Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Book Review: "God of the Mundane" It's a Christivus Miracle!




Many of you have seen the classic Seinfeld episode revealing George's colored heritage of Festivus.  It is the festival for the "rest of us" complete with the airing of grievances and feats of strength.  It was created not by the Seinfeld show but by a father of one of the writers who was fed up with the over commercialization of the holidays.  Our Super-Sized world certainly is enough to leave one disillusioned.  Even in our churches what is celebrated are the BIG visions, BIG Sundays, BIG acts of faith, but what about the rest of the mundane moments of life?  Is God at work in those too, or do we only experience God when the sea is split and I do something radical for God?

Matt Redmond, author of God of the Mundane, is turning our gaze away from the over sensationalized Christianity that is so prevalent in our American churches.  We are consumed with a drive to be radical, risk taking, dreamers who forget that God is at work redeeming every moment of every day.  Most of those moments are filled with driving to and from work, changing diapers, drinking refreshing beverages, and generally not "spiritual" giant activities.  So what do we do with ALL of those other moments which are the majority of our existence?  Is there a "Christivus" (Christianity for the rest of us)?  Redmond very personally and passionately proposes that the gospel and God Himself is at work in all of the moments of our lives not just the few, the proud, the giant moments of the faith. 

"We are redeemed from the slavery of thinking our mundane life is not enough."

There can be much guilt heaped on the life of a Christian with so many Super-Sized faith messages. We end up rolling in our obesity and missing the precious moments God has given us each and every day.  Redmond asks so many good questions contrasting the Super-Spiritual drive and the everyday moments,

"Really? Is this the normal Christian life? Is God sitting around waiting for each and every believer to do something monumental? Is this the warp and woof of the New Testament? Are the lifestyles of the Apostles the standard for the persons in the pew? Are the first-century believers the standard? 

Is this our God? 

In the economy of God, do only the times when we are doing something life-changing have any spiritual cache with Him? Does He look over the mundane work of the housewife only to see the missions trip she may go on? 

So, I wondered."

We all should wonder and question the call to BIG Christianity in comparison to the call of the gospel.  This message is so needed in our oversized church world.  There is a Christianity for the rest of us.  The gospel does transform every moment of our lives, and Redmond has proclaimed it here.  It is a Christivus miracle!

http://amzn.com/1937063968

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