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Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now
A "Holy Habit" That Will Change Your Life! Experience true spiritual invite God's presence into your life! Popular author, theologian, and pastor Gregory Boyd shows you how--simply, practically, and effectively--in this thoughtful and accessible book. He is present in every given moment. Wake up to his presence! Turn off the mental chatter that keeps you from seeing his glory. Embrace the holy habit of inviting God's presence into your life, and be transformed! We long to be transformed. Yet our minds are filled with endless trivia and self-centered chatter. To-do lists. Worries about the past. Speculation about the future. We forget to live in the present moment . . . and to invite God to be with us there. After reading classic contemplative authors Brother Lawrence, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, and Frank Laubach, theologian and pastor Gregory Boyd longed to experience the presence of God for himself. For two decades, he's attempted to implement the "practice of the presence of God" in his own life . . . sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing. What he's learned as a fellow pilgrim on his spiritual journey can help you find true spiritual transformation as you begin to practice the discipline of inviting God into every moment. "I've become absolutely convinced that remaining aware of God's presence moment-by-moment is the single most important task in the life of every follower of Jesus," Boyd writes. "I'm convinced this challenge is implied in our commitment to surrender our life to Christ, for the only real life we have to surrender to him is the one we live moment-by-moment." Join Boyd on this transformational journey of a lifetime!
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2010
92 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
About the author
Gregory A. Boyd
94 books350 followersGregory A. Boyd is the founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn., and founder and president of ReKnew. He was a professor of theology at Bethel College (St. Paul, Minn.) for sixteen years where he continues to serve as an Adjunct Professor.
Greg is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (BA), Yale Divinity School (M.Div), and Princeton Theological Seminary (PhD). Greg is a national and international speaker at churches, colleges, conferences, and retreats, and has appeared on numerous radio and television shows. He has also authored and coauthored eighteen books prior to Present Perfect, including The Myth of a Christian Religion, The Myth of a Christian Nation, The Jesus Legend (with Paul Eddy), Seeing Is Believing, Repenting of Religion, and his international bestseller Letters from a Skeptic.
Greg is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (BA), Yale Divinity School (M.Div), and Princeton Theological Seminary (PhD). Greg is a national and international speaker at churches, colleges, conferences, and retreats, and has appeared on numerous radio and television shows. He has also authored and coauthored eighteen books prior to Present Perfect, including The Myth of a Christian Religion, The Myth of a Christian Nation, The Jesus Legend (with Paul Eddy), Seeing Is Believing, Repenting of Religion, and his international bestseller Letters from a Skeptic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 15, 2025
This book takes you beyond all the head knowledge to living with a constant awareness of God’s presence. So helpful for me!
August 22, 2016
While I found this book helpful, I cannot recommend it.
The strengths of this book:
- It helps to remind Christians that God is constantly working, always present, and that his love and care for those of us in Chri-st are constant. This is such a great truth, and Boyd emphasizes it heavily.
- It helps readers to implement strategies that may help us be mindful of God's presence and care (and reality) throughout the day. This book is a great antidote for the Deistic Newtonian worldview we've all inherited in the West.
The weaknesses of this book:
- Boyd challenges his readers to remain "in the present moment" because "nothing is real" except the present. While I appreciate that he may be using this strong rhetoric to get us to stop dwelling too much on the past (which we can't change) and the future (which we are unable to predict), the reality is that the past is real and the future is real. They both simultaneously exist in the mind of God and externally of us. We may say: "Well, fine, for God the past and the future are real, but not for us who are trapped in the present." But while this is true, saying the that the present is the only thing that is real is then to say that our perception of reality is reality. This is simply not the case. Besides, Paul teaches us to consider our present in light of both the past and the future we have in Christ. The book smacks of me-centered, man-centered philosophy.
- Boyd's Scriptural citations often do not support his points. His chapter on how the NT teaches what he's advocating is flimsy.
- Boyd encourages us, as we seek to find God's leading in the present moment, to go with our instincts and with our gut despite the fact that the corruption of the sinful nature is still with Christians. He overtly tells us not to second guess ourselves. This does not take into account the fact that sin is still with us. In fact, sin is barely addressed in this book at all.
- Boyd addresses claims that he is espousing "New Age" ideas by simply saying that he isn't. He says that the ideas in the book come from two 17th century sources and therefore, can't be "new" age. This, of course, is horrible argument. Just because something is old doesn't mean its right. On top of that, it is possible (indeed historically verifiable) that religious thinkers from different eras and different religious traditions often fall into the same pool of ideas. Some mystics from the Christian tradition end up becoming practical gnostics or pantheists, espousing ideas that you see in the Hindu Vedas or from the Buddha. Similarly, many modern thinkers from the Christian tradition end up espousing the same truths that atheist thinkers support, etc. etc. You get the idea. Boyd never addresses his ideas and the ideas of New Age (or hindu) thinkers in order to show the difference. I'll leave it to the reader to decide if he's adding teachings to the faith that are outside of the Faith once delivered.
SUM: The book will be helpful to someone who is grounded in historic, orthodox Christian theology. It will helpful also if the reader has studied Eastern philosophy as well... since much of what Boyd is articulating resembles Easter mysticism as well. The challenge of the book makes it worth reading for a crusty old Christian: "Do you really seek God moment by moment?!" A question worth answering.
