Friendship with God:

Discover God’s Relational Presence and Receive Peace, Identity, and Purpose for Your Life

By Jamie Moore (Doxazo Press)

God doesn’t just love you; God likes you and wants to be with you. That’s Jamie Moore’s central message in Friendship with God.

Friendship with God is a friendly book, and that’s not just a play on words. Readers don’t need to know insider language or have any familiarity with the Bible. Moore assumes most readers won’t.

Moore also doesn’t assume he is better put together than his readers. He is honest and vulnerable about his struggles and his need for God’s friendship.

By friendship, Moore means an actual relationship initiated by God. For the relationship to grow, we must do our part, also, which includes being present to God and giving God time, listening to and talking to God, and working alongside God in this life and world. This framework—forming three parts of the book—is built on grace, joy and resting in relationship, not on work.

Friendship with God is more than a book; it is a curriculum. A discussion guide and videos accompany the book. The book avails itself to group or individual study. It is laid out in four parts with three chapters each. Each chapter in Parts Two, Three and Four conclude with practical steps for practicing what Moore describes. The chapters are short and can be read easily in one sitting or less, another friendly gesture toward readers.

Eric Black, executive director, editor, publisher
Baptist Standard

On this one-year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems appropriate to take stock and assess the American church.

For many of us, the year has been the challenge of a lifetime in ministry leadership. The obstacles and demands of dealing with the pandemic have stretched us in ways we never thought possible.

We have done things we thought were at best optional, like technology, and we have done without things we thought were indispensable, like hospital visits.

We have realized how much of what we did was meaningless repetition, like endless meetings, and we’ve come to appreciate how much we took for granted the most basic parts of congregational life, like human touch.

We’ve seen people step up and flourish in hard times, and we’ve seen hard times wipe out people we thought were redwoods.

Risk management

One phrase continues to hang over many of the churches and ministers I engage with—risk management.

Opening and closing buildings, limiting or eliminating in-person events, monitoring our health and our interactions have all led us to become keenly aware of our risk management obligations.

Early in the pandemic, we wondered about legal liability if someone were to become infected while participating in events at our church. So, we severely cut back on those events. We sterilize. We wash our hands. We’ve become adamant and diligent about infecting others. So, we wear masks and keep our distance from one another.

Risk management has become a prioritized way of life for us. That’s what a pandemic does to us; it heightens our awareness of our vulnerability and forces us to grow more risk averse in the process.

All of that is fine with regard to the virus and its transmission, but there is another reality at play for many churches. Our risk management awareness and wariness may well bleed over into our corporate spiritual life and cause us to become so risk-averse that we miss the opportunity before us.

Risk-taking

I believe we are about to enter a season of life in the American church that cries out for churches to embrace risk-taking.

The pandemic has launched a potentially creative disruption of the norm we desperately need if we are to enter the future with a creative and innovative mindset.

This is a moment we may not see again for many years. The rupture of our former model of doing church has opened doors for risk-taking wise leaders will recognize.

Rather than revert back to “normal” when restrictions are lifted, thoughtful leaders will recognize this is our chance to reverse the ominous trends of the last 20 years.

The data is overwhelming. Nearly every denominational body in America shares a trend line that predicts imminent threat to the long-term viability of many local congregations.

If you’re brave, pull together the data for your own church over the last 20 years, and you probably will find a similar reality. We are entering a decade many predict will see a significant percentage of local churches go out of existence.

If there ever was a time to be open to risk-taking, this is it.

What risk-taking looks like

What does risk-taking actually look like for a church?

I think it means at least five things:

1. We acknowledge we are in the midst of a crisis larger than we have realized. For many of us, a sense of urgency that has been lacking needs to be fed and funneled into some hard conversations.

2. We spend time reconnecting with our reason for being and reconnecting with those priorities. We go back to the book of Acts and devour those stories and lessons.

3. We confess that much of what we do and how we do it simply is preference and not gospel priority. We humble ourselves and acknowledge we’ve drifted far from the focused church Jesus envisioned.

