Resources Books

Canyon Winter


Canyon Winter is a book written by Walt Morey. The main part of the story takes place in the mountains.
Lucky To Survive

It's a story about a boy who was involved in a plane crash which the pilot saved him in. The pilot died, but a boy named Peter survived. He met an old man named Omar Picket who helped Peter stay alive with food and shelter. In Peters search to find his way home, Omar ends up saving him from dangers in the wilderness. Omar also taught Peter survival skills. Peter and Omar became best friends. One of them lives, and one of them dies. You better read the book to find out.
You Better Be Ready

I liked this book because new things kept popping up. Each page was full of excitement and adventure. Wild animals attacked Peter, and Omar saved his life. Their friendship grew stronger every day .I loved this book because every time they turned a corner there was another adventure for them to experience.
Will To Live

No mater how many obstacles he ran into, Peter always focused on his goal to return to his family.
Thumbs Up

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read exciting books and wilderness books with animals.

Peter was a teenager that crashed in a wilderness. He didn't know what to do or what to expect. He learns many lessons about life from a man named Omar. He saves something that is important. Read the book to find out what it is and how he does it.

I this this is a wonderful book. It teaches respect, bravery, honesty, perseverance, trust, and protecting what you love, like a virgin forest from loggers. I think that everyone should read this book. I would be more helpful, though, if you lowered the price. I had a little trouble buying it. I hope everyone else who read this review will buy the book from you. CANYON WINTER!!!

I remember reading this book in the early 80s, and loved it. I bought a copy at the time and saved it and now love to read it to my own son.

It is filled with a lot of good lessons for children, lessons about the sanctitiy of all life and about the reciprocal relationship between man, wildlife and the environment. It is a story that thoughfully illustrates how man is part of nature, as opposed to man being above nature.

This book is about a teenager named Pete is stranded in a mountain area after his small plane crashes and kills his pilot. Pete then must make it on his own. Or, that is what the reader is thinking. Yet Pete soon finds a cabin, and also finds the cabins cranky old owner, Omar. This is when the book really begins to excell. The relationship between Omar and Pete strenghens over time, and soon they are getting along well. Omar tells Pete of his desire to fight a logging company who wants to destroy the beautiful area in which Omar lives. This book is not like Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, in that the struggle for survival is not the heart of it. The book is about the coming of age of Pete and his turning from a boy to a young man.

The Career Pathways Handbook is an excellent resource for both job hunters and career counselors alike. Each occupation is meticulously described in regards to job tasks, wage information, career paths, and future employment outlook. People
interested in a particular career can assess their qualifications by reviewing the skills, abilities, and educational and training requirements associated with that occupational field. The compilation of all this information into a single resource is incredible. For the past 20 years, I have been involved in nation-wide studies to develop a similar resources for the U.S. Department of Labor and other governmental agencies, and I can honestly say that Mr. Cassio's text is comparable to some of the best occupational research that has been conducted in the past 30 years. As an Occupational Research Psychologist, I refer to it often when conducting occupational analysis studies.

Career Pathways Handbook is a straightforward, alphabetical list of the basic requirements and expectancies for various common careers, from accountant and adjustment clerk to waiter/waitress and welder. Each career profile spans several pages and includes a summary of job tasks, expected education and training, estimated employment outlook, typical wages, top emplying industries, most important skills and abilities, typical career paths, a dialogue with an industry worker, and chart comparisons of occupations with similar skill sets. The latest U.S. employment statistics for 2005-2006 round out this excellent basic resource in planning one's future livelihood. Highly recommended for high school and college students especially as a fact-filled primer of what the real world expects of its workforce, but useful to anyone interested in exploring new career paths.

An absolutely essential career reference for finding comprehensive job information spanning a total of 155 occupations. This is the all-inclusive guide to helping a job seeker go from planning a career to looking for a job. The career profiles offer extensive statistical research on employment and job skills for each career path. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.
-Regina Jimenez, Research Librarian, Folsom Lake College

A collection of career profiles, this compact book brims with important information of more than 150 occupations, with links to several hundred others. But to me the real stars of the book are the folks who actually do the work. Their personal stories in the career dialogue sections will help career explorers and job seekers visualize themselves doing the work--to try on the occupation.

Users of this single-source book will have no doubts about skills, education and training requirements, job outlook and typical salary for careers they are considering. Career counseling professionals and human resource managers will reach for this definitive book as a quick reference source again and again.

