This weekend I’m asking my readers for help – Yes, that’s YOU! – as I try to make some serious progress with my new book.
There are two things that you can do for me; both are of equal weight and importance:
- Please take a few minutes to read this post, and answer the questions.
- Then (please) pass this post on, and include at least two other people who you think might be willing to offer some wisdom; one who is a “believer” and one who is not so sure about this Jesus stuff.
One of the best things about blogging is the interactive nature of this media. If I honestly do intend to “Write out of my own experience, but write into other people’s experience,” then one of the most important things I can do is to listen – and that means listen to you.
So I’m going to describe my new book project – briefly; then I’m going to pose four short questions that I want each of you to take a stab at answering.
FIRST, THE NEW BOOK: Let me tell you what I’m up to. I don’t want to give too much away, but I can say that I’m writing a book about what it means to encounter Jesus as if we’re hearing about the Good News for the very first time, absent the past 2,000 years of “muddying the message.”
Here’s a short paragraph from the introduction that explains some of what I mean by “muddying the message”:
“Today, some 2,000 years down the road, our view of Christianity tends to look through the multifaceted lens of a long and complex church history. It’s a history loaded with creeds, confessions, theology, doctrine, opinion, heresies, arguments, declarations, denominational slants, politics, persecutions, executions, crusades, inquisitions, translations, paraphrases, controversies, revivals, and more…”
My goal is to write a book that looks at the Jesus Story as if nothing from that list has managed to get in the way.
NOW THE QUESTIONS: So here are four questions for you. Believer or not, I’d like to hear from you all. Either “comment” below, or email me at derekmaul@gmail.com
- If you met Jesus today, what do you think he’d invite you to do with your life?
- Why do you think people in the Book of Acts responded so positively to the Jesus Story?
- What is it about the Jesus Story (from the Gospels) that attracts you?
- Do you think being a “Follower of the Living Way of Jesus” is the same as being a member of a church? In what way is it (or would/could it be) different?
Peace, Hope, Promise, and Blessings – DEREK
(Disclaimer: your choice to respond grants Derek Maul permission to freely use your expressed thoughts and ideas in his upcoming book)
1. Repent and be baptised. Take up my cross and follow him, (be willing to put everything aside, especially money, home, friends, wants). Place God as my priority focus each day, in ‘loving him with all my heart, soul and mind’. (This requires me to spend time in this pursuit) Also loving others as myself, serving them with the fruits of the spirit, that are hopefully growing inside of me.., as I absorb the Word, and worship the Lord in spirit and truth. For ‘the Lord inhabits the praises of his people’ here holds a key to welcome God to mould my life like clay in a potter’s hand. And to be ready to ‘be filled with the spirit on all occasions, bringing all kinds of prayer and requests’: igniting us with a passion to desire to take action ie: to lay hands on the sick, or expand in other giftings, teaching, prophetic, serving, administration, creativity, and leading the body of Christ.. the list goes on and will be in tune with your perfect calling, and a passion for something the HOly spirit places on your heart, we all have a unique calling, and a path of life in preperation for being equipped and ready to walk in it, but time in God’s presence will inspire action in growing the Kingdom of God in our lives and community around us!! May god inspire your book writing, and speak to you in a deep way as you grasp it and put it together. Lv Ruth
In your writing, which I read most of the time, I find you to be a little too “heavenly” and do not relate to many of your readers who live in a “down to earth” world. Yes, you did relate to a friend from your former church who had part of his leg amputated but there are others with situations that keep them from even trying to experience what you talk about in your blog. Include them. Scout gets pretty much press!
Always good to hear from you, Jane. Scout appreciates the support too.
– DEREK