Dynamic Yet Consistent

With our move to Swaziland probably only 10 months away, Beth and I have been talking through how we should spend our remaining time stateside.  Here is a list of 10 things I want to accomplish before we leave.  If you can help me out with any of them, please give me a shout.

1. Learn to weld – Let’s start with an easy one.  I wouldn’t consider myself a handy man, but I am willing to try and figure stuff out.  This is one skill I don’t have and would love to pick up just in case the need ever presents itself.
2. Improve my siSwati – I learned more siSwati in the 10 days we were in the country than I did in the months before trying to teach myself.  That being said, I have yet to cross beyond the typical greetings and pleasantries.  I would love to be able to have a basic conversation before arriving in the country nest summer.
3. Take a course on AIDS – Swaziland is a beautiful country, but it holds several dubious titles.  It has the highest AIDS rate at nearly 40%!  It also has the highest death rate and fastest declining life expectancy.  Every issue in Swaziland is impacted by the AIDS epidemic (from employment to poverty to orphan care).  I want to take the time to familiarize myself with the disease, its treatment, and its impact on society.
4. Brush up on my Southern African history – Swaziland has a rich history.  It was largely able to avoid the strife caused by colonialism that negatively affected so much of Southern Africa.  However, much of the current climate in the area is still impacted by this chapter of history.  I want to know more about the Boers and English and tribal conflicts that shaped the area.
5. Learn to drive a split shift – Another seemingly random skill set I would like to acquire.  I have no desire to drive a large truck, but I want to be able to do it if the need ever arises. 
6. Become competent in PHP development – Several months ago, a good friend of mine and I began (re)teaching ourselves HTML and CSS.  I know just enough to get myself into trouble.  I would like to build on this skill set by adding PHP development so I can design websites and databases for the organizations I will work with and also as a possible secondary income stream.
7. Sell / Give away / Downsize our stuff – We have been in this process for several years now, but still have so far to go.  I still have books to get rid of, a house to sell and plenty of household items to deal with. Most of our stuff is not going with us nor will it be saved.
8. Visit with friends and family – This past weekend I had my 10 year reunion and also visited with college friends at a wedding.  It reminded me how many people I want to see before we leave.  If you are in the area, please take the time to give me a ring and I will treat you to a meal or coffee.
9. Travel – This is obviously related to the prior.  I foresee many mini-road trips in the near future to visit people, but also I want to explore our own country a bit more before we leave.  I have been fortunate enough travel through most of the country, but Beth has not.  I want to be intentional about visiting places, especially in the American West.
10.   Have a game plan for the next 10 years – This move to Swaziland has been over two years in the planning.  Beth and I have slowly, but deliberately made decisions about our future and have been willing to change them as needed.  Now that things are beginning to solidify, we need to be thinking about where we want to be in the next decade or longer.  This means working through things like expanding our family, saving for college, setting long term goals, etc.  I don’t expect to have it all figured out, but I want us to be intentional about the direction we are moving. (That is actually the key idea behind the title of my blog.)

After posting a few quick thoughts on power and the nature of the Christian gospel, I found this quote from Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish Theologian.  [Emphasis mine]

When preaching the gospel became a livelihood, even a lush livelihood, then the gospel became good news for the rich and for the mighty. For how else was the preacher to acquire and secure rank and dignity unless Christianity secured the best for all? Christianity thus ceased to be glad tidings for those who suffer, a message of hope that transfigures suffering into joy, but a guarantee for the enjoyment of life intensified and secured by the hope of eternity.

The gospel no longer benefits the poor essentially. In fact Christianity has now even become a downright injustice to those who suffer (although we are not always conscious of this and certainly unwilling to admit it.) Today the gospel is preached to the rich, the powerful, who have discovered it to be advantageous. We are right back again to the very state original Christianity wanted to oppose! The rich and powerful not only get to keep everything, but their success becomes the mark of their piety, the sign of their relationship to God. And this prompts the old atrocity again – namely, the idea that the unfortunate, the poor are to blame for their condition; that it is because they are poor, whereas the rich have not only pleasure but piety as well. This is supposed to be Christianity. Compare it with the New Testament, and you will see that it is as far from that as possible.

