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by Carol J. Ruvolo
Product Group: Book
Publisher: P & R Publishing (2000-10)
ISBN: 0875526330
EAN: 9780875526331
Dewy Decimal #: 248.843
Paperback: 196 pages
SKU: 102908004
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: some highlighting...edge wear on cover
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Carol Ruvolo provides us with a spiritual workout routine, making us aware of our personal trainer and preparing us for the devious strength stealers -- laziness, neglect, disease, and injury. Through an analogy between physical and spiritual fitness, the author shows how God turns our weakness into strength for his service.
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Customer Reviews
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Singles: Get Heart-Fit
Rating  (5)
Date: 2007-02-12
Our church singles ministry has been using this book in conjunction with a physical fitness program we are coordinating with the local YMCA. It offers a perfect analogy between physical and spiritual fitness routines, and our group discussions have been amazing. Carol Ruvolo is very scripturally sound in her teaching. The book claims to be written for women, but it is excellent for men as well. As a strong Baptist believer, I strongly recomend this book. Doctrinal differences are minor. Thank you Carol, for a wonderful resource! Col. 3:1-2 has already influenced me in my ability to counsel others. The principals are constantly able to be applied in my personal life and ministry.
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by Brian D. McLaren
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Zondervan/Youth Specialties (2006-02-01)
ISBN: 0310258030
EAN: 9780310258032
Dewy Decimal #: 270.83
Paperback: 352 pages
SKU: 112108010
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on cover
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Product Description
By celebrating strengths of many traditions in the church (and beyond), this book will seek to communicate a “generous orthodoxy.”
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Customer Reviews
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A generous orthodoxy indeed
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-12-23
I read this book as a last ditch effort to try to save my faith. I read it at a time where I could no longer stomach the harsh judgements of the mainstream christian voice.
This book gave me hope. This author gave me hope, for a time, that christianity could eventually become something less ugly , less hateful than it has become today.
I lost my faith completely but I think there is still hope in the emerging church and people like McLaren, who are generous in their orthodoxy.
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A Generous Orthodoxy
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-03-27
I can't say that I agree with every single thing Brian McLaren says in this book. How could almost anyone who was raised in the church? A lot of what is said in this book really resonates with me, though. I may not have been a little bit irked by some small details, but I think the overall message of this book is one that all Christians should embrace. We DON'T have every aspect of theology figured out and we're still in a process for getting it figured out that we will never complete. That CHRIST should be the center of our belief system and all CHRISTians should strive to follow Christ. As Christians we need to look beyond the walls of our sanctuaries and look out into the world and look for opportunities to bless the WORLD (after all, in the Lord's eyes, we are all equally wretched human beings). And we need to STOP picking and fighting among ourselves over trivial doctrines and EMBRACE what we have in common and LEARN what we can from other traditions. I think that is really what McLaren is trying to tell us with this book.
I have some general comments about the book. Brian McLaren is a wizard at the keyboard. The writing style here is superb and it is also very readable. In a world where time is getting harder and harder to find, this is important. It is also quite informative in aspect to Church History, which I have never had a good grasp on. It serves as a great overview for someone new to the subject and now that I have a small (but existent!) foundation, I am interested in reading up on the topic more thoroughly. Also, Brian gives tons of suggestions for further reading (with 148 total footnotes) so you definitely don't have to stop here. Lots of books to be read.
A lot of people have dismissed this book as being Un-Biblical. To that I ask, "Are you serious?" Brian cites scripture throughout the book and doesn't say much of anything like "Here's the part where I flush my Bible down the toilet." Anyone who finds this book Un-Biblical simply confuses me, and I've yet to find someone to convince me of that statement. They just convince me that they didn't really READ the book.
A lot of people seem to think that this is some attempt to pull the floor out from under the religious right. This is another argument that simply perplexes me. Almost every single time McLaren uses the words "liberal" or "conservative" they have absolutely NOTHING to do with politics. Usually Brian is talking about two different approaches to interpreting the Bible and how each of them have their own set of problem and we need to look to an alternative that sheds those
Another reviewer accused Mclaren of doubting the existence of Hell. I'm not sure what book they were reading. McLaren just leaves the judgment aspect to God because who are depraved humans to exhibit divine judgment on each other.
I hope not to sound like a complete jerk, but I just SO confused by the negative reviews for this book. I just don't understand. For anyone who found this book to be un-Biblical, or heresy or liberal propaganda, I'd encourage you to re-read it. I think the problem is that people tend to take minor passages from this book that may be slightly provocative (which are really tongue-in-cheek and clever, not meant to be taken too seriously) and they BLOW them out of proportion to the point where they miss out on McLaren's main point. This book is meant to be read with an open mind, so if you're ready for a challenging, thought provoking, book by all means open up your mind and read it. Thanks to this book, I have thought more about what my own version of orthodoxy looks like more than I ever have. I think that if he reads this review, McLaren will rejoice that at least one of his readers has gotten what he hoped out of this book.
