No More Dragons by Jim Burgen

Becoming a dragon is a sneaky process, Burgen writes, involving a long string of bad choices. “One day you glance at yourself in the mirror, and a monster is staring back at you.” You realize you aren't who you used to be and you're not who you want to be.

The only one who can rescue you is Jesus. Burgen has spent the last thirty years being undragoned and helping others to be undragoned too. It may sound illogical, he says, but giving up personal desires and placing ourselves under God's authority is the only way to experience true freedom.

Churches can be dragons too, but they should be places where we can be free of our dragons. He encourages us to fight for our churches.

We cannot undragon ourselves – only Jesus can. But there are some responsibilities we need to carry and steps we need to take to participate in the slaying, and Burgen takes us through them. He also reminds us that the undragoned life can be difficult to live. In the end we turn to Jesus and His redeeming power, holding on to truth and grace.

Burgen takes his dragon concept from C. S. Lewis' Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In it Eustace finds himself a dragon, evidence of his greed and selfishness. Only Aslan can rid Eustace of his dragonness.

Don't think that you can read this book and become undragoned. It is a process and you will probably want friends and a church to help you along. But if you do want to become the person you were created to be, reading this book will give you a good start on your journey.

Jim Burgen is the lead pastor of Flatirons Community Church, one of the most creative and fastest growing churches in America. He has authored several books, serves on the board of SOZO International, and travels internationally to teach and learn from Flatiron's international partners. He and his family live in Erie, Colorado.

Nelson Books, 256 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for an independent and honest review.