There and Back Again - Part 2: Cuisine

CUISINE

This will mostly be a foodie report. We ate well in England and France. I will take this opportunity to direct you to the blog of my wife, who has an amazing heart and an amazing gift for celebrating food and nutrition to the glory of the God; to be satisfied in food by being more satisfied in God. What I will do here is share some pictures and mention some highlights. Like I said, we ate well.

This is called a Full English Breakfast. Eggs, sausage, ham, tomato, mushroom, and black pudding. Yes, black pudding. No, not like dark chocolate pudding. Black like blood sausage pudding, presumably with a high proportion of oatmeal. Um, its delicious.

Can I say, anyone that is underwhelmed with English food is crazy. While in Guildford, our friends took us to an authentic English Pub, and we did what you should absolutely do: order Fish & Chips and some type of Meat Pie (I got Steak and Ale - first picture above). Washed it down with some T.E.A. - no, not tea like afternoon tea, tea like Traditional English Ale. It was a perfect dining experience.

At this establishment: tikka misala. It so happens that the only place with better Indian food than India is London. We (Katie especially) have recently fallen in love with Indian food (she prefers Chicken Korma, and she is probably right), so our friends made a reservation for us at a classic Indian Restaurant in Covent Garden called Punjab. Fabulous.

One thing about cuisine is that it is not entirely about the food. You could say it is not primarily about the food, or that it is barely about the food. It is just as much about the experience. And the experience is always enhanced with friends. Above is a picture with our friends, Jake and Katlyn, at an Italian restaurant in Guildford, where they live. They were such gracious hosts. They had made reservations at an Italian restaurant and a Thai one, for us to choose. We had eaten Indian the night before, had already had all the staple English dishes, and it occurred to me: we love Italian (who doesn't), and aren't we closer to Italy than we've ever been (well, Katie has been to Italy, but still)? So we had Italian. It was wonderful.

On to Paris. My family goes to Ft. Lauderdale every year for vacation, and the first year my wife went with me we had a date night at a French restaurant called Le Cafe de Paris. Great food, terrible service - perfect experience. We loved it. It was there that my wife (and myself years earlier) was introduced to escargot, aka, snails with lots of olive oil. So, the first restaurant we went to in Paris we ordered escargot. Best ever. #Snails

My brother Matt, blogging and tweeting as @enthusiastofall (France Dining Recap), highly recommended a meal at the oldest restaurant in Paris, Le Procope, and specifically the Coq Au Vin which comes in a copper cauldron. I'm very glad he did. It was awesome. And the restaurant itself was a classic spot. Nooks and cranies everywhere. Did I mention the cauldron?

Call me generic, but I had to get French Onion Soup while in Paris. Because, as you know, Paris is in France, making food served there Fren...oh, you understand. I am not necessarily a fan of it normally, mostly because I avoid dairy where I can. But on our last night there, at a great little authentic French place on our street, I saw it on the menu and I went for it. It was so good I slurped the remainder of the broth from the bowl when I was finished.

Our second night in Paris was also our 2nd wedding anniversary, and the best dinner we had. Praise God for that! We found a place just beyond the Arc de Triomphe off Champs Elysees, called Le Hide. Japanese chef, but authentic French cuisine. Small like less than 10 tables. Amazing atmosphere, and delightful service. The best dish I had the whole trip was my first course at this place: Duck and Lentils. Oh man. The Lamb Shoulder main course was pretty good too, but oh those lentils.

In summary, the food was really good. French food might be my new favorite. All glory to God who gives us food to enjoy, and desires that we do so while experiencing ultimate satisfaction in Him! How cool to experience this in other cultures.

There and Back Again - Part 1: Culture

I totally stole this title from Bilbo Baggins. But it is perfect. What I want to communicate in these posts is the wonder of travel, and the nature of it, as a very healthy refocus on reality for the purpose of rejuvenation and expanding horizons, as opposed to an escape from reality for the purpose of mindless vegetation or a wild fling completely contrary to a realistic lifestyle. All of this in the context of a trip to London, Guildford, and Paris with my wife to visit friends and celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. I will summarize my thoughts, and our trip, in three categories: culture, cuisine, and churches. But first, some commentary on travel.

Why do we like to travel? What is the purpose? To see new things, have new experiences, relax, take a break from our busy lives, expose ourselves to new cultures and people, eat, drink, and perhaps to spread the gospel. All of these reasons are very good. But why do we look forward to it? Why do we make the planning of it so much more time than the trip itself? Sometimes I worry that the reason we look forward to a big trip so much, and the reason we spend so much effort planning it, is a dangerous reason. I know for me it is a reason that I need to guard against.