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Post-modern Orthodoxy, very relevent....
Rating  (4)
Date: 2007-11-24
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
The forward/intro didn't seem interesting.
Chap 1. "The Seven Jesuses I have known" was my favorite part of the book. First I like how he shared his positive experiences with different communities & approaches to Christianity. He discusses theological focuses such as the cross/salvation (conservative Protestant), Holy Spirit/experience (Pentecostal), resurrection/sacraments (Catholic), incarnation/immanence (Eastern Orthodox), living the gospel (ana-baptist), missional (Evangelical), and God of justice & peace (liberal Protestant). That's my "off the top of my head" summary anyway...
It sincerely sounds like he has been committed to believing and living each of these different approaches at different points in his life, and for the last 10 years has been trying to make sense of it all, and "emerge" with a belief system that respects all of them, and perhaps unifies them. In the second half of the book, he discusses the positives he sees in different Christian groups.
Generous means inclusive/unifying these differing Christian ways, while Orthodoxy implies the doctrinal/belief systems of the modern world are adjusted in this post-modern world, with a more simple trust in Jesus as Lord (for both individuals and communities). This generous orthodoxy incorporates doctrines & practices from different denominations, tradition, Scripture, etc. It isnt something he really defines, although he says it wouldnt be pluralistic. I guess the point is that is isnt something set in stone, for which people need to conform. The vision is that post modern people can bring their thoughts, beliefs, and experiences to the Christian table without being shunned.
There are particular beliefs he does speak against, including determinism, pre-destination, inerrancy & infallibility of Scripture, pluralism, authority of hierarchy/papacy, prosperity, "left-behind", and more I cant recall right now; while promoting political activism, environmental activism, mission work, living apart from society (Mennonites, Omish, etc), bible as narrative, small group gatherings, openness to evolution & modern science... In general, I think his beliefs follow the trend of the post-modern Christian populace, so it is fitting to have it written in a book as somewhat of an Orthodoxy.
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An excellent vision of a Christian orthodoxy
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-09-29
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
I absolutely loved Brian McLaren's "A New Kind of Christian", a book that opened up a whole new world for me of possibilities of staying within the Christian faith, something on which I had almost given up. Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis", in a different way, did the same. So I approached this next book by McLaren feeling exceptionally positive towards him and his writing.
I wasn't disappointed. However this book is very different than "A New Kind of Christian". Once you get past the amusingly-titled but a little wordy Chapter 0 McLaren goes on a tour through different denominations and styles within Christianity, highlighting the good points about them (as well as looking at the bad), showing what we can all learn from this part of the church, and taking those good parts in order to build them into a new 'generous' orthodoxy. It's a great idea and it's also good to read a book which is very positive about so many denominations.
Of course there are the negatives, and Brian says that he is from a particular part of the church and so perhaps he gives them a harder time (the conservative evangelical/fundamentalist wing). As this coincides very much with how I feel about that branch of Christianity that's no problem for me but I suppose readers from that tradition might find it uncomfortable reading at times. We're left in no doubt that McLaren is not a big fan of televangelists but he is a strong supporter of the green movement, that he is learning more to value the Roman catholic and Anglican ideas about liturgy and the mystical side of the church.
What works very well is that each of the different elements in the book (missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetical, biblical etc) get their own chapter where he delves into that tradition/idea and often gives the history of the movement which was fascinating for me with many of these. He seems able to see the bigger picture with many of these denominations and, as usual in his style, he is positive about many things within them. It was good to read an upbeat book although there were also parts where, with Brian, I almost despaired. The chapter arrangement meant that I read this book over a couple of weeks, dipping into a chapter here and there, and it gave me time to mull over what he was saying and to think about the overall point.
I salute Brian McLaren for this excellent look at a generous orthodoxy (or at least working towards creating one), a church for our 21st century which learns from the mistakes of the past but also doesn't throw out the baby with the bathwater but picks up those good aspects of the traditions and incorporates them into our postmodern world. This was an excellent read, a book I am sure I will return to many times, and of course the author's humble writing style is, as always, appealing.
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a few good bits
Rating  (2)
Date: 2007-08-25
4 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
Its hard to pin this guy down. he doesn't seem to want to take a stand on much that is not PC. That does make him controversial.
His point about the Bible being narrative theology was well done, though I've thought about the Hebrew taking of the promise land in quite the terms he described. He seems to be open to evolution as an idea, which may bother some, but he doesn't really dwell on this. At one points he mentions that the substitutionary atonement was not in the original creeds and seems to infer that perhaps shouldn't be among our fundamentals (though he doesn't say this directly). Many others, including myself, see this as one of the very foundations of Christian belief and how one can practice the presence of God (which he calls us to) without experiencing this truth atonement puzzles me. I also am not sure what he has against the Patriarchs in the Bible bt he apologises for the fact that patriarchy is there.