4. We put aside personal comfort and preference and embrace the idea of being part of a gospel movement rather than a member of a church club.

5. We personally pledge to engage in and participate in some form of risk-taking that makes us uncomfortable, so our church may not only survive but also thrive. We commit to criticize less and pitch in more.

What all of this will look like at your church will vary greatly from other churches. However, it inevitably will involve something that challenges you and makes you uncomfortable and pushes you out of your comfort zone.

It will mean you don’t simply insist your church “go back to the way it was,” because that way is a shortcut to irrelevance for many of us. Instead, we will discern our way forward by clinging to our valued principles while embracing sanctified imaginations that cause us to be risk-takers, even while everything screams to be risk managers.

Like the early church, we may find our crisis moment actually is the catalyst for more profound meaning and purpose than we knew possible.

God bless you in that risky endeavor.

Bill Wilson is the founder and director of the Center for Healthy Churches. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

With Radiant Hope: Timely and Timeless Reflections from George W. Truett

By George W. Truett (Big Bear Books)

This little volume exhibits the pastoral heart of George W. Truett, perhaps most widely known as a Baptist statesman and proponent of religious liberty. In fact, With Radiant Hope is the combination of two out-of-print volumes of Truett’s 34 year-end messages to his congregation, First Baptist Church of Dallas—These Gracious Years (1910–1928) and Christmas Messages (1929–1943).

Todd Still, dean of Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary—named in honor of Texas Baptists’ George W. Truett—wrote the introduction, explaining the impetus for this new compilation. Scott Gibson, professor of preaching at Truett Seminary, raised the idea of bringing to a larger audience the annual tradition of reading one of Truett’s messages during the seminary’s Christmas banquet.

Still points to the historical backdrop of Truett’s pastorate, which included World War I, the Spanish flu pandemic, the Great Depression and World War II. Although many readers no longer know anything about cradle roll, Training Union, Baptist Young People’s Union, Women’s Auxiliary, Men’s Brotherhood and other bygone institutions of Southern Baptist church life Truett mentions in his messages, they will know something about the world-defining events he sometimes refers to more indirectly.

To help connect Truett’s past to the reader’s present, Still includes endnotes providing Scripture references, historical notes and quotation sources. Those unfamiliar with late 19th century syntax will not find similar help in the notes but may need to read more slowly, mindfully or repeatedly.

With Radiant Hope arose out of tradition and is itself a reservoir of Baptist tradition. Not only will this volume connect with the heart of longtime Texas Baptists, but younger generations can be helped to understand the heart of their forebears in the reading of it.

Eric Black, executive director, publisher, editor
Baptist Standard 

Because of the sensitivity and confidentiality of the people and location, this piece has been generalized to keep those involved safe and to challenge congregations of all sizes not to underestimate what they can do.

“We sometimes underestimate the influence of the little things.”—Charles W. Chesnutt

I am the kind of person that must be doing something “big” in order to think change will occur. However, I was challenged by the above quote from Chesnutt.

I was blessed recently to witness a church do something that in most eyes would seem small, insignificant and ordinary. Last week, I observed a small community church rally around one of their members, do the “little things” and, through them, advocate for this individual while also instilling a sense of hope.

Rising to the occasion

Can you imagine the impending fear of knowing your daughter may never come home? That one moment you had her and the next, she was gone?

I saw a pastor at the humble home of a woman in despair after learning her daughter had been picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Without being able to speak her language or fully understand her, he was there. He practiced the seemingly simple task of being present, or what some would call the “ministry of presence.”

The pastor spoke with the lawyer and was able to find out what he and the congregation could do to help. The lawyer explained the only thing that could be done was to get letters to present to the judge to show the “good” and “moral” character of this individual and how she is not a threat to the community. The lawyer said letters from pastors carry more weight in the eyes of the judge than normal community members—a small but powerful reminder of our power within our communities.

Acting when action is needed

The hearing was the next week; we had to act quickly. We had to scramble to get the letters written, notarized, scanned, emailed and mailed, while also getting other important documents to the lawyer who lives three hours away in the city where the woman’s daughter was detained.

