Religion Books

My husband & I have recently launched a ministry working with and through midlife-plus adults. This book came at a perfect time. We thoroughly appreciated the story. With the demographics of our nation shifting to an older population - Who Stole My Church? - shows the value of being intergenerational in ministry focus. And let's hear it for Pastors who are willing to listen to concerns & frustrations of older adults, and through prayer and love, link the generations! So grateful this book was recommended to us.

The first 20 pages hits the nail on the head on what my feelings are about my church. I do not like the new "praise music" with the praise band (7/11 songs~seven words sung over and over eleven times); the plaid shirt & Dockers my minister has now chosen to wear for Sunday worship; the enthusiastic traditional hymns I love are gone (occasionally a traditional song is sung but to a different tempo with guitar accompaniment); the choir sings to canned music while the big organ & grand piano sit silent; no longer do we have a Sunday evening service or a mid-week Bible Study/Prayer Meeting. All these things are clearly stated by the factious group of seniors in the book. Then the pastor gathers this small group of seniors together for a series of meetings to "solve" their concerns & frustrations. He kindly tells them they are "has beens", they will all be gone in about 15 years & it's time for the younger generations to assume responsibility~~get use to how things are~~times have changed. The needs of the older generation are of very little concern; they have been life long church leaders, prayer warriors, they have lived a full life walking with the Lord but now it's time for change at their expense. He gives excuses for the changes & attempts to lay a guilt trip on the hurting seniors for not joyously embracing the new changes. I want to leave church on Sunday feeling like I have contributed to the worship service plus feel like I have been fed/nourished/rejoiced but instead I feel empty/frustrated/hurt. I'm sure I'm not alone, this change is occuring all across America in just about every denomination. I know, "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be", but in the meantime I'm still here on earth feeling empty when I leave church on Sunday morning.

Gordon MacDonald used fiction to make sure that Christians understand that the church has to be constantly changing in order to stay relevant. Great book!

Having come from a church wrecked by precisely the kind of change Gordon MacDonald describes in "Who Stole My Church?", what I found most insightful was the author's mindset, and in three ways. There's a fourth way -- how MacDonald unfairly frames the people opposed to change -- that other reviewers have cited. (And it's not just aging Baby Boomers who are concerned about what's happening in churches or who are adverse to forced change -- let's not forget the massive amount of change the Boomers brought to American society in the first place.)

First, the pastor discovers in his weekly meetings that he doesn't really know the people of his congregation, and while he doesn't explicitly make the point, what he learns is that people don't resist change. That's something only consultants, and unfortunately a lot of church consultants, believe and teach to unsuspecting pastors and elder boards.

What people resist is change being forced upon them, with no explanation, no communication, no understanding, and no opportunity to discuss, influence and pray about. "Don't tell the congregation what you're up to" was a church consulting tenet exposed in, all of places, the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. It was also a tenet that was steadfastly followed at my own church, with ultimately disatrous consequences.

A second aspect of the author's thinking that bears consideration is church leaders embracing group-think: "We get it; the congregation doesn't." Convinced they're right ("We're the new Willow Creek for our city"), any question or concern is quashed. Group-think by leadership, particularly when it's accompanied by no communication, is what creates the conflict.

The third aspect MacDonald accidentally reveals is the influence corporate restructuring and the vast secular literature about business change has had on the church. Quoting Peter Drucker is only a tiny indication. Citing S-curves is straight out the business consultants' handbooks. No one asks whether the philosophy and practices of business is appropriate for the church, because so many church leaders occupy influential positions in business.

I'm glad I read "Who Stole My Church?". It helps me understand what is often going on the minds of many local church leaders when this kind of change is undertaken.

When I purchased this book, I did not fully read what I was purchasing. I thought I was reading a book dealing with a major problem in America's churchs of older groups of those attending church being left out in the worship service. I thought it was just me, but learned from many mature Christians that many were disappointed in new church music, and many stopped going to church. The book is fiction and presented an idealistic approached to the subject. I will give the author high marks for trying. But the best approach is to realize we need the youth for the future of the church, but the older people are paying the bills (doesn't sound spiritual) and have spiritual needs also. Paul said, "I become all things to all men." This could have easier been applied to this nation wide problem in having a bit of worship music for everyone and not having to issue ear plugs becasue the music is to loud. God can hear just fine. Good try Mr. McDonald!

For those without a Kindle this review will have little to offer except to say that this edition comes with a preface by Thomas Merton which for me was a welcome surprise. I usually don't bother with introductions.

Kindle users, I looked at every Kindle edition of this work and this is without question the best formatted version. The only drawback is the lack of titles for each "book" in the table of contents. Instead they are just numbered; I, II, III, IV, and so on. There are also hyperlinked "footnotes," which I did not notice in other editions.

I apologize to Kindle non-owners, but Amazon has not yet presented away to comment specifically on electronic editions, and many public domain books--classics--are not yet properly formatted for the Kindle (which despite a few hitches is a five star device).

This is not the most attractive edition of St. Augustine's monumental City of God but it is worth getting anyway for the introduction by Etienne Gilson. The translation is quite good and, though it is somewhat abridged, this doesn't pose too great a problem as Bourke has inserted into the text a brief description of the material that he cut out so you can go to an unabridged edition if you choose.

