12.23.2009

Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity


I was honored to receive an advanced copy of "Primal" by Pastor Mark Batterson. Pastor Mark is the founding and senior Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. If you're not familiar with his story I encourage you to read up about him and see what God is doing in both his life and the life of his church. Additionally you can check out some of his sermons here.

A little disclosure. I'm a fan of Pastor Mark Batterson. A few years ago when I was leading a church plant in Virginia Beach I was honored to sit in on a staff meeting with the team of NCC. During that time I observed a high-caliber team who have a deep respect and love for their Pastor. I also noticed a Pastor who leads with humility and wisdom.

A few years ago I went to a conference NCC hosted called "Buzz" (day 1, day 2). From there I have kept an eye on NCC and read two other books by Pastor Batterson, "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" and "Wild Goose Chase". Both of these books provide inspiration and insight worthy of your time. I also happen to own Pastor Mark's "ID: The True You" so I'm familiar with his work.

Primal is essentially a book written to awaken within the believer a passion to get back to the very essence of our faith. Through fascinating storytelling the reader gets to engage in a lifetime of adventures all the while uncovering deep spiritual truths. From joining Pastor Mark as he explores ancient ruins to hiking the rim of the Grand Canyon, this book is full of amazing tales of personal achievement and adventure.


The premise is that in Christianity there is a deep and primary truth to which we must return. That truth, a truth we often forget, is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

If you are a follower of Jesus there is no doubt that you have explored this verse but like many you may have come to an uncertain conclusion on how "exactly" I can love God with my heart, soul, mind and strength. Primal should be your primary read!

One of the attributes God has given to Pastor Batterson is an ability to stretch our mind by pointing to God's creation in scientific terms while simultaneously pulling in compelling stories. For me, his writing style is a one-two punch on my left and right brains to keep me engaged throughout the reading of this work.

Finally, as a Pastor I've decided to take principles and concepts from this book and use it in our first series of 2010 at Captivate Church. We will re-brand the series but we are going to point people to pick up a copy of Pastor Mark Batterson's compelling work, Primal. I want to encourage you to get yourself a copy this weekend and read it sometime in January before your calendar begins to complicate your new year. Thanks Pastor Batterson for putting out great work for us to chew on in the new year.

Let's all get back to the core of our faith in 2010
and show the world this God to whom we give our entire being.

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