Local Pastor Publishes eBook

May 5, 2013 by Leave a comment

A Tale of Two Brides

Legalism and Religion vs. Liberty and Relationship

by: Regner Capener

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 This book is remarkable for three reasons:

  1. It is written by a local pastor and member of the Sunnyside Ministerial Association
  2. The vision of Old Testament history is fascinating
  3. In the book, the author presents a vision of prophecy

In the recent past, this blog has often included reviews of books read by the editor.  This is no different.  What makes this post unique is, your humble editor is personally acquainted with the author.  Readers can be assured that there is no financial conflict of interest, as this blog purchased the book at full retail (currently under $5 at the Kindle Store on Amazon.)

Regner Capener pretends to autograph my Kindle in his home office in Sunnyside.

Regner Capener pretends to autograph my Kindle in his home office in Sunnyside.

The book does an absolutely amazing job of describing Old Testament events, especially as it relates to Queen Esther of the Persian Empire.  In fact, the author claims to have experienced visions from God into this period of history, and the book is a recounting of what he saw.

Capener says the visions he experienced included events in the past, and also in the future.  He adds that we as people are part of God’s unfolding plan, and we are given the choice of participating in it, or not.

Prophetic visions lead the author to believe that people have no idea how soon the return of the Lord is.

In an interview with this blog, Capener says:

Who wants to settle for second best when you have so much available?

Although Capener has self-published some books in the past, this is his first book picked up by a publisher (Destiny Image).  This is also the first book Destiny Image has published as an eBook first, with a paperback version set for publication later this year.  It is also available on the Nook from Barnes and Noble, and Kobo eReaders.

This book earns five out of five stars.

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Avoiding Overzealous Faith

April 7, 2013 by Leave a comment

Review of ACCIDENTAL PHARISEES by Larry Osborne

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It might come as a surprise that a mega church pastor would write a book warning Christians not be be overzealous in their faith during a time in which secular humanism is growing more dominant, but yet, the book is as relevant as it is timely.  Those that are familiar with the story of Jesus know that the ancient sect known as “Pharisees” were singled out for strong criticism by Jesus and his followers.  They had a reputation for being very legalistic in their interpretations of religious teachings.

This book warns modern day Christians of several ways they can be unwittingly trapped into becoming like the Pharisees of old. Osborne discusses pride, exclusivity, legalism, idolizing the past, the quest for uniformity, and what he terms “gift projection” in major sections of the book.

It is divided into seven parts, with three short chapters in each part.  At the end of every part, there are one or two pages of discussion questions, making this book suitable for small group study.  Osborne writes in a casual but direct style, making his points plain for the reader to pick up on.

Not content to point out deficiencies he sees in others, Osborne also confesses to several of the faults being addressed in the book.  He explains that his views on several topics have changed over the years, as he has developed his faith and relationship with Jesus.

Christians everywhere can learn lessons from this short book, which earns it 5 stars out of 5 in this review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Solid on Principles, Light on Details

March 22, 2013 by Leave a comment

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Book Review: Heaven’s Lessons

Ten Things I Learned About God When I Died

By Steve Sjogren

This book is part autobiography and part motivational. Sjogren recounts his near death experience (NDE), and uses it to draw lessons that can be applied to life. The book is brief, with an easy to follow style that makes it a quick read.

The author has divided the book into 10 chapters, with each one focused on lessons he has learned from his encounter with the afterlife. His lessons are simple, but not necessarily easy to follow. For example, “Don’t Fear Death,” “Be Thankful,” and “God is Big” are some of the chapter titles.

Steve Sjogren is a pastor, and seeks to impart spiritual truth in a direct way. Readers will come away feeling assured that there is a Higher Power, and that He is a loving God. It is an emotional appeal to humility and thankfulness even when we are under stress, fearful, or taking things for granted.

Recognizing his shortcomings, he boldly describes some mistakes he made in church leadership, and his continuing journey to learn about patience in dealing with grief and forgiveness. This is made even more remarkable given that several of these mistakes occurred after the author’s NDE.

This is a book that will leave the reader feeling energized and with warm feelings to their fellow human beings. As Sjogren says, “God loves irregular people.” It turns out, we are all “irregular people.”