Through all of this, the church was able to be a resource for this mother. The church paid to help her get the birth certificates; they supported her by getting pastors and community members to write letters; they assisted in gathering all the letters and documents and sending them in one shipment to the lawyer and scanning everything to him on time. At the same time, they provided support, love and care to this mother in distress.

I also advocated on her behalf and wrote my letter. However, since I was out of town, I had to find a notary, decide how to pay for these services, and find a printer and scanner since I did not have one with me.

The small things are big

The trouble I went through in doing something as simple as sending a letter helped me recognize congregations can be huge assets to their congregants who are undocumented by helping with simple things like scanning a document or making a copy.

We often think we must understand all the intricacies of the immigration system in order to help our undocumented neighbors. Simply using a printer can make the difference in the reunification of a family.

Is your church able to assist in these small but significant ways? Do you see this simple action as a way of advocating for or serving your community?

Who would have ever thought a simple and ordinary device many congregations have—a copier that scans and sends emails—could be such a powerful tool to advocate for the most vulnerable in their community?

This woman’s church was able to be a resource by writing letters, getting things notarized, providing her a printer so she could have other sponsors email their letters to be printed, pay for the birth certificates she needed to obtain, and scan and mail all the documents to arrive at the lawyer in time. Small actions made a huge impact in the life of this family.

While your church also should take big actions of advocacy—do big things—don’t underestimate the influence of the little things. If all your church has is a printer that scans, you have a powerful tool to advocate for and serve your community.

Nataly Mora is pursuing a Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work at Baylor University and Truett Theological Seminary. She is an intern at the Center for Church & Community Impact and a pastor at Park Lake Drive Baptist Church in Waco. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

• Lesson 3 in the BaptistWay Press Connect360 unit “Solomon: No Ordinary Kind of Wisdom” focuses on 1 Chronicles 29:1-19.

David offered to God a public prayer of praise. He praised God because of God’s attributes. He praised God because of God’s eternality, his glory, his power and his majesty. Although David was king, he recognized there was a greater King than himself. David understood it was not his kingdom but the kingdom of God that ultimately matters most. He recognized the source of his blessings. He is thankful he and the people of Israel were blessed to be a part of building the Temple. It is an act of mercy and grace that God allows us to be a part of what he is doing. God could have chosen others, but he chose us. We need to approach the responsibility with a sense of humility. We need to recognize the goodness and the greatness of God by recognizing our frailty, weakness and hopelessness without him.

David prayed for himself and then he interceded for Israel and Solomon. We see that David’s prayer is heartfelt. He prayed about his own heart. He does not focus on the actions of his giving but the heart of his giving. It was pure, and it was done willingly. David shifted from praying for himself to praying for the people. He wants their hearts to be pure as well. We see this idea of purity of heart when David writes in Psalm 24:4. The person who will stand in the Temple of the Lord must have both clean hands and a pure heart. David asked the Lord to give a divine echocardiogram to Israel, and if it indicates a problem, he asked God to do open-heart surgery.

Praying for a pure heart

He concluded this portion of the prayer by praying for his son. He asked the same thing for his son that he prayed for the people of Israel—a clean and pure heart; a heart that desires to keep all of God’s commandments, statutes and ordinances. It was not enough to just keep the deeds, but he wanted Solomon to have the desire to keep the deeds. A person can abide by the commandments but not have the desire to. David understood this was the only way to get the blessings of God. He also prayed for Solomon’s dedication to building the Temple. David started him off well by giving to him the plan, the provisions and the people. Solomon has everything he needs physically; all he needs now is the perseverance to complete the task. This perseverance has to be given by God.

God is not only concerned about what we give but how we give. It is important to check our motives and the intent of the heart. Even though our motives may be pure in our eye, that does not mean they are pure in God’s sight. Others may look at our actions, but God looks at our attitude. People will look at our hands, but God looks at our heart. When we examine our heart and realize it is not pure, we need to be real with God and ask God to fix our hearts. The kingdom of God demands we seek him with our whole heart.

