Print Length: 169 pages

Publisher: IVP Books (August 14, 2017)

Publication Date: August 22, 2017

Book description:

When we're young, it's easy to believe in the supernatural, the mysterious, the enchanted. But as we grow older, we learn to be more "rational" and more confident that reality is merely what we can see. Even as Christians who believe in the resurrection, we live as if miracles and magic have been drained from the world.

As Mike Cosper wrestled with his own disillusionment, he found writers, thinkers, and artists like Hannah Arendt, Charles Taylor, James K. A. Smith, and David Foster Wallace whose words and ideas reassured him that he was not alone. And he discovered ancient and modern disciplines that shape a Christian way of life and awaken the possibility of living again in an enchanted world.

Exquisitely written with thoughtful practices woven throughout, this book will feed your soul and help you recapture the wonder of your Christian walk.

My thoughts:

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

It's a book about the spiritual disciplines, and there are many really good books on that subject, such as the following:

Renovation of the Heart and its companion volume: Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice
A Year with God: Living out the Spiritual Disciplines
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us
Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life
Building Y0ur Spiritual Core: 101 Creative Ways to Connect with God
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

But in Cosper's book, it's the additional information surrounding his explanation of each discipline that I found so appealing.

He says that "The world we live in conditions us for doubt.... Spiritual Disciplines are an anchor for faith, hope, and love in the midst of a life that feels like it's crumbling.... The disciplines open the opportunity to live in another world.... There is more to the world than what we can experience through our senses.... We need an appreciation toward scripture that runs deeper than doctrines and head knowledge."

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"We need to preserve the Bible's character as personal speech exchanged between the Lover and the Beloved. The voice that rings from the Bible is the voice of the one we long to hear from, long to know, long to find rest in."

"The presence of mystery in the world is an invitation to wonder, and a world without mystery is a world of despair."

"Once we find ourselves hungering for God, we will seek a whole new way of being in the world."

"Living in another world begins when the Spirit whispers life to a dead soul. Once awakened, the soul knows a hunger that nothing else will satisfy." (Jesus's parable of the hidden treasure in the field tells it all.)

"A life oriented around the spiritual disciplines is the pathway to experiencing the joy of God that is already ours in Jesus. The disciplines reshape our awareness and perception." There is no fast track to growth, but it is only through growth that we experience the Kingdom of God.

He advocates setting up a "Rule of Life"--a set of commitments to frame our days, marking them with habits and practices that orient us to God's Kingdom.

More quotes:

"God is already delighted with you, even before you get your act together. So what do you sense the Lord is inviting you to do as you reflect on creating your personal Rule of Life in the days ahead?"

To sum up: We enter a better world when we enter God's Kingdom. It's a world that offers deeper comfort to the soul and makes more sense of how the world is. It's not easy to live a Kingdom life, but the rewards far, far outweigh the emptiness of living in the material world.

I was given a copy of this book to read through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest opinion.