Outside of the Box

I am taking this last lazy week to finish up with some of my reading. I usually like to have two or three books going at a time, so that I can match my reading with my mood. It's time to gather in the herd and tie up those loose ends. I've read some pretty good ones while I've been off.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, I've managed to make reading a daily discipline through the years. There is something so redeeming about looking into the heart and mind of somebody who has been places. I don't necessarily mean "places" around the world - I mean places of intellect and heart. Most of the books I like to read challenge me to grow by breaking up a lot of my assumptions and even some cynicism. There have been authors I favor, and some I don't agree with. And once in a while I will come across a masterpiece. I just finished one today. It is called, "Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness" by Jerry Cook.

A friend of mine lent me this book a couple of months ago. It has been on my list to devour since, but up until Friday night, it hadn't made it to my end table. God knew that I would read it when I needed it most. I find myself stuck in a pocket of hurt, desperately wanting to forgive. Looking into this new ministry season, there is so much this author has articulated that God has been whispering to my heart. God works in such amazing ways.

This is one of the most incredible pieces on what "the church" is supposed to look like. I had a similar experience when I read "Velvet Elvis" last year. Both books have taken my whole perception of church and turned it upside down. They are different in content, but very much the same in thinking "outside of the box".

I feel the need to add this disclosure . . . books are written by human beings, and human beings are not perfect. Every piece of material (published or not) should be always measured up against the Word of God. It is very important to receive someone else's teaching with a grain of salt. Books, Bible studies, magazine articles and even commentaries are often times based on a person's opinion. The ONLY pure unadulterated Truth out there was written as a love letter to you. It is the incorruptible, unchanging Word of God.

But of course that doesn't mean we can't learn from one another. I would just like to encourage you to read with discernment. If something you are reading isn't sitting right with your spirit . . . it's okay to put it down. I've had to stop myself right in the middle of a study before. I just couldn't get past the opposing opinions and the gobbledygook, and that's okay.

Pastor Dave and Gena have both recommended this book on their blog site, and for a good reason. I am so grateful to my friend for passing it along to me. I can see why Gena has read it a number of times - there is SO much to take in. I am going to purchase a copy of my own so that I can refer back to it now and then.

"Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness" mirrors what Pastor Dave has been preaching for months now. The church is not confined to four walls and a steeple. The church is you and I. How can we step up to the plate and begin living out The Great Commission?

The possibilities are endless . . . and something tells me, they live outside of any kind of box.