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Holiness in a Restless World
The Bible is filled with stories of wandering, restlessness, dispersion, and coming home―stories in which the people of God are looking for a place to belong in God’s world even as they are also invited to welcome others into God’s household. These themes are familiar to Christians today because some of us feel like prodigals and wanderers, not quite at home in the place where we find ourselves, yet called to create home for the outsiders around us. In Holiness in a Restless World, Joshua R. Sweeden and Nell M. Becker Sweeden explore the ways that Christians can pursue a holy life that is grounded in restfulness. When rest is absent from our lives, we can become unsettled and develop shortsighted notions about the nature of a holy life, but the Sweedens present holy rest as the bedrock for faithful Christian engagement with the world.
128 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2022
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April 16, 2023The central idea: Holiness is not found in heroic actions, but everyday living.
Summary of the chapters from my notes:
1. Christians can be seduced by heroic stories and glory. Holiness is rather about self-sacrificial kenotic love.
2. Christians can be seduced by producing results. Holiness is rather about growth in Christ.
3. Christians can be seduced by destinations. Holiness is rather about learning to practice habits of holy living (think Aristotle's virtuous man, except the goal being the person of Christ - same idea as NT Wright's "After You Believe")
Part 2: Corrections to this mindset.
4. Voluntary displacement - moving into uncomfortable postures for the sake of the world. "Work toward your hardest goodbye." is a great quote from this chapter. Personally, having been "involuntarily displaced" for over a year now just makes me realize how exhausting this is to live out. We are built with a sense of belonging and not having this is difficult to sustain. I'm not sure if this is a healthy goal.
5. Wonder - Seeing the ordinary as wonderous. Chesterton would like this chapter.
6. Humility - Being humble, rather than acting humble. Kenosis as humility. Jesus' triumphant rule is a humble one: The kenotic reign of God will one day be recognized as the true order of the world.
Our lives should be seen as pilgrimages on our journey to oneness with God.
Summary of the chapters from my notes:
1. Christians can be seduced by heroic stories and glory. Holiness is rather about self-sacrificial kenotic love.
2. Christians can be seduced by producing results. Holiness is rather about growth in Christ.
3. Christians can be seduced by destinations. Holiness is rather about learning to practice habits of holy living (think Aristotle's virtuous man, except the goal being the person of Christ - same idea as NT Wright's "After You Believe")
Part 2: Corrections to this mindset.
4. Voluntary displacement - moving into uncomfortable postures for the sake of the world. "Work toward your hardest goodbye." is a great quote from this chapter. Personally, having been "involuntarily displaced" for over a year now just makes me realize how exhausting this is to live out. We are built with a sense of belonging and not having this is difficult to sustain. I'm not sure if this is a healthy goal.
5. Wonder - Seeing the ordinary as wonderous. Chesterton would like this chapter.
6. Humility - Being humble, rather than acting humble. Kenosis as humility. Jesus' triumphant rule is a humble one: The kenotic reign of God will one day be recognized as the true order of the world.
Our lives should be seen as pilgrimages on our journey to oneness with God.
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