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Welcome to our new Blog! We are excited to have this opportunity to interact with you and help keep you informed on all the great things that are going on. Our site is a great place to discover the many ways we can help you with books for leisure or study, music for a long car trip or to sing along to in your car, DVD’s for you and the kids and more! Check back often for new information and leave us questions or comments so we can help serve you better.

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advent musings: Posted 12/4/2009 10:23:55 AM

#1.Advent yearns. It leans forward. The season is about hope and deep expectation. Its about standing in the dark of night and facing east. Advent looks at the world as it really while imagining the Kingdom come.#2. The world is not yet finished.Jurgen MultmannTheology of Hope#3. There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred. That is the message of the incarnation.Madeleine LEngleWalking on Water#4. The authentically hopeful Christmas spirit has not looked away from the darkness, but straight into it. The true and victorious Christmas spirit does not look away at death, but directly at it. Otherwise, the message is cheap and false Advent begins in the dark.Fleming RutledgeThe Bible and the New York Times.#5. The light of which John speaks is light that is sorely needed in a dark world, a world full of pain and conflict, in which the poor are still poor, the brokenhearted are still grieving, the oppressed still await liberation and justice. The powerful words of Isaiah - the very words which Jesus uttered the first time he taught in the synagogue - look straight into the face of a dark world and proclaim that the world still belongs to God - and therein lies our hope.Rev. Nicholas Lang Light in the Darkness #6. A few years ago, on the first Sunday of Advent, I played John Lennons song Imagine right before my sermon. It wasnt a universal hitIn my defense, I clearly stated that, contra Lennons lyrics, I believe in heaven and helland things worth dying for. But Lennon was right about one thing: This world is broken, and we should yearn for its healing. Our hearts should ache for a better world.Matthew WoodleyMosaic: Longing #7 An Ancient PrayerWe beseech Thee, O Lord, let our hearts be graciously enlightened by Thy Holy radiance, that we may serve Thee without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life; that we may escape the darkness of this world, and by Thy guidance attain the land of eternal brightness; through Thy mercy, O blessed Lord, who dost live and govern all things, world without end. Amen.The Sarum Breviary1085#Advent is the promise that one day God will set the world aright.All that is wrong will be made right.All that is broken will be mended.All that is sick will be healed.All that is dead will be made alive.All that is lost will be found.All that is sad will be made joyous.All that is in discord will be made harmonious.God will bring HealingGod will bring JusticeGod will bring Peace.

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...Knowing Right From Wrong book review: Posted 8/28/2009 6:02:01 PM

...Knowing Right from Wrong...A Christian Guide to Conscience by Father Thomas Williams...It happened again last week. Just when I thought I''d heard it all, that no scandal within the religious community could surprise me, I heard a story that shocked me. Who would do such a thing? What were they thinking? How could one be so brazen, so maliciously mendacious, so seared in their conscience? In Knowing Right from Wrong, (Faith Words), Father Williams expertly tours the role of the human conscience. He capably counters non-Christian perspectives, both ancient and modern, with the Biblical concept that the conscience is a gift from God, one designed to coach us through life as it is enabled by God''s Spirit. He is profound, yet practical and easy to read. While it is obvious that he has given the subject years of thought and attention, he knows how to take one of the more mysterious aspects of human existence and render it intellectually attainable. Whether you are a pastor or teacher in search of a worthy resource, a thoughtful reader who enjoys a catalyst for contemplation, or simply a parent wishing to instill a sense of moral clarity within their family, you will find Knowing Right from Wrong an interesting and beneficial experience.

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...An Altar in the World -Review: Posted 8/28/2009 6:00:09 PM

...An Altar in the Worldby Barbara Brown TaylorI wonder if God ever cringes? I recently heard of an unfortunate incident in which an overly enthusiastic young boy was publicly reprimanded in a church for disrespecting the Lords sanctuary. As if God did, in fact, live in temples made with hands. Not only was the child humiliated, I suspect God was embarrassed by the misguided corrective agent. It served as a reminder that wood, stone, steeples and pews are nothing compared to the Holy of Holies within the human heart. In An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor eloquently drives this point home in chapter after chapter. God is not confined to Sunday mornings, not in time nor in location. In Him we live and move and have our being, which means that He is everywhere, all the time. Whether we are working, creating, playing or loving, the sacred is always before us, waiting to be recognized for what it truly is. Our worship on Sunday should merely echo the altars of our daily, seemingly mundane life. The devil is not in the details of life, God is.Contra those who limit the holy to churches, prayer and the reading of scripture, Mrs. Taylor rightfully finds the presence of God in the gracious attentiveness towards the stranger among us, in her fathers hospital room on the day he died, and in the satisfaction of a class well taught. She finds altars upon which she deeply worships God in the garden outside her home, in a poem, in a moment of silent reflection devoid of even prayer. An Altar in the World reminds me that though Gods presence is everywhere, awaiting my discernment, no physical location is more sacred than the person I just walked blindly past.Darrel Holcombe