His presentation of the Anabaptists was great. So was his presentation of Pentecostals and contemplatives, two groups that aren't often associated. He does sight the reformed faith as being a creed which led to slavery in the new world or at least justified it. As far as I know, it was the Northern part of America which tended to be of the reformed faith and the south (especially the rich slave owning ones) tended to adhere mostly to the Anglican Church. (I am neither)
I would disagree with one of his presuppositions, namely, that we need to change our message because we live in a dynamic context. I disagree. There is nothing new under the sun. The problems of sin, immorality, evil, depression that faced my parent's (and McLaren's) generation are the same today. Our reaction to them maybe different and our culture may be different, but our problems are the same and we need the eternal gospel preached to us, though perhaps in a different form, we need the same message.
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by Bill Hybels, Mark Mittelberg
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Zondervan (1996-05-02)
ISBN: 0310210089
EAN: 9780310210085
UPC: 025986210083
Dewy Decimal #: 269
Paperback: 224 pages
SKU: 092208057
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...some minor moisture damage
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Product Description
This proven action plan will show you how to impact the spiritual lives of friends, family members, co-workers, and others.
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Customer Reviews
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A Fun Read, and Helpful!
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-11-26
Bill Hybels is a great communicator, and his way of presenting information is refreshing. We are using this book with a small Home Fellowship group, and the discussions are lively. The real life examples are very real and never seem contrived. Enjoy this book and you will be sharing your faith more readily.
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Beware
Rating (2)
Date: 2008-08-27
0 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
This series begins with an outright attack on traditional evanglism, even biblically-modeled evangelism. There is no doubt that relationships are also key to ministering, as modeled by Christ ministering to the woman at the well. However, this series seems to want to erase all the good that came from great evangelists of past times, including Billy Graham perhaps. This series is more of the "seeker-friendly" movement that is leading many to shallow religion. Beware.
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two thumbs up...
Rating  (3)
Date: 2008-07-21
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
... for J.F. Foster's review, not this book!
Thankfully, I snagged a copy at a thrift store for less than a dollar. I skimmed through and promptly threw it away. There's nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary in this book - live what you believe. People smell a hypocrite a mile away!
I agree 100% with Foster's review, though I couldn't conceive of giving the book four stars simply because there are much better resources available.
My top resource for practical guidance on sharing the gospel is The Way of the Master with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. Nothing watered down here - very direct application of the Gospel in the manner of Jesus Christ and His apostles.
My second recommended resource is Share Jesus Without Fear. Very practical and many more examples than Hybels' book. The author comes across a bit too cocky at times (in his "soul-winning" ability) but, overall, the book is good and offers many great ideas.
"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40
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Great read
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-03-31
Hybles down to earth plain talk and "relateable life stories" hit at the heart of Biblical evangelism. I read Just Walk Across the Room... (without question the most balanced and motivating book on evangelism I have ever read!)... Becoming a Contagious Christian should have been read first but both books are foundational instructional guidance to the freshly 'born again' as well as the "veteran" who needs a shot of encouragement. I'll be using this material in our church for a long time to come! Pastor Larry Kuhl
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Becomming a Courageous Christian
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-03-18
Good information for Christian's wishing to make a difference. I would also recommend the video and workbook for small group studies.
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by John Eldredge, Stasi Eldredge
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (2005-04-07)
ISBN: 0785264698
EAN: 9780785264699
Dewy Decimal #: 248.843
Hardcover: 224 pages
SKU: 112608002
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on dustjacket
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Every little girl has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Sadly, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with duty and demands. Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, or a capable home manager. What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating is doing for women. Setting their hearts free. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman's soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.
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Customer Reviews
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Loved it
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-12-29
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I had heard about this book for awhile but never seemed to get around to reading it. I finally read it and I loved it. I actually found the content hard to read sometimes, because it was true and it made me really look and think about some things. This book touched me profoundly and I would highly recommend it.
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Don't Bother
Rating  (1)
Date: 2008-12-27
0 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
I won't take up much space because so many before me have thouroughly covered about every point, however a group of 3 of my friends and myself decided to read this book and do the study guide, not one of us could finish it - I almost feel bad donating it.
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Awesome book
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-12-22
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I had read this book twice already and given it to a woman I knew to read. I believe she really needed to know she was very special as a woman to God. I purchased it again to read again, maybe to keep for myself and maybe if I find another woman who will need it, maybe I'll give it to her. I know I'm very special as a woman to my God. I love this book!!!
