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After many years of coaxing, pleading, bargaining & outright mockery, my family has finally come to terms with the fact that, when buying me gifts, I am truly happy with just books.  Now they refer to my Amazon Wish List instead.  And so, this Christmas has been another opportunity for me to add to my ever growing reading list.  I thought I would give you the run down:

“Introducing The Missional Church:What It Is, Why It Matters, How to Become One” by Alan Roxburgh & M. Scott Boren

What excites me most about this book is that it is so very accessible without compromising on the quality and depth of the content.  It is also a very good place for people to start when new to the ideas and practices of missional church.  Scot McKnight has been saying a great deal of good things about this book, such as this post, looking at it alongside Guder’s “Missional Church”.  This book is well worth getting your hands on.  In fact, I may buy another copy just to lend out!

“Sidewalks In the Kingdom: New Urbanism & the Christian Faith” by Eric Jacobsen

For anyone familiar with the New Urbanism (and our very real need to for it in cities through Canada & the US), this book is amazing.  Theological, practical and very missional, this book is ideal for urban churches that want to help create, defend and nurture genuine communities.  Little Flowers Community has been exploring this for some time, so I am excited to learn from this exciting book.

“ChurchMorph: How Megatrends Are Reshaping Christian Communities” by Eddie Gibbs

What drew me to this book were the chapter on “Urban Engagement” and “Resurgent Monasticism”, as both speak very strongly to some of the dynamics at Little Flowers Community.  However, the whole book offers some very telling insights into cultural trends the church must be aware of.

“Free For All: Rediscovering the Bible in Community” by Tim Conder & Daniel Rhodes

Because our community is Anabaptist in tradition, we have been very committed to nurturing a community hermeneutic.  This book came highly recommend to me for that purpose.  The brief glance I have had through it so far has me excited about how this will help us move forward more intentionally in this area.

“Justification: God’s Plan & Paul’s Vision” By N. T. Wright

I really do not need to give much explanation for this book.  The title is quite telling and anyone who know Wright know that they will get their money & times worth out of it.  I have to restrain myself on this one, however, as I am almost finished “Surprised By Hope”, another must read for all.

“Making Room: Recovering Hospitality As A Christian Tradition” by Christine Pohl

With every passing day, Little Flowers Community realizes the importance and centrality of hospitality to our presence in our neighbourhood.  While this title is still en route from Amazon, I am eager to dive in.  We have been repeat as something of a mantra the words of St. Benedict: “When the stranger comes, Christ comes”.

“A New Kind Of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming The Faith” by Brian McLaren

Before you wonder how I got my hands on this book before it was release, let me tell you that I didn’t.  In fact, this book will be released early 2010 just in time to arrive for my birthday.  To be honest, I haven’t heard much about it, but I am interested to read it.  It has been a while since I have read any McLaren, so I am cautiously optimistic.

“The St. Francis Prayer Book” by Jon. W. Sweeney

I discovered Jon Sweeney through his excellent book “Cloister Talks: Learning From My Friends The Monks”.  This little volume is a collection of prayers, poems and other excerpts that are designed to nurture your spiritual formation.  While not exclusively Franciscan in content, I was obviously drawn to this book for that focus.

“Little Flowers of Francis of Assisi” (A New Translation)

For those who do not know, this book is the (partial) inspiration for the name of Little Flowers Community.  While I already own a copy of this book, this new translation offers a fresh and more readable approach than the dated copy I own.

“Francis of Assisi: A Revolutionary Life” by Adrian House

I have many biographies of St. Francis of Assisi, so I was hesitant to add another to my list.  However, the forward by Karen Armstrong caught my attention.  So far I am pleased with the fresh and challenging take the author brings to the Little Poor Man.  We’ll see where it goes from here.

“Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace: Living in the Spirit of the Prayer of St. Francis” by Kent Nerburn

My final Franciscan title is a small volume on the prayer of St. Francis (which, while not actually written by Francis, remains very true to Franciscan spirituality) by Kent Nerburn (who I will introduce in the next entry).  Going through the prayer using lectio divina this beautiful prayer blossoms for the reader.  It is a very simply, yet profound little book.

“The Wolf At Twilight: An Indian Elder’s Journey through a Land of Ghosts and Shadows” by Kent Nerburn

I was introduced to Kent Nerburn by my friend Norm Voth, who lent me a copy of “Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads With An Indian Elder”.  It told the true story of time Nerburn spent with a Native elder and all that he learned from him.  However, unlike the cheesy, often exploitive books on First Nations culture, the book is powerfully real and telling.  “The Wolf At Twilight” is the long awaited sequel and I can’t wait to read it.  Again, these books are not for the reader look for a feel-good look at “savage wisdom”, but deeply truthful and frank dialogue between two very different people(s).

“The Strain” by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan

The only work of fiction I got this year, “The Strain” is the first in a trilogy of vampire novels.  While not my usual topic of interest, Guillermo Del Toro’s co-authorship won the day for me.  For those unfamiliar with Del Toro, he captured my imagination with his masterful film “Pan’s Labyrinth”.  So far the novel is enjoyable.

While you are here, check out the books for sale on my book page.  I should be adding more into the New Year.