This is an apologetic text in defence of the Chritian faith. In this book, Augustine persuasively informed his audience (readers) regarding the history of creation from the fall of humanity to their redemption provided they recognized him as God of their lives. This is possible only as they abandon all forms of idolatries lest they experience a catatrosphe similar to what led to the fall of Rome. Augustine's concept of the two cities are in contrast to each other, viz, the city of God versus the city of Satan. The former is governed by God, and the later by the Devil that also governs the minds of many un-regenerated. Thus, Augustine appealed, in his 22 volumes that are now in a single volume, to join him "in rendering thanks to God" through this great work! Pastor Moses Oladele Taiwo, Ph.D. Professor of New Testament and Head of the Department of Urban Christian Ministry, New Life Theological Seminary, Charlotte, NC 28203. Tel: (704) 334 6884 Ext.106.

It took me about five months of off-and-on reading to slog through City of God--it was time well-spent. Here is one of the rare 1000-page books that not only deserved its length, but could have been longer.

What astounded me about reading St. Augustine was how relevant he is, even after 1600 years. The vast majority of what he discusses throughout this monumental book still matters--only the particulars have changed. In his day, pagans blamed Christians for wars and the collapse of civilization. Rationalists and materialists denied the supernatural, insisting that all religions were the same, and mocked those that believed in it. And Christians themselves, under pressure and guilt from what seemed to be the entire known world, expressed doubts about their faith. Sound familiar? Only the particulars of all these situations have changed--in the broadstrokes, Christianity is still fighting many of the same battles in which Augustine saw combat.

This edition from Penguin Classics (I fully realize that Amazon will post this review on the Modern Library edition and other places that it doesn't belong) is very good. Henry Bettenson's translation is smooth, fast-moving, and heavily footnoted. While I found the footnotes very helpful--especially in the hundreds of places in which Augustine quotes from scripture and other authors, like Virgil and Plotinus--some of them struck me as unnecessary, particularly those criticizing Augustine's etymologies and those pointing out which gods or goddesses are or are not found outside Augustine's work. The most helpful notes were those describing puns or other untranslatable portions of the book.

Like I said, City of God is very heavy reading and a great deal of work to get through, but the reward should outweigh the time it takes to read the book.

Highly recommended.

I read this for a book group I was in, and was rather peeved at being forced to blow so much time on what is essentially useful only to the Classical historian or Scholasticism buff. Realistically, Augustine is just a particularly eloquent proponent of a religious argument we all get in Sunday School at age 10: The things of this world are transitory and passing, but the things of the next world are eternal and more valuable. You can almost hear the monotonous cadence. If what you want is to add to your already-considerable knowledge of the particulars of late Roman civilization, then this is the book for you. If you're in seminary and reading Aquinas, and you're thinking, "I'd certainly like to know more about his major intellectual influences," then this is the book for you. But if what you want is an increased familiarity with the major ideas of Western civilization, then do yourself a favor and go pick up a pair of textbooks: one on ancient history, the other on classical philosophy. Augustine of Hippo will get a few pages in each one, and that's honestly all he's worth. Plowing through the entirety of The City of God for simple philosophical or theological curiosity would be like reading the complete works of Louis Agassiz just to see what scientific racism was like. Both efforts would be fruitful, in one sense, but in another sense you'd have spent an awful lot of time learning about antiquated theories.

I first read this book in college many years ago as I was working on my degree in psychology. An excerpt from it is in John McCain's autobiographical book, Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir. I was glad to be reminded of this book which I had not read in years. I found my old copy on the shelf but I am also glad to learn it is still available.

The comparison between Frankl and McCain as prisoners is striking. Both of them emphasize the basic human need for meaning and purpose. Both share incredible horrors of prison camp as well as the human ability to look beyond present circumstances, to keep the horrid memories from continuing as sources of torture years after the actual experiences.
We can apply this ability to many of the unfortunate experiences in our lives. It is not only an attitude of forgive and forget, it is the need to keep the horrors or smaller angers from continuing to torment us.

It is more than a little frightening that there are people who deny that the Holocaust even happened. I hope you read Frankl's book. Fully grasp the reality of his day and apply it to today's needs and problems.

This is a wonderful book to read merely because of it's main message. Read it and find out the meaning of the title.

I bought this book because I was searching for yet another book on workplace bullying and another book came up in my search based on Frankl's book. I read the customer reviews on that book and one reviewer said something to the effect of, "If you want to read a book based on Viktor Frankl's opinion of how to get along at a bad work environment (like a Nazi death camp), why don't you just read Frankl's book?" So, that's where I started. I read it. Twice. Then I got out my computer and typed in passages that had meaning to me so I could re-read them during difficult times. I compressed the entire book down to about 10 pages, single spaced. I must admit that I consider myself a negative, often depressed sort of person, mostly because my work situation is so demoralizing. I was amazed by Frankl's coping mechanisms on how to get along in a difficult situation; every day meant multiple incidents of having to choose the correct path to avoid death or worse, making the choice to give up on your own life (suicide). He went through 5 years of that and lived to tell about it. It is a must read for everyone, particularly when you are having the hardest time of your life. I could tell that if I had read it as a college student, it wouldn't have the same meaning as now, when I am 50 and have had many ups and downs. I see everything at such a deeper level and appreciated this book so much more than I would have if I were younger. Briefly, the lessons in the book written 50 years ago still apply today. Here they are: Let luck be your guide. It's not what you know, it's who you know. Network with the equivalent of a one-step-up lateral (not your own) middle manager and they will help you when they can. Schmooze. Be kind to others. Don't complain, it doesn't help. You can't fix, deal with or appeal to a sadist, so don't try. Avoid sadists at all costs. Keep your mouth shut unless asked for your opinion and then be short and to the point. Praise, even when praise isn't deserved. Keep criticisms to yourself. Be inconspicuous. Work hard for the sake of doing a good job. Fantasize for escape. Everything can be taken away from you except for your past, so relish in it. When something good happens to you, write it down (keep a gratitude journal). Don't do anything that compromises your own values so you won't have regrets. Be careful who you abuse today because tomorrow they may be your master. You are not your job, your title or your position. You are a unique person loved by others. The only thing in life that really matters is the people you love and the people who love and need you. Love shared is eternal. Treat everyone with respect. The meaning of life is not what life can do for you, but what life expects of you; how you make the world a better place with your presence. The purpose of life is not happiness. The purpose of life is discovering what you can contribute to it. Save a slice of bread (or whatever is the only material thing that matters to you when there is nothing left) for later when you are really depressed and it's the only thing left that can get you through that difficult moment. (For me it's chocolate and a dark beer at the same time.) Apathy is the signaling of the beginning of the end of one's life. Everyone that you respect and look up to has human failings. Even tough guys cry. Suffering without purpose is meaningless. The larger the suffering, the bigger the lesson. There's lots more in the book for you to discover and it's an easy read.

