Singing in Babylon Finding Purpose in Life’s Second Choices Jeff Lucas (David Cook, Feb 2021) 224pp, paperback RRP £11.99
What a blessing, Singing in Babylon, Finding Purpose in Life’s Second Choices, has been to me! This book is brilliant for preachers and for those who want to go deeper with God. You can read it solo, meet one-to-one weekly with someone and enjoy a chapter at a time, or even try using it as a Bible study group using the scripture and questions provided in each chapter, expanding or editing as needed.
Lucas has added many quotes from scholars such as Brueggemann, Goldingay, Lennox, and Longman, which brings with it a mix of academic rigour and powerful reflections that can be applied to the individual’s life. Also woven throughout the chapters are handcrafted poems, questions to pause and reflect on, finished off with passages of scripture (Daniel 1-10) and other reliable sources. Being a theologian myself, there were aspects within the text that I wanted to research some more, with particular note to historical accuracies, which the everyday reader may or may not require. It’s worth praying before each chapter, being open to the Spirit’s guidance, as there is a lot to gain from this excellent resource. It’s an invitation to trust more in God, with and through our lives, helping us to see God in our present situation, rather than avoiding the one in which we find ourselves, keeping our hearts fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith so that in worship, our hearts do not grow bitter in suffering but go ever deeper into union with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
