Bookstore Depression

There are few things in life better than well-made espresso and books. Add friends and that's a really perfect day. Which is why my experience today is so out of the ordinary. I needed to glance at a few commentaries about a verse I'm using in my sermon this week and the Fuller Library is closed for repairs so I just had to go to the bookstore. I made plans to meet up with a friend and have coffee while I was there. So, books + coffee + friend. This is going to be a nice afternoon break from a long morning hunched over my computer.

Before the friend and coffee arrived and after I did the quick research I needed to do, I browsed around the bookstore. I absolutely LOVE the Fuller Seminary Bookstore. It is one of my happy places. But today was different. After checking out my favorite places - the new arrivals and the sale shelves (there haven't been any new titles on the sale shelves for a while) - I wandered over to the main displays in the front of the store. This is where all the featured books are. Here I saw titles like Marketing Faith, 15 Characteristics of Effective Pastors, Erwin McManus' umpteenth book called Wide Awake, Neil Cole's new book, Search & Rescue: Becoming a Disciple Who Makes a Difference, and The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community. I think there were more, but that's all I can remember right now. I'm not sure what exactly all these books have in common, but I started getting angry - then depressed. I read the jackets, the table of contents, the endorsements and parts of the Introductions of all these books. They were all so positive, upbeat and confident that they had the secret to whatever I couldn't figure out. I felt myself going to that dark, cynical place.

I sent up a weak prayer to God, "I don't want to be so cynical."

The funny thing is I left the bookstore with one book today. I didn't even notice the irony until after I bought it. It's a book I've heard great things about from so many people - Leaving Church, by Barbara Brown Taylor.

What does it mean? I thought to myself.

There are so many books out there telling you that whatever it is you do, you're not doing it right. Or at least not as well as you could if you read this book. So much of it seems either like a cookbook or a "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life/church/whatever" kind of book.

Which is why I think I left with Taylor's book, Leaving Church. The conversation with aforementioned friend was splendid and the coffee was tasty, as always. At least only one out three left me blue.

Comments

[Searching for the Yeti]

At least you know the book will be good because according to Baylor she IS one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English-speaking world...who owns a dog and lives in a cottage...er...I can't really remember it all :)

[Ryan]

ya gotta sell books somehow, right? *sigh*

[Hanan Merrill]

I too was in a bookstore yesterday and was having feelings of disgust at so many of the titles.

I really enjoyed Barbara's book!