This book is incredibly inspiring, both from a theoretical and practical perspective. I highly recommend it for anyone who is in an "existential vacuum" as Frankl says, or for anyone who just wants to get more ideas about what the "meaning of life" might be.

The book is not only very well laid out and well written, but the content is rich. I highly recommend perusing it with a pen at hand to mark a response to a lot of his statements, then re-reading your own comments with his text... I think you'll learn a lot about yourself that way.

"Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible." ~ Viktor Frankl from "Man's Search for Meaning"

Viktor Frankl. He's unquestionably one of my heroes and this book is a must read (or re-read as the case may be). If you don't have it yet, it's time to get it. It's impossible to be a serious student of life and not soak up as much Frankl as you can.

The man survived the horrors of Nazi concentration camps and, from that pain, brought the world his "Logotherapy"--a philosophy based on the fundamental precept that we have ultimate responsibility for choosing our responses to any given challenge AND equally powerful responsibility to determine how we will give ourselves to the world and create a truly meaningful life.

This is the best book in the WORLD!! It will set you free!! You will FINALLY understand why we are here!

This book was referred to me by a very special person in my life. Absorbing every word written. Ready to learn, live & love.

I wanted the 1st book for the longest time but I didn't want to spend the $23 dollars to get that one book knowing I'd want the others later. This is a great deal. A large book because it's three in one, but it's so easy to read. My mom got it for me and it was delivered on my birthday. Highly recommended.

I didn't realize that this book was written in 1995. The information and ideas are times less and that will make it a classic. At some parts in the book I felt as though Walsch's on ideas were coming thru, but for the most part, great book.

The Complete Conversations with God includes all three books of the original Conversations with God series in one very large volume. Book one introduces the main concepts that are discussed throughout all three books. This first book starts off with a frustrated Neale Donald Walsch questioning his life. Everything seems to be falling apart. Simply put, he questions God and God answers (and perhaps more importantly he actually listens). Thus, the book is a series of questions and answers about life, love, career, death, sex, and virtually everything else imaginable.

The second and third books build upon the overall concepts of the first book. The second book looks more at politics, our society, and the world while the third book looks at universal concepts, truths, religion, and evolution.

Without a doubt, this is one of the most influential books of our time. The conversations ask us to question the unquestionable and seek our own truth. They also urge us to become something more. Each time I read this series, I grow and gain a little more understanding of myself, my life purpose, and the life I want to lead.

After listening to this woman on christian radio (Wed, Aug 28, 2008, Iowa I-80W around 7-8pm) I have to say I think she is a hypocrite.

When asked about spanking for corporate punishment, she says its needed. This is right after a segment where she talked how demeaning it is to a child when mom grabs a kid in the store somewhat hard, when the kid is acting out.

When the speak goes into violence vs. spanking, she runs out of rational explanation, and starts quoting the bible, how you should "use the rod with love".
...Are you kidding me?!?!? A father that tells his kid that he loves him/her right before he hits them. What kind of love are you teaching me.
I guess this is the heart part of the book's title.

In the country where I grew up, Sweden, this woman would be a criminal for hitting children and she would have to face up to the law.

She then goes on how this physical punishment should be used for small children, children who don't understand and can't reason with you. It works better on small children.

Well yeah, if my dad tried to hit me when I was 14, I'd hit him back. so of course it works better.

If you're co-worker is not behaving correctly, that doesn't give you the right to use physical punishment towards that other adult. That adult is protected by the law.

But the poor two year old, who barely can speak, let alone know what his/her rights are, he should be hit, cause it works better.

Yes it works better, it's what we did to the slaves, when they were out of control. Cause it works better, doesn't mean its right.

Parents shouldn't be buying into this. There is a way to raise your child with love and respect.

She also says that consistency and not using bribery is important. So they ask her what is bribery.
The ask "if you tell your kid to behave well in the store, and then the kid will get ice cream when they get home, is that bribery?"

She says yes, goes on how that is so bad.

Then the interviewer goes on, that when he was a kid, his parents had a coin jar, and when the kids misbehaved, they would take money out of the jar, and there would be less to spend at the family gathering at the end of the week.

This, she said was incentive, not bribery.

I wonder if they bought ice cream with the money from the jar? I'm confused, she offers no consistency and no clear definitions.

This woman clearly knows nothing about parenting, and when she gets trapped, instead of admitting she doesn't know, she turns to blind faith and quotes some scripture.

If we all justified our lives with quotes from the bible, I'm sure we could get away with murder.

