To Read, Or Not To Read...: Spiritual Nutrition: Healthy Eating for the Christian Heart by Christine Prescott

Spiritual Nutrition: Healthy Eating for the Christian Heart by Christine Prescott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Spiritual Nutrition focuses on the development of healthy spiritual habits by identifying five core spiritual nutrients and comparing them to their physical counterparts.

Prayer is like water...vital for life and essential for survival.
Bible study is like protein...necessary for growth.
Christian Fellowship is like carbohydrates...give us energy.
Worship is like healthy fats...helps keep our hearts healthy.
Thinking on good things is like vitamins...necessary for helping the other nutrients work effectively.

I enjoyed reading Christine's book and her easy-reading style. The book as a personal feel to it and is extremely practical both spiritually and physically. I was able to learn a lot of "deep" concepts in a light presentation. The explanation and comparison of each nutrient is wonderfully put together and helpful for understanding the basics of a healthy spiritual life. The questions at the end of each chapter are incredibly thought provoking and easy to understand; you don't feel like she's trying to trick you with a question.

I especially appreciated the chapter on Christian Fellowship and the quote on page 71:

"Praising God keeps our hearts from becoming hardened by sin, giving into our desires to get what we want, and the enticement of the devil."

My only caution in this book is that you should read with discernment - as you should with any book - because while I really liked this book, I do have several doctrinal points I disagree on with the author. However, those points are not necessarily the focus of the book so there is still great value into what Prescott presents in Spiritual Nutrition.

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Author Bio: Christine Prescott was born in McMinnville, Oregon from a line of self-sufficient homesteaders and farmers. She attended the University of Oregon, where she earned a B.S. degree in Elementary Education. A week after graduation, she married Dave Prescott who has been her encouragement ever since. After discovering that life as a substitute teacher was not for her, Christine registered at Lewis and Clark Northwestern School of Law in Portland, Oregon. Four years later, Christine earned her J.D. and spent the next ten years practicing law in the Portland area, helping people navigate the murky legal waters of everyday life. In 1988 Christine was called to prison chaplaincy; she received a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA in 1992. Christine served in pastoral ministry for twelve years. She earned a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation at George Fox Evangelical Seminary in 2005 studying under guest professors Brennan Manning, Leonard Sweet, and Stan Gretz. Christine has been a speaker and leader for church groups, conferences, retreats, and local, state and national gatherings for youth and adults. She preaches, teaches, and speaks, and facilitates exploration on topics such as worship, the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts and finding your story in Scripture. Christine first explored the topic of spiritual nutrition at an American Baptist Women of Oregon retreat. Her goal in all her speaking and writing is to open windows in people’s hearts so that the Holy Spirit can enter and begin the work of transformation. In her new book, Spiritual Nutrition – Healthy Eating for the Christian Heart (WinePress, 2009), Christine writes to help people develop a deeper relationship with Jesus; she specifically focuses on five spiritual core nutrients necessary for developing and maintaining better spiritual health. Today Christine serves as a hospital chaplain. She and her very patient husband live in Missoula, Montana.