Christmas is a time a lot of us are looking forward to getting stuck in to a new book, buying books for others, or resolving to read better in the year ahead. I asked our very own Ed Shaw to share some of his top tips for what to read and how to set about reading it, here's what he came up with:
What are the best 5 books you've read this year?
Being asked to limit myself to 5 is a form of torture... but, in order of accessibility:
1) Tim and Kathy Keller's, The Meaning of Marriage. Just out and such an excellent book for us all on marriage and friendship that I've bought 3 more copies while I've been reading it to give to both single and married friends and family. As readable and biblically radical as Keller's other books.
2) Roger Steer's, George Muller: Delighted in God. If you didn't read it over the summer you should read it soon - I can see his orphanage buildings from my living room and they will continue to provide an inspiration for my prayer life (and now a home for Emmanuel Ashley Down too!).
3) Mariano Magrassi's, Praying the Bible. If you feel that Bible reading is in danger of becoming a dry, intellectual exercise for you this little book will remind you that each time we open our Bibles we are meeting Jesus, entering into a conversation with him as he speaks to us through its pages, and as we use what he says to inspire and shape our prayers.
4) Nancy Pearcey's, Total Truth. Wonderfully connects the whole of our lives to the Gospel and equips us to develop a Christian worldview that impacts everything we think and do - not just our church family life together. Making no progress in evangelism at the moment? It's worth reading through this big book to find out why, and how things could change.
5) William Wilberforce's, A Practical View of Christianity. When not busy stopping slavery in the British Empire, Wilberforce was seeking to witness to the nominally Christian society he lived in - reading how he sought to do that both challenges and equips us to do the same in our similar society today.
Some non-Christian honourable mentions - William Fiennes' The Music Room made me cry, and Jan Struthers' Mrs Miniver made me laugh.
What's your top recommendation of a book to give to a friend / family member that introduces them to Jesus?
I recently sent a non-Christian friend Tim Keller's The Reason for God and Mike's Real Life Jesus. I think they're a great combination - Tim clears the ground by confronting all the major objections to Christianity, Mike then wonderfully introduces you to Jesus from the pages of John's Gospel. The Oxford University Christian Union have wisely got them both speaking at their next mission...
Lots of us wish we read more than we do, as a big reader, what are your top tips for being a better reader?
As a prisoner to routine I have a regular reading slot - at the beginning of each day. For me it's an hour long but even 20 minutes a day would see you start munching through books at quite a pace. To keep myself going I vary the size of books I read - too many big theological tomes in a row and I feel as if I'm not achieving anything; a long, heavy book always needs to be followed by a shorter, lighter one. And use the books you're reading - to fuel your prayers, shape your thinking, get you doing new things, helping other people - nothing drives my book reading more than seeing it help me and others better live for Christ.
Lots of us feel like we should probably read more Christian books, but they're just not that exciting - any advice?
Find the Biblically faithful authors that connect with you - I can't get enough of CS Lewis or Tim Keller but others I know don't get them at all. Talk to church family members about what they're reading - especially those you who think in similar ways to you, like the same books. Or come and ask me for suggestions - recommending books is one of my favourite things. And if reading is not for you, listen to books - it's a great way of making better use of a commute into work. Visit christianaudio.com to see what's available to download for free.
What about Christian blogs / magazines - any tips to make the most of these resources?
Visit Justin Taylor's blog regularly - he (somehow) provides an indispensable best of the blogs each day. And, of course, keep visiting this blog where we'll try to keep pointing you in the direction of various things that tie in with what we're thinking and doing as a church family. Magazines wise - subscribe to the excellent The Briefing and put your copy by the toilet.
The blog of the Emmanuel Bristol churches
