The Discipline of Surrender: Biblical Images of Discipleship

by Douglas D. Webster

Do you swing back and forth between guilty passivity before God and exhausting activity for God? You're not alone. This pattern is familiar to many Christians who struggle with discipleship every day. In The Discipline of Surrender pastor Douglas Webster will help you grapple with and move beyond this frustrating--and false--dilemma. Here he shows how Christian discipleship brings together the vitality of discipline and the peace of a continuing surrender to the initiative of God. Drawing your attention to rich images used throughout the Bible, Webster shows how they illuminate the heart and soul of life in Christ. Images of altar and lamb, thorn and trumpet, farmer's yoke and shepherd's staff powerfully convey the pattern of your life as God's disciple. Images such as towel and basin, manna and donkey humbly serve as God's object lessons--capturing your prayerful imagination and propelling you toward a life of courage, humility and flat-out dependence on God. Profound and practical, The Discipline of Surrender opens a new window on your experience of Christian discipleship. Here is a deeper, richer and biblically sound resource for your spiritual nourishment.

Genres: Discipleship

130 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Douglas D. Webster is Professor of Pastoral Theology and Preaching at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama.

Reviews

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. It changed my outlook entirely.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Webster focuses on thirteen different images from the biblical text, chosen randomly, but all consistent with the theme of surrender. A few of the more unremarkable images at first sight, such as a rooster and Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (how do you depict that?), turned out to be the most impactful. Webster stands as a prophet, calling Christians back to a cruciform identity in an era when they are more wealthy and, arguably, more influential than ever before. Some of the images Webster sites provoke more reflection than others. Still, pleasant surprises await if you pick up, and don’t give up on, this little volume.