Recently, I was convicted by Philippians 4:8, where Paul says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Through this verse John Piper helped me see the importance of never turning my brain off. Never completely escaping from reality. He described it in the context of movies - do the movies we watch allow us to think on what is lovely, pure, and honorable? Or do they allow us to escape from these things? I am encouraged that I can watch a movie, even a movie very far from reality (Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, for example), without completely escaping from reality or ceasing to think on pure, honorable, lovely, excellent things. It just takes some discipline.

In the context of travel, my concern is that the reason we (I) look so forward to travel, plan so much for it, and miss it when we return and immediately look forward to the next trip, can be that we desire an escape from reality. We look forward to it not as a healthy refocus on reality, or enhancement on the definition of reality (expanding our horizons and enlarging our concept of reality), but as an escape from it - an opportunity to "turn our brain off" as we relax, explore, etc. This, I think, is the wrong reason to travel, and a dangerous approach to it. I hope my recap of a wonderful recent trip can gently challenge and also encourage you to look back at past trips this way, and look forward to future trips with this thought in mind.

I believe that heaven in part will be eternal travel - constant exploration, constant relaxation, completely free from sin. If that is true, than the purpose of travel would have to be growth in likeness to Christ and depth of worship, all by continuing to experience more and more of a greater reality (Jesus), as opposed to escaping from reality in any sense. Should we not consider the same purpose for travel now? What would that look like?

CULTURE

My wife and I are very similar in that we do not necessarily need an agenda when we travel. We like to experience culture, watch and interact with people, take it all in - instead of necessarily doing specific things or activities. In fact, one of the things I love most about my wife is her spontaneity. It brings out a side of myself that was mostly untapped before we met, and together as a couple our unplanned adventures and experiences are also our most precious memories. Traveling is a perfect time to prepare the space to let this type of spontaneity flourish. But there are extremes to avoid. It can be a time to squash it altogether if you have too strict of a schedule. On the other hand, no schedule at all can create the situation where spontaneity runs amok and you never end up doing or seeing anything. So you have to be careful, but we seem to balance this very well.

So going into this trip to London, Guildford, and Paris, we did some planning, but really hoped to take in the culture however we could - eating, drinking, shopping, people watching, walking, etc. I think we definitely succeeded, and both of us now miss both the culture of England and the culture of Paris, and wish we could recreate those different cultures back in our suburban American home of Fishers, Indiana. Alas, that is but a dream. But I think our brief immersion in both cultures expanded our horizons in a way that going forward will help us communicate with people better, enjoy simple pleasures better, appreciate history more, and see the world both much smaller and also much bigger than we did before. All of this I think is a healthy result of our travels.

One of our highlights in London was stopping in a classic English Pub, called The Red Lion, in the middle of a great walk through Green Park and St. James Park, and after a visit to Westminster Abbey. I should take this opportunity to thank Andrew Wilson, not only for joining Katie and I at The Wolseley for a great meal and conversation, but also for the counsel on a manageable and beautiful walk through London.

After the Abbey, the timing was perfect for an ale. We had English ales in an establishment that had existed in the form of a tavern at the same site since the 15th century, and had hosted the likes of Charles Dickens and Sir Winston Churchill in more recent years. You can't experience something like that in Indiana, or anywhere in the United States for that matter. And while the beer was awesome, the overall experience of going from Westminster Abbey seeing the burial place of Kings and Queens from the last several centuries (and also poets and authors including Charles Dickens as it happens), to a classic and historic pub that had existed for hundreds of years, was incredible. The combination of walking through beautiful parks, seeing historic sites, and then having an ale in a historic pub, brings you into the culture of London way more than any one of those three things by itself could. And so just on our first afternoon we felt fully part of English culture, and we loved it. Here is another picture of a historic pub that we didn't go in, but I love the picture because it captures the culture of the pub so well: on the corner, people outside, conversation, etc.

Americans should not be surprised that culture in other places is largely defined by food and drink. This is not a new concept. And when you think England, you shouldn't only think pubs and ale, you should also think tea.

Tea in England is not just tea, if you didn't know. Especially afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is tea, sandwiches, biscuits, chocolates, and more. And it is an experience. We stayed and experienced afternoon tea with our friends who live in Guildford for more than two hours. I would now say that you would be hard pressed to say you have experienced or even seen English culture if you have not had afternoon tea. I wonder, how much better can we identify with English people, how much deeper do we understand their backgrounds, their interests, their comfort zones, now that we have experienced something so natural in their culture? 