Even though this was written over 150 years ago, it rings all the more true today.  The message of the gospel is hope for the weak, not comfort for the privileged; it is restoration of the broken, not security for the empowered.

The church who panders to the powerful and caters to the upper class is nothing but a whore: trading the sanctity of the Good News of the Kingdom of God for a false sense of affirmation and well-being.

Throughout Scripture there are some dominate themes regarding power:

• God holds power but entrusts it to humanity.
• Dominate (oppressive) power structures are always subverted.
• The coming of the Kingdom of God results in the weak gaining power and prestige.
• Power comes in weakness and sacrifice, not through dominance.

The examples of this are endless:

• Jacob was the weaker, younger brother but fathered the 12 tribes of Israel.
• King David was the runt of the bunch but became the most powerful King.
• Gideon was chosen as a warrior leader because he was the least of those available; furthermore his army was culled to exclude the strongest.
• Jesus was not a conquering King, but lived a submissive, sacrificial life.
• The disciples were not leaders or scholars, they were regular guys entrusted with the future of the church.

The list goes on…

Despite this clear trajectory of power (re)distribution in the Kingdom, we still live in a day and time where the rich and the educated and the privileged lead the way.

What pains me the most is when scripture is used to justify and embolden the (oppressive) power structures – especially when it happens in the church.

When will we learn?  It is time for educated, rich, white, western males to step down and learn from those on the fringe.  I am convinced the gospel and Christianity can only truly makes sense when it includes and is led by those society has overlooked and disenfranchised.

My friend Terry posted a quick blog entry the other day on similar issues.  You can read it here.

We have been back from Swaziland Africa for about a week.  It feels like we are living between worlds as we look to transition from a comfortable life in the States to the unexpected.  After two weeks on the ground researching options, Beth and I are absolutely confident we will be making the move in the next year (but we are still working out the specifics).

It is great to be back in Bowling Green and even better to be able to hold my daughter again.  That being said, every time I snuggle with her I am hit with a wave of emotion.  We are so lucky to have such a beautiful, well-behaved daughter; but at the same time, she is very lucky to have us.  I don’t say that because I think we are exceptional parents, but because in our time our Swaziland we met so many kids who aren’t as fortunate.

In Swaziland, a country of about a million people, there are an estimated 100,000 orphans and over 15,000 child-headed homes.  My mind cannot even comprehend that.  Most of them lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS, a disease that currently infects up to 40% of the population.  40% – again, my mind can’t even comprehend that and we even saw it with our own eyes.

An entire generation has been laid to waste by a horrible disease; the current life expectancy lies around 30 years of age and the was just recognized as having the highest death rate in the world.  For the most part grandparents (gogos) have stepped up to provide the care, but now many of those are dying of old age.  Thinking about what the next decade will look like for the country is like looking into a blackhole (UN estimates the Swazis could be wiped out as a people group by 2050 if things don’t change).

The point of this blog is not to just give grim statistics, but to share a bit about what I am feeling (and if you know me, I am not a very emotional person and rarely share things like this).

Knowing the situation has made me realize my love for Mikayla all the more.  Last night, before she went to bed, Beth and I gave her a group hug and she beamed up at us.  It was so cute but it made me ache for those who will never experience the safe embrace of two parents.  Every time she lays her head on my shoulder I have to fight back tears over those who cannot rest peacefully.  Today she got her shots and I was overwhelmed with emotion at thinking how fortunate she was to not only have access to medical care, but also to have someone to comfort her when she hurt.

When Mikayla was first born, I felt many of these same things but as time has gone on, those feelings have faded – until now.  What is worst is that I have no idea what to do.  I don’t know what the answer is.  In moving to Swaziland we can help some, but in the face of the current situation there, I still realize it is just a drop in the bucket.

Even though it hurts, I can’t say I desire the feelings of sadness to go away.  I want to live life conscious of the way things are and hopefully in doing so find the strength and ability to be a part of the healing process.

