Helped me come closer to Jesus and God. ( )

I tried reading this timely Christian classic, but couldn't draw myself to finish. It seems this book was written after the American Puritan style of Christian beliefs where right behavior, rules, and morality are key... not Jesus. The premise of the book is about a congregation who promises to ask themselves, "What Would Jesus Do?" before making any decisions in life. They are then to go with what they believe Jesus would have done in each situation in their lives. The only problem is that this doesn't seem to be the same Jesus I have come to know or read about in the Gospels. Jesus isn't about rules, morality, and right behavior. Instead, He is about grace, relationships, servanthood, and love. He didn't expect society to change or conform to a set of rules and standards. The Pharisees did this. Instead, He wanted to usher in a new kingdom, a kingdom of God that entailed each believer to die to self, carry the cross, love God, and serve others. Instead, it seemed each of the congregants in this book wanted society to conform to their standards rather than getting to know their society, developing relationships with them, and telling them about Jesus. The newspaper magnate dropped questionable ads, dropped a story about a boxing match, and stopped the Sunday paper because he felt everyone needed to go to church on Sundays. The beautiful singer refused to get paid for singing in the theatre because she thought it was evil to be paid for something God gifted her with. In the town square where open air preaching was conducted, the people who attended were referred to as heathens, sinners, and "needless traffic"... where saloons were evil and tobacco was a work of the devil. Remember, these are the very people Jesus loved and befriended. Jesus wouldn't be hanging out at churches or revivals. No, He would be hanging out in the "Red Light" districts, bars, saloons, and other places of debauchery. Not to partake in these things, but to rescue the sick and downtrodden (remember Mark 2:17).

I read the first 100 pages of this and after not seeing the Jesus of the Gospels, but rather an American Puritan theology with an American revivalism theme, I decided to not finish the book. Perhaps it was a bit premature of me to not finish it. And, perhaps the story later takes a turn for the better, following after the true Jesus of the Bible. But, after 100 pages I just wasn't seeing it. The only positive thing I can say about the story is the tag line "What Would Jesus Do?". We should indeed be asking ourselves this question every moment of our lives. And, for that I applaud Mr. Sheldon for coming up with this wonderful and thought-provoking question. ( )