Throughout the “Posture and Practice” sermon series Pastor Bob has commented, quoted or taught principles out of several different books.  If you have followed the series, you may have been interested in further study.  Below are a couple of recommended readings that may challenge your thinking, but help you see more clearly how you and SFC can work to make visible the Kingdom of God now.

“Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words” by Brian McLaren is not your typical book on spiritual disciplines.  In this book, McLaren presents four spiritual “seasons”—simplicity, complexity, perplexity, and harmony—accompanied by 12 prayer practices. Each practice, described as “simple, doable, and durable,” is rooted in a single word (e.g. here, thanks, sorry, help, why, yes, behold).  Very different from McLaren’s other work, this book gives the “insider” and “outsider” direction, biblical wisdom, and at times tough questions to ask.  Pastor Bob quoted from this book in his sermon on “Wholeness” and will teach from it more this Sunday in his sermon on “Community.”

For those who have read the bible for years, or for those just beginning, “The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible” by Scot McKnight is a breath of fresh air.  McKnight calls Christians to a way of reading the Bible that leads beyond old debates and denominational battles. It calls Christians to stop taming the Bible and to let it speak anew for a new generation.  A great deal of what Pastor Bob has been trying to convey in the “Posture and Practice” sermon series has relied on having new eyes to see scripture.  This book will help you see anew!