Culture in Paris is no where more centralized than in the cafe, in my opinion. And the cafe is most identified with coffee, wine, croissants, and charcuterie, with views of amazing sites, interesting streets, and moving people. That is what I think of at least. You might be thinking, wait, is he going to focus on cuisine in a different category? The answer is yes. Food is a huge part of culture, but it also deserves its own category.

We had some great experiences in cafes. If we go back, I hope for many more, and could even see myself spending more than half my time in cafes. One example: my wife generously treated an aspiring artist to a hot chocolate as she was sketching the St. Germain des Pres (the oldest church in Paris) outside in the cold and rain. Her thankfulness was worth the trip to Paris. Sidenote: do you ever think like that? Do you ever think in the context of eternity so extremely, and reason with the thought that blessing one person in even a small way is worth an entire trip to the other side of the world? I usually only think that way in hindsight, but still it is helpful for me in being attentive to those opportunities in the future. In this case, I am so thankful for my amazing wife who was attentive to this type of opportunity in the moment.

As anyone who knows me or knows this blog would predict, the culture of books, writing, and literature in Paris was one of my favorite parts. One of the most famous bookstores in the world, Shakespeare and Company, did not disappoint. There even was a pianist upstairs as we browsed the collection of books that Ernest Hemingway himself was among at one time. I think that the "pianist" was actually just a regular guy showing off for the store manager, but still, the experience was memorable. I love thinking that so much culture was captured, and in some cases even created, in this bookstore. I can assure you I did not turn off my brain during this experience.

At another bookstore not pictured, I encountered an elderly French man who seemed to have worked at this bookstore for 100 years. I'm not kidding. I was actually standing bewildered outside his door trying to figure out if he was open, when he noticed me, and went to great effort to come to the door (he was old, and there were a lot of books in his store - like, he could have tripped on them). When he opened the door, the first thing I said was, Parlez vous anglais? He looked confused and angry. And, he may have been deaf. So, he extended his ear to me, I repeated, his confusion increased. Eventually, he proceeded back to his desk in the back of the store, while he mumbled in French, and I guess I took that to mean I could look around. He managed some English at this point and said if he could help to let him know. I wish I spent more time at this store and with this man.

I asked if he had a Bible in French. Huh? Ear in my face, repeat, huh? Maybe he was just acting like he was deaf? Anyway, after falling over some unorganized stacks of dusty books (not literally, but almost), and dropping several books as he made his way around the store mumbling in French, he came back to me with a Bible I think he said was Italian. It was enormous, and probably 200 years old. I don't know why I didn't ask. Maybe I was scared of him. I looked around a little more, and he came back up to me after a couple minutes and apologized for being unprepared for my "visit' (not his words, exactly), but you see, he was closed. It would have been appropriate for him to call me an idiot. I probably broke a dozen rules of common courtesy. Heck, maybe he could make an argument that I forced my way in? In the end, he was very nice to me. I wonder how his store is doing? I wonder if he has read that Italian Bible? Or a French one maybe he had in the back but had forgotten about in the mess? I wonder if he has family? I wonder what his story is? I wish I spoke French in moments like these. 

Art is something that both Katie and I are not naturally drawn to. But, when I think of culture, even specifically when I think of the influence of culture, or the creating of culture, especially as it applies to Christians in culture, I think of artistic expression. And so when in Paris, you go to the Louvre. Its just what you do. You would be crazy not to. We went with a very general objective, with room to deviate, and actually it worked out great. We spent two hours very productively and I would recommend our exact approach with enthusiasm. Our general objective was to go straight to the Mona Lisa, and allow ourselves freedom to linger at whatever caught our eye on the way to it and on the way back.

Well, it just so happens that the Mona Lisa is small and way overrated. And crowded. But around the Mona Lisa, in the same wing of the museum as the Mona Lisa, and in the adjacent rooms, are some of the most amazing, intricate, and alive paintings I have ever seen. I say alive because you can just stare at them for several minutes and the amount of detail you see is fascinating, and you start to feel inside the painting. The size of the paintings I am speaking of also creates this experience of awe. The highlights for us were the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Raft of the Medusa, and the Coronation of Napoleon. The one I pictured above I actually don't recall the name, but I included it because Katie and I lingered around it and discussed it for awhile. Is that what the cherubim look like? What is the deal with the man / horse? Why are they trying to get out of the forest? Is something driving them out? Fascinating. Culture at its finest.

