Category Archives: Books

Books = Love

Posted by clintclifton on

7My big sister sent me a box packed with three gems off of my Amazon wishlist! Now my sister, Shawn is her name, is the worship leader at this great church in Illinois. The pastor left his job at a mega church to revitalize a church that was about to close it’s doors. It’s been like 8 years and the church is now running over 1000 each weekend! She has an outrageous gifting musically and after years of volunteering as the worship ministry director the church hired her. She has assembled a top shelf worship department at this once lifeless church is now oozing with life. I’m really proud of how God is using her to magnify Christ! Her is a pic of us when I was 3 and she was 12.

What do you do all day anyway?

Posted by clintclifton on

You know those websites like about.com that tell you how everything works so you don’t look like a doof in an otherwise intelligent conversation. Well, I spend a of time on those sites. Anyway, I noticed that ehow.com had an article to answer the question, “How Does a Southern Baptist Pastor Spend a Workday? My interest was instantly peaked because I have gotten dozens of variations of this very question asked to me over the course of ministry. Inevitably, when someone asks me this question I look like a cow staring at a new gate. I try to answer… we’ll I pray, I read my bible, I read other books, I call people on the phone, I check my email, I meet people for coffee, sometimes I hang out with people when they are having a really bad day…The look I get in return tells me that my answer has solidified their hunch… I play computer solitaire and google myself all day.

So what does ehow say the SBC pastor does all day… Maybe I’ll finally get a grip on what I’m supposed to be doing.

  • Prayer and Devotion – Check
  • Hospital and Home Visits – Check
  • Sermon Preparation – Check
  • Staff and Committee Meetings – Check
  • Call Visitors and Absentees – Check
  • Counseling Sessions – Check
  • Personal Study Time – Check
  • Family Time – Check

Then there’s the Bible…

2) So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3) Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4) and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”  5) This proposal pleased the whole group. Acts 6:2-5

So… Let me ask you… What’s missing from the list? What’s on the list that shouldn’t be there?

Continuing the Lifeway Conversation

Posted by clintclifton on

It has come to my attention that lifeway is making some effort to inform readers of the unorthidox nature of the reading material that they are selling. A flyer featuring THESE WORDS are stuffed inside of books written by the following authors. Follow the links to see the specific theological faux pax.

The Shack by William P. Young: Book Briefing
 Bell, Rob: Author Briefing
McLaren, Brian: Author Briefing
Miller, Donald: Author Briefing

Still no health and wealth guys on the list but I have to commend lifeway for making an attempt on this one.

Ranting and Raving About Books

Posted by clintclifton on

surprising-insightsFirst the Raves:

Wow… I have never read a Rainer book that I really got into, but today I picked up Surprising Insights and it was actually full of Surprising Insights. I can’t wait to finish this thing I feel like I’m becoming a better pastor by the minute reading this book.

Favorite quote so far: “Our research of over 4,000 churches in America we have seen clearly that many churches are abandoning the Biblical model of pastoral ministry. Instead of allowing pastors the necessary time and encouragement to spend time in prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4) congregations are demanding time and energy from their pastors for tasks that have little biblical foundation”

prodigalgod_bSecond, Timothy Keller’s, The Prodigal God. Its a short read but takes a closer look at the parable of the Prodigal son. Keller points out that we have been missing the point of the parable to focus our attention on the Prodigal boy and shed’s glorious new light on the teaching of the parable. Well worth the read.

Now the Rants:

I’m a card carrying Southern Baptist. When my church planting buddies push me around for my support of the SBC I defend my denomination like a good Royal Ambassador should.

I am also glad that the SBC owns a huge bookstore chain that brings in boat loads of cash every year.

But I can’t understand for the life of me why we charge churches… the very churches we are trying to resource… hundreds of dollars for a single resource!? Take for example THIS ONE. Written by someone on the Lifeway payroll. Just the leaders kit is $200 bucks plus another $10 a book for each student.

Next, why do we peddle books and products that oppose our doctrines? Seriously, Lifeway’s CEO is the author of the first book I raved about in this post. Furthermore, SBC has some of the greatest minds in the Kingdom. Dr. Stetzer… can you do anything to help this situation? Why are we selling poo on the feature shelf in our million dollar book stores? Do we actually want our church members, or anyone for that matter to read, “woman thou art Loosed” or “Your Best Life Now” I was in Lifeway today and the Word of Faith movement was better represented than our own denomination. I’m all for selling something from outside the denomination… but not outside of orthidoxy.

I want to understand, please help me.

Back to School

Posted by clintclifton on

Session 1

After a 5 year break since finishing a Masters I have decided to hit the books again. In January I go Back to LU to extend my MAR into a MDiv. Then, Lord willing will enter a Doctoral Program at Southern.

