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Bezig met laden... Faith Can Give Us Wings : The Art Of Letting Godoor Notker Wolf
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"Why do you look so happy?" people have been asking Notker Wolf for years, now. So he set out to answer them in this lively book. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)248.4Religions Christian Devotional Literature and Practical Theology Christian Life; experience and practice Christian LivingLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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Every once in a while you discover a book which is accessible but chock-full of insight. Notker Wolf is the Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation.of the Order of Saint Benedict. I had never read anything by him and was not sure what to expect when I picked up Faith Can Give Us Wings: The Art of Letting I discovered an author who was perceptive, gracious and wise. This is a book which encourages readers to deepen their faith in God and to trust Him more. It is in 'letting go' that we discover God's presence and power at work in our lives.
Wolf organizes his reflections under four headings. Part One seeks to answer the question, "why have faith?" He answers it existentially: faith is grounding, it helps us understand who we are, it helps us to live meaningfully, it reveals beauty, brings joy and imparts peace.But lest you think that faith is merely a subjective experience (though it is certainly that!), Notker grounds the comfort and hope faith bring in the reality of Christ's resurrection. This gives a historical rootedness to the promise of faith:
Thus faith isn't just about feelings or positive thinking. Our faith in God is secure and beneficial for us, because the object of our faith (God through Christ's life, death and resurrection) is secure.
Part two asks, "how does [faith] work?" It works through trust. This is Wolfr's first word to us and the first step we take when we seek to grow in our faith. Of course he says much more: we grow through prayer, through reading scripture (with commentaries), by sharing in community and living simply. These practices nourish faith and help us deepen our trust in God.
In his third section, Wolf describes 'life with God.' Living with God involves learning to say yes to him, surrendering our fears and opening ourselves to him. It also means submitting to his guidance, relinquishing false expectations, growing in love and preparing for suffering. In short, life with God is about letting go: letting go, " At times, the journey will be awkward. A sudden squall of wind might throw us off course. But just as a child becomes stronger through practice, each of us can develop the needed strength to stay on the path of faith" (184).
In his final section, Wolf describes how faith gives us wings: casts out our fears and enables us to fly. He explores the metaphor of a Caterpillar in a cocoon. Faith is like a cocoon which brings about a spiritual transformation in us. But sometimes the miracle of spiritual transformation is not readily apparent to those of us being transformed:
As we submit to God, 'let go' of our expectations and trust him, we discover who he is making us to be, and the God who flies with us through all life's circumstances.
This is not an academic book, though Wolf is theologically astute and the book is thoughtfully stated. Rather this is a book that slakes our thirst for God and causes us to hunger for more of his presence in our lives. I highly recommend this book. I appreciated it because it introduced me to a new author whom I had not read before with depth of spiritual insight. Most of Wolf's books are not in English, but I am grateful to Mark Burrows and Paraclete Press for sharing with the English speaking world, "What odes the Wolf say?" I give it five stars: ★★★★★
Thank you to Paraclete Press for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. ( )