This book is not for this generation parents. Parents that embrace love and respect, but the kind of love you have in your heart, and the kind of respect you have in your values, not the kind of love that applies the rod.

This book is great! Some reviews have said that it promotes spanking, but the bottom line is that if you don't spank you are doing your child a disservice and that's exactly what this author is saying in her book. She doesn't say that a parent should be abusive and just spank for no reason or just make up a reason to beat their child. Rather she admonishes parents to teach the child the correct behavior, while also teaching them that with disobedience comes consequences and spanking is a consequence. However, the more training they get by you instructing them on what the correct behavior is, then you won't have to spanking as much.
Only you are responsible for who and what your child will become. And that all comes from how you train them, especially in the Lord's teachings.

I was at my wit's end with my two-and-a-half year old son. This book was so encouraging! (Yes, it is scriptural, and so if you aren't interested in that, you won't like it.) It really changed the way I was dealing with my son, and I feel much better about my discipline now.

I just bought this book and I am already nearly done with it. I have learned much about myself as a parent while reading. It has been eye opening. I can already see a difference in my children because I have changed. The book teaches parents how to be more disciplined and thorough in teaching their children and how to bring God into every aspect of parenting. I highly recommend it.

- Biblical parenting
- Tosses worldly parenting methods (such as counting to 3) out the window
- Gives tons of Scripture references for following God's instructions for parenting
- Gives parents ways to help the child evaluate his/her own motives for behavior, encouraging children to keep motives and behaviors in line with God's instructions for living
- Helps child move from pleasing parents to pleasing God - preparing them to be independent Christians, outside of the umbrella of parent's control and moving to an awareness of accountability to God
- Appendix includes discussions on becoming a Christian (false Christian vs. true Christian), leading your child to Christ, and praying for your child

I enjoyed this more than any other book written on the subject! To me the author appeard to be very well studied on the subject with great insight of a more realistic view, but yet a very profound spiritual perspective. This book resonated with my own beliefs about 2012. It truly gives hope for a new and positive outcome instead of the doom/gloom in all other books I have read in the past. Good read for anyone wanting to explore the spritual effects of what 2012 is really about.

I read a friend's copy of this book and subsequently sent a copy to my son who is in law school. I found it enlightening and hopeful. I am an artist and a therapist and am familiar with many of the concepts of the various writings.

We live in a rapidly changing time. We all can value coming more from our hearts than our heads in our relationships with each other and with ourselves. The answer is in staying in alignment with Source and returning to this alignment as quickly as we can realize we have strayed away.

According to the Abraham work (Abraham-Hicks), briefly mentioned in this book, our emotions are key to knowing of our alignment with Source or the lack of it.

I am hopeful for what 2012 will bring, possibly the dawning of a new age - of kindness, love and consideration for all.

May you be at peace.

Carol Suter, Psy.D.

Tami Simon, Publisher at Sounds True has put together an inspired collection of thinkers related to 2012. I would love to be at a round-table discussion with this group of people related to the future of our planet.

It's a good book to imagine what might happen (or might not happen) on December 21, 2012. I believe this is one of the most serious books about the topic, and it is not a catastrophic one. Most of the essays are good enough and explain the situation from different points of view, except for Cornnie McLaurhlin's, who obviously knows nothing about the Maya topic. She only tries to tie her business and political theories and arguments with year 2012 without any logical bond to the 2012 prophesies. Her essay, although good, clearly belongs to a very different kind of book. The rest of the essays explain the Mayan Cosmo vision, prophesies and possible interpretations, among other cultural believes that converge in the happening of something really important to Humans on 2012. I do recommend this book.

This book is full of details and information that I found myself dragging through. It was, however, interesting and makes a person think about what could possibly be true about 2012. It was hard for me to get through it, though, because of all the details. They are, however, necessary to affirm what the author is telling us about the future and the year 2012. Even though it has a lot of facts to study, there is enough general comments about those facts, to not make the book become impossible to understand.

In my life long search for the true meaning of life I have studied and investigated a lot of things. Ultimately I have become convinced that our truth purpose in life is enlightenment and now study and follow the so called non-dual religions of the east. Having found non-dual wisdom I abandoned all my previous spiritual / religious beliefs including the belief in channeled information as well as the new age idea's that we reincarnate to learn specific lessons. So initially I was resistant to revisit the concepts that are presented in this book as they seemingly are in direct conflict with the non-dual wisdom path. How could both be right? One believing that the personal self is an illusion and that there is only one true nature and the other believing that there is a spirit world and that we have individual immortal souls that reincarnate to learn lessons. However it proved well worth my while to put aside my reservations and read this book!

My review will not cover the `life plan' aspects of this book as so many other reviewers have already done that. If that is what you expect then it would be better to read one of the other reviews. If it interests you to read on then you will find a high level critical review of this book based of the highest level of spiritual truth that I know, the non-dual wisdom teachings of the east.

"If you always - and I mean always - take the higher road, the higher frequencies will lift you into more loving actions towards others." ~ Page 285, Courageous Souls. Non-dual wisdom says if you seek your true nature then the Self will begin to pull you in. What I discovered in reading this book was that it is far more inline with non-dual wisdom than I initially suspected. It now seems to me that reincarnation and life lessons are an intermediate stage (that we all go through) which will ultimately lead to the desire to seek enlightenment itself, which is where the non-dual teachings of the east begin. The channeled information in the book states quite clearly that the personality structure is an illusion created for learning; "The personality is the illusion that is required on Earth in this space-time to learn the lessons" ~ Page 222; "You must understand that the personality is a construct" ~ Page 230. Non-dual wisdom says something very similar that the personality is a construct / illusion and that enlightenment is seeing through the construct and knowing ones true Self, which is indescribable impersonal conscious non-duality (oneness).

