Come Wander
When was the last time you visited the church Resource Center? I wander in and out of that room regularly, sometimes because I need to wander, but often in search of a book. We have an excellent church library, and a few very good books for sale.
Books are close friends. They help you see into the mind and heart of other people, and help to stretch the size of the world by introducing new ideas to think about.
What are some of my favorite books in the library? In the biography section I loved Franklin Graham's Rebel With a Cause. My college history professor edited a book called More Than Conquerors which contains short biographies of many influential people. For the sports fan we have Kurt Warner: And the Last Shall be First. I think everyone should be familiar with the pioneer missionary to China. We have J. Hudson Taylor: A Man in Christ by Roger Steer. Joni Earickson exposes many of here personal internal struggles in Choices/Changes. Though not strictly a biography for the scientifically minded I recommend The Galileo Connection: Resolving Conflicts between Science and the Bible by Charles Hummel.
The book that I most often look for in the library is The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis. Lewis is always very logical and, at the same time, very clear and understandable. He explains that there are many kinds of pain in the world and that each kind of pain needs to be seen for what it is. It is a book dealing with pain intellectually, not experientially.
That brings me to last book that I want to mention. Sheila Walsh was a nationally known recording artist and television personality (co-host of the 700 Club with Pat Robertson) when she was stricken by depression and admitted to a Christian mental hospital. I had heard bits of this story, but never the details, so I sat down and started to read the book. It is an excellent book, looking at pain from the inside out. She says that sometimes the pain that we experience is the result of not being honest and open with each other. When we try to convince each other that we are doing just fine, our denial robs us of the power of healing within the body of Christ. Often the pain of depression is a sign that we need to deal with other issues in our lives. I highly recommend Honestly by Sheila Walsh.