I just finished the new book by Ian Cron, “Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and me”.  I was so happy to get the book because I already share a personal connection to the author.  Ian was a spiritual guide at re:create in both 2009 and 2010 so we were able to hang out.  In addition, Ian Morgan Cron will be spending 3-days down here on our beautiful St. Simons Island with me and all of our “Refuge” retreat guests this October 23-26.  (register for 3 days of sabbatical retreat with myself, Ian Morgan Cron, and others at www.refugessi.com)

The other super-cool part of reading this book was that it was available as Kindle or iPad.  I chose the iPad version and LOVED reading it on my iPad2.

Speaking with Ian on the phone recently he said, “Fred, this is totally different than Chasing Francis”.  He was right, it was totally different, yet equally inspiring.

“Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and me” is Ian’s memoir.  Oddly, I suspect it’s only half-finished, as Ian has so many years of ministry, fatherhood, husbandhood, (so that’s not a word) and a life to live.

One of the biggest themes throughout the book is Ian’s struggled relationship with his alcoholic father.  For those who have lived in alcoholism you will identify with his story.  For those who have been blessed to live a life free from the effects of alcoholism you will gain a heart-wrenching insight into what life is like.

You also get glimpses of Ian’s spiritual journey, and the difference between religion for the sake of religion, and a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

I’m a CIA/Spy movie junkie, so that part of the title grabbed my attention.  You don’t really get into great spy stories – I suppose most of those stories were never really told to Ian by his father.

I have a new perspective and understanding for what it’s like for those who grow up in these tough situations.  Perhaps the greater sadness in the story is not the alcoholism, but the desperate plea from a little boy to a young man, searching for his father’s love and approval, and yes, even forgiveness.  Perhaps that gets resolved.  You’ll have to read it to find out!

You can get the book in retail stores, Amazon, and for Kindle or iPad.
Ian’s web site:  www.iancron.com
Ian’s twitter:  @iancron

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I recently had the honor of working with the production team from Dr. Charles Stanley’s “In Touch” Ministries in their creation of a new promo/commercial.  The commercial is for Dr. Stanley’s upcoming book, “Turning the Tide”.  As a New York Times Best-Selling Author, this book will be sure to be selling like crazy.

My cousin and great friend – a fellow “creative”, John McKinnon, was the Director and asked me to help them secure a beach location here and some kids to be the “extras”.

I watched them race the sunlight and the quickly approaching tides on Jekyll Island’s driftwood beach for 2 days of filming.  The commercial is now produced, and though I’m biased towards my cousin’s work, I think it’s incredible.

See for yourself – and pickup the book, which releases in July.

Brenton Brown’s new album, “Our God Is Near” just hit the market …

And I like it … A LOT.

I just published my review of the album over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com … so go check it out and let us know your thoughts if you’ve heard the record!

Great job, Brenton!

Artist:  Saint Lewis (Shannon and Cyle Lewis and friends)
Album:  Songs from the Hope Farm

Hey Everybody,

It’s with great excitement that I share the much-anticipated album, “Songs from the Hope Farm” by Saint Lewis is finally available on iTunes.  Shannon Lewis is the Associate Worship Leader at SSCC and I have the privilege of serving God’s Kingdom with he and his lovely wife, Cyle.  Shannon is also a blogger and contributer at TheWorshipComunity.Com

On a personal level, I am biased because I love Shannon, Cyle, and their family … so, I’m gonna be excited about this release regardless.  I’ve seen YEARS of sweat, prayer, toil, victory, and heartache poured into this project.  I was given the privilege of playing B3 organ on Track 3 and gave input into some of the mixes.

On a professional level, I’d highly recommend this project simply because of it’s diversity.  Lyrics are Kingdom-minded.  Melodies are diverse.  Style changes from song-to-song, yet maintains a signature “Saint Lewis” sound.

My favorites?
3.  Wandering Heart
4.  Quiet Your Heart
5.  Fly  (lyrics – I love this line, “there’s so much more to be seen from the sky …”)
8.  Never Cease to Sing (we did this at one of our Night of Worship events, love the pads and keyboard work of McKendree Augustas on this!)

So … if you’re a little bored with the status quo … with the same, pop-rock guitar sounds, pulsing 8th note bass lines, and predictable chord movements, click the iTunes graphic above or just head over to iTunes and pick this album up today.  You’re supporting an incredible artist, worship leader, and family.

