I am so thankful for pastors who read and recommend good books. Our pastor in Virginia used to recommend a book almost every Sunday night, and if Pastor Jesse recommended it, I didn't even need to question it, I was almost sure to like it or want to read it. I read and really enjoyed a lot of books I never would have encountered had I not known his recommendations for them.
Well, our pastor here in Texas also has a habit of reading
and recommending good books. Again, if
Pastor Josh recommends a book, I am almost always sure I want to read it. This
summer he has recommended we read The Christian in Complete Armour, Volume 1 by
William Gurnall for a church book club at the end of this month.
I don’t know why I do always do this, but whenever I think
about reading a Puritan author, my first thought is that it will be difficult,
dense reading, so that’s what I was afraid of when I took up this book to start
it. But, just like with The Valley of Vision prayers, I was pleasantly
surprised that reading this Puritan felt extremely current and relevant. The Puritans are
NOT dry and dusty. They are NOT the dour, legalistic, unlikable, uncharitable people you were mistakenly led to believe they were in your high school history and English classes. They were real, joyful, lively Christians who wrote about the real Christian
life, and this book was so extremely timely as I read it (and just finished it
today). How encouraging it is to read from believers who lived a long time ago,
but who experienced the same Christian life and loved, worshiped, and followed the same Jesus that we do today. Sure we have technologies
and lifestyles and things that on the surface seem very different from life back in the 1600’s,
but get beyond those surface differences, and people are just people. We have
the same heart issues and we aren’t really all that different. Same goes for
the people in the Bible. They are real people, not really all that different
from us. And we all need the same Savior, who never changes, who loves His
people and works with us and in us the same as He does with all of His people.
I’m thinking I am going to take the discussion questions and
type out some of my reactions, for the book club, but it’s a little bit
daunting, because I think I underlined something or marked up almost every
single page of the book. Good thing I finished with some time to spare. Haha.
All that to say two things:
1. Read this book. You will be glad you did. It is so encouraging. The author is practical and compassionately pastoral as he takes the reader through his logical and carefully made arguments for being a watchful, armor-clad Christian who stands firm in the face of temptations and trials. I walk away from it so encouraged that I have a Savior who intercedes for me and who will never let go of me.
2. If you have a pastor who reads and recommends good books – listen to him and be thankful! If he’s recommending good books, it’s because he cares for your soul and wants to see you grow in the grace and knowledge of your Savior.