The Resource Guide in the back of the book is a real bonus. Unique and unexpected in this kind of work, it outlines a commonsense step-by-step path to chose and enter a career field.

Wow, the Career Pathways Handbook is a great resource! It is full of practical information and the Career Profiles really paint a good picture of what a job is really like. I've been a career counselor for 17 years and this is the most comprehensisve, useful and user-friendly career resource around.

The CareerXRoads series by Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler should be a reference book that every recruiter buys. I am a recruiter with almost 22 years of experience and since 1998, I have purchased CareerXRoads. It is that good.

Candidates who want to use the Internet to find their next position will also find these books very helpful.

Gerry and Mark include informative articles for recruiters and job seekers alike at the beginning of the book.

Then they dive into the Internet and review websites that are job, resume, and career management sites. Their reviews are very helpful.

Recruiters, this book helps you determine where to spend your time and/or money to find niche sites to conduct searches. They also will suggest when a site may just be a waste of time.

Candidates, Gerry and Mark help you organize your job search. Their list of niche sites may help you zero in on companies who do what you want to do. Then, you may apply online or try to network your way into an interview.

Bottom line, if you are a recruiter or a candidate, purchase CareerXRoads.

Bill Humbert www.recruiterguy.com

Recruiters, job search sites, corporate career sites, HR testing online -- these are standard elements of the 21st century world of work.
If you are experienced at clicking in and out of employment-related sites, you will appreciate the very professional presentations of 500 sites the authors consider the best. There are also references to 2000 other sites.
If you're overwhelmed by the topic, or fear you'll never catch up, this volume is a place to begin. After perusing the book, you will know more about professional uses of the internet in the areas of job search and employee recruitment.

I am a career management consultant. The first two suggestions I give all new job seekers at any levels is to get a copy of CareerXRoads and get some business cards printed.

I have found that CareerXRoads is the bible for a good job search, using the internet; Obviously it is a great help in finding Internet sites where the right jobs are posted. But better than that, it tells you where to post your resume and how to post it, using the right format, key words, etc.

As a Career Coach, I recommend this book to all of my clients.
And, even more critical, as a Recruiter, this book is where I go to find the hard to find candidates.

CareerXRaods is both on my desk and another copy is in my attache.

I am even thinking of giving my kids each a copy on their birthdays.

Richard Stone
Human Resources Consultant

Every job seeker and recruiter should own this book!
This book is a tremendous resource to a job seeker. It offers advice on everything from networking to resume development. On the recruiter side, it offers advice on how to maximize your recruiting efforts in a variety of ways. The index and rating of internet sites is an invaluable tool to both [I should know - I used this book during a recent job search and now use it on a regular basis as I have found a new position as a Partnership Recruitment Manager!]
I have met one of the authors [Mark Mehler], and he has a true committment to helping individuals and companies use the internet to its full potential in job and candidate searches.
I highly recommend this book!

This book is right on. If we all were able to show Christ to the world around us the way the book encourages us to do, we would live in a different world. This is a must read for anyone wanting to make an impact on the world they live in.

This is an excellent book for anyone who is concerned about reaching their community with the gospel. It is a different approach to the challenge that churches face today in our culture where the local church has often become irrelevant in the eyes of the community.

This book is an excellent, balanced, scriptural view of the need for the church to be engaged in outreach. It is not only a good view, theoretically, but it is extremely practical and motivational. Even though Fellowship Bible church has moved on from the approach described here, it is still an excellent stepping stone for a growing church.

"The Church of Irresistible Influence" is one of the most compelling books that I've ever read about what the church can and should be. I'm not one to casually embrace huge concepts on a whim, so I'm not yet convinced that every notion from this book is appropriate or even workable in many churches. In fact, Lewis' church has undergone some significant organizational changes since he wrote the book. I would be most intrigued to read a sequel that describes the process of becoming a church of irresistible influence after several more years of experience.

In any case, perfect model or not, Lewis presents many extremely dynamic examples of how his church (and, more specifically, the people within his church) began to impact the Little Rock community in amazing ways. It's great to read those stories of connection, blessing, and service, particularly as so many churches are becoming painfully aware of how useless they really are to their communities.

I would strongly recommend this book to any modern church leader, not because I think that every church should adopt this exact model of church structure, but because it presents some big issues and paradigm-shifting ideas that have the potential to totally redefine the impact of the American church. It just might totally rearrange the way you think about church!!

Church is not just about a service on Sunday - but about becoming prepared to really live God's Word - and then living in the Word in our communities. What an inspiration. And I am not a Pastor ... just one of the congregation!