The second hour we spent in another wing of the museum looking at Greek sculptures and Egyptian artifacts. The draw to all this to me was the age; sculptures from 120 B.C., Egyptian relics and statues from 1300 B.C. Think about that. Most famous of what we saw, and well worth the hype, was the Venus de Milo and the Ramses II. You have to go to the Louvre when in Paris. I recommend heading straight towards the Mona Lisa, taking a brief look to say you did, and spending a great deal of time at the wall-sized paintings in the rooms surrounding. Then head to the Ancient Greek Sculptures and Egyptian rooms and think about the concept of eternity, where beautiful artistic expression like this will be created and admired forever in an environment where time is not even a category. If you have more than two hours you are willing to spend, you are more cultured than I and probably should be the one writing this post. Two hours for us was perfect.

After experiencing art in this way, I feel more imaginative, more aware of the imagination of others, more conversant about history and other cultures, and more in awe of the God-given creativity of man created in the image of God, and therefore more able to praise that God, who through Jesus Christ I know personally as my Lord and Savior. What a great result of travel!

Returning home, we have officially left these cultures, and we are back to our own. We can make afternoon tea and biscuits (which we have), we can visit art museums in our city (which we have), we can dine at French restaurants (which we have), but the culture is different. What did we leave with these cultures? What did they leave with us? Were any differences bridged? Was the love of Christ communicated through us? Were we changed as a result of our trip? I am thankful that the boldness and generosity of my wife gave some specific and practical answers to these very good questions. Below is the aspiring artist I mentioned before, with her hot chocolate.

John Piper is Coming to My Church

Several years ago, say 2005, this may have been too much for me to handle. You could say I would have been excited. You could even say I would have been sinful in my excitement. That is, I would have been more excited by the presence of John Piper than the presence of Jesus through John Piper. As I have said before, I was in the middle of spiritual puberty. It was an awkward time. And my exposure to the teaching of John Piper at that time was significant.

Now, I can look back to those days with a small measure of maturity, and feel a great sense of gratitude to my Lord and Savior for the ministry and the person John Piper. I can look ahead with great humility and thankfulness that God would put me in a local church body, and grant that church body to be a place where he would use John Piper to speak his word with boldness and equip and encourage us to more passionately follow Jesus. God is very, very, very good.

Sometime in 2007, a little bit after those awkward times I mentioned, I remember that some people would smirk when I quoted John Piper in a small group or Bible study, and they would give me this look and seem to say, “Why does he always quote John Piper? Why is he always reading and listening to John Piper? Does he worship John Piper?”

To which I now respond: What if you went through your whole life, and upon standing face to face with King Jesus, the Creator and the Judge of the universe, you realized that no one had ever told you just how important this moment was, and just how much you would regret, even if having been saved by the skin of your teeth into eternal life, not living your life passionately for the glory of God, and instead for temporary, fleeting pleasures? Imagine if no one boldly and authoritatively had told you that illusions such as retirement, and money, and toys, and leisure, were all unbiblical and potentially devastating if not used for the glory of Jesus Christ. Imagine if you sought after all these things, not only because of evil desires to pursue your own pleasure, but also because no one had ever told you that you should ever consider fervently seeking after anything else.

Then imagine if someone came along and passionately pleaded with you, in a manner and style totally shocking to you, and with a boldness and authority totally convincing to you, that you should not waste your life but instead give it up for Christ and His Kingdom, and whatever that means for you; whether early death, or suffering, or the lack of luxurious years of retirement or a comfortable life; whatever that means for you, it will be better and more fulfilling and more satisfying and more eternal than standing on that day in front of King Jesus with regret. Wouldn't you pay attention to someone who talked like that? 

I would, and I have in John Piper.

John Piper himself is but a vessel. He is like a vapor, same as you and me, who will be gone before too long. But I thank God for him, because he has shown me a picture of Jesus and a passion for Jesus, and has given me such a desire to live for Jesus that without his example, perhaps I never would have seen such a picture, or never have had such a desire. And that would have been unfortunate for me on that day when I am to give an account to my Lord and Savior, not to mention for the people that could, perhaps, be influenced the same way now through me.

Quicksand of Conscience

"O Father in heaven, thou who probest the souls of men, open a little ray of light for me into the bottomless darkness of the human heart, in order that I may penetrate for an instant into its mysteries; send one swift beam for me into the depths, in order that I may see, as in a flash of lightning, the forces that wage war for the possession of a man's soul. For who can pierce, who can weigh, who can even grasp the dark things which lie, involved like demons in an abyss, in the coils of the mind of man? What were the powers which worked in the young man of Tarshish that he might carry out the work of the Evil One?"

