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Astonished: Recapturing the Wonder, Awe, and Mystery of Life with God
In Astonished, Pastor Mike Erre calls Christians away from simplistic formulas to honest and rugged faith in the mysterious and unpredictable God.
God is more about deepening the mystery of faith, not removing it. Jesus should get bigger the longer we walk with him. Life and faith should grow to be more profound and wondrous, not less.
In Astonished, you will see how we are far more comfortable with tips, steps and techniques for living, than we are with ruthlessly trusting the mysterious God of the Bible. God asks us to follow him into tension, frustration, and difficulty because he wants our trust, not just our intellectual agreement. He calls us to seek Him even as we live in awe of all that is yet to be known about Him.
Astonished is an invitation to question in a culture that wants answers, to wonder in a world with little mystery left, and to believe in what is unseen and find it beautiful.
God is more about deepening the mystery of faith, not removing it. Jesus should get bigger the longer we walk with him. Life and faith should grow to be more profound and wondrous, not less.
In Astonished, you will see how we are far more comfortable with tips, steps and techniques for living, than we are with ruthlessly trusting the mysterious God of the Bible. God asks us to follow him into tension, frustration, and difficulty because he wants our trust, not just our intellectual agreement. He calls us to seek Him even as we live in awe of all that is yet to be known about Him.
Astonished is an invitation to question in a culture that wants answers, to wonder in a world with little mystery left, and to believe in what is unseen and find it beautiful.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2013
90 people are currently reading
533 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 9, 2021
This is an excellent book, even if you've been a believer for decades. Although I've read it over six months ago, I frequently think back to what Erre had to say about us treating Jesus like a solution to every problem (like we see in informercials). I enjoyed what he had to say about worship, the mystery of our theology, and lament in particular.
I honestly did feel like my wonder and awe in my walk with the Lord was renewed after reading this book. Erre is also a great writer. Some pastors have good points to make, but present them in a bland way, but his writing style made this book very easy to read. I was actually sad when I was finished with it. He also touches on his personal testimony without making the book all about himself.
Although this book is hard to find at a decent price (I got a 'slightly imperfect' copy from a Christian retailer), I would recommend looking out for a good deal. It's definitely one of the best books I read in 2020.
I honestly did feel like my wonder and awe in my walk with the Lord was renewed after reading this book. Erre is also a great writer. Some pastors have good points to make, but present them in a bland way, but his writing style made this book very easy to read. I was actually sad when I was finished with it. He also touches on his personal testimony without making the book all about himself.
Although this book is hard to find at a decent price (I got a 'slightly imperfect' copy from a Christian retailer), I would recommend looking out for a good deal. It's definitely one of the best books I read in 2020.
April 1, 2014
This book prompts us to look at the deep and honest questions we have about God, particularly those frustrating ones we tend to poke into the background, because there seems no point in wondering. Why are desert times said to be 'necessary' in our relationship with God, when we don't have them with significant fellow humans? Why does He keep Himself hidden like a kid playing hide and seek? And one I've often grappled with at different times, why should we even want to be friends with Him, if He behaves so coy and perverse? After all, human parents don't hang back, and stay silent and aloof when their children ask them questions.
It was refreshing to come across a book which is so direct in asking such things. Mike Erre understands why it may be easy to wonder if there is, in fact, something wrong with us, and our receivers. His observations about our end of the communication were interesting, indicating that some of our problems may be to do with assumptions we've made, which originated with vocal Christians and not with God.
He examines how we often choose to come to God out of self-interested motives, rather than simply wanting to know Him for His own sake. He points out possible flaws in our methods of sharing Him with others. Jesus Himself never felt the need to dazzle people into His kingdom, as modern Christians often seemed compelled to do, making them come across the same way as those annoying steak-knife salesmen. He was content with obscurity, and felt no pressure to polish up His message to make it more palatable for the crowds. If people wanted to pursue other options, He simply let them. And if we want to present Him as something He never presented Himself, that's our problem.