[Homes in Bulembu, some of which have been renovated for Orphan Care]

The following excepts are from an article written by Howard Zinn on the dangers of nationalism. (HT to Donna Aros for posting it on facebook).  You can read the whole article here: Put Away the Flags

On this July 4, we would do well to renounce nationalism and all its symbols: its flags, its pledges of allegiance, its anthems, its insistence in song that God must single out America to be blessed.

Is not nationalism — that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary so fierce it engenders mass murder — one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred?

These ways of thinking — cultivated, nurtured, indoctrinated from childhood on — have been useful to those in power, and deadly for those out of power.

…

Our citizenry has been brought up to see our nation as different from others, an exception in the world, uniquely moral, expanding into other lands in order to bring civilization, liberty, democracy.

…

We need to refute the idea that our nation is different from, morally superior to, the other imperial powers of world history.

We need to assert our allegiance to the human race, and not to any one nation.

Throughout the article, Zinn discusses the atrocities that have been committed in the name of Nationalism.  His argument for an allegiance to humanity is challenging.

For those of us who follow the teachings of Christ, we have another — much greater — reason to reject nationalism: Our citizenship is not here, but to the Kingdom of God.  This citizenship calls us not to dominance and defense, but to submission and to participation in the restoration and redemption of all things.

I could wax on about the dangers of nationalism and an americocentric understanding of the world, but instead, I will simply say that my identity as a participant in the Kingdom of God is exponentially more important than my place of residence or my county of origin.

[Kane lifts the cup after his game winning goal]

I have been a moderate hockey enthusiast for about 15 years now and have always been a fan of the Chicago Blackhawks.  In those 15 years, the ‘hawks have only made the Stanley Cup Playoffs 3 times (before last year, they had only made 1 playoff in 13 years!!).  I really got back into watching the sport this year whiling playing Fantasy Hockey with friends.  Boy did I pick a good year to start watching again as the ‘hawks were loaded with young talent and easily made the playoffs.  I was able to watch every game of the first series through the Nashville affiliate and then watched most of the second and third series online.

When Chicago made it to the Stanley Cup Finals by sweeping the San Jose Sharks, I was beside myself with excitement.  I vowed to wear my Blackhawks sweater (jersey for you non-hockey folks) every game night in the series despite the blazing June heat.

On Wednesday, Chicago found themselves on the road against Philadelphia up 3-2 in a 7 game series; I found myself at Annual Conference for Kentucky Methodists.  At the conclusion of the final session, I rushed out of the conference center to find the first period over and the score tied at 1-1.  I ran up to my hotel room and pulled on my red, white and black jersey.  I watched most of second period by myself (and it was a great period of hockey).  The only time anyone paid any attention was when I made a fool of myself cheering.  Those around me limited their interest to the mere fact that anyone actually watched hockey.  The second period closed with Chicago up by a goal and my room mates looking to go to bed.  I knew I had to find another place to watch the game.

I headed to the hotel lobby and asked if they knew of a place where I could watch the hockey game. “They play hockey in the summer?”  she asked.  “Yeah… the finals are on!” I said.  Her only suggested was to go to the bar downstairs.

I walked down but was dismayed to find the Reds playing baseball.  Probably wouldn’t be a problem, but since I could literally see the Reds Stadium from the bar, there seemed to be little chance I was going to be able to convince them to change the channel.  After asking several people if it would be possible to watch the game on one of the many TVs, I was told I would have to take it up with bartender.

I went to the bar and asked if there was any chance we could watch the hockey game.  She gave me a hesitant look and said as long as the other patrons were okay with it.  Luckily the two guys beside me piped up and said they would love to watch it.  Turns out both of them used to play hockey (one of them said he played semi-pro).  Suddenly a small new world emerged.  In the midst of a sea of uninterested bar-goers, three of us could talk about forechecking and plus/minus and penalty killing.