I am university trained in logic and deductive reasoning and do not simply believe something because it sounds impressive or it is popular. I put everything I come across through rigorous logical analysis and cross checking and only embrace it when it stands up to thorough examination. Just because I have embraced spiritual teachings does not mean that I have thrown out logic and reason. Therefore the unscientific approach of this book grated on me and although I was pleased that the author validated the information by using several different sources for the same person the book is clearly written with no objectivity. I found the writing style too informal and loose for what I consider a serious subject. The author repeatedly inserts his own understanding of the material, his personal beliefs and common new age beliefs which requires some sorting through because of the different sources and levels of understanding mixed together. The reliability of the source of all information is of utmost important to all scientists.

Spiritual truth can only ever completely be trusted when spoken by someone who knows because they have been there experientially. Second hand truth may be true but there is no way to verify that it is not simply nice cozy concepts that we want to believe in because they make us feel better. Lastly I definitely do not trust channeled information, for the same reason, you have a completely unverifiable source of information. You have no idea what level of consciousness that `spirit' who is providing the information has reached, in fact you have no idea if information is even being channeled. A clever psychic or psychologist could simply be reading you and telling you what you expect to hear or giving you some spiritual information that they read in books especially after you have already provided them with a lot of information upfront. I am not saying that the information provided in this book is not true but rather that you can not verify the source of the information and therefore it is automatically less trust worthy. For these reasons the book lost one star. Despite my misgivings I still rated this book at four stars simply because of the inspiring and beneficial affect it had on me. And despite what I have said I have faith that the unverifiable `life plan' information is reasonably reliable because I crossed checked the other channeled information with my non-dual wisdom sources and these sources I have complete faith in since I have been validating them for years.

Some further extracts; "Do not consider reuniting, for that betokens a separation. There is never any separation. What the personality feels after death, when it feels as one with God, is simply the brushing away of cobwebs that obscure its view" ~ Page 223. Non-dual wisdom says that the world appears as duality but in reality is non-dual. In other words there is no separation only a oneness, this applies to physical object as well as consciousness. Further it says that we can not see reality because our view is obscured. "we create the illusion in which we appear to be separate from one another and All That Is" ~ Page 203. "The realization and recognition that one is responsible for creating one's own sense of happiness and well-being" ~ Page 143. This is also a teaching from a high consciousness level and indeed similar to non-dual wisdom which states that we project all meaning out onto the world. All emotion states stem from our mental positioning towards objects. Therefore if we give up our constant mental positioning we can experience peace. "What other activities are you engaged in? We, too, server as guides and mention for others, and we seek our own melding with the absolute"; a question that is asked of channeled spirit ~ Page 74. This is saying that there are other beings in other realms also seeking enlightenment in their own way and this agrees with the non-dual teachings that say we are seeking enlightenment.

I have given some examples from the book that I have been able to verify with my non-dual wisdom sources. Some other concepts that are mentioned in the book that also correlate with non-dual wisdom are impermanence, non-judgment, compassion and love. One of my non-dual western master teachers often says how judgment is reserved for God alone and that we think is just a beggar on the street may actually be an enlightened master. This book really helped me embrace this teaching. I have found faith in what else is offered about life lessons and despite my continued weariness and tendency to distrust channeled information I have found this book of great interest and usefulness. It certainly helped me become less judgmental, more accepting, inspired greater hope and meaning, and resolved a long conflict I had between my past new age beliefs and current faith in non-dual wisdom. In essence both teachings are true and compatible but vary in approach and target audience. I highly recommend this book to those of you who embrace new age and also to those who study non-dual wisdom (as an interesting and useful adjunct to your primary teachings). I end with one more validation with the non-dual wisdom teachings.

"The hermit who sits alone on a mountaintop radiating a vibration of peace does more to bring harmony to the world than the angry peace marcher." ~ Page 270

Since the sketical part of me never really stands down, I loved that the author used a back-up channeler for every example. One channeler for initial information, and a second, independent one to give her own insights. Although I certainly can't claim that every reader will have this experience, I did find peace through understanding about a life-long hurt. There was no answer to the question I (thought) I was looking for, but then came an enormous, clear understanding of a question I didn't know to ask! And the writer's style is thoroughly enjoyable.

Linda Senn, author of The Many Faces of Journaling: Topics &: Techniques for Personal Journal Writing

If there is ever one word to describe this book, its powerful. What a concept...that suffering is never meaningless, but a vehicle of purposeful intent and that we, as eternal souls, planned to use certain challenges to foster growth not only for our own souls but for the sake of our soul group and the universe at large. Putting it into a context like this, suffering has a whole different meaning.

According to the book, those around us also plan our lives intertwined with ours and all decisions are made out of love, no exception. I now think about my own challenges and those who have played a key role in my own personal growth and look upon them with gratitude and not judgment, including the "villains" in my story, because they fostered the most growth out of me. I am only now beginning to see the perfection of life. Aside from clarity, this book will bring healing and infinite comfort to those going through extreme suffering in their lives by learning there are no victims in this world.

Part of me picked up this book to find comfort for my own inner wounds. I cried when I read the words "Only the courageous plan fear" for I knew, that was what I intended to heal and have been working on it for years, having them dissipate one by one.

