January 11, 2015

Book Review: The Sacred Year by Michael Yankowski

Source: booklookbloggers.com

I'm sorry; I just can't be at peace with this book.

I've read many Christian books and this is the first book that drew many questions from me that is not in a good way.

The writer, Michael Yankowski, is a Christian motivational speaker. Paraphrasing the book's summary, he got disillusioned with his lifestyle and decided to pursue a year of "focused engagement with spiritual practices" to experience faith.
Guided by the voice of Father Solomon--a local monk--Yankoski's Sacred Year slowly transforms his life... His story will resonate with those who wish to deepen their own committed faith... for their own authentic encounter with the Divine.
I have conflicting feelings about the book. The summary above alone should've been a red flag. Referring to God as merely "the Divine" and spiritual realizations guided by the voice of a monk? They seem harmless until you realize that throughout the book, there isn't much focus on the Christian God and Jesus' Gospel.

Okay, so it's not a book about the Gospel. That can happen. But what bothers me most about this book is how it tries to mix Christianity and mysticism or new age-ism together and how it doesn't bother to help readers know God's Word and will.

It is supposed to be a spiritual journey, isn't it? I'm sorry, but I can't be at peace with an idea of a spiritual journey where God's Word takes a backseat.

The premise of learning to focus initially sounded interesting. However, I find his depiction of focus mystical and, frankly, unrealistic. I'm glad he has the time to look at an apple for hours, but what about us? I also find it new-agey. I actually expected the book to begin talking about the secrets of the universe or something.

Besides that, I didn't feel comfortable reading a supposedly Christian book that barely refers to the Bible. It does refer to the Bible a few times but only in passing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there's a point in the book where the writer truly meditated on it. This is, of course, debatable because I want to give the book benefit of the doubt.

Maybe it's just me.

In the end, I'm disappointed. I thought this book will help me grow as a Christian by teaching me how to be still to hear God's voice. I was disappointed because the book focuses on understanding ourselves. I'm sorry, but since my identity in rooted in Christ, shouldn't I be understanding the Word and not focusing on myself?

Maybe it's just me.

On the other hand, I can't deny how skillful the author's writing is. I felt drawn to the almost poetic words. But this can be dangerous if these words are used to deliver a gospel that is not Christ's.

Source: bibleencyclopedia.com

I am convinced that devotion to Jesus is simple. I believe it shouldn't be weighed down by practices and works and humanly attempts to understand the "divine." Otherwise, our faith will become something to boast about rather than a complete dependence on God.

Again, I'm sorry for writing a negative review. This is actually unpopular opinion as most reviews of this book are positive. I'd like to understand what I missed, but to be honest, I'll probably won't read the book again.

DISCLOSURE: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers review program. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions I have expressed are my own.

_________________________________________________________________
Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

rss_bunny

Or by entering your email here:
Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...