Are all of the questions answered completely? No, but if there was any way they could be, the title of this book couldn't be called "Astonished". God's mysterious and surprising ways of working are part of His character. This book's intent seemed to be to help us find out more about God, and as a bonus, it helps us find out more surprising things about ourselves, including dodgy motives and counterproductive ways to trying to probe the mystery. I enjoyed it.
I received a copy from Net Galley and David C Cook in return for an honest review.
It was refreshing to come across a book which is so direct in asking such things. Mike Erre understands why it may be easy to wonder if there is, in fact, something wrong with us, and our receivers. His observations about our end of the communication were interesting, indicating that some of our problems may be to do with assumptions we've made, which originated with vocal Christians and not with God.
He examines how we often choose to come to God out of self-interested motives, rather than simply wanting to know Him for His own sake. He points out possible flaws in our methods of sharing Him with others. Jesus Himself never felt the need to dazzle people into His kingdom, as modern Christians often seemed compelled to do, making them come across the same way as those annoying steak-knife salesmen. He was content with obscurity, and felt no pressure to polish up His message to make it more palatable for the crowds. If people wanted to pursue other options, He simply let them. And if we want to present Him as something He never presented Himself, that's our problem.
Are all of the questions answered completely? No, but if there was any way they could be, the title of this book couldn't be called "Astonished". God's mysterious and surprising ways of working are part of His character. This book's intent seemed to be to help us find out more about God, and as a bonus, it helps us find out more surprising things about ourselves, including dodgy motives and counterproductive ways to trying to probe the mystery. I enjoyed it.
I received a copy from Net Galley and David C Cook in return for an honest review.
April 12, 2020
Very Intriguing!
Served a couple purposes for me. First, helping me to evaluate how I view church, and what I hope to get out of Sunday services. Second, and most important, this material spoke to me where I am in my spiritual journey, and that is coming back to a place of awe and wonderment of what God has done in my personal life and in my marriage, and finally what He is doing in my wife’s life, and what she means for me in Gods eyes. William Blake wrote, “This life’s dim windows of the soul distorts the heavens from pole to pole and leads you to believe a lie when you see with, not through, the eye.” It’s through the eyes of our innermost where the spirit of God resides that we must learn to see. This is where I have been encouraged to return.
Served a couple purposes for me. First, helping me to evaluate how I view church, and what I hope to get out of Sunday services. Second, and most important, this material spoke to me where I am in my spiritual journey, and that is coming back to a place of awe and wonderment of what God has done in my personal life and in my marriage, and finally what He is doing in my wife’s life, and what she means for me in Gods eyes. William Blake wrote, “This life’s dim windows of the soul distorts the heavens from pole to pole and leads you to believe a lie when you see with, not through, the eye.” It’s through the eyes of our innermost where the spirit of God resides that we must learn to see. This is where I have been encouraged to return.
April 15, 2014
Probably closer to 3.5. This book is thought provoking, and comes at our relationship to Christ with a different perspective than most people have. Here in America our Christian faith is probably, as the author contends, affected by our consumer oriented attitudes. We tend to expect the Lord to provide everything we want or need, but that isn't how it usually works. Rough times in our lives and times when we feel somewhat needy are often when we turn to God the most. Being challenged to see things in a different way was enjoyable, even though I'm not sure I agree with everything stated in the book.
May 21, 2014
Wow. What a challenging, perspective-shifting book. I took a long time to get through this one, b/c I wanted to absorb EVERYTHING. Very down to earth and every-day in its language and content.
I loved the way Mike Erre challenges a lot of our misconceptions about what we THINK we know versus the truth of scripture. It did not come across "preachy"...very accessible, much like Tyler Blanski's When Donkey's Talk.
I will buy a hard copy of this one, b/c I will want to pass it around. This is a shoe in for our church book club.
Thanks NetGalley!
I loved the way Mike Erre challenges a lot of our misconceptions about what we THINK we know versus the truth of scripture. It did not come across "preachy"...very accessible, much like Tyler Blanski's When Donkey's Talk.
I will buy a hard copy of this one, b/c I will want to pass it around. This is a shoe in for our church book club.