It quickly became obvious the two other fans were not only interested in hockey – they were also big fans of women and booze.  I can say without hesitation that the things discussed were most certainly not things most of my pastor friends at Annual Conference were talking about.  Besides being obviously drunk, these two guys were quite excited about a certain “dancer” who had given them her number and whose proportions seemed to be abnormal.  I will leave the specifics to your imagination, but I have no doubt that whatever you are imagining is tame compared to how the conversation actually unfolded.

As the third period played out with Chicago up, I also engaged the gentleman on my other side in friendly conversation.  Turns out he was a Catholic business man with an economics degree from Yale who also happened to be a Detroit Redwings fan.  Between his third and fourth glass of wine he asked what I was doing in the area.  That is when I got to explain that I was there because I was a Methodist pastor; he was not shocked by this, but was amused with the fact that I was also a distillery manager.  Within a few minutes we transitioned from talking hockey to talking about the socio-historic setting of the Ancient Near East.  Basically he asked me if I preached and I told him I was more interested in teaching so people could come to their own conclusions.  When I told him I often “preached” on historical practices of Israelites, he sarcastically said “yeah, I bet people flock to hear that!”  Before long, we were talking about the theological implications of Assyrian and Babylonian suzerain-vassal treaties.  Oh the joy.

Our conversation was often interrupted by either a great play in the hockey game or by our friends on the other side who were excited about a new female patron to the bar.  So there I was, in a bar, at a church conference, talking with one guy about how the flaming firepot passing between the split carcass of a lamb in Genesis is essential to understanding the cross, and talking with others about what sort of sexual escapades are available to amateur hockey players.

With just a few minutes left in the game, Philly scored and sent things into overtime.  Again, in a large crowd of sports fans, there were only 4 of us in the bar that cared that the Stanley Cup playoffs could come down to a sudden death overtime period.

A rumor started spreading that there was another hockey fan outside and that the bartender at that bar might be willing to turn the larger TV on to the game.  I excused myself and made my way to the porch.  As soon as I walked out (still wearing my Blackhawks jersey), a very large and very drunk man ran up to me and gave me a hug.  Between a  barrage of curse words, he expressed his enthusiasm for Chicago.  We sat down at the bar to watch the overtime period.  It was nice to not only find a hockey fan, but also to be able to cheer with someone who supported the same team.  At one point after a long string of enthusiastic cussing from my new friend, I turned around to see that my District Superintendant and his wife were sitting right behind us.  Oh well… nothing I can do about it.

As the overtime period got underway, my excitement began to build.  Even without the sound on, you could tell the Philadelphia crowd was going crazy.  The Flyers are a tenacious team and always play hard, especially when something is on the line.

But then, four minutes into OT this happened:

As you can probably tell, the goal was odd.  Even players on the ice didn’t know what had happened.  It was even harder for me to grasp what was going on between the lack of sound and the drunk ramblings of those around me.  Eventually, as the Blackhawks flooded the ice, it was obvious what had happened.  The young phenom Patrick Kane had ended the 49 year drought for Chicago.  I went crazy, along with the only other Chicago fan in the whole city (as far as I could tell).  The drunk womanizers and the wine-drinking Yale grad made their way to me to offer congratulations.  It was a hell of a night.

It certainly was not the setting where I expected to celebrate the first ‘hawks cup win in my lifetime, but it was magical either way.  I would have loved to be in the Windy City to see that happen, but it was plenty of fun to be a sober distiller at a pastor’s conference watching the game with washed-up hockey players, Catholic history buffs, and drunk Chicago fans.

In many ways the setting only enhanced the experience.  Sure, my DS may have “caught” me in a crowd of intoxicated ruffians, but I bet I am one only a few pastors who were able to talk with absolute strangers about redemption.  Plus… the ‘hawks won.  What more could I ask for.

By now everyone knows about the environmental catastrophe unfolding in the gulf coast.  Initial estimates of 1000 barrels a day were horrendous enough and soon upgraded to an estimate of 5000 barrels.  However a few weeks ago, new footage emerged showing the actual leak:

This lead to researchers to conclude the leak could actually be as high as 80,000+ barrels a day.  That means that every 3-4 days as much oil as the entire Exxon Valdez spilled is leaking into our oceans.  Just yesterday, experts testified before congress that the actually amount is most likely close to 95K barrels per day.