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...Mere Discipleship by Lee camp - Review...: Posted 8/28/2009 5:57:20 PM

...In recent days I have been rendered uneasy by troubling thoughts regarding Jesus. As a self-declared follower of Christ, I have pledged an allegiance to Him and his kingdom. My problem is not with the idea of being his disciple; it is with the praxis of discipleship. What does it really mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Am I serious about being his follower, or do I too easily allow practicality and the world around me to shape my discipleship, rendering it more palatable and less demanding. Have I allowed the ethos of the society in which I live to infiltrate and influence my understanding of the teachings of Jesus? In Mere Discipleship, Lee Camp offers one of the best books I have read on what true discipleship looks like. In an increasingly power-oriented, violent and selfish world, Camp gives us a thoughtful manifesto for twenty-first century Christianity. He is willing to challenge prevailing perspectives, he speaks truth to power, and he places no sacred cows or idols before God. He constantly encourages the reader to evaluate every aspect of life in relation to Christs call to follow him. A friend of mine was recently asked, in my presence, how he changed after becoming a Christian. Rather than responding with the warm and fuzzy response typical of such inquiries, my friend replied that he suddenly felt accountable to Jesus. Considering that Jesus was much more concerned with being followed than being worshiped or admired, I know of no more appropriate answer. For those who understand that being accountable to Jesus is what our faith is all about, Mere Discipleship will be a valuable catalyst for thought as they journey down the path of authentic discipleship.Reviewed byDarrel Holcombe

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...Go Green Book Review: Posted 8/28/2009 5:54:47 PM

....Go Green, Save GreenSaving Time, Money, and Gods Green Earth.by Nancy and Matthew Sleeth One day God planted a garden. He placed every kind of fruit tree in this garden and watered it with a clean and pure river. He looked at the blue sky and clear water and green trees and saw that it was good. God created a man, gave him a wife and instructed them to cultivate and tend to the garden as well as all the animals around him. And it was also good. At least for awhile. In their new book, Go Green, Save Green, (Tyndale 14.99) Nancy and Matthew Sleeth offer many practical ways to live a more financially responsible, yet greener, life. In todays economic environment, that alone is reason enough to invest in this book. More importantly, the Sleeths remind us that we are Biblically mandated to be good stewards of creation. The call to tend and safeguard the earth did not end with the subsequent story of a seducing serpent and sin. We cannot simply do with the earth as we wish. It is not ours, it belongs to God. We are not pouring chemicals into our water, but His. We are not shooting tons of carbon into our sky, but His. We are not presiding over the extinction of our animals, but His. I seriously doubt He is watching all this and saying it is all good. In many Christian circles, expressing concerns about the environment is viewed with suspicion. Go Green, Save Green should help redeem such non-biblical attitudes. This really is our Fathers world and our actions should mirror out hymns. If we cannot imagine God being pleased with a chainsaw wielding Adam razing the Garden, stripping the earth, polluting the Pishon river and wantonly destroying an entire species for his own personal pleasure, then we should not expect His response to be any different today. After all, He remembers when it was good.Darrel Holcombe

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Furious Longing of God...by Brennan Manning: Posted 8/28/2009 5:51:22 PM

...I live in a Christian bubble. As the owner of a Christian Bookstore, I am surrounded by people of faith every day, all day. All my friends are Christian. My family members are all believers, with a disproportionate number of them in various fields of ministry. On my day off, Sunday, I am in church. More Christians. I have spent the overwhelming majority of my life interacting with people who love God and who take their faith journey with Christ seriously. There are days, however, when I encounter a person from outside the bubble. They come into my store out of spiritual desperation. Theyre in trouble and they know it. You can see the brokenness in their eyes and hear the unworthiness in their voice. They are a mess. They are sinners. They are loved by God. When I encounter such people, the author I reach for is Brennan Manning. They need to hear the message Manning has for them. God loves them more than they can imagine, even when they cannot love themselves. God loves them in spite of their multitude of sins, their addictions and their tragic failures. God loves them in spite of their insignificance and mediocrity. God loves them as they are, right now. Change will come later. Love is right now.In his new release, The Furious Longing of God, (David C Cook Publishing 19.95) Brennan Manning again reminds us that Gods love and grace are not limited by our unworthiness or our past. Through Jesus, God has become a friend to sinners. In Christ, grace, mercy and love are extended to all. For God so loved the world means there are no exceptions, no parameters, no preconditions. And no bubbles.Darrel Holcombe

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The Myth of a Christian Religion by Gregory Boyd: Posted 8/28/2009 5:45:53 PM

