After doing this for one year, they offered to build a small apartment for me in their basement. It was not long before this feeling was proven accurate. At times, it seemed that the only people that did not deny the problems that to me were as plain as day were the people who most vehemently rejected the faith that I was holding on to. I have learned a lot. I can think of better ways to spend a quarter million dollars a year in rent. I suggest you to translate your material into Urdu language too. We bring up grace at a Bible study and people dont respond. Scott, I would like to say yes and normally I would. I had secretly been afraid that perhaps what I was reflecting and writing and praying about would not be helpful to anyone besides myself. YWAM shamed me for being SSA, abused me and gave me an image of God as someone who hated me for not making me into a Hetosexual and an image of myself of shame. If we had a breakthrough, we celebrate. Judaism is so cut and dry. Looking for answers. Hello Mr. Yancey, Can you tell me if A Skeptics Guide to Faith is identical to Rumors of Another Worldor have you edited and updated it in some way? The reviews and samples of your books I have read are very encouraging! PLEASE?! had to buy new copies! I am attempting to help a man who says he needs to forgive God. Like you, I have had quite a journey from that fundamentalist type upbringing to where my faith is now. He once said to me, There is something I do not understand, Richard. Please do let me know! Thank you from the bottom of my heart from being willing to honestly broach subjects that so many wont. Even one of my own physical disabilities was used to torment me. Much of my childhood prayer life was spent begging God to save me from the horrors of hell, in the fear that I was not sincere enough in my young faith to truly be saved. I am a huge fan and have read nearly On his throbbing face I could see his smile of hope as he said goodbye to the attendant. This is so well-expressed. I read most of your books and watched youtube videos as well. I learned to conform, as you must in a church like that. St. Augustine teaches that the future is unknowable, which is also hinted at in many places in the Bible. They say, We loan because: We care about human beings and understand that it takes people to help people. The Christians say, We loan because: Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world. With so many frustrations, family pressures and finding no meaning in life, I began to flood in a sea of sadness, self-pity, guilt, negative thoughts, excessive complaints and envy. Roman control of mens beliefs and he followed through to conspire, Rome strategically designed a state religion and Christianity was crafted As I finish reading chapter 1, I told my mom that Im glad this book is thick because theres still more pages left. I was born and raised Catholic before joining the Protestant church after a spiritual awakening. Rev. I was shocked that the Bridges manager would do this kind of thing behind my back instead of asking me directly. I didnt know their stories. Philip. And today I woke up and I found your Why I write post. Philip. I very much appreciate your books, your insights, your stories of others & your own. Thats good youre asking these questions while young! centered around insurance and banking contracts. It is also an answer to, not my, but my husbands prayer that same day I found your book, that God would give me what I needed. Your Forward is so thoughtful and well done. How fortunate we are to be able to grow through fellow pilgrims across the globe and the centuries, so like and unlike us. One sentence later he says, amazingly, We go through suffering not alone, but with God at our side. On what grounds can you make the statement? I was told to sell my condo and move east, which I did. I met some of the characters you describe in my inner-city Chicago church, and some more in Deep South churches. It was just thoughts like we all have attraction thoughts towards other people male or female from time to time. Where Is God When It Hurts?, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1977, revised edition, Walker and Co. (New York, NY), 1996. What it actually says is that a golden rope was tied around the High Priests leg. I have good memories of my times with CMDA in Illinois and in Uruguay. I realize it has been several years since this book was written, so I am hoping things have changed for him? Your book has been convicting but freeing. When our Lord actually extended forgiveness to another person, he did it with these words: Your sins are forgiven as in the case of the cripple let down through a roof. I have read and now am re-reading with my 19 yr. old daughter, Disappointment with God. I send this message, as I think it is a very relevant issue, and I would like to suggest it as a theme to be worked on by the group of young people I am part of. This had a profound effect on me because Scott had not completed my work permit. I did as instructed, but the guard in the control room would not open the door. God be with You, He joined the staff of "Campus Life" Magazine in 1971, and worked there as editor and then publisher. However, I wrote about it in a book published with the movies release, a chapter later adapted in The Bible Jesus Read. Dear Mr. Yancey, Forever thankful for your ministry and help! We have so much in common, mainly the entire Protestant Bible (of course, Catholics accept a few extra books in addition). And I know Christians dont do a lot of thinking, but they do have the Holy Spirit. SF Jonas, [] article originally appeared on the authors website on October 28, 2021. Theres a fair use understanding in copyright that lets you quote around 250 words without applying for permission, as long as you credit the source. How to get the integrated and tempered balance once again seems to be the question of the hour, and your book again has been most