Reader's Review (in 500 Words or Less): Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now by Gregory Boyd

There is an ancient tradition stemming from 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing."  Since prayer is all about relationship with God, speaking to and hearing Jesus, the concept of "practicing his presence" is crucial for Christians looking to journey through life with Jesus.  The foundation for "pray without ceasing" stems from waking up to the present moment, or as Greg Boyd states, "The only thing that's real is this present moment, and the only thing that matters is waking up to God's presence- now."   

One of the insights that I greatly appreciated is the call to "wake up" to the now.  Boyd states that "the present moment is all that is real.  The past is gone.  The future is not yet.  We remember the past and anticipate the future, but we always do so in the present.  Reality is always now.  And the single most important aspect of reality is that God is present in it every moment.  To forget that God is present in any given moment is to forget the most important aspect of that moment."

However, while knowing that God is present in every moment, Greg is very humble in his approach to help get us all to the place of living in God's presence (and more importantly being aware of God's presence), confessing his own struggles and failures at practicing this concept while also giving insight into the profound awesomeness that happens when we are able to wake up to God's presence.  He incorporates using one's imagination in prayer (58), understanding our own vanity and the importance of God (65-67), how to motivate ourselves by God's love (72), what our true self-identity is and how to handle our thoughts (94 - "The real "you" is the "you" that is defined by God's love, not the indicting thought"), and weaves in how practicing God's presence ultimately leads to submission and obedience in the most important "task of every present moment... is to love God and one's neighbor as oneself" (106).

Finally, the reason why we practice the presence of God is elaborated upon, in that the "purpose of staying attentive to the present moment is to cultivate a loving relationship with God" (158).  Love flows out of this relationship in faith that incorporates works.

Summary: This is a great book of reflections, exercises, and modern day experiences about "practicing God's presence."  It is definitely for anyone looking to further their relationship with Jesus by "praying unceasingly."  The insights into our present day U.S. American culture, habits, and identity issues, combined with pulling key understandings from earlier Christian Mystics (such as Brother Lawrence, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, and Frank Lubach) make this book a contemporary classic.  It's also only $5.98 on Amazon Kindle...an incredible price for the insights into the Christian life given here.

Book Reviewed: Boyd, Gregory.  Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010.