Viv Thomas

I knew Viv from my OM Eastward bound days in Pakistan, (28 years ago!) With that in mind the book also interests me for some of what it didn't say or give as examples. The key theme of the book is a message that is now even more needed than when penned. Some how though the phrase "second choice" never quite sat with me as the best words. I don't think I'm saying that because I didn't get it, rather than just the world the book is written into might hear the message better if we called it, "Living in a broken world," or "Finding God in unexpected impositions."

My chosen quotes
P17
Christians spend a lot of time listening to God, reading the Bible and hearing sermons. We are not so adept at at listening to the place, people and culture where God has called us to live.

P18
The western tendency to live through our problems in independence is a weakness rather than a strength.

P22
Christians perceive themselves as servants of a Holy God. Yet they usually find they have to work in an office or factory among people they perceive as godless. They feel that serving this second choice world is not serving God. The result is a kind of self fulfilling prophecy. Christians remain the isolated outsiders who look a little strange but pure. Unfortunately, they are not always that pure and are often proud judgemental and isolated among the people for whom they are called to be salt and light.

P131
Can we see a growing movement of healthy spiritual direction, biblical discipleship, good examples and people showing other people the way forward with their lives? Clergy and church leaders have abandoned their calling in droves but kept their job titles, having 'metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops that they keep are churches.' What chance is there for those who follow to do any better?

p152
We may not be able to everything well, we may not be brilliant in any sense, but we can see the places where we have to live transformed into places where we want to live because God meets us there with his grace and love.… (mehr)