helpful for us in nutting this out. Or Allah? Once again, thank you so much for your writing, and know that it has been instrumental in me coming home and knowing that I am not alone. Im a Jesus lover and freak with a faith that doesnt make sense of why i have such an unbreakable faith. A sense of betrayal engulfed him. I have Jews and various Christian denominations in my immediate family and ancestry; nevertheless, we all got on together. Discerning which ones we can take as promises and which ones were restrictednow thats a tricky question, and I dont have a good answer. Philip, Amen to that! Philip. The pastor wrote later, Was God in Dunblane? I met someone who took me to a Quaker Meeting. Your publisher wants niche marketing to increase sales, but you have the stature to defy that impulse. Could you please tell me if this quote is from you and what is the source of the quote? You were open and receptive, and it moves me to hear that some words I wrote a number of years ago had this kind of effect on youand much cheaper than psychotherapy! I am saddened by the atomic bombings in Japan during World War II. A few days later he came back to tell me that the book I had given him was awesome. May you continue to experience joy in serving. Philip, Very Informative article. I appealed to AWI Brad Sass and Paul for peace. Its one thing to write these words, and quite another to live them out. He claimed that Bridges was not qualified to hire chaplains, and that it was associated with the Apostolic Church of Canada, an off-shoot of one of Canadas traditional churches. Carpenters book is a good correction on some of the distortion about fundamentalism, and Mouw acknowledges that correction. Paul expressed no interest in reconciliation. I read the Jesus I Never Knew, and it gave me new appreciation for the sermon on the mount. We read them together, and then discuss If I received only this response after writing that book, it would have been worthwhile. I went out into the chapel and there stood CSC Commissioner Don Head. As a graduate counsellor in training; I know that these writings will sustain my faith in God and assist me in being present with those who have given me the privilege to be with them in their deep suffering. Lots of miracles. Although Im praying this continuously, I felt somewhat anxiety. Another book of yours thats a favorite is Soul Survivor its made me hungry to keep learning and reading. They also do not believe the Talmud is the word of God. "Yancey considers honestly the predicaments of human existence," declared a Publishers Weekly reviewer. I saw tears running down his face and I knew if they could, they wouldve taken the whole group of kids home with them. She said, Then he saw me out of the corner of his eye. It was an enlightening and refreshing experience to read this book. For details, go to http://www.jesus4lesbians.com/. Its small. "When some of us attempt to be a bridge, we often end up making both sides angry. It is sad to see churches fomenting fear amongst their members to scare them into voting one way or the other. I really was taken back by what you said about skirt lengths and hair length etc. I admit I dont know how to pray but want to learn as the disciples wanted Jesus to teach them to pray. When I throw up a gimme, and the Lord gives, I say Thanks, by the way, if youve got an extra million to send down it would be appreciated, finances are tight this month. Many more conservative believers have long maintained that such things were not possible. The Evaluation Team On the way, I attempted to take my own life with an overdose of pills in my car. Any reasoning anyone gives for this is that we just have to wait until we die and then God will reveal himself. I was reading your books more relevant in my preaching. When I speak to college students, I challenge them to find a single argument against God in the older agnostics (Bertrand Russell, Voltaire, David Hume) or the newer ones (Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris) that is not already included in books like Psalms, Job, Habakkuk, and Lamentations. May God use your renewed spirit to help others on the same path. Yes, labels is confusing because I know a Evangelical Christian author who also does not believe in literal hell and Book of Revelation should be in the Holy Bible, those are strong Progressive things. I dont know where your friend got that quote about church. (With Paul Brand) In His Image, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1984. Paul also told me that I myself belonged to a schismatic church and a schismatic Franciscan order. He knew the suffering that would happen and he still created us. I grew up as an adoptee in a Mennonite Brethren Church. I walked into a public library about 15 years ago, with about 45 minutes to burn until it was time to pick my daughter up from school. and would like to buy it for my Italian-speaking husband. That idea came from the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, in a sermon he wrote. Already on edge because of Pauls warnings, I asked if he wanted me to resign. I told Brad Sass, the acting AWI, about this. My husband is a pastor and has been wonderfully supportive, but as a pastors wife it is difficult to find a safe space to express these questions and doubts. Ever since, Yancey has explored the most basic questions and deepest mysteries of the Christian faith, guiding millions of readers with him. Philip. It touched me deeply. I first read, Whats So Amazing About Grace? in 2017 and it has become my annual must-read. As a Protestant, I believe youre right that God wants us to keep digging, and in doing so to emphasize the universals (love being at the top) more than any set of dogmatic beliefs. Barely have words to explain it. Since then Ive always been searching for more and more books of yours. I knew plenty of Bible stories from childhood Sunday School classes but didnt know how to connect with God