The strengths of this book:
- It helps to remind Christians that God is constantly working, always present, and that his love and care for those of us in Chri-st are constant. This is such a great truth, and Boyd emphasizes it heavily.
- It helps readers to implement strategies that may help us be mindful of God's presence and care (and reality) throughout the day. This book is a great antidote for the Deistic Newtonian worldview we've all inherited in the West.
The weaknesses of this book:
- Boyd challenges his readers to remain "in the present moment" because "nothing is real" except the present. While I appreciate that he may be using this strong rhetoric to get us to stop dwelling too much on the past (which we can't change) and the future (which we are unable to predict), the reality is that the past is real and the future is real. They both simultaneously exist in the mind of God and externally of us. We may say: "Well, fine, for God the past and the future are real, but not for us who are trapped in the present." But while this is true, saying the that the present is the only thing that is real is then to say that our perception of reality is reality. This is simply not the case. Besides, Paul teaches us to consider our present in light of both the past and the future we have in Christ. The book smacks of me-centered, man-centered philosophy.
- Boyd's Scriptural citations often do not support his points. His chapter on how the NT teaches what he's advocating is flimsy.
- Boyd encourages us, as we seek to find God's leading in the present moment, to go with our instincts and with our gut despite the fact that the corruption of the sinful nature is still with Christians. He overtly tells us not to second guess ourselves. This does not take into account the fact that sin is still with us. In fact, sin is barely addressed in this book at all.
- Boyd addresses claims that he is espousing "New Age" ideas by simply saying that he isn't. He says that the ideas in the book come from two 17th century sources and therefore, can't be "new" age. This, of course, is horrible argument. Just because something is old doesn't mean its right. On top of that, it is possible (indeed historically verifiable) that religious thinkers from different eras and different religious traditions often fall into the same pool of ideas. Some mystics from the Christian tradition end up becoming practical gnostics or pantheists, espousing ideas that you see in the Hindu Vedas or from the Buddha. Similarly, many modern thinkers from the Christian tradition end up espousing the same truths that atheist thinkers support, etc. etc. You get the idea. Boyd never addresses his ideas and the ideas of New Age (or hindu) thinkers in order to show the difference. I'll leave it to the reader to decide if he's adding teachings to the faith that are outside of the Faith once delivered.
SUM: The book will be helpful to someone who is grounded in historic, orthodox Christian theology. It will helpful also if the reader has studied Eastern philosophy as well... since much of what Boyd is articulating resembles Easter mysticism as well. The challenge of the book makes it worth reading for a crusty old Christian: "Do you really seek God moment by moment?!" A question worth answering.
April 9, 2024
Very enlightening and inspiring. I had never heard of the spiritual discipline of practicing the presence of God before. It feels very challenging to literally take every moment captive, to think of every person, even murderers, as loved children of God, and to think in terms of "we" (Jesus and myself) rather than "me". Actually, it seems impossible, which, as Greg Boyd asserted, is the whole point! We CAN'T do it using our own will power, we have to rely on God. I loved the practical chapter extensions with exercises. Those took this discipline from an abstract concept to one that I can actually practice. I love the way Greg Boyd always tells us what we already know, but applies it in a way that feels like a revolution and common sense at the same time.
February 2, 2022
Since reading Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach I’ve been interested in living in moment-by-moment communion with God. Boyd’s book was a welcome companion on this journey.
May 10, 2010
I was both humbled and enthralled with Gregory A. Boyd's perspective about having a living, breathing relationship with our Heavenly Father that wasn't boxed in, legalistic or filled with "Need to do" or "To do", but instead, about the fact, it's not about living and experiencing our Father yesterday or tomorrow, or when the time is perfect, but rather, experiencing Him, right now, in the present.
What I enjoyed about reading, "Present Perfect" , besides the fact that I found myself constantly nodding in silent agreement, but how as Christians, we sometimes tend to treat our Father as someone who is "only there" on "Sundays" or when we are in need, versus Someone who is there for us and with us 24/7 and not a light switch that we just turn on and off in our lives.
This is not an easy read for it will both encourage, but occassional leave one with that convicted, "Ooo....good point there", such as the example Gregory Boyd shares, when he writes, "Suppose a woman in your neighborhood had her husband walk out on her and is in despair. Everyone on the block knows this woman "had it coming" for it was common knowledge that she cheated on her husband, drank too much, and was a "miserable nag."
But Gregory hits it hard when he adds, "Yet knowing that God didn't give you what you deserved, you understand you can't anyone else to account for what they may deserve."
What Gregory does in, "Present Perfect" , is exposed how easy it is for us to become too comfortable in our walk that we become a little too much like the world, sometimes then we care to admit.
He turns around and challenges us to not treat our Father unconsciously or consciously as the world would, but really, cast away our cultural conditioning and cast on our Heavenly Father's conditioning and truly look at the world as He sees it, evoking memories such as Jesus confronting not the adulterous woman, but the Pharisees who were about to stone her.
"Present Perfect" , is highly recommended for those who are ready or wanting to have a much closer relationship with our Heavenly Father, not based on what others may think or the "group thought", but rather, really taking things on using our Fathers "thought".
I particularly enjoyed how Gregory Boyd challenges the readers to really, take our lives, everything, however mundane and living fully, in an act of worship and service to our Heavenly Father, for us to be fully transformed by Him and not holding Him at bay for when it suits us or our cultural comfort.