The book is solid on principles, but light on details. What it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with earnest emotion. I rate it 4 stars out of 5.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Book Review: All Over but the Shoutin’

March 11, 2013 by Leave a comment

All Over but the Shoutin’

by Rick Bragg

alloverbuththeshoutin

 The author is self-described as “liberal-minded.”  He does not speak often of conservatives and/or Republicans, and when he does, it is usually with disdain.  He is originally from Alabama, a state I was a resident of for four years while in college.

Rick Bragg grew up with a single mom – his alcoholic father abandoned the family when he was little.  His earliest memory is sitting on a sack, being pulled along rows of cotton, as his mother picked, and filled the sack to provide for her kids.  This book is his autobiography.

Growing up on welfare lunches is not the foundation one expects for a Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist, but this is Bragg’s story.  He spends a great deal of the book telling stories of his family; and the traditions of a humble people of the American South.  It made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, and also melancholy for its dreariness.

Through a combination of skill, luck, and timing, Bragg made his career without the benefit of a formal college education.  Despite his lack of pedigree (or more likely because of it), he worked to be good in his chosen profession.  After starting off in a small town Alabama newspaper, he ended up following an unlikely road to being a reporter for The New York Times.

While at The Grey Lady, he won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.  While he discusses the prize near the end of the book, it is merely a plot device for him to tell stories of his family.

The book is recommended for its storytelling, unique descriptive tones, and country flair rendered by Bragg.  I rate it 3 stars out of 5.

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For Unto Us A Child Is Born…

December 25, 2011 by Leave a comment

For unto us a child is born , unto us a son is given : and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor , The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  (Isaiah 9:6)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2011 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at First Baptist Church, Sunnyside, Washington

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But You’re Daddy, You Can Do Anything!

August 10, 2011 by 1 Comment

Kids are such a wonderful blessing, as any parent or grandparent can attest to.  I am fortunate that I am blessed with three wonderful children, who delight me to no end.

They recently asked me to do something for them.  I told them that I wish I could, but that it is simply not possible.

The four-year-old then said, “But you’re Daddy, you can do anything!”  Despite the vote of confidence from my little one, I regret to inform the readers of this blog that I am merely a mortal man.

Many children, especially young ones, believe in the unlimited ability of parents to provide things with mysterious or magical means of production.  I had to smile when my child said this to me, even as I burst her bubble of expectations.

It is part of growing up that we learn to do things for ourselves, while also learning what our own personal limitations are.  Someone once said, “You don’t know who you really are, until you have tried your hardest at something, and still failed.”

There is a grain of truth in that statement, as experiences help to shape our character.  I know what my limitations are, and have opinions about what the limitations of government should be.

It is not a mature life view to expect someone to provide food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and spending money to us for our entire lives.  It is part of the process of growing up.  As the bickering over deficit spending continues in Washington D.C., I am reminded of how America has some growing up of its own to do.

It is not healthy to have people look to Uncle Sam or the politicians in Olympia, and say, “but you’re Daddy, you can do anything!”

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Sitting Down With A New Local Pastor

November 22, 2010 by 1 Comment

This morning, I had the pleasure of being able to sit down with a new local church pastor, Cameron Garcia.  He and his family moved to Sunnyside from Bellingham in just the past few weeks.

Cameron Garcia at Guerra's Coffee Company

While snow was dusting the ground outside, we stayed warm with fresh coffee at Guerra’s Coffee Company on South 1st Street in Sunnyside.

Mr. Garcia informed me that he spent a couple of years working with Americorps using Asset Based Community Development, and sees his role in Sunnyside with a community development component.

His church, the Church of God,  was established in Sunnyside since 1949, but will be going through a “restart” under Garcia’s leadership.  As part of this process the church will likely be getting a new name, with a launch date tentatively planned around Easter.

In the meantime, the church will be using the time to discern its vision.  Mr. Garcia said the church should “love God, love your neighbor, and make disciples.”  While many churches focus on the third part, “making disciples”, Garcia said that the “love your neighbor” part is equally important.

Garcia envisions the church being outwardly focused, doing things that benefit the community, without necessarily doing them to ”make disciples”.

Garcia has a personal blog, CameronGarcia.net, and is on Twitter @camerongarcia.

He has also started a website for his church, Sunnyside Church of God, which is under construction.

I look forward to seeing how the church restart progresses, and to the positive impact it may have in our community.

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