Thanks NetGalley!
April 5, 2014
This is a great book. It certainly challenged me. Erre says our Christian faith has tamed God, made Him controllable and predictable. Erre calls us back to faith in an unpredictable God who is full of mystery. We must live with the tension of that mystery. he has great exposition of passages in the Bible. I very highly recommend this book.
See my full review at http://bit.ly/1ehK94Q.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
See my full review at http://bit.ly/1ehK94Q.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
February 21, 2016
Christians, especially Americans, often put God in a box that we think describes Him. But the author reminds us that we are not supposed to be able to completely understand God. We shouldn't be able to fit Him in our nice, neat definition. The better we know Him, the more mystery we should experience. The closer we draw to Him, the larger He should become. He's far larger, more majestic, and more holy that the box we try to fit Him into. We should worship Him in spirit and truth, having a close relationship with Him but maintaining astonishment, awe, and wonder at our amazing Lord.
April 29, 2014
Reminds us that God is not controllable, that he does not fit in any of the boxes people try to put him in. The more we get to know God the bigger and more amazing he should become. He does not always work the way we want, or think, he should and he usually shows up in ways we are not expecting. While nothing in the book is new, it does a great job of adjusting the readers perspective and opening our eyes to the ways he may be at work. It really does make God awesome.
July 14, 2014
This book, while being theological in nature, makes the concept of the "bigness" of God understandable, even if it is not understandable because He is so big. While it is not your easy escape beach reading, because of the subject matter, I loved it and almost wore out a yellow highlighter marking passages to come back to. I think we will use it in a small group study this fall.
If you are unfamiliar with Mike, he can preach for 40 minutes and you think it is about 10.
If you are unfamiliar with Mike, he can preach for 40 minutes and you think it is about 10.
January 4, 2015
Mind Boggling Love
We can never understand God for His thoughts are so much higher than ours, but we are urged to call, "Abba, Father." We have been invited to be the heirs of the omnIpotent, omniscient Lord who takes us as we are and gives us far more than we deserve, far more than we could ever imagine.
We can never understand God for His thoughts are so much higher than ours, but we are urged to call, "Abba, Father." We have been invited to be the heirs of the omnIpotent, omniscient Lord who takes us as we are and gives us far more than we deserve, far more than we could ever imagine.
June 26, 2014
I found this book to be exciting and centered on the God who is, not necessarily the God we try to make him
August 26, 2017
One of the best books I've read regarding how amazing God is, and how we as believers in Him should live. It's challenging and inspiring.
February 15, 2018
The book is about gaining a deeper and more expansive view of God and what it means to follow Christ. Essentially his argument is that God is more complicated and wild than we tend to realize. I think he makes some good points.
Introduction: The God Who Gets Bigger -- God should get bigger in our hearts and lives as we get older, yet many find the opposite to be true. How do we fix that?
Chapter 1: Dust And Bones: The Difficulty of Human Life -- Consumer versions of Jesus leave us with a less interesting one than who uses the disappointments of life to calls us to himself.
Chapter 2: The God Who Hides -- Why does God withdraw the sense of his presence from a believer? That he does this is part of the mystery of how he deepens faith in us.
Chapter 3: Why We Don’t See Him --We don't notice God at work all around us in a million different settings
Chapter 4: The Unpredictable God --God is reliable, but not predictable. When we cultivate an awareness of how God works 'outside the lines' it can surprise us and stir us.
Chapter 5: The God at the End of Our Rope --God works in and through our weakness. That's his M.O.
Chapter 6: Faith Demands Mystery -- We can know God, but God is bigger than our grasp of him.
Chapter 7: Faith Demands Desperation --Faith requires a sense of our deep need of Christ.
Chapter 8: Faith Demands Surrender -- Faith means letting some of our dreams be crushed to live by God's dreams
Chapter 9: Waking Up -- Remembering God's work everywhere.
Chapter 10: Pointing Out --Showing God's presence and work in the world to others.
