Pastor Aaron's Top Books of 2022
By: Pastor Aaron Syvertsen
“Whatever you read, read the Bible first. Beware of bad books: there are plenty in this day. Take heed what you read.” J.C. Ryle
Ever since the printing press came onto the scene in the 15th century, the role of books has shaped and continues to shape the world. Books are a double-edged sword, they are both incredibly valuable and incredibly dangerous. With that said, the Creator of the universe revealed himself most clearly and primarily through a Book, which is also a double-edged sword, “piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb 4:12)
In 2020 and 2021, I was able to read 70 books each year, but in 2022 that number dropped to 46. I could list a few reasons as to why, but I think the top reason is that I was busier (and more tired) in the evenings than previous years and found that my nighttime reading plummeted. All the same, I’m grateful for what I did read, and as I’ve done each of the past several years, below are my top books broken up by category in 2022.
Church Ministry and Leadership
Reflections on Christian Leadership by Henri Nouwen. I have heard other people quote or reference Nouwen more often than I’ve read his work myself, but this short book on leadership was both convicting and encouraging, standing in contrast to the “look at me!” culture of leadership we see so often today.
“I am telling you all this because I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self.”
Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk, and True Flourishing by Andy Crouch. The thesis of this book is fairly straightforward: flourishing as a person and especially as a leader comes from being both strong and weak. Embracing your authority within the context of vulnerability is what allows us to lead in the ways of Jesus and the flourishing of others.
“If Christ is not raised from the dead, then everything is at stake and at risk, the gods of authority without vulnerability have won, and we are of all people the most to be pitied. But if in fact Christ has been raised—this is the wager of the Christian life—then no meaningful risk is too great for his capacity to rescue.”
Religious Freedom in a Secular Age Michael Bird. This was, to my surprise, as much of a “can’t put it down” book that I’ve read all year. I learned historical context to secular culture, was challenged in my thinking, and was deeply encouraged in my pursuit of Christ all at the same time.
“To avoid being co-opted into right-wing causes built on nationalist proclivities and to withstand the reduction of religious liberty to thoughts between our ears, we have to wage a war of sorts, but one armed with the weapons of peace and pluralism. We have to be pro-life from womb to tomb, refuse the temptation to demonize any minority, and remain dissatisfied with chronic injustices. Simultaneously, we have to be willing to engage in a strategy that exposes the bullying of militant secularists, reveals their dogmatism and fanaticism, and shines a light on the predatory and punitive nature of their policies.”
Theology and Preaching
The Sacred Anointing by Tony Sargent. I try and reach at least one book on preaching a year, and this year it was an in-depth look into the preaching ministry of Martyn-Lloyd Jones, a 20th century pastor in England. I was inspired by the fact that Jones’ primary aim when the sermon was over to leave the congregation with a true sense of God himself.
“The greatest temptation to me, is that I should walk into this pulpit twice next Sunday simply because it was announced last Sunday that I would be doing so. Oh! When a man enters the pulpit in the Spirit, it is because there is something in the very depths of his spirit that calls it out.”
Reformed Dogmatics Volume 1 Herman Bavinck. One of the reasons why I didn’t get through as many books in 2022 is because I committed myself to a four-year plan to study Bavinck’s four-volume Reformed Dogmatics, one volume a year, for my morning devotional reading. Volume 1 and all of its 680 pages did not disappoint, and I increasingly appreciated the work of this 19th century Dutch theologian as the year went on.
“There is no faith without struggle. To believe is to struggle, to struggle against the appearance of things. As long as people still believe in anything, their belief is challenged from all directions. Those who do not want to embark on investigation until they see the road by which we arrive at knowledge fully cleared will never start.”
Christian Life
Talking About Race by Isaac Adams. Adams is a pastor that recently transitioned from an Associate role in Washington DC to a Senior Pastor role of a multi-cultural church in Birmingham, Alabama. This book takes a unique approach of storytelling and pastoral guidance to speak powerful truth that the church needs to hear today.
“We all need to be careful of the insidious and subtle self-righteousness that can creep into us as we pursue matters of righteousness and justice. Even if we’re right in what we see, we can so easily forget that our being right does not make us any better than anyone else.”
Mountain Breezes by Amy Carmichael. This is a collection of poems written by frontier-missionary Amy Carmichael, who founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, a home for rescued children in India. Her work of art both engages the mind and stirs the soul for something deeper in a way that a simple book on how to follow God couldn’t accomplish.
“I am the God of the stars.
Lift up thine eyes and see
As far as mortal may
Into Eternity;
And stay thy heart on Me.”
