It’s funny how Saturdays, which used to be the most relaxing day for me, have become so busy. I am coaching Nick’s baseball team this year and we were on the field early this morning for our first practice. This season the kids are staring from the plate to a pitching machine and seeing pitches whistling in at 40 miles per hour. This is a substantial step up from last year’s coach pitch league where the balls were lobbed from about 10 feet away. Each of the kids got ten pitches from the machine and most of them flailed helplessly at all ten. Now that practice is over, we’ve got to get ready for Nick’s birthday parting at a nearby bowling alley. His birthday was a few weeks ago but this was the earliest we could book some lanes for him…and he really wanted to bowl for his birthday. So it is going to be a good but busy day.
Amazon’s Kindle
I have been thinking about buying a Kindle
One problem is that I am just about out of room to store books in my office. When we first moved into this house two years ago, I had three or four bookcases in the office and my books fit. Today I have seven full and two half bookcases and they are almost all full. Of greater concern is the fact that I am out of walls against which I can place more bookcases. The photo above was taken a couple of months ago. Even since then things have gotten worse. Books are beginning to stack up on top of the bookcases. I am going to go through and cull some of the junk, but I know it will not take long for the problem to return.
All of this to say that a Kindle may just offer me the ability to read at least some of my books in a “soft” format rather than a printed format.
The second issue, and the one that is probably more likely to be solved by a Kindle, is that I have stacks of manuscripts to read through and it might be nice to read some of those on the Kindle rather than on printed 8.5 x 11 inch paper or in PDF files on my computer.
And so I ask…does anyone out there own a Kindle? What is your user experience like with it? Is it worth the rather steep price of $400? What I really need is to find a friend who can loan me one for a while…
Strange Places
Last week I shared a couple of photos of my book in strange places. The very next day I received not one but two photos of the book in Mongolia, of all places. And the two people who sent the photos are not, to my knowledge, connected to one another. So here is the photographic proof of the book in Mongolia. If you have a picture of my book in a strange place, feel free to send it along.
New Music
A CD I’ve been enjoying a lot in the past week is Before the Throne by Sojourn (Sojourn Community Church of Louisville, KY). It is a CD that earned a rare five star review from Christianity Today. The reviewer said, “Every once in a while, I receive an album that pleasantly surprises me on all fronts. Not only is the packaging impeccably and cleverly designed on Sojourn’s Before the Throne, but the worship band for Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky also managed a far more impressive feat: They actually wrote worship music that I didn’t feel like I’d already heard a million times before. Hard to imagine, I know.” The album features ten original songs and one cover and the songs represent a wide variety of musical styles. Personal favorites are “We Are Listening” (Morning and evening we come / To delight in the words of our God / Give us eyes to see / Give us faith to hear / …that the Word has come / …that the Word is here) and “In the Shadow of the Glorious Cross” (These crowns I’ve clenched with fisted hands / I cast them down before the throne / Of Christ my God the worthy lamb / Christ crucified, the Great I AM / Hallelujah, Hallelujah). You can learn more about it at sojournmusic.com. You can download several songs for free (including my favorite tracks) if you’d like to sample the album.
Sojourn has just announced that their next project will be a 2-CD set of hymns inspired by Isaac Watts, “The Father Of English Hymnody.” The assignment for the songwriters was to “rewrite the Isaac Watts hymnal … Take these lyrics as a springboard and rewrite the words and melodies. Capture the language of our time and place and keep vibrant the message of the songs. Look for ways to refresh metaphors and imagery in the songs … and write melodies that will fit contemporary song arrangements.” This will prove quite the challenge, I am sure, and I look forward to hearing the result!
Another new and good CD is one you’ve seen advertised right here—Come Weary Saints by Sovereign Grace Music. “Come Weary Saints is an invitation to redirect your focus to the God whose love has been forever demonstrated at the cross of Calvary. As you listen to these songs, may your faith and joy in the Savior be strengthened for the challenges you face, now or in the future.” It features songs by the usual cast of characters, including Bob Kauflin, Mark and Stephen Altrogge, Steve and Vicki Cook and Pat Sczebel. It is perhaps not insignificant that the first time I listened to the album was in a hospital bed while cradling a sleeping but very sick little girl. It was an encouragement to me then and has been in the couple of weeks since.