Earlier this year I was asked to participate in a blog tour and review of the book “Picking Dandelions:  A Search for Eden Among Life’s Weeds” by Sarah Cunningham.

I’m hesitant to agree to a lot of reviews because my desk is already covered in book, resource, and CD/DVD reviews from publishers and record labels.  Hat’s off to a couple of websites with decent traffic, I suppose.

For whatever reason, I agreed and the book arrived shortly thereafter.  After reading through the entire book I would summarize it with words that my wife would use … it’s a “feel good” book.

You know, one of those books that just makes you feel good.  You connect.  You identify.

Sarah takes us on a journey of her life (much of which is still to be lived) and her experiences growing up in this life as a Christian.  I found myself laughing at the stories she tells as I could so easily identify with them.  I love her use of stories and humor.

Ultimately, this book is about identifying the bad and recognizing the good.  It came at a perfect time for me as the word “gratitude” has been stamped on my spirit for 2010.  Over and over, God is teaching me to be grateful and reminding me of how much I should be grateful.

Sarah, in a true display of authenticity and vulnerability, shares her own flaws and hangups.  She takes us on a journey through life with unexpected twists and turns.

For the “churched” – you can truly relate.  If we are not experiencing a tension of how to be “in the church” and how to “be the church” and “do the stuff” that Jesus tells us to do … we aren’t living.  Sarah lives this out in print and takes us through her own journey of “christian-dom” and how it has blessed her, and how it has frustrated her.

As I spoke to Sarah after reading the book she couldn’t help but ask about my perspective as a man.  It seems the book may have been unintentionally targeted to women.  My response?  Everything I read connects to me as a man.  I feel the same frustrations.  I have the same flaws.  I have the overwhelming need to find the good in life, and need help and reminders to do so.  Not to mention, I like an easy read that puts my soul at rest.

I hope you’ll checkout the book here on Amazon.Com.

In the meantime, I’ve invited Sarah to stop by and field some of your questions.

How do deal with the “weeds” in your life?  How do you focus on the good, and not the bad?
How do you think the church is doing with “outward ministry” – meaning, beyond the 4 walls of our structures?
What is the biggest change that God is taking you through at the moment?  Be vulnerable.  Be authentic, and share.

Let the conversation begin.

Vicky Beeching’s new CD, “Eternity Invades” launched today, APRIL 6 on iTunes.

Who would like to WIN a copy?  I’ve got 5 copies to put in somebody’s mailbox!  That’s 5 winners.  One each day for the next 5 days this week.  So bring it!

Well, here’s what you do if you really wanna win!

1.  Leave a comment with your name & location below. (way down there where it says “leave a reply”)
2.  Click that green “tweet/retweet” button at the top of this post and tell folks about this giveaway.

Also, be sure and checkout the review on TheWorshipCommunity.Com when you’re done!

If you just can’t stand waiting to see who wins … pick up your copy on iTunes!

Hey Everyone,

We’ve been spreading the word this week about a great new song we’re featuring over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com and HighestPraise.Com called “Hallelujah!  I Am Free”.  You can download free leadsheets and chord charts to it here.

This morning the songwriter, Trent Smith, uploaded a great video showing how he plays the song.  Check it out.  Most importantly, share it with your friends.  I hope you’ll consider using this song in your personal times of worship and even in your corporate worship at your church.

Song:
Hallelujah! I Am Free (Trent Smith) by highestpraise

Video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFQtsO4LSGk[/youtube]

I’m back from the re:create conference.  We hit the ground running wide open … what’s new.  I need to sit down and unpack everything that happened last week during re:create, but haven’t found a slow moment.  Do they exist?

Anyway, while I was there I experienced “Gungor” – formerly known as “The Michael Gungor Band”.  Folks, unless you’ve just offline, you’ve already seen the buzz on Twitter and blogs about this band.  I have witnessed some amazing performances in my life and this ranks as one of the most inspiring performances of my lifetime.  I’m not exaggerating.

Gungor’s CD (which he presented from start to end for us with the full band and multimedia experience) released today, Feb 15.  It’s called “Beautiful Things”.  I’d encourage you to spend the $10 and download it right away from iTunes.  It’s so worth it.