This is about not inviting our Father in schedule moments but fully inviting Him into our lives, every waking moment and letting Him shine in and through us to the world.
I really enjoy reading this book and fear that by the time I finish re-reading it, more than just a few times, that it will be highlighted, creased, notes written in the corner, references and more.
What I enjoyed about reading, "Present Perfect" , besides the fact that I found myself constantly nodding in silent agreement, but how as Christians, we sometimes tend to treat our Father as someone who is "only there" on "Sundays" or when we are in need, versus Someone who is there for us and with us 24/7 and not a light switch that we just turn on and off in our lives.
This is not an easy read for it will both encourage, but occassional leave one with that convicted, "Ooo....good point there", such as the example Gregory Boyd shares, when he writes, "Suppose a woman in your neighborhood had her husband walk out on her and is in despair. Everyone on the block knows this woman "had it coming" for it was common knowledge that she cheated on her husband, drank too much, and was a "miserable nag."
But Gregory hits it hard when he adds, "Yet knowing that God didn't give you what you deserved, you understand you can't anyone else to account for what they may deserve."
What Gregory does in, "Present Perfect" , is exposed how easy it is for us to become too comfortable in our walk that we become a little too much like the world, sometimes then we care to admit.
He turns around and challenges us to not treat our Father unconsciously or consciously as the world would, but really, cast away our cultural conditioning and cast on our Heavenly Father's conditioning and truly look at the world as He sees it, evoking memories such as Jesus confronting not the adulterous woman, but the Pharisees who were about to stone her.
"Present Perfect" , is highly recommended for those who are ready or wanting to have a much closer relationship with our Heavenly Father, not based on what others may think or the "group thought", but rather, really taking things on using our Fathers "thought".
I particularly enjoyed how Gregory Boyd challenges the readers to really, take our lives, everything, however mundane and living fully, in an act of worship and service to our Heavenly Father, for us to be fully transformed by Him and not holding Him at bay for when it suits us or our cultural comfort.
This is about not inviting our Father in schedule moments but fully inviting Him into our lives, every waking moment and letting Him shine in and through us to the world.
I really enjoy reading this book and fear that by the time I finish re-reading it, more than just a few times, that it will be highlighted, creased, notes written in the corner, references and more.
September 7, 2010
This review originally appeared on my blog, Jacob's Cafe.
As many people who know me well know, I love spiritual formation and exploring the spiritual disciplines. However, I also have a lot of criticism for most of the disciplines. My favorite has been the practice of the presence of God, particularly made famous by Brother Lawrence's book of the same name. That made me very excited to have the opportunity to review Gregory Boyd's Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now, made possible through a complimentary copy from Zondervan.
In this text, Boyd explores the practice of God's presence, particularly leaning on the works of Brother Lawrence, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, and Frank Laubach. While I was familiar with the former, I was not aware the latter two authors contributed to this little-known discipline.
Rather then a rehash of what practicing the presence of God is and how to live living in the present out, Boyd does a nice job of taking it to the next level. He explores the ways it can be beneficial in a modern era and also many of the modern hindrances to this practice. This approach makes the book very useful to people already familiar with the discipline and concept of living in the present. Further, Boyd's writing is very accessible, making it much easier to digest and interact with than old translations of Brother Lawrence's tome.
Boyd also takes a bit of a twist on the practice of the presence of God, emphasizing staying present as a way to accomplishing experiencing God's presence. This is an excellent approach, biblically, psychologically, and sociologically. Particularly in modern times, we are living in the past or the future, neither of which are where God is, as Boyd states. We need to remember to live in the now much more frequently. That is where we find God. There are plenty of hindrances to living in the present, many of which are psychological and which Boyd addresses quite well (that may be a topic for a future blog post). Presenting living in the present in such a hope-filled, life-enhancing way, Boyd encourages the readers to really struggle with themselves and with God in order to truly engage more effectively.
Additionally, the focus on staying present fits well with a lot of pop psychology, pop spirituality, and even true clinical psychology. Staying grounded in the moment is actually a clinical technique (and a very good, effective one). Intentionally or not, Boyd capitalizes on this trend and shows how it can be used to enhance our spirituality. Once again, psychology and spirituality need not be in conflict, but rather mutually supportive.
I highly recommend Present Perfect for both people struggling spiritually and who also want to grow spiritually. It's also one of the few books that explores an incarnational view of spirituality.
As many people who know me well know, I love spiritual formation and exploring the spiritual disciplines. However, I also have a lot of criticism for most of the disciplines. My favorite has been the practice of the presence of God, particularly made famous by Brother Lawrence's book of the same name. That made me very excited to have the opportunity to review Gregory Boyd's Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now, made possible through a complimentary copy from Zondervan.
In this text, Boyd explores the practice of God's presence, particularly leaning on the works of Brother Lawrence, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, and Frank Laubach. While I was familiar with the former, I was not aware the latter two authors contributed to this little-known discipline.
Rather then a rehash of what practicing the presence of God is and how to live living in the present out, Boyd does a nice job of taking it to the next level. He explores the ways it can be beneficial in a modern era and also many of the modern hindrances to this practice. This approach makes the book very useful to people already familiar with the discipline and concept of living in the present. Further, Boyd's writing is very accessible, making it much easier to digest and interact with than old translations of Brother Lawrence's tome.