Chapter 11: On Trust and Fear -- Overcoming fear
Chapter 12: Joy, Sorrow, and the Lost Art of Lament -- The place of grief and lament in the Christian life.
Chapter 13: Rethinking Strength and Weakness
Conclusion: Knowing the Unknowable God
Much about the book is good. There is a pastor's sense of how to phrase a point, which means there are a lot of good sound bites. He's not Calvinistic, as far as I can tell. Also, it's a touch too cynical in places for me.
Personally, this genre of ministry book is not my favorite-- 'let me tell you a few things that show you that you didn't know Jesus as well as you thought you did.' I recognize the problem of dryness in the spiritual life, but even 'let me show you how surprising Jesus really is' can become shtick very fast.
In the end, being fascinated by Jesus and the Gospel is about seeing how old truths still apply to today... whichever day it is. That's less about finding those certain truths that can astonish, and more about realizing it's all astonishing, if you are willing to give God the time to show you.
Introduction: The God Who Gets Bigger -- God should get bigger in our hearts and lives as we get older, yet many find the opposite to be true. How do we fix that?
Chapter 1: Dust And Bones: The Difficulty of Human Life -- Consumer versions of Jesus leave us with a less interesting one than who uses the disappointments of life to calls us to himself.
Chapter 2: The God Who Hides -- Why does God withdraw the sense of his presence from a believer? That he does this is part of the mystery of how he deepens faith in us.
Chapter 3: Why We Don’t See Him --We don't notice God at work all around us in a million different settings
Chapter 4: The Unpredictable God --God is reliable, but not predictable. When we cultivate an awareness of how God works 'outside the lines' it can surprise us and stir us.
Chapter 5: The God at the End of Our Rope --God works in and through our weakness. That's his M.O.
Chapter 6: Faith Demands Mystery -- We can know God, but God is bigger than our grasp of him.
Chapter 7: Faith Demands Desperation --Faith requires a sense of our deep need of Christ.
Chapter 8: Faith Demands Surrender -- Faith means letting some of our dreams be crushed to live by God's dreams
Chapter 9: Waking Up -- Remembering God's work everywhere.
Chapter 10: Pointing Out --Showing God's presence and work in the world to others.
Chapter 11: On Trust and Fear -- Overcoming fear
Chapter 12: Joy, Sorrow, and the Lost Art of Lament -- The place of grief and lament in the Christian life.
Chapter 13: Rethinking Strength and Weakness
Conclusion: Knowing the Unknowable God
Much about the book is good. There is a pastor's sense of how to phrase a point, which means there are a lot of good sound bites. He's not Calvinistic, as far as I can tell. Also, it's a touch too cynical in places for me.
Personally, this genre of ministry book is not my favorite-- 'let me tell you a few things that show you that you didn't know Jesus as well as you thought you did.' I recognize the problem of dryness in the spiritual life, but even 'let me show you how surprising Jesus really is' can become shtick very fast.
In the end, being fascinated by Jesus and the Gospel is about seeing how old truths still apply to today... whichever day it is. That's less about finding those certain truths that can astonish, and more about realizing it's all astonishing, if you are willing to give God the time to show you.
April 20, 2021
If you are not familiar with Mike Erre, you should know that his teaching is totally outside the box—and intensely transformational. Mike has a knack for digging into the nitty gritty details of Scripture, examining familiar stories through the lens of their original cultural and theological contexts, and bringing “old truths” to life in some surprising ways. During Mike’s time at our church, God’s Word came alive for me as Mike demonstrated how to stop taking the Bible at face value, dismantling it from the cultural layers imposed upon it in order to discover what it really says. Mike’s weekly messages never failed to inspire wonder with Scripture and with the Messiah at its center.
Though I’ve since encountered similar styles of teaching, Mike Erre’s sermons were my first exposure to this type of mind-blowing Biblical examination, and I continue to benefit from Mike’s Biblical deep-dives on his weekly podcast. With Astonished, Mike brings much of what I loved about his sermons to the page, introducing readers to a side of God that many of us have never experienced.
