June Reading Log

Happy 250th birthday, America! I read a seminal, prophetic work about you this month (along with an excellent memoir and a bunch of old Avengers comics). To see what I thought, keep reading!



ALL MY KNOTTED-UP LIFE by Beth Moore

Growing up, I knew Beth Moore as "that lady who writes women's Bible studies," which was both correct and extremely reductive. In fact, Moore was one of the most prominent people in Southern Baptist (and therefore, more broadly, American evangelical) life. She wrote books that were instant bestsellers, she filled megachurches and conference centers when she spoke, and, yes, she wrote Bible studies that Sunday School classes and life groups devoured.

Then in 2016, when the Access Hollywood tape hit the airwaves, she crossed Donald Trump and his followers by questioning how Christians could possibly excuse such behavior. When she refused to retreat from that conviction, she was abruptly cancelled by the SBC universe, in ways both social and official. Having given decades of her life to the church, specifically the Southern Baptist Convention of churches, she was now a pariah within it.

Moore has since bounced back—she does not have and probably will never again reach an audience the size she once did, but she maintains a following, particularly among that segment of the country that loves the Lord but is ambivalent about where evangelicalism finds itself in the age of Trump. In 2019, she was one of the guests at Truett Seminary's inaugural preaching conference and preached what I consider the finest sermon I've ever heard. She continues to write and speak, even as the opportunities are more limited than they once were.

So, especially in light of the news coming out of this year's Southern Baptist Convention meeting, I decided it was time to read her 2025 memoir, which traces the circuitous path her life has taken and offers thanks to the Lord for holding her through it all. This was my first Beth Moore book, but it won't be my last.

Those looking for a tell-all about her life post-2016 will be disappointed; this is not that kind of book. In typical Moore fashion, full of grace and wit, she tells her story from childhood through today, reflecting on the highs and lows and never flinching from uncomfortable moments.

Indeed, the newsworthy headline that came from this book's release was that Moore was sexually abused by her father as a young girl. Those wanting a cathartic confrontation will be disappointed; she maintained a relationship with him (as did her mother) until his death, even reminding him that she forgave him on his deathbed. Her childhood, as she narrates over nearly half the book, was chaotic and cruel at points, joyful and loving at others. You don't get clear-cut heroes and villains, just fallen people trying to get by.

That pattern is consistent throughout her life, whether she's talking about her parents; her husband Keith, whom she adores even as she is unafraid to point out his flaws and blind spots; or the Southern Baptist church which gave her so much only to cruelly rip it all away. Moore is both honest and gracious, sincere in both her love and her criticism.

Those willing to read about a faithful life where only one person is perfect will love this book, as I did. Having checked it out from the library, this is one where I'm going to have to hunt down a copy for my shelf. We need more Christians willing to tell the truth about their "knotted-up lives."



DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA by Alexis de Tocqueville

In 1831, the French diplomat Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to America to observe what made our still-young country so special. His findings, presented in the two-volume Democracy in America, were a sociological study so insightful that we're still reading it today. So this month, in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I read the whole thing, all 880 pages of it.

Volume 1 examines the political structures of the United States, from the three branches of government to the rule of the majority to the preeminence of the Constitution. This volume takes you back to your high school social studies classroom, and is pretty easy reading for the nerds like me who eat that stuff up.

Volume 2 I found more challenging to read, riskier in its predictions, and, given where our country finds itself today, sadder. It deals with the more abstract nature of the country: our religiosity, our ambitiousness and industriousness, how we relate to one another, etc. Many of de Tocqueville's insights into the American character held strong for 150+ years, only to suddenly seem questionable in the last decade or so. For example, the arisocratic de Tocqueville writes often of the United States as a classless society, where the rich and the poor alike hold the same beliefs about what would one day be called "the American Dream." That used to feel true; it feels more tenuous today.

Democracy in America, given the dry subject matter and date of its writing, was more readable than I feared it would be, though only a completist or a hard-core nerd (I qualify on both counts) needs to read the whole thing; key passages will do just fine for most. It's always worth asking what outsiders think of what you're doing, and this Frenchmen hit the nail on the head more times than you might expect.



