Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature

Im half way thoigh the book, and what revelation i got so far. If you feel your in a rut emotionally, or you keep going around the same mountains and wonder why, this is a great book to read....

At last a book that offers a way to let Jesus heal the whole person, empower a Christian's entire life. With unflinching honesty and humility, Pastor Scazzero witnesses to a spirituality that gives attention to our past without allowing us to remain perpetual victims. He offers us disciplines for our future that can shape our lives and make room for the abundance that Jesus promised. My favorite surprise in the book was the call to true "Sabbath." I'm not there yet, but I feel the tug of the Spirit, urging me to take this seriously. It is such a joy to realize that the world can carry on one day a week without me! It's difficult to imagine the Christian whose walk would not benefit from reading this book.

I'm reading Emotionally Healthy Spirituality for the second time. This book aligns with my spiritual belief, as well as my personal belief system, that emotional health should be--no, must be--integrated into the body of Christ so to promote true spiritual maturity. The book, as some people may believe, is not saying that we should live or be driven by our emotions, but to address them. Avoidance is a curse to emotional health. Given my past experience, I wholeheartedly believe that emotional health is one of the major keys to spiritual growth. However, Peter Scazzero is the first pastor that I know of who has articulated the issue--and well!

I have read few books that caused me to stop - make time to re-read, weep, journal and pray about the impact they were having on my life. This book is THAT powerful. It is deeply personal, both from the author's point of view and to where it takes you, the reader. The stories shared vividly illustrate Scazzero's points and I have never seen the relationship between emotional maturity and spirituality so deftly woven together. Great find!

Peter Scazzero's first book, "The Emotionally Healthy Church" has had a great impact on churches and church leaders all over North America and beyond, so much so that it is now available in 5 languages. Next year another language will come out and by sometime in 2008 it will be available in 7 languages according the publisher. It is interesting to note that book was written for a church leaders. This new book, "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash the Power of Authentic Life in Christ", goes beyond just leadership, to everyone who has a seeking heart. I am member of Pastor Pete's church. His preaching and teaching has and continues to transform how we see ourselves in Christ, how we relate to each other, both in the world and in the Body of Christ, and in how to walk out a freedom in emotional and spiritual health that has restored our joy in the Lord! Our church funtions in a greater degree of love and understanding of who God made each of us to be as individuals and as a body. We are still journeying on that path, growing daily. Yet, upon reading this book I told Pastor Pete that his writing is even better than his preaching on this book and that's saying something! Even after sitting under teaching for 3 years now on this new book "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash the Power of Authentic Life in Christ", I found myself drawing nearer and deeper into who Jesus is as I read, and how much the love of the Father is impacting my life like never before. The grace and the power of the Holy Spirit reaches through every word. Although written in easy reading form, there is much to chew on in this book, much to digest. Pick it up for your summer reading under a shade tree on your vacation. Read it slowly and contemplate the Lord's presence as you do so. You won't be sorry, you'll be changed.