These words, written by Sholem Asch, are in reference to Saul of Tarshish (Tarsus), who later became the Apostle Paul and author of most of the New Testament. Asch was a Jewish scholar / historian who wrote a fictional trilogy made up of the novels The Nazarene, The Apostle, and Mary. In The Apostle, Asch draws on his extensive knowledge of Jewish culture and rituals, and puts the character of Saul right in the middle of the early church and the rise of the "sect" of those who followed the "false Messiah". Interestingly, Asch portrays the conversion of Saul in dramatic fashion, and goes on to highlight the truth of Jesus, "Yeshua of Nazareth", as the true Messiah. In doing this, he offended Jewish sensibilities and led New York's leading Yiddish newspaper to drop him as a writer.

This Apostle that Asch portrayed so vividly, the man who arguably contributed more to the spread of Christianity, save Jesus Christ himself, than anyone else who has ever lived, is for us the most profound example of the wickedness of the human heart. How fitting, and amazing, that this same man would go on to write the words of Romans 1, stopping the mouths of all people who would attempt to justify their suppression of truth and resulting depravity, in front of a holy God. Paul knew this to be the true condition of the human heart, because it was the condition of his heart.

"Saul was shamed in all his depths by the action of this simple man, who had so disarmed him he had been unable to answer and had been driven to rage and bitterness. But who was this whom he had called 'the lord'? Who had he been who was able to implant such love in the hearts of the simple that they were ready to be thrust out of Israel for his sake? Who was the man who had spread such teaching among the broken of spirit that they could stand before the learned and disarm them with the sword of their faith? Who was he who had sent such a light into the dark pits of the poor? Who had given the strength of rocks to the shattered? Who was he whose fall had been interpreted as the supreme victory, whose weakness was seen as unconquerable strength, whose humiliation had been crowned with the glory of the Messiah? Who was he? Who?"

Asch imagines the agony and internal battle within Saul's soul in the days before his experience on the road to Damascus. He portrays Saul as deeply conflicted, replaying in his mind the love and the courage and the grace in the faces of those whom he had personally persecuted. But each time his confusion and pain lead him deeper into the abyss and sharpen his resolve to prove that this Yeshua is not the long-awaited Messiah but a demon. I wonder if this portrayal is accurate to the feelings of Paul before he was confronted with the risen Lord? I imagine it is. I imagine this internal battle, and the reaction of further suppression once light begins to be revealed, is remarkably close to the testimony of all people. We know God, we see him, and we suppress this truth. Then, he reveals himself more to us, through someone or something, and we see him more clearly, but still not to our liking, we suppress deeper. And deeper.

Is this not similar to the attitude of all those outside Christ, as the Spirit begins to move in their heart to shine the light of the glory of the grace of God in the face of Jesus Christ? Until he actually does shine this light, once and for all, revealing himself ultimately in all his glory, we are in the equivalent of a quicksand of conscience. Sinking into an ongoing suppression and destruction, only to be rescued by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do we look at people around us in this way? Do we pray that the Spirit would move in their heart and convict them of sin, and then reveal Himself to them in so dramatic a way that they would see Jesus and believe? Do we see people, not as enjoying the pleasures of life, but as sinking into quicksand? And do we realize that they do not have the strength, or the wits, to help rescue themselves from this condition? Do we truly know that we don't either? Do we see people around us, not as simply drowning in the water waiting for a lifeline, but dead at the bottom of the ocean, needing new life? This is how it happens, and once Jesus reveals himself, his grace is irresistible. O, how we should pray that he would do this in those close to us! Listen to Asch's description of the experience on the Damascus road:

"At the edge of the road lies Saul, as though a mighty hand had flung him down. About him stand his companions, paralyzed with amazement. His face is turned up to the open sky, his eyes are open, foam breaks out on his lips. His companions hear Saul's voice. He is speaking with someone. They catch a few words. They know he is seeing a vision. They are terrified by the dread occasion of which they are the witnesses.

"Before Saul's face stands a man. A man who is spirit and flesh and blood. He is taller than any man Saul has ever seen. Yet he is not a giant; he is an ordinary man; a Rabbi, in prayer-shawl and phylacteries; with great eyes, mournful yet radiant, filled with faith and love, eyes such as Saul has often seen among the disciples. His beard and earlocks are black, interwoven with gray. A man, not an angel; clothed in white, as for the Sabbath. Even in his present condition Saul's thoughts are clear enough for him to recall that God created man in His own image. Therefore he who stands before him in the likeness of a man may be a spirit of the Lord. But he stretches out his hands to Saul, and the sorrow on his face is a human sorrow. His eyes are filled with tears, in the midst of which swim the brown pupils. His lips are distorted in pain, as though all the anguish in the world had passed into him. He stretches out his hands to Saul, and the unhappy voice is that of a simple man who suffers, even as Saul has seen so many suffer:

"'Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?'

"In the voice Saul hears the silent protest of all those whom he has tormented; in the face of the man, in the expression of pain on the thin lips, he sees all the pain of all those who he has caused to suffer.

