The great spiritual classics contain a vast treasure chest of spiritual and practical counsel for all readers. By reading these classics, we can imbibe the insights of fellow imperfect pilgrims. The enduring spiritual classics lead us back to the Scriptures with more commitment and insights than we previously possessed.
So exactly what is a Christian classic? It is a widely read spiritual book that has stood the test of time and which readers today still acknowledge as worthwhile reading. When a Christian book is still being published and read for many years after it was originally authored, obviously many Christians have found it to be of great value.
Reading the Imitation of Christ
The Imitation of Christ, which was either written or edited by Thomas a Kempis about a century before the Reformation, is among the most widely read Christian classics of our day. Thomas a Kempis was a member of a religious community in the Netherlands, named the Brethren of Common Life. What is The Imitation of Christ about? It is a handbook of spiritual mentoring whose purpose is to guide Christians in living their daily lives in the footprints of Jesus. Perhaps the main message of The Imitation of Christ is that we can never completely grasp Jesus’ words until our own lives are modeled after Christ’s life.
Reading Pilgrim’s Progress
Next to the Bible, John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress was the most widely read book in the entire world for many centuries. After surrendering his life to God, John Bunyan came to live in the English town of Bedford, where he worked, making and mending pots and pans. Eventually, Bunyan became an itinerant minister during the time when Oliver Cromwell ruled England. However, once the monarchy was restored in 1660, John Bunyan was arrested for holding unauthorized church services. As a result, he was sent to prison. Yet, it was while Bunyan was in the Bedford jail that he wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. This enduring work is an allegory of the Christian pilgrimage throughout life.
Brother Lawrence: The Practice of the Presence of God
To most of people of his day, Brother Lawrence no doubted appeared to be an unlikely person to write a great Christian classic. I say that because he had little education, he was an awkward, clumsy person, and he never rose to any great station in life-either spiritual or secular. Instead, for the majority of his life, he worked as a cook within the walls of a monastery. Actually, I should point out that Brother Lawrence himself didn’t pen The Practice of the Presence of God. Rather, this great Christian classic consists of a collection of his letters, coupled with summaries of his teachings written by a Christian who met with Brother Lawrence a number of times.
If I had to list the five greatest works on prayer, The Practice of the Presence of God would certainly be near the top of my list. Brother Lawrence’s gift was that he was able to pray silently without stopping throughout his entire day. Even though he was in the midst of his everyday work, he was able to consciously live in the presence of God and converse with him throughout the day.
David Bercot, is the author of a number of Christian books. His latest work is Will the Theologians Please Sit Down. He is also an ardent fan of the enduring spiritual classics. To get your own free online copy of The Practice of the Presence of God, please click on the following link: Presence of God.
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