Collide Magazine

Our friend Shawn Wood is releasing his new book, 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One, and asking people to pre-order it on Amazon to help give it exposure. We’d encourage you to do so.

But you might say, “COLLIDE, I don’t even know what the book’s about or even if I’d want to buy it.”

Well then check out his first chapter here and see for yourself, literally.

If you like what you read, then pre-order it here at Amazon and help a brotha out!

Also, check out Tony Morgan’s interview with Shawn over at his blog.

I was recently scrounging through my dad’s old seminary books and came across Francis Schaeffer’s Art and the Bible. I had never heard of this book and doubt you have either because it’s basically two essays thrown together in a 63 page booklet. Little did I know that what was in this booklet would be so insightful and relevant, even though it was published in 1973. I thought I’d share with you some excerpts that caught my attention and maybe will spark your interest. (more…)

Author Matthew Paul Turner is one of our beloved columnists, but he actually pays the bills by writing great books. His new one, Hokey Pokey, is now available for pre-order at Amazon—do yourself a favor and grab a copy. As a writer, Matthew embodies the rare combination of wit and insight that we desperately need more of on our bookshelves and bedside tables. As a person, Matthew is an exceedingly generous and helpful guy. I’ll admit I haven’t made time to read through my advance copy of Hokey Pokey yet (I’ve been busy with a little side project called the March/April issue of COLLIDE), but I know I’ll love it.

Read Matthew’s pre-order sales pitch here.

Then, pre-order a copy of Hokey Pokey here.

As you may or may not be aware, COLLIDE columnist Tim Stevens has a book coming out in May called Pop Goes The Church. From the first time I heard about the project, I’ve been anxiously awaiting its arrival. It’s only January, so I’m still waiting. However, I’ve recently been reassured that Pop Goes The Church is going to be worth the wait. Trevor Davis—-Production Director at EastLake Community Church, blogger, and COLLIDE reader—-has scored an early manuscript and is blogging his thoughts and reactions to the book. Check out what Trevor has to say here, here, here, and here.

Tim is also doing a good job keeping us updated through his blog, Leading Smart, so be sure to follow the project there.

Donald Miller, who I recently heard speak for the first time, is working on a new book titled Story: Why Some People’s Lives Make Sense and Others Don’t. In a brief interview posted at The Belmont Foundation’s site, Don talks about how the book originated from his newfound appreciation for the power of narrative, not only in the context of art, but also in people’s everyday lives. Both a good story and a good life, Miller says, feature an ambitious character who encounters conflict, deals with that conflict in a noteworthy manner, and finds eventual resolution.

Personally, I see a ton of parallels between Miller’s ideas and James Harleman’s cover article, “Cutting to the Core: Finding the Metanarrative,” in the first issue of COLLIDE. Beyond that, I’m convinced of the importance of story in the Church. In some ways, we exist to re-tell a story, like how Peter and John couldn’t help but speak about what they’d seen and heard (Acts 4:20). As church leaders in our culture, it seems imperative that we continually tell the story of God and Man in such a way that people understand what it has to do with their story, the one they’re trudging through day after day. I think good art, music, and teaching does that—-but that’s just my opinion. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to Miller’s new book, which is in line for a 2008 release.