Biography/Memoir
Spurgeon the Pastor by Geoffrey Chan. This book makes the compelling case that of all Charles Spurgeon did to impact and influence the country and world with his writings and sermons, he saw himself first and foremost as a local church pastor called to shepherd a specific flock of believers.
“What’s remarkable is that for thirty-eight years of pastoral ministry, his services varied very little. And yet, thousands kept returning week after week to be edified by that worship.”
Dorothy and Jack by Gina Dalfonzo. This book explores the platonic friendship between Dorothy Sayers and C.S. Lewis, which not only spotlights their particular relationship, but also makes the case for genuine and strong friendships between brothers and sisters in Christ.
“The Bible tells us to be careful and wise in how we interact with each other; it doesn’t tell us to avoid each other. While the two of them might never have quite seen fully eye to eye on some of these issues, their friendship was built on a foundation of honesty, humility, and a willingness to listen, which safeguarded it from contempt and helped both friends to grow in empathy and understanding.”
50 Women Every Women Should Know by Michaelle DeRusha. This work travels across the 2000 years of church history in chronological order, highlighting 50 women who all believers (men and women!) would be better off knowing about today. These mini-biographies provide a great overview, and invite the reader to do deeper reading elsewhere on any of these women.
“Bridget of Sweden reminds us that although we may not always see God’s promises entirely fulfilled in our own lifetime, the contributions we make in faith and trust are a necessary and important part of his ultimate plan.”
History
A Brief History of Sunday by Justo Gonzalez. Why do churches worship on Sunday? How did the concept of a “weekend” come to be around the world, and why is it vital that the church not give up its commitment to gathering on Sundays in an increasingly secularizing world?
“At a time when most Christians live in the bonds of poverty and oppression, Sunday will serve as a reminder that the one who rose on this day is also the one by whom all things were made, and the one who is working a new creation. And therefore Sunday, ever more neglected by society at large, will become ever more cherished by those who believe.”
Our Hymn Writers and Their Hymns by Faith Cook. Why do certain songs last the test of time hundreds of years after they were written, while other songs “sound like the 90s” and are cringey to listen to? I don’t think hymns are the only songs that can and should be sung by the church when it gathers, but it’d be a major mistake to get rid of them either. At Grace, I get more comments from people under 40 about the beauty and power of hymns than any other age group. This book digs into the “staying power” of old hymns and those who wrote them.
“A London friend recalled the times when Charles [Wesley] would arrive at his home clearly in a frenzy, tethered his pony in the garden and entered the house crying out, ‘Pen and ink, pen and ink.’ With these suppled, he would write down lines that had been burning in his mind during his journey. Then he would smile, greet his hosts, ask after their health and announce a hymn for them all to sing together.”
A Short History of Charleston by Robert Rosen. Rochelle and I visited Charleston in May for our 10th anniversary and reading this book while there was a joy. Charleston (formerly Charlestown) was distinct from other colonies in that it wasn’t founded by a religious group, but it was purely a business enterprise. Rosen doesn’t shy away from the complicated history of economics success and slavery, and it turns out that Charleston was the Las Vegas of the colonial and revolutionary period.
“It is hard to say with certainty which form of entertainment the planters enjoyed most, or how they found the time to take it all in. There were numerous taverns and clubs in colonial Charlestown. There was horse racing, dancing, music, theater, billiards, cockfighting, bearbaiting, hunting, fishing, and, of course, wenching. A more hedonistic, pleasure-oriented society never lived on the North American continent
Novels & Miscellaneous
All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner. This was the first book I read in 2022, and it turned out to be the only novel I finished (I’m in the middle of another at year-end). This story follows Annie, a 19 year old who works at a diner, has a father who deserted her family, and this book set in the 1960s Midwest navigates the everyday tragedies and celebrations of life.
“But underneath that crusty attitude and gruff grimace was a tender-hearted man who had made it his business to take Mike and me under his wing. And he'd taught us more about what a godly man was than any sermon could have. He hadn't wasted his life. He'd spent a good amount of it on us.”
Great at Work by Morten Hansen. Each year, I try to read at least one book on productivity and quality work both individually and as part of a team, knowing that good work is a vital aspect of living a God-glorifying life. This book is a good combination of big picture and practical, everyday help to those ends.
“We all have a finite supply of attention to devote to our work responsibilities. As economics Nobel-laureate Herbert Simon quipped, ‘A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.’ The more items we attend to, the less time we can allot to each, and the less well we will perform any one of them.”
Top 5 Recommendations of 2022:
1. Religious Freedom in a Secular Age
2. Strong and Weak
3. A Brief History of Sunday
4. Talking About Race
5. Spurgeon the Pastor