It has been a long time since I closed a book and felt warm, comforted and knowledgeable. The author takes you by the hand and guides you through this information with compassion, grace and great wisdom. I just cannot fully express how wonderful this book is. It is absolute perfection and if I could, I'd give it more stars. If there is ever a book I'd recommend, it would be this one!

I absolutely love this book! I knew that we had pre-planned our lives before reading it, but it explains it so well with people's stories to show you examples. I really hope I can get my friend to read it as I think it will help her to understand the reasons for some of her challenges in her childhood and now. EXCELLENT BOOK!

Everything always makes sense when you can see the big picture. This book provides a glimpse into why events we perceive as "bad" happen, through a varied collection of individual cases.

Our lives in this "reality" are just learning experiences, to expand our awareness of ourselves, we agreed to before we arrived on the planet.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is the Lutheran version of Francis Schaeffer, particularly when in comes to honesty, blatancy, and compassion in teaching personal relationships without compromising the gospel truth, but instead, teaching them within the framework of the gospel. "Life Together" is a rare gem on the beauty and sweetness of God-ordained Christian fellowship, that Bonhoeffer describes as an "extraordinary grace"; the "roses and lilies" of the Christian life. It is useful for pastors and lay-Christians; specifically for the emergent churches. Here is a pastor and theologian who understands and loves people, not by embracing post-modern relativism, however, or distorting the Christian gospel for the sake of making it more appealing and relevant. People are loved the most when they are loved in truth, and only in this context can a true Christian community exist and be sustained.

His argument is that Christians can exist neither in community only nor as individuals only, but in both realities. Though the structure of a corporate worship that he proposes is somewhat rigid, where not everybody would agree, his analysis on human nature created by God to be social beings, is impressively sharp. The basis of a community is a common gospel faith; the foundation of which is the Lord Jesus Christ, who has called them into one body. On the other hand, he also exposes the dangers of those who can not be alone and those who refuse to be in a community. Concerning the dangers of both cases, he wrote,

"Let him who can not be alone beware of community. Let him who is not in community beware of being alone. Each by itself has... pitfalls and perils. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings (by which I take it to mean the case where a community may degenerate into undesirable malicious effects like gossips and quarrels), and the one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair" (pp.77-78).

The treatments on the disciplines of prayer and Bible reading within the community and personal communion with God are tremendously beneficial and indispensable, as are the deeply personal directives in the last two chapters on how to minister and treat one another, where, when it comes to the discussion on confession, it is closely related to the case of those who avoid being in the community. Despite the seemingly outward pompous togetherness in the name of tolerance, I still see gaping evidences of pockets of loneliness in the post-modern world. I sense the abundance of the availability of social networking sites, chat rooms, instant messengers, blogs and online dating services, for examples, may testify to this hidden loneliness behind our narcissistic spirit. This aloofness poses a greater threat to ruin one's soul that Bonhoeffer describes as follows in the context of transparency to one another through confession in a Christian community,

" `Confess your faults to one another' (James 5:16). He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, notwithstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may still be left to their loneliness. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we are sinners... Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light. In the darkness of the unexpressed it poisons the whole being of a person. In confession the light of the Gospel breaks into darkness and seclusion of the heart. Confession in the presence of a brother is the profoundest kind of humiliation. It hurts, it cuts a man down, it is a dreadful blow to pride... In the confession of concrete sins, the old man dies a painful, shameful death before the eyes of a brother. Because this humiliation is so hard, we continually scheme to evade confessing to a brother. Our eyes are so blinded that they no longer see the promise and the glory in such abasement" (pp. 110, 112, 114).

There are many other valuable lessons that Bonhoeffer shares that would make this book a must read. He is not an ivory-tower theologian but one who understands human beings, though not perfectly, and cherishes and teaches them as both individuals and community with the right balance thereof, to the glory of God in Christ.

Biblical applications of Christ-centered faith in the Trinity, and the fellowship of Christians in home and common prayer accedes the test of time in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community".
As the Nazi regime began to take shape in Germany in 1935, the author wrote the book in Stettin, where he shared a common life in emergency-built houses with twenty-five vicars. For Christians today, "Life Together", transcends an age-old message to every group of people in fellowship: Christianity is community through and in Jesus Christ, alone.
Bonhoeffer attests to the first community as that of the Trinity in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Scriptural submissions follow as the author stresses that it is God's will that Christendom is "like scattered seed into all the kingdoms of the earth (Deut 28:25) as both a curse and a promise. "God's people live among unbelievers but are also the seed of the Kingdom of God in the world." The author submits that this has happened in Christ who died, "that he should gather together in one the scattered children of God." (John 11:52). Therefore, Christians need other Christians to speak God's Word to one another in both daily, and seasons of their fellowship.
In his central statement that we need one another because of Christ, the theologian further explains that God's Word must be spoken among the fellowship of believers where there is uncertainty and discouragement, so that brothers and sisters in Christ can bear and proclaim the "divine word of salvation" to one another. Bonhoeffer further attests that the more sincere and authentic, and the deeper each community of fellowship becomes, the more visible and purely Christ is present among them. In this, says the author, Christian brotherhood is not an ideal, but a divine reality. A framework of a first, and foremost, Christ-centered focus, would be pivotal to contemporary small group ministries which may constrain this application to favor a blend of both the human and the spiritual.
As the author puts it, it is the "undiscerning" who believe in this mix, with varied levels of community structure, such as marriage, family and friendship, "Where the human element assumes a central importance for coming into being, and where spiritual is only added to the physical and intellectual, the author attests that there's a danger of confusing the two spheres, when there is no such danger in a purely spiritual fellowship
Bonhoeffer perceived "Life Together" as Christian family fellowship, groups in prayer, and in common worship as the body of Christ. He extolled passing on the Christian faith at home, as parents and children share in reading the scriptures and psalms, and in daily table fellowship, saying grace in "Come Lord Jesus, be our guest", which binds Christians to Jesus and to one another. The theologian also asserts that Christians should remember daily prayer, particularly in the morning. "At the break of light, the church remembers the morning on which death and sin is defeated and new life and salvation was given to mankind". He further states that those who gather together in groups at this time of day should bond in "common praise of God, common prayer, and common hearing of the Word".
This book is "must read" for small groups, pastors, staff and the laity in general. As Bonhoffer submits, it is Christ who must be the focus of the group or church's mission and ministry . The first questions small groups and the church as a whole must ask is: What is Christ's will for this ministry? This humble submission frames our love in service to the neighbor.

