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Post by Josh on Feb 7, 2007 20:54:19 GMT -8
Originally posted 1/4/2006
Hey guys,
Here's a fun one: What are your favorite books? Who are your favorite authors?
Well, my all-time favorite has to be CS Lewis, both his fiction and his non-fiction. But for me to really love a writer to that degree I need to feel like I know them in some way. 'Jack' (as CS Lewis' friends called him) was more than a great writer; he had a great life- a very really, honest life that the more I learn about, the more I appreciate his writing.
If anyone hasn't read Lewis (or not much) I would suggest either Mere Christianity (non fiction apologetics kind of stuff) or the Screwtape letters (a fictional account of a demon assigned to a human by a higher demon), or A Grief Observed (his personal journal after his wife died of cancer). Of course, the Chronicles of Narnia are also huge.
All of these suggestions are just 'gateway' books. One of his best book in my opinion is the fictional Until We Have Faces, but is more accessable after being somewhat familiar with Lewis' other works.
Also, my other favorites would include: GK Chesterton, JRR Tolkien, NT Wright, and Philip Yancey.
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Post by jeremy on Feb 7, 2007 20:55:41 GMT -8
Originally posted 1/4/2006
John Elderidge's book "Wild at Heart: The Secret to a Man's Soul" impacted me a couple years ago when I first read it (some of you remember). Basically he discusses the way a man is, his dreams and desires and comes up with three things: 1) A battle to fight 2) a beauty to rescue 3) an adventure to live. I think every woman should read this book to better understand a man (or their son(s) and why on earth would they ever want to play with guns).
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Post by michelle on Feb 7, 2007 20:59:29 GMT -8
Originally posted 1/4/2006
Lee Strobel. I love his investigative look into the merit of Christianity in "Case for Christ" and the way he approaches some very difficult questions about Christian beliefs in "Case for Faith."
I haven't really read many other Christian authored books.
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Post by sarah on Feb 7, 2007 21:02:07 GMT -8
Originally posted 1/4/2006
Ok a random selection of writers/works that have had an impact on my faith. Hannah Hurnard "Hinds Feet on High Places", Marcus Witt, "A worship filled life" Also in the pure fiction that has impacted me, Catherine Marshall "Christy" and F. Rivers "Voice in the Wind" I also read a biography titled "Reese Howell, Intercessor" that really made me think about the Holy Spirit in a whole new light. There are so many more, but those are the first I thought of.
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Post by Josh on Feb 7, 2007 21:03:24 GMT -8
Originally posted 1/4/2006
What was the 'new light' that the Intercessor book helped you see about the Holy Spirit?
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Post by sarah on Feb 7, 2007 21:07:37 GMT -8
Originally posted 1/4/2006
In the book it talked about Reese coming to an understanding of the "individuality"(for lack of a better word)of the Holy Spirit and his equalness to the rest of the Trinity. I started to think of my own impression of who the Holy Spirit is. I had a fairly well established concept of God and Jesus and was comfortable with them as individuals ans well as in 3in1 form. I realized however I had not really ever thought through who the Holy Spirit was and what his personality was like and how he showed up in the world. I sort of had this formless cloud concept of the Holy Spirit and he just foated about doing stuff. The book made the coment that Christ's ministry here on Earth was roughly 33 years. THe Hly Spirit's ministry has been here on Earth for the past 2000 years. We are comfortable praying directly to God and Jesus, so why do so few Christians pray directly to the Holy Spirit? In Western culture we have reduced him to a bird! So often we do not even acknowledge his presence with us as we meet in the name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is charged with many things in developing the Body and I suspect that perhaps one of the reasons we mature so slowly is we do not directly enlist his help, so He moves in subtler fashion. The Bible says we are given the Holy Spirit as a seal and a deposit on what is to come. I believe all Christian's are infact sealed with the Holy Spirit. However when you think about what a deposit is it is a small part of a greater thing, but that small part is still pretty incredible in the context of what it is holding in deposit for us. Christ stated that his followers would do greater things than him because of the Holy Spirit who would come and teach them.
I believe that you should invite the Holy Spirit to move and work in your life, that you should recognize his presence as you meet in Christ's name, and that authority in meetings, should be given to him. Afterall, he is the teacher. He will always point back to the Father and Son, all three have a tendancy to prefer one another that way, always pointing to the next to honor.
That may be way more than you wanted in answer to your question!
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Post by Josh on Feb 7, 2007 21:09:04 GMT -8
Originally posted 1/4/2006
Great stuff! How easily it is to lose sight of the Holy Spirit. Listening to Graham Cooke, I see some of his perspectives coming through in your superb exhortation. I'm interested in you reminding me from time to time to be "giving the HS the authority in meetings" whether spoken openly sometimes or as a foundational prayer for our meetings. I think that sentence makes sense.
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Post by Josh on Feb 7, 2007 21:10:28 GMT -8
Originally posted 1/4/2006
I'll chime in on Hinds Feet: great allegory! I wasn't super impressed with it's sequel, but the first one is awesome!
