I have read three of Lucado’s books previously, one of them Just Like Jesus I remember being impressed with his story telling ability but thinking that he had nothing to say. Also I read He Chose The Nails, which was better and shows that Lacado has a good understanding of atonement, although not from a reformed perspective. I found this book For the Tough Times a little to short for the subject matter, for the most part it felt like a pep talk from a couch before a football game. In fact at one point taking Paul’s words from Romans 8 he talks about God being for us, his illustration is of God being on the sidelines cheering us on, being at the finishing line to embrace us as we finish. Although I agree God is for us, the illustration left me wondering do we worship God or does God worship us?
Although he did cover how God uses suffering to produce character in the believer’s life, the introduction and the closing prayer suggested keep going things will get better. He used David, Joseph and especially Job to illustrate this, but did not really get to grips with how suffering can be a gift. In the closing prayer Lucado says ‘Most of all do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw in this tragedy, you saw there on that Friday. Innocence ended. Goodness suffering etc, he goes on ‘Turn this Calvary into an Easter.’ I would really like to ask him what he was thinking at this point. The atonement is a one off event, he knows this, so what does he mean? Maybe he is talking glibly about our “Calvary experiences” As Christians are we called to experience resurrection every day? Or for us to take up our cross and follow Him? I was also wondering what the young Joni Erickson Tada would make of the pep talk after she took her dive and found herself disabled, would she find hope in the tough times? I am not sure that she would.
Shalom
Stephen
Although he did cover how God uses suffering to produce character in the believer’s life, the introduction and the closing prayer suggested keep going things will get better. He used David, Joseph and especially Job to illustrate this, but did not really get to grips with how suffering can be a gift. In the closing prayer Lucado says ‘Most of all do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw in this tragedy, you saw there on that Friday. Innocence ended. Goodness suffering etc, he goes on ‘Turn this Calvary into an Easter.’ I would really like to ask him what he was thinking at this point. The atonement is a one off event, he knows this, so what does he mean? Maybe he is talking glibly about our “Calvary experiences” As Christians are we called to experience resurrection every day? Or for us to take up our cross and follow Him? I was also wondering what the young Joni Erickson Tada would make of the pep talk after she took her dive and found herself disabled, would she find hope in the tough times? I am not sure that she would.
Shalom
Stephen
1 comment:
We can only experience resurrection every day if we die every day.
That's why Luther sdaid we ought return to our baptisms every day.
(Romans 6) The world will have it's way with us and we will experience death everyday. The loss of a job, the death of a loved one, the loss of our health, war, lonliness. And we will fail to keep God's law. We will be selfish, insharing, uncaring, unforgiving, unwilling to sacrifice self for the sake of the other.
So we die as God's law puts us to death. We drown in baptism. But we are resurrected..every day. We are raised from the water of baptism to experience new life...the promises of Christ Jesus...the resurrection!
This should happen to us everyday. That is the shape of the life of the Christian. repentance and forgiveness. Over and over and over again.
Excellent post! Thanks!
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