I needed this book when I first became a manager 10 years ago, but at least I have it now. Ms. Hacker did a great job of organizing the chapters and making the book understandable. I hire people almost weekly and finally know why I have had problems in the past. This book showed me how to organize my search and zero in on the right person for the job. I was using the hit or miss approach in the past. I ended up hiring lots of misfits. Thank you Ms. Hacker for making my job easier. Are you writing another book?

This book is a great guide for anyone who is responsible for hiring. It's well-written and to the point. I found myself picking it up and putting it down as I had time. I bought copies for each of my managers.

This book is written for the manager who must hire good people. After reading this book I feel I know how to stay focused in my search as well as where to get people. The questions that can be asked during the interview located in the Appendix were EXTREMELY helpful. I used to think that I ran a high risk of asking something illegal, but now realize that there are many questions I can lawfully ask. Overall, this book was an excellent investment.

This book is written for managers both new and experienced. I have been supervising people for more than 20 years. I found this book to be loaded with good, solid information that I could use and share with my staff. Hiring good people that mesh with the rest of the team isn't easy, especially given the low unemployemnt rate. The author organized this book in a manner that made it convenient to pick up and put down as time permitted. I learned a number of things that have changed the way I recruit for my department. I have 500 people I'm responsible for as a plant manager. I needed this book 20 years ago!

Carol Hacker has done a service to those who are serious about weeding out the costly bad hires that are waiting out there to harm your organization. She makes excellent points and warns about the huge costs of making a mistake.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "How to Spot a Liar in a Job Interview" and "How to Spot a Phony Resume" docwifford@msn.com

Aliza is an enormously impressive woman. Not only has she obviously inspired thousands of woman, but she manages to remain humble and uneffected. Is is just those qualities that enable her books to reach out to woman. I highly recommend them all.

Great book for women who want to to know more about the internet and how they can get into the field. Aliza Shermnan gives a lot of practical information on many different positions in the field, what skills are needed and how you can get started. The experiences shared by many women in the book serve as great encouragement for any woman interested in giving it a try, who want to broaden their prospects or who want to get some new ideas on how to further advance their existing business. It's easy reading and fun -- buy it for yourself or somone else as a gift!!

This book is an excellent guide for those who are new to the Internet and for those who are veterans -- everyone will find something new and useful. Sherman is a clear and practical writer with lots of experience to back up her recommendations. I would recommend this book to any woman.

Terrific book -- both interesting to read (especially the stories of how other women used the web to become successful) and helpful (containing tips on how you can do it too.) It was also very practical, especially (at least for me)the section on growing your business on the Internet. I've read other books in this area, which were very dry, but this was a fast read and a very helpful one as well. I highly recommended this book -- and you don't have to be a female to enjoy it.

Lets face it sisters, it is time to help each other to get ahead professionally. Ms. Sherman shares her knowledge and expertise, as well as others for using all the tools available to us. Don't pass up a fun quick read that can make a difference and make your life better.

since we already know what the plot is about thanks to reviews, I just want to say that my favourite parts in the book are when Dawn & Whitney go shopping and when Dawn's dad and his date, along with others in the neighborhood, attend a classical music picnic. There is also a special surprise at the end of the book relating to dawn's life, read it to find out!

I enjoyed reading about the shopping trips, the music picnic, the carnivals, the baby sitting and everything else.

I really loved this book since I bought it. I think what made it more enjoyable was the way it was descriptively written, anne did a great job writing this book. The way she described the baby sitting jobs, the family dates right down to the detail and the shopping trips almost made me feel as though I were watching a movie of it.

I really love this book! It was extremely well written and Dawn and Whitney had a beautiful friendship. This book illustrates that just because you have a disability doesn't mean you're different from everyone else. Also Dawn's dad is in the dating game and dawn and jeff come along for family dates, that was also an interesting read. I think this is one of dawn's better books. A great read!

The book is very cool! When dawn meets Whitney, Dawn finds out that Whitney has a disease so Dawn asks her if she wants to be her baby-sitter. Dawn and Whitney really had a beautiful friendship in this book. Plus, Dawn's father is having dates with another girl and Dawn and Jeff are asked to come to their father's date.

Not all websites have a social focus, but all websites can benefit by becoming more social. Joshua Porter explains how to build features and flows that focus on getting users from "unaware" to "passionate user" status through well-designed and thoughtful design. The book is packed with practical tips and ideas for getting the most out of your site. Highly recommended!

