"Fix Your Eyes" (Amy Gannett)

TITLE: Fix Your Eyes: How Our Study of God Shapes Our Worship of Him
AUTHOR: Amy Gannett
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2021, (240 pages).

We cannot love someone that we do not know. In the same way, how could we worship someone we do not know? Thus, just as our love for God is linked to our knowledge of God, the more we know God, the better we will be in worshiping Him in our minds and hearts. Author Amy Gannett shares her theological insights in this book that connects worship with our knowledge of God. She affirms this as follows: "Worship is what happens when what we love shapes us—when we submit our character, choices, wills, and ways to God out of love and reverence for him." With the marriage of theology and worship, she launches into a fascinating theological journey to show us that worship is about fixing our eyes on Jesus, for He is the shape of what we need to know about theology. Chapter by chapter, Gannett demonstrates to us how the various head-based knowledge of God and His attributes to heartfelt realities. Readers might be curious to know how this could be done. Let me give one example from the book. The doctrine of the Trinity can be one of the most difficult or mysterious areas to study. In the chapter on this foundational doctrine, readers are invited into the author's househunting experience, where a house inspection report turns up a serious problem in the house foundation. Without this foundation, everything else in the house is in danger of collapse. Yet, in the mystery of unknowing, in the midst of analogies that fall short, we are motivated to learn more. More importantly, we are ushered into a realm where the only possible response is worship. Gannett takes us through the major branches of theological studies such as Christology, Pneumatology, Soteriology, Bibliology, Ecclesiology, and Eschatology, giving us not only a primer on these theological branches but how we can worship God in His spirit and in his Truth. A knowledge of Christology reminds us of the physical witness we have in Jesus. Pneumatology enables us to invite the Holy Spirit into our midst to worship with awareness of the Spirit as the Third Person of the Trinity. Soteriology raises our heart of gratitude to the God who saves us. Bibliology anchors our worship based on the Word of God. Ecclesiology teaches us to worship as a Body of Christ. Eschatology prepares our hearts to worship the Coming King. 

My Thoughts

This is a marvelous work of theology and worship bundled together as one. Sometimes, we study theology in such a discrete manner that after deconstructing our theological curriculum, we find it difficult to connect them all together into a form that we could teach or apply in our Christian life. We often need help to marry theological truths with spiritual practices such as worship. Right from the start, the author shares her inspiration from a late theologian, Dr. J.I. Packer, that theology should lead to doxology. With this overriding emphasis, Gannett helps us reconstruct the major theological branches to point us toward the worship of God. This is an excellent orientation that we often miss in our study of theology or the practice of worship. Readers learn from every chapter how to go about doing it.

Gannet condenses difficult concepts into relatable stories, and in particular, how we can take what we learn and apply that toward worship. This is the single biggest reason to buy this book. In this manner, this book is essentially theology in action. Within the pages are many illustrations of how theology has influenced the author's lifestyle. Readers can sense how comfortable Gannett is to allow the knowledge of theology is weaved not only in the ministry of worship but also the impact on our regular lives. With a theological primer and insights of worship, all rolled into one, we get a book that enables regular believers to learn what it means to worship and love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and soul. 

The title of the book is instructive too. Whatever we read or do, remember that all theology leads to doxology, and doxology is essentially fixing our eyes on the Triune God. 

Amy Gannett (M.Div, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary), is a speaker, writer, and Bible teacher. She is the author of several exegetical Bible studies. Her teaching and writing have been featured on Christian outlets like Well-Watered Women, The Gospel Coalition, JourneyWomen, Risen Motherhood, and Christ and Pop Culture.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of B&H Publishing and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.