to help understand my own story. Good work. Well, Jesus was accused of being mad, and of having a demon too, so He knows how it feels! Good memory. I would recommend something from chapters 17-19, simply because our nation is so divided politically. Philip. At first, I didnt want to grab the book because the book was thicker than I thought God provides support and solidarity, yes, but not protectionat least not the kind of protection we desperately long for. Philip. I was struck (positively) by a Luther reference you made in the final pages of Where is God When It Hurts?i.e. I doubt a book is the place to start. Leaving the denomination that was instrumental in facilitating unspeakable blessings to me and my family feels like I betrayed God Himself. Not a d**n thing. All the best! Better for my wife and kids, undoubtedly. How boring it must be to have the same kind of relationship with billions of people. As for ambivalence about meeting Jesus, try making a list of all the people Jesus encounters in the Gospels: the more unworthy, outcast, moral failure someone was, the more tenderly Jesus treated them. Today is finally that day. Hello Philip, Im Brazilian. Yancey on contemplative prayer, quoting Meister Eckhart: "The quieter the mind," wrote Meister Eckhart, "the more powerful, the worthier, the deeper, the more telling and more perfect the prayer is." (For God's Sake, Christianity Today) Yancey: On Homosexuality. Is it possible there is enough there to literally write a sequel? I like to finish reading the book at least in that same week. I am a Christian, a believer in God who will not give up. I did not listen I had been in the Church Army for 18 years and done an excellent job what did I need to worry about. My baby son died in my hands years ago. I have read others books by you, but this one strikes a special chord with me. Books are a good alternative. . + The Jesus I Never Knew I detected what might be arrogance or at least superciliousness. While serving as chaplain there, Monty spoke in chapel services at my invitation on several occasions. No one Bible passage. If you read 3-4 chapters before each session, youll cover the relevant content. I explained to Mr. Rasmus that I had written to the Commissioner directly because of advice I had received from Chaplain Paul Vanderham. Be blessed, sir! All the editions of the book itself, regardless of cover, are the same. Thank you for your hopeful vision of suffering redeemed. Dear Phillip, You wrote 2 books I have a question about-The Jesus I Never Knew & The Bible Jesus Read. I understand that feeling of disappointment, even betrayal. Just a quick note about me as a earnest christian for many years, I have basically given up on organized religion en masse , precisely because of the amount of un-grace( as you put it) I have encountered. "Prayer," explained a Publishers Weekly reviewer, "is a window into knowing the mind of God, whose kingdom is entrusted to all of us frail, selfish people on earth. He told me to go ahead and do your own thing. I asked my church missionary serveral times with the questions such as What is forgiveness? Take a look and explore how well Alojza Stepinac rescued people. Quarterly-Christian Legal Society, winter, 1990, Thomas L. Shaffer, review of Disappointment with God. I was stunned, to put it mildly, and deeply shaken. Sigh, the church is composed of people. What bible passage or passages inspired you to use those words? A few days after Pauls verbal attack on me, the Warden asked me to meet with him. I am close to publishing first book: A Place for Grace: Find Yours! There are at least two times I am using quotes from your book Whats so amazing about Grace? In that book I read the following story but now cannot find the page number to cite it in my endnotes. It occurred to me recently that authors can be like mentors to us a thought that you have also expressed, and Im grateful to God for you being one of mine through your brave, compassionate and honest writing. I bought this book. While Chapel is intended for VBC students, everyone is welcome to attend. Thank you so much for taking the time to write. My family and I plan to visit the USA in June 2023. I hear from Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Catholics, and others who had experiences quite unlike mine yet can identify with some of the excesses I experienced. . I wake up in the early morning and start my day in a quiet house with prayer and meditation on two books the Bible (currently the Book of James) and your book. Strangely, I can find most of them articulated in the Bible itselfJob, Lamentations, Habakkukso were in good company. I sometimes counsel people to take a vacation from church after a wounding episodeand churches seem to specialize in those. Is this a spiritual problem? Being able to verbalize a description of my experience is a bit of a relief, frankly. Thank you for the suggestion. Philip. Bless you. Sorry I had never heard of you before. I read this book over 10 years ago and have re-read it several times, and now I am reading it again, and it keeps getting better, like you have barely scratched the surface kind of better. Just this summer I have been reading your book and it is speaking to me very clearly and refreshing my heart! Thank you for your life and your writing! What shines through the brilliant writing of this once bigoted man is a redeemed vision of hopefulness and spiritual vitality." A few minutes later, tears were streaming down my face and I was trying to hold back the sobs as I finished your description of Babettes Feast and said to myself, Can this really be true? Even so, AWI Brad Sass wrote me three weeks later that this is what he heard was the reason for my dismissal. Most of them said, Forgiveness is disappearance of sin. And customer support, tech support, and telephone solicitors are some people in need of kindness and gracethey deal with ornery people all day long. I made a mistake and