Let's Read the New Testament This Summer

I've started an initiative on my other blog that I'd like to share with you.

My men's Bible study is in the tank until fall, but I don't want to get out of the Word. That's why I'm going to read the New Testament this summer (May-Aug), reading about 2 chapters at a time. I figure that's maybe 10 minutes of daily reading—very doable.

Here's my plan.

I'm not going to read straight through from Matthew to Revelation. Instead, I'm taking the New Testament in four chunks, centered on the four Gospels.

First, Luke, Acts, and the letters of Paul will give me the chronology of the early church.

Next, I'll read the "Jewish Gospel," Matthew, and the Hebraic books of the New Testament.

Then comes Peter, who is the voice behind Mark's Gospel. Combined with Peter's letters, this gives us a no-nonsense view of the Christian life.

Finally, John gives us the ethereal, cosmic view of Jesus, from the beginning of time to the very end.

Here's a PDF of the daily plan. (Tip: Choose "Page Scaling: None" on your print menu.)

Will You Join Us?

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Kindle Update

I've had my Kindle for ahwile now, and I'm ready to add a few more comments to my earlier review.

Here's what I think after using the Kindle for about two weeks.

I'm Hooked

Reading in this format is enjoyable and convenient. I've been reading more lately because good reading material is more available to me. I like having the newspaper with me all the time. I don't sit idly in the dentist's office browsing People magazine. I read the New York Times or spend a few minutes in my current novel.

I'll be an e-reader from now on.

I'm Taking Wesleyan Publishing House with Me

Electronic delivery will be a significant part of the future of publishing. Print will exist, but e-delivery will gain market share. Remember the old business adage: Whoever gets there first with the most wins. Watch for our products in electronic form very soon.

Periodicals Fare Better Than Books

Just as in hardcopy life, newspapers and magazines are more often read because they are more current than books and require less time to consume. Same with e-reading.

The drawback is that, for now, e-ink is one color. That's not bad for newspapers, but magazines tend to be a little flat with only grayscale illustrations--and very few of those.

Navigation Is a Real Problem

This is my only realy gripe about the Kindle thus far. It's hard to get around within a long document. This problem could easily be solved by placing more internal links within long books, such as the Bible. Perhaps that's a problem on the publishing side (vs. the Amazon/delivery side). Either way, it's cumbersome to get from Psalm 23 to Philippians 2:11.

I'll put up with this because of the overall convenience of having all my books in one spot.

I'll Always Own Books

I can't imagine not owning a printed copy of the Bible, for example, or the Works of John Wesley, or a few of my favorite novels. Electronic delivery will not replace print in every setting. For my generation at least, and probably for others, publishing will be both/and--both print and electronic media, depending on the intended use.

My advice? If you feel the urge, go out and get yoruself a Kindle. The technology, experience, and price have all reached the 80 percent mark. Sure, there will be a next generation of better, cheaper product. But what we've got now isn't bad.

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Kindle: Mixed Report

I got my new Kindle this week, the electronic reader from Amazon, and I've downloaded a couple of books, a couple of magazines, and two newspapers; and I've spent a total of about four hours reading.

Here are my first impressions.

What's Good

Size and Feel. The device is about the size of a small book or day planner, and it comes with a leather cover giving it the appearance of a real book. Actually, it feels like holding my Bible when it's closed. It's lightweight, and it feels good in your hand.

E-ink. The electronic ink is really cool. It looks just about like a book page, and it emits no light. It's much easier on your eyes than a computer screen.

Connectivity. The device is wired to Amazon via free wireless connection, so you can download reading materialy instantly, and I do mean instantly. I got the whole NIV Bible in about 10 seconds. The New York Times shows up automatically overnight thanks to my free 14-day trial subscription. You can also browse the web, though that function is a bit awkward to use

That's about it for the positives. You have access to lots of content in a portable, lightweight package that's not too difficult to read.

What's Bad

Navigation. The navigation was clearly designed by a Microsoft drone and not a Mac Head. There's nothing intuitive about it--lots of menus and a dopey scroll bar. Getting around inside a book is tough, too, because there are few shortcuts and no internal jumps.

For example, it seems as if you could press one button and jump to the next chapter within a book. No such luck. You have to back out to the contents, then back in to the next chapter. Or, you can manually add your own bookmarks for chapter heads, but even getting to those requires use of the scrollbar and two clicks.

If that sounds peevish, try finding your way around 2 Chronicles when all you can see is 200 words of text at one time.

