A couple of days ago I read this post from Scott. In part it reads:

There have been many fads and gimmicks that have "helped" Christians but in the end the church is still in decline across North America. Does anyone remember how inspired they were coming back from Promise Keeper conferences, or how cell groups were going to transform church community? How about "Evangelism Explosion" or spiritual gift tests, the Passion, WWJD bracelets or the Prayer of Jabez. If we take a step back and look at all the activity and so little fruit yet we continually get sucked in. More and more so it is profit driven companies that push us to consume what they sell regardless of it's true spiritual value.

Compare that with a conversation I had with some friends last night. We discussed John Donne's sonnet #14:

Batter my heart, three-personed God; for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand,o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn and make me new,
I, like an usurped town, to another due,
Labor to admit you, but O, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captived, and provves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betrothed into your enemy,
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again;
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor chaste, except you ravish me.

The contrast between what we generally read on this continent and what people thought about and drew from in the past is too much to ignore. As Scott said, there are people who learn and grow spiritually from "Purpose Driven Life" or whatever, but I think there's more to chew on in this sonnet than most books on the Christian market these days.