"The men standing about Saul hear him ask: 'Who art thou, lord?' Saul hears the reply: 'I am Yeshua of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.'"

As we know from Scripture, Saul next asks what he should do, and the Lord begins to show him. It is from this man whom we have the Book of Romans. It is the Spirit of this Lord, "spirit and flesh and blood", "mournful yet radiant", who speaks to us still today through His word. And it is this question, with which every person is confronted as they sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand of their conscience: "Why dost thou persecute me?" Why do we suppress the truth? The truth that is plain to us, because God has shown it to us? For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, from what has been made. So we are without excuse. For although we know God, who do not honor him as God or give thanks to him, and our thinking has become futile and our foolish hearts are darkened. Claiming to be wise, we have become fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, and birds and animals, and crawling things. Yes, this we have done. All of us. And Jesus asks us with "lips distorted in pain, as though all the anguish of the world had passed into him" - why do you persecute me? Why do you exchange my eternal glory for temporal idols?

The only coherent response to this question, given our condition, so vividly described in Romans 1, is: what must I do, Lord? We have no reasons to offer as to why we have done this. We have no rebuttal. Our mouth is stopped. Except to say, if we would, "what must I do?"

A Year in Books

I like to read. There, I said it. Last year, my wife and I each put together a reading list, to focus our love of reading into the most helpful and efficient plan as possible. It was not a contest, but I don't mind admitting that my wife listed 10 books to read in 2013, and she read 12. I listed 20 books to read in 2013, and I read 9. Both of us changed our lists through the year so that some of the ones we read were not on the original list. But however you look at, my wife is either better at goal setting or goal accomplishing than me (or both!). So now, in 2014, I should apply the lesson learned: set a realistic and achievable goal. Should. But won't. I am a glutton for punishment. I have more books on my to-read list this year. The difference this year is that I know I won't read them all, and I know the list will change again. And I tried to list by topics of what I want to be reading about. My hope is that these topics stay mostly consistent every year going forward. For example, I always want to read a book about suffering every year. That doesn't sound exciting, but I think its important. Also, I want to read a book by Tim Keller every year - I think he will write enough for this to be possible in my lifetime. But more on all that later. First, a brief summary of the 9 excellent books I read in 2013.

1. Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books - Tony Reinke

This is a good one to start with, even though it wasn't the first I read in 2013. My wife gave me this book for my birthday (in January), and I started reading it right away. It is a great, quick read and very helpful. Among other things, it encouraged me about the possibility, and importance, of reading multiple books at one time. Divided by type of book, and environment where you read (morning in the family room, in bed at night, at lunch in the office) this is a great way to be reading a lot and without overwhelming yourself. Also, Reinke encouraged what was already a growing desire with both my wife and I: read more fiction. Fiction is what got me in to reading as a kid, and I now am fully convinced that it will keep me in to reading as an adult. My list this year reflects my desire to read a good dose of fiction.

2. Redemption: Freed by Jesus from the Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry - Mike Wilkerson

I actually started this book in 2012. But it counts for 2013! We went through the book of Exodus at my church, and this book is a story-oriented book about real people and real sin and suffering, paralleled with the real stories of Exodus. It was a eye-opening account of the two things that everyone in the world faces - sin and suffering -  and an amazing description of the grace of God in redeeming us from both of these things, just as he did with the Israelites at the time of the Exodus, and just like he always does through the blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

3. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God - J.I. Packer

This book was amazing. I wish I could quote the whole thing here. Read it! I have had this book on my radar for a while, but this year my wife and I had the privilege of serving on an Evangelism Team at our church, focusing on ways to infuse evangelism into the culture of every ministry, and into the life and practice of every member. God did amazing things through this effort. And this book gave me great perspective and conviction on God's desire and plan to reach the world through the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel through his believers. Not without us! This book is definitely in my "read again" category. Two important reminders that I need from Packer: "It is a tragic and ugly thing when Christians lack desire, and are actually reluctant, to share the precious knowledge that they have with others whose need of it is just as great as their own." And also, "We all can and should be praying for the salvation of unconverted people, particularly in our families, and among our friends and everyday associates."

4. Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership - Alexander Strauch

Wow, this was a full year. I also had the amazing and humbling privilege of participating in a Shepherd Development program at my church, learning and being exposed to the leadership of a healthy church. And let me tell you: by the grace of God, College Park Church is exceedingly healthy. Among other things, this experience gave me a firm conviction to aspire for the office of an elder, which as Paul says to Timothy, is a noble task, until God would see it fit for that aspiring to become reality. I pray that such timing would be very clear to me and my church. This book, which we were required to read for the program, was long and a difficult read, but was extremely beneficial and enlightening. God really does desire that his church, dispersed in local bodies of believers, be spiritually led by elders, whose qualifications and clearly specified, and the dynamic of how this should work for the benefit of the body is explained in Scripture. It is a very encouraging thing to realize, and very humbly that my wife and I, and God-willing future children, sit under the leadership of such a biblical and helpful structure of leadership and shepherding.

