My First Five

I don't think it's a secret: I love books. I mean, I really love them. Actual books, not ebooks. I like the covers, the thickness or thinness of the pages, the font types, the jackets, all of it. A book is an experience.

I take notes in my books. I write them in the margins with a finely leaded pencil, and I do a lot of writing. I write when I agree with something an author has stated. I really write when I disagree. Some find this troubling. Some would say, "What happens when you re-read the book? Doesn't your note predispose you to rethink the same thoughts?" I suppose those are valid questions. But those notes also help me remember what is important in each book I read, allowing me to flip through quickly and recapture the key points.

I want to pass on this love. Over the course of the coming weeks and months, I will begin to post resources I have found particularly valuable. They will be lists based on topic (e.g. theology, culture, apologetics, prayer), and I will relieve myself of the pressure of putting them into an 'order', like a top 10 list or something. Rather, I will simply list them with a brief thought on each.

With that, my first list is what I call my 'First Five'. Note: this is not my 'top five'. These are the first books I read that really kicked off my deeper reading into extra-biblical texts (books of a Christian nature that aren't the Bible itself):

The Screwtape Letters - by C.S. Lewis
- More of a story, it tells in fictional narrative how Satan and his demons set about strategically subverting the gospel


Desiring God - by John Piper
- This is my +1 book, as in 'If I could have the Bible +1 other book'. I believe the chapters on prayer, worship, and suffering should be mandatory reading for any believer.


Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
- This is a 'how do I make sense of my faith' book, also called apologetics. Lewis uses reason and logic to draw out truths regarding Christianity. Arguments like 'Lunatic, Liar, or Lord' are introduced here. Timeless.


The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer
- A spiritual awakening book. It will do to your heart what Lewis's Mere Christianity will do to your mind. It is a small book, but Tozer's sentences weigh 800 pounds.


Orthodoxy - G.K. Chesterton
- As you can see, I like the Brits. While I don't necessarily agree with all of Chesterton's conclusions (nor Lewis's for that matter), the way that he takes 2-3 pages to set up 1 bombshell of a paragraph actually made me publicly laugh out loud (like, on the train...several times) because of their sheer brilliance.

There you have it. My First Five. Enjoy!