The Ordinary Hero: Living the Cross and Resurrection

by Tim Chester

The cross and resurrection provide the pattern for discipleship today, calling Christians to a radical new way of living. The Ordinary Hero invites us to :live out the radical implications of graceapply the way of the sacrificial love and service, to every area of lifeaccept the pattern of suffering followed by glory as normalpursue spiritual power, not for its own sake, but in order to live the weakness of the crossembark on risk-taking lives because we're focussed on the world to come Says the author, 'This book strikes a note that is rarely heard today. In particular, the important themes of suffering followed by glory, and the hiddenness of the Christian life, are all but absent in contemporary Christian thought.'The book concludes with a powerful story of an ordinary hero.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Christian Living, Discipleship

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2009

About the author

Dr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

The great Christ Lit Crawl is off to a perilous start. He started off strong with the whole start of the book exploring and commenting on God's love and forgiveness. But then I realized that he was quoting and paraphrasing C.S.Lewis for 90% of that section.

The rest was a mixture of society bashing and going on about the sufferings of Christians (as if it is something only we experience) and seemed to imply that we need to define ourselves by our sufferings.

Like,
‘Come be a Christian with me all your sins will be wipe.. TRAP CARD ACTIVATED HAHAHA WELCOME TO THE REST OF YOUR LIFE SUFFERING CAUSE YOUR A CHRISTIAN THERE’S NO WAY OUT.'

Overall made out to say life's not that great.

[Becky Pliego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very encouraging. I believe all Christians should always be reading a book about that reminds them of the Gospel and the way it affects the way we live our lives. And this book does that.

[Daniel Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

a lot of questions I was left with, its not really clear what "ordinary" is supposed to mean, if we are to pursue being ordinary or not.

[Daniel Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those "read once a year" books. It is simple, but not simplistic, in painting the Bible's story of Jesus and the cross and how it shapes our daily living. I wish I could buy a copy for every member of my church.

This book reminded me of something my RUF Campus Minister preached one time. If we were to determine who was the most faithful and obedient Christian in the world was, we have probably have never heard of them, and that person wouldn't think they are the most faithful and obedient Christian in the world.

[Shu Yi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my first time joining a christian book club and this was the book we read. I really learned a lot from this book, especially about the pattern of Christian living of suffering and glory. It encouraged me during trials and also in service. It was readable and not too complex.

[Tim Vasby-burnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe my number one book for new Christians, apart from the Bible.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally overly repetitive, and not convinced by all of his examples, this is still a valuable, down to earth suggestion about what it means to follow Christ.

[Dan Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book for new believer's Bible study...actually, also for old believer's Bible study. Shows the day to day Christian life to be patterned after cross and resurrection. Review to follow...

[Jonathan Huggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic book! Don't the let the poor title keep you from reading it. Basically a book about what it means to be a Christian. Especially good chapter on eschatology.