Todd Hiestand

Missional Living in Suburban America

Surprised by Scripture

April 25, 2009 2 Comments

Eat this Book

Eat this Book

Eugene Peterson is one of those writers who has the uncanny knack to take my deepest struggles with leadership, faith, spirituality and speak at directly at them. One of those books is called Working the Angles. That’s one of those books I read at least once a year. Each time I do, I end up with a knot in my stomach because I am so convicted.

I’ve been slowly working through his recent book, Eat This Book and I’m really enjoying it. He writes,

“Barth insists that we do not read this book and the subsequent writings that are shaped by it in order to find how how to get God into our lives, get him to participate in our lives. No. We open this book and find that page after page it takes us off guard, surprises us, and draws us into its reality, pulls us into participation with God in his terms.”

Peterson (and Barth) hit on something that has completely changed the way I approach Scripture…

Recent Comments

  • Evan said...

    1

    I think that this is sooooo true. Especially once we understand the context in which the writers lived. For instance, if we understand Roman imperialism in which Jesus and the apostles lived, we better understand how much Scripture takes us off guard and surprises us with the things it says.

    Nice quote.

    04/25/09 8:56 AM | Comment Link

  • Thom said...

    2

    I really enjoyed Peterson’s approach to reading Scripture as a spiritual exercise.

    My wife had a very similar experience after reading it as you did. She credits the book with doing a complete 180 with how she reads the Bible.

    04/27/09 1:46 PM | Comment Link

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