[.ca] The River Within: Loving God, Living Passionately (ISBN 1576830454)

The Passion of the Trinity is Expressed in Our Hearts:
A good friend recommended this book to me. I bought it and read it slowly over 4 months. It is an insightful and compassionate description of spiritual formation rooted in the character of the Triune God. It has profound applications to how we relate to God and to one another. There are several significant themes and messages woven throughout the book, which could not be expressed sufficiently in a short review, except to give a short description of a few of them. The theological foundation which Jeff Imbach continues to build on throughout the book is that the passion which is expressed among the persons of the Trinity is the source of our own passion. This becomes the thematic center for the rest of the book as Imbach tries to 'rescue' passion from the chopping block of traditional discipleship. Passion is not all bad, argues Imbach. In fact, passion is an essential element in our spiritual formation as we seek to be connected to and formed by a Passionate God. Imbach describes the "Union and Uniqueness" of the Persons of the Trinity and effectively argues that this characteristic of the Godhead expresses itself deeply in our own hearts and lives. For example, as people we have a longing for "Union"; we desire to be connected to a larger whole, to belong to a body of intimately relating friends. However, we also have the sometimes competing desire for "Uniqueness"; we long to be recognized as valuable individuals. For myself, this was the most significant theme of "The River Within". I connected well with his description of God here and with his many examples from real life experiences (both his own and others'). The image of the "River Within" becomes an important one in the book as Imbach describes the flowing of godly passion in our lives as a river with its source in God. The "river banks", then become an important symbol of the necessary boundaries of passion which, if distorted or completely unhindered, can become dissipated or destructive to our spirital lives. Imbach explains that it is up to us to carefully discern the banks for passion on our own lives. Sometimes the examples and stories became slightly repetitive, which made the book drag a little. This is especially true while Imbach is pounding on the point that our passions are God-given and God can redeem them as an integral part of our spiritual formation. When I first began to read chapter 12, which describes the role of Creation in our spiritual lives, I was a little uneasy about such an emphasis on nature and our role as stewards, etc. After finishing the chapter I was still not completely at home with all of the ideas, but I was able to truly appreciate some of his observations about the intimacy and presence of God which are made evident in Creation, and also about our connectedness to the earth. In fact as my wife and I were celebrating our first anniversary in rural New Hampshire, I took the book along with us during an outdoor hike and we read a section of this chapter together. Imbach brilliantly concludes the book with chapters describing what it looks like to live passionately in community, in relationships, and with God. It is in these chapters that his wisdom and experience in listening to people becomes most evident. There were times when this book became somewhat of a chore to persevere in, but it was worth the effort. "The River Within" was definitely good for my soul and I don't doubt that many lives would be transformed and many personal burdens lightened if believers could spend time with Imbach's ideas in this book. After reading "The Sacred Romance" and other books describing the role of passion and "the heart" in Christian Spirituality, this book fit well into this "conversation" (as my friend would call it). Thanks Rob.

This bok inpacted my life more than any other:
I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to deepen their relationship with God. I found my self struggeling with a fragmented relationship. God seemed only relivent to certian parts of my life and threatening to other parts. This book changed my whole perspective on relating to God. Imbach uses the Trinity to show us that God wants to know all of us and not to be afraid of our passions as they are an expression of the loving trinity. Imbach says that our passion or feelings of longing are "an unquenchable thirst within us that is the sign of God. We may not handle it well. We may distort it into lust and greed, but it is the flowing of the Trinity in our lives. It opens us up and drives us to find union beyond ourselves. What we want most deeply is to be consumed with God, to lose ourselves in Gods fullness." Now insted of pretending that certian feelings or parts of myself don't exist I find myself bringing them into my relationship with God. What a wonderfull new freedom I have felt!

One of the best books I've ever read:
I've read many books on this topic and this is one of the best I've ever read. Mr. Imbach is theologically sound and intimate with the deeper things of God. The book is well written, balanced and thoughtfully comprehensive. A must for anyone pressing in to the heart of God.

Writing That Flows:
Not only is Imbach an excellent writer, but he gently clasps readers hands as he freely admits his own weaknesses and fears. Imbach challenged me to think and to grow. I loved this book.

Imbach will put you right in the boat with the Triune God:
Last year a close friend of mine told me, "You've just got to read this book about God's passion." Having a visual scanning disability, I don't read very much. I pick and choose rather carefully before I invest my time in a book. But I respected the source of this recommendation; so, I read the book. Wow, what I discovered was a spiritual kaleidoscope! Every now and again you read something that becomes a crossroads experience. THE RIVER WITHIN was that for me. I love word pictures. I love them to teach me, and I love to use them to teach others. Imbach's "River Within" is a multifaceted picture of the Triune God and our relationship with Him. Other than the Bible itself, I probably gained more insight into how God loves me and where to take my love for Him than in any other book I have ever read. Passion is a concept that Christians treat like a hot-potato. They don't know how to handle it. Jeff Imbach made me realize that "passion" need not be a slithering serpent that we avoid as Christians. He showed me that I can be passionate in my life and not necessarily be afraid that I'm being selfish or sinful. He made me realize that passion comes from the expression of a relational Triune God who wants to lavish passion on me and show me how to relate it to others, including those whom I love so dearly. Imbach's last few chapters will blow you away! He has one Chapter (12) entitled Living Passionately in Creation. The Author is from Canada, and his passion for nature is so lovingly transparent. I'm not an environmentalist. After reading Chapter 12, I still am not. But reading it did make me acutely aware of one tangible way God communes with us, demonstrating His love for us through His creation. I am much more tuned into creation than I ever have been because of Imbach's word pictures of God's passion being painted in nature. I challenge you to read Chapter 12 and not love God more when you see a pair of doves cuddling together or see the colors of a sunset when you're walking down a beach with someone you love. This neat Albertan from Calgary will get inside you and cause you to recognize elements in your soul that you may have feared but need not. He'll take you on a trip down the river of life and show you how to shore up your banks and keep the love of God flowing more steadily as you let the Trinity flow through you. It's a sterling experience, THE RIVER WITHIN, and I hope you will take the trip as I did. But beware, you may come out at the other end of the river loving God more and being much more vulnerable than you ever have before. No travel down this river can be taken without risk. There will be bumpy waters; but you'll ride the tide knowing that you're in the boat with Christ, and that He's taking you on the ride of your life.