Consider Your Calling: Six Questions for Discerning Your Vocation
Gordon T. Smith (InterVarsity)
Most people complain that there are never enough hours in the day. But for Smith, president of Canada’s Ambrose University and Seminary, “the urgent need of our day is not so much that we would learn ‘time management’ but rather ‘attention management.’ ” In other words, we need to better identify our vocation: the area where, according to God’s call, we should invest our limited time and energy. Consider Your Calling walks readers through six questions that help drill down to the core of one’s vocational responsibility: What on earth is God doing? Who are you? What is your stage of life? What are your circumstances? What is the cross you will have to bear? What are you afraid of?
I Am N: Inspiring Stories of Christians Facing Islamic Extremists
The Voice of the Martyrs (David C Cook)
ISIS fighters advancing into new territories have often marked Christian homes and churches with the Arabic letter n, short for “Nazarene.” The Voice of the Martyrs, an organization aiding persecuted Christians, has compiled accounts from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, and elsewhere of bold faithfulness in the shadow of Islamic jihad. As the editors explain in the introduction, this “courageous, steadfast commitment to God in the face of persecution provides Jesus followers all over the world with a powerful picture of what being ‘n’ is all about.” Embattled believers “willingly sacrifice everything they have in this world in order to fulfill God’s calling to obey and serve him.”
To The Table: A Spirituality of Food, Farming, and Community
Lisa Graham McMinn (Brazos)
If you’re looking for a book on what (or what not) to eat, there should always be a bottomless supply. But an increasing number of authors recognize that food means more than nourishment (or malnourishment)—that what and how we eat touches on spirituality, community, economic opportunity, and environmental stewardship. McMinn, a writer and farmer in Oregon, explores these richer dimensions of food through a mix of sociological analysis and personal stories of cooking, gardening, and dining with others. Along with reflection questions after each chapter, the book features a smattering of treasured recipes, storage tips, and other quirky detours aimed at “getting people together in the kitchen and around tables.”