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CAPTIVATING
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-12-22
WOW-what a great book--it's just what this exhausted woman needed to help lift her spirits from a Biblical perspective. Thanks for the great service! James 1:17
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More than a book, it helps with my quiet time
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-12-09
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
every girl, woman and teenager will relate to this book. You uncover so much of yourself and your potential, while discovering your purpose in life, as a female.
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by Lee Strobel (Contributor: Jane Vogel)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Zondervan/Youth Specialties (2002-04-01)
ISBN: 031024188X
EAN: 9780310241881
UPC: 025986241889
Dewy Decimal #: 239
Paperback: 112 pages
SKU: 092208028
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...light shelf wear on cover
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Product Description
A student edition of Lee Strobel’s prize-winning The Case for Faith, created by the same writers, Strobel and Jane Vogel, who produced the popular The Case for Christ--Student Edition.
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Customer Reviews
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Not appropriate for critical thinkers
Rating (1)
Date: 2008-03-10
2 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
I picked up this book as it was recommended to me by a discussion partner. She gave it high marks and I was looking forward to seeing what it said. Unfortunately, I learned by the beginning of Chapter 2 that Mr. Strobel is not, in fact, a scholar worthy of the name. Rather he makes claims for which he can provide no valid citation, and in what can only be described as great arrogance, cites himself in other situations.
If Mr. Strobel wishes this book to be considered an objective, scholarly investigation than I will hold him to such standards. He fails. Miserably.
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Clear and informative
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-02-12
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
This book is very informative for people who are searching for the truth. It is clear and to-the-point. A quick read.
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Master of Strawmen
Rating (1)
Date: 2008-01-01
3 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
The premise of the book "The Case for Faith" seems to be an exploration of Biblical Christianity through its better-known proponents by a curious and impartial skeptic. Of course, that is not the case and it is only a dishonest marketing ploy to call it a journalistic investigation and a laughable ruse to say it is the toughest objections. There is an intentional and cleverly fashioned flow in the book through a sequence of interviews by a (supposedly skeptical) journalist in a deliberate progression. These interviews are used to persuade under the illusion of investigation as the author posed questions in a manner that could be dismantled by a clever apologist. Any of Strobel's questions of the apologists' theories are short and feeble they are strawmen. If you are a believer and want to feel more reassured, then you might find it here provided you don't apply critical thought. Also, if you are a believer - ask yourself if you want to support an author and marketing staff that distorts truth for gain. If you are not a believer, you would have to lack the ability to realize fallacious arguments and strawmen to be persuaded.
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Great book
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-12-29
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
This book was instrumental in my wife's coming to know Jesus. It is the manual for dealing with tough questions and Strobel's style is very easy to read.
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GREAT for in the Car
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-05-06
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
This is an excellent book and owning it on CD means I can listen to it while I'm running around in the car. There is so much information in this book that I find I need the repetition to absorb it. I don't mind listening to it several times. It's also an easy way to share it with family and friends.
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by Erwin W. Lutzer
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Moody Publishers (2003-02-01)
ISBN: 0802411118
EAN: 9780802411112
Dewy Decimal #: 248
Paperback: 176 pages
SKU: 082308045
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...light shelf wear on cover
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The cross is widely misunderstood in the present day; many in the world are deeply offended by its powerful truth. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of the Moody Church, gently leads readers on a journey into the heart of Christ to help them grasp what Christ Himself wants us to know. Jesus was not silent on the cross. Come turn your attention to His cries and be utterly changed.
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Customer Reviews
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Great devotional on the meaning of Jesus' death
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-04-17
Filled with readable theology and helpful illustrations and anecdotes Cries From the Cross is a great introduction to the doctrine of the atonement. In this book Dr. Lutzer breaks down Jesus' last seven "cries" into chapters that explain the reason Jesus had to die. It is a short book and very readable, but packed with a smorgasbord of food for thought. I found it a very helpful devotional guide on Good Friday as I thought about the price My Lord paid for my salvation.
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Discover the utmost importance of those seven phrases uttered on the cross
Rating (4)
Date: 2005-08-29
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Another winner from Pastor Lutzer. This book is a mix of inspirational and theological styles. Lutzer attempts to dive into the vastness and profoundness of Jesus' mind, managing to teach us and awe us about the greatness of our Lord. I never imagined how extremely important are those 7 phrases uttered by Jesus while on the cross until now.
This book analyzes each of the 7 phrases Jesus spoke in his dying moments and I challenge you not to be deeply touched with their message and the deep meaning they carry. It will make you better comprehend what Jesus was enduring while on the cross and more importantly why he chose to endure it. Read this book if you want to be overwhelmed by how much God loves us: you will in turn return the favor!
Why not 5 stars? Because I wished it was a little bigger, it will hook you and keep you wanting for more. Full 4 stars.
