278. The Story of God, the Story of Us: Getting Lost and Found in the Bible
Rating: ☆☆☆1/2
Recommended by:
Author: Sean Gladding
Genre: Non Fiction, Christian, Theology
237 pages, published August 27, 2010
Reading Format: Book
Summary
In The Story of God, the Story of Us, author Sean Gladding tells the story of the entire Bible. Gladding’s convention is to follow the conversations of a group of people (sitting around a campfire in Babylon, reclining at table in Asia Minor, or huddled together by candlelight in Rome) wrestling with the Story of God for the first time. While the book can be read alone, it is designed to be shared with a group.
Quotes
“The ever present ache of exile rises above the comforting sounds of the river, as the image of the house of the LORD in ruins breaks the peace. . . . Despite the warmth of the fire, he feels a chill. He wraps his cloak around him and looks into the eager faces of his people, then closes his eyes. ‘Picture this scene . . .'”
“Did you hear it? Can you picture the symmetry? Our God is a God of hospitality, creating a place for a people, a place where all life can flourish. God provides for all creation, as our Story shows. Our God is a God of order; we can trust God to provide for us now as in the beginning. “I know that it may not seem that way today, for here we are, exiles in a foreign land. Life is hard. We know that. And that is why we must tell each other the Story, and keep telling it, to do exactly what God has continually told us to do: remember . . . remember . . . remember.”
“Sin is not just something I do. Sin is social; it always impacts the whole community.”
My Take
I read The Story of God, the Story of Us in a small group from First Presbyterian Church in Boulder, of which I am a member. This book is a fresh take on the Bible and provides a succinct and compelling overview. I especially enjoyed the discussions of the book with my small group and recommend reading it in a group if you can. There is a companion study guide which we found very useful.
