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Sacrilege: Finding Life in the Unorthodox Ways of Jesus
It is safe to say most Christians do not live like Jesus did, have the same influence on people he had, or draw even the slightest curiosity from the on-looking world. Jesus's ability to woo people to him and win their hearts was directly related to how he challenged their assumptions about religion. He not only gave them a unique, personal way to follow him but also showed them how to participate with him in his mission.
Sacrilege helps readers rethink what it really means to become like Jesus. It exposes the patterns of thinking that have held the church hostage for years and inspires readers to rethink the way they understand Scripture, family, spiritual formation, conversion, church, sin, and more.
Sacrilege helps readers rethink what it really means to become like Jesus. It exposes the patterns of thinking that have held the church hostage for years and inspires readers to rethink the way they understand Scripture, family, spiritual formation, conversion, church, sin, and more.
236 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
35 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Halter
19 books42 followersHugh Halter is a pastor and popular author of numerous books including Flesh, The Tangible Kingdom, And, Sacrilege, and Primer. Hugh and Cheryl are presently enjoying the spoils of empty nest living but love to use their ranch as a haven of celebration, hospitality, and friendship to the lost and least on the south side of Denver.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 28, 2015
Jesus was the radical of his time. He set the religious community on its ear, breaking rules right and left. His message of love and inclusion for all was sacrilegious, and ultimately cost him his life.Fast forward to our time and it's hard to even find the real Jesus and his teachings in the dogma driven churches of today.
I found this author and his views refreshing. His blend of humor and biblical principle captured and held my attention. His call for some Jesus based sacrilege resonated, requiring some introspection by the reader.This is a book that I'll continue to use as reference and encouragement.
I found this author and his views refreshing. His blend of humor and biblical principle captured and held my attention. His call for some Jesus based sacrilege resonated, requiring some introspection by the reader.This is a book that I'll continue to use as reference and encouragement.
July 10, 2018
I’m traditional so this is a real difficult read
I can see what Hugh says in many ways to be true a.bout our churches today. I see the need for change. I am just at odds with what I’ve been raised with and taught and what is being practiced. I still need to do more reading and listening to God.
I can see what Hugh says in many ways to be true a.bout our churches today. I see the need for change. I am just at odds with what I’ve been raised with and taught and what is being practiced. I still need to do more reading and listening to God.
April 26, 2020
The gospel is about kingdom life now, embodied in the person of Jesus. He invites us to trade our self-oriented, fear-based existence for the fresh air of freedom, power, creativity, beauty, influence, simplicity, and love. Anyone who wants it can have the deepest privilege of helping heaven touch down on planet earth.
Much of helping people move towards God is apologizing for what they’ve run into so far.
Biblical apprenticeship is about 3 things: Becoming just like Jesus, doing what Jesus did, and doing the above with the types of people Jesus liked spending time with.
The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience. Oswald Chambers
Blessed are those who stay as teachable as a five-year old in kindergarten.
How do you really know that you really know the Scriptures? You obey them, and you become like Jesus. (Boom)
We bring more people into the kingdom with a hot meal than a hot topic.
More often, I have found, the real problem (with people not asking us about our faith) is that we just don’t live enough like Jesus yet.
Line vs circle. (marital counseling lesson). Line system says, “We’ll get along fine as long as you stay on your side, or come over to my side whenever we disagree.” Circle system says, “I married the whole circle of who you area. Inside the circle are all sorts of things I love and like about you. But also some behaviors and thinking patterns that I personally do not like. If these things never change, I’ll still accept the entire circle and care for you. I’m committed to and love the whole you.”
What if we take Jesus seriously as his apprentice? What is we overlook sin, or at least not make as big a deal of it as we have in the past. That is the power of mercy.
Jesus on a tractor bulldozing right through the temple into the holy of holies illustration.
To truly examine ourselves for “worthiness” in communion, we should actually get out of line and apologize to our spouse for the harsh words we spoke, or failing to give god the best of our finances and time, and for failing to love our enemies, and taking care of the poor around us, and so on.
Much of helping people move towards God is apologizing for what they’ve run into so far.
Biblical apprenticeship is about 3 things: Becoming just like Jesus, doing what Jesus did, and doing the above with the types of people Jesus liked spending time with.
The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience. Oswald Chambers
Blessed are those who stay as teachable as a five-year old in kindergarten.
How do you really know that you really know the Scriptures? You obey them, and you become like Jesus. (Boom)
We bring more people into the kingdom with a hot meal than a hot topic.
More often, I have found, the real problem (with people not asking us about our faith) is that we just don’t live enough like Jesus yet.