You can listen to song samples and purchase the album right here. Personal favorites are “So I Will Trust You,” “I Have a Shelter,” and “Through the Precious Blood.”
Comments (37) »
1. Jon
April 26, 2008
2:27 PM
Hey Tim,
How did you hear about the Sojourn CD?
2. Mike
April 26, 2008
2:51 PM
Baseball, books, and music — my three favourite things!
3. Tim Challies
April 26, 2008
3:00 PM
How did you hear about the Sojourn CD?
I actually met one of the people involved at Together for the Gospel…
4. Jason
April 26, 2008
3:37 PM
I’ve posted a few things about my Kindle here. I think for reading through manuscripts, the Kindle would work well because you can add highlights and take notes using the keyboard. Text entry is fine if you just want to add a few notes; you wouldn’t want to type in a few paragraphs at a time on this. Keep in mind some things might not render well when converting PDFs though, sometimes section headings and charts do not convert very well but this is rare. I read a lot of converted PDF docs on my Kindle because it is much easier on the eyes than the computer screen is. Navigation can be awkward, flipping through different books of the Bible is much slower than you can do with a paper Bible, but if you’re just reading through a book from cover to cover it’s fine.
I’d be happy to answer specific questions you have, just let me know. For me, the $400 was worth it given the amount of material I read. It’s great not having to take 3 or 4 books on travel and always having something to read no matter where I am. Hope this helps.
5. Chris Giammona
April 26, 2008
3:49 PM
Tim
Having donated 14 boxes of books to the local Library at the end of last year - like you , no more space in my den!
For this reason, I bought a Kindle and find that it has its +’s and -’s. Overall, I am very happy with the device, but must admit that the price is a concern for most people.
Also, the fact that free web content costs money on the Kindle was a surprise to me.
I agree with Jason’s comments about pdf’s - I ran into a few problems with complex documents that contained charts, graphs, and other complex formatting.
I like the fact that I can use flash memory cards to store data - it allows keeping of a large library of material.
Chris
6. Walter
April 26, 2008
3:53 PM
I have a Kindle. Had it since last November. Very convenient for reading and shopping online. Only problem I have is there are very few Christian books being published to that format. And very few already published books being converted. That was a major disappointment for me.
7. Amy Scott
April 26, 2008
4:50 PM
I am coaching Nick’s baseball team this year and we were on the field early this morning for our first practice.
Wow, do you live in Canada or something? Our spring season is closing in two weeks. But, of course, we play baseball year round in Florida. We start early so we can start the next season sooner so we can start the next season even sooner than that. We got a week off at Christmas.
8. Jim Vellenga
April 26, 2008
5:47 PM
Amy, you have to wait for hockey to end up here, a little rest, then baseball. :)
9. Tim Challies
April 26, 2008
8:26 PM
Wow, do you live in Canada or something? Our spring season is closing in two weeks. But, of course, we play baseball year round in Florida. We start early so we can start the next season sooner so we can start the next season even sooner than that. We got a week off at Christmas.
It’s little wonder that there aren’t many Canadians in the majors. We have a short season here! Nick’s season runs from late April to early August…
10. Nick Coller
April 26, 2008
9:19 PM
May I just say Tim, by posting pictures like that you’re making it difficult to obey the tenth commandment… that is one mighty fine office. Which books have the unfortunate honour of being stuck behind the desk?
11. Tim Challies
April 26, 2008
9:59 PM
Which books have the unfortunate honour of being stuck behind the desk?
Commentaries are high but reachable. Books I don’t think I’ll ever read but that I can’t bring myself to throw out are underneath and unreachable…
12. Stephen Altrogge
April 26, 2008
10:06 PM
Tim -
There’s a great new book coming out soon that just might help you put together a winning team this year. You might want to look into it…
13. Chris Dattilo
April 26, 2008
10:16 PM
I have a Kindle. I really like it for having with me at all times. As I carpool, wait in Dr.’s offices and especially travel I can have 8—9 books with me at a time. I read widely, so I always need a number of books.
