During the summer when I was younger, I used to check out as many books as was allowed from the library (13, as I recall) and read them as fast as I could. Now that I’m older, it seems I’m carrying responsibilties instead of books, as downtime is devoted to chores, emails, and meals. But it’s still worth having summer reading goals, even if my list is now three books long instead of 13, because it’s a joy to learn more about God and his kingdom through books. (After all, books are the medium that God himself chose to tell us who He is and what He did.) Here’s my list this year; what’s on yours?
1. Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden
Yes, a biography of Jonathan Edwards sounds impossibly dry. But I’m halfway through, and I can say that the 18th-century New England pastor and theologian’s obsession with knowing if he was saved or not is heart-wrenching. And his devotion to pursuing God and holiness is convicting, to say the least, and highly relevant. Give this biography a shot—the writing is superb and you’ll pick up a little Christian history along the way.
Summer is a season of relaxing, but it can also be a season of reflection, especially when vacations offer days to spend on the beach reading. Timothy Keller always challengers his readers, and so I fully expect to be uncomfortably and needfully challenged about my idols when I read his book, Counterfeit Gods. Wherever we place our trust, if it’s not in God, then it’s on shaky, shaky ground. Would I still have joy if I lost my house, my husband, my standing in the world? I hope so, and I hope that it doesn’t take losing one of those to know so.
3. Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home by Gloria Furman
Since becoming a mother for the first time two months ago, it seems that my days now only consist of the following: sleeping, eating, spit-up, laundry, errands, and chores. A new book by blogger Gloria Furman promises to address this universal motherly experience and show how giving glory to God doesn’t only come in the wee hours of a morning devotion but also in the mundane tasks of caring for children and a home. Though men might have a different daily experience, the principles surely apply to both genders.
Tell Us: What are you reading this summer?
Lindsey M. Roberts is the editor of the All About Jesus blog. After seven years in secular journalism, she is thrilled to explore how everything—even doing the dishes—is an opportunity to meet and glorify God. Lindsey lives with her husband and newborn son in Virginia.