Here’s their “EPK” video.  Enjoy the heart of a husband/wife and band that show some of the most inspiring, creative, passionate worship I’ve encountered … ever.  Also, my friend Russ Hutto just published an amazing review of the album and the live experience we had with Gungor over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com.  Go checkout that review after watching the EPK below.

After hearing about the much-anticipated, controversial book for nearly a full year, Randy Elrod has officially released his book, “Sex, Lies, and Religion”.

I’ve had the pleasure of spending some quality time with Randy and his wife, Chris.  He’s one of those guys that you are immediately captivated by.  Chris, his lovely wife and life partner is equally amazing and when you hang around them you get the idea that this is how God intended marriage to be.

I got my pre-release copy of this book a couple of weeks ago and was drawn into the story from the very beginning.  The opening scene hits home for me because it is literally taking place a stone’s throw from my home and I couldn’t help but smile, recalling the “personal connection” I had to this book and it’s author.

I won’t go into a lot of details about the book – you can get that information when you buy it and read it for yourself.  Known for beautiful works of watercolor art, many of which are nudes, I began to get a better understanding of Randy’s heart for true art, the physical body, and expression.

What is the difference between nude art and pornography?  This book addresses that topic and many, many others.

“Sex, Lies, and Religion” will be a challenging read, especially for those who are overly religious.  Randy will tackle some issues of sexuality, expression, and intimacy that can challenge your thinking.  He certainly challenged mine.  I honestly can’t say that I’d endorse or agree with every statement in the book.

On the whole, the book is a welcome challenge and I am already inspired by reading it.  Personally, with four young children in our home and decades of religious influences  affecting my paradigms and ways of thinking,  I NEEDED TO READ THIS BOOK.

In closing, I think this book can certainly bring about freedom to so many people who could be in bondage to sexual sins, lusts, or intimacy issues.  Most importantly, the purpose is not just to “improve your sex life” … it’s to bring a greater awareness of our intimacy with Christ.

Curious yet?  Go get your copy of “Sex, Lies, and Religion” by Randy Elrod today at:
http://sexliesandreligion.skyroo.com
———–
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from cre:ate 2.0 Publishing to read and post a review on my site. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 > “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hey Everybody,

Today is the day!  If you’ve been into blogging and social networking at all, Carlos Whittaker (aka “Los”) is no stranger to you.  He’s the blogger over at RagamuffinSoul.Com and we are teaming up with Carlos and Integrity Music to give you a 3-day blog tour of his brand new EP that launched TODAY.

There are 3 songs on the EP:

1.  “Jesus Saves” (hear it right here on FredMcKinnon.Com)
2.  “Rain It Down” (hear it tomorrow, Jan 27 over at Klampert.Com)
3.  “We Will Worship” (hear it Thursdays, Jan 28 over at ChrisFromCanada.Com)

Here’s an exclusive preview of the first song, “Jesus Saves”.

“Jesus Saves”
By:  Mia Fieldes, Jason Ingram and Carlos Whittaker
© 2010 Mia Fieldes/Shout! Publishing (adm in the U.S. and Canada by Integrity Worship Music)/ASCAP, Sony/ATV Timber Publishing/West Main Music/Windsor Hill Music/SESAC and Integrity Worship Music/ASCAP

Jesus Saves by highestpraise

Lyrics:

Your wounded hands have broken my chains
Your holiness has carried the weight
And I am the sum of failing and of grace
You overcame

Jesus saves my Jesus saves
Jesus saves my Jesus saves

Your innocence has covered my shame
Your love has spoken me by name
And I have victory over the grave over the grave
You overcame

Jesus saves my Jesus saves
Jesus saves my Jesus saves

I was dying You came for me
Now I’m living for my savior
Hope is rising up within me
You’re my Savior and Lord

Want a FREE CHORD CHART so you can start singing this anthem in your church right away?  Download it!

Want to buy this song and the entire EP?  Get it on iTunes today!

First, let me just apologize and say that I was supposed to post a review of this book for Thomas Nelson Publishers a month or so ago … when the book was released.  I had two pre-release copies but didn’t finish the book in time.

So – now, I’m going to GIVEAWAY a brand new copy of this book – all you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog.  Facebook folks … you have to click over to FredMcKinnon.Com and leave a comment here, not on Facebook, sorry!

I’ll do the giveaway sometime early next week.

