I am currently reading a very intriguing book by a man named Ed Dobson called, “The Year of Living Like Jesus.” If you want to be stretched while being entertained at the same time, grab this book. It’s worth the read.
Dr Dobson was one of my professors and mentors at Liberty University when I was there. Laura used to babysit his kids and my roommate and I once stained the outside of the log cabin he lived in with his family. He was one of the most conservative men I had ever met and without question was and still remains the best preacher I have ever heard. I lived for Sunday nights in college because Dr Dobson spoke in the service on campus. After he left Liberty and started pastoring Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, I watched his sermons each and every week. Dr Dobson is no longer in full-time vocational ministry due mainly to the fact that he is currently fighting ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
Being inspired By A.J Jacobs book, The Year of Biblical Living (which I also have read and thoroughly enjoyed), Dr Dobson decided to take a full year and live exactly like Jesus would have lived as a Jewish man in the culture of that day. This is no easy task living in our culture today. His experiences are amazing.
I have to admit that there are times throughout the book where I get uneasy. Dr Dobson really struggled with what exactly Jesus prayed. He used many prayer tools today including praying the Catholic rosary as well as the Orthodox Church’s Prayer Rope. When he first started down that path, I became very uncomfortable. But as I have kept reading I have found my guard actually coming down a bit. I’m not sure if I will end up trying the rosary or the prayer rope as I still have some real issues with that, but I am definitely not as opposed to the idea as I was at the beginning of the book.
One thing the book has challenged me to do is to quit simply reading the Psalms and start praying the Psalms. After all, they were written as prayers. If you prayed five Psalms a day you would pray through the Psalms in just 30 days. I may just try that one.
Along with living like Jesus for a year, Dr Dobson also read through all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) every week. Now that is quite the undertaking. But what better way is there to really learn as much as we can about how Jesus lived? Dr Dobson has made some interesting points as a result that I hadn’t realized. For example, never once in any of the four Gospels does Jesus ever mention homosexuality.
Among many other things, living like Jesus for a year also took Dr Dobson into bars to have a beer and talk to people there about Jesus. It also resulted in his voting for Barak Obama in the last general election. I believe that was the first time in his life that he ever voted for a democrat. As you can see, the book is intriguing. There are times I have laughed. There are times I have gotten frustrated. And there are times I have really had to think. If you ask me, that is what makes a book worth the read.
Dr Dobson was one of my professors and mentors at Liberty University when I was there. Laura used to babysit his kids and my roommate and I once stained the outside of the log cabin he lived in with his family. He was one of the most conservative men I had ever met and without question was and still remains the best preacher I have ever heard. I lived for Sunday nights in college because Dr Dobson spoke in the service on campus. After he left Liberty and started pastoring Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, I watched his sermons each and every week. Dr Dobson is no longer in full-time vocational ministry due mainly to the fact that he is currently fighting ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
Being inspired By A.J Jacobs book, The Year of Biblical Living (which I also have read and thoroughly enjoyed), Dr Dobson decided to take a full year and live exactly like Jesus would have lived as a Jewish man in the culture of that day. This is no easy task living in our culture today. His experiences are amazing.
I have to admit that there are times throughout the book where I get uneasy. Dr Dobson really struggled with what exactly Jesus prayed. He used many prayer tools today including praying the Catholic rosary as well as the Orthodox Church’s Prayer Rope. When he first started down that path, I became very uncomfortable. But as I have kept reading I have found my guard actually coming down a bit. I’m not sure if I will end up trying the rosary or the prayer rope as I still have some real issues with that, but I am definitely not as opposed to the idea as I was at the beginning of the book.
One thing the book has challenged me to do is to quit simply reading the Psalms and start praying the Psalms. After all, they were written as prayers. If you prayed five Psalms a day you would pray through the Psalms in just 30 days. I may just try that one.
Along with living like Jesus for a year, Dr Dobson also read through all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) every week. Now that is quite the undertaking. But what better way is there to really learn as much as we can about how Jesus lived? Dr Dobson has made some interesting points as a result that I hadn’t realized. For example, never once in any of the four Gospels does Jesus ever mention homosexuality.
Among many other things, living like Jesus for a year also took Dr Dobson into bars to have a beer and talk to people there about Jesus. It also resulted in his voting for Barak Obama in the last general election. I believe that was the first time in his life that he ever voted for a democrat. As you can see, the book is intriguing. There are times I have laughed. There are times I have gotten frustrated. And there are times I have really had to think. If you ask me, that is what makes a book worth the read.
Greetings Brother!
ReplyDeleteDr. Dobson's book does seem intriguing. After God adopted me into His family, Dr. Dobson was the first preacher I listended to outside of your ministry. I still reference a library of his sermons from his days at Calvary.
Part of the intrigue I hold is based on one of your comments from the book:
- "Dr Dobson has made some interesting points as a result that I hadn’t realized. For example, never once in any of the four Gospels does Jesus ever mention homosexuality." -
I am curious about the full context of this section of the book; not because of the topic of homosexuality, but becuase of the potential danger of Believers becoming "red letter Christians", where we elevate the words of Jesus over the rest of Scripture.
2 Timothy 3:10-17 states:
" 10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
I hope that the context of Dr. Dobson's comment you cited is not a challenge to the Inspiration of Scripture...
Hi Corey!
ReplyDeleteThe book is a great read. Don't jump to any conclusions to hasty on Dr Dobson's "homosexuality" comment. He was just stating a fact. Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus ever reference homosexuality specifically. If you get the time, read the book. But be forewarned, some of it may frustrate you...it did me. Yet, some of it greatly challenged me as well.
"Don't jump to any conclusions to hasty on Dr Dobson's "homosexuality" comment. He was just stating a fact. Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus ever reference homosexuality specifically."
ReplyDeleteBrother, I can assure you that I approached the comment with as much discernment as the Spirit blesses me with; hence my comment about wanting to know the full context.
I concur that, just like interpreting Scripture, one should get the book, read it, and work to properly understand the author's intent.
As for your forewarning about being frustrated yet challenged; no worries here, as reading/studying Scripture produces the same, if not more intense, reactions. I reckon you would agree...
Soli Deo Gloria...