Boyd also takes a bit of a twist on the practice of the presence of God, emphasizing staying present as a way to accomplishing experiencing God's presence. This is an excellent approach, biblically, psychologically, and sociologically. Particularly in modern times, we are living in the past or the future, neither of which are where God is, as Boyd states. We need to remember to live in the now much more frequently. That is where we find God. There are plenty of hindrances to living in the present, many of which are psychological and which Boyd addresses quite well (that may be a topic for a future blog post). Presenting living in the present in such a hope-filled, life-enhancing way, Boyd encourages the readers to really struggle with themselves and with God in order to truly engage more effectively.
Additionally, the focus on staying present fits well with a lot of pop psychology, pop spirituality, and even true clinical psychology. Staying grounded in the moment is actually a clinical technique (and a very good, effective one). Intentionally or not, Boyd capitalizes on this trend and shows how it can be used to enhance our spirituality. Once again, psychology and spirituality need not be in conflict, but rather mutually supportive.
I highly recommend Present Perfect for both people struggling spiritually and who also want to grow spiritually. It's also one of the few books that explores an incarnational view of spirituality.
May 16, 2022
"The present moment is all that is real. The past is gone. The future is not yet. We remember the past and anticipate the future, but we always do so in the present. Reality is always now. And the single most important aspect of reality is that God is present in it every moment. To forget that God is present in any given moment is to forget the most important aspect of that moment" (14-5).
"the only real life we have to surrender to [Jesus] is the one we live each moment" (16).
"Brother Lawrence encourages us to abolish the distinction between special times devoted to prayer and worship on the one hand, and 'ordinary' times when God is mostly excluded from our awareness on the other. Rather, he encourages us to aspire to transform every moment of our life into an act of prayer and worship" (16-7).
"Remaining aware of God's presence doesn't compete with our attention to other things; it augments it" (22).
"If we're ever going to experience the fullness of Life that the New Testament promises us, we're going to have to tear down the walls that compartmentalize the 'spiritual' and 'normal'" (29-30).
"We began our walk with God when we confessed our need for Jesus and pledged to surrender our life to him. But we often fail to notice that our pledge to surrender our life to Christ isn't itself the life we pledged to surrender. The life we pledged to surrender is the life we've lived each and every moment since we initially made the pledge to surrender our life...The important question is not, Did I once surrender my life to Christ? The important question is, Am I surrendered to Christ right now?" (30-1).
"We can't imagine we're following Jesus' teachings to trust God to provide for us because we trusted him in the past while today we're obsessed with providing for ourselves" (33).
"As Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, [God] longs for us to join in his eternal dance of perfect, ecstatic love. Our insatiable hunger for a depth of Life that only he can give is a sort of built-in 'homing device' intended to lead us to him...When we push God away, our homing device doesn't shut off. It simply gets redirected" (45-6).
"The truth is, merely believing Jesus is Lord no more makes him Lord of my Life than believing Kim Jong-il is the leader of North Korea makes me his follower. For Kim Jong-il to be my leader, I would need to submit my life to him and become a citizen of North Korea. So too, for Jesus to be my Lord, I need to submit my life to him and become a citizen of his Kingdom" (48).
"How much of your thought-life is spent in the past or future, and what is the purpose for this nonpresent thinking?" (51).
"The only way we can experience the fullness of Life is to give up trying to acquire it on our own" (52).
"Coming home is simply a matter of waking up from the illusion that you aren't already there" (55).
"We feel angst to the extent that we live as though our worth and significance was wrapped up with the vitality of our body and intellect and all that we might accomplish with our body and intellect" (67).
"anchored in the fullness of God's abundant Life right now, we are freed from the pointless, idolatrous exercise of judging our past or stressing out over the future" (71).
"We were meant to live life as a celebration of a fullness of Life we get from God rather than as a desperate attempt to get fullness of Life on our own" (74).
"The incomprehensible greatness of God's glory expressed in the unfathomable vastness of reality above us and unimaginable smallness and complexity of reality below us is exceeded only by the absolutely unlimited, unending, and unwavering perfection of God's love, revealed on Calvary" (81).
"To the extent that the way we experience ourselves and the world is determined by our flesh-mindset, we live as semiconscious slaves to whomever or whatever programmed us" (86).
"When we remain awake to God's loving presence in a given moment, we allow that moment to manifest God's Life rather than the preprogramming of our flesh-mindset" (90).
"Becoming single-minded doesn't mean we have only one thing on our mind. But it does mean that we strive to always include one thing on our mind, whatever else we may have on our mind. We are single-minded insofar as everything we think, feel, and do is done against the backdrop of God's ever-present love" (90).
"Whether directed toward ourselves or others, judgment always tends to lock in the thought, emotion, or activity we judge. Conversely, love that is given regardless of the negative things we see in ourselves or others always tends to liberate us and others...The very act of observing our autopilot programming in the light of God's love turns the autopilot off" (92).
"Why do so many Christians today spend more time listening to sermons or reading books than they do feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, welcoming outcasts, visiting prisoners, or engaging in other activities Jesus said should characterize Kingdom people? I suspect it's at least partly because many believe they are already living in the Kingdom by virtue of the fact that they're learning about the Kingdom" (99-100).
"The challenge of living in the Kingdom is not about figuring it out...The challenge, rather, is in submitting to it" (100).
"It's impossible to remain surrendered to God moment-by-moment and remain apathetic about things God is passionate about" (101).
"Our addiction to information inclines us toward mentally stimulating material that requires no sacrifice of our life and makes us restless with profoundly simple material that requires everything" (102).
