As we begin to wrap up this year, I’m taking inventory of some of my reading activity this past year for future reference. I read more than usual this year due to two main factors.

First, I started school again for my doctoral degree and this is requiring thousands of pages of academic reading! Second, I have made some shifts in my roles and responsibilities at MainStreet to enable me to focus less on administrative roles and more on teaching and the study preparation it requires. My midweek Three Taverns class, for instance, calls for additional reading and study.

Also, I can’t forget to mention how much my audiobook subscription with Audible has increased my reading. I’m a slow reader who gets easily distracted. I devour audiobooks on the lawn mower all summer long, while driving around in the car throughout the year, and on the treadmill when I’m working out (during those healthy spurts during the year).

For the true readers and bibliophiles out there, I realize my range of topics is quite narrow. I’m either reading books about the 1) Bible, theology and the Christian life; 2) church ministry and leadership books; 3) escaping once in a while into my twin interests of music biographies and local Lake Minnetonka history; 4) mixing in a little bit of fiction now and then — especially children’s fiction with the kids; and 5) reading big, boring academic books on the historical world behind the New Testament (which I usually dig)!

You’ll notice I’m reading as many of Scot McKnight’s books as possible. For a good student will take up his wise teacher’s yoke. I want to know his thinking on every possible topic of interest. I’m so excited to be studying with one of the giants of our day writing both academically and for the church. He’s published or edited over 50 books with several more already in the works!

Finally, the year 2017 saw not only my reading input increased, but I also found time to edit, format and publish 10 full length books of my own writings compiled from the past decade of blogging (totally 2,500+ pages). I have several other partially finished book projects in the works. Stay tuned!

So, for the record, here’s a list of some of the books I’ve read this year:

• Ancient-Future Time by Robert Webber
• A Brief History of Sunday by Justo Gonzales
• Bob Dylan: A Spiritual Life by Scott Marshall
• The Heaven Promise by Scot McKnight
• A Faithful Presence by David Fitch
• The Kingdom Conspiracy by Scot McKnight
• A Community Called Atonement by Scot McKnight
• The Blue Parakeet by Scot McKnight
• The Saga of Saga Hill by Theodore Blegen
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (with kids again)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
• Once Upon A Lake by Thelma Jones
• By the Waters of Minnetonka by Eric Dregni

AUDIO BOOKS

• Origin by Dan Brown
• Why the Reformation Still Matters by Tim Chester
• The Day the Revolution Began by N. T. Wright
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
• The Hum of Angels by Scot McKnight
• One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow by Scot McKnight
• Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Charles Marsh
• The Apostle: A Life of Paul by John Pollock
• The Great Omission by Dallas Willard
• Tom Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes
• Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton
• Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero
• The Art of Neighboring by Dave Runyon & Jay Pathak

ACADEMIC READING (for doctoral degree)

• The Fire That Consumes by Edward Fudge
• Making Sense of Sex: Attitudes towards Sexuality in Early Jewish Literature and Christian Literature by William Loader
• The New Testament on Sexuality by William Loader
• Jesus and His Death: Historiography, the Historical Jesus and Atonement Theory by Scot McKnight
• Judaism: Practice and Belief, 63 BCE-66 CE. by E. P. Sanders
• The Charismatic Leader and His Followers by Martin Hengel
• Teachers and Texts in the Ancient World:  Philosophers, Jews and Christians by H. Gregory Snyder
• Scribes, Visionaries, and the Politics of Second Temple Judea by Richard Horsley

BOOKS I PUBLISHED THIS YEAR

• The Father’s Song: The Divine Symphony of Scripture
• Scraps From the Master’s Table
• Everyday Parables: Extraordinary Truths in Ordinary Places
• Thinking Out Loud: On Theology, Culture & Faith
• Daily Illumination: Thoughts from the Intersection of Faith & Everyday Life
• The Word is Alive: Scriptural Reflections on New Life in Christ
• The Word is Active: Scriptural Reflections on Missional Living
• Dear Philippians: Pastoral Advice from a Prison Cell
• Fixed to the Rock: My Formative Years Vol. 1
• Fixed to the Rock: My Formative Years Vol. 2
• Soul Artisan: Daily Illumination 2017 (finished yesterday!)

FORTHCOMING BOOKS IN THE WORKS

• MainStreet Beginnings: 2010-2017 
• The Father’s Cabin: A Weekend with Jesus 
• Everyday Faith: Finding Faith in the Daily Grind 
• Prophet in His Hometown: The Revolution in Mound (2003-2007)

I guess it’s been a rather fruitful year!

What has been the most rewarding book you’ve read in 2017?

[Cover Photo: Bookish Jeremy circa 2005]