I jumped at the chance to read a review copy of The Eternal Current written by Aaron Niequist. It did take me a while to read in the end but that’s only because I misplaced my Kindle for a while. I really think there is so much for us in Northern Ireland to learn from in these pages and also from the experience of The Practice community which Aaron has led and developed over a number of years.
Having followed online the development of The Practice, under the auspices of Willow Creek Community Church, the theme of God’s eternal current was already familiar. The book expands upon the idea that Christ’s invitation to swim in the current is for us all, no matter who we are and the ways in which we may be hesitating. He asks us to join him in the deep waters of his grace and love, to not just dip our toes or wade knee deep but to swim with him.
It challenges us to assess where exactly we are right now as individuals and also as faith communities. If we’re just standing on the shores of the eternal current, we are missing out on so much as is the rest of the world because as Aaron explains, faith is not only about theological belief but about how we can participate in God’s Kingdom in practice, here and now for the sake of the world.
‘Through Christ, we get to join the redemption and restoration of all things.’
This book encourages us to be brave and to look beyond the boundaries of our own church walls and denominations, to not be afraid to learn from the historic practices of the church that have been set aside, to re-engage with spiritual disciplines that will hopefully help us to swim closer to Christ and join him in the work of the Kingdom here.
There is much of Aaron’s personal spiritual journey and of The Practice community that would surely resonate here at home in Northern Ireland, where there are also deep religious divisions and suspicions.
A book such as this can help us find the courage to swim further into the eternal current without fear and to be more open. I would recommend this book to anyone who might want to explore new ways of pushing deeper into faith, of practising, not just believing. There are also lots of other books and resources mentioned that can be investigated and which sound interesting. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea though, as we like to say, but I for one give it a loud round of applause.
#NetGalley #TheEternalCurrent #aaronniequist