5. Paul: A Novel - Walter Wangerin, Jr.

This was the most enjoyable book I read this year. I picked this up at Half Price Books several years ago, and back then expected it to just be decor on my book shelf. But then I was encouraged to read fiction, so I put it on my 2013 reading list, and picked it up mid-year sometime. It was long, but I didn't want it to end. Even though it was a fictional account, I was blown away by the fact that many of the stories that Wangerin used to build events and characters around, were based on actual stories either in the Book of Acts or implied in Paul's epistles. I always had a Bible close by as I breezed through the chapters of this book, and it gave me a very wide perspective on and interest in the character and experiences of the Apostle Paul. So much so that I have a book about Paul on my list this year as well.

6. Uprooting Anger: Biblical Help for a Common Problem - Robert D. Jones

Each year at College Park we have a spotlight event focusing on community life, where the entire church goes through the same topic in small groups. This year the topic was anger, and this book was a great supplement to the studies and conversations we had. Who knew that we all had such an anger problem? I didn't think I was mad, but I was, and I am. What is easily dismissed as frustration or annoyance is really at the root an angry heart that expects something or wants something that usually comes from selfish motives rather than legitimate needs. There is a difference between righteous anger and sinful anger, but at the end of the day, only God really has righteous anger (anger against injustice), and all our anger is more or less sinful. The gospel gives us hope that we can be forgiven of this, and even in our anger, by the power of God we can avoid being sinful.

7. Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Plan for the World - Tim Keller

This was the best book I read in 2013. Paul was the most enjoyable, but this was the best. And I knew it would be. It covers one of my favorite topics, which on Twitter I identify with #WorkMatterstoGod. As soon as I can, I will post my thesis on this topic, and the heartbeat of how I connect my profession with my calling. This book, as Keller is so brilliant at doing, takes several books and resources on this topic and quickly summarizes them, and then connects them and adds to them in the most helpful way possible. Keller talks about God's plan for our work, our problems with work, and then explains the gospel and work. As I said, more to come. but this book is arguably in the top ten most important books for me because of the relevance for my life.

8. The Evangelization of the World in This Generation - John R. Mott

I love rare and used books. Usually, I buy them for a collectors item only, and in many cases they are not in good enough shape to read, if I care anything about keeping them in decent condition (which I do). But the time seemed right this October, during the REACH spotlight event at College Park on global missions, to dive into this book I had on the shelf and expose myself to some early 20th Century perspective on missions. It didn't let me down. The title alone is telling and convicting. The evangelization, or the proclaiming of the gospel to everyone in the world, in this generation; well, this book was written at least a generation ago, depending on your definition of generation. And the world is still not completely evangelized. But if you need convincing that it should be, and it is God's desire and command that it will be, read this book. Even in its repetition it successfully brings home the point that the whole world is included in the call. And, particularly interesting is the connection to Jesus' words in Scripture that it is after this happens, namely, "this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the whole world as a testimony to all nations", that the end will come. The end will not come until this happens, and this should happen in this generation, according to Mott and many others. Does that mean that the end will come in this generation? Whoa.

9. Jonathan Edwards Resolutions and Advice to Young Converts

My wife got this little book for me for Christmas, and I snuck it in this year because it is very short. But I want to carry it in to the new year re-reading and reflecting on often, because it offers more powerful resolutions than anything I have even imagined. Let me just give you a few examples: "Resolved, never to do anything that I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life. Resolved, to act, in all respects, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and to let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom and of hell." A bit more powerful than working out more or keeping my inbox clear, huh?

2014

So that brings us to this year. As I said, I tried to make this list based on topics that I always want to be reading about. It would seem to make sense to have only book for each category. But sometimes I don't make very much sense. Also, the topics or categories are not all inclusive, and could themselves change within the year. For example, two of the categories are "Tim Keller" and "C.S. Lewis", because I want to read a book by each of them every year. I could also make John Piper as a unique category, but in the case of this year I have a Piper book in another category. Additionally, some of the categories overlap. So, whether it is apparent or not, I have a method to my madness. Without further adieu, here is my 2014 reading list, by category. It is bold, unrealistic, and evolving. Wish me luck!