The essence of love: "It's not about having a nice warm feeling toward another. It's about ascribing worth to another, at cost to ourselves when necessary" (103).
"As with most things in the New Testament, the challenge to love as Christ loved us--when we were yet enemies--is not in understanding it, but in obeying it" (105-6).
"The challenge, then, is not first and foremost to love like Christ. The challenge is to live in Christ's love, for only then can we love as Christ loved" (108).
"Jesus reveals that God is a God who is willing to set aside the blessedness of his own domain and become fully present to others. So too, we are called to be a people who are willing to set aside the comforts and conveniences of our own lives and become fully present to others" (120).
"What we see when we judge another are the things we judge rather than a human being whom God was willing to die for. Our judgment prevents us from seeing their unsurpassable worth and from imitating God's incarnational love" (122).
"knowing that God didn't give you what you deserved, you understand you can't hold anyone else to account for what they may deserve" (123).
"One can pour something divine into every situation" (Frank Laubauch).
"unless a person learns to find God as much in the ordinary as in the exciting, the exciting will do nothing more than serve as a momentary distraction" (135).
"The most trivial circumstance and most insignificant moment becomes a sacred moment when we invite God into it" (136).
"Followers of Jesus aren't to simply wait for God's Kingdom. To the contrary, our job is to manifest the Kingdom of God in the present moment" (149).
"the only real life we have to surrender to [Jesus] is the one we live each moment" (16).
"Brother Lawrence encourages us to abolish the distinction between special times devoted to prayer and worship on the one hand, and 'ordinary' times when God is mostly excluded from our awareness on the other. Rather, he encourages us to aspire to transform every moment of our life into an act of prayer and worship" (16-7).
"Remaining aware of God's presence doesn't compete with our attention to other things; it augments it" (22).
"If we're ever going to experience the fullness of Life that the New Testament promises us, we're going to have to tear down the walls that compartmentalize the 'spiritual' and 'normal'" (29-30).
"We began our walk with God when we confessed our need for Jesus and pledged to surrender our life to him. But we often fail to notice that our pledge to surrender our life to Christ isn't itself the life we pledged to surrender. The life we pledged to surrender is the life we've lived each and every moment since we initially made the pledge to surrender our life...The important question is not, Did I once surrender my life to Christ? The important question is, Am I surrendered to Christ right now?" (30-1).
"We can't imagine we're following Jesus' teachings to trust God to provide for us because we trusted him in the past while today we're obsessed with providing for ourselves" (33).
"As Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, [God] longs for us to join in his eternal dance of perfect, ecstatic love. Our insatiable hunger for a depth of Life that only he can give is a sort of built-in 'homing device' intended to lead us to him...When we push God away, our homing device doesn't shut off. It simply gets redirected" (45-6).
"The truth is, merely believing Jesus is Lord no more makes him Lord of my Life than believing Kim Jong-il is the leader of North Korea makes me his follower. For Kim Jong-il to be my leader, I would need to submit my life to him and become a citizen of North Korea. So too, for Jesus to be my Lord, I need to submit my life to him and become a citizen of his Kingdom" (48).
"How much of your thought-life is spent in the past or future, and what is the purpose for this nonpresent thinking?" (51).
"The only way we can experience the fullness of Life is to give up trying to acquire it on our own" (52).
"Coming home is simply a matter of waking up from the illusion that you aren't already there" (55).
"We feel angst to the extent that we live as though our worth and significance was wrapped up with the vitality of our body and intellect and all that we might accomplish with our body and intellect" (67).
"anchored in the fullness of God's abundant Life right now, we are freed from the pointless, idolatrous exercise of judging our past or stressing out over the future" (71).
"We were meant to live life as a celebration of a fullness of Life we get from God rather than as a desperate attempt to get fullness of Life on our own" (74).
"The incomprehensible greatness of God's glory expressed in the unfathomable vastness of reality above us and unimaginable smallness and complexity of reality below us is exceeded only by the absolutely unlimited, unending, and unwavering perfection of God's love, revealed on Calvary" (81).
"To the extent that the way we experience ourselves and the world is determined by our flesh-mindset, we live as semiconscious slaves to whomever or whatever programmed us" (86).
"When we remain awake to God's loving presence in a given moment, we allow that moment to manifest God's Life rather than the preprogramming of our flesh-mindset" (90).
"Becoming single-minded doesn't mean we have only one thing on our mind. But it does mean that we strive to always include one thing on our mind, whatever else we may have on our mind. We are single-minded insofar as everything we think, feel, and do is done against the backdrop of God's ever-present love" (90).
"Whether directed toward ourselves or others, judgment always tends to lock in the thought, emotion, or activity we judge. Conversely, love that is given regardless of the negative things we see in ourselves or others always tends to liberate us and others...The very act of observing our autopilot programming in the light of God's love turns the autopilot off" (92).
"Why do so many Christians today spend more time listening to sermons or reading books than they do feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, welcoming outcasts, visiting prisoners, or engaging in other activities Jesus said should characterize Kingdom people? I suspect it's at least partly because many believe they are already living in the Kingdom by virtue of the fact that they're learning about the Kingdom" (99-100).
"The challenge of living in the Kingdom is not about figuring it out...The challenge, rather, is in submitting to it" (100).
"It's impossible to remain surrendered to God moment-by-moment and remain apathetic about things God is passionate about" (101).