Line vs circle. (marital counseling lesson). Line system says, “We’ll get along fine as long as you stay on your side, or come over to my side whenever we disagree.” Circle system says, “I married the whole circle of who you area. Inside the circle are all sorts of things I love and like about you. But also some behaviors and thinking patterns that I personally do not like. If these things never change, I’ll still accept the entire circle and care for you. I’m committed to and love the whole you.”
What if we take Jesus seriously as his apprentice? What is we overlook sin, or at least not make as big a deal of it as we have in the past. That is the power of mercy.
Jesus on a tractor bulldozing right through the temple into the holy of holies illustration.
To truly examine ourselves for “worthiness” in communion, we should actually get out of line and apologize to our spouse for the harsh words we spoke, or failing to give god the best of our finances and time, and for failing to love our enemies, and taking care of the poor around us, and so on.
May 19, 2023
I love this book- I briefly used to attend the church that Hugh planted in Denver and I absolutely loved how he lived out the gospel in such a holistic and life-giving way. This book breaks down the spiritual religiosity and judgmental spirit that has seeped its way into Christian culture. This book made me fall in love with Jesus all over again and gave me some hope to cultivate real change in my community for Christ. Even though it's one of his older books, the message completely holds up. Read this if you're ashamed of modern evangelism but you still love Jesus and respect the idea of church and are looking at ways to practically live our your faith.
July 2, 2021
Love Hugh’s different way of writing. He is a breath of fresh air in how he speaks and shares his life stories. He isn’t polished, but raw in how he desires to see apprentices of Jesus to become more like Him.
September 16, 2021
Hugh Halter always challenges me to be more intentional in my relationship with God and with others. This book has lead to some good discussions with friends and family. We have recommended it to many others.
February 6, 2018
Perspective changing on missional living and community
November 27, 2019
If I could give this book six stars I would! Powerful, challenging and gripping writing on how to live the sacreligious ways of Jesus!
December 29, 2019
At times tough to read but a must read for those looking to change how they see faith.
February 1, 2016
2012 is starting out really well as far as my book choices. Last week I reviewed Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris. I thought this was a good place to start a year because it laid a foundation of truth.
Then I jumped right into Sacrilege by Hugh Halter. I must admit, the title had me scared a bit for what I would find inside. But you know what they say about judging a book by its cover. So I jumped in anyways.
And...
I say jump in with both feet, my friends. What Hugh basically does is to break down the Beatitudes and explain how deviant these words would have sounded to the original audience.
Hugh writes in a very easy to follow manner. He explains in the introduction that he is writing as if to his daughters in a letter, so they may know the real Jesus. Also near the beginning he defines how he is using the term sacrilege. It comes don to tipping holy cows. That sounds mean, but these cows had it coming. Really.
What we need to understand is that people did not sit through Jesus' teaching like we do through a sermon. Instead of obedient silence and perhaps a smattering of 'Amens', there would have been shock and awe. Imagine gasping, scoffing and disbelief and I think we get a bit closer to the reactions Jesus would have become accustomed to.
Hugh weaves the Beatitudes together and shares some very clear implications for how we follow Jesus, from the sharing of communion to the sharing of our resources to how we spend our Sabbaths. He even returns our focus to how we respond to people.
In the end, nothing is too sacred to be questioned and yet Hugh finds the true character of Jesus to be uber-sacred. Yes, uber.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is new to the faith and needs to start out right, before getting comfy with the holy cows. Oh, and for the rest of us, this would be a great opportunity for a refocusing.
I received this book for free from my good friends at SpeakEasy. They ask me to say something but don't tell me what to say. They're cool like that.
Hugh Halter is a church planter, pastor, consultant, and missionary to the US. He is the national director of Missio and is the lead architect of Adullam, a congregational network of missional communities in Denver, Colorado.You can vist him at his blog if you'd like; http://hughhalter.com
#SpeakeasySacrilege
Then I jumped right into Sacrilege by Hugh Halter. I must admit, the title had me scared a bit for what I would find inside. But you know what they say about judging a book by its cover. So I jumped in anyways.
And...
I say jump in with both feet, my friends. What Hugh basically does is to break down the Beatitudes and explain how deviant these words would have sounded to the original audience.
Hugh writes in a very easy to follow manner. He explains in the introduction that he is writing as if to his daughters in a letter, so they may know the real Jesus. Also near the beginning he defines how he is using the term sacrilege. It comes don to tipping holy cows. That sounds mean, but these cows had it coming. Really.
What we need to understand is that people did not sit through Jesus' teaching like we do through a sermon. Instead of obedient silence and perhaps a smattering of 'Amens', there would have been shock and awe. Imagine gasping, scoffing and disbelief and I think we get a bit closer to the reactions Jesus would have become accustomed to.
Hugh weaves the Beatitudes together and shares some very clear implications for how we follow Jesus, from the sharing of communion to the sharing of our resources to how we spend our Sabbaths. He even returns our focus to how we respond to people.