ESSENTIAL AVENGERS VOL. 1-2 by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Jack Kirby, Don Heck, et al.

This month I decided it was time to jump back into the Essentials, specifically the first two of nine volumes containing 200+ issues of The Avengers. Long before they were the faces of Hollywood, the Avengers were Marvel's answer to the Justice League, a team mixing the stars of its universe (Iron Man, Thor) with B-level characters popular enough to feature, but not capable of helming their own books (Giant Man, the Wasp). It would take 50 years and some blockbuster films for the team to surpass other Marvel properties like the Fantastic Four, but it all started here.

These initial Essential volumes, covering the first 46 issues and an oversized annual, are reflective of the early Silver Age, when Stan Lee was still developing his voice and was throwing way too many words at the page. Similarly, the art—first by Jack Kirby, then Don Heck—is serviceable but nothing special. Reading two issues per day of these books, my pace for most of the month, was a bit of a slog, taking me every bit of 45 minutes most mornings.

But there are some things worth highlighting. The first comes in issue #4, when Captain America—a Kirby creation from the Golden Age of comics—is revived from the icy waters of the Atlantic and joins the team. Another is a heavy-handed but well-intentioned story where the Avengers oppose the Sons of the Serpent, a xenophobic stand-in for the Ku Klux Klan. Lastly is one of the book's biggest swings, when the entire original lineup is replaced by "Cap's Kooky Quartet," i.e. Captain America joined by villains-turned-heroes Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, and Hawkeye. That lineup would see the comraderie and competency of the original group replaced by a squad of bickering, jealous Avengers eager to prove themselves.

These early issues show a book finding its footing, but managing to consistently offer entertaining stories while doing so. In the next volume, things really start to take off. Tune in next month to see for yourself!

Freebies (Friday Devotional)

"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." 

- Matthew 10:8

There is a tradition at certain restaurants that, as an act of hospitality, certain food is given to you free of charge before you ever receive your entrée. At a fried fish joint, you can stuff yourself on saltines and butter crackers. At a steakhouse, they’ll bring out fresh bread. And most famously, at any reputable Tex-Mex restaurant you get limitless baskets of chips with salsa.

The funny thing about this tradition is how it affects your perception of the restaurant—you start to judge the place as much on the free food as what you’re paying for. Texas Roadhouse gets forgiven if your medium steak comes out well done, because you started the night with four dinner rolls slathered in cinnamon butter. Your enchiladas at Chuy’s are forgotten, but the creamy jalapeño dip that came with your chips lives on in your memory. The freebies matter more than you think.

The same is true in relationships. We place a lot of importance on big moments and events—birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals, etc. By showing up in these moments, by buying the perfect gift, by checking all the boxes, you think you’re doing your part for your friends and family members.

But while those big moments certainly matter, there’s something to be said for the smaller moments: texting your friend that you’re thinking about her on a random Tuesday, buying your coworker lunch for no reason at all, hugging your child extra tight just because. It is the accumulation of these relational “freebies” that communicates consistent, sincere love most effectively.

Jesus did both throughout his ministry—he gave his life on the cross for us all, but he also gave his time to a Samaritan woman at a well. In ways that were sometimes small and sometimes cinematic, on the most extraordinary occasions and the most ordinary, Jesus gave himself fully to people. As his disciple, may you show that same kind of love: gracious, sacrificial, and free.

Unfiltered Joy (Friday Devotional)

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

- Psalm 118:24

Lately it seems like you can’t turn on the TV without seeing a team celebrating a championship victory. First it was the New York Knicks snapping a 53-year title drought in San Antonio. The next night it was the Carolina Hurricanes lifting the Stanley Cup after defeating the Las Vegas Golden Knights. And with those contests behind us, now Americans are joining the rest of the world in turning their eyes to the World Cup, where in a month one nation will win arguably the most envied title in all of sports.