Joshua Porter pours his knowledge about user interface design in social media in this title. While the AOF method (Activities, Objects and Features) he presents early in the book gets a bit confusing when you first read about it, very quickly you get his point.

The design framework he presents is aimed at taking new users of a social site through the steps that make up the usage lifecycle: not being aware of the site > becoming interested in it > using the site for the first time > becoming a regular user > becoming a passionate user.

I see a practical application of Joshua's design philosophy in the way Ning.com (a platform for you to create your own social network) is put together: it is easy for a new member to sign up and create/manage a profile page, interact with other members and sharing with others inside or outside the network so as to make more people aware of the network.

The main downside I found to the book was that, in an attempt to be more comprehensive, it went into certain topics that had little to do with design, such as the case with the chapter on "Authentic Conversations" (why they are the most important thing you can do for your social web site) and the closing chapter on "Funnel Analysis" which seemed a bit rushed and disconnected from the rest. Still, the chapter on authentic conversations was useful and even the one on metrics carried weight and useful tips, just not as much as the rest of the book.

Overall, a very good reference for folks needing to catch up with the social web in the sites they manage.

This book teaches you how to think about designing web interfaces for social websites or websites with social features. You will learn a bit about the psychology behind what works well, so you can incorporate the knowledge into your own design.

The book explains how to prioritize features from the initial sign-up through active user participation on the social website. Many industry examples are given along with some of the reasons why each is successful or not.

The book is about designing the user interface and the overall web site experience. It can and should be read by all team members on the web project including: graphic designers, information architects and developers.

I think its an excellent book
Sadly I lost it after reading 1/4 of it
He knows his subject Design for Social Web
and it was very interesting what I read
and there are good diagrams

Judy

I used this book as one of three textbooks in a class I recently taught. This was one of two texts concentrating on social networking. (The other was Derek Powazek's "Design for Community".) The students enjoyed the easy style of the book and the case studies for what works and what does not. The book kicked off more than one interesting discussion on barriers to entry, what makes good design, and how to effectively incorporate social networking tools into a business or non-profit website.

O what have I read this book (over and over again) and I like it a lot. The full content is exciting from start till end. Moreover it is a remarkable book and must be read throughout the church. The New Testament is prominent over the Old Testament (there must be more books of the prophets attached). But our writer is deeper into the New than into the Old Testament. That does not take away the deepness of the content. I hope that we as postmodern people, uses the content as it is meant. Thank you Dr. Peterson.

I agree with the reviews that say this is a careful biblical study of what constituted worship amongst OT and NT communities, and what new insight and emphasis Christianity brought. The unexpected answer - that, very broadly, it is in the loving interaction between the individuals of the Body, rings true, and from a personal point of view, cleared up many of the questions I had about those times when "worship leading" seems rather a shallow, simplistic reponse from someone who claims to want to see God's kingdom come on earth.

I enjoyed Engaging With God because it was different than any other book or discussion of worship I have ever read or heard. It went straight to the bible to address the deep questions about worship that most books and people do not discuss. Starting with the Old Testament and moving right through to the end of the New Testament Peterson interacted with worship in the Old Covenant, reverence for God, and New Testament teaching by Jesus and about Him as fulfillment of Old Covenant shadows. He laid out a solid framework from which to answer the controversial but surface questions the modern Church is asking about what to do in church services and what not to do. He also stressed that the object of worship is to engage with God on a relational level that permeates all of life. Finally, a biblical analysis rather than a argument based on opinion and preference.

This text is written so that all may understand and yet provides indepth notes for those who would like to take their studies deeper. It is extremely informative concerning both the Old and New Testament usages in both Greek and Hebrew.

Introduction

As the principal of Oak Hill Theological College in London, England for the past 11 years, David Peterson has been a significant vessel that God has used to elevate that seminary to be one of the largest in the United Kingdom and in the Church of England. Only recently succeeded by Michael Ovey as Principal, Peterson has shown himself to be an astute interpreter of the biblical text, being formerly a lecturer in New Testament at Moore College in Sydney, Australia. As such, it is no wonder why Engaging With God is another first-rate example of Peterson's careful exegesis and gospel-centered hermeneutic.

Subtitled A Biblical Theology of Worship, Peterson's Engaging With God is the author's attempt at a biblical theology of worship that is evangelical and generally free from denominational bias. Students of biblical worship would be happy to see an extensive exegetical volume finally released, as Peterson provides a full-orbed examination of what worship is according to the whole counsel of God and the entirety of Scripture - both the Old and New Testament.

