Why Men Hate Going to Church

Why Men Hate Going to Church

By David Murrow

This book, in a very simplistic form, is basically the author’s view that the church is overly feminine, has been since the Victorian Era, and became increasingly more feminine during the Industrial Revolution.  He supports his view by showing a values chart from the book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus and stating that the values commonly associated with women are the same values commonly associated with Jesus/Christianity.  His book is divided into three sections that ask where the men are, contrasts church culture with man culture, and gives some practical advice in making churches more man friendly.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book.  I got it from the “BookSneeze” website primarily because I wasn’t interested in anything else at the time and had a lack of options.  I honestly thought I would get the book and go through the painfully boring task of reading it through and probably disagree with a number of things.  Contrary to my original thoughts though, I loved the book.  One thing that was refreshing is that the author didn’t seem to be a self-absorbed macho man looking to call men into the church so we can knock the women down a notch.  I just don’t have time to entertain people who think that way.  Murrow seemed genuinely concerned that the church was at a loss from not having men because they can offer so much.  He simply calls us to look at the characteristics of men and base our methods around them.  His concern seemed to be seeing men becoming closer with God and in effect bringing other men to God.  It was encouraging, challenging, written in short chapters, and it was concise.  All of that was right up my alley.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Transforming Grace

I've been reading this book lately called Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges. It's an excellent read so far with the basic premise being that God's grace is completely unmerited and it is nothing we can earn. That's a difficult concept to take in sometimes. To think that I have absolutely NO control whatsoever on my eternal state. Obviously, I ask God to save me from an eternity apart from Him, but I'm told that I was dead to sin and it was Him who made me alive. So, my very salvation is completely unmerited. It's mind boggling to grasp this because I like to think I control most things in my life. However, God controls this.

Then, I was reading in Zechariah and in chapter 3, Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan was standing beside him ready to accuse him. Then, the Lord rebukes Satan and He has the filthy garments that Joshua was wearing taken off of him. In verse 4 the Lord says, "...See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes." Imagine that: You're standing before God and you know you've broken His laws that separate you. Then, you get before Him and Satan busts out a list a mile long of your worst sins and he's ready to start reading them off before God to get you in the worst kind of trouble. Then, God rebukes HIM instead and says, "this is MY child and I've made him clean!" It's like a giant boo-yah, in your face to your accuser. So, even though I don't understand how salvation is outside of my controlling sometimes, I read verses like that and become a little more excited that it's all God and not me. After all, if I was standing before God and all I had in my name was a few of my good works compared to the list that Satan was holding, I might not be in too great a standing with God...