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annaschmidt7 's review for:
Because the fans (i.e. my sister) request a review:
This book provides an introduction to principles that shape healthy disciples of Christ who are committed to integrating their entire lives and characters into their faith. I appreciated seeing values included that I haven't always seen prioritized in communities where growth in Christ is merely becoming more countercultural and knowledgeable. This book emphasizes practices (contemplative prayer, sabbath, justice, emotional integration, sexual wholeness, and a healthy missional presence) that are rooted in the traditions of church history and less influenced by the habits and values of the moral majority and cultural Christianity. I appreciated the practicality of this book to show how to actually implement these concepts in personal and communal contexts. A lot of the chapters were really just a brief summary of topics that other books explore deeper (especially on concepts like rest, sexuality and justice). The section on being a missional presence was my favorite because I loved the perspective of seeing all of life and work missionally through an integrated view of the often divided sacred and secular spheres while resisting manipulative, transactional evangelism methods.
Would recommend this book to guide small group discussions or for those needing an introduction to a more integrated and embodied discipleship where following Christ is more than just knowing all the answers on Sunday mornings, trying to be a "good person", and being "countercultural". 4 stars because although helpful and accessible for the average Christian, it was somewhat unoriginal and reads like a sermon more than a book (pretty much an expected pitfall of books written by pastors).
This book provides an introduction to principles that shape healthy disciples of Christ who are committed to integrating their entire lives and characters into their faith. I appreciated seeing values included that I haven't always seen prioritized in communities where growth in Christ is merely becoming more countercultural and knowledgeable. This book emphasizes practices (contemplative prayer, sabbath, justice, emotional integration, sexual wholeness, and a healthy missional presence) that are rooted in the traditions of church history and less influenced by the habits and values of the moral majority and cultural Christianity. I appreciated the practicality of this book to show how to actually implement these concepts in personal and communal contexts. A lot of the chapters were really just a brief summary of topics that other books explore deeper (especially on concepts like rest, sexuality and justice). The section on being a missional presence was my favorite because I loved the perspective of seeing all of life and work missionally through an integrated view of the often divided sacred and secular spheres while resisting manipulative, transactional evangelism methods.
Would recommend this book to guide small group discussions or for those needing an introduction to a more integrated and embodied discipleship where following Christ is more than just knowing all the answers on Sunday mornings, trying to be a "good person", and being "countercultural". 4 stars because although helpful and accessible for the average Christian, it was somewhat unoriginal and reads like a sermon more than a book (pretty much an expected pitfall of books written by pastors).