Monday, January 26, 2009

Book Review: The Pursuit of God

Those friends who ask me if I've read anything good lately are still there. I could mention Watership Down, but since I'm not that far in, and it's hard to convince grown-ups a book about bunnies can be worthwhile, that's a no go. It is good, by the way. I'm just unusually busy enough to not read too much. It can happen.

A weekend or so ago, I did have the opportunity to read another Christian classic, The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. I hadn't read anything by him before, but I'd often heard his writings quoted and admired. After this reading, I'm not dissappointed.

There's something comforting and unsettling about reading books like this or Augustine's Confessions. Comforting because I can see these others struggling with many of the same questions I have about Christ making a difference, and disturbing as I think of the many around me who don't.

Tozer's description of churches and how they teach us to "be content with little", spiritually speaking, is still too familiar. I'm reminded of the Onion article "I'm Not One of Those Love Thy Neighbor Christians" and how the fictional author seemed more interested in memorizing biblical facts and random church history ("you know, common sense stuff") than putting faith into practice. Only by pursuing more of Him can we hope to do the latter.

If worship feels like ritual, or even like a shell of something better, read this biblically-based book and be refreshed as I was. If you find it unsettling, you're not alone.

I probably should tie in the bunny book somehow, but as I said before, I'm only 30 pages in. My apologies.

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