52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 42: "The Things That Keep Us Here" by Carla Buckley

This is a truly frightening novel, because it presents an apocalyptic scenario - an avian influenza pandemic - that is entirely realistic.  Peter Brooks is a university researcher who is one of the first to come across evidence of this avian flu killing birds right in his own community in Ohio. The novel follows Peter and his wife Ann as they go through the stages of the pandemic, working to protect and provide for their two daughters along the way.  Normal events, such as a winter snowstorm, become life altering catastrophes because supplies, utilities, and rescue personell are so limited.  They learn to rely on themselves and have to make difficult decisions.  How much contact can they risk with other people?  Ann's best friend brings her baby over, begging them to take him in because she and her husband are sick. Ann is frozen with indecision.  Can she bring this baby in, and take the risk that he will infect her whole household with the killer virus?

A truly riveting tale, that will leave you thinking long after you have turned the last page.

Sojourner.

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 41: "Jim and Casper go to Church" by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper

... is that what Jesus told you guys to do? Put on a Christian rock show that's visually and sonically indistinguishable from a non-Christian rock show, change the words, and call it church?  Is that pulled from the Bible?

Jim Henderson, a former pastor with 25 years of experience in Christian ministry, and Matt Casper, an atheist, wrote this book together, chronicling their mutual visits to evangelical churches all over America.  Henderson hired Casper to visit these churches with him and offer his objective outsiders' opinion on what he observed and experienced during the worship services.

They visit some America's most famous mega-churches like Saddleback, Willow Creek, and Joel Osteen's Lakewood. They also dropped in on several leading congregations in the Emerging Church movement, a small house church, and a mainline Presbyterian church. Throughout the book, you get a snapshot of the experience of worship in each of these churches, and you get to eavesdrop on the dialogue Jim and Casper are having about what they are seeing.  Casper offers honest, fair, and sometimes uncomfortable observations about what he observes in the church services. He is unimpressed with what he considers to be a general apathy and passivity in the congregants and the lack of a challenge in the peaching he hears.

"Well, where is the call to action?  The challenge to make this world a better place?..."

"If I did believe in God, and that I was going to be granted eternal life in heaven, I would want to do something significant here on Earth, to live as much of my life as I could following the example set by Jesus when he was here on Earth - do unto others as you would have them unto you - I don't know, maybe I don't know the real story of Jesus..."   Casper's voice trailed off, but his question was stuck in my head.  This conversation was quickly turning personal, and I knew Casper actually did have a relatively clear understanding of Jesus' message.  

You can certainly argue that as an atheist, Casper cannot understand the true meaning of saving grace.  But, it's also fair to say that Casper is correctly identifying the "cheap grace" that permeates much of evangelical Christianity today.  One of the saddest observations to me was that the only people to greet them as they visited church after church were the official greeters in each congregation.

This is a fascinating book to read if you have been a Christian for any length of time, and especially if you have grown up in the church.  It is truly valuable to see typical evangelical worship experiences from an "outsider"'s viewpoint.

Sojourner