The Book Depository Side by Side by Edward T. Welch
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Price: £10.99
Brand: The Book Depository
Description: Side by Side : Paperback : Crossway Books : 9781433547119 : 1433547112 : 30 Apr 2015 : Written by a prominent biblical counselor with three decades of experience, this practical book aimed at everyday Christians will equip readers with the tools they need to wisely walk alongside one another in the midst of life's struggles. The Book Depository Side by Side by Edward T. Welch - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9781433547119
MPN: 1433547112
GTIN: 9781433547119
Author: Ryan Johnson
Rating: 5
Review: Good for believers beginning to reach out to others. Would be good to use in small group and help your church get on the same page and working together with each other in caring for each other.
Author: Penguin
Rating: 3
Review: I read this because this is one of the recommended texts for a module in a biblical counselling course. What the author is suggesting us to do is breaking new ground how we relate to one another at church. In a nutshell, he wants our spiritual state and health to become a common topic in our daily conversation like the weather and events in your diary. You would have thought that this sounds logical as something should have taken place in a church environment. But in reality, this perhaps is revolutionary in our relationships at church. Following on from these principles, the book is about practical tips that we might do to get church members connected. I think they are suggestions rather than blueprints. "A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35. this is Christ's command to us, but how do we practise it? This book helps us visualise what this might look like. Yet I am used to a model that pastoral issues are conducted on a confidential basis by a designated group of team. I have believed that this is rightly so. But this book is advocating a higher degree of transparency generally, urging us to follow Jesus' example to be proactive in probing into others' spiritual life. The author observes that most people do not ask for help; even desperate people are slow to ask for help. He believes that this is personal ministry of every ordinary church member, who collectively will be able to achieve extraordinary things. If we are to follow the recommended practice in this book, I think a lot of us would have to go out of our comfort zone to reach out to others, who would have to go out of their comfort zone to respond in a personal way. It may go against the grain of our desire for privacy but then the popularity of social media shows that we have the desire to be known as well. On the positive side, if everyone is really doing as recommended, it will for sure alleviate the pastoral burdens on the ministers! I personally believe that this kind of personal ministry is being done already in the small group settings. However for people who do not belong to a small group, they may slip out of the support network of a church. This book is shaped around "need". Part 1 is that We Are Needy and Part 2 is We Are Needed. Because there are a lot of connotations around "need", I am not sure that it draws helpful associations to start. Worse the rhythm - being needy and needed (p.13) - as the tone of the book reminds me of codependency, a dysfunctional relationship. Surely this cannot be the foundation on which we build our relationship at church. For one thing, believers are not needy in the worldly sense - contentment and joy in all circumstances are our blessings! However we are needy in one sense - that is in the sense of the beatitudes, especially blessed are those poor in spirit, and those hunger and thirst for righteousness. As you proceed into Part 1, it becomes clearer that the author refers to poverty in spirit or spiritual neediness. It is true that on our own we are desperately needy; and our neediness brought us to Christ. But in Christ, we are whole, enjoying the profound satisfaction and contentment, even if we may not feel it at times. In Christ, therefore, we sing a new song (Psalm 40:3, Rev 5:9), while the rhythm of being needy and needed was the old. Besides if that is the song that God's people sing, does it manifest the glory of Christ? Not at all. The book depicts life as hard ; troubling circumstances will always come. When difficult circumstances and our hearts meet, a conversation breaks out between the two... the conversation can be wise and hopeful, or it can be foolishness that parades as wisdom. (p.33) How about the time when we are not in difficulties? Does it mean that we don't have a conversation with our hearts and God? I think it is perfectly legitimate to enjoy the rewards and blessings from obedience to God, who makes our paths straight, and rejoice in our relationship with God! This does not preclude troubles of course, as the bible says we are to expect suffering and tribulation in this life. The author makes a bold statement that suffering and sin are the sum of human struggles. Perhaps he is right; but I find in my current season my struggle is often with decisions! One may argue that difficulties with decisions may be subsumed into our struggle with sin? He analyses that "suffering hurts more, but sin is more serious. Suffering will not last, but sin has consequences that reach into eternity." (p.134) Why do we bother? James 5:19-20 says that bringing a sinner back from wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. It is therefore unloving to our brothers and sisters if we turn a blind eye to their wandering or not concerned if they stay on the path of obedience. These are the biblical principles that the model advocated is based on. The practice that the model prescribes is one outworking of these principles. It is interesting to read, but I have to think through it more to see if this is universally applicable. The book is helpful in providing some dos and donts in conversations with others. It also gives practical suggestions how to start. It does substantiates its points by going back to the bible. But I don't just want to get side by side with my church family when they are in struggles but side by side with them when they walk steadily in Christ too, sharing their delights in God's promises, soaking up the blessings from the means of grace, which God gives us to help our perseverance. They are God's word, Christian duties and fellowship. I suppose the goal really is that no one at church should be struggling alone. Even without asking for help, someone alongside would be able to pick it up in our routine interaction. That's the challenge for us all at church. How exactly that goal is achieved perhaps may have more flexibility, but it is something that at least the leaders of the church should think about. I bet they would come back to say the small group structure does it. The question is whether the existing structure is functioning well and how to cover the shortfalls?