The Upside-Down Kingdom, by Donald Kraybill

Donald Kraybill first published The Upside Down Kingdom in 1978, and, despite frequent recommendations form a former pastor, I am just now getting around to reading it.  Kraybill has updated the text for this anniversary edition.  I don't know how many changes he has made after 40 years, but the message and impact of this book remains vital to the American church.

Kraybill focuses on the life and teachings of Jesus, which "appeared odd and utterly upside down in first-century Palestinian culture."  He writes, "the upside-down surprises of God's kingdom continue to startle people as it breaks into diverse cultures today."  Kraybill's strength is keeping the focus on the life and times of Jesus, so that the book remains relevant across time and culture. 

This is a great study, but more than other books about Jesus and the time and place of his life, Kraybill forces a paradigm shift for the reader.  For most modern readers, who live in the U.S. or other Western cultures where Christianity has dominated, viewing the gospel from the perspective of below is hard to wrap our minds around.  To attain power and authority in modern American culture, some semblance of Christian faith and values has been a prerequisite. 

There is some debate as to the extent to which it was practiced, but the principle of jubilee was still in place in Jesus' time.  Translating that into modern economies and lifestyles can be tricky, but using a graduated tithe and an open hand toward to poor points Christians in the right direction.  We should aim to where "generous giving replaces conspicuous consumption," a "Jubilee of generosity so that everyone has enough."

More broadly, Jesus surprises his listeners by honoring and commending those who have been excluded by society.  "Stigmatized occupations receive honor in the upside-down kingdom. . . . Instead of exchanging a new hierarchy for an old one, Jesus flattens hierarchies." 

Above all, Jesus ministry was about suffering and servanthood, two things that modern Christians don't readily embrace.  We tend to reject costly discipleship.  We have been told, "Just give our hearts to him . . . and we'll win more beauty contests, hit more home runs, make more sales, and receive more awards."  By contrast, Jesus' ministry is marked by the cross and the basin.  We should likewise be "willing to devote our energies in service of our King" with "compassionate service that flows from a vital experience of worship and prayer."

The Upside-Down Kingdom is a book that demands to be taken seriously.  Kraybill gives a template through which other books should be read, and a mindset to embrace while reading the gospels.  He takes the scripture seriously and wants to encourage Christians to take the life and example of Jesus seriously. 


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Lies We Tell Our Kids, by Brett Wagner

Part of being a parent is telling kids the occasional lie.  Right?  Brett Wagner takes parental lies to the absurd extreme in Lies We Tell Our Kids.  Just so you know, these probably aren't lies you actually want to tell your kids.  And other than "If you cross your eyes, they'll get stuck that way," these are not anything I have ever heard or imagined hearing a parent tell his children.

These range from silly to terrifying, and are accompanied by Wagner's silly/terrifying illustrations.  "The police will inspect your toothbrush to make sure you're brushing."  Silly.  "Cookies and cream is made out of bird poop."  Yuck.  "Most rabbits have not developed the taste for flesh . . . Most."  Nightmare.

Lies We Tell Our Kids is a fun, silly book, for parents and older kids.  Maybe it will inspire your parenting strategies.

Thanks to Edelweiss for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Enemy of the State, by Kyle Mills

I am a fan of Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series and have been please with the way Kyle Mills picked up the torch and has continued the series.  Enemy of the State, the newest title, published in September of 2017, continues the Rapp saga.  However, Mills cuts off any restraints that may have been in place before and lets the Rapp vehicle careen wildly out of control!

In many ways, this is a typical Rapp story.  Rapp always does what he thinks is best and doesn't hesitate to buck authority if conditions warrant it.  In Enemy of the State, the president calls Rapp to a clandestine meeting and, in an oblique, fully deniable manner, asks Rapp to take out an opponent.  ISIS is teaming up with Saudi officials, intending to bring down the Saudi monarchy and expand ISIS's power throughout the world.  Rapp keeps his new "orders" to himself, quits his post with the CIA, and goes dark.

Rapp assembles a new team, with his housemate/girlfriend, whose late husband killed Rapp's family, and a couple of former foes.  It's a rag-tag, A-team kind of group with deadly skills and seemingly unlimited mobility and resources.  This is what bothered me about the story.  Rapp and his allies always have all the money in the world, it seems, even though they are cut off from the U.S. government's resources.  We hear, vaguely, about Mitch's brother's investment prowess and great wealth.  And they manage to hack their opponent's bank accounts so they have his Saudi millions at their disposal.  But it's always just too easy.  Having that kind of cash is one thing, but accessing and spending it in far-flung countries without secure banks is another.

And they always seem to magically obtain transportation to get where they want, when they want.  Border checks?  Flight plans?  Pilots to fly them?  Rental car agencies?  Never a problem.  I know, I know, Rapp is so smart he has cash and IDs stashed in every major city, but that's just assumed.  The result is a story that seems like a better fit for "Agents of Shield" than Vince Flynn.  I still enjoyed Enemy of the State and as soon as Mills's next Mitch Rapp book comes out, I'll gobble it up like any fan.  But I'm a little disappointed in the turn he has taken with the personality of the story.

Socrates in the City, ed. Eric Metaxas

Nearly twenty years ago, Os Guinness and Eric Metaxas created a lecture series in New York which they named "Socrates in the City."  Noting that, in light of Socrates's maxim that "the unexamined life is not worth living," New Yorkers live fast-paced, unexamined lives, Guinness and Metaxas wanted to create a forum to encourage New Yorkers to "think deeply about the big questions--or should I say, the Big Questions."  In 2011, Metaxas gathered some of the best lectures from the series in Socrates in the City: Conversations on "Life, God, and Other Small Topics."  (It was later released as Life, God, and Other Small Topics: Conversations from Socrates in the City.)