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A true blessing of a book.
Rating (5)
Date: 2003-06-15
14 out of 14 customers found this reveiw helpful
I picked up this book about a week ago. The past few weeks have been hard on me and in life in general. My relationship with God was, to say the least, unhinged. There was a lot of disapointment on my part, a lot of that produced because...to be honest...I was letting my will rule me instead of bowing to God's will. Yet this book helped me get past the depression on so many respects. It is not a book for deep theological study, but it is a comfortable reading that helped me out while studying all the sayings of Christ Jesus on the Cross... Those sayings are:
*"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" Luke 23:34
*"Today you will be with me in paradise" Luke 23:43
*"Dear woman, here is your son...here is your mother" John 19:26-27
*"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46
*"I am thirsty" John 19:28
*"It is finished" John 19:30
*"Father, into our hands I commit my spirit" Luke 23:46 How Lutzer explains and examines each of these sayings of our Savior and Lord upon the cross really helped me realize just how much God cares for me and just how much...even if I dont feel worth in this world...on the grand scheme of things...I have humbled worth because Jesus died and rose on the third day for my salvation...so that I may be with the Lord God. I suggest anyone and everyone to read this book. It will truly help you grow closer to our Lord.
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Wise Words and Insightful Commentary
Rating (4)
Date: 2003-04-24
7 out of 7 customers found this reveiw helpful
I was intrigued by Dr.Lutzer's radio sermons as I scanned the dial while driving...so intrigued, I bought this book. Dr. Lutzer dissects each word of the seven utterances as Christ hung from the cross demonstrating that each one is pregnant with meaning and that these may have been the most important words from Christ in His time on earth. Added are many historical perpsectives and anectdotes that might make the message more palatable to skeptics; to believers it is a reaffirming read and a quick one, too. Highly recommeded.
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by Sarah Cunningham
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Zondervan (2006-08-01)
ISBN: 031026958X
EAN: 9780310269588
Dewy Decimal #: 262
Paperback: 224 pages
SKU: 081308034
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...No noticeable Underlining or Highlighting...light shelf wear on cover
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Dear Church is a series of letters from a former emergent church staffer to the global church she's not always sure she wants to be a part of. On a personal level, Sarah's story awakens the sometimes M.I.A. voice of the twenty-somethings who are distancing themselves from conventional expressions of religion. But, thanks to discussion questions that can be used for personal or group reflection, this book is much more than just one person's story. On a global level, Dear Church invites every person to engage their own disappointments and share in Sarah's story—the story of journeying through disillusionment and back again.
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Customer Reviews
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Coming Full Circle
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-09-12
This book was an absolute page turner for me. I empathized with the author as a believer, yes, but definitely as a pastor's daughter who has seen the church from almost a 360 degree view. Dear Church sheds light on those issues that keep many looking from a distance, yet they remain reluctant to fully dive in. On the other hand, it calls believers to conviction with the simple reminder that "We are the church." And, the church is Christ's bride. Our commitment is (or should be) "for better or worse."
Every believer may benefit from adding this one to their library. However, it is surely a must for Christian leaders in the church or in the community, Worship Leaders, Pastors, Pastors' family, and anyone else who has gone beyond the realm of frustration. May you be blessed my this young woman's transparency!
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Review of Book for Course on Young Adult Ministry
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-03-09
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Summary
With witty humor and in a cleverly constructed format, Sarah Cunningham writes a series of letters on her generation's disillusionment with the church. Telling things as they are, these letters are addressed simply as "Dear Church". Cunningham begins by recounting her own story of disillusionment with the church and then shares a list of characteristics she has found to be true about twentysomethings - who make up the so-called "disillusioned generation". Following, she explains our disillusionment and proposes a way for hope in the end.
One of Cunningham's particularly astute observations comes from her list of twentysomething characteristics. She points out that because of today's technology - which allows us to "get the dinner dishes done and still make it to the movie on time" - we live in a "both-and" culture that has pervaded not only our society, but also our politics and spirituality. As a result, we do not feel threatened by polar opposites but perhaps thrive off the differences. I appreciate Cunningham's mention of so many "groups" who are often excluded by the church because I believe that it is in the context of twentysomethings' "both-and" culture - as well as our resistance to identity labels - that the postmodern generation has come to value inclusiveness.
Review
Cunningham's fundamental question regards the identity of the church. What or who is the church? Her raw reflections realize that the church is human, that "thanks to the imperfect nature of its participants, every kind of local church we imagine or bring to expression is marked by human flaws, missed expectations, and disillusionment" (2006:108). This statement most plainly means that the church is the people themselves, not the building nor the institutional structure. The quote also brings to the table what Cunningham raises as a major reason for our disillusionment: unreasonable, unhealthy expectations up to which no human could possibly live! Implicitly tying this to the characteristic need among twentysomethings for authenticity, she writes that we must honestly admit the flaws that are present in the church. Finally, the quote leads to the book's conclusion that the church is not to be the hope of the world. Rather, Jesus is! We are merely flawed reflections of Jesus, trying to live by his example but failing miserably at it.
