The Activated Disciple:
Taking Your Faith to the Next Level
ISBN 9781945179426
eISBN 9781945179723
ASIN B07K75SPDL
This volume was one of three I started using after ‘The Bible in a Year Retreat’. They were:
The Activated Disciple: Taking Your Faith to the Next Level
The Activated Disciple 40 Day Challenge Journal
The Activated Disciple Course
I will be honest it took me longer than 40 days to work through the three resources. I had several resource3s planned for Lent and fell behind on this one. That being said, it is an excellent book, and when paired with the other two resources is exceptional. The description of the book is:
“The Activated Disciple teaches you how to imitate God, so you can become an instrument for him to transform the world.
If you yearn for a life that moves beyond believing and practicing, if you yearn to become an "activated" disciple, then this book is for you. The foundation of discipleship is imitation. The Activated Disciple learns to walk in the ways of the Lord. Discipleship requires such a close relationship with God that every area of your life is transformed. It is about opening yourself to God and inviting him to dwell within you, becoming holy as he is holy, loving as he is loving. By imitating God, disciples become the instruments God employs to transform the world.
● Take your faith to the next level.
● Transform every area of your life to become more like Christ.
● Learn how to overcome the obstacles that keep you from being the disciple you are called to be.
● Move beyond believing and practicing your faith, and begin radically living it.
● Learn how to become an instrument of transformation in the lives of others.”
And the chapters are:
One: Are You a Fan or a Follower?
Two: Imitating God
Three: Who’s Choosing Whom?
Four: Relationship Is a Process
Five: Going All In
Six: The Disciplines of a Disciple
Seven: Covered in the Dust of the Rabbi
Eight: A Cup of “Keurigma”
I only highlighted three passages my first time through the book. In part because I was using the companion journal. They were:
“Leviticus is about holiness, and that is why it was the foundation of study for young Jewish children. The first sixteen chapters of Leviticus, often called the “priestly code,” are followed by chapters seventeen through twenty-seven, which are called the “holiness code.” We find that both divisions of the book intertwine, creating a marvelous, revelatory relationship between ritual and holiness.”
“The foundation of discipleship is imitation. Israel is called on to imitate God in the world, but how does a nation go about imitating a God that they cannot see? The answer: God reveals to them who he is and how to be holy as he is through his words and deeds. God has a plan. Israel will receive God’s Word, will observe all that God does, and will learn how to imitate God. In the truest sense possible, God is discipling Israel, with the hopes that they will become like him; they will be transformed into his likeness by imitating him in all that they do.”
“The foundation of discipleship is imitation, and the blueprint is found in, of all books, Leviticus.”
I was using adaptive technology and listening to the final section of the book. My son who is 14 came in; he listed with me for a while, and then asked what it was. He asked if he could read it once I was finished. That is a great testament to the power of this volume.
This book is written in Cavins engaging manner. It is exciting to read, and doing so over time with the journal forces you to really slow down and interact with the material. The book is well written and one that is very important for all Catholics today. We need to really know what we believe, how to share it, and fully live it out. This is a great resource for helping us grow in that. Often Cavins reveals the Jewish roots of specific practices or traditions.
It is another excellent resource from Jeff, and from Ascension Press. I highly recommend this book to all Catholics.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan!
Related Articles:
The Bible in a Year Resources:
...
Books by Jeff Cavins:
The Activated Disciple Course
My Life on the Rock
When You Suffer
I'm Not Being Fed
Praise God and Thank Him
Adventures In Revelation
Insight Journal
...
1 comment:
:) Falling behind in a planned-readings program - - - sounds very familiar to me.
Thanks for this look at a 'get acquainted with Scriptures' resource.
Post a Comment