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aimee
Advanced Member
Posts: 136
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Post by aimee on Feb 7, 2007 21:13:01 GMT -8
Originally posted 2/8/2006
-All Tolkein (reading "Hobbit" outdoors) the epic good vs. evil and the truth he writes into his stories. -"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence" not Christian by a long shot, but taught me to look logically at what I believe and find the reason why I believe it with an honesty I wouldn't allow myself before. -Chesterton "The Man Who was Thursday" both an intruiging story and a neat view of faith. I have also started reading his "Everlasting Man" which contains the theory that man has always been man. -Plato "The Cave" an allegory about what truth is that can be so well applied to Christianity. -Louisa May Alcott all of her books show a sweet love and contain many simple characters who show what 'good' is. -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "But for the grace of God, there goes Sherlock Holmes." so aptly applied to all of us. -C.S. Lewis Narnia stories- Gave me a neat view of God and creation from childhood. "Mere Christianity" was a neat way of logicaly going through the belief in Christ.
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Post by Josh on Feb 7, 2007 21:15:11 GMT -8
Originally posted 2/8/2006
Wow... we should talk books.
As I briefly mentioned before, I love Chesterton.
The Man Who was Thursday is quite a trip, huh? I was SO glued to my seat when I first read it, especially during the first few chapters. The end is kind of outrageous, but wonderful.
I just read "the Everlasting Man" last year, and it was great. I had actually started it much earlier but didn't get into it at first. It's quite a magnum opus. Have you read "Orthodoxy" by Chesterton. It's also one of his best.
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aimee
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Posts: 136
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Post by aimee on Feb 7, 2007 21:16:35 GMT -8
Originally posted 3/15/2006 I really loved 'The Man Who was Thursday' what a neat analogy at the end! I started "The Everlasting Man" and I really loved the beginning, but it was a library book and had to be returned... I really agreed with his premise that man has always been man, same flaws, emotions, loves, ect. sure technology and trains of thought change, but the base stuff is there. On a side note, I have often wondered about paleoglyphs, I've thought wouldn't it be funny if they were made by teenagers, wanting to get away and express themselves by writing on the walls I mean there were teenagers around then too I haven't read "orthodoxy", but I think I will sometime. It sounds interesting.
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Post by Josh on Feb 7, 2007 21:19:15 GMT -8
Originally posted 3/16/2006
I thought Orthodoxy was a little easier to get into, at least at first.
Yeah, on the 'paleoglyphs'- Chesterton shows his unique ability to take facts and point out how they might actually be telling us the opposite of what we might immediately conclude...
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aimee
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Posts: 136
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Post by aimee on Feb 7, 2007 21:21:35 GMT -8
Originally posted 8/31/2006 I have more to add to my list -Alfred, Lord Tennyson 'Idylls of the King' and all those really good King Arthur books. That ancient idea of honor and gallantry,romance... great summer reading. -Short stories of Robert Louis Stevenson 'Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde' is favorite fall reading And of course my life wouldn't be complete without my fluff... -Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series (esp. the first) -'A Purse driven Life' by Anita Renfroe -'The Moonstone' by Wilke Collins -'Phantom of the Opera' by Gaston Leroux -'The tale of Desperaux' by Kate DiCamillo - All of the 'Junie B. Jones' series :-)
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Post by Josh on Feb 7, 2007 21:23:07 GMT -8
Originally posted 8/31/2006
Wow...
You know I haven't read Tennyson (but perhaps I should), but I have Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
I think another good fall/ winter one is Bram Stoker's Dracula. I had always dismissed it until Rose started reading a few years ago. I couldn't put it down! Contrary to modern renditions, the book had a decidedly Christian outlook to it (at least in my opinion). The original Van Helsing is a great picture of a spiritual warrior.
Oh, and as I said elsewhere, my new favorite is Watership Down by Richard Adams.
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aimee
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Posts: 136
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Post by aimee on Feb 7, 2007 21:24:44 GMT -8
Originally posted 9/1/2006 I saw the Bram Stoker's Dracula on Rose's list and thought hmm... I'll have to check that one out ! Van Helsing sounds interesting, I know there is an Anime by that name, but I'll have to look up the origional. Watership Down is interesting, I read it as a child and watched the cartoon and it spooked me actually The whole trapped feel and the militaryish aspect are all I really remember of it, I'll have to try it again sometime and see if my perspective has changed.
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Post by Josh on Feb 7, 2007 21:26:08 GMT -8
Originally posted 9/10/2006
Yep, the cartoon created recurring nightmares for countless children. Yes, the 'trapped feeling'. If you look on IMDB you'll see several people posted about how the movie freaked them out as a child.
The memories of the cartoon intrigued me enough to give the book a try, but you'd be VERY impressed by the book (in comparison to the movie), I think. It's really a quite well-rounded book.
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aimee
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Posts: 136
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Post by aimee on Feb 7, 2007 21:27:57 GMT -8
Originally posted 9/20/2006
I am partway into Dracula now and loving it. It is perfect fall reading! I have to take it in spurts though, or my thinking gets too dark and I get the heebie jeebies. Right now I am at the Storm where Dracula is coming to England.....
P.s. I love the new formatting!
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