By her poignant understanding that the church is the people, Cunningham creatively places the responsibility for disillusionment not on a distant, faceless institutional church but on each individual comprising it, including - and perhaps even especially - on those who have been disillusioned. In her words: "We all do our part in contributing to the church's shared mistakes, but when it comes time to take the blame, we seem to lose our individuality. All of a sudden, the church is just one faceless, nameless, ownerless institution that can't own up to its failures" (140). Therefore, we must each collectively take responsibility for the mistakes of the church, owning up to the reality whether we are to blame or not. Indeed, I would agree that ownership of the church - or the lack thereof when it comes to our collective faults - is key toward developing serious credibility, not only with the church, but also - and I believe more importantly - with the world. Dedicating an entire chapter to the dangers of dwelling on our disillusionment and the need for forgiveness, she calls attention to the fact that any solution process will necessarily involve pain. However, that "suffering is actually linked to the production of hope" (135). We must understand this reality in order to keep moving forward and not run away when the difficult moments arrive.
In a sense, Cunningham's conclusion borders on the simplistic. While she introduces a solution - to live as Christ - I wish she would have analyzed it in the context of postmodernism, using her list of Generation X and Y characteristics. What is it about twentysomethings that might call for a slightly different solution? What are some practical steps we can take - specific to our generation - toward living like Jesus? Indeed, Cunningham does not directly address the postmodern issue other than to base the book on her extensive correspondence with a diversity of postmodern twentysomethings. At the same time, perhaps a simplistic solution is best, since that is what the reader may remember best in order to apply to complex contexts.
My final comment is this: What about those who are just plain disinterested in church?
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A Must Read
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-03-09
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Being over 20 something I had a hard time with the first few chapters, because I totally agreed with everything the author said. I don't think disillusionment with the church is something that is reserved only for the 20 something group. It runs the generational gammet. Chapter nine had me in tears and the rest of the book was pure perfection. A must read for everyone inside and outside of the church.
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Important words, but...
Rating (3)
Date: 2007-02-22
5 out of 8 customers found this reveiw helpful
First, I was extremely excited when the names and places of my (and now Sarah's) hometown of Jackson, MI showed up. I have been away from home for four years now, pursuing my M.Div. degree while pastoring a small, rural church in Ohio and I miss home. The nature and substance of the letters struck a deep chord with things I have observed, experienced, and criticized from within the system to which she writes. However...
Part of my dilemma as Christian/pastor/worship leader/theologian/dad/etc. is the undertone of Sarah's book (which echoes the very words I have heard from many people in my own generation (X) and after) that take the form of complaint regarding "boring worship services." She makes valid points about the word "service" and the like that we associate with "going to church." But what I fear is the ignorance (and I mean this word in it's true sense: the act of ignoring) of the word "worship." The Sunday gathering is not, as the Boomers started and everyone after swallowed hook, line, and sinker, feeding time. It is not designed (nor has it ever been so until contemporary services came along) to give anyone an encounter with God, an emotional/spiritual high, or some divine insight. To be sure, any one or all of these MAY happen, but that is not the intention of the gathering. It is WORSHIP, it is an offering of ourselves TO God, an intentional giving of our attention to God, a recognition of the, for lack of a better word, hierarchy of the relationship. Worship is not an expectant waiting for God to come to me, it is me coming before God. It is not a time to receive, it is a time to give.
I can hear the heads shaking everywhere now, so please don't misunderstand. God does desire relationship with us. God does desire our relationship to each other. This is why love of God and love of neighbor are, in Jesus' teaching, the greatest and second greatest commandment (note that the greatest is our love TO God with all our heart, mind, soul, etc.). I am deeply excited that the dialogue of God's people is finally taking this relational turn. But I beg you to consider how you would feel about a relationship with another person who only came to you in order to GET from you.
Keep seeking, keep loving, be at peace and be blessed.
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A Nineteensomething
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-02-19
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Dear twentysomethings, oldersomethings and younger. I read this book when I was eighteen years of age and cannot express to you how deeply moved I was. When beginning the book, the first thing I saw was someone just like me, getting everything off their chest about the Church today and was completely reading my mind.I must say, in the beginning it was very nice to let out even my own anger with the Church as I read through these pages, but as I read on, it became a tool for me. She began to uncover how these problems and issues we face with the Church today can be of great use and in turn be the exact opposite of what we thought. This is a book I thought was going to make me feel all good inside about not wanting to go to Church anymore and make me feel right about my rebellion and frustrations with the church. I came to find the exact opposite with her convincing people that maybe leaving the Church isn't the best thing and showing how to truly forgive. It's a beautiful book that you will relate to whether you are twentysomething or not. This book brought me great hope and insight. What a blessings I have received!
