I like books, and sometimes I review them when they're sent to me, in this case from theooze.com. I wanted to do two in one in this review simply because I do'nt have that much to say.

First off, Laughing with Sarah by Gene Jennings, certainly a far cry from the usual theooze offerings. This one seemed to be from a regular pastor from a regular multi-site church in a regular suburb somewhere in the US. The book starts in the forward with, "this is a book of sermons." Uh oh, you've lost me.

I'm skeptical of sermons, not because I don't think they're necessary, but because I think it's a failed exercise in a post-Christendom world. The last thing I want to do on a Sunday morning is sit and listen to someone talk for 40 minutes. Now I'm supposed to read about it? WIth that bias in mind I breezed through the book and heck, enjoyed what I took in, but I just couldn't shake it from my head that some poor sap had to sit and listen to the whole spiel for 45 minutes.

Story telling or sermons, whatever you want to call it, shouldn't be longer than TV. I don't' even pay attention to TV for 20 minutes, let along 40. Hopefully these chapters (sermons) were cut up into 3-4 parts. I know they weren't, but I would embrace that way.

So in terms of the run of the mill sermon content, these chapters in Laughing with Sarah are better than average. Why it's in book form I have no idea. This is something you should be able to get for free from the church website or blog. 1 star out of 5.

Moving on to the second book, which I'm still hashing through: The Gospel You've Never Heard from David Rudel. Firstly, he could have spent more time editing this edition because it seemed to be rushed. Secondly, he could also benefit from an extensive bibliography. Why a bibliography? Because the postulations he makes are at some points stupendously heretical.... or at least to the average churchgoer looking to pick a fight.

This is a tough book to get through not because of its writing, but because of its content. Chapter after chapter run of the mill evangelicals are challenged to abandon status quo theology and instead explore what scripture might actually say. A bibliography would've helped me research in depth some of the statements he was making. Since I don't have his resources I'm left with more questions than answers, and more skepticism than acceptance.

That's not to say this is a book to avoid. In fact, I'm a HUGE fan of books that challenge the mundane status quo that is evangelicals (usually loosely based on some spawn of reformed theology) that's left the church utterly powerless today. I recommend picking this title up and taking the ideas seriously, but exploring your own answers to the questions Rudel raises. 3 out of 5.