The Myth of a Christian ReligionLosing Your Religion for the Beauty of a Revolutionby Gregory Boyd(Zondervan, 19.99)Gregory Boyd wants Christians to abandon their religion. For far too long, he asserts, the Christian religion has been part of the problem with American spirituality and Boyd has had enough. As one who once embraced the religion of Christianity, he now maintains that losing his religion was one of the best things that ever happened to him and he is encouraging others to follow his example. This is all rather curious, since Rev. Boyd is the pastor of a large and thriving evangelical church. In place of the religion of Christianity, Boyd is calling for a revolution. Followers of Jesus should share His allegiance and passion for the Kingdom of God, a kingdom that stands out of sync with much of our world. In this beautiful revolution, disciples of Jesus revolt against the world systems of greed, pride, oppression, and violence. They reject the myth that these systems can be incorporated into the teachings of Jesus without becoming a religion which Christians must revolt against. Revolutions tend to be violent, messy affairs. The revolution of Jesus, however, is one of love, peace and beauty. This is a revolution wherein we dance upon fallen walls. In The Myth of the Christian Religion, Boyd urges readers to join the cause by thoughtfully and courageously living out the message of Jesus and of His kingdom. Be gracious and compassionate. View everyone, including enemies of both yourself and your country, as those for whom Christ died. Seek justice and peace for everyone. Love mercy. Imagine the Kingdom.Viva la revolution. Darrel Holcombe

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Fearless by Max Lucado Review by darrel Holcombe: Posted 8/28/2009 5:42:34 PM

...Fearlessby Max Lucado(Thomas Nelson Publishing)Every decade is known by a unique characteristic. We will often speak of the roaring twenties, the turbulence of the sixties or the music of the eighties. Mention the seventies and a painful recollection of disco and leisure suits will immediately disrupt our dignity. Though the first decade of the twenty-first century is not over, I suspect we all know what it will be remembered for. Fear. The decade of dread in which we now live us has brought a continual onslaught of bad news. It started when we, the most technologically advanced nation in history, were unable to determine who won a presidential election. Then came the terror of 911, D.C. snipers, anthrax, London subways, airplane shoes, Katrina and, finally, the wreck of our economy. Staring at the ceiling at 2:00 a.m. has become an act of national normality. I received an advance copy of Fearless several weeks ago and I amconfident that the message Max Lucado shares in this release is a much needed one. We are living in anxious times and, on one level, being worried about our circumstances is nothing more than good common sense. Whether you measure our situation locally, nationally, or globally, there are some serious problems around us. As a people of faith, however, we need to be reminded that God has not changed. He is still as generous, attentive and powerful as He has always been. The Spirit of God still resides within us, the Kingdom of God is still before us, and the call to be disciples of Jesus is still our mandate. We are a people who have intentionally placed our trust in Jesus, and he tells us to not be afraid. Find a neighbor who has lost a job or home, a friend with a son or daughter in the Middle East, or an acquaintance whose life has just been turned upside down. Give them Fearless and let Max Lucado remind them that, regardless of what they are facing, God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind. Darrel HolcombeThe Amen Corner Bookstore

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Review of The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford: Posted 8/28/2009 5:33:23 PM

...As one who has read, discussed, pondered, and taught about Christianity for years, Ive long observed the remarkable capacity for sincere and thoughtful believers to simultaneously adhere to opposing concepts within their belief system. Many never recognize the inherently contradictory ideas about God embedded within their doctrinaldisposition. Perhaps this is the result of an understandable tendency for congregants to simply affirm the doctrinal dialogue of whatever faith community they belong to. They obtain orthodoxy by osmosis, never critiquing or engaging in the sacred act of questioning. In The Misunderstood God, author Darin Hufford targets the mixed messages that people often hear about God and His character. His axiom, the center of his theological universe, is the astounding statement that God is love. All that violates that affirmation is suspect. Using Pauls famous love homily found in his Corinthian correspondence, Darin repeatedly highlights how many Christians hold fervently to ideas about God that are inconsistent with their own definition of love. If God is love, then God cannot be the fearsome, vengeful, needy manipulator who cant get enough self-indulgent adulation we find within too many peoples version of the faith. To hear some of our dialogue about worship, God makes Narcissus look modest. Be forewarned. The Misunderstood God isnt for those who prefer not to be challenged. Hufford intends to rattle the bars of your cage. This is, as the publisher cites on the backcover, a no-holds-barred re-examination of the character of God. If The Shack was a stone skipping across the surface of a pond, The Misunderstood God is a boulder being thrown into a puddle. As I was reading, even I found myself at times unwilling to go that far. Will you agree with everything Hufford has to say? Probably not. Will you walk away having a healthier, thoughtful, and more coherent understanding of who God is? Absolutely.

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