What really chaps me is that BP is refusing to acknowledge the extent of the flow (and thus the extent of the damage).  They are sticking by their early figures of 5K despite the fact they are woefully inaccurate and they are refusing to put forth the effort to actually figure out the flow rate.

After many unsuccessful attempts to address the problem, BP finally was able to insert a tube into the broken pipe to siphon off the oil.  They claim they are now capturing up to 5,000 barrels of leaking oil.  That just happens to be the magic number — the amount BP still claims is all that is leaking.

The problem is, the leak is still flowing.  Check out this footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h4yHPt7ejs

This has been going on for a month.  Even when we aren’t thinking about it, or the news media isn’t covering it, thousands and thousands of gallons of toxic crude oil are blasting into our oceans.  It literally makes me sick to think about the towns in Alabama that survived Hurricane Katrina, only to be (irreparably?) damaged by this man-made disaster.

Now who thinks “Drill Baby Drill” is a good idea?

UPDATE: Right when I posted this, I found this article where BP finally admits the leak is bigger than 5,000 barrels, but still refuses to acknowledge the extent of the damage.

In 2000 I applied for my first credit card.  It was an MBNA card with a Blackhawks logo and a $750 credit limit.  In the decade that has passed MBNA has been bought out by Bank of America, my credit limit has increased over 3,000% and Beth and I have put over $100K on that card.  (Don’t worry… we are disciplined and have never paid interest on it because we always pay it off in full.  In fact, because of our reward program, we have made close to $1000.)

Well after 10 years with MBNA / Bank of America, the time has come for us to move on.  We had been happy with our card up until the last couple years.  It probably started with the Financial Crisis as I became increasingly uneasy with how Bank of America had behaved (See this article from CNN Money and this article from Bloomberg).  Then I saw this interview with Jim Wallis on The Daily Show where he talked about “divorcing your bank” to show your displeasure with how your financial institute was morally behaving.  It made sense, but we were pretty happy with Bank of America.

That changed a few months ago when we had to challenge a charge on our credit card.  Basically we were schemed by a junk yard in Nashville.  Hilltop Auto Salvage sold us a defective engine and then despite following their return policy, they charged us over $400 in restocking fees.  I worked with the claims department at BofA from the very beginning and followed their advice.  Unfortunately it was a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing and after nearly 6 months of misinformation, bad advise, poor correspondence and contradictory reports,  our claim got completely screwed up.  We were awarded the money and then 4 months later they charged us for it again.  The worst part was that I couldn’t get a straight answer.  I followed their advice to the letter, but each person I talked with contradicted the first.  Basically I was told I was denied because I followed the process they recommended.

After that SNAFU we were ready to move on.  We did our research and realized that if we switched to Capital One we could receive more cash back and not have to worry about paying “International Fees” (something very important for us as look to make our move).  They were a pleasure to deal with and everyone I asked said they have had never had a problem with them.  Plus, I think it is pretty nifty that you can design your own card.

To no one’s surprise, my card has been customized with my initials and a carbon fiber background:

Equally unsurprising, Beth went with a picture of giraffes on her card:

We would like to thank Luca Galuzzi who generously allowed us to use his picture from Ithala Game Reserve as the background for Beth’s card.  Check out his website, he has some incredible shots: http://www.galuzzi.it/

What started as a bad taste in our mouth with Bank of America turned into a pain in the butt.  Thankfully, in the end we have ended up with what we feel is a better option…. plus we have pretty cool plastic now.

I have always struggled with the idea of capitalism even from an early age.  I guess I took my teachers seriously when I was told we should share our things.  It never seemed fair that some should have so much while other have so little.

But where did my deep seated disgust with the whole system develop?  I have traced it back to my first year of college at WKU.  I took a Micro Economics class as part of my Gen-ed requirements.  Overall I liked the class, and enjoyed the teacher (we are even friends), but there was one day that I found particularly disturbing.

