Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners (Union)

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Man, what a fun read! I've read some of Mister Moore's work in the past and wasn't a huge fan, so I didn't anticipate enjoying this one nearly as much as I did. There's a lot more going on in this novel than I initially thought. Based on the title and cover I expected a deep dive exploration to uncover some kind of ancient monster. That's all correct, in a way, but what I didn't expect was the Lovecraftian twist. Of all his Elder Gods and Eldritch things my favorite has always been Dagon and the inhabitants of Innsmouth. Imagine my surprise when I realized that's where this novel takes place. Are you getting a better picture of just what our friends find on their underwater adventure? I'd rate it 3...but actual rating is 2.5 cause it was too unnecessary long literally made me feel claustrophobic... Sarah is taken to see her mother, Grandma Macaulay, in her old home. Grandma Macaulay has been persuaded by the Styx that Will was responsible for Tam's demise, and she is full of vengeance and asks Sarah to exact revenge on the boy. Sarah is then escorted to the Styx Garrison where she rests, is given military training, and is also subjected to sermons from The Book of Catastrophes. After digging through the subterranean world of modern-day London in search of his father, fourteen-year-old Will Burrows ended up on the run from the diabolical Styx army with his best friend, Chester, and his newly discovered brother, Cal. A mole and a boy begin talking about who they are and the imprint they wish to leave on the world. Success is love, connection, and kindness.

There are 7 more but I am not going to give it away. The book is worth your reflection on a great and good God. James Clear sets out to prove how one small act can create a ripple and larger effect in one of the best books that will make you think about your (fluid) identity, goals, and habits.

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The first way in which the Christian grows is by seeing a fresh picture of who Jesus is. Chapter 1 depicts seven facets of Christ (his ruling, saving, befriending, persevering, interceding, returning, and tenderness) that “bring the living Christ himself into sharper, starker contrast, to see him loom larger and more radiant and more glorious than ever before” (23). We’re not after behavior modification in this book. I’m not going to talk to you about setting your alarm earlier or cutting carbs. We’re not even going to reflect on tithing or church attendance or journaling or small groups or taking the sacraments or reading the Puritans. All of that can be done out of rottenness of heart.” (18, my emphasis). Another essential instrument is embracing pain. Ortlund distinguishes between two types: passive pain and active pain. Passive pain is not controllable; it comes upon the believer as a result of the fallen creation groaning for redemption. We grow as we receive “the bitterness of life as God’s gentle way of drawing us out of our misery of self and more deeply into spiritual maturity” (127). The purpose of this pain is to “wean us from the love of this world” (129) and to move us from a “professed theology to a heart theology” (133). Chapter 5, Acquittal: “If we long to grow in Christ, we dare not do what comes so naturally—namely, say we believe that the verdict over our lives is decisively settled in our justified status before God but then move on to other ideas and strategies when it comes to our emotional lives and daily pressures.” (98-99)

If you are in Christ, you have everything you need to grow. You are united to Christ: by the Holy Spirit, you are in him and he is in you… You cannot lose. You are inexhaustibly rich. For you are one with Christ, and he is himself inexhaustibly rich.” All in all, this is a welcome addition to the Cthulhu Mythos…hopefully not James Moore's only venture into them.Active pain, on the other hand, comes from our intentional engagement in putting our sin to death. We mortify our sin not by focusing our attention on it, but focusing our eyes away from it and setting them upon Christ. When we focus our attention on our sin, we are in danger of “coddling it, pining after it, daydreaming about it,” but “we suffocate sin by redirecting our gaze to Christ” (139). As we enjoy the reality of all that we have in Christ, sin begins to loosen. Deeper is primarily a book about sanctification (growing more and more like Christ) but also spends some time talking about justification. I really liked his distinction between the two. He says: In fact, the narrator is worth highlighting. In Joe Bierden, Moore has created a likeable, friendly story teller and protagonist with a distinct yet wholly unobtrusive voice. There is no overwriting here, because a drinking buddy recounting a serious, intimate story does not overwrite—and that's essentially Joe’s role here.

My favourite thing about deeper was that it just never slowed down. There's also the reoccurring theme of plot twists that never get old. The action sequences are even better than the ones from the first book- plus there are a few more gory parts, too.

Deeper is a book about sanctification (85), or how Christians grow. (15) While that seems pretty straightforward, Ortlund wants to distinguish his approach in this book from that of others. He groups other approaches to growth into three models—those who think change happens through outward improvement, through intellectual addition, or through felt experience. Elsewhere he tags those competing approaches as purer behavior, sharper doctrine, or richer emotions. (17) In contrast, his “argument is that all three of these elements are included in healthy Christian development...” but “growing in Christ is not centrally improving or adding or experiencing but deepening.” (16) He further explains how his view differs from others: “Implicit in the notion of deepening is that you already have what you need. Christian growth is bringing what you do and say and even feel into line with what, in fact, you already are.” (16) The sequel to its predecessor, Deeper, is like that attraction at Disneyworld that you want to ride over and over and over again. Ugh! Maybe my opinion is deep seated in my claustrophobia since I am one of the few that didn't like it. I didn't care for the first book but i was told this one is better. Granted I was completely intrigued at the idea. The underground dystopia was a new spin I felt had great promise. The description is great. The story is well written as far as writing goes but...