Ergonomics. All the buttons seem to be in the wrong place. Pages are turned by means of a tab along the edges of the device. The function is smooth enough, but it's hard to pick the thing up or remove it from its case without accidentally turning a page. The keyboard is probably a little better than that on a PDA, but the leather retaining strap occludes the ALT key, which is used constantly. Finallly, the on/off switch is on the back, so you have to fumble around between the cover and the back of the machine to turn it on.

Contrast. The background of the reading screen is a dull gray, not really white, so there is not enough contrast with the letters, especially in low light.

Lock-in. If you own a Kindle, Amazon.com owns you. There's no other way to get content for it.

Overall, I'd say this is the 8-track tape of the digital reading world. It's a great innovation, but it is likely to be replaced by improved technology before long.

So should you buy a Kindle?

I'd say if you like to read on the go or you like the idea of having all your reading material packaged in one, compact device, definitely yes. Don't worry about losing the tactile sensation of holding a book. You won't.

However, if browsability and legibility are your two primary concerns, you'll likely be frustrated by awkward menu system and small screen.

Will the Kindle replace the book? Probably not. This is a breakthrough, not a tipping point. But something else will. Soon.

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I Want My Kindle

Call me a middle adopter, I just ordered a Kindle, the new electronic reader from Amazon.

I know. All the real publishing bloggers haver already written about this (including two of my favs, Michael Hyatt and Sara Nelson), but I'm kind of a late bloomer in lots of ways, so I don't mind being the last kid on the editorial block to get the hottest new piece of technology. Heck, I didn't get a Hot Wheels set until I was 12.

Here' s the thing, though. Kinles are selling like crazy, so they're on backorder until Bezos knows when. I'm supposed to get an e-mail any minute telling me when it will arrive.

Until then, stay tuned. Within a couple of weeks I hope to be writing a Kindle blog for the rest of us.

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My Annual Reading List

For editors (and writers), reading is both an occupational tool and a source of pleasure. I did some reading in each category. Here's a list of what I read in 2007. This is not exactly and annotated bibliography, but I've made a few notes on what I've read.

Homegrown Democrat by Garrison Keillor
Here's a convincing invitation to liberal politics. For those of us who grew up equating the Democratic party with whackos, nuts, and screwball causes, Keillor makes a compelling case for liberalism as a mainstream, family-values kind of political viewpoint.

Man without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut
I'm a huge Vonnegut fan. This later writing was a bit of a rant, but I love(d) the guy.

The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama
What don't more politicians talk about what they are for and cast a positive vision for uniting the country? Way to go, Barak

Boomsday by Christopher Buckley
Hilarious! The son of legendary conservative William F. Buckley Jr. is a howling good political satirist.

Avenger by Fredrick Forsythe
Not as good as Day of the Jackal, but what is?

The Letter Killeth by Ralph McInerny
The author of the Father Dowling mysteries has written more books than I've edited. He has an expansive vocabulary and solidly nails the milieu in which he writes, in this case, the university culture at Notre Dame. Fun author.

Bethlehem Besieged: Stories of Hope in Times of Trouble by Mitri Raheb
It was my privilege to meet this author on a trip to the occupied Palestinian territory. Outstanding memoir of the 2002 Israeli invasion of Bethlehem, written by a Lutheran pastor who witnessed the events.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
For a number of years, I looked down my long nose at writings like these, believing the notion held by many of my peers that this material is shallow, obvious, borrowed, and more or less vapid. This year I gave Maxwell a serious chance to influence my thinking, and he did. Simple? Obvious? Maybe a little. But most good ideas are. This is helpful stuff for anyone leading an organization.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Fascinating, like the man himself. Like many B-movies, however, the premise is 80 percent of the book. There's not much plot.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
So I finally read it. Very good material, and it will change your approach to dealing with others.

Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell
Not as helpful as 21 Laws, but good for an idea or two.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath Not bad, but the authors didn't make use of their own methodology. The book itself is boring.

Head Games by Thomas B. Cavanaugh
Outstanding new novelist here. This is a fun, not-quite-noir mystery by a writer I'm looking to read again.

How to Become a Great Boss by Jeffrey J. Fox
Again, so decent ideas. I'm hoping to get one of my authors to write a spin on this titled How to Become a Great Pastor.

Setting Goals by Zig Ziglar
If you would like to be motivated, read (or, better yet, listen to) anything by Ziglar. He'll never win a Nobel prize, but he does inspire to action.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
I listened to this Newberry winner on a car trip with my daughter. We both enjoyed it.