Compiled by Stan Granberry, marketing coordinator for BaptistWay Press.

To learn more about BaptistWay Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• The Explore the Bible lesson for March 28 focuses on Luke 19:29-40.

Jesus was far more than a showman. More than once and almost certainly more than is recorded in Scripture, Jesus was all but invited to put on a show of the miraculous. That spiritual bullying began just after his baptism. He went for some time alone with his Father, and Satan was first in line tempting Jesus to show off his power.

Jesus never gave into the temptation. It is also true Jesus knew the power of what we now call “optics.” Riding the donkey into Jerusalem was of those “optics” moments.

The context of this includes the time and the crowd. As for timing, Jesus is now closer to his encounter with the cross than ever. That moment was only hours away, and Jesus knew it. Secondly, many of those who would cheer his torturous death were in that crowd, laying down palm branches and seemingly worshipping Jesus or celebrating him as their political savior.

Jesus soon would disappoint them. Suddenly, those who had once praised him would be screaming, “Crucify him!”

Some meaningful principles present themselves here for consideration.

Not about the praise of others

We should always be wary of allowing the praise of others as securing our standing or security, especially when it comes to our spiritual commitments. Jesus had two of his own disciples, Peter and Judas, who shifted their allegiance from Jesus and settled for personal gain and safety on the very night Jesus was arrested.

Like Peter after his betrayal, I, too, have wept at how fickle I can be. Having made my commitment to follow Jesus as Lord, I’ve learned the hard way that living out that commitment is not easily kept. Too often, I’ve done or said things that I know broke my Savior’s heart. I’m never more vulnerable to that spiritual slippage than when living in the afterglow of some good spiritual accomplishment. My guard is never down more than when I’ve accomplished something that is kingdom praiseworthy. All of us have those moments in our spiritual histories.

More than one pastor has stood behind the pulpit while glowing in the adoration of a standing ovation from the congregation that has just called him to be their pastor. The praise is effusive, overwhelming and sometimes even unanimous. Then, somewhere down the road, the pastor learns those who once stood in praise can then turn on a dime to stand in rebellion or anger.

There is nothing in this text in Luke that indicates Jesus was taken in by the praise of the crowd—which demands some explanation of the context. Jesus was on a mission toward his own death that would make our resurrection from the dead possible. It doesn’t take much reading between the lines to sense Jesus’ sense of focus.

Take on the servant’s role

Of course, that donkey does far more than provide transportation for Jesus. A true king wouldn’t be caught dead on a donkey. The king would demand the finest white steed in the land, an animal indicative of absolute power that would have been the king’s. Jesus was preaching a wordless sermon by riding that beast, a sermon we often fail to see or hear even now.

Paul later explained the meaning of the silent sermon with these words recorded in Philippians 2:5-7: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.”

Jesus went into Jerusalem, not as a power broker but as a servant, a sermon he vocalized at least once like this: “‘Whoever would be great among you must be your servant,’” (Matthew 20:26).

It was as if Jesus was painting a picture, an “optic,” that demonstrated what he’d been preaching. The donkey was the perfect image of having chosen a life of service, not power brokering.

The true power of God’s kingdom is found in service. When we feel weak-kneed in our faith, one way back to strength and hope is to find someone who could use our help and then make it available.

There is nothing in all of creation that is more powerful than the power of self-sacrificial service. Jesus showed that on the donkey. Very shortly, he would demonstrate it again while bleeding to death on a cross.

Glen Schmucker is a writer and blogger. He has served as a Texas Baptist pastor and as a hospice chaplain. 

Prey Tell: Why We Silence Women Who Tell the Truth and How Everyone Can Speak Up

By Tiffany Bluhm (Brazos Press)

Some say silence is golden. Author Tiffany Bluhm believes it can be poisonous.

Based on personal experience and extensive research, Bluhm not only looks specifically at issues of sexual abuse and harassment in a variety of settings, but also explores the power dynamics that cause women to remain silent about unjust treatment. She writes from a Christian perspective and deals with issues specific to churches, as well as examining more general matters of workplace inequity and injustice.