In the end, nothing is too sacred to be questioned and yet Hugh finds the true character of Jesus to be uber-sacred. Yes, uber.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is new to the faith and needs to start out right, before getting comfy with the holy cows. Oh, and for the rest of us, this would be a great opportunity for a refocusing.
I received this book for free from my good friends at SpeakEasy. They ask me to say something but don't tell me what to say. They're cool like that.
Hugh Halter is a church planter, pastor, consultant, and missionary to the US. He is the national director of Missio and is the lead architect of Adullam, a congregational network of missional communities in Denver, Colorado.You can vist him at his blog if you'd like; http://hughhalter.com
#SpeakeasySacrilege
October 25, 2011
Sacrilege is a book out to answer one question: What does it mean to be like Jesus? The premise of the book is that Jesus was sacrilegious (that is, he de-sacralized, treated as not holy, things which had been treated as holy) and as his followers we ought to be as well. To explain what he means by this, Halter follows in the steps of the likes of Bonhoeffer and Dallas Willard in centering his answer to the books question on the beatitudes, with lots of practical advice and personal stories along the way.
In a church which clearly needs to rethink what it means to be like Jesus, this book comes as a big step in the right direction. No book could say all that needs to be said on this topic, but what Halter does have to say is worth listening to and think about. Personally, there was not much knew here; people such as Bonhoeffer and Dallas Willard have said it before, and I have read them. However, for many individuals in our digital age, who have never read a book 20 years old let alone 50, those books will be nigh inaccessible. Here, then, is a viable alternative.
Conclusion: 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Recommended. Sacrilege is filled with good words, such as teachings about hospitality, humility, and Sabbath; most Christians will benefit from reading this book.
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group".
In a church which clearly needs to rethink what it means to be like Jesus, this book comes as a big step in the right direction. No book could say all that needs to be said on this topic, but what Halter does have to say is worth listening to and think about. Personally, there was not much knew here; people such as Bonhoeffer and Dallas Willard have said it before, and I have read them. However, for many individuals in our digital age, who have never read a book 20 years old let alone 50, those books will be nigh inaccessible. Here, then, is a viable alternative.
Conclusion: 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Recommended. Sacrilege is filled with good words, such as teachings about hospitality, humility, and Sabbath; most Christians will benefit from reading this book.
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group".
March 17, 2013
Having heard Hugh Halter a few times, many of these stories and perspectives were not new to me. What I found again was that I completely agree with Halter in his basic stance that Jesus was eminently sacrilegious. The Church has taken Jesus' radical approach and sanitized it so it no longer looks or sounds so egregious. Yet the fact remains that Jesus was throwing the entire religious community on its head. We need more than a bit of that throwing if the Church is to have a voice and impact in the next century.
I particularly appreciated the insistence upon caring for the widows and the orphans as a mark of what it means to be a Christian. Halter's increasing passion through the book made me long to create a renewed community that gives itself to caring for the poor and the oppressed.
My rebellious side is hankering to give this book to most of the Christians I know. Maybe if I let Halter offend them, I can come back with the same perspective later and it won't be quite so offensive anymore. Now that's an idea....
I particularly appreciated the insistence upon caring for the widows and the orphans as a mark of what it means to be a Christian. Halter's increasing passion through the book made me long to create a renewed community that gives itself to caring for the poor and the oppressed.
My rebellious side is hankering to give this book to most of the Christians I know. Maybe if I let Halter offend them, I can come back with the same perspective later and it won't be quite so offensive anymore. Now that's an idea....
September 30, 2012
Well, this one does live up to its name. Honestly, I found Hugh's work refreshing, practical and more reflective of the heart of Jesus for people than most I've read. The truth is, it wasn't as sacriligeous as I thought it might be. But maybe that's because I've moved more than I thought away from attractional churchianity and toward missional living. His stories are funny, insightful and revealing for those brave enough to confront the "pharisee" in all of us, especially those like me who grew up thinking that institutional religion was sacred and loving sinners meant cramming a tract into their brains. ( Am having nightmarish recollections of doing "mall witnessing" on Saturdays where people would run away from these lunatics trying to preach Jesus to them while they're shopping. Something Hugh calls being a "butthead for Jesus").
Buy it. Talk about it in your small groups. Don't be too offended by his candor. It might be a breath of fresh air.
Buy it. Talk about it in your small groups. Don't be too offended by his candor. It might be a breath of fresh air.
August 5, 2012
Although it took me a few months to read this book, I greatly enjoyed it. Halter takes the beatitudes and expands on each. He explores what Jesus actually calls us to despite the fact that society and the institutional church may have corrupted these callings. Basically, some things that Jesus calls us to and how Jesus lived, may have been sacrilious to those on the inside of institutional religion. Jesus pushed against the religious leaders of his day by breaking from way of doing things and put people first. He calls us to the same.