The Review:

OK, so I’ll be honest here.  I had a hard time finishing this book.  From the get-go, I was pretty disappointed.  A lot of that came from confusion – I didn’t really understand how the book was written.  Was it fiction?  Was it for real?  Did this stuff really happen to Donald Miller, or was he just writing about it happening to him?  Did he really have someone approach him about making a movie of one of his previous books?  If so, which book was it?

And guess what.  I still don’t know the answers to those questions.

So, I wasn’t blow away by the book – I kept giving up on it, only to pick it up again.  And it started growing on me.  It felt like the entire first half of the book was the same thing over and over … and then, all of a sudden, he started “walking out” the stuff he was learning – making changes in his life … so that his “story” would be more exciting.  And it was.

So I’m happy to say that when I finally finished the book, I was glad I’d pressed through.  The second half of the book was much better than the first half and make it worth the read.  I realize my “less than blown away” review is a contrast to all the cool folks who reviewed this book … many whom are blog and real-life friends that I have a great deal of respect for.  But when it’s all said and done, I was like “what’s the big deal”?

There are some great stories in here, though … like I said, especially at the end.  And hey – it’s DEFINITELY worth getting a FREE COPY, so leave a comment below for your chance to win!

New York Times Best-Selling Author, Max Lucado, has just released another book through Thomas Nelson.  I was honored to receive an advance copy of this book and was intrigued immediately by the title and subtitle:

“Fearless” – Can You Imagine Your Life Without Fear?

(available in hardcover, kindle, and audio CD at Amazon.Com)

One of the commands we find throughout Scripture over and over is “fear not” or “take courage”.  I’ve personally experienced fear, seen it in loved ones, and witnessed it hold us hostage.  I’ve also enjoyed the victory of overcoming fear in many areas of my own life and have seen this reward in my family.

The timing of Lucado’s book couldn’t be any better.  We are living in a world where each day’s news brings us more reasons to be anxious and fearful.  Government takeover of business.  Wars and rumors of wars.  Swine flu, Asian flu, and various threats of disease.  Terrorist warnings.  Recession and skyrocketing unemployment.

The most beautiful part of this book is the tool that Max Lucado uses to illustarate the liberty from fear.  That tool is the Word of God.  In true pastoral form, Lucado takes us through pages of Scripture references and examples where we are encouraged … no … commanded … to trust God and not fear.

The main fears addressed in this book are the culprits that plague most of our lives.

• Fear of insignificance
• Fear that God is angry with us
• Fear of not having our needs met
• Fear for our children, in parenting
• Fear in trying circumstances and storms
• Fear of worse-case scenarios that grow in our imaginations
• Fear of violence, wars, and our world
• Fear of losing our wealth, possessions, materialism
• Fear of death and dying
• Fear of change and the unknown
• Fear when we doubt in God, or His existence
• Fear of things getting worse
• Fear of God changing and breaking our perception of who He Is

I appreciate how the book expresses the reality of these fears.  We can acknowledge their existence without giving into them fully.  Throughout the book we learn about exposing, sharing, praying, and discussing our fears.  All of these are ways to overcome the tyranny of fear and anxiety.

Perhaps my favorite chapter in this book was also the most puzzling to me.  Lucado brought an incredible revelation to me about the full meaning in Jesus’ prayer that “this cup would pass, if possible” (see Mark 14:35-36).  You’ll have to read the book to see this revelation but suffice it to say I was overwhelmed with the magnitude of what happened on the cross.

At the same time, I struggle with the perception that, as Max Lucado claims, “Jesus had fear”.  Granted, I know that we are called to “fear God” and in doing so, the fear is not sinful.  Personally, I see Jesus dreading the cross, agonizing over the pending punishment that awaited him, wrestling with what the future held for him … yes … but I’m not sure that it was “fear”.  For Jesus to truly “fear”, I would think that he’d sinned and momentarily lost faith and courage in God.  I’m no theologian, but it’s hard for me to accept that Christ had “fear” (in the negative sense of being afraid).  This is reinforced by the commands throughout the Scripture that we, as Believers, are to “fear not”.  If Jesus truly was living those moments in “fear”, was He sinning?  These are puzzling questions that I wrestle with after reading the book.

The bottom line for me is that I loved the book.  It was an easy read – one of those books with short chapters that you can knock out easily in between constant kid-interruptions.  Not a person on this earth has mastered fear or anxiety and this book gives enough Scriptural ammo and encouragement to give peace to the person who is battling that huge dragon of fear.

