Genesis Knoxville

Archive for January, 2009

Some of My Favorite Books in 2008

Jan 29

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By Timothy D. Holder

I read a lot of great books in 2008, and here are several of my favorites in no particular order.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lyn Vincent was an amazing book. It gives first person accounts by an international art dealer and a homeless man. This true story shifts back and forth between the two men. We read about them when they are worlds apart then we read how God brings them together. Then tragedy strikes. It was truly an inspiring story, and it certainly gave me more insight into the life of the homeless than I’ve ever had before. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read (and, again, I’ve read a lot of books). To be honest, there were a few things written about that I’m not sure I believe, but overall this was riveting.

Essential Church? by Thom S. Rainer and Sam S. Rainer III discusses how young adults are dropping out of church in staggering numbers. What can churches do differently to get them back, or better yet, keep them from leaving? The Rainers have some ideas. The book was a little on the repetitious side, but their writing was pretty interesting overall. Their research was sobering.

My favorite Ted Dekker novels this year were four in a series known as The Lost Books. They were marketed, at least initially, as books for teens, but I’m over 40 and I enjoyed them. These fantasy-oriented novels all had good action and suspense, they explained parts of the Ted Dekker universe, and they were quick reads. Collectively, these four books were some of my favorites yet by Dekker. His best novel was Thr3e, but these were quite good.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan was yet another great book. Chan says that the spiritual lives of Christians shouldn’t be humdrum. We can be (and should be) passionately in love with God, and that relationship should create major changes in our lives.

If you like to read, hopefully you’ll find my comments useful. But, then, if you didn’t like to read you probably wouldn’t be looking at this blog anyway.

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Good Music vs. Bad Music? Really?

Jan 22

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By Timothy D. Holder

Have you ever heard of anybody who got fired up about their faith and then literally fired up part of their music collection? You know—the people who decided to take all of their secular CDs, tapes, records, eight tracks (depending on the decade) and burn them?

What do you think about that sort of thing?

I think it’s a complicated issue. What makes music Christian or secular? Do we decide based on specific references to Christ? What if an artist records a CD with nine songs that are explicitly Christian, but the tenth piece is a love song to a spouse that doesn’t mention Christ? What if it is an artist who isn’t a Christian, but they do a Christmas album? Is it okay to buy that one? How much do I-pods and MP-3 players complicate this? What if a song has a neutral message—not Christian lyrics, but not anti-Christian lyrics either? At that point do you just look at the artist? Is that fair? Does a song become okay just because of the personal beliefs of the singer? Do you hate it when you read a blog with a bunch of questions and few answers?

If we say it is wrong to throw out all secular music, do we then fall victim to the opposite extreme? Do we pride ourselves on not being musical Pharisees and then listen to stuff that really is trash? There are a lot of songs that promote sin. How many of them do we listen to and then laugh off concerns by saying, “Oh, I don’t even notice the lyrics. I just like the music”? And yet, how many of those songs could you sing most of the words to, just off the top of your head?

Am I advocating bonfires? Only for marshmallows and hot dogs. But I am saying that just because I enjoy something—be it music or anything else—it doesn’t mean it is okay for me. We need to not be Pharisees or Puritans or whatever, but we also need to make wise choices. Are you having trouble figuring out what God wants you do with your life? Maybe you could hear Him better if you purified your life. Maybe you need to turn off some of your music.

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What’s Right with the Institutional Church?

Jan 15

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By Timothy D. Holder

It has become popular among some Christians in recent years to attack institutional/traditional churches in America. (Note: When I write terms like “institutional” or “traditional” churches I’m referring to those where there are a lot of Christians meeting in a building specifically designed for that purpose.) These attacks on such churches are usually in the context of discussing how great house churches are. (A house church is what you have when it is a small group of Christians meeting regularly in someone’s home for worship.) Now, I’m sure a lot of house churches are just fine, but the attacks by Christians on traditional churches are getting kind of wearisome.

Warning: Overblown Rhetoric alert! I was reading a book just recently where the author wrote that he “left the institutional church to begin gathering with Christians in New Testament fashion” and he referenced the same “terrifying” move made by other like minded Christians. Oh, please. So, I can go to a church building and worship, or I can worship the right way. Really? Is our God so small that He can’t be worshipped in a big building? And was I reading about people exercising their freedom of religion in America or downed RAF pilots behind enemy lines in World War Two?

You know, when the apostles were starting their ministry as recorded in the Books of Acts, their church grew so huge they needed to put more men on staff. Sounds a little like a mega church, huh?

Okay, house churches have many strengths.  They can foster deep relationships and accountability. Also, they can cut down on administrative costs. In some places house churches are the most effective way to reach the lost and build up the Body of Christ. In short, house churches can be great. But traditional churches can be great, too. A traditional church usually has more resources it can pool to benefit its congregation and perform outreach to a lost and dying world. And a church building can be a destination point for a wayward sinner who knows he’s lost his way and wants to change.

It’s easy to pick out a church building with a bunch of Christians in it and see what they’re doing wrong. A church of 500 (or 5000) has more mistake-makers than a house fellowship of ten people. But the bigger church also presents a lot of opportunities for ministry and growth. Sometimes the most effective churches combine the best things from the two. Big churches provide a lot of ministries and resources, and when they encourage small groups through Bible studies, mission projects, etc. then deep relationships and interpersonal accountability are provided, too. We don’t need to have an either/or mentality.