We were learning about oligopolies and collusion; to demonstrate the effects, we performed a class exercise.  We were divided into two teams, each of which were responsible for selling similar widgets.  Each “day” one representative from each team would meet together and determine the cost of widgets for that day.  The first day we could either sell them for $10 or $12.  If we both decided to sell for $10 we would get $100 each, if we both decided to sell for $12, we would get $120 each.  However, if one of us sold for $10 and the other for $12, then the lower priced seller would earn $150 and the higher priced seller would earn $50.  This was intended to mimic the increased sales that would occur due to lower prices.

Of course there is a catch.  After the “representatives” met they would go back their teams and then determine what their prices would be.  It was at this point that teams could decide if they wanted to be honest or if they wanted to scheme and undercut their competitor.  We did this for five “days” and each day the prices would increase so by the end of experiment the widgets could sell for either $50 or $60 and the profits would be $500|$500 or $600|$600 or $750|$250.  Oh, and at the end of the game, the teams would be rewarded with bonus points on their next test.

If you follow the game it makes sense that at every meeting between teams you would both agree to set the higher cost.  If both teams are trustworthy you can earn 20% more that if both teams are dishonest.  However, if you can get the other team to trust you and you undercut them you earn 50% more (and the other team only earns 50% of what they would have). The game ended up being so disturbing to me I still remember exactly how it played out:

• Round 1 – The stakes were low and both teams trusted each other.  Both teams charged the higher price and everyone profits
• Round 2 – Both teams continued to trust each other, but my team thought that the only way to get ahead would be to strike early so we chose to undercut them and made the big profits.
• Round 3 – (This was the round I was the negotiator for my team) – I was able to convinced the other team that the reason we went low was because we thought they were going to undercut us.  They believed me that our motives were defensive and not offensive (lies!).  We both agreed to trust each other and go with the higher price,  Then my team saw another opportunity to maximize their profits and intentionally uncut them again.
• Round 4 – No one trust each other after being burned two rounds in a row and both teams charged the lower price
• Round 5 – Again, both teams had no trust for each other and charged the lower price.

Here were the scores:

• Round 1: $120 | $120
• Round 2: $300 | $100
• Round 3: $450 | $150
• Round 4: $400 | $400
• Round 5: $500 | $500

If we had all been honest all the time, everyone in the class would have received 14.4 bonus points (Both teams would have earned $1440).  If we had all be dishonest/untrusting we would have all earned 12 bonus points ($1200 each).  As it played out, my team won 17.7 bonus points and our competitors only got 12.7.

The experience still makes me uneasy when I think about.  It was the dishonesty and selfishness built into the system that really bothered me.  I was able to be better off because someone else wasn’t as fortunate.  On the other hand, the losing team received less because they were trusting and desired the best for everyone.

Obviously this is not how the system practically works in the real world, but the principles are right.  Everyone has to look out for their best interests and the only way you can do that is by hurting others.  If you are a buyer you are trying to get something for the lowest price possible, regardless of how much time, effort, or money the seller might have invested in the widgets; if you are the seller, you are going to try and extract the most money out of your product regardless of how much you have invested and what the buyers circumstances may be.

The system works and everyone benefits if people are honest, but once that trust is lost, everyone is worse off.

So… if you boil it down… the real reason I hate capitalism is because of a game I played once in a class where I was lucky enough to get extra bonus points because I was shrewd and dishonest.

We are two and half months away from our summer trip to Swaziland and just a little over a year away from when we actually plan on moving.  That has Beth and I looking at things in new ways.  We are asking questions like “What are we going to do with our dishes?” and “Who is going to keep Shiloh?” We have spent close to two years trying to accumulate less and downsize where we can.  In my mind I have already begun making a list of what things we will want to take with us and what needs to be given away, sold, loaned out or put in storage.

I knew early on the hardest thing for me to part with would be my collection of books.  Not because they are so valuable (although I do have several thousand dollars wrapped up in them), but because in many ways they define me.  To help the transition, I moved most of my academic collection out of my house and to the church.  That way other people could use them and if I left them there I wouldn’t feel like they were lost.

