Yet another typical RELEVANTbooks compilation “book”. I am not REALLY impressed with this day-long 15-minute here, 15-minute there read that I finished this afternoon.

The book is “edited” or “compiled” by Jennifer Ashley – and it features some great insight that I would’ve been disappointed if I had paid more that $10 for. These 15 “essays” are from 15 different RELEVANT pastors from across the world – they each wrote an essay, apparently answering the question, “How is your church RELEVANT”.

Some of them did a great job at explaining their ministries, how they’ve evolved, what they’re doing. Others just wrote a bunch of self-induced theology that I didn’t really want to read.

I’m disappointed in RELEVANT for marketting such things as BOOKS instead of great website articles.

Quit charging me $10 for something I’d rather read on your website under the same title!

I’m done.

Worship seems REAL on the United LIVE CDs that I own.

This CD is no different. “Authenticity” sums up this live album for me. It’s great – I received this as another “Youth Pastor Perk” and have been loving it ever since. The “real deal” comes out in the first week of May and I have already ordered it. That “real” version comes complete with a DVD with yet more “authenticity” I’m sure.

13-tracks and almost an hour and ten minutes worth of fast-paced Christ-following worship music here.

A great new album by the boys in Jars of Clay.

Seems like everyone from Kutless to Out of Eden is producing an album “full of hymns”. That seems to be the CCM-way of being “sub-culturally relevant”.

I don’t mind it – I just hope every CCM artist is willing to admit to NOT being trend-setters but sub-cultural followers…

The album is really good (in this light of being a sub-cultural trend). I did not pay real money for this album – but probably wouldn’t be upset with it if I did. I received it as a “Youth Pastor Perk”.

10 tracks consisting of songs like, “I Need Thee Every Hour” (also an inscription on the paddle my parents used when we were kids), “It Is Well With My Soul” bring the listener back to another time and genre of music that once ruled the ears of PKs and other church-setters.

Listen to samples before forging over your $16 for this album – make sure it’s something you’d enjoy.

Did you know that you can start a fire with a can of coke and a chocolate bar?

Note to self: MUST TRY THIS ASAP.

Finished yet another book – “Searching for God Knows What” by Donald Miller – I actually had started this book before I ever knew about “Blue Like Jazz” – but put it down before I ever really got “into” it.

This book, like “Blue Like Jazz”, kept me pretty interested – when I’ve been asked what it was about, I have trouble finding an answer though.. Again this book reminds me of sitting and talking to someone and someone typing out all of the ideas and conversations over a period of time – but only the conversation coming from one side of the coffee table – Don Miller’s side.

I’m still a little thrown back at Don’s attempt at making sure that every reader knows he likes to smoke a pipe and drink beer. It’s not AS prevelant in this book, but there nonetheless.

There is some amazing insight into who God is in this book to be sure. Some paragraphs needed to be read a few times for me to even attempt to grasp the ideas Miller was putting out there. I’ll say that the last chapter was pretty incredible – relating the Love of God to the love Romeo and Juliet had and showed in the Skakespeare play. Pretty interesting.

I’m pretty impressed with my new “reading trip” these days – hopefully it’s not just a “fad” – there are PLENTY of books in this young pastor’s library that I’m ready and willing to read instead of look at!