Review: Calling Out the Called: Discipling Those Called to Ministry Leadership

Calling Out the Called: Discipling Those Called to Ministry Leadership by Scott Pace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A helpful guide to those who feel called to service in the [Christian] Church. I would be included in that category as I am currently in formation to be a deacon with a strong desire to properly discern that calling. With that said, this was not entirely what I was expecting or wanted, but it was still very helpful to my discernment process. The authors start the discussion by looking at “The Call” or 1) The concept of calling, 2) the current state of ministry and 3) practical ways to cultivate an environment for discernment … most of which I found relatively intuitive, but it was good to have them down in writing. 

I was particularly interested in the steps prescribed to “confirm your calling” that looks at your desire, gifts. external affirmation, check your motivations and clarify your understanding of the call … I would submit that overwhelming desire (which to me sounds very self centered) could be related with an inexorable pull to serve in a manner consistent with your gifts … because as a PK, I was painfully aware of what service means and would frankly desire a different path if possible.

The second part looks at how the Spirit works as Our Companion, Counselor, Comforter and Conqueror (that later being something of a stretch IMHO) before getting into some very practical advise on how to survive the call to ministry … and balancing family with ministry. In general I think it was all good advice. So … if you think that you have a calling, this book will pretty a solid foundation.

Introduction: Calling Out The Callers

Chapter 1: Wrestling with the Call
Chapter 2: Abiding in Christ
Chapter 3: Loving the Scriptures
Chapter 4: Being Men and Women of Prayer
Chapter 5: Being Should Winners
Chapter 6: Loving the Church
Chapter 7: Relying on the Spirit
Chapter 8: Serving Others
Chapter 9: Balancing Family and Ministry
Chapter 10: Persevering Ministry
Chapter 11: Preparing for entry

Conclusion: How to Give an Invitation for Calling Out the Called

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#CallingOuttheCalled #NetGalley.

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Review: The Challenge of Smoke Wade: The Smoke Wade Trilogy

The Challenge of Smoke Wade: The Smoke Wade Trilogy by Robert J. Hogan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A decent narration of an old (circa 1950’s) Western that seems to provide a little background for a pulp action character (Smoke Wade) who left the AZ Range to become an Ace in WW1.  The story itself is a pretty simple range war trope with nearly all of the characters shallow stereotypes (and at times extremely irritating) and while the character voices of the narration were very good, the thick idealects make the dialog somewhat cringey.  The MC (Smoke) seems a tad more careless than his presumped reputation hints at (mostly getting out of stupid situations by shear luck instead of wits or skill) and gun play is actually pretty rare for a western. The story does pick up toward the end where you sorta get the expected conclusion, so ultimately this was a decent [western] story if you already like the genre.

I was given this free advance listener copy (ALC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#TheChallengeOfSmokeWade  #FreeAudiobooksAudibleGiveways

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Review: City of Last Chances

City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book by Tchaikovsky that I have read (the first being a SciFi story) and this author is quickly becoming a favorite that I will buy on sight. To start with, being a logophile, the story here was a veritable playground of obscure english vocabulary within a context that often used the 4th or 5th definition to give the reader an exotic feel within just inventing new words. This all facilitates some of the best world-building that has ever come my way, creating a dark, gritty foundation that was extremely easy to visualize and enter into. The only downside here was that the rich prose was so complex that it slowed down my reading speed quite a bit, although that also enabled me to better enjoy the beauty of it all. Definitely a fan here. For those having trouble keeping track of everything, there is a gloss in the front.

The world is an interesting dystopia with an occupying force dedicated to the rational perfection of their world, by force if necessary (aka an authoritarian society). The City is a crossroads of sorts, with the soldiers of the perfect trying to control a diverse population previously under the thrall of magic and miracles while expanding through a mystical forest to dimensions unknown (although the beasts within are very dangerous and should not be taken for granted). Close by is the Reproach, a ruined part of the old city barely contained by sigils and wards to keep ghosts of long dead nobles from driving men mad. Wondering amongst all of this are priests and forgotten gods, sorcerers and demons (who power the factories of the Hammer districts), prideful academics keeping the flame of resistance alive, and typical street toughs (who rule the Gutter districts) and a rather eclectic collection of immigrants and refugees .. giving the world a feeling of depth rarely encountered in a single book and left me wanting more.

There are a lot of POV characters in this story; and that is usually a bad thing, but the author makes this work better than most. Each character seemed to be fairly unique with something that actually added to the story when they were appropriately introduced … weaving in and out of the main plot so skillfully that each switch felt natural … and I enjoyed most of them … even the bad guys. All of the motivations seemed reasonable and even somewhat predictable within the evolving chaos of the story (most of the action are the characters reacting to what just happened prior). The interactions between them all kept me guessing on where the story was headed all the way to the end with several notable mysteries and surprises. This works well with all of the political intrigue that is front loaded, but the action does pick up with some character weeding towards the end (not a big deal as you don’t really spend enough time with any of them to get attached).

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#CityOfLastChances #NetGalley.

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Review: The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World

The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World by Phillip J. Long
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As mentioned in the Intro, this is not a full translation of 1 Enoch, but is a guided summary into the history, content and context of this very interesting pseudepigrapha that helps to also set the milieu of the second temple period of Jesus. The author starts with a summary of each book (includes a Facts at a Glance bulleted call out) before reviewing the specific book in sections. These sections are further broken down into an historical and contextual review, followed by a “Key Verse” and commentary and often an added boxes digging a little more deeply into terms and concepts … such as “Who ARE the Watchers?” or “Demons in Early Judaism.”

Over all, this was an accessible academic work that I found absolutely fascinating from an historical and theological context that definitely can contribute to canonical biblical exegesis … or simply as a history buff interested in that time period. The only downside I had was that it apparently doesn’t include the complete text, so this is really more of a companion piece .. albeit one that you should definitely use with a complete copy if you care to read it. As an added bonus, it is currently available on Kindle Unlimited making it super easy to take for a test drive.

Part One: An Introduction

Part Two: Uncovering the Five Books
- Book I: The Book of the Watchers
- Book II: The Book of Parables
- Book III: The Book of Astronomical Writings (aka The Book of Luminaries)
- Book IV: The Book of Dream Visions
- Book V: The Epistle of Enoch

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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