Idol Extraction in Paul David Tripp’s ‘Awe’, Free for CAPC Members

“I wrote this book for myself…” Paul David Tripp tells us, “I wrote this book for me because I need to examine what kind of awe shapes my thoughts, desires, words, choices, and actions in the situations and relationships that make up my everyday life.”

In our Creator Spotlight this month you have a book that wasn’t written for you. You’re welcome. Get yourself in front of a warm fire this month, pour a cup of tea, grab a blanket and just watch how Tripp deals with his heart in Awe: Why It Matters To Everything We Think, Say, And Do. This is a spectator story for us; we get to sit above the operating table and watch the open-hearted procedure of idol-worship extraction (did you bring your Junior Mints?).

Tripp’s pursuit for us himself in Awe is to understand the nature of our hearts and the wandering worship that we are often overcome with in every area of our lives. At the root, our hearts are wired up for worship–“awe” as Tripp calls it. This world was made as an awesome place, and yet we constantly place our worship in the created world that will never satisfy us.

So, like the doctor who removed his own appendix, Tripp throws himself up on the operating table for a much more difficult procedure; dealing with a heart prone to wonder. It’s a good thing it’s him on that table and not me.*

*Disclaimer: This procedure is extensive and painful in its process. Should you find that Tripp has actually tricked you into getting up onto the operating table to deal with your own heart, be warned! You will not be the same person leaving the operating room that you were upon coming in. Most notably Tripp will take a double-edged scalpel to work out how your heart wants to worship material things, children, worship, and culture (even food!). He will recommend an actual heart-transplant operation, and could very possibly begin the procedure right then and there.

His ambition is to “deepen your awe of your Redeemer, and may your heart be rescued, satisfied, and glad.” Christ and Pop Culture cannot speak for those things actually happening, but feel that we would be negligent if we did not post the intended results.

Side effects include replacement of dead heart for vibrant heart, worship-redirection to one-true-God, satisfaction, peace, joy in creation, temperance, gathering with other people on Sunday to sing and worship, serving others in joy, humbled attitude, moderation in spending, moderation in working, rest, happiness in God, eternal life, Awe.

Thanks to Crossway for making Awe freely available to Christ and Pop Culture members.