A Bounty of Books

All Together Different: Upholding the Church's Unity While Honoring Our Individual Identities by J. Brian Tucker and John Koessler is a treatise on how numerous people with sometimes conflicting identities can come together as one body in the local church. This book identifies and examines personal and group identities using spiritual, social, and psychological parameters.

This book is somewhat of a tough read. There is a lot of good information, but it is densely packed which prevents an easy sort of flow from developing. It probably would be easier to read in chunks rather than several chapters all together. However, once one knows this, there is a lot of helpful information in here for church leaders in various contexts.

The main point of this book is that the overarching and most important identity of an individual in a church is that of a follower of Christ. All other identities are important and some must be addressed, but only that of a follower of Christ should be considered ultimate. This is how so many differing identities can become one - by uniting in that of a Christian.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Moody Publishers Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, See Part 255

Braving Sorrow Together: The Transformative Power of Faith and Community When Life is Hard by Ashleigh Slater is an introduction to the power of community during times of sorrow. Slater uses both personal anecdotes and stories from friends and acquaintances to discuss the various ways community can provide a lifeline during various kinds of suffering.

Slater discusses how faith, community, and specifically a faithful and consistent community of faith can be life giving during moments of suffering in big areas of life such as health, family, and work. She gives practical ideas of what was helpful to her during a particular season of suffering. If Slater or her family had not experienced a certain trial, she had a friend who has speak to that issue.

There is nothing new or earth shattering in Braving Sorrow Together. Everyone knows that having friends and family or some other kind of support makes the tough times easier to bear. However, there are some good practical suggestions for those looking for a place to start. Those who lead some kind of group or oversee groups for a church may find this book especially helpful.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Moody Publishers Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, See Part 255

Me Too: Experience the God Who Understands by Jon Weece is about God's ability to relate to human suffering. Far from being a distant presence who can't relate to the pain humans go through, God became man through Jesus Christ and as Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (ESV)

God's people are to model themselves after Him. In regards to suffering, God doesn't call His people to grit thier teeth and bear it. Nor does He ask them to paste on a smile and pretend everything is OK. The church should be a place where broken people walk with one another through the messiness of life. This is Weece's point. Everyone suffers, and because of that, we can give one another the gift of saying "Me too." I've been there. I hurt and suffer just like you.

Accidental Saints: Finding God In All the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber is a collection of stories of grace made evident through an unlikely group of people. Bolz-Weber is a Lutheran pastor who founded House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Colorado. Most of these stories come from her interactions with people in that community.

Bolz-Weber's style is honest and raw, sometimes uncomfortably so. There is no element of the "safety" of anonymity in these stories. She shares them with her and others' brokenness out for everyone to see. She is unapologetic about her past or her present. While her transparency and openness are very appealing and winsome, there is a flip side to that. Her liberal use of offensive language completely turned me off at first. It took a conscience mental effort to set that aside, see past it, and learn form the truth of grace each story presents. Some people won't find it a problem, but for others, its something to be aware of. In the end, I'm glad I was able to set it aside and see the truth, because I benefited from it. However, I know some will be unable to do that, and its something I wish I had known in advance. Because I was completely unfamiliar with Bolz-Weber before reading this, it felt somewhat like an ambush.

Overall, each story told in Accidental Saints pushed against my experience and sense of grace. It did this in a good way, because it stretched me. I appreciate Bolz-Weber's willingness to point out how much more powerful (and real) grace looks, the messier the situation. Anyone who is ready and or willing to be pushed in the same way will benefit from reading Accidental Saints.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255