Essential Books: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Someone once said that each time you read a new book you should add an old book too.  We have looked at the essential books and "Mere Christianity" is certainly one of them.

Lewis is brilliant.  These chapters were written for the radio and take his tone and personality to the page.  Definitely British, with some aging language, and he sometimes using humor that eludes me, but he is brilliant.  Few writers that have kept their relevance for modern/post modern readers like "Mere" and C.S. Lewis.

Chapter 10's snippet on "Hope" is an example.  Lewis deals with the anxiety and often disillusioned responses of the late 1940's at is essence.  His frustration with the Christian response and the culture's understanding of the Christian life reflect those of mine and many others.  "There is no need to be worried by facetious people who try to make the Christian hope of "heaven" ridiculous by saying they do not want "to spend eternity playing harps."  The answer to such people is that if they cannot understand books written for grown ups, they should not talk about them....People who take these symbols literally might as well think that when Christ told us to be like doves, He meant that we were to lay eggs."  (P. 106)

Buy a copy for your essential shelf or put it on your Kindle.  It is worth reading and re-reading devotionally.

My Top 21: Books that all Christians Should Read

We have a budding spiritual formation group that meets on Monday evenings.  Right now we are studying through "Good and Beautiful God" by James Bryan Smith-a review is on this blog.  We are a studying bunch and I was talking about my essential book that any Christian disciple should read.  This is my list and is not in any particular order.  I'll bet you have yours and I invite you to click on "comment" and add your influential books to mine.

The Holy Bible-var. human authors...Perhaps a "well-duh" moment but this is the key to it all
My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
The Confession of St. Augustine, by Augustine
The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas A' Kempis
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis
The 52 Standard Sermons, by John Wesley
John Wesley, (the Brown Book) edited by Albert Outler
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoffer
The Wounded Healer, by Henri Nouwen
Contemplative Prayer, by Thomas Merton
No Man is an Island, by Thomas Merton
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran (yes, I know he is an Arab)
God's Psychiatry, by Dr. Charles L. Allen
Dogmatics in Outline, by Karl Barth
Cry the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton
Sit, Walk, Stand, by Watchman Nee
The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan Manning
The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
Soul Feast, by Marjorie J. Thompson
Apples, Snakes and Bellyaches, by Calvin Miller

Having a favorite book is a slippery thing.  This list might be different tomorrow and I could probably put a top 100 if I got to work.  These are the ones on my shelf that I will always have a copy of.  There are many more that I love but these are my essentials.  Care to add a yours?