Enjoy a preview of the book below:

WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK – JUST LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW.
THREE WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN!
———————————————————————

“Godology”
by Christian George
———————————————-

Foreword by J.I. Packer

Price Range:  from $8 used to $11 new at Amazon.Com.

Godology (noun):  1.  Because knowing God changes everything

One of the goals I setup for 2009 was to read more books.  I shared this with the “Our Creative Community” site and so far have already finished three books this year … more than I would typically read in an entire year or two.

I’ve just finished reading this new book by Christian George, author of “Sex, Sushi, and Salvation“.  (read my thoughts on Sex, Sushi, and Salvation) As I read the Introduction I was already hooked and eager to dive into this book.  He immediately grabbed my attention and signaled my need to read further when he said “In a time where discipline sounds like a four-letter word, these responses to God’s nature will help us know Him up close and personally”. Then he lists some of the responses that will be discussed, including:

• Prayer
• Obedience
• Art
• Journaling
• Silence
• Fasting
• Vow Making
• Meditation
• Solitude
• Labyrinth Walking
• Practicing God’s Presence

Without question, Christian has an incredible gift with words.  He blends words and phrases together with such creativity that you begin to wonder how many more times a simple truth can be put with such an eloquent twist or creative comparison.  The “creative comparison” is one of my favorite ways he writes, consistently  tying a truth together with some relevant, cultural entity that you will relate to at first read.

The book was a light, enjoyable read for me.  We talked about all of the spiritual disciplines and Christian always has a memorable story to communicate his points.  Reading the book makes you feel as if you’ve grown up with Christian and walked alongside of him through these encounters and stories.

Below are some quotes that jumped off the page for me.  Check them out, then go pickup this book at Amazon.Com or your favorite bookstore.

Regarding Prayer:
“And if we truly believe that God is truly with us, in every room, at every moment, prayer becomes less activity and more an attitude”.

Regarding Obedience:
“Obedience must become a discipline for us because it is unnatural …. they key is self-abandonment”

Regarding Art:
“When it came to tent and temple artwork, God had a no slackers policy”.

Regarding Blogging and Journaling:
“Journaling is an inward practice that reminds us of an upward reality – that God glued Himself to our planet”.
“So if our memories can’t sustain our professional lives, why do we trust them with our spiritual lives”?
“Journals are blogs for the soul.  They’re chronological records of our hopes, songs, prayers, fears, regrets, meditations, and insights”.

Regarding Holiness and Silence, Holy Places:
“Even in our churches, silence is an unwelcome visitor.  Though well intended, our performance-driven gatherings hush our sensitivity to silence”.
“God is always talking but our ears are full of wax.  Silence is the Q-tip”.
“Silence is difficult for the body, but chocolate for the soul”.

Regarding Fasting:
“We medicate ourselves with food and govern our lives around meals”.
“Fasting weans us from the world by removing the frivolous and the fluffy from our lives”.
“If our physical lives are undisciplined, our spiritual lives are probably rusting too”.

Regarding Vows, Prosperity, Promises, and Holiness:
“If hell really exists, it would be the cruelest thing in the world to keep it a secret … a sinless sermon is the quickest way to get a monster crowd”.
“True prosperity is a life totally surrendered and rendered to God”
“Never in history have Christians needed headphones more than now.  We’ve become so melded to the world’s mentalities that it’s difficult to tell where Christianity begins and secularity ends.  God’s song is so faint that whatever happens to be on the radio drowns it out.  And all the while, our true love, our first love, is forgotten”.

Regarding Meditation, and God’s Word:
“But today we bleed John Grisham, Stephen King, or that latest chick flick to hit the shelf.  We need a blood trransfusion.  We need to dig again in the Ancient Book, to bathe in the Bible – to soak in the Scriptures …”
“The discipline of meditation moves us into a deep and penetrating presence of God”.

Regarding Solitude:
“The discipline of solitude increases our patience and prepares us to engage the world”.
“It’s not about the location.  It’s about who shows up at the location”.
“The key to solitude is not escaping to the mountain, but rather transporting the mountain to the valley.  We must smuggle our Alps into our everyday lives”.

Regarding Labyrinth Walking:
“The discipline of labyrinth walking is a tangible way to focus our thoughts on Christ and center ourselves on God”.

