Recent Reads (February 2021)
Leadership:
Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs by Steve Cuss begins with an opening illustration of the author’s early months of ministry in which he was a hospital chaplain. Walking into rooms where grieving families were devastated and looking to him for some type of answer was a crucible for his future ministry. His intense anxiety of having to speak the “right words” and handle it perfectly was an impetus for him to develop communication skills that would alleviate his anxiety and the anxiety of his audience (the church, the team, the couples in counseling—whoever it might be).
As I mentioned, I am not a particularly anxious person, and I’m probably even less anxious in leadership. I have a strong gut sense of the right direction; I’m decisive and a strong communicator. I went into the book thinking I’d at least understand how anxious people feel. Understanding others and putting their anxiety as ease is still a great reason to read this book!
However, what amazed me is how intricately he describes the anxiety/frustration/confusion that occurs in all types of relationships when you’re just not sure what the other person means, what their motivations are, why you seem go over and over the same ground in conflict. I saw myself reflected in various chapters, in both subtle and obvious ways (surprise!).
It is worth reading for all church leaders, because there are significant patterns in relational anxiety and communication that we need to resolve, not replicate.
Devotional:
For the past few years, I’ve switched to using 365 day devotionals, because it honestly helps me stay disciplined in a daily time with Jesus. It drives me crazy as a borderline perfectionist to skip a day, and I always feel like I’ll miss out somehow on a key lesson from the Lord if I’m not right in it each day. But hey, that’s just me.
This book, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, by Henry Blackaby was an impulse purchase in a store, where the handsome binding of the book caught my eye. Glancing through it in the checkout line revealed that it was deep and often quite pointed in its application for the reader. I was not disappointed AT ALL, as I read through it in 2020, because it convicted me so often and always gave me meat to chew on throughout the day. I usually prefer a devotional that includes some provoking questions or reflection options, but this one is just so practical and incisive, you won’t even miss the extra trappings of other devotional books.
Secular Fiction:
Disclaimer: It’s pretty rare for me to publicly recommend much fiction, because I’m bound to offend someone with my choices. I do not read bosom-ripper romances, obviously, and I would never recommend something that’s filth. But I’ll admit I’m more sensitive to the subtle messaging in books than I am to bad language, so I will never remember later if there were bad words. I will remember, however, the moral questions and issues long after. For that reason, just as an example, I refuse to read books in which adultery is presented as acceptable or even “no big deal.” It IS a big deal; it is NOT acceptable, and no book will make it commonplace and inoffensive to me, best seller or not.
Followers by Megan Angelo, therefore comes with my warning: there IS bad language. I don’t recall exactly, but I’m sure there are sexual references, given the nature of the story. So why would I recommend this book? This book is absolutely relevant to the modern “influencer” culture, in which the reality of life may bear little correlation with one’s online profile. In a word that idolizes “likes” and followers, “influence” becomes the master which enslaves the individual until they compromise every ethic in the name of “content.”
Told in two timelines, the future timeline reveals a world in which everyone has the internet implanted directly in their bodies, including advertisements and non-stop entertainment of following others in real-time (think: The Truman Show). The past timeline tells the story of two young roommates who want to escape the struggle of anonymity; one wishes to be a successful writer and the other wishes to be famous. By creating a fake profile of an up-and-coming starlet, they create an image based only on smoke and mirrors which results in instant fame for both, but what happens if you’re too shallow to bear the weight of the frenzy that follows?
Because of my feelings about worldview messages hidden in books, this one merits the recommendation because through the stories in both timelines, Megan Angelo makes her point about the inherent danger of deception, oversharing, and the power of “cancel culture.”
This is one I wanted to discuss with someone as soon as I finished it, so if you read it, reach out and let’s get a conversation going! I have opinions!