Books We Loved 2022

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BEST BOOKS 2022

We asked ministry staff and elected leaders to share favorite books they read in 2022. Here is the complete list.

Josue Alvarado, pastoral resident

The Cross of Christ by John Stott

Stott helps us to see how the cross is central to the gospel in a profound but simple way.

Cheryce Berg, director of children’s ministries

Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry

Jackie writes, “[B]ecause God is holy, all that He says is true and all that He does is good....Hear this: God’s words and works can be trusted because it is impossible for God to sin against you.”

Mark Berg, elder

Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 by Jim Collins

Classic business book—profound concepts made accessible and applicable

O Jerusalem by Laurie King

Fiction, 1920s, Sherlock Homes & Mary Russell 

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Science fiction—very creative

No Little People by Francis Schaeffer

A collection of Schaeffer sermons—a classic

Jay Cunningham, deacon

Created to Flourish by Peter Greer

This book opened my eyes even more to the amazing impact that Hope International (and other micro finance organizations) have had by helping the poorest of the poor to get lifted out of poverty by creating very small businesses. Trust groups, populated mostly by women, serve to not only teach simple skills like saving and investing, but also are the central place where the gospel is shared and lives are changed. This is a strongly hopeful book.

This Land of Snow: A Journey Across the North in Winter by Anders Morley

This memoir of a young man’s cross-country ski trip from the Pacific Coast of British Columbia to Central Canada was a fascinating read. The writing is strong, and the use of language and analogy is captivating. I was excited to read a book by a fellow Taylor University grad...but I was disappointed in the end to learn that Morley no longer believes in God and much of the book’s introspective nature tended toward selfishness and how others had disappointed him in his life. He also had a patronizing view of women. But if you like snow or skiing or nature...there’s a lot in here that is beautiful. 

Affirming the Apostles’ Creed by J.I. Packer

This delightful, short book is well worth a read. Packer provides the history of this central Christian creed, breaking each line into a jam-packed theological package of the wonders
of God. This book helped really appreciate what we recite at College Church on a Sunday morning, and taught me how creeds are one key way to pass down theological truths from generation to generation.

Patrick Fallon, deacon

You Can Trust God to Write Your Story: Embracing the Mysteries of Providence by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and Robert Wolgemuth

Wonderfully moving stories of how God can and does work through the biggest challenges of live.

A Dozen Things God Did with Your Sin and Three Things He’ll Never Do by Sam Storms

Do you ever question your salvation? Read this book to learn more deeply what God has done for you!

Randy Jahns, elder

Strange New World by Carl R. Trueman

The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way and No Little People by Francis A Schaeffer

Ken Heulitt

Galatians by Martin Luther

This is central to Luther’s transformative understanding of grace in Christ. Theodore Graebner’s translation/abridgement (GLH Publishing) is
powerful and lively.

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

Potok has many superb stories of orthodox Jewish young men coming to adulthood.  Asher Lev is an artistic genius who is conflicted between his artistic passions and his orthodox faith.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I’m thankful to return to this delightful story after many years. It truly is a classic.

Amy Kruis, deaconess

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936
Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

Everything Sad Is Untrue: (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri

Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation by Nancy Guthrie

Elizabeth Larsen, evangelism and culture impact committee

Faithfully Different by Natasha Crain

Ann Lawrenz, deaconess

Ten Words To Live by Jen Wilkin

An in-depth look at the Ten Commandments by one of my favorite Christian writers. As Jen states lawfulness is Christlikeness.

Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God by Tim Keller

I read this book as an accompaniment to my reading of the gospel of Mark this summer.

Jack by Marilynne Robinson

The fourth book in Robinson’s Gilead series addresses racism and inequality and its effect on the lives of Jack Boughton and Della Miles.

A Week In the Life of a Roman Centurion by Gary Burge

First century Capernaum is the setting for this historical depiction of the life of a Roman centurion, his slave Tullus and his encounter with Jesus.

Sarah Lindquist, evangelism & culture impact committee

What to Say When: The Complete New Guide to Discussing Abortion by Shawn Carney and Steve Karlen

Very clear, easy read. Appreciated listening to authors answer audience questions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCg0nz61NLs

A Church Called TOV: Forming a Goodness Culture by Laura Barringer and Scot McKnight

Josh Maurer, pastor of discipleship

The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory by Abigail Favale

Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say by Preston Sprinkle

Evangelism as Exiles: Life on Mission as Strangers in Our Own Land by Elliot Clark

A Theology of Paul and His Letters: The Gift of the New Realm in Christ by Douglas Moo

Richard Moomjian, pastoral resident

The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson

Sarah Nelson, deaconess

The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

I enjoy this author. He gives clues to the murder that give him humor, and entertains and helps me be part of solving who the killer is.

The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

I enjoy this author. When he passed away, I wanted to enjoy one of his books. McCullough knows how to tell
a good story.

