I've been reading an interesting journal by Pastor Ed Dobson, who used to pastor the Calvary Baptist Church, a church next to Cornerstone Univ. in Grand Rapids. Though I'm a pastor in a different denomination I have been to their Christmas program a couple of times and enjoyed it.
Pastor Dobson, suffering from ALS, decided after retiring to on a year's quest doing what he felt
Jesus would REALLY do. Its an amazing journey, and I'm taking my time reading the book, making comments and thoroughly enjoying the little challenges of his journey. The most recent one was when he was observing the Jewish Sabbath and in the night had to go to the restroom, and just as he was about to switch the light on he remembered that activity would break his sabbath observance, so he got up and fumbled to the restroom in the dark. Now that may not seem like such a big deal normally, but when you're not used to it it becomes an issue; as I read his delightful account it seems that his faith, his discipline is truly being challenged.
Being quite a bookworm I am often challenged by others perspectives, but rarely do I say, 'this I must definitely do,' however that happened to me yesterday. Last week in a staff meeting we were talking about Ed's book and his being challenged, in his heart. to pray the Rosary I remembered that last year someone at given me a rosary. Now this is an 'old' rosary, our middle daughter, whose family is Roman Catholic would 'love' to own it ....[its staying with me] was that personal association that drew me closer into Ed's experience. So late last night after I arrived home I went on a search for it. Its wasn't in my office where I thought it was, and obsessed now with finding it I determined I wouldn't go to sleep until I did ........... and with, I suspect some divine assistance, I found it. With Rosary in hand, and Ed's journal entry, I got on the Internet to look how a protestant might pray the rosary. I found a good website, and so today I'm going to earnestly map out the prayers for my rosary. Also if a people of a different faith can intentionally pray five times a day, its seems little for me to intentionally pray with these beads as helps three times a day. I'm excited by all of this, and hopefully as I learn to discipline myself to this new experience, one day, once I get past the ritual aspect I will find my prayer life improving and, and perhaps somewhere in the days I have left someone else will be influenced as I've been. Aside from one staff person, I am intentionally keeping this discipline under wraps so that it can be more personal, but I feel it necessary that at least one person knows the course I've set out on so that I can, and that individual believe me will, keep me accountable. Let me add this is no coincidence for a couple of years ago 'The Lord's Prayer' was the topic of the Bible Study at our district's Family Camp. It was incredible to sit under the teaching of a retired prof who had written a couple of books on the Lords Prayer....I have almost a dozen books on the Lords Prayer sitting on my work table, and even preached a couple sermons on it, these are some of my most treasured books, one of them being written by a pastor who preached about the Lords Prayer in a bombed out church in Germany during WWII[and its wasn't D.Bonhoeffer]. Little did I know that that summer the seeds for this journey were already being sown. So I look forward to journaling thoughts and experiences along the way, and your thoughts will certainly be like light posts along the way.
'The Year of Living Like Jesus' [My Journey to Discovering What Jesus Would Really Do], Ed Dobson. Zondervan Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI 2009
ISBN 9780310247777
Pastor Dobson, suffering from ALS, decided after retiring to on a year's quest doing what he felt
Jesus would REALLY do. Its an amazing journey, and I'm taking my time reading the book, making comments and thoroughly enjoying the little challenges of his journey. The most recent one was when he was observing the Jewish Sabbath and in the night had to go to the restroom, and just as he was about to switch the light on he remembered that activity would break his sabbath observance, so he got up and fumbled to the restroom in the dark. Now that may not seem like such a big deal normally, but when you're not used to it it becomes an issue; as I read his delightful account it seems that his faith, his discipline is truly being challenged.
Being quite a bookworm I am often challenged by others perspectives, but rarely do I say, 'this I must definitely do,' however that happened to me yesterday. Last week in a staff meeting we were talking about Ed's book and his being challenged, in his heart. to pray the Rosary I remembered that last year someone at given me a rosary. Now this is an 'old' rosary, our middle daughter, whose family is Roman Catholic would 'love' to own it ....[its staying with me] was that personal association that drew me closer into Ed's experience. So late last night after I arrived home I went on a search for it. Its wasn't in my office where I thought it was, and obsessed now with finding it I determined I wouldn't go to sleep until I did ........... and with, I suspect some divine assistance, I found it. With Rosary in hand, and Ed's journal entry, I got on the Internet to look how a protestant might pray the rosary. I found a good website, and so today I'm going to earnestly map out the prayers for my rosary. Also if a people of a different faith can intentionally pray five times a day, its seems little for me to intentionally pray with these beads as helps three times a day. I'm excited by all of this, and hopefully as I learn to discipline myself to this new experience, one day, once I get past the ritual aspect I will find my prayer life improving and, and perhaps somewhere in the days I have left someone else will be influenced as I've been. Aside from one staff person, I am intentionally keeping this discipline under wraps so that it can be more personal, but I feel it necessary that at least one person knows the course I've set out on so that I can, and that individual believe me will, keep me accountable. Let me add this is no coincidence for a couple of years ago 'The Lord's Prayer' was the topic of the Bible Study at our district's Family Camp. It was incredible to sit under the teaching of a retired prof who had written a couple of books on the Lords Prayer....I have almost a dozen books on the Lords Prayer sitting on my work table, and even preached a couple sermons on it, these are some of my most treasured books, one of them being written by a pastor who preached about the Lords Prayer in a bombed out church in Germany during WWII[and its wasn't D.Bonhoeffer]. Little did I know that that summer the seeds for this journey were already being sown. So I look forward to journaling thoughts and experiences along the way, and your thoughts will certainly be like light posts along the way.
'The Year of Living Like Jesus' [My Journey to Discovering What Jesus Would Really Do], Ed Dobson. Zondervan Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI 2009
ISBN 9780310247777
Here is an article from USA today that is very informative about the book and the author ... www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-01-01-jesus-year_N.htm ... ENJOY.
In contemplating the Talmudic injunctions about the Sabbath (as well as other, more esoteric, Jewish laws and interpretations), one immediately becomes cognizant of significance of the tearing of the veil separating the Sanctum Sanctorum from we mere mortals. This leads to the following question: Not to disparage Pastor Gibson, but in attempting to comply with those laws which had their genesis in our sinful separation from God, which separation Christ's sacrifice and resurrection eliminated, do we cheapen His death in any way?
ReplyDeleteCheers.
Interesting review--There is another book that I haven't read, but has been on my radar via book reviews titled "The Year of Living Biblically" that was done by a secular Jew... that book also sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteSherm
ReplyDeleteInteresting thoughts there, these I'm going to
ruminate over, thanks.
Sage
As I understand some blurps about the book, Rev. Dobson was in communication with the author of 'The Year of Living Biblically' when on his journey.