This is a line drawing of Jesus being tempted by the devil. Jesus is sitting amongst stones with a little bit of vegetation near His feet. A snake can be seen next to the grasses. The devil, who looks like a beast of some sort, is next to Jesus. He is holding something in his hands.

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership past Henri J.M. Nouwen

My rating: five of 5 stars

Sometimes I read a book that initially appears simple, merely constantly leads me to consider what is written on its pages. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership past Henri J. M. Nouwen is one such volume. I read it in just a few days, but I however call up about it from time to time.

Much of what Mr. Nouwen writes most are his experiences after existence a priest at a Fifty'Arche community for the mentally handicapped. I didn't call back that this would have much to practise with leadership, merely I was pleasantly surprised. Outside of these sections, the author's main texts for the volume are Jesus' temptations in the wilderness and His commands to Peter at the end of the Gospel of John. As I read the book I found the connection between these passages and his community at 50'Arche to be fascinating. The things that Henri learned while he served at that place were written in a bright mode. I felt like I could chronicle to his experiences with these people, and information technology made the book experience like a novel.

Despite that, there are some serious spiritual truths in this work. He doesn't use the well-nigh number of verses compared to another books I have read, but he still engages with his two primary texts. Even though they are ofttimes spoken of in the context of leadership, much of what he shares is applicable to anyone who seeks to follow Christ. That is one of the bang-up things about this volume. It led me to reflect on matters of the middle. Is this what Jesus expects of me? Am I doing things so that I earn prestige? These are the kinds of questions that I considered as I read various parts of the text.

Beyond Henri Nouwen'due south apply of the temptations in the wilderness and Jesus' commands to Peter, he too discusses three spiritual disciplines. These are wistful prayer, confession and forgiveness, and theological reflection. They are designed to help the reader combat the temptations that he or she faces while in leadership. After the chapter on theological reflection the volume finishes with a determination and satisfying epilogue. Upon completion I felt similar I had gone on a brusque journey with Mr. Nouwen and those at L'Arche.

Sure, there are some things that I didn't totally "get." The most disruptive of which was his perspective of the get-go temptation. Early in the book he writes, "Jesus' first temptation was to exist relevant: to turn stones into staff of life" (pg. 30). The writer does explain more than of what he means later in the section, just I still find that office hard to swallow. For those curious, the all-time explanation for what he means is on page 35. There are a few other passages that I find unusual, simply the volume's ability to cause me to consider my life and situations from a different perspective was impressive. Equally such, I recommend In the Proper noun of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership by Henri J. M. Nouwen highly. It is the first book I take reviewed that I feel compelled to give five stars. I'g looking forward to reading other books by Mr. Nouwen in the time to come.

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I am simply a Christian. I seek to report God's Word and to share what I learn with others. By the grace of God, I do so on my website and on Twitter. I hope that you do good from what I teach. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message. Cheers! View all posts by James Hutton