on my nightstand

Several friends have recently asked me what I’ve been reading. Well, besides the "Da Vinci Code," (see my last posting), here’s some of the best stuff I’ve read in the last few months:

"Blue Like Jazz," by Don Miller. Miller is thought provoking and hilarious all at the same time. He writes about faith, doubt, and a postmodern’s struggle to find a real Christianity that really fits. He’s a wonderful storyteller whose insights are often profound and sometimes troubling.

"The Five Dysfunctions of Team," by Patrick Lencioni. This terrific little book is one of the best books I’ve ever read on teambuilding. It’s written as a marketplace allegory, but it’s application goes way beyond the marketplace. Lencioni takes a handful of fairly simple leadership concepts and skillfully organizes them into a powerful paradigm. This is very helpful stuff for anybody building any kind of team.

"Everybody's Normal Till You Get To Know Them," by John Ortberg. This is an outstanding book on relationships. Ortberg passes along a bunch of really helpful insights for all of us who still have some jagged edges left in our personalities and are doing our best to have community with other jagged edged people.

"Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul," and "An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Chruch God Had in Mind," both by Erwin McManus, are excellent reads. If your heart is restless for something deeper, and if you long to become the kind of person whose life is full and infectious, then consider giving "Uprising" a serious look. And if you want to have your understanding of the Church challenged and stretched, then check out "An Unstoppable Force" and pray hard about helping to shape something special. I think McManus is one of the best thinkers/practitioners around.

Enjoy, but don’t expect any of these books to put you to sleep!