Throughout my ministerial career, many people have asked for book recommendations for growing in faith and developing a little more spiritual connection with God. I usually give out the same five recommendations.
All five have informed and impacted my faith journey somehow some way.
BUT, before we begin, let me state the obvious--in case someone wants to be that person and point out, “wHaT aBoUt tHe biBLe???” Can we all just arrive on the same page of (or near the page of) “the Bible is important and we should all engage in reading, studying, and reflecting on the Bible?” That would be great. Thank you.
Tattoos on the Heart
To anybody who is wanting to start a new church or community or ministry, I always suggest Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle. It is not a “church planting” book. It doesn’t have methods and formulas and procedures that may accompany some books about church planting. Instead, the book tells stories: Stories of people we may never have given a second thought towards; stories of being imbedded in a community.
Gregory Boyle started a non-profit called Homeboy Industries to help gang members and former gang members rehabilitate their lives by giving them jobs.
Father Greg, through his stories, models what an incarnational presence can look like.
He embeds himself in the community — he is part of that community.
I think it’s important to remember, as a church, that we should find ways to fully be part of the community and neighborhood our church resides in.
In the Name of Jesus
In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen is a book I recommend for anyone who’s thinking about going into ministry. For the past 5 years, I’ve read this book in January in order to remind myself what it means to be a servant leader for Jesus’ church. It’s a book every follower of Jesus should read but especially us clergy.
Jesus’ Plan for a New World
Jesus’ Plan for a New World by Richard Rohr is one of the first books that really stretched the limits of my faith and theology (probably because I didn’t pay too much attention during seminary). Two things I’ll never forget about this book:
- Rohr saying that, in the Lord’s Prayer, when we pray “Thy kingdom come” we also have to pray my kingdom go because we cannot simultaneously build our very own kingdom and God’s kingdom. Eventually, the values of the two kingdoms will collide and we’ll have to intentionally choose whose kingdom to advance.
- Similarly, Rohr writes that when we build a bridge, we don’t start from the middle of where the bridge is going to be; we start from one side or the other. Rohr says that Jesus is inviting us to always start on the side of the poor and marginalized because if we start from the side of the rich and powerful, we may never want to complete that bridge.
The Cost of Discipleship
Another book I recommend is The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This was one of the few books I (actually) read in seminary and it moved me both head-wise and heart-wise. It’s a book I return to often to remind me that following Christ costs something; it requires sacrifice and love. Cheap grace might be easier to swallow but it is a shallow form of living out our faith. There are no worthwhile fruits we bear when we cheapen grace.
Acts: A Theological Commentary on the Bible
Finally, Acts: A Theological Commentary on the Bible by Willie Jennings is the most moving commentary I’ve ever read. It really gave me a new perspective on the stories we find in Acts and how I may be able to apply it in my life and ministry. In one of the chapters, he ends with a question that has been my (and my church’s) unofficial mantra: Where is God’s spirit leading us? And into whose lives?
Bonus
Actually, one more book.
The good old preacher bait and switch where they let you think the sermon is almost over but nope, they go on for another — what feels like— eternity. I just wanted to include this book because it made me lower my defenses and allowed me to laugh at the absurdity that often comes with following Jesus. We’re a weird caravan of people, you have to admit that. And maybe laugh about it as well. Lamb by Christopher Moore follows Jesus’ childhood friend Biff and we see the works of Jesus through Biff’s eyes. It’s almost like a Gospel of Jesus According to Biff. Oh — needless to say, it is a work of fiction and it can rub some Christians the wrong way, so reader’s discretion is advised.
What are some books that you’d recommend that have informed/shaped your faith journey?
Joseph Yoo is the author When the Saints Go Flying in. He is a West Coaster at heart contently living in Houston, Texas with his wife and son. He serves at Mosaic Church in Houston. Find more of his writing at josephyoo.com.