I also subscribe to the NYTimes and love it. I get 10-12 major stories 4x a day. Usually International, National, Arts, Sports, Money and Special Interest. It’s a nice way to keep up-to-date with full-length articles. Much better than web-clipped all too brief stories.
I also enjoy my ESV Bible. I’ve photocopied my year through the Bible reading plan - and tuck it in the Kindle case. It’s easy to read 4 passages a day - and always have my Bible with me.
Negative - There will be a Kindle 2.0. It will probably handle PDF’s better, Hyperlinks (especially for Study Bibles ) will work seamlessly, and uploading docs to Kindle will work more easily. So you could wait……:)
14. Chelsea Bass
April 26, 2008
11:05 PM
Do you think you’ll miss the feel of books in your hands if you get a Kindle? I think I would miss the physical presence of books.
15. Dave
April 27, 2008
2:07 AM
Every once in a while I wonder whether or not you truly are Canadian.
From Amazon’s page for the kindle:
“Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.”
I’m guessing that the wireless connectivity used by the device only has agreements for US coverage.
16. don gale
April 27, 2008
2:15 AM
Tim,
You should really consider buying the rest of the John Owen set :)
And….”The Deep, Deep Love” off Come Weary Saints just got me through a very difficult, 12-hour work day cleaning a cereal plant…that’s a great CD
17. Tim Challies
April 27, 2008
7:48 AM
Do you think you’ll miss the feel of books in your hands if you get a Kindle? I think I would miss the physical presence of books.
Definitely. And the thing would be covered in highlighter in no time.
From Amazon’s page for the kindle: “Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.”
Right. I’d just get it shipped to a U.S. address and would have to live without the wireless functionality. I could still use it by plugging in to my PC.
18. Philip
April 27, 2008
7:50 AM
Would New Zealand qualify as a strange place to have your book. If so I can send one taken in Auckland with your book.
19. Jason
April 27, 2008
8:04 AM
Chris D.
I uploaded my Bible in a year plan to my Kindle and I use the highlighting feature to keep track of where I left off in my reading (highlight the day as you complete it). One less piece of paper….
20. Aaron Marshall
April 27, 2008
1:36 PM
I have been going to Sojourn since last summer and I have been incredibly impressed at how intentional they are about the worship service and songwriting centered on the Gospel.
Bu far one of the best songs I have heard in years is “Lead Us Back” on the “Before The Throne” album ( You can hear it at this Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sojourn-Music/15796180570)
It was written by the fellow who blogs at http://sojournmusic.com (Bobby Gilles)
It was good meeting you at BOB Tim, and I am happy to see you highlighting Sojourn Music! Thank You!
21. Chris Dattilo
April 27, 2008
3:27 PM
Jason (One Year Reading Plan)
Ah, but’s that the problem with the Kindle. I use the Literary Study Bible’s plan (different one every year) - and it is formatted as a PDF chart.
As you know charts and columns usually get messed up when you transfer them to the Kindle. Mine was an unusable mess.
What plan do you use - and where can I find it? I’m already thinking of next year.
Thanks!
22. Jason
April 27, 2008
4:10 PM
Christ D. thanks for the email, I figured I’d post my response here as well in case others had the same question:
This year I’m using the M’Cheyne plan:
http://www.edginet.org/mcheyne/printables.html
This one converted well from PDF, but also what you might be able to do is copy the text from the PDF using the text select tool in Adobe Reader and paste it into a plain text file using Notepad and then upload that directly to the Kindle, you can upload .txt files directly without having to convert them. Hope this helps!
23. David Bailey
April 27, 2008
9:37 PM
Amazon should GIVE you a Kindle! Thanks for putting me in touch with my friend, Tim. Blessings.
24. Jim Swindle
April 28, 2008
3:51 AM
Tim, I know nothing of your home’s construction, and I’m no structural engineer, but there’s a limit to how much weight a floor can take. If your study’s floor is not directly on a slab foundation, you might want to check on the strength of your type of building before putting too many more books in that section of it….especially if there’s another room underneath. My guess is that you could put in twice as many books without a problem, but I wouldn’t want to try it. I’m sure you have other readers who’d know whether this is another of my groundless worries. :-)
25. Tim Challies
April 28, 2008
8:55 AM
but there’s a limit to how much weight a floor can take. If your study’s floor is not directly on a slab foundation, you might want to check on the strength of your type of building before putting too many more books in that section of it
I’ve thought of that. Truth be told, I really can’t get too many books in here anyways…and the next place to expand is in the basement where I’m sure weight won’t be a problem!