"Our addiction to information inclines us toward mentally stimulating material that requires no sacrifice of our life and makes us restless with profoundly simple material that requires everything" (102).
The essence of love: "It's not about having a nice warm feeling toward another. It's about ascribing worth to another, at cost to ourselves when necessary" (103).
"As with most things in the New Testament, the challenge to love as Christ loved us--when we were yet enemies--is not in understanding it, but in obeying it" (105-6).
"The challenge, then, is not first and foremost to love like Christ. The challenge is to live in Christ's love, for only then can we love as Christ loved" (108).
"Jesus reveals that God is a God who is willing to set aside the blessedness of his own domain and become fully present to others. So too, we are called to be a people who are willing to set aside the comforts and conveniences of our own lives and become fully present to others" (120).
"What we see when we judge another are the things we judge rather than a human being whom God was willing to die for. Our judgment prevents us from seeing their unsurpassable worth and from imitating God's incarnational love" (122).
"knowing that God didn't give you what you deserved, you understand you can't hold anyone else to account for what they may deserve" (123).
"One can pour something divine into every situation" (Frank Laubauch).
"unless a person learns to find God as much in the ordinary as in the exciting, the exciting will do nothing more than serve as a momentary distraction" (135).
"The most trivial circumstance and most insignificant moment becomes a sacred moment when we invite God into it" (136).
"Followers of Jesus aren't to simply wait for God's Kingdom. To the contrary, our job is to manifest the Kingdom of God in the present moment" (149).
September 23, 2015
When I purchased "Present Perfect" I was unaware that it was a book about a specific spiritual discipline. This deviates quite nicely from Boyd's usual style of writing, in that it is not information or theology driven. Present Perfect in a nutshell is a book about becoming aware (waking up) and staying attuned to God's presence in and around you at every present moment of your life. Boyd states, "I’ve become absolutely convinced that remaining aware of God’s presence is the single most important task in the life of every follower of Jesus". Admittedly, this is no easy task, but is something to be practiced and grown into on a daily basis. Boyd extracts the teachings of this discipline from three primary authors: Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Frank Labauch, and Brother Lawrence and brings them together very nicely for the average laymen to understand. I believe, as does Boyd, that this awareness is the key to lasting joy, confidence, and fulfillment in the Christian's life.
If you sense something missing in your walk with Christ and your soul is longing for something more, perhaps this is it... a sense of awareness of God's presence in your day-to-day life. And, now is the time to learn how to become aware of Him who loves us. "Present Perfect" by Gregory Boyd is the perfect book to help us with this much needed discipline. I highly recommend it.
If you sense something missing in your walk with Christ and your soul is longing for something more, perhaps this is it... a sense of awareness of God's presence in your day-to-day life. And, now is the time to learn how to become aware of Him who loves us. "Present Perfect" by Gregory Boyd is the perfect book to help us with this much needed discipline. I highly recommend it.
August 4, 2014
A book about trying to put into practice the discipline famously encouraged by Brother Lawrence of Practising the Presence of God. Also influenced by J-P de Caussade and Frank Laubach (missionary to Philippines in 1930s). It is really about how to aim to stay awake to God's presence moment by moment. Asserts that practising the presence of God is the most important spiritual discipline we can practise. Involves moment-by-moment decisions to surrender to lordship of Christ and reject various idols, which keep us in the flesh i.e. trying to find Life in something other than God. Refusing to live in past and future where we often go to bolster our sense of worth and significance but to live in the present with God.
Possible for this to become religious, intense, super-spiritual; but I think that he is mindful of those dangers and discourages them. Not doing this out of guilt and keeping it 'light-hearted' is some of its best bits of advice. I would question that the present moment is the only reality, but I understand what he means. I am not sure I would connect this practice to lordship as he does because I can live under the rule of a king and still not always be conscious of that king. I'd relate it less to rule and more to relationship.
Possible for this to become religious, intense, super-spiritual; but I think that he is mindful of those dangers and discourages them. Not doing this out of guilt and keeping it 'light-hearted' is some of its best bits of advice. I would question that the present moment is the only reality, but I understand what he means. I am not sure I would connect this practice to lordship as he does because I can live under the rule of a king and still not always be conscious of that king. I'd relate it less to rule and more to relationship.
February 12, 2020
Reading this book could not have come at a better time for me. Every chapter of this book spoke truth into how difficult it seems, yet simple it really is seek and find the presence of God in every day life. Since beginning this book (because the whole thing is an adventure), I have been challenged and encouraged, and now I feel more equipped than ever to live as Christ did, knowing that God is ever-present and ever-loving.
The truth is, you need this book. If you’re feeling like you can’t find God, you need this book. If you feel like you’re at a good place, you still need this book (because complacency is also a very real problem). If you just want a good book to challenge your faith and provide you with new ways to live out your calling to love others and bring the Kingdom of God to the world, then you need this book.
Greg Boyd is an incredible author and theologian who truly seeks to guide and encourage readers through insightful research and experiences.
The truth is, you need this book. If you’re feeling like you can’t find God, you need this book. If you feel like you’re at a good place, you still need this book (because complacency is also a very real problem). If you just want a good book to challenge your faith and provide you with new ways to live out your calling to love others and bring the Kingdom of God to the world, then you need this book.
Greg Boyd is an incredible author and theologian who truly seeks to guide and encourage readers through insightful research and experiences.
