The Comeback

We all need a comeback.

In his latest book,Louie Giglio shares several stories, from scripture, from others’ experiences and even his own life, to underline the fact that at some level, everyone needs a comeback. It could be a huge comeback, where huge obstacles are overcome with God’s help. Or, as he states in an early chapter, “it may be a deeper sort of comeback, where Jesus redeems the worst of our circumstances for his glory and our best.”

We all need a comeback.

One of the more powerful parts of the books was when Giglio shared about the comebacks in his life. He shares with some vulnerability a time in his life when he needed a comeback, where he needed God to move in his life and help him overcome a setback. One of the refreshing parts of his personal story was that it wasn’t instantaneous. God didn’t swoop in and deliver him from his struggle with a quick stroke of His brush. It was a process, where God taught him and grew him.

I think at times we want God to come in and, in a moment, solve the problem we are experiencing. While I believe God can do that, it doesn’t seem to be the way He chooses to operate. Giglio’s story shows a dependence on God to move and the process God took him through.

As Giglio shared stories from scripture, I found the chapter on Samson to be so relatable. While Samson had uncommon strength, he displayed the same problems many of us face. He made poor decisions, sometimes more than once. He had areas of weakness where he continued to stumble. While Samson had some pretty remarkable victories, he also had a number of just bad choices. Isn’t that the story of a lot of people? We experience success, but then it’s followed by a bad decision, missed opportunity or some level of failure. What we see in Samson is that despite his poor decisions (where we may be wondering what Samson was thinking when he did what he did), God still uses him. God still offers Samson a comeback in the midst of his missteps and struggles.
The Comeback is also pretty quotable. This was probably one of the more powerful statements in the book: You may not run the exact race you thought you would be running, but God still has a race for you.

That’s a good description of the message of the book. Whatever our race might look like or where we are on the journey, we all need a comeback and God is working for our best and for His glory.

Scary Close

Scary Close is an apt title for this book because in it, Donald Miller allows his readers to get scary close.  In his latest offering Miller pulls back the curtain of his life and heart and permits us to see the good and the bad, the successes and the struggles.

This is my first time to read a Donald Miller book.  I’ve heard of him as an author and have even had a paperback copy of Blue Like Jazz sitting on my dresser for a while.  For me, it was a great introduction to his writing.

In chapter 11 of his book, Miller writes this:  “Vulnerability has served me well. It’s one of the few ways I’ve been able to connect with others, including readers.” This book is all about the author being vulnerable.

In Scary Close Miller shares about his tendency as a writer to disconnect from people so he can write books that impress people.  He describes his journey to a therapy camp for adults that helped him uncover some things about himself and how we relates to others.  From that experience he reveals a painful memory from is growing up years that impacted him more than he realized.  He confesses his struggles in dating relationships and describes his courtship with the woman who is now is wife.

This statement probably sums up his book well:  The idea that authenticity leads to deep and healthy relationships fixated me for a long time.  I’m convinced honesty is the soil intimacy grows in.

This is an honest an honest where Miller connects with his readers, but also provides some principles and tools for the reader to move toward intimacy in his/her relationships.

I found the book to be both challenging and engaging.  Plus, it moved me to pick up the copy of Blue Like Jazz sitting on my dresser.  I’m already 7 chapters in.

 

Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey

It’s been a few years since I’ve read a Philip Yancey book. Reading Vanishing Grace reminded me why I appreciate him as a writer. He is an intelligent, yet humble author. It is obvious throughout the book that he has spent a great deal of time in research. He quotes a number of different writers and speakers that span a variety of academic disciplines and faith backgrounds.

Reading his past works makes it clear that Yancey is a follower of Jesus and in this offering he discusses how the modern church is doing representing Jesus to the rest of culture. In the final chapter of the book, he writes this, “I care about vanishing grace, the erosion of a gospel that, for many, sounds less and less like good news.” While it is clear that he comes from a specific point of view regarding Christianity, he doesn’t allow that to blind him as he explores the topic. In one chapter of the book, he shares about an experience attending a New Age seminar and listening to a well-known speaker in that arena. Yancey took that as an opportunity to not judge the beliefs of those attending the seminar, but rather to seek to understand.

In one candid moment in the book, Yancey shares a bit of guilt he feels as he sits in an office wrestling with words for books while there are others who are serving on the front lines. While he sees the value in what he does as an author, he maintains a humble perspective on his role.

Vanishing Grace seeks to address how the church can continue to live out the good news to those in our culture. He references a list of complaints about Christians in the magazine Christianity Today: Christians are seen as those who don’t listen, who judge, whose faith confuses people and who talk about what is wrong instead of making it right. Yancey shares stories of those who are doing a good job engaging culture and modelling the good news while also identifying where the church is falling short.

In the book he talks about three different roles Christians can play – as pilgrims (those who live authentically), as activists (those seeking to address various social issues), as artists (using art and creativity to share the good news). Near the end of the book Yancey writes this: “Pilgrim, activist, artist – whatever our calling, we join together to proclaim the good news that God has commissioned us to announce to the world.”

Vanishing Grace was a though provoking book and challenges those in the church to take a look at how we represent the good news to our culture.