Summer: Reset Your Reading

“When you come…bring my scrolls,
especially the parchments.”
2 Timothy 4:13 (NIV)

2 Timothy is the most personal of the thirteen New Testament letters written by the Apostle Paul. Imprisoned and facing a certain martyr's death, Paul writes an urgent letter to Timothy, his beloved son in the faith, and asks him to come quickly and bring his cloak and books. At the end of his life and ministry, Paul is lonely, cold, and bored. I'm not surprised that he asked for Timothy's companionship or a cloak to keep him warm. But I am surprised- and encouraged- that the great Apostle Paul still had a passion for reading and learning even as he faced death.

One of the greatest gifts my Mama ever gave me was a love for reading. I grew up with a steelworker Daddy and a stay-at-home mom. Our middle class lifestyle actually depended on how well the U.S. economy was performing.  When the economy was healthy, the steelworkers’ paychecks reflected that. When consumers purchased cars and trucks, the increased demand for more steel provided plenty of overtime pay opportunities. When the economy shrank, so did the steel workers’ paychecks. Plant layoffs were inevitably implemented. We were never sure how long a layoff might last or when Daddy would get called back to work.

One summer during a long layoff, I was really disappointed that our family wouldn’t have a summer vacation. Mama wisely responded with words I’ve never forgotten, “When you read a book, you can go anywhere in the world.”  Mama then introduced me to our local public library’s summer reading program and promised to take me to the library whenever I wanted to go. That summer Mama and I made many trips to the library. I read over 100 books, mainly juvenile fiction mysteries like The Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew. 

My reading passion continues today as I study God’s Word, read biographies, develop Bible studies, and listen to my granddaughters read their latest library books. Jen Wilkin’s wonderful book Women of the Word isn’t just a catchy book title; it’s the vision that I have for myself and the other women in my life: my daughter, granddaughters, and the women with whom I study.  

In order to become Women of the Word or "people of the Book," we must train our minds and hearts to read wisely and read widely. My church’s library contains a wealth of good books that have helped many truly become both Women of the word generally and Women of God’s Word specifically.  

Tim Challies, author of Seasons of Sorrow gives these helpful tips for improving our reading:

  • Read - just do it!

  • Read widely – try different genres, authors, classics, new, etc.

  • Read deliberately - choose your books carefully. 

  • Read interactively (with your pen, notebook, and highlighter).

  • Read with discernment.

Summer is a great time for a reset to jumpstart your reading. Perhaps the list below will help you get started. Here are a few of my favorite books: 

Christian Biographies:

  •  The Hiding Place – Corrie ten Boom, autobiography of Corrie ten Boom 

  • Shadow of the Almighty – Elisabeth Elliot, the biography of missionary Jim Elliot

  • A Chance to Die- Elisabeth Elliot, a biography of Amy Carmichael

  • Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation – Collin Hansen

 Christian Living:

  • A Grief Observed – C.S. Lewis

  • A Path through Suffering – Elisabeth Elliot

  • Hope in Times of Fear – Timothy Keller

  • King’s Cross, the Story of the World through the Life of Jesus- Tim Keller (one of my very favorite books)

  • Radical Gratitude – Ellen Vaughn

  • Seasons of Sorrow – Tim Challies

  • The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

  • The Red Sea Rules – Robert J. Morgan, 10 strategies for dealing with adversity

  • Tim Keller on the Christian Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel– Matt Smethurst

  • Walking with God through Pain and and Suffering – Timothy Keller

  • Women of the Word – Jen Wilkin

Current American Culture:

  • Original Sin –President Biden’s decline, its cover-up, and his disastrous choice to run again;  Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson (Warning: rough language throughout the book and not written from a Christian worldview)

  • Hillbilly Elegy – J. D. Vance (Warning: rough language, and not told from a Christian worldview, but compelling biography of the current U.S. Vice President)

  • Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert – Rosaria Butterfield

 Fiction:

  • Chronicles of Narnia – C. S. Lewis, always a good choice to read with your children or grandchildren!

  • Everything Sad Is Untrue – Daniel Nayeri

 Let’s read wisely and widely for both our good and God’s glory!

Christian LivingDonna Evansreading, culture, literacy