Bluhm addresses a wide range of subjects—perhaps too wide. She quite rightly identifies techniques predators use to groom subjects they plan to abuse, but readers easily could conclude every compliment in a workplace or house of worship should be viewed with suspicion. She properly makes the connection between broadly defined sexual harassment and criminal sexual abuse and assault. Certainly, one can lead to the other, and she performs an important service by connecting those dots. However, a reader could incorrectly draw the conclusion that one inevitably results in the other—or see them as morally equivalent in every respect. It’s an important distinction. Persistent perpetrators of sexual harassment should be fired. Perpetrators of sexual abuse and assault should be prosecuted.

Prey Tell might have been more effective by being more narrowly and precisely focused—either workplace sexual harassment or clergy sexual misconduct, for instance. The sections where she examines the misuse of Scripture by religious leaders to justify sexual abuse particularly are powerful and pertinent.

Minor reservations aside, Bluhm offers an important message. Prey Tell issues a strong and clear call to break the silence surrounding injustice against women and the abuse of power.

Ken Camp, managing editor

Baptist Standard 

• Lesson 2 in the BaptistWay Press Connect360 unit “Solomon: No Ordinary Kind of Wisdom” focuses on 1 Chronicles 28:11-21.

After David gave out the blueprint of the Temple, he gave Solomon the do’s and don’ts of leadership. He encouraged Solomon by commanding him to be strong and courageous and to complete the work because God always will be there.

As a kid, I was always fascinated by echoes. An echo is a sound that is repeated because it is reflected back. The direction of the sound changes but the sound is the same. What we have in this verse is an echo. Even though the sound is in a different time and a different context the sound is the same. It sounds like the same thing God told Joshua. Do you remember the words?

Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. (Joshua 1:6-7, NKJV).

David’s word to Solomon echoes God’s word to Joshua. Both Joshua and Solomon were chosen by God to do a task for God. Both were successors of great men; Joshua succeeded Moses and Solomon succeeded David. The assigned task needed to be approached with strength and courage. David gives Solomon some “don’ts.” He tells his son do not be afraid and do not be discouraged.

We as believers often enter into the task of God with fear. The task and responsibility can sometimes be daunting and often overwhelming. We fear we are not equipped. We wonder how we are going to accomplish it. We fear that we may not be qualified or adequate. The responsibility before us can be discouraging as well. The plan may not work as we planned. The people who we got involved will get discouraged and quit and this can be extremely discouraging to us, but the words of David are an encouragement to us. David gives Solomon these commands, which are not easy to follow until the reason these commands can be obeyed is given. David promises God’s presence throughout the entire process.

God with us

We do not have to rely on our own power because God’s power is with us. We are not by ourselves because God is present with us. David reemphasizes the fact that God will be present by stating that God will not leave us nor forsake us. Notice that there is a preposition toward the end of this verse (1 Chronicles 28:20). The English word is “until.” The Hebrew preposition carries with it the same idea but can also be translated “while.” Both words have to deal with the duration of the task. There are going to be times that there is a temptation to quit or get discouraged during the process. In fact, there may be pain in the process of doing what God has asked.

For the New Testament believer, we must never lose faith in Jesus because the same promise that was given to Solomon is the same promise Jesus gives to us. He lets us know that as we are doing the work he has asked us to do, Christ will be with us “until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). We can endure the pain and the disappointments during the process when we know we have God’s power. We can rest assured God will be present until the task is completed.

Compiled by Stan Granberry, marketing coordinator for BaptistWay Press.

To learn more about BaptistWay Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• The Explore the Bible lesson for March 21 focuses on Luke 18:9-17.

What most of us will never see but something upon which we all depend is a giant underground water tank, the Edwards Aquafer. Especially in South Central Texas, the Edwards is the primary source for drinking water, agriculture and recreation. The water it makes available is the equivalent of 5.3 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Suffice it to say, although the Aquafer is not visible above ground, without it, life as it is now known in the areas its services would not be possible. When God created this world, God built in a reserve of one of the most essential of all human resources in the Edwards, one of the largest aquafers in all the world.

