Book: "Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Proverbs"

I first came acquainted with this book in 2005 while reading Christopher Hall's "Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers." Hall's book was assigned in Dave Moore's book club and included an interview between Moore did with Dr. Hall in which Hall talked about the editing involved in with the series "Reading Scripture....."

From the General Introduction (included in all volumes)... The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture has as its goal the revitalization of Christian teaching based on classical Christian exegesis, the intensified study of Scripture by lay persons who wish to think with the early church about the canonical text, and the stimulation of Christian writers.

The time frame of these documents spans seven centuries......from the end of the New Testament to A.D. 750.

It seems that the older I become the more I'm drawn to what men before me have gone through. This has led me to reading about my country's founders, those who've fought for it's freedom, and now those who've defended the my faith. As yet have I found "nothing new under the sun" and that helps me in working out my salvation.

We live too much in today, this moment, and don't enough, if at all, realize what men and women have been thinking, and writing, and experiencing trials and triumphs since the beginning of time.

What Ambrose and Didymus and Bede and Augustine and all these old sages have to say about the scripture and life is so relevant to today's living.

It is going to be such a pleasure to see them in heaven.

God Bless and Read Well

Book: "American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House," by John Meacham

Draft.....

Sunne and Curtis (my daughter and son-in-law), gave me this for Christmas. They know I've been reading the past 5 years biographies on our founding fathers, presidents, and signers of the Declaration of Independence (only gotten through 8 or 9......probably won't live long enough to get them all!). This is part of the "old guy" reading I'm doing.

I'm disappointed that I'd not read about Andrew Jackson before.

Book: "Wordly Saints: The Puritans As They Really Were," by Leland Ryken

This book is on Dave Moore's Oxford Reading Tutorial. Special thanks to Dave.

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The author, Professor Leland Ryken, states in Chapter 11 that his purpose, in part, for writing this book was:

1. to present the truth about what the Puritans thought and practiced and

2. he, Professor Ryken, was interested in what the Puritans can teach us.

I believe Ryken did a great job in laying out the good, bad, not-so-ugly, and the truth & beauty of who the Puritans were and what they've meant to today's culture. Providing, of course, that what he wrote is true, and if the number of pages of end notes and source material is any indication, then I assume it is, there is a wealth of information in these pages.

Anyone that believes in the priesthood of the laity will do good reading this book to understand how to not just believe but in how to practice such.

Professor Ryken accomplished his goal in writing the book.

Thanks Dave for the recommendation.

Book: "The Prodigal God," by Timothy Keller

This book was a Christmas gift from my friend Nolan.

If you thought you know all about the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:1-3, 11-32, well, so did I.

Dr. Keller gives an entirely new meaning to this story Jesus told. To help me with what I was reading, I went on line and listened to 3 lessons Dr. Keller taught January, 2008, on this same subject.

If Dr. Keller's goal in writing this book was to open the reader's heart, mind, and soul to the entire story Jesus was telling here in Luke 15, he accomplished that with me.

The most profound statement in the lesson I listened to, though quoted a bit different in the book, was...

"it's not sin that keeps people from fellowship with God, but their damnable good works." (see page 77 in book).

Thanks for the book Nolan. It's going in the re-read stack.

Update: 2/1/2009 - still pondering Keller's writing. Cathy and I had a great discussion about parts of it yesterday. She is reading the book and I had to ask her if there were any "notes to self" I had made in the margins were embarrassing? She claimed....not too bad! The book continues to be provocative in my thoughts.

Update: 2/28/2009 -To listen to sermons related to Tim Keller's book The Prodigal God, from the series The Fellowship of Grace, click below -

http://sermons.redeemer.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=32