"What's So Amazing about the Bible Jesus Never Knew"
Whoa, I'd better clarify. I'm not saying Jesus didn't know they bible, that is just an amalgamation of Phillip Yancy Book Titles. Probobly you'd have to be a nerd like me to think it's kinda funny, anyway....
So i decided that before i Left Christian Publications i should take advantage of my borrowing rights to check out books by Phillip Yancy, cause i had never read any of his books, and apperantly they are pretty good. Or at least he is a popular author. Being a popular author doesn't mean you write good books....see John Eldredge, Dan Brown, Mick Foley as examples. But Phillip is not a bad author. I first read his book, "What's So Amazing about Grace?", because i always wanted to know the answer to that question. It was good, he told many stories about the transforming power of grace as opposed the rule most humans live by which is ungrace. Then i moved on to "The Jesus I never Knew". Also a good read thus far, i haven't quite finished it yet. But as I was reading it on my favorite reading chair yesterday, i came across a statement that i am going to share with you as a qoute. Phillip is talking about the Beatitudes in this passage and i guess what it would look like in our day and age.
"Strength, good looks, connections, and the competitive instinct may bring a person success in a society like ours, but those very qualitites may block entrance to the kingdom of heaven. Dependance, sorrow, repentance, a longing to change-these are the gates to God's kingdom"
- Phillip Yancy (The Jesus I never Knew pg 114)
Anyway, that's what i wanted to share with you today. I need to go get ready for work now. I think i might wear a tie to work today. Also, if you would like to hear some good and encouraging music, check out the song "There is a River" by Jars of Clay. It's from thier most recent record. Have a great day friends. Oh yeah, and if you have some feedback on that quote, let me know.
posted by Shaolin @ 7:17 AM
2 Comments:
Living counter culturally is one of the toughest things for a lot of people, I think. Especially when it even may feel like I'm going against my own desires and instincts to be all of those things Yancey mentions...But it's oh so necessary.
I think part of the problem is that as North American Evangelicalism as a whole (yeah I'm aware that's a huge generalization), we've told ourselves that we're a Christian Society, so that ost of the paths this society of ours took were seen as following Christian standards by default. But so many of them we so subtly against CHristian values that we didn't notice, and now with them all piled together we are finally in a muddle of conflicting values, most of the time pulled away from the Christian ones, such as the beatitudes.
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