Ed Dobson’s The Year of Living Like Jesus is a real trip “outside the box” of what you’d typically expect from a guy with a fundamentalist Christian background. His desire to follow in the dust of Jesus’ footsteps without the constraints of organized religion really resonates within me, yet weeks after putting this book down, I’m still struggling with some of Ed’s decisions. Take the following quote from the book, for example:
“Some of my best experiences in living like Jesus have come because of alcohol. Jesus was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard, and you can’t be accused of being that unless you eat food and drink wine.” p. 163
My sister attended Liberty University when Ed Dobson was Dean of Students and Vice President. Her memories of him are stellar. This man was well respected and loved, and known for being genuinely interested in a one on one level, even as busy as he must have been. So when Zondervan contacted me, offering a free copy of this book in exchange for a written review, I thought, why not?
It’s interesting to note that Dobson’s approach to living like Jesus began by immersing himself in the Jewish way of life…eating kosher foods, observing the Sabbath, wearing tassles. It also led him to a gentle exploring of the traditions and prayers held by the Catholic and Orthodox religions. It led him into bars, the wilderness, and to quite a bit of criticism at the hands of God’s people. But in the end, it taught him that following Jesus is so much more than keeping his meat separate from his cheese at mealtime. I think Mr. Dobson is as gracious as my sister remembers him to be, and though I don’t agree with certain aspects of his journey in this book, I must admit that his experiences caused me quite a bit of soul searching in the areas of reaching the lost, and breaching the divide that exists between most church designations. Living like Jesus requires complete obedience in hard things, in things we might question and resist. This read was a refreshing and sometimes shocking look into one man’s attempt to go God’s way even when he knew he’d be misunderstood and condemned.
Here are a few more quotes from the book to intrigue you…
“Since I knew it was illegal to use electronic devices during takeoff, I struggled with the decision to shut off my iPod…but listening would be deceptive, and deception is not living Jesus-ly.” p. 16
“Today I don’t feel like reading or praying. After ten intense days, I’m tired of it.” p. 24
“I’ve always had trouble knowing what to pray in regard to my ALS. I have a degenerative, incurable, and terminal disease. It’s only a matter of time. So how do I pray?” p. 74
“We’ve developed our own subculture within the larger culture. We have our own churches, our own small groups, our own Christian schools, our own universities, our own publishing houses, our own magazines, our own radio stations…I’m not denying the value of these things, but I am saying that they discourage people from being out in ‘the real world.’ And the real world is sick and it needs a doctor.” p. 174
Media Press Release for Ed Dobson’s The Year of Living Like Jesus
Evangelical pastor Ed Dobson had a radical idea…
“Live one year as Jesus lived. Eat as Jesus ate. Pray as Jesus prayed. Observe the sabbath as Jesus observed. Attend the Jewish festivals as Jesus attended. Read the Gospels every week.”
Dobson’s transition from someone who follows Jesus to someone who lives like Jesus takes him into bars, inspires him to pick up hitchhikers, and deepens his understanding of suffering.
Living like Jesus is quite different from what we imagine.
“It may appear from the cover that this is a nice book about growing a beard because Jesus did but be warned- you will quickly discover that Ed’s adventure takes him, and us, deep into the heart of grace, mercy and the endless discovery of just what the way of Jesus looks like – which, of course, has very little to do with having a beard.”-Rob Bell, Jesus Wants To Save Christians
About the Author
Ed Dobson, pastor emiritus of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serves as an advisory editor for Christianity Today and consulting editor for Leadership. He holds an earned doctorate from the University of Virginia, was named “Pastor of the Year” by Moody Bible Institute, and is author of numerous books, including Prayers and Promises When Facing a Life-Threatening Illness. He moved to the United States in 1964 from Northern Ireland and now lives with his family in Grand Rapids.
Go here to learn more about Ed Dobson
Read other blog reviews of The Year of Living Like Jesus
Buy the book at Christianbook.com or Amazon!
I’m unsure about the comment about the iPod during takeoff. Maybe I’m missing the rest of the context, but what was the part about deception? What was the dilemma?
He was in an airplane during take-off and really didn’t want to turn his iPod off, as required, but to ignore the rules and keep listening would have been deceptive of him…to try to get away with it while appearing to not listen…sorry it was unclear.
That ‘living like Jesus’ is almost too much of a project. Jesus said, “I do always those things that please the Father”. Dear Dr. Dobson…how could he get inside The Father’s mind and so do all those things that please Him? His project seems to me like an outward thing…what to eat, what to wear, etc. What about the inward things?
I think it’s very evident in the book that the author began this project with a lot of outward changes…and I really thought there would be more of a learning curve, if you will, towards the inward process…there was, somewhat. I found plenty of encouragement in reading it, even with the eyebrow raising parts! I do agree with you though, we can only attempt to live like Jesus, and it’s most certainly more of an inward response–that is definitely reflected outwardly in our behavior and choices.