In a nutshell, Astonished is about “the wildness of God and the adventure of faith.” Throughout the book, Mike illustrates how Jesus should get bigger the longer we walk with him. Unfortunately, many followers of Jesus become so consumed by doctrines, traditions, institutions, and policies that we take our gaze off of Christ and soon grow bored. Our domesticating of Jesus—done in the name of Christianity—ultimately subverts our vital, Biblical faith. In Astonished, we are reintroduced to the wonder, awe, and mystery of life following a God who surprises us in the most unexpected places and in the most astounding ways.
The book’s first section is dedicated to helping us understand the nature of a God who is not at all predictable, and not always easily recognized. In what I found to be the most revelatory portion of the book, we examine reasons why God may sometimes choose not to reveal Himself to us. We also take a deep dive into some of the reasons God may seem hard to find, despite His obvious presence. Throughout this section, Mike exposes the lies behind the consumerist mindset prevalent in the modern church, reminding us that life with Jesus WILL be fulfilling, but it is certainly not guaranteed to be easy. In fact, God may even use our unanswered prayers for comfort and healing to draw us closer to Him.
In Part Two of Astonished, we explore the nature of faith, particularly why faith is so difficult for so many of us. We see that genuine faith requires mystery, desperation, and surrender—none of which we are culturally conditioned to tolerate, let alone embrace. Only when we lean into the discomfort of a God who defies classification and who refuses to take the backseat to our own comforts are we able discover the God who is worthy of our wholehearted devotion. (This section pairs well with Barnabas Piper’s Help My Unbelief, which explores this topic even further.)
The book’s third and final section looks at the nature of the faith-filled life. This type of life involves a genuine waking up to God’s presence and work all around us. Mike is honest about the ways this faith-filled life might not look exactly like we expected or hoped it would: it is filled with joy but also sorrow and lament; it requires trust in the presence of fear; and it demands that we humbly relinquish our image management and our worldly obsession with success, strength, and power so that Christ’s glory may be displayed through us.
So did Astonished live up to its subtitle of “recapturing the wonder, awe, and mystery of life with God”? ABSOLUTELY it did! This book highlighted the ways that my dissecting and analyzing of God and His Word have hindered my ability to experience God’s wonder. I was reminded that we follow a God who is beyond mortal comprehension. In His gracious loving-kindness, our God desires for us to know Him at a deeply personal level—and this knowingness requires a relinquishment of expectations, perceptions, and obsessive searching for answers.
This review first appeared on my personal blog, https://kendranicole.net/astonished-b...
Please visit my site for more book reviews: https://kendranicole.net/category/boo...
Though I’ve since encountered similar styles of teaching, Mike Erre’s sermons were my first exposure to this type of mind-blowing Biblical examination, and I continue to benefit from Mike’s Biblical deep-dives on his weekly podcast. With Astonished, Mike brings much of what I loved about his sermons to the page, introducing readers to a side of God that many of us have never experienced.
In a nutshell, Astonished is about “the wildness of God and the adventure of faith.” Throughout the book, Mike illustrates how Jesus should get bigger the longer we walk with him. Unfortunately, many followers of Jesus become so consumed by doctrines, traditions, institutions, and policies that we take our gaze off of Christ and soon grow bored. Our domesticating of Jesus—done in the name of Christianity—ultimately subverts our vital, Biblical faith. In Astonished, we are reintroduced to the wonder, awe, and mystery of life following a God who surprises us in the most unexpected places and in the most astounding ways.
The book’s first section is dedicated to helping us understand the nature of a God who is not at all predictable, and not always easily recognized. In what I found to be the most revelatory portion of the book, we examine reasons why God may sometimes choose not to reveal Himself to us. We also take a deep dive into some of the reasons God may seem hard to find, despite His obvious presence. Throughout this section, Mike exposes the lies behind the consumerist mindset prevalent in the modern church, reminding us that life with Jesus WILL be fulfilling, but it is certainly not guaranteed to be easy. In fact, God may even use our unanswered prayers for comfort and healing to draw us closer to Him.