Session 2

I first heard the name Mark Dever when my former college professor demonized him for propagating an opposing theological position. A few months later heard a prominent voice in the SBC speak negitivly about him. So one day I’m in Jesus-mart and see his name on a book… “The Gospel and Personal Evangelism”… Hmmm…  So hunker down in the store and read a few chapters… it’s good really good. Of course, I google him… He is the pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church a mere 30 miles from my house, he went to Cambridge, Southern, Duke… He’s Reformed, started Nine Marks and T4G.

dr-deverWow… what’s not to like?

Since then Dr. Dever has risen to prominence, published a boatload of great books and has been very influential as a mentor to young aspiring theologians and pastors.

A few months ago, after having lunch with Dr. Dever and a few of his staff members I emailed him asking if he would consider allowing me to learn from him, or if he could find time in his schedule to meet with me on a regular basis (I know, it’s a long shot but it never hurts to ask). I didn’t hear any thing for a few months, then out of the blue – a phone call from his office offering me the opportunity I asked for!

So from August – December of 2009 I will be joining six other guys ever Thursday to learn from Dr. Dever. Here’s a little sample of the books we will be reading and discussing.

  • When People are Big and God is Small, Ed Welch
  • Theology of the Reformers, Timothy George
  • The Reformation, T.M. Lindsay
  • “Church History Lectures,” delivered by Michael Lawrence
  • “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?” (sermon), Harry Emerson Fosdick
  • “Christianity and Race Prejudice” (sermon), Francis Grimke
  • 9 Marks of a Healthy Church (booklet), Mark Dever
  • Called to the Ministry, Edmund Clowney
  • Display of God’s Glory (booklet), Mark Dever
  • The Reformation of the Church, Iain Murray
  • The Christian Ministry, Charles Bridges
  • The Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes
  • Polity, Mark Dever ed.
  • Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Mark Dever
  • Worship by the Book, Don Carson
  • The Deliberate Church, Mark Dever and Paul Alexander
  • “Ecclesiology” chapter by Mark Dever in A Theology for the Church, edited by Danny Akin
  • By Whose Authority? (booklet) Mark Dever
  • Give Praise to God, edited by Phil Ryken et al
  • Engaging with God, Eugene Peterson
  • The Worship of the American Puritans, Horton Davies
  • Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church, Don Carson

I Surrender

Posted by clintclifton on

colby-clintIt happened in IHOP one cold March day in the winter of 2002. My new boss, “Wild Bill,” arranged the meeting like a barbaric marriage ceremony. He believed, naively, that an omelet with my new associate would solve what the Civil War did not. I slid in, waving off the hostess before scanning the room for a skinny low life in a blue uniform. Our meeting was on his turf, just north of the Rappahannock but I wasn’t intimidated! He was from the north, a Yank! and I – from these Confederate states of America. Ahhh… there he was. I spotted him… alone there like a sitting duck among the reeds. I marched to the padded blue pleather booth with my finger floating anxiously above my trigger. He spoke first, “Hi, I’m Colby” – what, ah… the nerve! How dare him be friendly after all the gunfire, all the lives lost, all the families torn apart by the spoils of war! Two could play this game. “Hi, I’m Clint”, I said. The excessive friendliness continued  through the meeting and to this day.

So as I sit in my chair and look to my Rebel banner hung high upon the wall I am forced to wonder how far my adversary will take this excessive kindness… this overflowing fellowship before he makes his final fatal move. Today a book arrived off of my amazon wish list… who could have done it, maybe my lover, maybe my family, certainly a fellow confederate. But no, its from the friendliest foe I have ever known.

I surrender, I am a tired warrior against a patient opponent and I surrender.

Got Another Book…

Posted by clintclifton on

img_0111_2Well my mother-in-law becomes second in the list outstanding Christians who exchange some of their monetary treasure to store up heavenly treasure in my brain.

I’ve only had the book for one day and already it’s compelling me to be a better follower of Jesus… consider this quote from chapter 4…

The greatest proof for Christianity is not how far a man can logically analyze his reason for believing, but how far in practice he will stake his life on his belief. – T.S. Eliot

I cut my father-in-law out of the picture because I didn’t see his name on the invoice…

The Pelt Family

Posted by clintclifton on

Jason and Tracee Pelt have once again proven their outstanding commitment to the total gospilization of the United States of America by providing one of the books off of my amazon wish list.

I arrived home today after meeting with a church member to find this an amazon box of blessings. Thank you Pelts for your contributuin to my ongoing education. I pray that many more follow your outstanding example of generousity!