Regarding the Practicing of God’s Presence, Rules of Living:
“When we practice His Presence we become aware of His awareness, and we can savor the Savior”.
Throughout the history of Christianity, many pilgrims have benefited from writing and following a Rule of Life – a set of practices that directed their steps”.

Conclusion:

I really enjoyed the book. It was an easy read, the chapters weren’t too long, and because each chapter deals with a different response to God or discipline, it’s easy to read in “parts” or “chapters” without feeling the need to “back up and re-read” if you put the book down for a few weeks.

Christian and the great folks at Moody Publishers have graciously given me some books to giveaway – one was given away on Twitter yesterday … comment below and your name will be entered into a random drawing for more giveaways!

Hey Ya’ll!

So the much-anticipated album from Kari Jobe released a few weeks ago – and instantly was #1 in the Christian Music charts on iTunes.  Once again, a team of worship leaders came together to present a 4-person “ReVue” of the album.  This is a concept that Joel Klampert helped dream up and has been a big hit over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com.

So, if you haven’t seen it already – head over to TheWorshipCommunity.Com and check out the ReVue.  If you’ve already purchased this CD, we’d love to hear your comments on it as well.  You can comment here, over at TWC, or both!

One of the coolest things that has been happening over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com is the “ReVue” series … where instead of having one person (often, the same person) do a review of new worship resources, we get multiple reviews on the same resource.

We call this the “ReVue” and we just published a “ReVue” on a brand new album released by Integrity Music called “Light in the Darkness” from Champions Center in Las Vegas, NV.

Led by worship leader Freddy Rodriguez, this album has a unique blend of styles, grooves, and songs.  The album was reviewed by Erika Michelle, Chris Vacher, Joel Klampert, and Russ Hutto.

Checkout the full “ReVue” over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com!

Hey Everybody -

I’m back in the swing of things now since returning from our vacation to Mexico.  While I was there I had a rare commodity at my disposal … “time”.  I was able to read a couple of books on worship.  (OK, well I read one book, and I’m about 1/3 through the second book)

Who Stole My Church by Gordon MacDonald

“Who Stole My Church” by Gordon MacDonald was the main book I devoured on this trip.  I’m not an avid reader, but I found that this was an easy book to read.

Basically, the overall concept of this fictional (but very realistic) story is how the original influencers from the older generation came to discuss how they thought their church had been “stolen” from them.  What happened to the days when they had Wednesday night prayer?  What about the choir, and all those wonderful hymns?  Why do we have that loud praise band now and no organ?

Unless you find yourself working in a younger church plant where you “made the rules” to begin with, most of us have found ourselves in this predicament.  On many occasions I found myself snickering as the comments I’d read sounded as if someone had been listening to the many conversations I’ve been a part of as a Worship Leader on staff in multiple churches the last 15 years.

I can’t wait to tackle some of the “issues” in multi-generational worship now that I’ve read this book.  It’s an easy read and one that will equip all of us as worship leaders.

So you’re not a worship leader?  I bet if you’ve attended church long enough you’ve lived through some changes that you didn’t care for.  Do you find yourself living in the past, saying “those were the years”.  You should read this book, too!

What books on worship have really impacted you?

So I received a copy of the book “Sex, Sushi, and Salvation” book this week. It’s by Christian George, an “author and speaker who enjoys good jazz and kung fu”. I’m excited and eager to jump in. I’m a slooooow reader, maybe because I’m a full-time Worship Pastor, Husband, Dad of 4 little ones, blog, write, play, and wear the entrepreneur’s hat of running a handful of my own businesses.

First impressions are good … some great endorsements on the back cover. I’ve jumped into the book last night and immediately I was pulled in with this quote from the Introduction:

“It’s simple to say we’re Christians when exams are easy, bills are paid, and all seems right in the world. But when the storms twist our exclamation points into question marks, we discover that there’s more to live than computerized slippers and sexy ring tones. We discover that the world revolves around something greater than ourselves”.

And from Chapter 1:

“God gives us the desire for intimacy so He can satisfy it. We often sing the words, ‘Come, Thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace’, but so often our hearts are tuned to every frequency but the Father’s.”

You can pickup a copy of the book @ Amazon.Com. I look forward to jumping in and enjoying the rest, and will some quotes and reviews posted as I work through it, so …

Stay Tuned.

For the Kingdom,
Fred