DISCIPLESHIP

1. Gospel-Centered Teaching - Trevin Wax

I hope this to be a real practical help for small group leadership.

2. Gospel-Centered Discipleship - Jonathan K. Dodson

I hope this to complement well the initiatives and focus at our church on real life-on-life discipleship for the purpose of multiplication.

3. Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands - Paul David Tripp

I was given this book upon becoming a small group leader at College Park. Both for myself, and others in my life, I trust this will be a valuable resource to counsel and shepherd others biblically.

4. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction - Eugene Peterson

The emphasis on perseverance is what is intriguing to me about this book. And it comes highly recommended by a pastor at my church.








FICTION

5. The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien

I have started this many times, most recently in 2013, but this year I am committed to reading it all the way through. The new release of the Hobbit trilogy has reawakened my interest in Middle Earth. This book is an escape like no other.

6. The Apostle - Sholem Asch

Found this at an old book store. I'm hoping it will continue my interest in the Apostle Paul, and complement well my study in Romans this year.

7. Otherworld - Jared Wilson

I enjoy very much the wisdom and humor of Jared Wilson, and this book, his first novel, should be interesting and I'm glad to have it on my list.

8. Same Kind of Different As Me - Ron Hall & Denver Moore

This book comes highly recommended by my brother and sister-in-law. I had it on my list last year, but this year is the year for it!

9. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

My wife and I are taking a trip in March to two cities: London and Paris. Duh, I gotta read this book before we go.








SCRIPTURE

10. Inerrancy and Worldview - Vern Poythress

One of my favorite theological topics is the doctrine of Scripture. I have written about before the fact that I find so much of contemporary confusion or resistance to Christianity to come back to the lack of appreciation for the nature and power of God's word. This book has been on my radar for awhile. I expect it to be a doozy and a bear to read, but worth the effort.





ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

11. Death by Living - N.D. Wilson

I wrote a blog post on a topic similar to what I think this book is trying to say, before I knew about the book. Now I am really excited to read the book, and get a yearly dose of eternal perspective, which I know I need all the time. Every hour.







BIOGRAPHY

12. William Tyndale: A Biography - David Daniell

Found this at Half Price on sale (so like quarter price), and in light of our church's Christmas offering to assist in the translation of the Bible to the unreached, I thought this would be a good fit for my biography this year.







HISTORY

13. Sultana - Alan Huffman 

Spoiler alert: I want to write a book. Among the topics I want to include, is the miraculous story of my great-great grandfather, who survived the most fatal marine disaster in history (worse than the Titanic), and became a Christian after this experience.

14. Andersonville - MacKinlay Kantor

Before the Sultana explosion, my grandfather had to survive the prison camp Andersonville. This is a fictional account of that experience, but one I expect will widen my perspective of the event in history.







PRODUCTIVITY

15. Your Brain at Work - David Rock

The overcoming distraction part I am especially intrigued by as it applies to my time and productivity at work.

16. Crazy Busy - Kevin DeYoung

I am NOT too busy to read this book.









WORK MATTERS TO GOD

17. Work Matters - Tom Nelson

This is my favorite topic, the title is the same as the topic, and I went to a workshop led by Tom Nelson last year at Gospel Coalition. Natural 2014 read for me.








CHURCH

18. Don't Call it a Comeback - Kevin DeYoung

I forget that every book I've read by DeYoung is great. So I needed to read more of him, and this one I have wanted to read since it came out. It fits well into the church category.







POLITICS

19. City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era - Michael Gerson & Peter Wehner 

It is an election year, so it is good to have a biblical perspective in preparation for that.







MISSIONS

20. From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya - Ruth A. Tucker

I started this one in October 2013, and I'm about 150 pages in. Looking forward to completing it this year to keep a focus on global missions.








FAMILY

21. Being a Dad Who Leads - John MacArthur

By the grace of God, I will be a dad soon. As a reader, some of the best mental preparation I can do is read about it!








SUFFERING

22. When the Darkness Will Not Lift - John Piper

As unfortunate as it is, preparing for suffering is one of the most important things we can do as Christians. This book looks like a great resource in that regard, and covers my Piper book, and is a short read.







THE GOSPEL

23. The Gospel for Real Life - Jerry Bridges

In April, David Platt is focusing his Secret Church event on the Cross and Everyday Life. What a great topic! So, I want to expand upon the daily gospel application that I will focus on this year by reading this book.







TIM KELLER

24. The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness - Tim Keller

I got this one for free on Kindle. It is Keller, its about humility, and its short. Must read for me in 2014.








C.S. LEWIS

25. The Pilgrim's Regress - C.S. Lewis

Gotta get my Lewis fix. This one should do that and more!