In Part Two of Astonished, we explore the nature of faith, particularly why faith is so difficult for so many of us. We see that genuine faith requires mystery, desperation, and surrender—none of which we are culturally conditioned to tolerate, let alone embrace. Only when we lean into the discomfort of a God who defies classification and who refuses to take the backseat to our own comforts are we able discover the God who is worthy of our wholehearted devotion. (This section pairs well with Barnabas Piper’s Help My Unbelief, which explores this topic even further.)
The book’s third and final section looks at the nature of the faith-filled life. This type of life involves a genuine waking up to God’s presence and work all around us. Mike is honest about the ways this faith-filled life might not look exactly like we expected or hoped it would: it is filled with joy but also sorrow and lament; it requires trust in the presence of fear; and it demands that we humbly relinquish our image management and our worldly obsession with success, strength, and power so that Christ’s glory may be displayed through us.
So did Astonished live up to its subtitle of “recapturing the wonder, awe, and mystery of life with God”? ABSOLUTELY it did! This book highlighted the ways that my dissecting and analyzing of God and His Word have hindered my ability to experience God’s wonder. I was reminded that we follow a God who is beyond mortal comprehension. In His gracious loving-kindness, our God desires for us to know Him at a deeply personal level—and this knowingness requires a relinquishment of expectations, perceptions, and obsessive searching for answers.
This review first appeared on my personal blog, https://kendranicole.net/astonished-b...
Please visit my site for more book reviews: https://kendranicole.net/category/boo...
September 22, 2019
Pastor Erre makes several cogent points: 1. God is too big for us to confine him in a mental "box"; 2. God often does exactly the opposite of what we expect Him to do; and 3. the closer we get to God, the more mysterious He should become, not less.
(Editing oversights found in the Kindle text of Astonished:
Page 63, more about that later too / more about that later, too ; 106, Stability is a principle value / Stability is a PRINCIPAL value ; 107, Mystics acknowledge the enormity of the unknown / Mystics acknowledge the IMMENSITY of the unknown ; 108, it should remove mystery not reinforce it / it should remove mystery, not reinforce it ; 120, Perhaps, we're actually doing Jesus a disservice the more we try / Perhaps we're actually doing Jesus a disservice, the more we try (move comma) ;
Page 151, place where we die too / place where we die, too ;171, meteorologist sees stratus, cumulous, or cirrus clouds / meteorologist sees stratus, CUMULUS, or cirrus clouds ; 174, the belief you already do / the belief THAT you already do ; 218, concerned with other's thoughts about me / concerned with OTHERS' thoughts about me .)
(Editing oversights found in the Kindle text of Astonished:
Page 63, more about that later too / more about that later, too ; 106, Stability is a principle value / Stability is a PRINCIPAL value ; 107, Mystics acknowledge the enormity of the unknown / Mystics acknowledge the IMMENSITY of the unknown ; 108, it should remove mystery not reinforce it / it should remove mystery, not reinforce it ; 120, Perhaps, we're actually doing Jesus a disservice the more we try / Perhaps we're actually doing Jesus a disservice, the more we try (move comma) ;
Page 151, place where we die too / place where we die, too ;171, meteorologist sees stratus, cumulous, or cirrus clouds / meteorologist sees stratus, CUMULUS, or cirrus clouds ; 174, the belief you already do / the belief THAT you already do ; 218, concerned with other's thoughts about me / concerned with OTHERS' thoughts about me .)
May 29, 2020
Sometimes, I wonder why I read books like this one. I'm generally disappointed because they don't really tell me anything that all the others didn't. This one is honest and covers the material well. The problem may be with me. One of the positives from the book is that it argued well for one side of an internal debate about walking by faith vs seeing God's hand. I don't know whether I have settled that debate in my mind, but it helped.
March 25, 2018
Mike challenges the reader to not let knowledge about God decrease the mystery, wonder and awe about God but rather the more knowledge we have, the bigger or sense of mystery and awe should become. Intriguing read.
Mike also talks a good deal about the necessity of lament for the believer. This is a lost art and should be something Christians relearn to incorporare into daily life.