Summary

In his introduction, Peterson establishes the nature of Christian worship as "an engagement with [God] on the terms that he proposes and in the way the he alone makes possible" (20). The rest of the book is hence an explanation of `engaging with God' as an idea that is found in the totality of Scripture. With this purpose in mind, Peterson thus begins careful exegesis of the Old (in chapters 1-2) and New Testament (in chapters 3-9) to provide the foundation for his thesis.

The groundwork for his biblical worship theology is provided in the first two chapters, where Peterson examines engagement with God from the Old Testament. The ark, tabernacle and temple are shown to be the God-ordained, God-initiated means for Israel to acknowledge and live in relation to the royal and holy presence of God. Worship in Old Testament has its emphasis on God's self-revelation: God makes it possible for His covenant people to worship Him by the cultic observance of the sacrificial system. Through a detailed look at various important worship sections in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy, Peterson finds that it is only by "God's provision through the cult the covenant relationship could be maintained" (49).

Further, the author establishes that honoring, serving and respecting God are encompassed by adoration as an expression of awe and grateful submission to the LORD (73). While this includes the physical acts of bending/bowing down or falling down before God that hinted at by the Greek word proskynein or the Hebrew histahawa (57), expressing homage according to the Old Testament is not merely bending over at the waist. It further includes awe and submission that is motivated by gratitude, and so it is also a matter of heart-worship, thanksgiving that inevitably leads God's people to serve Him (64-70). While the obedience to God's demands in cultic activity enabled Israel to express reverence to God, Peterson concedes that "fear of God in the more positive sense of reverence and respect is regularly on view" (71) - by walking faithful in God's ways and in keeping His commands.

In Chapter 3, Peterson turns from the Old Testament to the new, beginning with an analysis of how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament temple. Through an analysis of the Gospel according to Matthew and John, Peterson concedes that it is in the person of Jesus Christ that God's presence and glory is fully and finally experienced, and further, that Judaism finds its destined end of worship in Christ himself. Jesus Himself transferred the significance of the temple from Jerusalem to another entity -- not in the messianic community, but primarily in his own person and work. Christ replaces the temple as the wellspring of life and renewal for all the world, as Jesus Himself is the eschatological destination to which all nations journey to for worship. "The divine presence is no longer bound up in the temple, but the Word who was with God `in the beginning' and who in fact `was God' " (93).

In terms of being the fulfillment of the old covenant, Peterson argues that Jesus preached "a new centre for Israel, in himself and the salvation he proclaimed, rather than in the synagogue, the temple, the law or the inherited customs of his people" (112-113). Being the fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jesus fulfilled and transcended the Mosaic Law in his perfectly righteous life. For Jesus is shown to exalt Himself as the new standard of what does or doesn't constitute defilement (114), and as the new authority for the determination of acceptable Sabbath behavior (116). In the sacrificial service to God and His people, Jesus gave us the "final and perfect expression of uncompromising worship" (129) through the offering of Himself by dying on the cross for man's sins. By the means of the shedding of His blood, Christ inaugurated the new covenant, and thus replaced and fulfilled the sacrificial system of the old covenant.

Having argued for Jesus' as the fulfillment of the temple and the old covenant, Peterson then examines the community of apostles in Acts to show how the Christian life and ministry should be viewed as an expression of service to God. Unable to immediately disassociate themselves from the temple, the early apostles and Christians still saw the temple as a place for revelation and a place of public prayer (138), and consequently, also as a place where they experienced opposition and unrest (139) from those opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The character and function of early Christian gatherings focused around apostolic teaching/preaching, as well as in the fellowship (Greek koinonia) of believers who eat together and pray and praise God together. The Christian community life thus can be a function of worship.

Through an analysis of Paul's underlying worship theology, Peterson advocates for the consecrated Christian life and gospel ministry as specific expressions of Christian worship. "Missionary preaching and the establishment of churches in the truths of the gospel can be described as fulfilling a God-given `liturgy' or service to the churches" (182). Supporting his theology of worship with a careful examination of Philippians, Peterson beautifully portrays the inseparability of sacrifice, faith and the Spirit - for worship by the Spirit is synonymous to faith in Jesus' crucifixion and the salvific implications of his death (187). In a further analysis of the Corinthian church, Peterson explains that worship the gathered church meets in order to participate in edification (195-197). During those times when a prophetic word and the word of Christ dwells in the midst of believers, and during times when thanksgiving, prayer and praise are shared together, the assembled church thus can "meet with God when we meet with one another" (198). As a result, ministries that are genuinely used for the benefit of others while purposed for the glory of God can actually be an expression of worship.

