#8 – The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence (My 100 Favorite Books)

I remember finishing this book and then immediately starting it again.  Its short and I may have read it twice in one day (its only 68 pages).  But its SO GOOD. Imagine you work next to a person in some mundane occupation for decades.  Then all of a sudden you discover you have been standing …

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#18 – Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster (My 100 Favorite Books)

Growing up, I got the impression that living life as a Christian was essentially to pray and read the Bible each day for about 20 minutes.  Preferably in the morning.  Even if you forgot, it was okay because you were saved and going to heaven when you died.  Mostly life was just waiting around for …

#19 – The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen (My 100 Favorite Books)

When I made this list, I put Henri Nouwen's small book on Christian leadership and service at #19.  It was the only Nouwen book on my list.  Now that I am here and writing about it, I am reconsidering.  I've read 5-6 books by Nouwen and they are all great. Maybe I should just title …

#20 – The New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton (My 100 Favorite Books)

Richard Rohr talks about the two halves of life in his book Falling Upward (which is not on my list, but deserves an honorary mention).  The first half is when we build up who we are, akin to building a container.  Then in the second half of life, we fill the container and even find …

#49 – Eat this Book by Eugene Peterson (My 100 Favorite Books)

Eugene Peterson is one of my favorite writers, from his translation of the New Testament, The Message, to his book on Revelation, Reversed Thunder.  But my favorite books of his are his series on spiritual theology that began with Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places.  Each book in that series is beautiful, but it was …

#57 – The Cloud of Unknowing (My 100 Favorite Books)

This is a classic work of Christian mysticism and contemplative prayer from the 1300s.  The author is unknown.  I read it once on a kindle but it was incredibly difficult, then I picked up a translation which made it easier.  Though technically written in English, it is that old and confusing Middle English which still …

#78 – The Life of Moses by Gregory of Nyssa (My 100 Favorite Books)

Yes, this is early church week on my list!  Today we meet Gregory of Nyssa', Basil's brother, who also wrote extensively on the Trinity.  But I love his book The Life of Moses because it is so different than what most think Christian biblical interpretation and life is.  First, this is a fantastic example of …

#100 – The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr (My 100 Favorite Books)

A few weeks ago I was invited to share pictures of seven books on Facebook, with no comment.  I love reading and had trouble picking just seven favorite books.  So I decided to spend the summer sharing my 100 favorite books.  I tried to roughly put them in some order, so my all-time favorites will …

Devotional Recommendations?

Students and friends often ask me what books I would recommend for devotional reading.  I admit I am not entirely sure what sort of book they are looking for.  If by devotional they mean a book they can read a few pages each morning that will provide spiritual reflection throughout the day, then nearly anything …

The Grand Paradox by Ken Wytsma (Review)

Honestly, I did not expect much from The Grand Paradox by Ken Wytsma. I had never heard of the author but I picked it up when I saw a few people recommend it on Twitter...and it was free for a few days. After reading some challenging books this summer, from philosophers who hurt my brain …