Reviews by pastors

Do you have a favorite Christian book or have you just read something worth recommending? Send your 100-word reviews to Laura Johnston,

features editor at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699 or by e-mail at ljohnston@semissourian.com. You can fax your review to her at 334-7288.

Here's a sampling of some books area pastors would recommend:

The Rev. Jay White, pastor, First Baptist Church of Cape Girardeau on "The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion to a More Authentic Contemporary Faith" by Marcus J. Borg.

In this theological book, Marcus Borg challenges us to see God with unsullied eyes. He divides his book into three parts: "Thinking about God," "Imaging God" and "Living with God." He explores new meaning in concepts such as justice, salvation and experiential spirituality.

The author challenges past traditional ideas of God. For Borg, God is beyond the universe, everywhere present in the universe, near at hand, within us and we in him.

He also divides the historical glimpses of Jesus in two parts. The pre-Easter Jesus is the word made flesh, or the spirit of God embodied in human life. There is also the canonical Jesus or post-Easter Jesus, which discloses what Jesus becomes in the experience and life of early Christian communities.

In the end, I was still yearning for concrete answers to his multidimensional God. Nevertheless, I agree with Borg's three central convictions: God is real; the Christian life is about entering into a relationship with God known in Jesus Christ; and that relationship can and will change your life.

Dr. Derek Staples, pastor of Lynwood Baptist Church, Cape Girardeau, says recent books he has read include:

"Twelve Ordinary Men." The book focuses on the disciples of Jesus and how their lives were transformed in ministry. "Thinking Biblically: Recovering a Christian Worldview" is a book that reminds people to look at all of life's issues from a Christian perspective.

Both books are written by John MacArthur.

Among his favorite titles are "Lectures to my students" by Charles H. Spurgeon and "Supremacy of God in Preaching" by John Piper.

Dr. Grant Gillard, First Presbyterian Church in Jackson says "Letters from the Holy Ground" is about spirituality and seeing God where you are. "17 Essential Qualities of Team Players" by John Maxwell is a study the church elders are taking, trying to develop unity.