Through a detailed overview of the book of Hebrews - the one book of the New Testament that provides a thorough and integrative worship theology - Peterson analyses of key `worship' chapters within Hebrews, and argues for Christ as essentially the typology of all the Old Testament themes and symbols as previously discussed. Worshipping Jesus means worshipping Him as the High Priest, synagogue, temple, and sacrifice at one and the same time (228-230; 232-237). Under the new covenant, drawing near to God as an expression of worship is both congregational and personal to the Christian's daily experience (237-246), and service that aims to please God is foremost obedience through Christ our mediator (230-232). Concluding with synopsis of Revelation, Peterson portrays worship in the new covenant community as in taking a stand against paganism by bearing faithful witness to the truth of the gospel (265) and in the singing of God's praise (278).

Critical Evaluation

Engaging with God may not be an easy read for the regular layperson or the theologically untrained worship leader looking to get a biblical perspective on what worship is. The attention to exegetical detail is evident in Peterson's analysis of worship terminology in the original Greek and Hebrew, providing for the reader plenty of transliterated terms in his presentation. While most of the text-critical arguments are moved to the endnotes, the author's interpretive arguments for his thesis are included in the book's body and supported by careful study of worship terminology in its original biblical context. Such an exegetical method may be put off as unimportant for those unfamiliar with it, but those who are at least a little familiar with basic Bible interpretation methods would benefit significantly from Peterson's heavy-duty text work. A prime example of this is in his differentiation between worship as physical homage and worship in the general, abstract sense: "When other verbs denoting bowing or kneeling are absent from context and there are no other indicators of physical movement, the more general and abstract sense of `worship' may be understood" (61).

Having provided a lengthy and thorough biblical analysis, Peterson's work distinguishes itself in at least two areas. First, he demonstrates that there is tremendous meaning for today's church when we see Jesus as the new temple - most notably in the need for gospel-centered preaching. Christian teaching and preaching must center on the person and work of Jesus Christ in order to be biblical in its content and its aim, especially in terms of evangelism (102) and in the building of the Messiah's church (207). As Peterson proclaims in his summary chapter, "Throughout Scripture, the word of God is fundamental to a genuine engagement with him" (286).

Secondly, Peterson demonstrates that the church gathers in corporate worship to build each other up - for mutual edification, and not just `to worship' as some would argue. While Peterson does show the "central importance of the concept of edification for the meeting of God's people" in Paul's teaching (196), Hebrews is his chief support of this argument (247-250). As an expression of worship, Peterson convincingly argues that the mutual up building between Christians is purposed to help each other persevere in the faith and grow in spiritual maturity in light of the apostasy that a believer can possibly fall into. With this unique emphasis on the care that the church congregation should have for each other, it is no wonder why the divinely inspired writer of the book of Hebrews exhorts us to not forsake the local gathering of believers as some professing Christians do. This argument by itself sets Peterson's work exceptionally distinctive.

Conclusion

Peterson addresses central themes and expressions of worship throughout the Bible, each one of them supporting his thesis that worship is unquestionably engagement with God in terms He sets and ways He permits. Although this biblical theology on worship is extensive in its biblical exposition, it is a worthwhile read that will challenge the reader to examine his or her worship theology to see whether it conforms to the biblical text. While much of recent worship literature examine the English term worship, Peterson's book fills the gap with a succinct, biblical theology of Christian worship that can be warmly accepted by churches of any evangelical denomination.

The fact that the Triune nature is one of, if not the greatest mystery of the Christian God, it does not follow that there is no further revelation that one should know or learn from. Neither should it preclude one from attempting to gain a deeper understanding in this matter. Dr. Ware begins by teaching from Scriptural evidences, the basis of the simultaneous, equal and eternal divine nature of all three distinct Persons, thereby refuting Sabelianism or Modalism that claims the divinity of each Person occurred sequentially; only one Person being divine at a time, and Arianism that rejects the divinity of the Son and the Spirit. Therefore, since all three Persons are simultaneously, equally or fully, and eternally God, it is futile to attempt to understand their difference in terms of nature or characteristics because each possesses all attributes of God; among which are omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence.

