Here are the 8 books I read in November. This brings my 2023 total to 95 books. Happy reading!

(I must always clarify that I read many books with which I disagree. I learn the most by reading things that do not represent my position.)

The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host by David Gibson

I’ve read a great number of books on Psalm 23. This slim volume now sits high on the recommendation list. Gibson has a firm grip on the passage along with works of scholarship on the subject. This depth of understanding is evident but never overrides the writing. It is beautiful. It is helpful.

Kiss the Wave: Embracing God in Your Trials by Dave Furman

Furman serves as the senior pastor of Redeemer Church of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The church currently has more than 60 different nationalities gathering weekly from all around the world and the church has grown at a rapid rate. He has led this church while having a nerve disorder in both of his arms that renders them nearly disabled. This book provides Furman’s reflection on faith and suffering. The title plays off a quote often attributed to Charles Spurgeon, “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.”

Undone: A Modern Rendering of John Donne’s Devotions by Philip Yancey

This was a lovely gift from a church member. I loved the thought. I also loved the book. I had never read Donne’s Devotions, merely excerpts of the more famous parts. I’m sure you know the famous parts as well. The bell tolls for thee. Devotions is John Donne’s thoughts as he suffered from an unknown illness which he thought would lead to his death. Yancey has done modern readers a great service by rendering Donne’s thought in modern English.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book. But because I’m a completists, I’m also now reading John Donne’s original work.

Well-Intentioned Dragons: Ministering to Problem People in the Church by Marshall Shelley

Church members – don’t get offended that I read this book! I found this volume for $3 in a used bookstore. It is a classic text on the subject and I had never read it. It was $3 and an afternoon well spent. I was surprised not only by the content but the literary skill displayed by Shelley. It is a delightful book on a non-delightful subject. Those struggling with problem people in church would benefit greatly by this one.

The Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living: Selected Poems by Leslie Anne Bustard

I’ve been a fan of Bustard’s work and was well aware of her battle with cancer. Yet, I was unaware that she died earlier in the year. I learned of the news by picking up “Every Moment Holy: Volume III” to find it dedicated to her memory. My jaw dropped and I was filled with grief. I don’t know why it bothered me to such a degree. But it did. It made me sad. Very sad.

It also made me pick up this volume of poems that Bustard penned in the early days of her cancer treatment. Some don’t like poems. Some do. Here’s a collection of good ones.

The Good Shepherd: A Thousand-Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament by Kenneth Bailey

Bailey is a world-class scholar. I’ve read a number of his books and I always walk away impressed. I read this book because it was referenced many times in the Gibson volume on Psalm 23 mentioned above. If you’re looking for literary skill and polish – stick with the Gibson volume. If you interested in the nitty gritty details of Psalm 23 – Bailey is the place to start.

The Last Things: Resurrection, Judgment, Glory by Donal Bloesch

I enjoyed this one on a few particular topics and also disagreed adamantly with large portions. My disagreements are so strong that I cannot recommend this volume at all. I believe Bloesch errs greatly in his interpretation of specific aspects of the interim state. He says, “Salvation is fixed at death for those who are in Christ, but the condemnation of those who have never known about Christ is not yet decided at death. They are not necessarily eternally condemned, but they are not yet saved. I am teaching not a doctrine of a second chance but the universality of opportunity for salvation. In this context it is best not to speak of chance but of universal Providence.” I also disagree with Bloesch’s entire chapter on the communion of the saints.

Lights a Lovely Mile: Collected Sermons of the Church Year by Eugene Peterson

My admiration for the work of Peterson has been documented in many places. To include right: here. The number of Peterson volumes I’ve read has only increased since the total mentioned in the provided link. This is due in part to new volumes releasing even after Peterson’s death – to include this work.  Lights A Lovely Mile is a collection of Peterson sermons sectioned into portions of the church calendar. You get sermons for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time.

Each sermon is lovely. Each sermon is classic Peterson. Enjoy.