Now, as we are beginning to investigate actually job opportunities, and we realize there is a decent chance I will be able to teach at either a school or the University, I have begun thinking about what resources I would need.  That, along with our overall planning for the future, has prompted me to start a list of books I already own that I want to take with me.  Since my training is mostly in Biblical Studies (especially the Hebrew Scriptures) a majority of the books are from this field .  I have also included books from fields like Christian History and Theology to have as a reference, but I must admit I do not feel qualified to teach anything but basic topics in these areas.  Finally, there are a few books that have been so influencial for me that they had to be included.  You will note I have not included any fiction or pleasure reading — I figure I can pick that up while I am there.

Stack of books from my first semester at Asbury. Only one of these made the list.

Here is my list of “Keepers” (shoot me a comment if you think of any good ones I am leaving out):

• The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, NRSV -This was my seminary bible and still my favorite for reading through (I figure I can leave my leather-bound Thompson Chain here in the states.
• BHS and NA27 – You have to start with the original texts.
• Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar, Pratico and VanPelt – This is not the Hebrew grammar I learned on, but I have found it is the best for catching me back up when I find I have let my language skills slack.
• A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, Arnold and Choi – A concise reference that is phenomenal for making a budding scholar look like they know more than they really do.
• Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, Mounce – The Greek counterpart to Pratico and VanPelt.  My Greek is much rougher than my Hebrew, but this is a good grammar to get back up to speed.
• Life in Biblical Israel, King and Stanger – An excellent reference and even better bathroom reading.  This book is the gooey center of the cinnamon roll – it really helps the text come alive through detailed contextual insights.
• A Biblical History of Israel, Provan, Long and Longman – More of a reference than anything else.  Well documented and easy to use as a gateway for deeper studies.
• Harper Collins Concise Atlas of the Bible – Another great reference.  Not especially thorough, but very helpful.
• Epic of Eden, Richter – If I ever have the opportunity to teach an introduction to Old Testament, I would want to teach it like Dr. Richter.
• An Introduction to the Old Testament, Brueggemann – While I don’t agree with him on all fronts, my theology and understanding of the Old Testament is most shaped by Walter Brueggemann and this is a great primer/survey.
• Introducing the New Testament, Achtemeier, Green and Thompson – Not my favorite New Testament Survey, but the only one I own.
• Christian Origins and the Question of God Trilogy, NT Wright – These have long been my go to reference for all things related to New Testament concepts.
  • The New Testament and the People of God – This is the best book I have found for laying out the setting of the New Testament and its implications
  • Jesus and The Victory of God – My Christology is largely shaped by Wright’s thoughts in this book.
  • The Resurrection of the Son of God – I don’t have this one yet, and in practice, I use it the least so if space is tight, I may only take the first two.
• Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible – By no means my favorite source for Biblical information, but handy to have around when you need to look up things you have forgotten (like which ecumenical council discussed the Arian controversy?)
• History of the World Christian Movement, Irvin and Sunquist – In my undergrad and seminary career I have read quite a few Church History books and this one is by far the best.  I am anxiously awaiting Volume II.
• The Story of Christian Theology, Olson – I am very weak in my knowledge of the history of theology and this is the only book I have to reference.
• Challenge of Jesus, N.T. Wright – While Wright does discuss Christology in this book and it does have academic merit, for me, it is a defining book in how I understand the nature of Christianity.
• Prophetic Imagination, Walter Brueggemann – I know I sound like a broken record when I mention this book, but one of the most important concepts in my life that I live by is Brueggemann’s idea of the prophetic imagination and criticizing/energizing culture and community.
• The Politics of Jesus, John Howard Yoder – I may never have the opporutnity to teach from Yoder’s book, but I will certainly be able to live by it.
• Walden, Henry David Thoreau – One of my sources of rejuvenation.
• Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community, Martin Luther King Jr – We named our daughter after King; surely I must take his most seminal work.

So I was able to whittle my collection of several hundred down to 22. Even then there are so many that I am leaving out that I would love to include.  In reality, this list is probably too large when you consider how much we can actually take with us; but…. at least it is a start.