The Christian Behind Closed Doors - Reviews
George Lupasi - Youth Leader Philadelphia Rromanian Church
The Christian Behind Closed Doors by Daniel Capusan
About four weeks ago, Daniel emailed me an electronic copy of his book entitled, The Christian Behind Closed Doors . After I read the title, I thought, okay Daniel is going to be in some hot water with the older Romanian generation over his book.
We are all aware of the double-sided Christians in our churches. A good number of so called Christians put on their good face when coming to church and the rest of the week -well you know what they do.
Yes, Daniel talks about them. However, he doesn't sugar coat things. Some of the issues addressed in this book can be controversial. Daniel succeeds in bringing light to issues that the Romanian-American Pentecostal church should be paying more attention to.
What I like most about this book, is that it references scripture often and it's easy to relate to. Remember all those things your parents had you do as a child, the things that you didn't understand why? Daniel writes about a few of his own. In Chapter 2, From Burden to Joy, Daniel wonders out loud about the way his family prayed at home.
I remember slouching on my knees and trying to stay awake as my father prayed for everyone on earth, it seemed. Sure, I prayed for a couple minutes, but then I ran out of words. I remember thinking that it was not fair to be asked to continue kneeling even after I had finished my prayer. Why couldn’t I just go get some cereal, come back to the room, and participate in my father’s marathon from the cushion of a comfortable couch?
I can also relate to working with the elderly. I think a good majority of Romanian-American youth, at least here in the Pacific Northwest, were raised in the company of two or more strangers in their home. The book is easy to read and I think it's a must read for young people that have questions about the role of traditions in the church and for people who want to have more than a religion, a personal relationship with Christ!
Let us embark on a journey of coming out from behind our closed doors, from the place where no one else sees us. Let us stop hiding our imperfections deep within our hearts. By understanding that we are all sinners, and by discussing our struggles, we will not only be able to improve our relationships, but we will begin to rebuild our hearts. Chapter 1, page 24
Vasi Ciobanu - B.A. Theology I.T.B
Having known Daniel for a couple of years now, I was extremely glad when he had decided to write a book, as I was familiar with the topics and ideas that he likes to tackle on a regular basis: spiritual discipline, consistency in our Christian lives, faithfulness, submitting to authority, church practices and traditions, favoritism within the church, the "generation gap" and its subsequent conflicts, etc.
As some of these topics are bound to raise discord if they are discussed in a selfish, legalistic or (dare I say it) hypocritical manner, Daniel's approach is a successful effort to find answers by looking more than anything else at the Bible, and by this I mean the Bible as a whole, following both "the letter and the spirit of the Law", as the expression goes.
Too many traditions and practices are based on single verses that are taken completely out of context, with the defenders of those certain traditions serenely asserting:"The Bible says this, not me!"
Another thing that I really liked in the book was the honesty and straightforwardness of the language, the author's way of facing the problem rather than going around it.
"We make the mistake of thinking that a method God uses for a time is a principle [...] If in our mind there can only be one method to do music in church, we might be on the edge of idolatry". "Sometimes I am not sure we care to save people for Jesus. It appears as though we couldn't care less about the lost as long as things stay the same; as long as our methods do not change". "But do we act differently toward those who are caught in adultery? [..] Not physically picking up the rock to crush does not mean we don't crush". "We can't comprehend how someone that has certain convictions that are extremely different from our own can claim our faith". "Observing all the drama around the subject of head covering, I have concluded that without a life of love, forgiveness and holiness, a covering is sometimes a fake obedience before God. It turns into a performance".
All the excerpts above (and I really wanted to add quite a few more, but the reader will most likely discover his or hers favorite ones) may seem shocking to some people or offending to others, but when they are coupled with the Bible passages that Daniel uses as examples, they reveal undeniable truths.
As a Christian actively involved in a church, I have been challenged, encouraged and convicted by many of the statements in this book, being urged to examine myself and my life as a whole in the light of God's Word - the only TRUTH that will give me complete freedom (John 8:32)- knowing full well that when this life is over, "Each of us will give an account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12).
Geanina Loghin - Sunday School Ministry
Growing up in the Romanian Pentecostal community, I remember being raised in an environment surrounded by tradition and culture. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing.
Many people look to our community and appreciate that although many of us (as myself) were born in the States, we can still speak, read, write in Romanian and manage to keep our church services following the same format that would be followed in Romania.
However, I also remember times of confusion. Looking to the traditions and customs of the church and challenging them with the Word of God, I found myself wondering whether we were truly living a “God Centered Life”.
In his book, Daniel Capusan tackles the questions that many young people, as myself, are faced with today. He takes us into the Word of God and shows us what it means to live a life that glorifies and serves our Savior and Lord each and every moment.
As I was reading the book, a passage from Matthew came to my mind. “'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' (Matthew 15:8-9).
Daniel clearly explains what this passage means by showing the way we are called to live, and portraying what it truly means to worship our God and live a life in obedience to Him every day. Daniel talks about having a relationship with God that is more than just rules and tradition.
The Christian Behind Closed Doors was an easy to read and understand book. Each chapter has an interesting title with subtitles to go along with it. Most importantly, each chapter has something to teach. Even to those who consider themselves strong and mature in their faith.
There wasn’t one chapter that didn’t bring me to my knees in repentance and asking the Lord for forgiveness. Each chapter convicted me, as I read and studied the Word and passages pertaining to each topic.
I leave the book with a quote that sums it all up for me. “God sees right in to the heart so who are we trying to fool? Let’s not try to put a façade before God who sees all things. Let us instead come to him as we are, believing He will address our needs not because of who we are but because of who He is.” (Chapter 2, Page 39).