You guys are used to my many "Song Crushes," but for the first time ever, I am posting a Book Crush...I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of Mark Batterson's latest book, Primal. If you don't know who Mark is, he is the lead pastor of National Community Church in D.C., a writer and in my opinion, one of the leading Christian-thought leaders of our generation.
I love the way he sees the faith. And the way in which he articulates through written word always leaves me thinking, contemplating, and "chewing on it." For this reason, I subscribe to his blog (http://evotional.com/) and own his 2 previous books, In A Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase...which are must reads.
So I will admit I went into reading Primal with pretty high expectations...which I am happy to say were met and exceeded. This book had me smiling, examining my heart, pondering what I believe and how I live that. It also caused me to (several times) cry my favorite kind of cry...the kind where tears fill your eyes because your soul has been stirred and you feel, for lack of better word, changed somehow.
Primal, in the most basic sense, looks at Christianity in it's purest form, raising the question,"when all the superficialities are stripped away, what is the primal essence of Christianity?" (pg. 3). The key verse of this book is, what Batterson calls the Primal Commandment: Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all you soul and with all your mind and and with all your strength. And Batterson, in a way that is uniquely him, breaks this command down and examines what it looks like to REALLY love Christ with each part of ourself.
This book is worth your dime and your time. It is pleasurable to read and is broken down, even within chapters, in a way that gives you good "chunks" to process. I have my copy dog-eared and underlined, and just know I will be referring back to it often...revisiting "verbal gems" that demand, what my hubs and I call, mental marination.
Check it out and let me know what you think once you do... Primal is available for purchase beginning Dec. 22!
.jpg)
