This book is an engaging look at spiritual awakenings that have happened in the church throughout history. It examines how these extraordinary movements of God translate into the larger cultural analysis of today. Spiritual awakenings have refreshed the people of God from the very origins of the church. What about these past movements can be instructive for the church today? Can we expect God’s awakening presence in our day? These questions brought about the “Surprising Work of God Conference” in the fall of 2015 in which speakers traced awakening movements from the Old and New Testaments to the present day.

Although the 500th anniversary celebration of the Reformation of 1517 is over, ministry in the church continues. In having looked to the past, we now focus on the present to see how the church can move forward with this strong historical base. Particularly, how do the solas of the Reformation apply as we look at Scripture and work within the church to nurture the laity in their practice of faith?

Quite often, theology and spirituality are separated, pursued without reference to the other—a classic example of the disjunction between head and heart. But in Luther we find a profound theologian exhibiting a profound spirituality, one that still speaks to us today. Luther sets out three rules for doing proper theology: oratio, meditatio, tentatio—or prayer, meditation, and spiritual trial. These three rules, derived from David the psalmist, provide a way for readers to investigate more thoroughly what Luther says about the important practice of theology or life in the Spirit. But they also serve as a simple way for Christians to live a fuller spiritual life. The intention of Prayer, Meditation, and Spiritual Trial is to help readers enter into the world of Luther—the Augustinian monk and Reformer who prays, meditates, and suffers spiritual trial within the community of faith that extends over the centuries. Ever the teacher and pastor himself, Gordon Isaac invites readers into...