BOOK REVIEWS

State Missionary Rick Lance is executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

Other Recent Blog Entries:

The Caleb Spirit in 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
In my mind, Caleb is the Barnabas of the Old Testament. When others seemed to lose hope, he offered encouragement to them.

A Year to Remember
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we allow the Christ of Christmas to guide us through the experience. Rather than being caught up in the routined frenzy of long lines at stores shopping for gifts and the endless social gatherings during the season, we can focus on what is called the Advent.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Thursday, December 8, 2011
This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we allow the Christ of Christmas to guide us through the experience. Rather than being caught up in the routined frenzy of long lines at stores shopping for gifts and the endless social gatherings during the season, we can focus on what is called the Advent.

Finishing Strong
Monday, November 21, 2011
I do not pretend to be a football coach, but I do believe this "sports experience" translates into our everyday lives, most notably in our Christian lives. There are times when we have seemingly given our all and we feel spent, emotionally, physically and even spiritually.

Be Encouraged!
Thursday, October 28, 2011
In periods of history like the one we now face, Christians have often done some of their most effective service for Christ. But in order to be an effective servant, we must find our source of encouragement in the face of these discouraging situations.

SBC Today: An Interview
Thursday, October 16, 2011
Managing ourselves means more than controlling the calendar, staying morally and ethically pure, reading the latest books, keeping family time balanced, and running things smoothly in one's ministry. I am convinced this means staying in touch with Lord and with yourself in such a way that you make the right decisions and lead in the right direction.

BOOK REVIEWS:
John Wesley and Charles Wesley

For centuries now, the Wesley brothers, John and Charles have garnered the attention of evangelical Christians across global denominational lines. As a means of preparation for my Baptist/evangelical Christian tour in Great Britain, I did some selective reading concerning major characters of interest. Naturally, as Baptist, I was enchanted with the stories of John Bunyan, William Carey, Charles Haddon Spurgeon and John Newton.

Yet, I must admit I felt a surprising effect of rekindled interest in John and Charles Wesley as forward thinking Christian leaders of their day in the 18th century. This led me to read two brief biographies of these two gigantic figures of evangelical Christianity.

Gordon S. Wakefield captured the essence of John Wesley in his book which bears the simple title John Wesley. With the economy of words only a skilled writer could employ, Wakefield told the moving story of how John Wesley set the stage for his followers to become forged into denominational-like movements that continue to this day. His famous horseback riding preaching style and his boundless energy served to etch the name John Wesley into the history of Christianity.

His brother, Charles may have been overshadowed by John, but when one examines his life and contribution a different story unfolds. Charles Wesley was a prolific song and hymn writer. His father Samuel desired to be one and didn't, but Charles became a writer of hymnody with excellence. John A. Vickers masterfully shares the highlights of Charles Wesley's life and ministry in a book titled simply Charles Wesley. The background details of some of his famous hymns are offered with simple and straightforward detail.

The Wesleys now belong to Christian history, not to one single movement. Their ministries have been cherished through the years and rightly so. Today, people still read the sermons of John Wesley and sing the hymns of Charles Wesley. In this unique way, we can affirm, "Although they are dead, they speak."