It's strange to say I both like this book and don't like it, but that's true. It's convicting me, which I know I need, but which doesn't always "feel" good. However, I like his central premise about Christ being at the center. What he writes about not knowing my brothers and sisters directly, but through Christ, changes the way I look at relationships. Regarding his writing about singing, I didn't really agree with it. But I reminded myself that Bonhoeffer wrote in a different place and time. I'm beginning to think that the best books are not those that make me "feel" good but that make me think differently.

This is a great little book, a classic that all Christians should read. At roughly 128 pages, this is a short treatise on Christian community that is very accessible. In the first chapter of this book Bonhoeffer presents his understanding of the reality of Christian community. Bonhoeffer's basic claim is that Christian community is a reality, both in the mundane realm and in the spiritual realm, and that this reality should inform the way we live with fellow Christians. The remaining four chapters deal with exactly how this reality should inform our lives, both as we live together and as we spend time alone.

Bonhoeffer provides in this book a plethora of practical considerations for us to consider in light of the reality of our Christian brotherhood. For some reason, various reviewers have criticized Bonhoeffer's views found in the second chapter, "The Day With Others". In particular it seems that people are uncomfortable with Bonhoeffer's views concerning worship.

Basically Bonhoeffer stands for the proposition that Christian worship should be limited to unison-singing. Although I am not sure that I agree with Bonhoeffer's particular thoughts on this subject, I think he is essentially correct that overall we should consider how these practical parts of our life together effect the fellowship. Bonhoeffer's concern is that modern forms of worship can lead to sin (or at least a less fruitful expression of worship) in the body; that we should be wary of allowing one group within the body to impose their personal preferences on the whole.

This thinking is in-line with Bonhoeffer's overall point in this book: we should always be thinking of the body when considering the various aspects of our lives, both as we live together and as we spend time alone. Music is just one example. And I think that the people who have somehow reconciled themselves to criticize Bonhoeffer in this one area while at the same time praising the rest of the book are clearly not understanding the point of this book. They say, "If we resort only to unison-singing in worship my rights of self-expression will be violated... I find self-expression in other forms of worship." My response, and I think Bonhoeffer's response would be: the essence of Christian fellowship, and thus the essence of Christianity, is that we look to the interests of our brother before we tend to our own interests. Christianity isn't about my rights... it's about loving others with grace. This means, among other things, thinking practically about how our choice of worship style effects the body. And if we choose to worship with a more contemporary style, while offending other portions of the body (elderly people are a group that come to mind), causing those portions of the body to withdraw, how are we serving and loving the body? Bonhoeffer's point is that we aren't, and I think he's essentially right.

The types of practical considerations Bonhoeffer applies to music are the same type of considerations we need to apply to our entire lives, both our lives together and our lives alone. This is the point of this book, and it is a profound message for a time when people tend to focus more on their own rights, interests, and claims. While individual autonomy is the order of the day, Bonhoeffer calls us to love one another. This includes the hard work of dealing with practical problems, such as worship style. I think this is a great book because it challenges us to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We all say we love the brotherhood, but are we actually doing it? What does it mean to really love? In this book Bonhoeffer presents a challenging picture of what loving looks like, and even though we don't need to agree with everything he says, his overall message is a necessary one. I hope you enjoy the read!

A precious little book, with wonderful advice for Christians on how to live a fully-fledged Christian life, in community, as it corresponds to the Body of Christ, His church.

Advice on prayer, specially when we are not in the spiritual mood to do so; on the importance of fellowship and solitude, each one at their right time, complementing each other. Even the smallest details are here, and very welcome ones: "when our thoughts wander (...) quite calmly to incorporate into our prayer the people and events to which our thoughts keep straying and thus in all patience return to the starting point of the meditation." Here you realize the enormous importance for Christians of living, praying, singing, encouraging, helping, praising, confessing in comunity. Iron sharpens iron.

The book was written for the underground church during the nazi years in Germany. A most timely book for the times we are starting to live in. And by the way: the way it started is the way it will all end.

I found this to be less satisfying than most of Kathleen Norris' work; it seemed to me to be a series of meditations on acedia without an overarching structure. Without the structure, it often becomes repetitive in a way that allows the reader to lose their way (the context/logic of the text).

On the other hand, this is a useful reflection on how acedia manifests in our culture - ennui as an artistic stance, consumerism, frantic schedules ... Particularly interesting is her discussion (a topic frequently returned to) of the roles of the wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers and of psychiatry/psychoanalysis. Here Norris does an excellent job of bringing their wisdom to bear on our contemporary human condition - reminding me of To Love As God Loves: Conversations With the Early Church.