Jeff Oslund, elder

Letters to My Students by Charles Hadden Spurgeon

Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders

Everyday Holiness: Becoming Who You Were Made to Be by Josh Moody

Born Again This Way by Rachel Gilson

Harry Robinson, board of missions

Amazed by Jesus by Simon Ponsonby

After 30 years in ministry, Simon Ponsonby found himself asking the question, “Do I love Jesus, or do I just work for him?” Somehow in the midst of faithful and busy ministry he reflects that his awe for the Savior became blurred. This book points us to Jesus in a refreshing way, and certainly led me to once again be “Amazed by Jesus.”

Melinda Rynbrandt, director of women’s ministries

The End of the Christian Life: How Embracing our Mortality Frees us To Truly Live by J. Todd Billings

David Setran, elder

Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense by Paul Tripp

An Infinite Journey: Growing Toward Christlikeness by Andrew Davis

Simple Discipleship: Grow Your Faith, Transform Your Community by Dana Allin

 With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will Toward Christ by A. Craig Troxel

Suzanne Shirley, midweek morning superintendent (Kids Korner)

Made for More by Hannah Anderson 

You’re Not Enough (and that’s ok) by Allie Beth Stuckey

When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer

Tanglewood Secrets by Patricia St. John

Nancy Singer, director of administration and finance

Faith Based Fraud by Warren Cole Smith

Fraud happens all around us, but as Christians, we generally think that it won’t happen in the world of Christ followers. Time and time again, Christian leaders all around us perpetrate fraud against the Christ-followers in their churches as well as in the general public. Reading what has happened in the past can help us prevent such frauds in the future.

Carol Taylor, deaconess

Still Life and the entire Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny

I am one book away from listening to the entire soon to be 18 book series, having just starred in July. I’m hooked!

Wil Triggs director of communications

Do You Pray? by J. C. Ryle

This is the book my small group is studying now—really enjoy our discussion.

Wisdom of the Ancients by Bryan Liftin

Another title I read in community—this time with the summer book group.

The Heart in Pilgrimage by Leland Ryken

 

The Gift of Heavenly Hosts by Pat Cirrincione

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Billy Graham called them “God’s secret agents.” I am sure there are people who wonder if they are for real. Personally, I side with the Reverend Graham. I believe that angels are in our very midst. I think they guide us with the light of God’s love, that they wear many faces, and as Scripture shows, they appear in some strange places in our time of need.

Psalm 91:11 says, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” You may believe that there are no such heavenly beings, but like Billy Graham I believe angels exist, because the Bible says there are angels, and I believe the Bible to be the true Word of God (plus I’ve watched multiple times one of my favorite Jimmy Stewart movies, “It’s A Wonderful Life”).

Before I sidetrack myself with all the movies I’ve watched featuring angels, let’s return to Scripture. In Genesis 28:10-19, Jacob lies down to sleep and dreams of a ladder that was set up on the earth, and the top if it reached to heaven. We are told that there the “angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” Can you imagine the length of that ladder? And angels ascending and descending from the house of God to guide, appear and sing to his people on earth? What a sight that must have been! And what a feeling to know that even if we can’t see them, angels are standing here, messengers of our Almighty God.

How many times when life holds troubled moments and has us on our knees, there seems someone there to come along and comfort us? A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand. A phone call from a friend, just to say they understand. Someone to help us in our darkest hours? Someone who comes alongside you and guides you. Someone who prayers with you in time of need, when you think you are at the end of your rope? Angels are associated with God himself and help in administering his works and plans in our lives. They are there to protect and assist us. And just as in God’s Word, when we see his armies fighting for God’s people in the Old Testament, they are fighting for us today, to attain victory over the forces of darkness.

In biblical times, angels intervened in human situations in human form: in a dream to Joseph (Matthew 1:20) or to Mary (Luke 1:26) or around God’s throne (Revelation 5:11). Or at the resurrection when the women looked into the tomb and saw “two angels in white, where the body of Jesus had lain” (John 20:11, 12). And they heard the greatest message the world has ever heard from two men in dazzling apparel: “He is not here, but is risen.” (Luke 24:4-6)

Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us to “not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” And in Matthew 4:11 angels were involved in Jesus life on earth when they ministered to him after Satan tempted him in the wilderness.

Yet my favorite angel remains the angel of the Lord who appeared to country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. As God’s messenger stood before them, they were greatly afraid. Who wouldn’t be? But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (KJV, Luke 2:8-14)

What a sight that must have been. Angels, sent down to us from somewhere up above, showing up in the strangest places, with the light of God’s love.

For this year, and all years to come, let us be thankful and be a gift to each other, and sing in remembrance of that night so long ago:

Hark! The herald angels sing,

“Glory to the new-born King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With the’angelic host proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! The herald angels sing,

“Glory to the new-born King.”

Christmas in December . . . or not by Wil Triggs

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A few weeks back, I was standing at the Sunday morning bookstall when a man I know well approached me and asked, “When did we start celebrating Christmas in December?”