Shalom
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by Susan G. Shumsky
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Fireside (1996-08-05)
ISBN: 0684801620
EAN: 9780684801629
Dewy Decimal #: 299.93
Paperback: 288 pages
SKU: 102808014
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...No noticeable Underlining or Highlighting...minor wear on cover
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
INCREASE YOUR SPIRITUAL STRENGTH AWAKEN YOUR HIDDEN POTENTIAL AND FULFILL YOUR DESTINY Sushan Shumsky has taught thousands how to develop a deep spiritual connection within themselves by learning to listen to and trust the "still small voice" within -- the voice that embodies the wisdom needed to set a clear direction in life and make the biggest decisions with peaceful confidence. In Divine Revelation, she presents her proven techniques for opening your heart, mind, and spirit to the riches of inner divine contact and for learning how to: * Augment your innate intuitive abilities
* Identify the source of intuitive messages and test their authenticity
* Overcome resistance to divine contact by breaking through ego barriers
* Attain mastery in the practice of meditation
* Become self-reliant in solving personal problems and charting a course for the future
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Customer Reviews
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Great Book
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-04-21
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Although I do not necessarily agree with everything the author presents in her book, I love it. After more than 20 years on a spiritual journey myself, I found the writing to resonate with me at this time. In my perception, she offers a cross of guided hynosis/meditation incorporated with the idea of still meditation; waiting to hear what spirit has to say. After all my seeking that is what I have come to find...we all have a connection with Spirit and we spend so much time seeking outside of ourselves. If we allow ourselves to be still enough we can make a connection, where life will never be the same. She also writes beautifully, it is evident that her experience with Spirit shows through her writing.
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Publishers Weekly Missed Something
Rating (5)
Date: 2003-05-12
19 out of 19 customers found this reveiw helpful
I just read the above review of DIVINE REVELATION by Publishers Weekly, and I must say that whoever wrote this review is very prejudiced and close-minded. The scathing comments about the author are completely inaccurate. Obviously the reviewer did not even bother to read the author's biography in the back of the book. I read DIVINE REVELATION a few years ago, and I still use this simple, practical way to communicate with God directly. This book completely transformed my life. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to lead a more spiritual life and have direct contact and experiences of God. One of the most important features of this book are the nine tests that helped me to tell the difference between the true voice of God and other voices in my mind. I have found the author's nine-test program is unparalleled among metaphysical authors. The affirmations and prayers for spiritual healing are extremely useful for getting back to center whenever I feel "off." I use these every day, and they have been a life saver for me. I made a guided meditation tape using the instructions in the book, and I found it really helped me get the experience much more deeply. I rate this as one of the top five spiritual self-help books that I have ever read.
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How to Hear and Trust the Still Small Voice Within
Rating (5)
Date: 2001-06-07
16 out of 16 customers found this reveiw helpful
Do you remember the most recent time you needed help making an important decision, and wished you could have gotten some really good advice? Perhaps you tried hearing the "little voice" of intuition, but weren't sure whether you were hearing the best advice for you to follow... or perhaps you couldn't hear anything at all. Not to worry! Susan Shumsky's wonderful book, DIVINE REVELATION, describes how to find deeply meaningful answers to all your questions -- as well as how you can follow nine steps of discernment to ensure that the voice of intuition you hear is a true message from Spirit. She lists eleven safeguards to ensure you receive divine messages, as well as signals for healing and "yes" and "no" responses, and fourteen steps for receiving clear answers. Shumsky also describes how to word your questions for Spirit, so you will gain maximal benefit from the answers you receive. The basic premise of Shumsky's book is that we can receive information and inspiration simply by asking for it, so she provides mediations and prayers to help get us started. Shumsky recommends that healing prayers be utilized often, since they are essential for clearing out negative habits, thoughts, feelings, and psychic ties to others before we attempt to clearly receive spiritual messages. Whether you have never before received messages from Spirit or are quite adept at it, DIVINE REVELATION is jam-packed with wonderful ideas to help you receive information more clearly than ever before. There is a tremendous emphasis on self-knowledge in this book, so those who are willing and eager to look more deeply at themselves will likely enjoy it the most.
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First book of it's kind...
