Book Review: The Vertical Self by Mark Sayers

When I received this book, I was pretty excited simply by the fact that Leonard Sweet wrote the forward. When I actually engaged the book itself, I was more than pleased and challenged. 
The angle Mark Sayers took on this subject was very interesting, and that angle is this: For far too long people in general, and Christians specifically, have taken their cues of who they are from a horizontal reference, i.e., their peers and culture around them. He used the oft used terms, "cool, sexy and glamorous" as cultural idioms that we use to describe everything from an actor or actress to a car to a political perspective. 

Sayers feels, and I think rightly so, that we find the REAL us when we find God's view of us and what He wants for us. This book truly challenged me from the angle that, I too, have been guilty of wanting to appear to be the "cool Christian" as opposed to the stereotypical "nerdy Christian" that seems to always be played out in front of us, whether it is the TV preacher with the bad suit and hairstyle or the dorky neighbor praying and answering everything with "Hi-diddly-doh"! Sayers even addresses how churches can fall for this image projecting malady that has befallen the world, which on one hand is refreshing to see, because then we can recognize the feet of clay that traditional Christianity can have, but it is also sad to realize how weak the church has been to allow this to happen. 

I would really recommend this book to anyone, but especially to followers of Jesus and leaders within the Jesus Movement. Read it, take it to heart and realize that to follow Jesus is above and beyond cool, sexy and glamorous. 

I am a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger.

Make Your Life Count

He was working the high steel when he saw a co-worker lose his grip. He swung out on a cable and caught him, swung back onto the girder and then lost his balance and fell. Ironic...he saved someone and then was about lose his own life. There was a loud rush of air, a blue and red blur and then his descent slowed and then stopped...and he then found himself hovering in the arms of an angel from the planet Krypton.

Yes, this was an obvious fictitious story from Superman/Action comics from the early 90's. John Henry Irons, a former employee of Lex Luthor, became a high steel worker after being fired as a weapons designer for LuthorCorp. He realized what his weapons were actually being used for and threatened to "blow the whistle" on Lex, so he was fired and discredited as an engineer. After Lex got through with his reputation, he would have been lucky to get a job engineering a new way to make children's craft projects out of popsicle sticks.

After Superman saving him from death, John thanked him profusely, to which Superman replied, "Make sure you make it (your life) worth saving."

I've always been able to find deeper spiritual truths in my hobby-reading, and this story is no less easy to parallel, so stick with me here.

Jesus came to bring us life, not just in the hereafter, but in the here and now. When we accept Him, eternal life begins right then and there - the New Testament is very clear on this fact. When He gave His life on Golgotha and rose from the dead 3 days later, He opened the door for life to truly begin for us, we just have to walk through the door.

With that being said, He also made the way for us to live a life that is pleasing to Him, one that reflects His love, grace and power. We have been told in Scripture that God, through Christ, now wishes to write His law upon our hearts, no longer on cold tables of stone. That means that His ways are alive and empowered by Him, rather than by human effort.

To be obedient to God is a way of life that requires submission to His leading and NOT just performing the duties as outlined on a checklist. Keeping a checklist is the way of man that can be found in every religion, including Western-thought tainted Christianity. The original Plan, as shown in the plain writings of Paul and the plain teachings of Jesus, make it clear that keeping rules and regulations merely for the sake of keeping them is not enough, no, on second thought, is not what is required.

What IS required is to "love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind and strength AND to love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus said that on these two principles hang all of what the Law and the writings of the Prophets depend. Paul explained further that to fulfill the Law of Love is to truly keep the Law. Does all this mean that we are free to live and do as we please? Yes and no.

YES - As St. Augustine said, "Love God and do as you please." and I couldn't agree more. If we have a real relationship with Him, then His will rules in our lives, so what pleases Him pleases us.

