Hello everyone. Well I have to hold my hand up and say that I chose the last book, and I had not read it so sorry to give you all a very long and slightly academic read-but then a reading group does expand our horizons and enable us to travel together along new pathways.
I chose this book because I wanted to read about the Booth family who started the Salvation Army. I feel that they were one of the first modern church movements that demonstrated the need to be inclusive in an age where there was a huge divide between rich and poor, educated and uneducated, men and women. We can watch Dickens' adaptation on the TV and see what a work house may have been like and read of a rags to riches story but I found that a new light was shed on the conditions of the working and lower classes of Victorian England and also the prejudice and values of those who were Christians or even slightly more privileged.
William Booth was painted warts and all, and although I felt he accomplished so much-I could also see his foibles and limitations on every page. Catherine Booth also came through strongly as a woman of great courage, determination and one who ruled her family with a little kindness but mostly with a great need for discipline and devotion to the cause.
They were a whirlwind and raised a movement that is still active today-if you go to Oxford Street in London there are Salvation Army people serving-they run the biggest agency in the world for finding missing persons, and are an example of how evangelism and social action can be combined to change lives from the inside out.
I was very encouraged too by their work of raising public awareness to the slum conditions, the terrible abuses of cheap labour and the everyday lives of those caught in poverty without the means to escape it. This family changed the face of Christian service a hundred years ago without much money, by using the printing press, by mobilising believers to live a life of devotion and worship and by giving people the opportunity to find dignity and spiritual, economic and social well being.
That inspires me that if God could use them at that time and place then he can use you and me to also help people to encounter Jesus in a way that will make an impact on their own lives and our communities that may well be remarked upon in a hundred years time. Let's believe that this could be true as perhaps one of the biggest challenges for us in the UK and developed world is the crisis in the banking world, and how debt is making slaves again of free people. I see those who are working in CAP as modern day examples of how practical and spiritual help can make a difference to families and restoration can begin.
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Tuesday 10 February 2009
Get out of that pit
Our current read, chosen by Rosely Powell is "Get out of that pit" by Beth Moore.
In this book, Beth Moore talks about what she learned in being delivered by God from the pit of muck and darkness and about the healing to be found in Jesus.
This is a great book and there are lessons for us to learn from it. Rest assured, it is nothing like "Blood and Fire". So if you haven't yet got your copy, please do so and get reading. The book is not available at kerith bookshop. You can purchase this online from Amazon.
Happy Reading! Ope
Synopsis
For everyone who has ever been in a pit-or is in one now, Beth Moore urges readers of this book not to believe for one second that God has forgotten them. It was a truth she could pass to them from her years of pit-dwelling.
Beth Moore wants readers to know if God could lift her out of the pit, He can get ANYONE out! She admits she wasn't just a visitor; this former pit-dweller had to be delivered from acres of life-accumulated dirt, bone-chilling darkness, spirit-deadening anger, heart-breaking desperation and mind-numbing confusion. The permanent lessons she learned in her desperation-shared in this very personal book-are lessons of hope for all of us. While she deeply empathizes with the hows and whys of life in the "pit," she continually points readers to the deliverance that awaits. Deliverance is for everyone, she proclaims-no matter how you got stuck, no matter how long you've been down, whether you think you deserve it or not. And in her straight-talking but loving style, she reminds readers that deliverance can begin for them this very day.
In this book, Beth Moore talks about what she learned in being delivered by God from the pit of muck and darkness and about the healing to be found in Jesus.
This is a great book and there are lessons for us to learn from it. Rest assured, it is nothing like "Blood and Fire". So if you haven't yet got your copy, please do so and get reading. The book is not available at kerith bookshop. You can purchase this online from Amazon.
Happy Reading! Ope
Synopsis
For everyone who has ever been in a pit-or is in one now, Beth Moore urges readers of this book not to believe for one second that God has forgotten them. It was a truth she could pass to them from her years of pit-dwelling.
