I received my latest Anne Rice novel in the mail early this week and finished reading it just yesterday. I couldn’t put it down.
The book chronicles fictionally Jesus’ life just before his three-year ministry and concludes with the water-to-wine miracle at the wedding.
This is the second book in Rice’s latest series, “Christ the Lord”, and if you remember, I read and reviewed the first book back in August of ’06. I enjoyed reading it as much or maybe even a bit more than the first book and loved imagining the story taking place as I read the words.
The most striking part of the story for me was Rice’s take on Christ being tempted. Rice gives new clarity to Hebrews 4:14-16:
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. [ESV]
Those verses to a young man like myself growing up trying to be like Jesus was always a curious thought because the only temptations we read about Jesus having were in the wilderness by Satan and those temptations weren’t nearly as tempting to a young teenager!
Ms. Rice gives a great picture of Jesus the man – fully-man – being tempted in thought and action and yet NOT succumbing to the temptations presented to him!
I know the book would be a great discussion-starter for any group of people willing to read it together – with the realization that it is fictional account of the life of Christ built around some extra-biblical stories and the wonderful imagination of Anne Rice.
I can’t wait for Anne’s next book, “Called Out of Darkness” to be released next month.
My buddy Glen and his wife have launched a new blog, “Gospel-Centered Parenting“.
From the site:
Gospel-centered parenting is different from all other forms of parenting because its primary goal is the salvation of the child’s soul, which results in a changed heart and changed behavior for the glory of God.
Therefore, the focus of gospel-centered parenting is to parent in a way that models and instructs the life and redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Adding this one to my daily-reads for sure!
This will surely be making its rounds on the Web over the next few weeks and months. Maybe stevansheets.com will be the first place you see it?!
EepyBird’s Sticky Note experiment from Eepybird on Vimeo.
Recently borrowed “Cloverfield” from the library here in town. I was excited to see it become available after placing it on hold. I remember the previews and hype surrounding the release of this movie in theaters and thinking that I really wanted to see it if I could. I had forgotten about it until just recently when I saw it available to add to our “wanted” list at the library.
The movie was great! It was unique in that it is all shot from one camera-angle – from the first-person perspective. I wasn’t ever a huge fan of the old Godzilla (or other) monster movies, and the few in recent years have been intriguing, but not over-the-top like I would’ve imagined.
Cloverfield exceeded my expectations as a modern-day Monster-Movie.
The first-person-perspective realism of the film made it work all the more for me. JJ Abrams produced an amazing movie in Cloverfield.
At least one teachable-moment came from a scene in which one of the main characters faces certain death and cries out to God and then Jesus for forgiveness before his impending death. I have had dreams reenacting this exact scene numerous times in my life. The idea of being sure that we were “prayed up” was a constant conversation with some High School peers while we were growing up. I am thankful to be living a life-of-faith instead of a crisis-moment-faith as many around us continue to do.