Many tremendously important lessons to learn can be derived by understanding the difference in their roles and relationship, which not only serves as a divine revelation, but also a pattern and divine design for humanity to follow, having been created in His image. The beauty of the Trinity lies in the respect and affection in their treatment to one another, harmony in operation, and unity in purpose, as well as the complete absence of envy, friction, disagreement, power struggle and abuse of authority amongst Them. Here is a model of a perfect, most sublime authority-submission relationship displayed in the supremacy of the Father, subordination of the Son to the Father wherein the Son glories in the Father, the Father glories in the Son, the Spirit submitting to the Father and the Son. Moreover, the Spirit glories in the Son, yet when the Son was on earth, He was subject to the Spirit, and the Spirit is always eternally joyfully content to take up the background behind-the-scene roles assisting the Father and glorifying and pointing all attentions to the Son.

Dr. Ware also covers what each Person does, and its implications whereby one learns the true fatherhood and obedience, the gracious work of inspiration, illumination, sanctification and evangelism. In regard to Christian life, they teach the divine inspiration and thus, the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible; expose the importance of illumination in understanding of the Scriptures, show the right way to pray; by the Spirit, through the Son, and to the Father, direct how to worship properly, the Son being the center of all. In the mission field, they affirm the absolute necessity of the work of regeneration brought forth by the Spirit in a true conversion that results in faith and repentance. At home, these lessons are applicable to the relationship between men and women in marriage as husbands and wives, and between parents and children. It is also a divine design for the church and society in general; between congregation, ministers and elders, citizens and government; students and teachers; subordinates and superiors wherein God ordained authority-submission structure or taxis to reflect who He is and how He operates. In each of these relationship structures that Dr. Ware went through in details, he not only teaches that the doctrine of the Trinity is highly practical, but also refutes egalitarianism and a general distrust of authority. Yes, human authority is imperfect, whether it be husband, parent, minister, governor, and superior in a workplace, but Dr. Ware pointed out the preciousness of the lesson of submission from the Trinitarian taxis,

"It appears then, that we need to learn something about the nature of true freedom. Freedom is not what our culture tells us it is. Freedom is not my deciding, from the urges and longings of my sinful nature, to do what I want to do, when I want to do it, how I want to do it, with whom I want to do it. According to the Bible, that is bondage, not freedom. Rather, true freedom is living as Jesus lived, for He is the freest human being who ever lived. In fact, He is the only fully free human being who has ever lived, and one day we will be set free fully when we always and only do the will of God.

So what is freedom? Amazingly, Jesus' answer is this: Freedom is submitting, - submitting fully to the will of God, to the words of God, and to the work that God calls us to do" (p.75).

The reason why this book is a must-read is because we live in the days where human autonomy is God and the seemingly prevailing rule is that I am my own authority; you have your own rules and I have my own, so don't ever tell me what to do. Understanding, embracing and applying the doctrine of the Trinity is a great antidote to this toxic post-modern spirit.

Here's a study that is nearly alone in its field. The unity of the Trinity is the focus of many books and studies, as are the roles of the Son and Holy Spirt, but seeing the three persons of the Trinity in relationship to each other is unusual. Very helpful.

What can be more foundational to the Christian Faith than the essence of our God? The author begins with chapters on the importance of the topic and a historical overview before spending one chapter on each person of the Godhead, and then sums up everything in a sixth chapter. The chapters on the Father, Son, and Spirit discuss how the person focused on in that chapter relates/interacts with the other two members of the Godhead.

There are at least two commendable things about the book. One is its "readability". The author takes such a complex topic and writes very simply. The information is also arranged so systematically that it is easy to follow and outline. Secondly, the book is full of practical application. He sees the relationship between the three members of the Godhead as the basis for understanding human relationships. He points to examples of love, humility, and submission found in the Trinity.

A few weeks ago, while I was in one of my favorite bookstores, a guy made a comment about how the Holy Spirit has been forgotten in contemporary Christianity. I replied by suggesting that we haven't forgotten Him, so much as we have misunderstood Him. Whether we misunderstand or forget Him altogether, it's clear that we don't have a robust understanding of the Holy Spirit, or the Trinity in general.

Bruce Ware's Father, Son, & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, & Relevance, seeks to provide us with the robust understanding we lack. The brief 158 page book is an adaptation from a series of lectures Dr. Ware gave at a conference in 2004 and is broken down into six chapters.

Chapter One addresses the importance of the doctrine of the Trinity. "Would God have chosen to reveal himself to us as the one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, unless he knew that this would be important to our understanding of him and our faith?" (13) Chapter Two claims to be an historical overview of the doctrine, though it's really more of an analysis of the Biblical evidence for the Trinity.