Beth Moore wants readers to know if God could lift her out of the pit, He can get ANYONE out! She admits she wasn't just a visitor; this former pit-dweller had to be delivered from acres of life-accumulated dirt, bone-chilling darkness, spirit-deadening anger, heart-breaking desperation and mind-numbing confusion. The permanent lessons she learned in her desperation-shared in this very personal book-are lessons of hope for all of us. While she deeply empathizes with the hows and whys of life in the "pit," she continually points readers to the deliverance that awaits. Deliverance is for everyone, she proclaims-no matter how you got stuck, no matter how long you've been down, whether you think you deserve it or not. And in her straight-talking but loving style, she reminds readers that deliverance can begin for them this very day.
Monday 9 February 2009
Review of “Blood and Fire”
Hello Everyone,
I am very curious to know just how many finished reading "Blood and Fire".
In my group, three of us finished reading the book. We had ample time for a thorough discussion and we were also able to chat about other things. It turned out to be a very pleasant and relaxing evening.
Looking back with hindsight, I must have really enjoyed the book. I certainly remembered everything during the discussions, which in itself was quite amazing, considering it was a real sweat to finish. It was pleasing to hear from those who were neither able to read or complete the book they felt that they benefited immensely from the discussions we had.
I found the book very enlightening and I felt it gave me a good background and mental picture of the Victorian era. Some of the challenges they faced in taking the gospel to people in those days haven't particularly changed today. One thing I admired about William Booth was that he had a fighting spirit. He didn't give up despite the challenges and stumbling blocks he constantly had to face. There was a lot of poverty around back then and he seem determined to eradicate it. He persevered and fought for good causes, some of which we still enjoy today. It's amazing to discover that the Salvation Army has been around for over a century. I was a little disappointed that nothing was mentioned about the modern day Salvation Army and how different it has become.
After I finished the book, I was curious to find more current information about the Salvation Army, this lead me to their website where I found the mission statement below.
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
In addition, the Salvation Army has moved away from autocracy to democracy, and now elect their General. The first female general was William Booth's daughter, the dynamic Evangeline Booth, who served from 1934 to 1939.
On a closing note, if you are interested in history then you will find it to be a very good book. However, Roy Hattersley's writing style makes it quite difficult to read. Getting past that hurdle, I think there is a lot to be gained from reading "Blood and Fire".
Best Regards,
Ope
I am very curious to know just how many finished reading "Blood and Fire".
In my group, three of us finished reading the book. We had ample time for a thorough discussion and we were also able to chat about other things. It turned out to be a very pleasant and relaxing evening.
Looking back with hindsight, I must have really enjoyed the book. I certainly remembered everything during the discussions, which in itself was quite amazing, considering it was a real sweat to finish. It was pleasing to hear from those who were neither able to read or complete the book they felt that they benefited immensely from the discussions we had.
I found the book very enlightening and I felt it gave me a good background and mental picture of the Victorian era. Some of the challenges they faced in taking the gospel to people in those days haven't particularly changed today. One thing I admired about William Booth was that he had a fighting spirit. He didn't give up despite the challenges and stumbling blocks he constantly had to face. There was a lot of poverty around back then and he seem determined to eradicate it. He persevered and fought for good causes, some of which we still enjoy today. It's amazing to discover that the Salvation Army has been around for over a century. I was a little disappointed that nothing was mentioned about the modern day Salvation Army and how different it has become.
After I finished the book, I was curious to find more current information about the Salvation Army, this lead me to their website where I found the mission statement below.
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
In addition, the Salvation Army has moved away from autocracy to democracy, and now elect their General. The first female general was William Booth's daughter, the dynamic Evangeline Booth, who served from 1934 to 1939.
On a closing note, if you are interested in history then you will find it to be a very good book. However, Roy Hattersley's writing style makes it quite difficult to read. Getting past that hurdle, I think there is a lot to be gained from reading "Blood and Fire".
Best Regards,
Ope
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