Rating (5)
Date: 2000-06-06
16 out of 16 customers found this reveiw helpful
For the first time in my 15 years of reading metaphysical books, one has come along and describes the dangers of getting involved with expanding and opening your mind if you don't know what you're doing AND shows you how to deal with them, protect yourself, and PROPERLY receive higher, spiritual guidance. I had some very negative experiences with "astral entities" as they're called in the book, almost prompting me to abandon my spirituality altogether. But, after reading the chapters on protection, healing, and becoming "spiritually street-smart", I am now confident that I can contact the divine at will and know it will be safe, loving, and comforting. Thank you, Susan Shumsky, for finally bringing to light a safe and workable method for connecting to God on a regular basis for the benefit of your own life and all life.
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Confirmation that intuition really exists! Thank you!
Rating (5)
Date: 1998-10-10
9 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
So often in my life, I have had that nagging feeling in my "gut" that I should, or should not do something. Too often I did not listen to that little voice (or as some call it "intuition") and later I had to live with bad decisions. DIVINE REVELATION was a revelation of sorts for me, confirming that we are provided with spirit guides, certainly the guidance of our most supreme master, God; each who help us with every day decisions, if only we will listen. DIVINE REVELATION was also "divine" for me and has helped me to finer tune-in that which each of us are surely blessed; that little inner guidance system that ensures that we will succeed or be saved from anquish. I now listen carefully! Thank you Susan Shumsky for your eye-opening little book. I only wish it had been around to help me with many of my wrong decisions in the past thirty-plus years. My future is now much brighter. I recommend this book to all who believe that we do not go through life alone!
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by Millard J. Erickson, Sandra McMaken
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Baker Pub Group (1994-07)
ISBN: 0801032237
EAN: 9780801032233
Dewy Decimal #: 248.4
Paperback: 184 pages
SKU: 121808014
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on cover
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by Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck (Foreword: Rick Warren) (Contributor: Mike Yorkey)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (2003-04-15)
ISBN: 1578566908
EAN: 9781578566907
Dewy Decimal #: 248.842
Paperback: 240 pages
Edition: 1
Release Date: 2003-04-15
SKU: 111408007
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...light shelf wear on cover
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Spiritually, men are frustrated today because they feel they are repeatedly coming up short or are in other ways unfulfilled. Like football players in the “red zone,” they are struggling to complete the drive toward integrity and intimacy with God.
That drive toward spiritual maturity requires both a shift of heart and a re-examination of the spiritual habits. What men lack today is, first, clear understanding of what God is really after in the relationship, and second, a clear plan connected to their goals that make sense practically and biblically. That’s what makes this book special: It specifically reveals God’s heart for men in the spiritual “red zone,” and sets forth the choices they must make to take the relationship with God all the way.
Like other books in the “Every Man” Series, Every Man, God’s Man boldly gets into men’s heads and gives hope. It helps them persevere in their pursuit of God. Provides new insight into God’s objectives for them. And brings them to the new place God is calling them–a place of completion in the faith.
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Customer Reviews
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Absurd.
Rating (1)
Date: 2007-07-09
0 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
The gentlemen in this book have someone follow them around and refuse to allow themselves any contact with women because they feel they cannot trust themselves not to act like animals.
I think that's really all that needs to be said about this book.
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GOD IS AWESOME.....
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-02-03
THIS BOOK IS WELL WRITTEN AND VERY CONVICTING. IT TRULY DISPLAYS WHAT GOD EXPECTS OUT OF MEN WITH PRACTICAL EXAMPLES AND WISDOM THAT YOU CAN USE IN LIFE!! THE EVERY MAN SERIES IS INCREDIBLE AND TRULY WRITTEN BY GODLY MEN. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK/SERIES TO EVERY MAN THAT LIVES OR WANTS TO TRULY LIVE THE LIFE GOD PLANNED FOR EACH OF US. I HAVE READ EVERY MANS BATTLE AND THIS BOOK AND IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE AND MY PERSPECTIVE OF WHO GOD IS. GOD IS SO AWESOME!! HE EXPECTS MUCH MORE OUT OF US THAN MANY PEOPLE EVER REALIZE.
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A Must For Every Man
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-11-10
I found this book to be a very valuable tool in my spiritual journey. Arterburn and Luck use years of experience, counseling, and insight to help each reader become what we all need and desire to be...God's Man.
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Could not put it down!
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-11-09
Wow...I actually couldn't wait to get back to this book each time I had to put it down to do something else! I believe that most of the book was Mike Yorkey speaking and his experiences, even though I picked it up because of Stephen Arterburn's name, but no matter, it was another phenomenal winner in the Every Man Series! I hope the quality instruction I have received in this book and in this series (I have read Every Man's Battle, Healing is a Choice, and I am currently reading The Secrets Men Keep) just keeps coming! It is an honor to be able to right a review on this title! Men...read these books! Women...if you want to understand men...read these books! May God bless you!
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Quality ideas about Christian integrity
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-02-22
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I think this books has a lot of good ideas, though in my opinion was a little lacking in assisting someone in applying to his life.
Good strong message on Christian integrity. Very readable book.
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