Yesterday I had a discussion with a fellow local pastor, and he asked me how I find time to read and keep current while working a full-time secular job and pastoring two churches. In actuality, it is an impossible task if you try to do it on your own. There is simply too much information being put out on the internet now and too many good books being put out to read everything that comes your way (and that's not mentioning the not-so-good information and articles being put out).
So, here's what I do: I rely heavily on others to do the filtering for me and I read only what is currently interesting to me. When it comes to getting an idea of what's going on in the Methodist world, I check out Shane Raynor's site, The Wesley Blog, and rely heavily on Locust and Honey's Methodist Blog Weekly Roundup (current roundup is here).
For books, I go to Amazon or Sparknotes . Both of these sites offer quick glimpses of books so you can get a general feel for the theme of the book and whether it's worth reading in greater detail. I especially like Sparknotes because it gives a detailed synopsis of the book by summarizing several chapters at a time.
I've also had several people ask me what I am currently reading. I usually am in the process of reading several books at one time. Here's what's currently on my nightstand (not counting internet reading or magazines):
Non-fiction: Brokeness by Lon Solomon
The Prayer of Jesus by Hank Hanegraaff
Fiction: Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince
Waiting in the wings (books I'm waiting to start):
Non-fiction: Tortured for Christ by Voice of the Martyrs (Wurmbrand?)
How to Preach Without Notes
Fiction: Obsessed by Ted Dekker
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