The range of topics and background of the speakers is broad, including theologians, scientists, political figures, philosophers, and Metaxas himself.  I particularly enjoyed hearing from John Polkinghorne and Frances Collins.  Both are renowned scientists who are leaders in their fields and whose lives and writings testify against the belief that faith in God and science are irreconcilable.  Charles Colson, as always, inspires with his stories.  And Metaxas, speaking about his research for his book about Bonhoeffer, sheds light on a modern martyr.  Every talk in this collection was compelling, and every speaker captivating.

The printed version of Socrates in the City captures Metaxas's hilarious introductions to the speakers, as well as the talks and the Q&A with the audience.  But the audio version is so much better, with the actual recordings from the event, the crowd response, and Metaxas's banter.  The Socrates in the City talks are still going on (https://www.socratesinthecity.com/).  Next time I'm heading to NYC, I'll have to see if I can get in for a talk.  I am certain it would be a stimulating evening.

Be the Hands and Feet, by Nick Vujicic

You just have to love a guy with no arms and legs who entitles his book Be the Hands and Feet: Living Out God's Love for All His Children.  If you have read anything by Nick Vujicic, or heard him speak, or seen his videos, you know that this man, who was born with no arms and legs, embraces life and walks with Jesus.  In this newest book, Vujicic writes about his experiences traveling the world as an evangelist and motivational speaker, and offers keen insights into living the Christian life.

Rather than feel sorry for himself because of his handicap, Vujicic has opened doors to the gospel with his disarming good humor and faith to follow Jesus wherever he calls him to go.  He writes, "You don't need arms and legs to love God, you don't need arms and legs to love your neighbor as yourself, and you don't need arms and legs to stand in front of the gates of hell and redirect traffic."

Vujicic calls on the church to have a "big tent" mentality, not to seek to have a big, elaborate building, but to focus on having a "tent that is open to all in need of salvation."  Churches should be reaching out to and welcoming in people in need, both spiritually and materially.  He dreamt that in heaven, after God asks, "Do you know me?" he will ask, "Who did you bring with you?"  Vujicic is determined to bring along as many as he can, with a bold goal to reach billions with his outreach ministry.

While some, especially unbelievers, might question why God would allow someone to be born without limbs, Vujicic writes that he "found my purpose in life without limbs. . . . My lack of limbs has provided me with a platform, an entry point, into conversations about God and faith and hope."  I'm convinced that millions of Christians could say the same things about the gospel that Vujicic says, and there are many speakers as gifted as he is.  But the combination of his obvious disability and his openness to speaking to anyone and everyone about his faith has put him in a unique position and given him an audience that few people could have.  I love reading his stories, whether about meeting heads of state or spending time with children who have disabilities.  May God continue to give him good health and expand his ministry to people around the world.


Thanks to Blogging for Books for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Resurrecting Religion, by Greg Paul

I get a little bit tired of people saying, "I'm spiritual, not religious" or similar pronouncements.  It always sounds to me either arrogant, self-centered, or evasive, or some combination of these.  In Resurrecting Religion: Finding Our Way Back to the Good News, Greg Paul encourages Christians to embrace religion.

Granted, there is plenty of bad religion out there in history and current culture.  But Paul points out that while faith alone is personal and concerned with belief, religion is communal and concerned with action.  Without expressions of religion in action and justice, personal faith is lifeless, simply dry bones.  Spending most of his time in the book of James and the Beatitudes, Paul brings these passages to life, applying them in the context of the church today. 

I loved his theme of "Beatitude people."  Paul is pastor of Sanctuary Toronto, where many attendees are poor, homeless, mentally ill, addicted, etc.  They are the meek, the poor in spirit, the mourners, whose lot in life seems to be on the short end of everything.  But as Isaiah writes, their valleys will be lifted up and the mountains made low.  Paul offers hope for all of us, especially those that the world sees as residing at the bottom, because of the promises of the beatitudes. 

This is the true religion of Jesus.  Bringing together people from all classes.  Preaching justice and putting the gospel to work in the body of Christ.  It's not as easy as being spiritual on one's own, nor is it as cut and dried.  But the rewards and blessings of this kind of community overshadow the discomfort and pain that may come along.

Paul writes clearly and passionately.  He applies these scriptures in ways that will challenge many of us, but, to the extent that we are open to his prophetic voice, we may discover a deeper faith and a more vibrant, vital religion.


Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

On Our Street, by Jillian Roberts and Jaime Casap, illustrated by Jane Heinrichs

One challenge of raising children is exposing them to unpleasant realities in the world and getting them to see beyond their own selfish concerns.  To that end, On Our Street: Our First Talk about Poverty, can help parents and educators answer questions about poverty that children will inevitably see in their communities, and expose them to issues that perhaps are outside of their experience.

Written by child psychologist Jillian Roberts and Google "chief education evangelist" Jaime Casap, On Our Street starts with a little girl asking her friend about the man she saw sleeping on sidewalk.  Her questions run the gamut of homelessness, poverty, children in poverty, refugees, and human rights.  They discuss reasons for homelessness and causes of poverty, access to health care and education, and ways other people can help.  They include helpful sidebars that offer definitions of terms and statistics about poverty.

While the presentation is basic, the content is solid and informative.  Most American kids never personally experience homelessness or the severe lack of basic needs, but many kids do or are close to other kids who do.  On Our Street is a nice way to introduce a hard topic to all kids.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!