Opus 2011-259, Book Review: On an Unfinished Book

Like most people I have my prejudices.  Of course I call them by more complimentary terms such as tastes, but they are still a matter of prejudging.  When I see someone wearing a knit shirt two sizes two small that leaves no doubt about having and insy or outsy, I make a judgement.  When I see a guy walking like he has a deformity to keep his low hanging pants from really embarrassing him, I make a judgement.  Sometimes I make judgements that need a second look. 

I am giving a second look to the work of Max Lucado.  Actually it is a first look, because I had never read a word he had written.  I always assumed that anyone who sells that many books to the general public can’t be much more than an entertainer and was certainly below my level of expectation.  You can see arrogance and conceit as well as prejudging.  Recently I decided that was an issue.  My local library has a number of his titles.  I had nothing to lose.  I checked one out. 

This is going to be a book review of an unfinished book.  It is called When God Whispers Your Name.  I don’t know if I will get it finished before it is due back to the library.  That is not a criticism of the book.  It is more a reflection of the style.  I don’t know yet if this is Lucado’s style all the time but this book reads like a collection of short articles on many topics.  It reads that way because that is what it is.  He has taken thoughts, sermon illustrations, brief experiences and whatever else he can find and made them into short devotional, sermonettes.  He makes no secret of it.  In fact in one chapter he lists a bunch of one liners that may someday become chapters.

I found what I read to be of value.  Each chapter is short enough that it can be read in a few minutes.  If you have a busy schedule and don’t have time for heavy theology, this could do it for you.  He has a tongue in cheek sense of observation that will get you thinking if you give it a chance.  His comments are rooted in scripture.

One thing I found irritating is that he quotes from many different Bible versions and in this book does not tell you which one.  Since I have issues with paraphrases of the Bible and want to check with a reliable work this causes a problem for me because so many of the paraphrases get so far from the actual wording in the original languages.

I plan on looking for some of his books on the used book sales and keeping one by my chair.  If this book is an indication of his style, when I have a few minutes I will read a chapter.  I won’t worry about when I finish a book because each chapter stands on its own.

I was wrong.  There, I said it.  I find that Max Lucado is worth reading.  He may not be for everyone, but it is worth checking him out and seeing if he fits into your spiritual needs.

Lucado, Max.  When God Whispers Your Name.  Dallas:  Word Publishing, 1994.

homo unius libri