( 4 reviews )
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Mar 5 2007
Our church just read through this book together with five other churches in our community. That experience of unity and collective learning has been a wonderful thing. However, I would have to say that I have been disappointed with the actual text that Becky Tirabassi has written. It is worth noting that I have heard her speak in person and on multiple recordings for several hours about "The Burning Heart Contract" over the past few weeks, so my reflections on the book may also unintentionally include some of her oral presentations intermixed with actual textual critique. Ultimately, Tirabassi starts with the premise that God wants His followers to be sold-out, on-fire, fully committed Kingdom warriors. She suggests that committing to the principles of prayer, purity, and purpose help to point us in that direction. She is willing to challenge luke-warm Christians to stop pretending and engage in the life to which we have been called, which is not an easy thing to do. She provides a compelling picture of what this can look like, as reflected in the very personal testimony that she openly shares throughout her teaching. So far, this is all good. Where this book (and her teaching, more broadly) lost me was the times she seemed to fall into the unfortunate fallacy that her experience is the ideal, normative experience to which we should all be striving. Though she never expressed this notion in so many words, it seems to be an underlying component of her theology. And I might even be somewhat inclined to lean in that direction if I found the description of her life to be more attractive. Unfortunately, she bears as a badge of honor the fact that she has very few friends. As she openly says, most people don't like her. And after reading and hearing her teaching, I can understand why. Rather than challenging and edifying the body, she resorts more to scolding and guilting. And that approach simply does not connect with me. To reiterate, I find the general principles that Tirabassi has to offer to be completely biblical and worth pursuing. I just find her method of drawing people into this "Burning Heart Contract" to be distasteful or something worse. The format of the book makes sense. The stories that she tells are very personal and engaging. But I cannot say, as another reviewer has said, that I'm on board with her, at least not in the way that she apparently desires. If you want a book to tell the fascinating and wonderful story of how God took a broken and sin-riddled young woman and turned her on fire for Him, "The Burning Heart Contract" might be right for you. But if you want a compelling call to earnest discipleship, check out Jerry Bridges' "The Pursuit of Holiness" instead. And if you want a wonderful description of why "one-size-fits-all-spirituality" as (hopefully) unintentionally described by Tirabassi in this book is absurd, check out Gary Thomas' "Sacred Pathways." "The Burning Heart Contract" certainly isn't terrible, but I'm not inclined to recommend it highly.
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( 2 of 6 found this review helpful ) Posted: Oct 12 2006
The purpose of this book is to re-awaken the passion that a Christian feels when he or she is first born-again. However, if a person has never been born-again and has never felt so excited about God, Jesus, etc., that they were nearly peeing their pants in excitement to tell everyone about it, this book is not for you. This book is aimed at people who had an explosive conversion experience, not people who have been raised with Christianity all their lives and have a quieter kind of faith. The author tells us that God talks to us through the Bible, but the way she describes it makes it sound like we pray about some thing and then read the day's Bible passage according to the calendar or whatever and that Bible passage will give you God's message which will directly answer your prayer five seconds earlier. Just like a Magic 8 Ball. Also, while the author's faith and ferver are commendable, the reader is left with the impression that you will have a conversion experience and feel the hand of God directly only if you pray hard enough for it, so if you don't feel it it is your own fault.
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( 4 of 5 found this review helpful ) Posted: Nov 27 2005
If you don't know where to begin your devotional life -- this is the place to start. It's a straight forward, easy to follow, challenging and effective tool that will guide you. This book will help you get on track with God.