If there were a spiritual aquafer, one that runs out of sight but is essential to people who follow Jesus, it would be the one Jesus highlighted in this brief text. It is a perfect witness to that which Jesus will demonstrate on the cross in short order.

A self-righteous Pharisee

Jesus told a parable about two different men who went to the temple to pray. The first man he describes as arrogant and extremely self-centered. Jesus says he was a Pharisee, a man who would almost certainly be described as one of the most “holy” of all men. However, he betrays the fact that, “holy” as he may be in the eyes of others, his heart has not truly been converted to the ways of God’s kingdom.

Jesus specifically says that the man “prayed about himself.” He went further to brag on himself to God, that he is not like evildoers, men who rob and commit adultery and such. He goes so far as to contrast himself with the tax collector, the one who had also gone to the temple to pray.

Tax collectors, of course, were some of the most despised in any Jewish community. Jews themselves, they were seen as henchmen for the Roman government which allowed them to tax people at any rate they chose, including a nice slice off the top for themselves. No doubt, many families suffered under that system of taxation and were often taxed beyond their ability to pay and support their families.

Tax collectors were some of the most despised men in any Jewish community. They were viewed as traitors, worthy of hell.

It was to this man that the Pharisee compared himself and, by doing so, he thought, improved his stature not just with other men but also with God.

It would be easy to stop at this very point and learn a great deal about what Jesus believed prayer to be, and not to be. Prayer is not about us. It is one thing to pray for our needs. It is another thing altogether to wave our ethical standards in God’s face as our ticket into God’s presence.

The Pharisee, like we all do too often, thought of grace as transactional. We do for God. and God is supposed to do for us accordingly. No such thing is taught in Scripture— especially not in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Remember, when Jesus was praying in the garden prior to his arrest and crucifixion and was hoping, even praying, there would be another way to accomplish his holy mission without the cross. In the end, Jesus, not praying about himself, surrendered to the purposes of God when he said, “Father . . . not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).

A penitent tax collector

The tax collector, praying in the temple at the same time, approached God in a totally opposite manner than did the Pharisee. He acknowledged his lack of credentials to ask anything of God. To God, the man referred to himself in terms of his unworthiness for anything good from God. He could not even stand to turn his face heavenward. In his body language, staring at the ground and beating himself, demonstrated that prayer was about God and God’s will, not himself and his own will.

“God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” he cried to God. He had nothing to present to God as good, and all he could hope for was the goodness of God and his willingness to surrender to it.

Jesus, again, went on to prove this to be his attitude toward God the Father on the cross. With his words and his literal body language, Jesus surrendered to the mercy of God even as he died.

It is that spirit of surrender that is the Edwards Aquafer of the kingdom of God. The only way to be true followers of Jesus is to do as this man in the temple, to forget oneself and dive headfirst into the always immeasurably deep mercy of God.

Every prayer should start and end in that spirit. When it is all said and done, it will be that spirit that ensures the victory of God’s kingdom in our lives and in the little part of the world that is ours in which to live and die.

Glen Schmucker is a writer and blogger. He has served as a Texas Baptist pastor and as a hospice chaplain. 

Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change

By Tod Bolsinger (InterVarsity Press)

Written during a year of considerable social, political and economic strain, Tod Bolsinger’s second book on adaptive leadership, Tempered Resilience, is a gift to those leaders who have faced significant resistance and/or sabotage over the last year, and who are ready and willing to be formed for longer-lasting ministry.

To depict resilience, Bolsinger turns to the metaphor of forging steel. Anyone who has seen the History Channel’s “Forged in Fire”—or who has forged their own metal tools or art—will appreciate how Bolsinger aligns the formation of a leader with the shaping of metal. Comparing leadership formation to the heating, holding, hammering and hewing of the forging process is an evocative picture of the leader’s life. Key to this metaphor is the leader remembering he or she becomes a leader in the midst of leading.

