The DNA of relationships - review

The DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley describes our life as a bunch of relationships.

The book is as follows:
* Part one describes the nature of relationships and how you can 'dance' destructively.
* Part two describes the five new relationship dance steps: take personal responsibility, create a safe environment, keep your battery charged, listen with the heart, and adopt a no-losers policy.
* Part three gives some concluding and encouraging thoughts.

The book has a bunch of wonderful material, like the discussion on fear. It is also very easy to read; it even has one page chapter summaries (essentially the chapter minus the stories). This book is easily referenced if you needed to pick it back up. There is a website devoted to propagating these dance principles.

With some of the vigor that this book was recommended, I am surprised I wasn't as taken by it. The were a few quirky things that didn't settle as well. Plus, I felt a bit betrayed when I learned that the chapter summaries are an acceptable substitute for the majority of the chapters. But for many it has been very helpful. Waste of money? Not by a long shot. But I probably won't have our church go through the DVD series without a serious reread.

Christ & Culture Revisited - review

Christ & Culture Revisited by D.A. Carson looks at the relationship between Christians and the culture they live in.

The book starts out with by looking at Richard Niebuhr's five-fold analysis of Christ and culture. After working through Niebuhr and giving some direction on some preliminary issues (definitions, framing the discussion, etc), Carson then begins to start looking at a positive way forward. This involves a robust critique of what we call 'good' in politics.

I always enjoy Carson's insight and this book is no exception. He does an excellent job at highlighting prominent contemporary thinking on Christ and culture. His critiques and concluding reflections are especially helpful. Highly recommended.

Bits of Brainerd

Thursday, November 22 (excerpt). Formerly, when I was thus exposed to cold, rain, etc. I was ready to please myself with the thoughts of enjoying a comfortable house, a warm fire, and other outward comforts; but now these have less place in my heart (through the grace of God), and my eye is more to God for comfort. In this world I expect tribulation; and it does not now, as formerly, appear strange to me.

Missing In America - review

Missing in America by Tom Clegg and Warren Bird highlights the need for evangelism in America and gives some practical insights on how to move in that direction.

The chapters lay out as follows:
1. Centering - what it means for Christians to be Christ's followers.
2. Overhearing - if you could get inside people's souls, you'll find God already at work.
3. Translating - indispensable attitudes that will help your friends experience the gospel.
4. Connecting - when people are ready, God can use you to help them cross the line of faith.
5. Traveling - taking the first steps with your friends prepares them for a journey of a lifetime.

The data and the stories in this book are very persuasive in showing that there is a need for evangelism in America. While the chapters are laid out in a logical fashion, I felt within the chapters themselves there was a bit of a shotgun approach. For some, this book has a style that really grabs and engages. For others, read a segment then pause before moving on.

I heard Tom Clegg at a conference and he was great. Part of the appeal of the book was being able to have his 'notes' from the message. As a speaker, Tom is passionate, engaging, and unflappable (given some of the technical problems with the first message).

Good to Great and the Social Sectors - review

Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins is an addendum to his larger work Good to Great. This is a short (35 page) monograph that bridges the gap from the business sector to the social sector.

On leadership:

Level 5 (the highest) leadership is not about being "soft" or "nice" or purely "inclusive" or "consensus-building." The whole point of Level 5 is to make sure the right decisions happen - no matter how difficult or painful - for the long term greatness of the institution and the achievment of its mission, independent of consensus or popularity.

On assessment:

It doesn't really matter whether you can quantify your results. What matters is that you rigorously assemble evidence - quantitative or qualitative - to track your progress. If the evidence is primarily qualitative, think like a trial lawyer assembling the combined body of evidence. If the evidence is primarily quantitative, then think of yourself as a laboratory scientist assembling and assessing the data.

While there are certainly some filters one must put in place, there are some helpful thoughts to distill from Collins. And the brevity means that you get right to the point and can assess his arguments with greater ease.