My Imaginary Jesus

From Keith:

I don't know what I was expecting when I started the book My Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos, but it definitely wasn't what I ended up reading. Part fiction, part Christian Living, part Allegory, and even part Theology. The book is a story of one man's quest to find the real Jesus.

Matt has a picture of Jesus in his mind. At first, he seems legit. But he soon discovers that the Jesus of his imagination is not the real Jesus of the Bible. So Matt goes on a quest (along with other characters) to find the real Jesus. They come across many other fake Imaginary Jesuses (what's the plural of Jesus? Jesi?); ones that we can all relate to believing in at one time or another. Legalist Jesus, New Age Jesus, Eight Ball Jesus, Masculine Jesus and numerous others. But none of them are real. None of them are true. 

 

This book was fascinating. It was hilarious (I laughed out loud on many occasions), and at the same time, it is heartwarming. It makes you think, makes you question what you believe about Jesus. I'll admit it...I even nearly teared up at one key moment of the book (I won't give too much away, as part of the joy of the book is not knowing what to expect). The past few months for me recently have been very difficult. I won't go into too much detail, but I have found myself questioning a lot of God's Plan, and God's sovereignty. While this book didn't take away all of my doubts, fears, and problems...it did help me to realize that perhaps I have been praying to, worshiping and being angry at a false God. A fake Jesus. 

 

In many regards, while the writing style is very different, the content is similar to Pete Wilson's book Empty Promises. In that book, Wilson talks about different things that we worship in place of God, whether it be money, relationships, success or appearance. My Imaginary Jesus focuses instead on the actual idea of Jesus that we worship, and how, most of us worship a false picture of Jesus (or at least have at one time or another). Both books however talk about how, when we don't worship, idolize or serve the REAL God, we are incomplete, and can never be filled. Fake Jesus can't answer all of our questions, or make us whole, just like idolatry of Relationships and Appearance leaves us feeling empty. 

 

I highly recommend this book. Perhaps the writing style may turn you off...perhaps you are searching for a deep, theological book. Maybe you are just expecting something completely different than what this book gives you. But I do believe that the underlying content of this book is important, and it is something we can all relate to. When you discover the REAL Jesus...he will change you. Give this book a try, and go into it with an open mind. Not only will it entertain you immensely, but it will more than likely teach you something too.

A Deeper Understanding.

 I have read a number of good books of late...it was my intent to tell you about one of them but then I saw something...something wonderful and I could not resist letting you know about it! 

The new Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary!!

A good commentary is one of the most helpful tools when studying and this week we received one that has me very excited! This is a beautiful book that is filled with section-by-section notes from 43 leading scholars; it provides not only a great overview of the text but includes vibrant, full colored images designed to help us gain a deeper understanding of the time or place. This commentary is filled with great information that can be used by everyone, it is accurate and intelligent without being so academic that it is hard to use.

I am a bit of a geek and I love reference books, they give us such great insight into the Bible and help us to understand His Word which in turn gives us a better understanding of God Himself. When studying there are a couple of core books that will help us tremendously, they are as follows.

1) A Commentary-a collection of 'comments' from various authors that speak about how they have come to interpret verses of the Bible, they can add additional details regarding the geography, customs and traditions of Biblical times, not found in other reference tools.

2) A Dictionary-a reference resource that gives concisely worded definitions and historical information - about people, places, words and events found in the Bible - all in alphabetical order.

3) A Handbook- a companion to Bible reading and a great introduction to the whole Bible. It’s arranged in the order of the books of the Bible, and provides critical background information that is helpful to know before you read through a Bible book.

4) A Concordance-an index to the words (arranged alphabetically) found in the Bible. Often useful in helping to locate certain passages or topics.

5) An Atlas- useful in gaining context to where Biblical events took place.

I have a couple of study books that I would be lost without, The IVP Background Commentaries (Old & New) and The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery are among them.  What are your favorite study tools? I would love to hear about some of them.

~Denise

UNBROKEN!

 

 From frontliner and booklover, Keith:

 For anyone interested in WWII history, and intense survival narratives, there is no book better than Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.  I can honestly say that this book was the best book I read in all of 2011 (and best biography I have read in my entire life).  I know that is high praise, and I know that saying something like that, sets the book up to be overhyped and then disappoint the reader. If that ends up being the case...if I end up overhyping this story, and you end up disliking the book, I sincerely apologize.

The book is about a man named Louie Zamperini, and essentially, the book falls into 4 parts: Louie the Athlete, Louie joins the War, Louie the Survivor, and finally Post-War Louie. I'm not going to give any major plot details away, but the things that Louie goes through as a WWII veteran are incredible. The book is so well written that at times you forget you are reading a biography and mistake it for a novel. 

One of the most refreshing things about the biography, is that Laura Hillenbrand doesn't try to show Louie only in a positive light. Yes, he is the main character and the hero of the story...but he is still a flawed man. He makes mistakes, he screws up a lot, and there are times when he is mean, nasty and unbearable. But those instances make him who he is, and make his character and story that much more believable and enjoyable. He is not just a one-dimensional character who never does anything wrong as is the case with many biographies.  He is REAL. We can relate to him.  He is human.

 

Another pleasant aspect of the biography is, while Louie is the main character, he is not the only character. Other characters get introduced and Laura dives into their back stories as well. As we get to know Louie, we get to know his friends, acquaintances and even his enemies. By the end of the book, you feel like you became a part of the story, and were right in the middle of the war, survivng alongside Louie and everyone else.

 

I do need to warn you however, as great as this book is, this is not a Christian book. From what I understand, Laura Hillenbrand is not a Christian author, and, seeing as this is a WWII story, there is language and moments which are cringe-worthy, and even profane. Not to say that there is anything explicit, but there is language throughout the book which may make people uncomfortable.The story doesn't shy away from talking about death, and how many people died. It doesn't glorify it, but it does talk about it. 

 

Needless to say, I highly recommend this book. Over the Christmas holidays, I got my father to start reading this book, as he is somewhat interested in history. He usually doesn't enjoy reading much, but I thought he might enjoy this book anyway. He LOVED it, and I ended up buying him a copy for Christmas. He didn't finish it while he was visiting, but he made it nearly halfway through, and we would always talk about what was happening in the book, laughing about the jokes and discussing the incredible moments. 

 

While God is not mentioned a lot throughout the book, when you look back over the story, it is evident that his hand is present in everything. God is there. Read this book. Be encouraged by the sheer determination and survival instincts of an incredible man. Read in awe at the amazing events that happen to Louie (even before he goes off to war). As you read, watch for the hand of God. Pay close attention to all the times that God shows up. And most importantly...enjoy the story. Hang on for a wild, unbelievable and yet amazing true story!