God in My Everything - A Friendly Critique

"What if there was a way to experience God as your deep center, not only in your formal prayers and Bible reading, but in the midst of your studies, work, exercise and play?" - Ken Shigematsu, God in My Everything

I was intrigued by this book.  I knew nothing about Ken Shigematsu, Tenth Church, or the overall concept of his theory.  But, as spiritual beings, I was interested in his thoughts. Here is a trailer to the book: http://youtu.be/SgtA_hbrgyg.

The overall thought behind God in My Everything  is developing a "rule" for life.  He explains why, but he treats a rule like a trellis - a plan for living life.  The trellis for life is built on three main foundations and is both about personal care and interpersonal life.

Many of his examples and framework come from, of all places, medieval (and modern) monastic life.  To be honest, I was very skeptical of applying a "how to live" for people sequestered from society in a very different time from now.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Personally, I enjoyed the book.  I've learned much about the rhythms of life, how to enjoy God in every aspect of life and how to build a workable structure for life.  That said, I'm a bit hesitant to recommend the book.

First, and this is a critique I have of many evangelical books, it assumes the reader has an understanding of the Gospel.  That very well may be, but it's dangerous to assume the reader is starting from a classical Christian understanding.

And that leads to my other concern.  Because Shigematsu assumes a Christian understanding, the book could have a bit of a universalistic or pantheistic feel to it. I think that's because common grace is very real.  And because of this, the book could become a tool for promoting all sorts of cultist or non-christian views.

Overall, I found the book very enjoyable and beneficial.  I would shy away from using this book outside of a strong theological underpinning, but it would make a great discussion book for a discipleship book or church leadership discussion. 

Note: I received a review copy of the book from the publisher.  I was required to provide an honest, not necessarily favorable, review, and the opinions expressed are mine.