Down-to-Earth Spirituality: Encountering God in the Ordinary, Boring Stuff of Life [Paperback]

R. Paul Stevens (Author), Charles Ringma (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2003

Most books on spirituality focus on disciplines like prayer and Bible study. But this can mislead us into thinking that God can only be experienced when we are doing something "spiritual." Apart from private devotional times or church on Sundays, God may seem distant and even irrelevant to our daily lives. R. Paul Stevens has a radically different view of Christian spirituality. True spirituality, he says, is down-to-earth--we encounter God in the ordinary, common stuff of everyday life. Taking his cue from the biblical story of Jacob, Stevens explores the Genesis narrative and uncovers how ordinary moments are made extraordinary, transformed by the presence of God in the midst of the mundane. Dreamer, schemer, worker and entrepreneur, Jacob embodies a multifaceted life of earthy passion and gritty spirituality. Jacob encounters the sacred not only through visions of ladders to heaven and mysterious wrestling matches with angles. Jacob also meets God at home and at work, at meals and in sleep, in solitude and in relationships. From birth to death, through every passage of life, Jacob sees God in the routine details of his everyday experience. "Everyday life is the spiritual discipline in which God continuously and graciously meets us," Stevens writes. And in this book, Stevens helps us see that what appears commonplace on the surface actually has great spiritual significance. When we least expect it, God surprises us by re-enchanting our daily experience and making every moment an opportunity to experience his blessing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Paul Stevens's passion for the wounded patriarch Jacob has found its full expression in this, his latest work, Down-to-Earth Spirituality. Stevens's unique approach of blending theological themes with the narrative story gives the book a heightened relevance for the modern reader. After decades of study and reflection, Paul gives us the fruit not just of Jacob's journey but, as a patriarch in his own right, of reflections from a lifetime of wisdom. Thus he is able to speak with authority regarding all the "earthly" contexts where God shapes the human soul. Who cannot identify with Jacob's longing to see God's face in dysfunctional families, oppressive work environments and in marriages where love has grown cold? I found Paul's book so valuable that it became my primary tool to train lay missionaries who will be teaching Jacob's story in Romania." (Brian Morgan, pastor, Peninsula Bible Church, Cupertino, California )

"A thought-provoking, heart-searching excavation in the rich narrative mine of the second half of Genesis. The family focus and the corrective and directive wisdom are brought out most strikingly." (J. I. Packer, Board of Governors Professor of Theology, Regent College )

About the Author

R. Paul Stevens is David J. Brown Family Professor of Marketplace Theology and Leadership at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of many books and Bible studies, including Liberating the Laity, Marriage Spirituality and The Other Six Days. He is coeditor with Robert Banks of the award-winning The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books; Print On Demand Edition edition (January 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830823832
• ISBN-13: 978-0830823833
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,307,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Jewel Integrating the Art of Biblical Narrative with the Human Story, May 9, 2009

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Brian G. Morgan "Brian Morgan, pastor" (Los Altos, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Down-to-Earth Spirituality: Encountering God in the Ordinary, Boring Stuff of Life (Paperback)

Paul Stevens' passion for the wounded patriarch Jacob has found its full expression in his most insightful work, "Down-to-Earth-Spirituality." Paul's unique approach of blending theological themes with the narrative story gives the book a heightened relevance for the modern reader. After decades of study and reflection, Paul gives us the fruit not just of Jacob's journey but, as a "patriarch" in his own right, reflections from a lifetime of wisdom. Thus he is able to speak with authority regarding all the "earthly" contexts where God shapes the human soul. Each chapter traces an essential theme within the human story - birth, eating, family, sleep, courting, marriage, work, conversion, sex, home, calling, dressing, finishing and death - through Jacob's journey from deceiver and dreamer to entrepreneur and elderly grandfather. Who cannot identify with Jacob's longing to see God's "face" in dysfunctional families, oppressive work environments, in marriages where love has grown cold, and finally in the reconciliation of lost sons? We found Paul's book so valuable it became a major tool in training lay teachers who taught Jacob's story in Romania. Another pastor friend in Albania found it so helpful, he is hoping to have it translated into Albanian for the benefit of his people.

Brian Morgan

pastor, Peninsula Bible Church Cupertino

Adjunct Prof of Old Testament Western Seminary San Jose