Review: Up and Alive: Living The Life We Are Made For, Cathy and Mark Madavan | Spring Harvest 2024 — Preach magazine - a resource for preachers and worship leaders, putting world events into a biblical context

REVIEWER: Ali Hull

BOOK: Up and Alive: Living The Life We Are Made For

(SPCK, 2024) 144pp, paperback, RRP £9.99

Spring Harvest 2024: Up and Alive

This book concentrates on the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians and takes us through the text, seeking to encourage Christians to remember who they are in Christ. It is not a verse by verse commentary – there are plenty out there already – more of a wake-up call to Christians to reassess where they are in their faith, today. The authors start that process by recommending we appreciate more who God is, looking up to him rather than out at our own problems. I think this is one of the most important parts of the entire book: they ask ‘whether our view of God shrinks and grows related to our present circumstances … we may well have adopted a mindset … that says God is good because life is good. He provides for us… but what if the provision is delayed?’ It is only by getting a more balanced view of God, they suggest, that we will be able to think more clearly and cope with life’s difficulties.

The book – which is immensely readable – then moves on to consider our present status in Christ, what it means to be part of the new community of the church, what we need to put on and discard, and how we stand in our faith. How are we doing? What needs attention?

There is a great deal to think about here – the book provides something of a spiritual MOT, and it would undoubtedly be a good idea to reread it regularly, and to keep some sort of journal of progress. The challenges look at every area of life and recommend constant assessment.

Each chapter ends with suggestions for how to engage further with the material: reflections, prayers, challenges, questions and further reading. The book could be used in a number of other ways as well: not just for individual use. Made up of five chapters, plus an introduction, it could be ideal for a small group.

Reviewer: Ali Hull is the Book Editor for Preach magazine, and has spent nearly thirty years working with words, as a writer, editor, and writing coach.