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104 of 106 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to read, but lifechanging, November 28, 2003
Usually, I find that books or sermons on 'Spiritual Disciplines' cause a short-term spurt of motivation, followed by longer-term disillusionment. Eventually I feel guilty for not measuring up, and finally I ignore the issues. Ortberg has a totally different approach, which had a very different impact on my life. Instead of telling us to work harder, pray more, get up earlier, etc, he shows us how to view the daily activities in our own lives as spiritual disciplines. He explains that the phase of one's life is no excuse for not growing spiritually. For example, a mother of small children might not be able to schedule large amounts of solitude and quiet time, but rather can learn to see her daily tasks as the "discipline of the mundane". The most ordinary situations of our lives contain spiritual activities. Reading this book made me feel more hopeful, because it did not equate spiritual growth with the ability to spend countless hours in solitary prayer, rather it describes how to train ourselves to use our own life circumstances as a path to maturity. The measure of a spiritual discipline is not how many chapters of the Bible you read, or how many hours you kneeled, but how much you grew in love.
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54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ortberg Hits Another Home Run!, January 18, 2003
This work is the second title I have read by John Ortberg. The first title, "If You Want to Walk on the Water..." was impressive, and this second one certainly was not disappointing. I am eager to his latest release, "Love Beyond Reason." Perhaps the best way to describe this book is to parallel it to Dallas Willard's classic work on spiritual formation. Willard's writing is profound and powerful, yet is often difficult for an average layperson to follow. Ortberg comments in his preface, "...one of my private working titles for this book was 'Dallas for Dummies'." The author here introduces the concept of spiritual disciplines. He then describes several disciples in easy-to-understand, entertaining language. Ortberg includes the practices of celebration, slowing, prayer, servanthood, confession, guidance from the Holy Spirit, secrecy, and reflection on Scripture. He concludes with comments on a well-ordered heart and the importance of Christian endurance. This book is simply excellent. I recommend it wholeheartedly to all Christians, leaders and laity alike. Don't pass on this one!
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW!...gripped me in the first few pages and never let go., October 12, 2004
Use Amazon's "Search Inside" and see for yourself if this book has the same effect on you. John Ortberg's first few pages beautifully put to words feelings I've had for some time, but could not articulate. As I finished the first few pages I reflected on how uncharacteristically I was affected as I wiped tears from my eyes. This was it. I was hooked. And the book never let go from there.
Raised as a Christian, I've read the Bible a few times. I went to Sunday school throughout childhood. And then, as an adult, I slipped away to my own lukewarm relationship with Christ. This book made me see Jesus and the Father as I've never seen before. It made me see that the transformation I needed but couldn't put my finger on, awaits me - and always has. For me, it clearly painted the picture of my own disappointment with myself. And, more importantly, it made clear the path to satisfaction and true happiness. By the time the book got to discussing spiritual disciplines, I was ready to soak them up and put them into action in my life. For me, really, there is no looking back.
This was an easy read. The pages practically turned themselves. And by the time I was done, I thanked God for the gift. It's morphing time, indeed!
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