Bolsinger’s second book on leadership follows his well-received debut, Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory. Rather than technical solutions to technical problems, both books focus on the internal work leaders need to do to overcome the anxiety of uncertainty, leaning heavily on The Practice of Adaptive Leadership by Ronald Heifetz, Marty Linsky and Alexander Grashow.

Tempered Resilience builds on Edwin Friedman’s Failure of Nerve and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ Lessons in Leadership. Friedman’s phrase “failure of nerve” diagnoses a person’s anxious response to others. To that failure, Bolsinger adds “failure of heart,” which is a burned-out leader’s coldness toward others. To avoid these failures when change efforts are met with resistance or sabotage, a leader must become resilient, able to get back up when knocked down.

With all that is good about Tempered Resilience, one section in Chapter Seven needs further development. In light of the intensified racial tension in our country, communities and churches during 2020, the personal example of managing reactivity is too short. It easily could have been a case study for the entire chapter.

Eric Black, executive director, publisher and editor

Baptist Standard

Praying with Our Feet: Pursuing Justice and Healing on the Streets

By Lindsey Krinks (Brazos Press)

Lindsey Krinks, street chaplain and co-founder of Open Table Nashville, tells the stories of unhoused people—her preferred term over “the homeless”—by inviting readers into her own deeply personal spiritual journey. Brought up in a conservative Church of Christ congregation, she grew frustrated with those who told her ministry had to be done within a conventional structure, but she shouldn’t worry about it anyway, because vocational ministry was reserved exclusively for men.

In time, she responded to a sense of calling to minister among those who lived on society’s margins and to speak on their behalf. As she tells it, she felt drawn to ministry among the unhoused not because she had something to offer or wanted to provide all the answers to their problems. Rather, she writes: “I was drawn there because I had something to receive, something to learn. I was drawn there because that is where I found God moving most tangibly.”

Krinks offers an intimate account of her doubts and fears, her weaknesses and her personal struggles. Along the way, she lovingly introduces us to a colorful cast of characters who have made her life whole. Krinks writes with the blunt earthiness of the Hebrew prophets, giving readers an honest look at life on the streets.

Ken Camp, managing editor

Baptist Standard

The Mad Cash Dash 

By Art Rainer (B&H Kids)

Money matters, and money especially matters in helping children learn balance and the importance of giving and saving. To help instill a healthy Christian view in young readers, Art Rainer has created the Secret Slide Money Club series of chapter books for children in grades 1-4. The second in the series, The Mad Cash Dash, builds on lessons in The Great Lemonade Stand Standoff.

In the story, Brody, Sophia and Jake have completed the first of three challenges to become official Secret Slide Money Club agents who rescue classmates from the evil Albatross who turns children into smelly Albies. The “really cool and smart kids” realize in art class that their friend Kate smells like “dirty … wet … socks” and wants to purchase Pretty and Plus Ponies to add to her hundred-plus collection.

Sure enough, Agent G.B. calls the three to enter the Secret Slide Money Club by pushing GIVE-SAVE-LIVE buttons in order. He shows them Kate has just bought three more ponies and doesn’t follow the Master’s Money Plan. After explaining the working ants in Proverbs 6:6-8, the future agents receive their assignment: Help Kate learn to give and save before her bracelet glows red, the sign of Albatross control.

The mission leads them to help Kate earn money raking leaves, sweeping sidewalks and pulling weeds. However, mischievous Albies interfere by shaking trees, splashing mud balls and making a muddy mess. Jake, Sophia and Brody ultimately help their friend figure out how to put aside 10 percent to give and the rest to save. Soon, the smell of “dirty … wet … socks” disappears, and the three are ready for their final challenge.

Like Kate, girls and boys who read The Mad Cash Dash adventure will learn how to make good money choices. Breaks in the book add interest, and the story ends with a personal giving challenge. The fun characters bring lots of laughter and offer easy-to-remember lessons like the one from the ants and GIVE-SAVE-LIVE. Stay tuned for the final book in the series.

Tucker Joseph Hillman, age 10, with his grandmother

Kathy Robinson Hillman, past president

Baptist General Convention of Texas

Waco