a shorter time has many options to choose from. Some sessions have “bonus” ideas or extra activities which could also be done outside of the regular group time.

In a time when many books and articles are written about modernism, post-modernism, and, indeed, faith and culture, Faith and Pop Culture is an intriguing Bible study that allows Christians as a group to actively apply their faith to the culture in which we live. The studies are also relevant for any small group in any situation. After reading the study, you might find yourself mentioning the book and series to group leaders whom you know.

Peace be with you.

I was given this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers for the purpose of  review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor did I receive any compensation other than the book itself.

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The Noticer – Book Review

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 [Re-posted from former blog] The Noticer, by Andy Andrews, published by Thomas Nelson, is an interestingly quick read. The plot was rather predictable. Jones (no Mr., just Jones) is the noticer, a seemingly ageless old man who appears in the life of people who are at a major crossroads in their life. Jones appears without warning and talks them through their situation and helps them to get a new perspective, after which they are forever changed.

The old man appears to be a charismatic person who not only quietly demands the listener’s attention through his steady voice and calm demeanor, but also renders the person incapable of hearing anything but his voice. His listeners pay rapt attention to what he is saying without knowing why. After talking to him the listener not only has a new perspective on his/her life, but actually feels refreshed.

Despite the predictability, I kept reading, hoping there would be a change in the plot or a surprise. The way in which Jones adjusted his vocabulary and conversational style to each listener was interesting and well done. The Christian overtones were subtle yet solidly present. Some of the dialogue though, seemed as if Jones was approaching Christ-like status, and was rather tame and too obvious.

The ending, while also rather predictable, and drawn out more than necessary, was still successful enough to leave the reader with a warm feeling. It was not, however, the desired effect that Jones had on his listeners throughout the book. All in all, The Noticer is a pleasant and heartwarming story despite occasional straying and the predictability aspect. While I wouldn’t recommend The Noticer to everyone, there are many people to whom I would certainly recommend it. The book would make an appropriate gift for someone going through any type of crisis in their life.

Peace be with you.

 I was given this book by Thomas Nelson for reviewing purposes. I was not required to write a positive review, nor did I receive any compensation other than the book itself.

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