Chapters Three through Five are each on a different person of the Godhead. Each chapter describes the unique roles of each person, how they relate to one another, and what relevance each person's roles has for our lives.

The final chapter, six, concludes with ten "lessons for our lives and ministries from the relationships and roles of the triune God." (132) Since we are made in God's image, we must start with understanding of God in order to understand ourselves. The applications include living in community, the harmony of unity, the importance of authority and submission within our families and churches, how to pray, and how to worship.

The book is a very easy read, though it is far from simple. I still think James R. White's The Forgotten Trinity is the best book available in regards to the Biblical basis of the doctrine. However, Dr. Ware's is the best I've seen that explains the roles of each person and how the doctrine should apply to how we live. For instance, "Here in the Trinity... we see hierarchy without hubris, authority with no oppression, submission that is not servile, and love that pervades every aspect of the divine life." (157)

If you're questioning the Biblical basis of the doctrine, go read James White. If you are seeking a deeper understanding of the Trinity and the relevance the nature of God has in your life, Dr. Ware's book is a must read. I know of no other book that explains these profound truths with such clarity and warmth while maintaining their depth and weight.

The triune nature of God is one that Christians have tried to get a grasp on for the last two thousand years. The scriptures affirm that God is one and that He exists eternally as three persons. Each of the persons are fully God and there is but one God. This is a difficult doctrine to understand to say the least, but it is one that God has presented in His word repeatedly, so we have a responsibility to understand it correctly, if not completely. I believe it impossible to understand the triune nature of God completely in this lifetime, and perhaps in the next as well. The infinite cannot be contained within the finite.

As I said earlier, we do have a responsibility to understand this revelation as best as we can, but most of us, myself included, have put off this theological doctrine in favor of things that are easier to grasp. This does not constitute apathy per se, but we honor God by seeking His face as clearly as possible. For us to deny any aspect of the trinity or to try to amend the trinity to meet our expectations is to diminish God in our own hearts and try to reform His being into one of our own likeness.

In Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, & Relevance, by Bruce Ware, we are given a good overview of the trinity, beginning with a list of ten great reasons every Christian should study this doctrine. It continues with a historical look at how the early church met heretical understandings of the trinity with biblical proof, always leaning toward the scriptures and not on logical statements of others speaking of a God no greater than their knowledge could comprehend

The meat of the book comes after this, as each person of the trinity is given a chapter to discuss the differences of role and not of essence that they have. I found this to be extremely helpful in my Christian walk, as virtually every aspect of a Christian's life is impacted by our triune God. Take prayer, for example. I was taught as a child that praying was just talking to Jesus about whatever was on your mind. According to the Lord's Prayer though, Jesus tells us to pray to the Father. We are also told that our prayer to the Father is offered through our mediator, Jesus Christ. And this prayer to the Father, through the Son is to be offered up by the power of the Holy Spirit. Proper prayer acknowledges the trinity.

The roles of the trinity are quite complex, with the Holy Spirit pointing us toward the Son who seeks to glorify the Father. Thus the eternal roles of each of the persons should be rightly understood by all Christians if we are to discern error. For example, if someone claims that the Holy Spirit has come upon them for any reason other than to point us toward Christ, our ears should listen attentively to what is said that we may be able to lovingly correct the statement which is bound to contain errors, based on the errant foundation of the source of this information.

I have yet to see a book that is more informative on this doctrine than Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, & Relevance. It fills in many common misperceptions that we may make regarding what the trinity is and what it is not. One thought I have had for some time has been confirmed while reading this book. Christ came to save sinners, yes. But why is it that the Father does anything? Did He send the Son to die for the sole purpose that we may find our salvation in Him or is there an underlying motive? When you get down to the core values within the trinity, God the Father sent God the Son to earth as a man to be enabled for his task by God the Holy Spirit to the ultimate glory of God the Father. This was accomplished in part by God the Son atoning for those He was sent to redeem. And from His submission to both the Father and the Spirit (for a time) He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and yet maintains the second level of primacy to the Father.

This book is 158 pages, not including the notes and indexes, but don't let the relatively short page number dissuade you. The length of this book is such that every Christian should read this book for personal edification, not to mention a more learned response to one of the more frequently brought up objections to Christianity. The content of the book is such that anybody could follow it, but those with a stronger theological background will be able to gain more insight than a casual reader to the degree of thiner knowledge. I recommend this book heartily to all for these reasons and more. This is a book that I plan to read annually, as I am certain there are truths represented within these pages that I have not been able to fully appreciate.