Mike also talks a good deal about the necessity of lament for the believer. This is a lost art and should be something Christians relearn to incorporare into daily life.
September 14, 2022
Great Book
This book was a pleasure to read. Mike Erre is a great thinker and he has such a real and well read relationship with the scriptures. He is able to unpack and demystify aspects of knowing and following God. He also is able to do so in a way that is easy to read and well thought out.
This book was a pleasure to read. Mike Erre is a great thinker and he has such a real and well read relationship with the scriptures. He is able to unpack and demystify aspects of knowing and following God. He also is able to do so in a way that is easy to read and well thought out.
March 2, 2018
Could not finish this one. This would've been the second Erre book I read (the first being Jesus of Suburbia), but this one was so boring. I got 20% in and he just kept losing me. The writing style seemed immature and it was almost a contest to see how many verses he could include in one page.
February 26, 2019
I wasn't overwhelmed at first and decided to skim through the book. Then it suddenly came alive and became outstanding. I plan to re-read it, pen and marker in hand. I would definitely recommend this book to Christians who seek to deepen their walk.
July 23, 2019
I enjoyed this book because it made me feel more comfortable with the mysteriousness of God!
July 7, 2021
Very good and some great points. I hope that this one sticks with me and that I can feel the wonder and awe of God everyday.
March 21, 2015
Mike Erre is not afraid of difficult questions: Why do people talk about God ‘hiding’ from us? Can we really figure out what faith means? Have we missed the point of Jesus’ teaching, and made Christianity into our God?
It’s a book that made me stop and think, which gave me encouragement that post-modern openness and questioning is acceptable even in some evangelical circles; that there’s much more to faith and God than many would have us believe. I found the brief anecdotes and forays into the author's life experiences to be interesting; I was particularly moved by brief mentions of his son, born with Down Syndrome, and evidently one of the lights of his life.
A lot of the underlying - albeit gentle - criticism in this book is against the materialist and rigidly modernist views held in some American mega-churches. We UK Christians usually have a lot more grey areas, where views like those of the author are discussed, and accepted, so these parts weren't so relevant to me.
The subtitle of ‘Astonished’ is: ‘Recapturing the wonder, awe and mystery of life with God’. While that’s a tall order, I would say that this book could help people on their way to doing exactly that, so long as they’re prepared to be open to the possibility that they might be wrong in some of their understanding about the nature of God and what it means to follow Jesus.
Recommended.
It’s a book that made me stop and think, which gave me encouragement that post-modern openness and questioning is acceptable even in some evangelical circles; that there’s much more to faith and God than many would have us believe. I found the brief anecdotes and forays into the author's life experiences to be interesting; I was particularly moved by brief mentions of his son, born with Down Syndrome, and evidently one of the lights of his life.
A lot of the underlying - albeit gentle - criticism in this book is against the materialist and rigidly modernist views held in some American mega-churches. We UK Christians usually have a lot more grey areas, where views like those of the author are discussed, and accepted, so these parts weren't so relevant to me.
The subtitle of ‘Astonished’ is: ‘Recapturing the wonder, awe and mystery of life with God’. While that’s a tall order, I would say that this book could help people on their way to doing exactly that, so long as they’re prepared to be open to the possibility that they might be wrong in some of their understanding about the nature of God and what it means to follow Jesus.
Recommended.
February 6, 2015
So much food for thought here. I'm talking serious contemplation and introspection. I loved Mike Erre's teaching back in the days he was the teaching pastor at Rock Harbor. He kept it real and he had a talent for making what felt like old stories seem new and earth shattering. I knew this book was going to be good. He brings his usual knowledge and passion to the table in this study of mystery and faith, but what was pleasantly surprising to me was the tone of quiet humility throughout. There's no shouting here because he lets God and the reality of living a life of faith speak for itself.
This isn't a book to be raced through. I found myself having to re-read many parts to let them sink in. I would suggest making time and space for reading this book.