Each time you see a team win a championship, whether it’s in the World Series or in Little League, the scene is the same: teammates dancing around, hugging each other tightly, whooping and hollering in ecstasy. Fans of the victorious team honk car horns and launch fireworks and revel spontaneously in the streets. And those are just the instantaneous celebrations, all before the official parade attended by hundreds of thousands of well-wishers.

We’re drawn to those scenes because they showcase something we so rarely see from adults: pure, unfettered joy. Athletes who have worked for such moments their entire lives no longer feel pressured to put on stoic faces or “act like they’ve been there before.” Fans who have endured season after season of heartbreak now replace their groans of frustration with cries of jubilation. Nobody is self-conscious and nobody is trying to impress. Caught up in what’s been accomplished, everyone just rejoices together.

It occurs to me that we rarely let ourselves celebrate that way. We smile, but not too widely. We laugh, but not too loudly. We shout for joy, but only if we’re sure it will be received well. We’re happy to be happy…but that happiness is muted by insecurity.

But if sports can inspire the kind of unfiltered joy we’d rarely show elsewhere, surely faith can too. The Bible tells us in so many places to rejoice in the Lord, to celebrate his mighty deeds, to praise him—and surely that joy isn’t meant to be restrained by the fear of what others might think. The God who creates, saves, and sanctifies his children is worthy of their full-throated worship.

This is the day that the Lord has made…rejoice in it like you’ve won the greatest victory imaginable. After all, in Christ you have.

Living for Jesus (Friday Devotional)

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

- Colossians 3:17

For the past several days, Lindsey and I have been celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary in the Pacific Northwest, enjoying a respite from the heat and humidity of a Texas summer. By the time you read this, we’re likely browsing the shelves at Powell’s Books in Portland, where I’m mentally calculating how many paperbacks I can cram in my suitcase. And before long, we’ll be home—back to diaper changes and packing lunches and meetings at church.

Whenever we take trips like this, I always find myself imagining how “real life” could be more like vacation. I think about the things that cause stress back home, and see how a few days away makes those stressors seem unimportant. I relish how we’re spending our time, and wonder if normal days could be more like that. Vacation—even the way we do it, where the days are packed with activity—feels like a totally different world from day-to-day life.

In many ways, this is true. After all, on vacation there is no work to be done, no commitments to meet, no responsibilities you cannot shrug off or delegate. There’s a reason people take vacations, after all!

But in other ways, nothing has changed. You still need 3 square meals a day. You still have 24 hours to occupy. You still need to figure out how to get from here to there. It’s different, but not completely alien.

Add to that list the command of Colossians 3:17: “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” The “whatever you do” is your clue that the command to live for Christ is not situation-dependent; it is universal. In times of prosperity and times of poverty, the Christian’s calling is to devote their actions to Jesus. In times of stress and times of calm, when life is easy and when it’s hard, at work and on vacation, believers live for Jesus.

Tomorrow we’ll be back home, and we’ll get back to the grind. Right now, we enjoy a few more minutes of easy living. But in both cases, our calling is the same: do everything in Jesus’ name and for his glory. For that mission never changes.

Welcoming Children (Friday Devotional)

Then children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”

- Matthew 19:13-14

Every night this week, I had two responsibilities at our church’s Vacation Bible School. First, during the opening and closing rallies, I put on a glow-in-the-dark costume and served as “The Illuminator,” a silly character whose jobs were to hype the kids up and to recap the Bible lessons from the week. In between those rallies, I led the recreation time for each class, facilitating everything from Capture the Flag to cup stacking to a hula hoop toss.

For a pastor, this was far from a typical week. Yet inevitably, it is always one of my favorite times of the year. Why is that? The answer, I believe, comes straight from the Bible.

In his ministry, Jesus was often confronted with a familiar complaint: he wasn’t falling in line. Sometimes that was because he was choosing compassion over law. Sometimes it was because he was looking more to the spirit of the law than to its letter. Sometimes it’s simply because he was paying too much attention to people that society said weren’t worthy of it.

One of those times was when a group of parents brought their children to Jesus to be blessed. If you’ve ever been around a group of kids, you’ll know that they’re far from orderly—undoubtedly some of the kids were screaming, some were running around, and some were utterly unimpressed by the Messiah. As such, Jesus’ disciples were ready to send these children on their way so that the Savior could attend to more important matters. However, Jesus would have none of it. Speaking sternly to his disciples, he demanded that the little children be brought to him, “for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”

Now as then, we are quick to dismiss children. They’re cute, but so loud. They’re innocent, but so unpredictable. They’re beautiful, but ultimately secondary to the important work of adult ministry.

Jesus saw things differently. He valued children in all their boisterousness. He didn’t see them as a nuisance, but as a blessing. Indeed, he said God’s kingdom belonged to them.

So today, we ought not regard children’s ministry as the minor leagues, but as crucial work. Dressing up in silly costumes is not an inconvenience, but an opportunity. Crafts and games are not trivialities, but tools for gospel ministry. Vacation Bible School is not an event to trudge through, it is a revival to be celebrated.

Jesus welcomes the little children, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Are you welcoming them too?

May Reading Log

As a reader, I often adopt my own version of actors' famous "one for them, one for me" rule, alternating between books that are intellectually stimulating and "important" works with those that are pure entertainment. So, with last month's reading heavily focused on the lengthy classic Les Misérables, and with another long historical classic on deck for next month (stay tuned!), I gave this month over to lighter fare. Take a look!



BRAVING THE TRUTH by Rachel Held Evans, edited by Sarah Bessey

One of evangelical Christianity's most important and most eloquent writers in the 21st century so far has been Rachel Held Evans, whose blog and subsequent books made her one of the earliest and most prominent voices of what would become known as the "deconstruction" movement. Rachel spoke for millions of young adults who, after growing up in the warm cocoon of evangelicalism, started asking existential questions and found their religious authorities' answers—or, more commonly, non-answers—unsatisfactory. She never stopped loving Jesus, but she had quite a few bones to pick with his church.

Rachel's story came to a sudden and tragic end in 2019 when she was placed into a medically induced coma following an allergic reaction to medication she was taking for an infection. She died a few weeks later at the age of 37, leaving behind a husband, two small children, and thousands (millions?) of devastated friends and readers. I count myself as one of those readers; I vividly remember the gut punch I felt upon learning of her death.

Braving the Truth is her final offering to the church, a posthumous collection of her blog posts compiled by friends and family and interspersed with their reflections on Rachel. The writings included span the topics Rachel most commonly covered, from the hypocrisies of the religious right to her embrace of LGBTQ+ advocacy to her journey out of evagecalism and into mainline Christianity. As with all of her writings, they are both passionate and compassionate, articulating a vision of the church where nobody is left behind and all are welcome. 

This is a sad book for those of us who felt like we knew Rachel and who miss her voice. As was always the case when I was reading her contemporarily, I don't agree with all of her conclusions, but I never question the heart behind them or her love for the Lord. At both a spiritual and an emotional level, this is a challenging book, and one I am grateful her loved ones gave us.

 

MUSIC IS HISTORY by Questlove
HIP-HOP IS HISTORY by Questlove

These books have intrigued me ever since I first saw them on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, so when the public library had both available at once, I knew it was time to pick them up. Written by Questlove, founding member of the Roots and musical director for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the books purport to be a walk through recent American history as told through the lens of popular music and his own experiences within its industry. Neither, in my mind, quite lives up to that mission statement, but one is superior to the other.

Music Is History is the more rambling of the two, a book I always enjoyed but never quite knew how to explain. With each chapter representing a year, beginning in the early 1970s, Questlove offers readers a sense of what that year was about for him, specifically as it relates to R&B and hip-hop music. Part memoir, part sociology, part music history, it relies heavily on the contagiousness of its author's excitement and expertise to carry you along. Mostly that's enough (I did finish it, after all), but there were admittedly times I'd complete a half hour reading session and think, "What did I just read?"

Hip-Hop Is History, by contrast, takes a more disciplined approach, operating as a history of the genre as told by someone who started as a fan, became a star, and has now grown into an elder statesman. While it maintains Questlove's distinctive and discursive voice, I appreciated that this one was easier to grasp. Taking readers from the origins of the genre in the Bronx up to today (and then, in a weird predictive epilogue, into 2073), it's not fact-heavy enough to be a reference work, but teaches you plenty along the way.

These were both light reads, but I'm glad I was able to finish them in 2 weeks instead of needing a whole month. By the time I finished, I was ready for something a little more concrete. Fun books for music lovers, but definitely the kind I'd check out from the library rather than buy.

BIG FAN by Michael Schur and Joe Posnanski

Every two weeks or so, Joe Posnanski, my favorite sportswriter, and Michael Schur, writer and showrunner for iconic TV shows like Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, get together to record the Poscast, their podcast about sports and nonsense. It is not, and I cannot emphasize this enough, a professional production. There is little to no planning done beforehand. There are ads clumsily jammed in by their editor, but no slick reads by the hosts. For many years, the only equipment they used was the microphones on their laptops. Most importantly, they don't engage in their conversations as professional sports commentators, but as fans—there is no attempt at objectivity, a total absence of the "no cheering in the press box" mentality.

Big Fan exists as an extension of that podcast and their friendship. Conceived by Schur and instantly agreed to by Posnanski, the book is an exploration of what it means to be a fan, undertaken through a series of varied trips around the world to fan-centric events. Roughly half of those are sporting events of some kind, but there are also trips to a magic show, the warehouse of a baseball card collector, and a darts tournament. Their overaching goal is to explain why being a fan of something is so fulfilling and how it brings people together.

That higher purpose aside, this book is mostly about the laughs. One chapter sees Schur forcing Posnanski, a tennis fanatic and pickleball hater, to participate in a weekend-long pickleball tournament. Another sees Posnanski returning the favor by making Schur attend Wrestlemania accompanied by a Grateful Dead concert. The last chapter describes the two of them winding their way through the Los Angeles Dodgers' PR staff in pursuit of a private meeting with Mookie Betts, all so they could determine for themselves whether or not he is a good hugger.

If sports make you smile, so will this book. I won't pretend it's Posnanski's most important work, but I suspect it may have been the most fun he ever had writing a book. You will certainly have fun reading it. And isn't that what being a fan is all about?

 
 

MARCH: BOOKS ONE, TWO, AND THREE by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
RUN: BOOK ONE by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury, and Nate Powell

When activist and congressman John Lewis suggested to one of his staffers that he should write an autobiographical graphic novel about his role in the Civil Rights Movement, it wasn't an immediate yes. Nevertheless Lewis, inspired by the success many years earlier of 1958's Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story comic book, persisted. The result was a trilogy of award-winning graphic novels and a posthumously published sequel that introduced Lewis's story to a new generation.

March is essentially an autobiography, taking readers from Lewis' boyhood up through the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and focusing intently on the Civil Rights Movement and Lewis's role in its major events, including the Nashville Student Movement, the Freedom Rides, and the march from Selma to Montgomery. Structurally, the story is told by Lewis on the occasion of Barack Obama's 2009 presidentiaul inauguration, offering readers a modern perspective even as they are immersed in history.

Illustrated in black-and-white by Nate Powell, the art achieves the perfect balance of realism and cartooning. His style somehow makes the story feel both true to life and mythic, especially in the most tragic moments of the movement, such as the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Shadow-heavy and high-contrast, Powell's work is excellent for a historical graphic novel like this.

Run, perhaps appropriately, feels unfinished by comparison as it continues Lewis's and the movement's stories. It's clear that Lewis here wanted to highlight more key figures from the time period (the index of names at the back runs 30+ pages), and this volume is clearly heavily researched. It does bring on a second artist, L. Fury, and I thought that change was for the worse when compared to Powell's singular vision for March. Nevertheless, anyone who reads March should spend the extra hour it will take to read this follow-up.

March is a celebration of one of the 20th century's greatest heroes and a memorial to what I consider American Christianity's finest hour, when a Black Baptist preacher stirred the soul of his nation through nonviolent self-sacrifice. Last month the Supreme Court gutted that movement's crowning achievement, the Voting Rights Acts that John Lewis bled on the Edmund Pettis Bridge to win. Maybe if enough people read these books we'll eventually be inspired to get back to the work of forming a more perfect union.



THE COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF BASEBALL by Alexander C. Irvine, Tomm Coker, and C.P. Smith

When I saw this book at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix a couple years ago on my annual pilgrimage to MLB spring training, it was an instant impulse buy. The Comic Book History of Baseball? This was made for me!

This is exactly what it sounds like, a linear walk through the story of our national pastime, from its earliest days as an offshoot of British games like cricket and rounders to the long-awaited triumph of the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series. Interspersed throughout are one-page biographies of notable figures, overviews of key events, and the occasional off-the-wall story. At a mere 176 pages, it understandably takes a 30,000 foot view of the game's history—don't expect to see every single World Series champion or league MVP highlighted—but each page is dense with information.

The art is an appropriate style for a book of this nature, using an "illustrated photo" technique that is neither hyperrealistic (which gets distracting when depicting famous faces) nor cartoony. While not especially dynamic from a stylistic standpoint, it fits the book's format well, giving things a documentary feel.

If I have one complaint, it is that the book's storytelling feels choppy and disjointed, owing mostly to those one-page discursions mentioned earlier. It's hard enough to try and tell a sport's story as though it is unitary, since there are at least 30 little stories happening at once on any given day. Interrupting that linear story every few pages with an unrelated splash page makes this feel at times less like a graphic novel than a bound collection of loosely related pages.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed reliving some of the biggest moments in baseball history in comic book format. This is a reference book I'll certainly hang onto for years to come, and a worthy read for any fan of our national pastime.

The Simple and the Sublime (Friday Devotional)

Whatever task you must do, work as if your soul depends on it, as for the Lord and not for humans, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.

- Colossians 3:23-24

I love to go camping, and like many people who do, I tend to romanticize it. I savor the smoky taste of food cooked over a fire. I revel in the beauty of nature—the glory of a sunrise, the sounds of birds chirping, the chill of the night air. I boast in the feeling of “roughing it” (albeit in my REI tent and sleeping bag), abandoning the creature comforts of modern society for a weekend in the woods.

But for all that romanticism, even the most devoted outdoorsman must admit that much of camping is a drag. Constantly swatting at bugs gets old. Sleeping on the ground makes you feel rugged, but it also makes you feel sore. And as for when nature calls, well, the less said about state park bathrooms, the better.

But the reason so many, myself included, still enjoy camping is because of those moments when the little aggravations are overwhelmed by something glorious you never could have experienced back home. Camping is, as a recent New Yorker article puts it, “full of rain, mosquitos, and, intermittently, the sublime.”

It occurs to me that the same is true of life in Christ. There are many who, upon giving their lives to the Lord, find themselves chasing spiritual highs: emotional worship experiences, life-changing mission trips, etc. They want for every day with Jesus to be a thrill, every step of obedience to feel life-changing.

But the truth is, some days Paul just made tents. While we are drawn to big moments and key sermons and turning points, we should also remember that even the greatest of the apostles knew the drudgery of a hard day’s work and the inconveniences that come with it. Not every day was a mountaintop experience.

The key—for the titans of the early church and for ordinary believers today—is to remain faithful when you’re not making headlines, to give the Lord everything you have even when you’re not yet seeing the fruit. Don’t make the mistake of thinking there is nothing spiritual in your day-to-day life, because God is found there too.

Rather, devote your drudgery to the Lord, seeing even the most ordinary tasks as opportunities to give God glory and find his blessings. For it is in the simple, common things of life that you sometimes stumble upon the sublime.