Also interesting and useful are the biographic elements brought into the discussion - illness as a small child, her husband's suicide attempt, her sister's cancer, her own widowhood ... Through these events one sees how she balances wholeness as supported by her religious community with wholeness as supported by the medical community.

Closing the book is a commonplace book on acedia with quotes from a diverse group of people - Seneca, Evagrius (referred to frequently in the book), John Climacus, David of Augsburg, Dante, Chaucer, Pascal, Wordsworth ...

This is a thoughtful memoir, full of incisive literary quotes from the author's wide reading. You may not be acquainted with the term acedia, but surely you are familiar with its many symptoms, offshoots, and corollaries: among them, lethargy, apathy, paralysis, depression, and alienation.

The author tells the story of her marriage, of her husband's illness and death. Each chapter is a meditation, an essay on the author's search for clarity and meaning.

Kathleen Norris is also the author of AMAZING GRACE: A VOCABULARY OF FAITH. She is at her best when defining concepts, especially religious concepts. In ACEDIA & ME: A MARRIAGE, MONKS, AND A WRITER'S LIFE, she concentrates on the concept of acedia and you will be supprised to learn how common it is. She looks at acedia as experienced, then as observed.

Of course the author discusses Andrew Solomon's excellent study, THE NOONDAY DEMON, but she says that it is common to experience acedia without being clinically depressed. There are degrees of it, she says, respectable acedia and industrial acedia.

The last section of the book is devoted to quotes touching on acedia from the wealth of our literature, Thomas Merton, Saul Bellow, Joan Didion, Ian Fleming, Walker Percy, and many, many others. I read every one of them and looked up from the book struck anew by the significance of the the author's theme.

Those interested in reading more about intellectual acedia might want to start with Colin Wilson's THE OUTSIDER; those looking to read more on spiritual acedia might enjoy David Loy's take on it in LACK AND TRANSCENDENCE: THE PROBLEM OF DEATH AND LIFE IN PSYCHOTHERAPY, EXISTENTIALISM, AND BUDDHISM.

This is a must read for anyone who wishes to learn more about Kingdom Building in a Covenantal sense...

Jesus says they will know us by how we love one another.... This book tells us exactly how to do just that.

I received my books in great shape and in a very timely fashion. Would order from this place again...Thanks so much!!

Just started book ,but am truly amazed at simplicity yet depth of information to live and serve as a Christian in this life. Am anxious to finish and apply.

I was given this book by a mentor of mine and told that it would be extremely helpful. The problem is that I saw it was deemed a "counseling" book on the back, so I moved on for a while before I picked it up and read it. I continued to see the book on the "Best Seller's" list at many sites that I admire, so I finally picked the book up and started to read. I have to be honest, if I were to try and write all that I learned this review would turn into a novel itself.

Paul David Tripp really unpacks a three part effort.

One: To show me who I am
Two: Who others are
Three: How to practically minister to them, and accept their ministering to me

This book gets to the root of the issues and he even starts with the theological impact of understanding who God is and then who we are, namely: we aren't perfect, we need change, and we need help in that changing process from Christ and others.

This book not only unfolds what we are to do in daily ministering opportunities, but he unpacks the practical ways to do them. One of my favorite quotes in the book is that:

"We often say we need to preach the Word, but we also need to counsel the Word."

That is what this book is all about. It is how to counsel the Word of God to those in everyday life that need change just like you and I. What will hinder this book is that some will think it is only for the pastor or counselor, but it's intention is for all believers and it is written that way and is desperately needed for today's church.

I have already used the book and will continue to go back to it to try and unpack my shortcomings and also to help others do the same when they are in need of ministering. I know this is not the "hot topic" of discussion around the water cooler, but this book is much more needed in today's world that wants to only deal with actions instead of the root of those actions, namely, our darkened heart in need of the power of Christ. You will learn how to effectively and biblically (synonymous terms) counsel another as they ask a simple question or are having everyday life problems, instead of giving a "pat" answer or reciting Scripture and telling them to pray about it. I cannot recommend this book more highly.

I was only about ten pages into this book before I realized that it was very, very good. And it kept getting better. It is not only theologically sound in the sense of not containing noticeable errors, but also deals with its subject matter in a theologically astute way. And in addition to being theologically sound, it is pastoral and practical. I have no doubt that I will return to it again and again in pastoral ministry.

The main idea of the book is that all believers should be doing what Tripp calls "personal ministry," helping people to see themselves and their situations in a biblical light, and work to be conformed more to the image of Christ. Most of his stories and application have to do with pastoral ministry or professional Christian counseling, but the principles could apply just as well to a small group leader, or any Christian who wishes to be used by God to minister to others. In examining our lives, we (and the people we counsel) need to understand the fundamental teachings of the Bible on God and humanity. We have to understand that we are fallen, that sin has pervaded every aspect of our lives. As a result we sin, we suffer from the effects of others' sin, and we respond sinfully to that suffering. Sin is not an occasional mix-up in an otherwise well-functioning system; it is a constant reality that is at play in every situation we deal with. We must also understand, though, that as believers we have been fundamentally changed by the gospel. We have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and we have been filled with the Holy Spirit, so that we really are able to fight against the power of sin ad walk in increasing obedience to God's commands. In short, all of us are "people in need of change," God gives us the means by which to change, and we are called to help each other change.

This book is a great introduction to personal ministry, especially for a pastor. The examples were a little dramatic, and it could be discouraging for someone who isn't dealing with marriages that are falling apart or people who were abused as children. But Tripp's principles are a great paradigm for any Christian who desires to minister to others and build deeper relationships within the body of Christ.