The Safest Place On Earth

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Summary: Don't read this book if you don't want your life to change!
Review: A book about spiritual community. The most honest and helpful book I've ever read. Crabb's fresh but thoroughly Biblical metaphor of the upper and lower room (the spirit and the flesh) has changed my life more than any other truth I have ever learned--ever. Crabb's vision for the church to be the safest place on earth has given me new hope and vision for what the church could be.

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Summary: Crabb's book gave new hope after a bad church experience
Review: For those of us who are unable to hide our sin and pain behind smiles, Crabb proposes a startling "new" model: a spiritual community that offers a higher level of acceptance and love, and a chance develop stronger, healthier passions to replace the sinful passions of our old nature. Underlying his message is the belief that we can't really change our sin nature-- all we can do is let Christ's love and the support of truly, non-judgementmal friends help us replace the bad with the good. This book challenges modern counseling in some ways-- but maybe it should be challenged. The author admits to idealism in his proposal of a spiritual community that gives us a place to be real... but it is an idealism toward which we must reach. For anyone frustrated with "churchianity" and desirous of true Christian community, this book is amazingly thought provoking.

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Summary: Imagine Love...
Review: I am in the habit of adding notes and references in the front of the books I read so I can return to specific passages when writing or researching issues. I can measure their impact on my thinking by the number of them, and the flyleaf of my copy of this book has little room left. A Psychologist by training, but more, a devoted follower of the Lamb who understands the disciple's journey into the shadow of the valley well, Dr. Crabb shares insights about the nature of the church that bring us back to consider what spiritual community means in real life terms. Larry's writing has the humility and the scars that come from being genuinely engaged in walking with God.

This is a timely book, combining an understanding of the intended intimacy of the church with the freshly awakening desire across Christendom for spiritual formation and direction in the church. In my notes I find definitions for things like: love; life and death; brokenness; mysticism; community; the church. He offers observations about what is lacking Psychology and in psychological theory, and he offers workable models for the church to develop the intimacy, love and community our Triune God intended in both our and the church's design.

If you are considering small groups, and wondering whether they should be evangelistic, or bible studies, or project based, Larry offers an alternative: building genuine community, intertwining lives in functional and useful ways that further our development and transformation. If you are working to develop an understanding our dual natures of flesh and His life within, Larry speaks clearly and usefully to these issues. Dr. Crabb's book is useful for an individual to study, giving us insights into deeper truths in practical and understandable ways. It is equally useful for a group to work through together in understanding the dynamics of community and in living together in ways that produce authentic change. But, most importantly, this is a book that speaks like the voice of a prophet to a floundering church, calling us back to a simple plan: community... I think this is the single most important book (outside the scriptures, of course) I've ever read. I can't make a stronger recommendation.

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Summary: Didn't Fulfil My High Expectations
Review: In "The Safest Place on Earth" Larry Crabb attempts to promote and foster the formulation of spiritual community. He sees the vehicle through which our emotional problems may be solved as spiritual community rather than psychological therapy. The journey to spiritual community is a journey toward God that requires brokenness. That brokenness enables us to experience and share God's love. Crabb discusses the Biblical concept of "the new man" and "the old man" by using the analogy of the "lower room" and the "upper room." Crabb sees life in the "upper room" as being discovered through spiritual community, which is a mystical process. As such, this spiritual community is a miracle that is only experienced as we wait on God. Once you've know it, you will settle for nothing less.

As a firm believer in the need for spiritual community, I opened this book with high expectations; however those expectations remain unmet. Crabb shared some valuable concepts. I particularly liked the idea of employing "spiritual directs" in our spiritual formation. Yet for me, the book failed to offer any new and innovative insights into spiritual community or provide real answers for achieving it. In fact it seemed laced with a degree of pessimism and gloom that could leave some discouraged regarding the prospect of ever realizing genuine community. I know Dr. Crabb is eminently respected and has helped many in their life's journey, but I found the book less than satisfying.

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Summary: Very refreshing!
Review: The author writes well and honestly and I would recommend this book. He doesn't gloss over the problems existing in the church but acknowledges they are there in a candid and refreshing way. However, I differ on this one important point, he says and I paraphrase,"Do we ever arrive at a place when we can say we are spiritually mature, and is it important?". It is an honest and good question, however, Paul the apostle was constantly admonishing disciples to move on to spiritual maturity so as not to remain babes in Christ. The writer of Proverbs understood the necessity for gaining spiritual maturity which he called 'wisdom'; "therefore, in all your getting, get wisdom".