May. 28, 2009 - This Momentary Marriage & Velvet Steel by John Piper Review
I read two books by John Piper: This Momentary Marriage and Velvet Steel. Crossway was gracious to send these to me to review. I will tell you about This Momentary Marriage first and conclude with Velvet Steel.
This Momentary Marriage is a book focused on marriage between a man and woman and also between Jesus and His church (bride). At the beginning of each chapter, Mr. Piper includes excerpts from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an engaged man in 1945 who was killed before he could be married, and Bible Verses. These two help you get a feeling of the chapter as Mr. Piper expounds on his understanding of the Scripture presented.
There are fifteen chapters and some of them are: Staying Married Is Not Mainly about Staying in Love; Naked and Not Ashamed; The Christian Husband as Head: What Does It Mean to Lead?; Singleness, Marriage, and the Christian Virtue of Hospitality; Faith and S*x in Marriage; and my favorite: Marriage Is Meant for Making Children….Disciples of Jesus: How Absolute Is the Duty to Procreate? Since I have 7 children, this was a chapter I definitely wanted to read. He makes a good point by stating “This purpose of marriage is not merely to add more bodies to the planet. The point is to increase the number of followers of Jesus on the planet.” He goes on to say that in this fallen world, marrying isn’t an absolute calling on all people, and neither is having children for those that do marry. This goes against some that believe the only reason to get married is to have children. I personally believe that God gives you as many children as he sees fit and the best timing for this is when you are married. Mr. Piper also covers divorce and remarriage. Although I do not agree with everything he has said, I would recommend this book for a person, single or married, who wants to learn more about their role in being single or being married.
One last note - I’m not the most submissive wife but Mr. Piper explained the Biblical standard for submission as well as leadership. Marriage is not just for those “in love”. As Matthew 19:6 says “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” shows that God has put husbands and wives together and we should strive to please God, not man, and when times get tough, to pray for each other and stay committed. One shouldn’t enter the marriage covenant lightly.
Velvet Steel is a book of poetry written to John’s wife, Noel. It is a small companion book to This Momentary Marriage. Most of the poetry included are excerpts from longer poems that Mr. Piper wrote and are “an overflow of my affection for my wife of more than forty years”. If you like poetry, you’ll love this book.
