Book 1: If I Were God, I'd End All the Pain

Alright, lovely ladies and gentle gents, the first book that we will be reading for our Book Club will be....

If I Were God, I'd End All the Pain

I think all three books are great, so we'll read the other two next. I'll make an announcement at church this week (hopefully I won't be comatosed on the couch this time!), letting everyone know that we'll be reading this book, and we can start reading it after then. I'm hoping that will give you all enough time to get a copy of the book.

Who needs a copy of the book? When I make the announcement, I'll ask if anyone has a copy that they're happy to lend to the Book Club in order to save a bit of dosh (unless you're happy to ask around before then). But, if we need to buy some copies, I'm happy to arrange it, just let me know. Matthias Media are selling it for $9.50 and Koorong are selling it for $9.95. We can work out what we're going to do about this later.

THREE BOOKS IN CONSIDERATION

Well, the time is drawing near for our very first book to be read for our Book Club. Are you excited? I'm excited! From our 'On The Shelf' (see right) list, I've managed to pick out three. From these, one will be chosen.

The three books are:

If I Were God, I'd End All The Pain (by John Dickson)

A child catches a rare brain virus and is affected for life. A father dies in a plane crash. A dictator murders millions.

Why doesn't God do something about things like this? Why does he allow them to happen? In fact, can we still believe in God in the face of all the suffering and pain in the world?

In the first of a new series of short books, John Dickson looks honestly at these questions, and provides some compelling answers. He looks briefly at the alternative explanations for suffering provided by Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Atheism, before turning to what the Bible itself says about God, justice and suffering.


A Sinner's Guide to Holiness (by John Chapman)

What is holiness? Why do I need it? And why is it such a struggle for me to achieve holiness in my everyday life?

In A Sinner's Guide to Holiness, well-known evangelist John Chapman explores what the Bible has to say about holiness—where it begins, how it makes progress in our lives, and its ultimate fulfilment as we are changed into Christ's glorious likeness on the Last Day.

This book is a timely publication in this day and age, when we have often lost sight of the holiness of God. And when we do, it seems like an impossible task to achieve our own holiness. But 'Chappo' tells us that becoming holy is a vital, worthwhile goal for every Christian—even though the first 60 years may be the hardest!


Forgiving Hitler (by Kel Richards)

Kathy Diosy's life story, as told by author and broadcaster Kel Richards, makes riveting reading. From the time she saw Hitler, through the horrors of war and family separation, Kathy struggled with bitterness and hatred. Later in life, half a world away, she discovered that forgiving and being forgiven go together.

This beautifully presented volume is a biography with a difference.

A timely reminder of how peace can be found after terrible atrocities.




It's going to be a tough decision as these are all really good books (and small too! ;-)). If you have any preference or any comment you'd like to make about these books, please feel free to leave a comment. I'll be making a decision by next week.

The VHCC Book Club

I have been thinking a lot about how I can grow more in my knowledge and understanding of God, and how I can bring to the fore aspects of my faith in my life EVERYDAY, not just on Sunday. I wanted to find something that would activate my Christian thinking throughout the week and get my mind really engaged. I have never been good at reading Christian books, but I know that when I do read them, I'm better off for it.

SO, the VHCC Book Club has been brought into fruition.

As Christians we need to be actively thinking about what God is saying to us though his word, the Bible. But, I feel that I need to do more than just read the Bible. It is my hope that through reading Christian books we may be better equipped to know how to respond to the challenges we face everyday. It's also valuable for us to be encouraging and challenging each other in our Christian thinking.

How are we going to do this? We are going to read one book every six weeks. Every week I will write a blog post about the book and the members of the Book Club will post comments in response to my post, thereby encouraging each other in sharing our thoughts and responses to the book. Sound good?

For this to really work I would love to have a group of people who are committed to the idea and committed to reading and commenting on the blog. If I have a core group that comment then that will kick-start others to comment. Also, by writing your thoughts on what you read it's helping you to think more about it and to remember what you actually read.

Will you join me?