B O O K S: 2019

This book broadened my understanding of sexuality.
I've struggled with how carelessly and self-righteously the church has addressed sexuality (specifically homosexuality),
so I found Debra's perspective to be refreshing, allowing for the mess of life to be just that - a messy process.
She introduced me to two new ideas:
1. William Webb's redemptive forward movement
2. Bounded set vs. Centered set churches

John Mark Comer's book on work and rest is relatable and convicting. These two assertions especially compelled me to see the work I do and the rest I need (but, if I'm honest, hardly ever take) as vital:
First, he compares the never-ending hamster wheel of American workaholism to the degrading view the Egyptians held towards their slaves: you are only worth as much as you produce. He writes, "Sabbath is a way...to silence Pharaoh's voice and break free from Egypt's pull and to tune our life to the rest-God." We are free, our value doesn't come from what we produce and consume.
Second, he paints a beautiful picture of the impact our work is making on this world. We have the capacity to create gardens, and to cultivate life, not death. Our work is part of the salvation of the world, bringing it into wholeness. And this not just 'spiritual,' but very physical. There is no divide between the sacred and the secular.