Book recommendations are tricky. Too many times I have had someone come to me all excited about a book that supposedly set their hair on fire, and I read it and go “Ho. Hum. I wonder if there’s a King of the Hill rerun on…”
So, I’m taking a major step out here. If you decide to read the book I’m going to recommend, and it does nothing for you, please do two things: 1. Check your pulse, and then, 2. Don’t sweat it, because as I said, we’ve all been there…
Only a couple of times in my life has a book kept me awake all night. I picked up a copy of Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel the other day. (BTW, Groeschel’s last book, Chazown, was one of those “you’ve-GOT-to-read this” deals that made me yawn, but back to that night…) I started reading it about 9 o’clock that night, and I finished it and turned off the light at 2:30 the next morning. I would have finished a little sooner, but I was frequently weeping so hard that I couldn’t see the print on the page. I started reading it again mid-morning the next day, but put it aside because I had to finish my sermon for Sunday.
I am still processing it, but I have the strong sense that God is using this book to make some foundational changes in my life and ministry.
Groeschel is pastor of the mega LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma. The book grew out of his realization that he had become a full-time pastor and a part-time Christian, and chronicles his journey to authenticity and wholeness. The table of contents is what grabbed me…
Introduction: I Had Been Living a Lie
Chapter 1: I Can’t Stand a Lot of Christians
Chapter 2: I Have to Work Hard to Stay Sexually Pure
Chapter 3: Most of the Time I Feel Incredibly Lonely
Chapter 4: I Hate Prayer Meetings
Chapter 5: I Worry Almost All the Time
Chapter 6: Sometimes I Doubt God
Chapter 7: I Feel Completely Inadequate
Chapter 8: I Stink at Handling Criticism
Chapter 9: I’m Afraid of Failure
Chapter 10: One Last Confession
So there it is. If you read it and it speaks to your heart, let me know. If it doesn’t, well, we're still brothers and sisters.
1 comment:
Hi, I followed a link from Grace Centered Forums over here. The "Confessions of a Pastor" sounds like a book I need to read, and I'm not even a pastor!
I sometimes post as "mattmom" at GCF. Feel free to drop by my blog if you wish.
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