This book is inspirational and freeing. We don't need to be bound by our cultural christianity and religion of our day. Jesus calls us deeper.
Halter includes many stories throughout to illustrate his points and keeps his readers engaged.
This book is inspirational and freeing. We don't need to be bound by our cultural christianity and religion of our day. Jesus calls us deeper.
Halter includes many stories throughout to illustrate his points and keeps his readers engaged.
August 5, 2012
Although it took me a few months to read this book, I greatly enjoyed it. Halter takes the beatitudes and expands on each. He explores what Jesus actually calls us to despite the fact that society and the institutional church may have corrupted these callings. Basically, some things that Jesus calls us to and how Jesus lived, may have been sacrilious to those on the inside of institutional religion. Jesus pushed against the religious leaders of his day by breaking from way of doing things and put people first. He calls us to the same.
This book is inspirational and freeing. We don't need to be bound by our cultural christianity and religion of our day. Jesus calls us deeper.
Halter includes many stories throughout to illustrate his points and keeps his readers engaged.
- Curtis
This book is inspirational and freeing. We don't need to be bound by our cultural christianity and religion of our day. Jesus calls us deeper.
Halter includes many stories throughout to illustrate his points and keeps his readers engaged.
- Curtis
March 26, 2012
If you're current understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, isn't some how tested, challenged, angered, inspired or stirred up by reading Sacrilege; then I question if you actually read the book. If you're open to having your present understanding of being a Jesus-follower come under any of the above, I suggest you buddy up next to this book and enjoy the ride; for it's bound to happen.
Not only is Sacrilege full of Twitter-fodder, it's full of life giving encouragement as you soak in the wit and wisdom Hugh has to offer. No doubt, this life is a journey, this book helps provide some suggested stops along the way.
Not only is Sacrilege full of Twitter-fodder, it's full of life giving encouragement as you soak in the wit and wisdom Hugh has to offer. No doubt, this life is a journey, this book helps provide some suggested stops along the way.
March 19, 2016
"Whereas religion only calls you once, apprenticeship is continual. You'll hear the ongoing clarion call daily. And over your lifetime there may be twenty times you sense the call cutting you to the core of your self-absorption and self-reliance. These calls will cause you to walk the plank of faith again. You'll feel God's loving gaze revealing aspects of your life that limit his ability to use you, and you'll watch him clean those up and get you ready for service. You'll find your faith taking you to new levels you didn't know existed."
January 10, 2012
Few writer's are more conversationally engaging than Hugh Halter. He's heavy on story, but not light on theology. I've never had a book I could hand off to anyone along a faith journey (in or out of the faith) that explains the ways and character of Jesus as well as this book. Highly recommended for the spiritually disoriented, or the Christ follower looking for more reality in how to follow Jesus.
July 21, 2012
I don't think I'm the intended audience for this book. Halter seems to think he's saying controversial things, but, for me at least, he isn't. I don't disagree with his arguments, I just don't find them as shocking or challenging as he seems to think they are. I also disliked the tone of the book, which I found a bit too casual and self-focused.
March 9, 2013
One of my favorite Christian books of all time.
Great quote: "Every word Jesus said and act he did smashed the spiritual, religious, traditional, and pop idols of his day. False kingdoms were exposed, false motives were laid open, false teachings were confronted, and every person he touched came away confused, intrigued, perplexed, or changed."
Great quote: "Every word Jesus said and act he did smashed the spiritual, religious, traditional, and pop idols of his day. False kingdoms were exposed, false motives were laid open, false teachings were confronted, and every person he touched came away confused, intrigued, perplexed, or changed."
May 8, 2013
Hugh Halter continues to challenge and inspire me. I love his approach to church and discipleship. I find such grace and love in his words and his life. Halter helps us see how unorthodox Jesus' words really were, and what they can (and should) say to Christians today.
January 10, 2015
I wasn't sure about this author's perspective at first, but grew to appreciate it. For me the book got better as it went. Fresh ideas about following Jesus and the purpose of the church. Glad I have it in The Hills library.
April 3, 2012
What would Jesus really do? I aim to get more caring with every day and this was a good wake up call for what to let go of and what to bring more of into my life.
Read
March 23, 2014This book was a refreshing look at how a follower of Jesus has to live.
May 29, 2012
ROCKED my world view. I would recommend this to every Christian I know.
July 9, 2012
Very, very thought provoking on how "church" and "legalism" pull people away from God & Jesus. We are all seeking God and He can be found anywhere at anytime with anyone.
Want to read
November 19, 2012Rec by Jen hatmaker
July 31, 2012
I loved this. If all Christians lived like this, people would get a more authentic look at Jesus.
September 6, 2012
This is a life-changer. Straight Jesus, people! Read it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews