Down-To-Earth Spirituality Book

Most books on spirituality focus on spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible study. But this can mislead us into thinking that God can only be experienced when we are doing something "spiritual." Apart from private devotional times or church on Sunday, God may seem distant from and even irrelevant to our daily life. Paul Stevens has a radically different view of Christian spirituality. True spirituality, he says, is down-to-earth--we encounter God in the ordinary, common stuff of everyday life. Taking his cue from the biblical story of Jacob, Stevens explores the Genesis narrative and uncovers how ordinary moments are made extraordinary, transformed by the presence of God in the midst of the mundane. Dreamer, schemer, worker and entrepreneur, Jacob embodies a multifaceted life of earthy passion and gritty spirituality. Jacob encounters the sacred not only through visions of ladders to heaven and mysterious wrestling matches with angels. Jacob also meets God at home and at work, at meals and in sleep, in solitude and in relationships. From birth to death, through every passage of life, Jacob sees God in the routine details of his everyday experience. "Everyday life is the spiritual discipline in which God continuously and graciously meets us," Stevens writes. When we least expect it, God surprises us by re-enchanting our daily experience and making every moment an opportunity to experience his blessing. "A thought-provoking, heart-searching excavation in the rich narrative mine of the second half of Genesis. The family focus and the corrective and directive wisdom are brought out most strikingly." J. I. Packer, Board of Governors Professor of Theology, Regent College "Paul Stevens's passion for the wounded patriarch Jacob has found its full expression in Down-to-Earth Spirituality. Stevens's unique approach of blending theological themes with the narrative story gives the book a heightened relevance for the modern reader. After decades of study and reflection, Paul gives us the fruit not just of Jacob's journey but, as a patriarch in his own right, of reflections from a lifetime of wisdom." Brian Morgan, pastor, Peninsula Bible Church, Cupertino, CaliforniaRead More