January 6, 2022
Boyd claims that the present moment is the only moment that one has. It is in the present moment that God is active and one can experience God’s activity by becoming aware of God’s loving presence in every moment. Along the way, he gives practical ways of practicing God’s presence. One such way, for example, is through the practice of imagination. One can take each moment and imagine God’s loving presence in the form of a mist or a wind that is surrounding each person or thing one is experiencing in that moment. Another way is by releasing judgmental attitudes toward people by noticing them and gently remembering that each person is of immeasurable worth to God. Ultimately, becoming aware of God’s loving presence in every moment frees one from over analyzing every situation or hurrying through life. A very helpful book for those looking to experience God and grow in their spiritual life.
December 3, 2014
This was an interesting book, though not my favorite by Boyd. He is exploring the contemplative tradition in this book and distilling the works of men like Brother Lawrence. He points out that God dwells in the present, not the past or the future. The past is simply the present that has gone, and the future is a present not yet arrived. But God dwells in the present moment. The rest of the book sets out to show how focusing on the present, both in our connection with God, and our day-to-day lives, brings us closer to imitation of the life of Jesus. It was a breezy read that was not very challenging in terms of writing style, and as someone who has been reading in the contemplative tradition for a while, there was not much new content either, so I had difficulty keeping focused on the book at times. But there were still some great observations and stand-out moments.
July 3, 2021
I just finished "Present Perfect," by Greg Boyd.
This is not my common speed of read, it being more in line with "spiritual living" than theology proper. But I am glad I read it.
The full concept here has to do with, just like Brother Lawrence, experiencing the presence of God in our every moment while not being relegated to false living in the past or future.
Some of Boyd's theological distinctions shine through in this, a popular reading book. His emphasis on the present is all that is real is very Open Theistic and obviously true. He weaves Kingdom motifs in the body in hopes that more people will be Kingdom people while expressing Jesus in the here and now/present moment (the only moment that is real).
Personally I admire that Boyd can write on this level and then pump out a two volume academic work on spiritual warfare or hermeneutics.
This is not my common speed of read, it being more in line with "spiritual living" than theology proper. But I am glad I read it.
The full concept here has to do with, just like Brother Lawrence, experiencing the presence of God in our every moment while not being relegated to false living in the past or future.
Some of Boyd's theological distinctions shine through in this, a popular reading book. His emphasis on the present is all that is real is very Open Theistic and obviously true. He weaves Kingdom motifs in the body in hopes that more people will be Kingdom people while expressing Jesus in the here and now/present moment (the only moment that is real).
Personally I admire that Boyd can write on this level and then pump out a two volume academic work on spiritual warfare or hermeneutics.
November 21, 2010
This book confirms what has been happening in my own spiritual journey over the last year or so. I got tired of relgion and spirituality as a set of beliefs. I have been seeking to experience God in relationship rather than ideas and belief systems. Boyd's book gives some practical exercises that have helped me even more in my quest to be in relationship with God. He has confirmed my hunches and experiences of hearing from God directly. My only challenge to the author is his assertion that the only thing important is NOW, not the past and not the future. Though true, there is so much baggage from our past that must be dealt with to be able to experience the present and God in the present. I think he missed something big here.
January 22, 2016
This book is close to C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity in how good it is. He cites 3 men who have practiced the presence of God, and encourages us in each chapter how we can do this. His chapter on death is outstanding. We fear death so much because we live in the future and the past. We fear having a life of mediocrity, and constantly evaluate and judge. He states to focus on God now at this present moment.
This discipline of practicing God's presence now is the first thing all Christians should do in my opinion. If we want to be disciples using the terminology in John, we abide to the vine. Practicing the presence is the first step to praying unceasingly, and prayer strengthens our attachment to the vine.
This discipline of practicing God's presence now is the first thing all Christians should do in my opinion. If we want to be disciples using the terminology in John, we abide to the vine. Practicing the presence is the first step to praying unceasingly, and prayer strengthens our attachment to the vine.
February 14, 2014
The New Testament makes clear that the Christian is to walk by the Spirit, not by the flesh, but what I had wanted for a while was a way to carry this out. Jesus' work is complete, I knew, but how do I live by the Spirit moment by moment? In this powerful and short book, Boyd provides an answer: practice the presence of God.
Here is the perfect balance of my effort and God's work. By inviting God into everything I do, I allow His power to flow through me to others so that His will may be done. Boyd's book is refreshingly practical. He gives many suggestions and methods. I loved the quotations in the book too.
If I were to live out what this book teaches, I would carry out the will of God while having peace and showing His love to others. Read this book.
Here is the perfect balance of my effort and God's work. By inviting God into everything I do, I allow His power to flow through me to others so that His will may be done. Boyd's book is refreshingly practical. He gives many suggestions and methods. I loved the quotations in the book too.
If I were to live out what this book teaches, I would carry out the will of God while having peace and showing His love to others. Read this book.
April 1, 2015
Just what the description says… This book opens up your eyes to the realization that Jesus is present right now… And 10 seconds from this moment of you reading… He still there. 10 seconds ago was your past, and right now… Right now while you're reading this, is your present. In reading this last paragraph, how much did you think about God, and that He's present right beside you, closer than the breath in your lungs? This book really presses you and challenges you to open up your eyes, to feel, to understand, to revel in the fact that Jesus is in our lives presently and always. Another book of mine, that I would read over, and over, and over so that it would sink in… His presence around me presently, and how much He loves me.
