"I have never met a person whose goal was to ruin his or her life. We all want to be happy, and we want it all of the time."
This is the beginning of James Bryan Smith's "The Good and Beautiful Life." The problem is, he tells us, we have bought into false notions of happiness and success. These self-centered decisions lead us further into the vices that cause ruin: anger, lust, lying, worry and judging. Eventually we find ourselves living a beautifully packaged life of self-destruction.
Last fall, I joined a small group Bible study in my church, what the pastors like to call a "connecting community." It's just six of us, but what we lack in size we make up in enjoying each others' company. Our study from the first year was "The Good and Beautiful God," the first in Smith's Apprentice series. Both books are practical guidebooks for the Christian journey.
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Here's a passage from the first chapter of "The Good and Beautiful Life":
"...Jesus is not making life more difficult, but is revealing that the way to the good and beautiful life is to obey his teachings. There is no other way. Either our lives conform to his teachings, or we fail to live a good and beautiful life." ~ ("The Good and Beautiful Life," by James Bryan Smith, InterVarsity Press, 2009).
The author, James Bryan Smith will come to Douglasville August 16 and 17 and present a TED-style conference based on the tenets set forth in the Apprentice series. If you’re in the Atlanta area, check out the conference at First Presbyterian Church of Douglasville.
Seats are still available for the conference. Registration can be accomplished online at www.fpcdouglasville.org: If you’ve read the books and want to hear more, join us. If you’re looking for a warm church home, please visit First Pres ~ I'd love to see you there.
