Sacred Thirst

Rating:
Summary: Facing life's lonelyness and finding "living water"
Review: No book gives you the answers to life's questions. Barnes begins to help you focus on both the questions and where to find the answers. People are searching and Barnes not only help you determine how you are searching but how to find what you are really looking for. If you can take the time to read and think about the issues, you may find a new direction for yourself and your church.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, Some Truth Telling
Review: This book tells the hard truth about our thirst, and how it cannot be satisfied by anything or anyone but Jesus, the living water. The author writes as a pastor who clearly understands the human soul and its insatiable thirst for God.

I was hooked after the first few pages that tells the moving story of a little boy giving the eulogy at his mother's funeral. Afterwards, as silence filled the sanctuary and everyone's heart, the pastor-author walked to his pulpit wondering what words could respond to such pathos. This marvelous book is his response to that question, and to my own longing for a word from the Savior.

Barnes speaks God's Word in ways that are both tender and prophetic. His writing style is fresh and engaging.

The chapter "It's Not About You" is particularly helpful and freeing, as it turns the focus away from the self, even the hurting self, and toward the work of a gracious God.

Rating:
Summary: Feel good dribble
Review: While Barnes sometimes contradicts himself in the book saying otherwise, this book is typical weak, pop culture dribble that is all about me, me, me. My wants. Feel satisfied! You should feel satisfied with life! With Jesus! "YOU are the beloved" Barnes assures us in the very end of the book, and anything is possible for you! Christ is not the center of this book, a book which does not address why Christ is not sufficiently the focus of our lives *independent* of whether we are "living life to its nonthirsty fullest" and why Christ is not *our* beloved. This tract between hardcovers is one of those two hour reads -- nothing really averse but the book is simply pop modern, nonsubstantive rambling. I picked this up in his old church's downstairs bookstore and read it at Starbucks after what I thought was a marvelously simplistic sermon gave by the replacement pastor to Barnes who is no longer at National Presbyterian. I think that National Presbyterian judging by its pastors and authors must be really one dimensional Baptist. I half expected an altar call there. It is a Presbyterian church that promotes the 'Alpha Course' for goodness' sake. This book is at the level of the 'Alpha Course'. I gave the book two stars instead of one because there is so much modern stuff that truly is averse, awful theology these days in popChristian circles that is just contradictory to historical understandings. This book isn't heretical like on the Benny Hinn and his ilk, but Barnes' book just doesn't offer substance. My favorite part was finding out that you can sing the famous hymn "Amazing Grace" to the tune of the Animals' old 1960s song, "House of the Rising Sun." That was cool anyway (try it!). A meaty book? No. This is a book more along the lines of Pauline allusions to baby milk. Paul demands that we grow up (!) and get to the meat of matters. Paul's dictum ought finally (ha ha) be picked up on by 21th century popChristianity but I fear that this would require too much of all involved. Christianity has been reduced to "JESUS LOVES YOU, MAN! You! You! You! And you ought to live a FULL and HAPPY life!" I wonder what first century, persecuted Christians would have thought, not to mention Church mothers and fathers through the centuries who exhibited truly sacrificial lives of study and service.