July 26, 2012
What I love about Greg Boyd is that he hits on a lot of topics I've never really thought about or heard addressed. This book does just that.
Now you may find it to be a bit repetitive throughout, but Boyd points that out at the beginning. He's not trying to offer tons of new ideas every chapter, he's trying to deepen our understanding of what he's trying to say. He makes lots of good points and leaves you with a desire to learn how to practice the presence of God.
If you read this book just to read a book, it will do nothing. If you put this book into practice, it should very much change your life and Boyd gives great reasons as to why that is.
Now you may find it to be a bit repetitive throughout, but Boyd points that out at the beginning. He's not trying to offer tons of new ideas every chapter, he's trying to deepen our understanding of what he's trying to say. He makes lots of good points and leaves you with a desire to learn how to practice the presence of God.
If you read this book just to read a book, it will do nothing. If you put this book into practice, it should very much change your life and Boyd gives great reasons as to why that is.
May 30, 2016
Boyd's thoughts about the nature of religion vs the power of personal relationship, especially as enumerated in Repenting of Religion, have been thought-provoking and paradigm shifting for me. This book delivered more of the same. His emphasis on allowing our awareness of God's presence within each moment is presented in a fresh way I didn't expect. Although, my one critique is that I feel his approach to "practicing the presence" is a bit too removed from reading the Word, there were yet many disciplines and thought patterns that can bring freedom and build faith, when practiced with a good understanding of who God has revealed himself to be in Scripture.
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May 3, 2023
Boyd says ". . . I've become absolutely convinced that remaining aware of God's presence is the single most important task in the life of every follower of Jesus." Wow. Practicing the presence. Living in the moment. Consciously working to be not just self-aware, but God-aware. It doesn't come naturally. Consider the lyrics to Pink Floyd's "Time." All we really have is this moment, right now. Value it and notice God in it.
Another useful section was "Silencing the Accuser," that judgmental part of ourselves that has to work hard at seeing others thru the lens of God's love.
Palms down to release and palms up to receive, these help us remember
Another useful section was "Silencing the Accuser," that judgmental part of ourselves that has to work hard at seeing others thru the lens of God's love.
Palms down to release and palms up to receive, these help us remember
July 25, 2010
I read this book as part of a group blogging project over at bibledude.net and have been changed by it. From page one, it made me really analyze the way I live my life and made me realize that I'm not as awake as I think I am. Now that I'm done, I'm moving forward in life trying to live NOW - in THIS moment - and stay awake to God's workings in my life and in the lives of those around me.
Check out lots of thoughts about the book here: http://bibledude.net/2010/06/group-bl...
Check out lots of thoughts about the book here: http://bibledude.net/2010/06/group-bl...
April 17, 2022
Are you awake?
I've struggled with how to live as a Christian in the modern age. There are too many idols and technological marvels that distract, discourage, and entrap us. We live distant from the reality of the true freedom available in Christ. Jesus Victory on the cross is for us now. May we live like His sacrifice is all that matters, love and serve with every opportunity we get.
I've struggled with how to live as a Christian in the modern age. There are too many idols and technological marvels that distract, discourage, and entrap us. We live distant from the reality of the true freedom available in Christ. Jesus Victory on the cross is for us now. May we live like His sacrifice is all that matters, love and serve with every opportunity we get.
October 15, 2010
This book provides a great foundation for integrating God into your day-to-day life. Boyd writes it in an accessible way that allows you to revisit sections, passages, or the whole concept again. I am hoping this book becomes reference material time and again as I learn how to stay present and be with God in every moment.
April 16, 2012
Gregory Boyd advocates the practice of the presence of God in the tradition of Brother Lawrence, Frank Labauch, and Jean-Pierre de Caussade. I liked this book because it includes a variety of prayer exercises and helps you both cultivate an awareness of God's presence and work in the world and a sensitivity to where God's leading and the sort of heart we should have for others.
May 29, 2022
I am outside of the matrix
Greg has been used by God to wake me from my bondage to the decay of this world. I have been living most of my life either in the past or in the future, when the truth has always been that God has never left me and has been right in front of me the whole time. I don’t need to hide from him. Right now I have all that I need in Christ.
Greg has been used by God to wake me from my bondage to the decay of this world. I have been living most of my life either in the past or in the future, when the truth has always been that God has never left me and has been right in front of me the whole time. I don’t need to hide from him. Right now I have all that I need in Christ.
January 9, 2011
I highly recommend this book--it's been one of those life-changing books for me. Using insights from Brother Lawrence, Frank Laubach and J.P. de Caussade, Boyd's book is full of encouragement and helpful exercises for living in the present moment.
March 10, 2013
This was a very basic book (to me) but a good reminder to keep the Lord in mind in each activity and to remember the simple things in life. Live in the moment! I did enjoy reading Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, as well, on which this book is based.
December 28, 2017
Brief but good reflection on making God a part of your everyday world.
Includes some practical exercises to help you develop and stay focused.
Includes some practical exercises to help you develop and stay focused.
February 26, 2019
Such great thoughts by Boyd! Love the exercises. He really captures where we as followers of Jesus should journey to.
April 16, 2019
Boyd is one of my favorite authors. This book is simple and straight forward look at how we are called to live. We don’t not need knowledge only obedience to God in this moment.
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