“You are the same today as you’ll be in five years except for two things: the books you read and the people you meet.”
Maybe you’ve heard that quote from Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. In my post “Deep and Wide and Webbed Theology,” I shared about some people who had been especially influential to me. Most of that influence came through reading their works, but it also felt like I had met them by the time I had read several things from them.
I want to introduce you to a few people that I think you should meet. I think hearing what they have to share will change who you are five years from now. There’s a great benefit from hearing from multiple voices that are pressing in good directions – each seeing life from just a bit of a different vantage point. These are mostly people I actually do know, and to my excitement, several just (re-)started writing recently.
If you’re not using an RSS feed, it’s really the best way to go if you decide to read multiple blogs. Check out feedly to get started.
Crawford Wiley – Crawford is a musician, a student of sacred music at Notre Dame right now. He has a deep appreciation for beauty and liturgy. His writing isn’t quite poetry, but it soars higher than regular prose. His recent pieces on the Daily Office and Christ’s love and on the Christian view of love in a Pink song are especially profound and worth a read.
Wesley Sanders – Wesley just graduated seminary and started writing. He’s one of the brightest young minds I know of in the UMC. His recent article “Without Reserve?” lays out the truth that seems to undermine our Methodist system of itinerancy, and says very well what I’ve been trying to say about pastors’ salaries.
Tom Fuerst – I wish I could assess pop culture the way Tom does. He also writes reflections on particular Scripture passages and on different aspects of ministry. Whatever he does, it’s always profound, never generic. He just wrote an interesting piece on the new Superman movie and how it falls short.
Jonathan Powers – Jonathan just yesterday was awarded his Doctor of Worship Studies. Now that he isn’t writing a dissertation, Dr. Powers has time to blog again. Great news for all of us. Jonathan has taught me most everything I know about worship, and I have a feeling I’ve only scratched the surface of what he’s got. His most recent post is a good place to start: “You’re a Theologian and Don’t Even Know It (or Worship Does Theology).”
Chad Brooks – Chad will give you a bit of organizational wisdom, some great thoughts on ministry in the local church, and a lot to chew on re: worship and culture. See a good, quick read he put out on vision as it relates to ignorance and clarity.
Derek Robinette – Derek is a long-time friend of mine. His love for people and energy for what he does are compelling. I expect he’ll share a lot of honest and encouraging thoughts and stories. His first post on youth ministry was especially good.
Andrew Thompson – I should have stopped by now, but I can’t help myself. Andrew Thompson is brilliant and always thoughtful. He would probably be my first stop for deep and reasoned thinking about Methodist doctrine and theology. His post (and linked article) on the re-emergence of doctrine in Methodism was great.
I could include others. I’d like to keep going but feel like I better stop here. I’ll probably point you in more directions in the future. But that should give you a good start.
Bonus: Oh, okay, one more. This one has nothing to do with ministry and theology, so I’m including it here. The Grown Man has just begun writing again. He makes me laugh out loud and actually teaches me how to be a better, grown man along the way. And I’m told that he has more female readers than male, so I can recommend him to all.
for a good primer on studying the Bible well.
by Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen
by Sean Gladding
by John Drane. It’s big (736 pp.), but very reader friendly. You can also use the OT and NT sections in this as your introductory surveys for those areas.
by Sandra Richter. This will give you a great overview of the big picture of the Old Testament, helping you arrange and understand all the scattered facts you might have about the OT.
by Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer. This will give you a more straightforward book-by-book survey of the Old Testament at a very readable level.
by Christopher J. H. Wright. It’s another big book, but very accessible. And though it’s worth reading front to back, you can also use it to just read up on a particular area.
by Gerd Theissen. This is a short, creative narrative that will introduce you to the social world of Jesus.
by Ben Witherington III. It’s big (400 pp.) but accessible. This one will help you understand the significant people and events that gave shape to the setting in Jerusalem when Jesus came and the setting of the early Church both in Israel and spread across the Roman Empire.
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by Richard Hays. He says you should read it in order – not jumping to the specific topics – and it’s probably better that way, but I think some of the individual chapters on various topics are quite good on their own. And his five pages on sharing possessions in the conclusion are perhaps the best part of the whole book.
by Eugene Peterson. The Publishers Weekly review tells us, “Peterson says that we ought not read the Bible the same way we read a cookbook, a textbook, or even a great novel. Rather, Christians are to absorb, imbibe, feed on and digest Scripture.” He teaches us how to do that in this book.
by David Bauer and Robert Traina. And for more on inductive Bible study, see my post: 
by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart.
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teddy ray 