26. Matt Foreman
April 28, 2008
1:01 PM
Aaron, A friend introduced me to Sojourn’s “Lead Us Back” a few months ago. I really like most of the song but find a few elements of the lyrics theologically problematic. I question whether it’s appropriate for Christians to speak of themselves as “a valley of dry bones” or to think of God “leading us back to life in [him]”. I believe in the importance of confession and ongoing repentance of heart and life - an acknowledgment of the presence of continued indwelling sin and humility in the life of believers. But, at the same time, Christians are regenerate by the Spirit of God; they have life in Christ. I haven’t been able to use this song in corporate worship because the lyrics as they stand are unbalanced and the song of a spiritually unhealthy Christian.
One of my co-elders wisely warned me of this tendency he sees in some younger Christians today (I am a young pastor myself) - an unbalanced preoccupation on the negative side of confession that feels bad about sin and doesn’t affirm the positive side of grace and power found in the Gospel. One of the practical implications of our regeneration is that we should be living righteously by faith. If we are doing some of the things this song says, we have reason to doubt our assurance as Christians.
27. Bo
April 28, 2008
1:19 PM
Is that a Dwight Schrute bobblehead?
28. Larry Geiger
April 28, 2008
1:29 PM
No, just the mold and mildew.
29. Tim Challies
April 28, 2008
2:37 PM
Is that a Dwight Schrute bobblehead?
Maybe.
30. Bo
April 28, 2008
4:18 PM
The beet farming book next to your left speaker gave you away…
By the way, where can I get me one of those SWEET cannons??
31. Laura
April 28, 2008
7:34 PM
Dude!! That’s my church’s music!
32. Lorie King
April 29, 2008
10:43 AM
Matt, I very much appreciate the thought you put into discerning the theological accuracy of the songs we sing as the Church. That is so important—-especially for our ministers! With regards to the song “Lead Us Back”, (I’m a worship leader at Sojourn) we actually view and use it within a greater liturgical context. During our services we always follow a song of confession with a statement, reading or song of assurance. Because, as you point out, we DON’T want our understanding or witness to the gospel to be one-sided. “Before the Throne” is a thematic album and you’ll notice “Lead Us Back” is followed by “In The Shadow Of The Glorious Cross,” which was intentional. The flow of that album is meant to model a liturgical structure that gives an understanding of the gospel in its entirety.
As far as the imagery and terminology in the song, the Bible actually does use these images and ideas for the people of God, which is shocking when we read or sing them! The crazy visions the prophets like Ezekiel were given were from God for his chosen ones. The phrase “lead us back to life in You” was actually inspired by Revelation 3:1-4 when Christ is talking to the church:
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:…I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent….”
And, while we want to be intentional about proclaiming the whole gospel in our services, we also want to be intentional about accurately portraying each aspect of the gospel – our sin is disgusting and pervasive, our hearts are idol factories. I believe our churches are filled with people who sin in the ways mentioned in the song. I know I do. And we need confession and repentance of those things, so that we CAN live out the freedom and life given us in Christ.
You are right, there is a strange dichotomy at work within us as believers—-we are, simultaneously—-and while clothed in this flesh, sinners and saints. May we as the Church faithfully sing of our continual need for repentance and renewal—-AND the righteousness we have in Christ as a result of being brought from death into life by his power!
33. Laura
April 30, 2008
11:27 AM
Miss King… guurrrll…
34. Dave Bissett
April 30, 2008
3:32 PM
Hey tim,
I like the CANON atop your book case in the photo here. Can you tell me what kind of “book security system” you have, so I can get one too?!
db ny
35. Matt Foreman
April 30, 2008
4:16 PM
Lorie,
Thanks for the response. I have some friends who have been to your church before and I do greatly appreciate the music. In addition to being a pastor, I also have a degree in music and write songs - so this is an area of interest for me.
