prayerful mountain books

Sam Leinster shares his most significant books to take up a prayer mountain.

Over the years, I have been impressed by the Canadian Rockies, the Himalayas and the Alps, but I find myself much more at home in the English Lake District. I’m not sure that my favourite spot, Gummer’s How, can be defined as a mountain as it is only 321m above sea level, but it is the highest point in the surrounding foothills and was described by the famous Lakeland guide Alfred Wainwright as ‘an old man’s mountain’. He says of it: ‘And when ancient legs can no longer climb it, know ye that the sad day has come to hang up the boots for ever and take to slippers’. I am, therefore, going to nominate it as my prayerful mountain and hope to be able to climb it for a few more years.

Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes 12:12 that ‘of the making of books there is no end’, which presents a challenge when selecting five to take up the mountain. There have been so many that have grounded my faith, challenged me to a closer walk with God, and encouraged me to apply Christian truth to the world of work and everyday life. This, then, is today’s selection; on another day it might be different.

Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes

Kenneth E Bailey

SPCK Publishing

Understanding the historic and cultural setting of the Scriptures is essential to interpreting them correctly. The message of the Gospels is timeless, but they are set in the Middle East during the first century. Reading them from the perspective of the Western World in the twenty-first century, we lose much of the meaning that would have been immediately obvious to the original readers. This book gives refreshing new insights into the life and teaching of Jesus.

Prayer

Richard Foster

John Murray Press

Richard Foster takes a different approach to most writers on prayer. The fundamental message of this book is that prayer is first and foremost a relationship with a loving Father. It can take many forms and expressions (the book describes 21 different types of prayer and gives examples of each). It is encouraging to be reminded that God is interested in the ordinary and that bringing our everyday activities to him is an acceptable form of prayer. It is challenging to be reminded of the more profound relationships with God that we are called to pursue.

In His Image

Paul Brand and Philip Yancey

Zondervan

Paul Brand, brilliant surgeon, dedicated missionary, and world-leading pain researcher is one of my heroes. Philip Yancey is one of my favourite authors. This is the second book on which they collaborated and combines the medical and scientific insights of the one with the communication skills of the other. The result is a book that at once awes, informs, excites and challenges. I think it is probably accessible to a lay reader, but for anyone with medical training it is a revelation. Paul Brand’s unrivalled expertise in the neurophysiology of pain and his unique clinical experience, are enough to reawaken wonder at the intricacy of the human body. The application of his biological insights to explaining the reality of the relationship of Christ to the Church is an inspiring lesson in drawing on all our experience and knowledge in deepening our understanding of our faith.

Surprised by Hope

Tom Wright

SPCK Publishing

The resurrection of Jesus guarantees our bodily resurrection. As a result, our surprising hope is not that we spend eternity in Heaven but that we spend it in a world that is transformed by the Second Coming in glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the final answer to the prayer ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven’, but it challenges us to direct our efforts now to proclaiming and demonstrating that kingdom. I am still working through the implications of this, but I think it must at the very least include evangelism, social justice, and ecological concern.

Space Trilogy

C S Lewis

Harper Collins

This may be considered cheating because the Space Trilogy combines three books: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. However, it is now published as a single volume, so I am claiming it as one of my five. It is commonly considered to be Science Fiction, but it has strong threads of fantasy, theology, and philosophy woven through it. It is a book to turn to for relaxation and refreshment, but it also raises deep questions about human values, spiritual realities, and our relationship to God. What would the world have been like if the Fall had not occurred? If Felicia’s recommendation in the last Triple Helix encouraged you to read the Chronicles of Narnia, this is the natural follow on. ›

If you would like to share your own Prayerful Mountain Books, please email communications@cmf.org.uk