“You mean the exact year?” I asked.

“You know it really didn’t happen then,” he said.

I told him I didn’t know the answer to his question, but promised to look into it and get back to him.

Well, I’ve done some research and discovered that it’s not a simple question to answer. I thought that Christmas started with the early church, but from what I’ve been able to tell, celebrating Christ's birth came about later than observing and celebrating his death and resurrection. The Bible connects Christ’s death with Passover, so we can at least know the season. But Christmas is much less tied to any such tradition. And even Luke’s gospel account of the census isn’t as clean to identify as I thought. He alludes to those days, but not specific weeks or months or seasons. I have been able to find surely stated assertions, but there are several, and they don’t agree with one another.

And churches being churches, there’s always the east-west calendar where whole parts of the world celebrate Christmas, just not in December. In our house, we don’t take down our decorations until Orthodox Christmas (January 6). Maybe it’s just an excuse to leave the lights up, but it’s also a nod to Russia and other parts of the world who observe the holiday in the orthodox calendar.

My wife wants a shout out to the minority who like to celebrate Christmas in July. She says they know who they are. And there’s our pastor’s sage comment in last week’s sermon expressing sympathy for the Puritans who banned Christmas. That makes it immaterial altogether.

If we consider the all-important decree of the newly converted Ebenezer Scrooge, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year” does it really matter when the actual day is? What matters is that we are to strive to keep it all the year.

So now I’m way past answering the question at the bookstall and I’m wondering, “What is it that I’m to strive to keep?”

Do I strive to “take back Christmas” from wherever it might have wandered? What traditions do I strive to keep alive? (Note to self: outdoor Christmas lights are not at top of the list, and yet the gutter lights are on, but our tomato cage Christmas trees are inside by the back door possibly going up this weekend.)

And then, as I’m asking all this, our small group gathering happens. The Christmas dinner edition. Kathy’s authentic cheese tortellini and sausage soup that I’m sure is going to be served in heaven. Lois’s “Irresistible Salad.” Crusty sourdough breads, a mocha cake. I could go on, but I’m already distracting myself and surely you, too. We consider the two sides of Christmas—secular and religious—as expressed in an article by Tim Keller. As we talk, it becomes clear that we each have distinct histories and experiences related to both sides of the Christmas coin.

There’s the relief of no longer having to work in a retail context where people obsessed with deals forget to show any gratitude at all to the workers. There’s Africa, China, Bhutan, Soviet Russia represented—sometimes with no official celebration at all. We celebrate as singles and small and large extended families, open our doors to those who have no where else to go. One person moves from an explosion of excess gifts to only handmade simple gifts. Another gives charitable gifts to meet needs. One family shifts to drawing names to reduce the burden and increase the quality of gifts.

As I listen to the give and take, a Christmas pattern begins to emerge.

It’s a pattern of generosity, thankfulness and humility. That includes some places that don’t look anything like our all-American version. We like to embrace our season, yet some places people almost forget about the actual day because it’s not a holiday at all. It’s the pattern of the Incarnation that is full of grace and truth. It’s a reminder that when the true light came into the world, it filled a night sky over a bunch of shepherds who ran at breakneck speed to worship Jesus.

Yet it’s the same world where Herod took a generation of lives so he could keep his kingly power. Herod lives in our hearts when we think we can make ourselves better if we just try harder, spend a lot, give more, keep control of whatever kingdom we imagine to be in our realm, in essence, atone for our own sins.

Yet the Word prevails. May he prevail in our hearts today and this Christmas. We can't fix what needs to be fixed. There's no celebrating it away. That's good news for all of us—Africa, China, Bhutan, Russia, U.S.—the Light of the World came, comes and will come again in his time—December or April or whenever and forever. Let's celebrate this in our hearts.

Advent. Coming. Amen.

Full of Mystery, Full of Wonder

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A Christmas prayer and poem from Prayers for Every Occasion by College Church member Ellen Elwell.

Lord Jesus, the account of your birth in Scripture is so familiar, yet full of mystery and wonder. Year after year, I hear the story and ponder its meaning all over again. What a miracle! You—God—became man and were willing to walk beside us, leaving the glory of heaven to experience a humble life on earth.

This season is filled with activities and events that easily distract me from contemplating the true significance of Christmas. You are the most precious gift ever given to humankind. And yet, too often I leave you out in the cold, giving little thought to the monumental significance of your coming. Like those in Bethlehem, I can become so busy with other things that I don't find room in my heart for you.

Lord, I open my heart to you. I present myself to you as a dwelling place. It it only because of your mercy and forgiveness that my feeble temple is deemed worthy for you to reside in. I pray that others will see your presence in my life and be compelled to know you, not merely as a baby in a manger, but as a life-giving Savior.

A Christmas Prayer

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)

Loving God,
Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
That we may share in the song of the angels,
The gladness of the shepherds,
And the worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate
And open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,
And teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children,
And Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,
Forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake
Amen.