A Reflection - Book Report/Review Example

INTRODUCTION After all this months and years why then should we be reading a book of sermons that was delivered at Riverside Baptist church of the 9/11 event in Washington DC. Well, this is because of the approach to 10th anniversary 9/11 yet the war on terror is still on. Reading a book of sermons at this time should be must be backed by enough reasons. But reasons are not just enough to read this book. Most of the Americans are in the glimpse of some other type of terror, economic melt-down terror of 2008 and the impact on lives of Americans all over the world.

Why should anyone be bothered to read this book of sermons in Washington DC delivered by a Baptist preacher? Body Answer to the question is twofold: the first one is sermons on war in the book written by Dr. Michael Bledsoe is equivalent to magnificent sermons presented in a variety of ways and the second one needs to be a constant reminder that there is a big connection between wars and the current state of economy that is depressing America and the world. The most important thing is that what is offered in the sermon collection is a particular Christian response to terrors on war of terror which are written from a specific Christian perspective.

These sermons are very interesting for it windows into the life of a Baptist congregation in response to the event that took place on 9/11 and thereafter. Dr. Michael gives us information in his preface of the things that he considered to be of significance as “documents of that time” and “pastors thoughts and response of the congregation to the world”. Michael seems to be a bit self-effacing here, reason being these sermons were profound to be theological and spiritual responses to terror situations that does not reduce power of Christian gospel to its lowest denominator of social and nation complicity with powers , as well as being deep intellectual and emotional responses that send forth from a person’s life who not only takes seriously peace of Christian gospel but stakes his life and that of the congregation upon it.

These sermons were not only preached upon Riverside on the provided dates just to provide preface from each sermon but also to experience literacy. Michael is a homiletical master, often weaves brilliant sentences plus metaphorical illusions. These are not self-help sermons “Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul in War”. This is just a single phrase that doesn’t admit a secular reality for people who refer themselves as Christians. There are sermons which proclaim strange profound, most of the time mystifying the grace of God amongst articulated in them.

Speaking of redeeming grace of God in the midst of near despair and human confusion. In final analysis, always they point their situations to God. The final paragraph can be considered the sermons centerpiece, “God's Savage Country,” illustrating this fact: "Beloved there is another country that has no borders. You will not find it on any map traced in lines or crossed by coordinates of longitude and latitude. It is the kingdom of love and light, mercy and kindness, generosity and benevolence.

It is a country that exists in the meadow of the heart, filled with light and the fragrance of a loving God. Its citizens span the earth and include people from every nation, tribe, and clan. Those who dwell there seek nothing less than the healing of creation, the redemption of humanity from its battles and wars with the flesh and the peaceful co-existence of all God's creation. This country is the peaceable kingdom of God." Dr. Michaels sermons hover between the prophetic and poetry- priestly.

However they do not run aground by measure of indirection, means of communication makes sure that the hearer/reader and the preacher get touched by the gospel. In the final analysis there is no “over hearing” of the gospel, despite the skills possessed by Michael of indirection in a broad sense. He maneuvers his way through various literacy sources in addition to him offering consistent and faithful interpretation of scriptural text. Making sure that the scriptural citations are more that those other literacy sources.

The sermon displays a some kind of erudition that is not common among many pastors, as well as keen to provide insights to Gods mysteries in conditions that erupt in case of a war. The final comment is that there are a number of sermons that are very different. Michael is much at home offering anecdotes about the experiences of his two daughters with him as he is quoting St. Augustine on two spheres on Gods city. The sermon, "One Less, One More” is by itself a poetic mantra with prophetic proportions.

He calls readers and the congregants to a higher form of life by use of existential simple math game: "One less bomb. One less derivative excuse of macho self-imposed inferiority that takes from others because it has so little to give. . . . One more church, synagogue, mosque and temple that repairs the world, heals the world, redeems the world, wages peace as fiercely as a government wages war." The sermons proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ at the extreme of human limit experience-war; they do it with literacy excellence and homiletical power.

It is a bargain at the price for people who mostly find themselves situations with hostile conditions.