If you've ever felt infuriated by someone telling you "God will never give you more than you can handle", been disappointed with false promises given to you from a pulpit, or struggled with trying to "figure out" God, or even felt bored with faith, this book is for you.
This isn't a book to be raced through. I found myself having to re-read many parts to let them sink in. I would suggest making time and space for reading this book.
If you've ever felt infuriated by someone telling you "God will never give you more than you can handle", been disappointed with false promises given to you from a pulpit, or struggled with trying to "figure out" God, or even felt bored with faith, this book is for you.
February 19, 2016
A friend said........
A friend said to me how much he loved this book and believes it to be the best book he had ever read, he then added that he believed every Christian should read read it. So on this alone I read it but felt that some of the points raised would challenge my theology from comments made by the said friend. Well I have to say I loved this down to earth no hype book, all his points are valid and I love that he addressed some of the wider views of the current GOD is here and all is going to be amazing stand point. I believe GOD is in coke and as Mike says that does not mean every pray and need is met as we expect it to. To understand this clearly or clearer read this book and be open to the questions tee raised and then debated. I do recommend this book as does my friend obviously.
A friend said to me how much he loved this book and believes it to be the best book he had ever read, he then added that he believed every Christian should read read it. So on this alone I read it but felt that some of the points raised would challenge my theology from comments made by the said friend. Well I have to say I loved this down to earth no hype book, all his points are valid and I love that he addressed some of the wider views of the current GOD is here and all is going to be amazing stand point. I believe GOD is in coke and as Mike says that does not mean every pray and need is met as we expect it to. To understand this clearly or clearer read this book and be open to the questions tee raised and then debated. I do recommend this book as does my friend obviously.
October 6, 2015
Astonished: Recapturing the Wonder, Awe, and Mystery of Life with God Kindle Edition
by Mike Erre (Author)
2014
In Astonished by Mike Erre we are reminded to and encouraged to stay thirsty for God. We thirst for real living and true living is found when we allow ourselves to grow deeper in Christ. Instead of escape or pretense God wants us to truly thirst for Christ.
Mike Erre reminds us that God wants us to wake up and pay more attention. We are reminded too that God is not the author of evil.
If you are looking for a book that reminds you to be Astonished by God and his works than this book is just the ticket.
Five out of five stars
Happy Reading
by Mike Erre (Author)
2014
In Astonished by Mike Erre we are reminded to and encouraged to stay thirsty for God. We thirst for real living and true living is found when we allow ourselves to grow deeper in Christ. Instead of escape or pretense God wants us to truly thirst for Christ.
Mike Erre reminds us that God wants us to wake up and pay more attention. We are reminded too that God is not the author of evil.
If you are looking for a book that reminds you to be Astonished by God and his works than this book is just the ticket.
Five out of five stars
Happy Reading
September 11, 2014
Excellent. the way Mike Erre presents Christianity is so simple and beautiful. Astonished isn't a book complaining about modern Christianity, but one that encourages the reader to work through the fluff / controversy / noise and focus on the love of God.
If you listen to Erre's sermons then some of the book is basically a fine-tuning on Sunday morning messages. It was easy to read, but challenging enough for mature Christians. I love Erre's approach to bringing the Gospel message to Christians, it's exciting and interesting.
If you listen to Erre's sermons then some of the book is basically a fine-tuning on Sunday morning messages. It was easy to read, but challenging enough for mature Christians. I love Erre's approach to bringing the Gospel message to Christians, it's exciting and interesting.
August 22, 2016
I thoroughly enjoy this book. I'm going to have to reread it whenever I get in a slump. Oh, the wonder, awe, and mystery of living a life with God, that says it all. We have a holy advantage, we shouldn't have discontent ruling our lives. I get it! Thanks Mike Erre
September 30, 2016
Meh - not an "astonishing" book, per se, but average at best in emphasizing the existential and subjective measure of God, with little emphasis on the objectivity of our faith in Christ Jesus, who has saved us.
November 18, 2014
Pastor Mike is about as honest as any mortal can be. If you want to be re-astonished in your life with God get this book. If you want to see why the church is not astonished by God get this book.
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