It’s that one song “Lead Us Back” that has bothered me. You provide good biblical justification through Rev.3:1-4. But my bigger concern was the image of the “valley of dry bones”. My interpretation would be those verses in Exodus are referring to the regeneration that comes as part of the New Covenant - being alive in Christ. Is it appropriate for Christians to use that image for themselves? I’m wrestling with that one.
One of the great things about the song is that it is blunt and jarring - it makes you think. But I still wrestle with the level of bluntness. I love that you set the song in a liturgical flow, but…there are elements of the song that if they are really true of an individual NOW - they are reasons to doubt your assurance as a Christian (not that said singer is not a Christian, but their grounds for assurance are lacking). Maybe some in my congregation are there - but not everyone is there. Should it be sung corporately?
A suggestion I’ve been thinking about - I would prefer if all the tenses of the song were in the perfect or the past tense and not the pluperfect (if that makes sense). We “have” acted like a talent show; I “have” thrown heavy stones. If I’m still throwing them and if I have now become a talent show, that’s a problem and I don’t think indicative of every Christian who will be singing the song.
Thoughts? (If you’re still hanging around the challies vortex.)
36. Bobby Gilles
April 30, 2008
5:53 PM
Hi Matt, I’m the writer of Lead Us Back. I haven’t commented, because I realize the inherent risk in appearing defensive (as if the song were “my baby”). Ultimately, “should a particular song be sung corporately” must be answered by faithful ministers such as yourself in any congregation, of every song. Fortunately, we have thousands of songs from which to choose, from modern hymns and choruses back through the psalms.
I do believe the Ezekial 37 “valley of dry bones” is a good metaphor for those already in Christ and in need of revival, as it was addressed by God to “my people.” In the interest of space, I’d point to this column by Dr. Bruce Waltke of Reformed Theological Seminary and Regent College for more on this: http://www.rts.edu/quarterly/spring98/waltke.html
Having said that, whether it would be helpful or confusing in a particular context or with a particular congregation would be up to the shepherd(s) of the congregation, such as yourself. It is a song of brutally honest confession about serious matters: putting our own comfort first, showing favoritism, and putting legalistic yokes on new believers. It may not be a good fit for every congregation — in fact, I long for the day when there is no sense or need in singing this song or any like it, because sin is no more and we are all singing praise to the lamb who was slain.
As far as leaders changing the tenses in a manner that you suggested if they feel it would better serve their people or avoid confusion, I’m fine with that.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Discussions like this do help me — and hopefully all songwriters — to realize what an important matter it is whenever we take up the pen.
And thanks to Tim Challies for mentioning our CD in the first place. This is a great blog, and so it’s an honor. I’m reading through his book “The Discipline Of Spiritual Discernment” right now — I’d highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t ordered a copy.
37. Matt Foreman
April 30, 2008
11:59 PM
Bobby, wow, I thank you for the courage in writing about the song. I appreciate your humble and gracious response. Let me tell you - the song is compelling, which is why I’ve thought so much about it, going back and forth on whether to use it. It’s worthy of discussion. It’s one of the most “raw” songs of confession that I have heard - and I think that’s part of what makes it compelling and also part of why I’ve wrestled with its universal use. (The rawness reminds me of a Derek Webb song I can’t remember the name of.)
I read Waltke’s article and I don’t claim the credentials to disagree with him - but I don’t know if I buy his application of Ezek.37 to revival. To me, it clearly refers to regeneration.
I’m wrestling with balance in the worship service when it comes to songs of confession. A hymn like “God Be Merciful to Me”, in addition to the bonus of being a metric psalm, constantly refers back to a foundation of certain hope in the grace of God. My concern for “Lead Us Back” in corporate use is that issue of unhealthy Christianity. Does everyone in my congregation feel what the song says? Should some of them? Certainly! But should all? I don’t think it would be true. There is a concern for too overt a negativism in introspection that I am not sure I see in the NT. The accent of the NT is always on ‘a real Christian is alive in Christ’. Does he have remaining sin that weighs on his heart? Certainly. Do Christians need fresh infusings (sp?) of the fullness of the Holy Spirit - i.e. revival? Yes. But the accent falls on appeal to God’s lovingkindness and grace and covenant faithfulness.