25 Ways to Win with People by John C. Maxwell & Leslie Parrott
See above.

Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating by Brian S. Tracy
See above. I listened to this one, and it was fun because the author sounds Canadian (my wife is a Canuck).

360 Degree Leadership by John C. Maxwell
See above, only less so.

Developing the Leaders Around You by John C. Maxwell
Ditto.

Principle Centered Leadership by Stephen Covey
Covey reminds me of Steinbeck in that he will forever be known for only one of his books. This is fine, but not nearly as helpful as 7 Habits.

The Prudence of the Flesh by Ralph McInerny
See comments on McInerny above. This one is a Father Dowling tale.

First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
This contains one good idea. It should have been an article, not a book.

Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
Here's the book that has spawned a legion of imitators--fictionalized business writing. Unlike most of his copyists, Lencioni can at least craft an interesting story. I implemented the ideas from the book with my team, and they has been mostly helpful.

I'm happy with the volume of reading I achieved this year, thanks in part to my liberal use of audio books. For next year, I'll be backing off on business writing a bit (but not completely), shifting the balance a bit toward spirituality. I'd also like to read some contemporary writing on ecclesiology. In the chute right now?

Print is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age by Jeff Gomez
Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen (I know what you think about him ... I'm going to see for myself)
The Rake by William F. Buckley Jr.
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.

After that, we'll see what I find while browsing.

So what did you read in 2007? And what are your plans for 2008?

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How to Get People to Read

Are books dead?

That's the question everybody's asking since the release of the Kindle, a new electronic reader that some are predicting may eventually replace the traditional book.

Yet while we few remaining avid readers are debating the demise of print and paper, some are taking note of a deeper problem:

People don't read anymore.

Consider this—

In a recent column, Sara Nelson of Publishers Weekly noted that "the percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing at all for pleasure has doubled over a 20-year period (from 9% in 1984 to 19% in 2004). Watching television eclipses reading as a favorite leisure-time activity for men and women of all ages, but for 15–24-year-olds, reading is particularly avoided. On average, these teens and young adults spend less than 10 minutes a day on voluntary reading."

The demise of the reader should concern writers and publishers much more than changes in reading technology. How do we get more people to read books in any format
Here are 10 things you can do to get others to pick up a book.

1. Talk about Books You've Read. When you read a good book, tell friends about it. Mention it in conversation; refer to it in your teaching. If it helped you, tell others.

2. Give Books as Gifts. Duh. Especially at Christmastime, this should be obvious. If books aren't on your shopping list, there's no sense complaining that your own books aren't selling. Bibles, classic Christian writing, fiction, poetry, theology, self-help—you’ve got plenty to choose from. Be a giver of wisdom.

3. Read to Children. Reading to children enhances their intellectual development and helps them become early readers. Do it, Mom. You’ll be glad you did.

4. Publish Book Reviews. Sure, you can! Your blog is an ideal place to review books. And most community newspapers welcome well-written reviews of current books. Review books for your church newsletter, the local newspaper, or other publications. Help direct the reading of others.

5. Start a Book Club. Read a book and then discuss it together. Isn’t this what many small groups do already? It’s no substitute for Bible study, but it will support your discipleship efforts. You can easily do this online.

6. Create a Church Library. A church library that is prominently located and stocked with current books will be patronized. Build it, and they will come.

7. Host Authors. Many Christian authors are available for speaking engagements or personal appearances. Notify local television, radio, and newspapers, and you will build your event and draw attention to your ministry.

8. Sponsor Reading Contests. Kids love to win prizes; adults do too! Make it as hokey as you like; it’ll get them reading.

9. Sell Books. Booksellers are pacesetters. Your own speaking events and other ministry happenings such as concerts, retreats, and seminars can be enhanced by offering relevant books and resources for sale. Call us to inquire about becoming a book vendor for ministry events near you.

10. Hold a Bible When You Teach. If you're a pastors, small group leader, or Bible study teacher, read your study passage out loud. Invite others to read the teaching text or have the group read it together. Remind people that God’s Word is a book—and they can read it for themselves.

Traditional books, graphic novels, e-books, audio books—it matters little what format people use to consume books ... as long as they "read."

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The Bible Blog Is Back!

Hey gang ... Larry's Bible Blog is back online after a healthy hiatus.

You can find it here.

Right now I'm in Romans, one chapter at a time.

I'll continue to post ideas on writing/publishing/church on this page.

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