NO - This is not a license to sin, because if we are in Him, then we are dead to sin. When we live in disobedience to His way of Life, then we are disconnected...or as Jesus put it, we are not abiding in Him. (see John 15)

So, in conclusion, Jesus swooped down and saved us from the fall. We were careening out of control and destined to be physical and spiritual street pizza. When we recognize this, we are extremely grateful, but in turn He looks at us in compassion and says, "Make sure you make it worth saving." Then we, in turn, reach out to others and tell them about this Hero who saved us from death and that He wants to do the same for them.

Working for "The Company"

(This allegory hit me at 4:00am this morning.)

There once was a man named Neville, who worked for a company. The company was a good company. They offered decent benefits, the comradery among the employees was pretty good, they had weekends off...just generally, a good company to work for.

Neville was very proud of his company and told lots of people about it. He told his neighbors, his barber, his mechanic and even his postman. He bragged often about the benefits his company offered. He even carried in his back pocket a pamphlet that told about the company, and he always kept several in his glove box in his car...you never know when someone might want to hear about this great company.

He had a neighbor named Willie that he had been sharing information about his company with for a few years. Willie had a good job with another company that was just as good, (and even better in some ways) as Neville’s company, but Neville really doubted that Willie’s company was a good company to work for, in fact, Neville thought Willie’s company HAD to be inferior to his.

After a lot of well-meaning pushing and prodding, Neville convinced Willie to come to his place of work for a week long Open House. Each day they shared with those interested enough to come, the various good attributes of the company. Willie was rather impressed with what he heard. Each evening as the Open House presentation ended, the moderator would extend an invitation to fill out an application to possibly become an employee. It turned out the Open House was also a Job Fair of sorts and the company, by it’s own admission, was always “looking for a few good men & women”, if they met the standards set by corporate.

At the end of the week, Willie was convinced to fill out the application and it was accepted. He was so excited! He was now going to work for The Company, which is how they referred to themselves. He was given the date of his first day and he joyfully turned in his 2 week notice to his old company. Willie’s old company never really even tried to convince him to stay, so it was an easy transition...at first.

First day on the job he was given a checklist. This wasn’t just a checklist for him to follow at work, but a checklist that he was to keep up with even at home. It told him what he should eat, what he should wear, no alcohol was to be drank, smoking was prohibited and if he did any of these things he would be put on notice. At first, Willie thought nothing of it, after all, The Company had a right to be well represented to the outside world. He was even given a name badge with The Company logo on it and was told that he should openly share and recruit people to come work for The Company. He jumped into it with gusto! He told everyone; the guy at the gas pump next to him, the garbage man, the person picking out tomatoes at the grocery, even the lady who was visiting the grave of her mother which was next to the grave of his mother.

One morning, Willie realized that he had some questions about some things on the checklist. He wasn’t exactly sure how to go about doing them. He then realized that no one had ever really put him through orientation. He was just given his checklist and left alone. He was able to keep up for a while, but with no one to mentor him he just lost his way, and within 6 months, he quit The Company. No one seemed to really care...not that they didn’t care, they just never really learned how to mentor a new comer.

Unfortunately, Willie never returned to his old company either. He just floundered for years with no real job. He would occasionally find a neat place to work for a while, but it never really felt right. Nothing really felt right anymore. The End.

The Language of Love & Respect by Emmerson Eggerichs

When I saw this book available to review as a Thomas Nelson Book Blogger Review option, I was very, very happy. Having read his book, "Love and Respect", I eagerly awaited another book from him along the same lines. This title is a re-release of "Cracking the Communication Code", and was repackaged for reasons unknown to me. I was pleased to see Eggerichs delve deeper into the intricate dynamics of the male-female relationship, specifically marriage. He uses some great anecdotal material from couples he has counseled as well some great metaphors and similes to really help you understand. One of my favorites is the use of "Blue Hearing Aids/Pink Hearing Aids" to show how we hear things differently based on our gender wiring. It gives new meaning to "he said/she said". I highly recommend this book to newly engaged couples as well as married old timers. The Biblical model of Ephesians chapter 5 is continued as the example for married couples to truly Love & Respect each other as God commanded.