I am willing to listen and apologize to the V and C personnel, but not to everyone else. And for perhaps the first time, I was able to articulate so many of my experiences or lackthereof with God and the church. Im sorry, but my hands are tied. I said, of course, Jesus loves you. Yes, too bad! Thank you so much for writing wonderful books for Biblical literature readers. The first author who came to my mind is you. Here is the story. You introduced me to a couple of people I had not known before. Your sorrow has been used to comfort so many of us. What about those with mental illness? At one of the M2W2 meetings, Jim Shantz commented that the Mennonite Central Committee had just been meeting, and that one of the things discussed at the meeting was how the Israeli government was treating the Palestinians the same way as the Canadian government had treated its Aboriginal people. Less than a week later, Paul again left his memos on the Communion table, but this time with a note asking me to not only get them signed but also to distribute them! I ran into Youth With a Mission again in 1979 while working for Barry Mc Guire and Rev Jean Darnell and a Team touring the UK. Right there and then Paul informed me that he had no intention of helping me to get oriented or settled in. In my first comment I shared briefly about a crisis of faith I was in the middle of concerning evolution. We read the psalms, recited the Lords prayer and sang, Hes got the whole world in his hands! Then, in the silence that followed, Sharon looked up with tears to say, My people have survived more than this. Meet the Bible: A Panorama of God's Word in 366 Daily Readings and I am honored to call you my brother in Christ. I wonder if you have a study guide for Where is God When it Hurts? ? I like your book title, so Ill definitely try to check it out. Look at Matthew 23 and Luke 11 in which Jesus lashes out against the judgmental and rigid religious leaders of his day; youll never find him more angry. Because we are time-bound creatures, limited to sensing the present and recalling the past, it maybe bothers or disappoints or upsets (or better word?) It will be always a pleasure to lean with your wise words and share everything I can with others. I think the burden we carry from being harmed by someone else (who is not repentant or wanting forgiveness) is between me and God to heal, to take away the bitterness and angerbecause I dont believe offering blanket forgiveness for the vilest of men is even sincere. Still writing, or planning on writing, that? Darren G. Had been in the position for one year and had set things up, Capt. Maybe it has always been this way, but I wonder it is possible to break through those dividing lines. The issue is why God allows suffering. The word cake is actually mentioned in the law. I dont buy it. You are doing very important work, Emily, and Im delighted to hear that weve come to some similar conclusions. In return, I became a target of the same abuse. You have been influenced by many others, some of whom you know and cite, who were influenced by people you probably never have heard of. Kindest regards And, thank goodness, the South has changed quite a bit too. I am writing a book about addiction and recovery and would like to quote some passages in this book. (Its also mentioned again in 1 John 4:21). I think the reason why is that you both are unafraid to ask questions you dont have answers to. I knew this was truly the aim of all the rapid and miraculous growth, led by the Holy Spirit. The YWAM director Lynn Green invited me to join the YWAM community and told me that YWAM holland was wrong for the way they treated me. She told me how he had abused her over the years of their marriage, and kept her from seeing her children. Im afraid its not mine, David. We would be interested in knowing if you would consider being a retreat speaker sometime in late fall of 2017 for a Saturday retreat and Sunday morning for our church service. Mackenzie Mully, You can reach me through this email: pyasst@aol.com. As you so beautifully put it, we risk missing the storys whole point: that God dispenses gifts not wages. My experiences with the church, and personal hardships association with the PK life left me quite bitter and disillusioned. Hoping to have a second career, helping people receive freedom in a life with Christ. The Healing Pen | Christianity Today A multi headed hydra brilliantly dividing mankind employing sages She tried to raise her little girl as best she could until the rejection became just too much. I was excited to share with him and recommend your books to him. Throughout the last few days I have thought about how much easier it is for me to be a left of center leaning progressive than it is for me to be a Christian. I feel pretty lonely at times as a Christian ( and I realise that my erratic church attendance hasnt helped). Some others, both living and dead: Jurgen Moltmann, a contemporary German theologian; Millard Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity; John Perkins, who pioneers racial reconciliation; Ron Nikkel, who took Prison Fellowship to more than 100 countries; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia. My goodness, you certainly have no need to apologize. Philip D. Yancey's books are "fast becoming classics of the evangelical literature," according to Publishers Weekly contributor Miriam Berkley, in an interview with Yancey. Smith blackened my name right across Canada and made it impossible for me to be accepted by a Bishop and so I went to the breakaway Anglicans, Reformed Episcopal Church ,and they were as cruel and bigoted as Capt. Some of my children are far from the faith, some former colleagues have pointed out I am disqualified from ministry, yet today I can still smile. Philip. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. I dont have a sense of a grace-less God and it occurs to me that you and God Himself are probably why. I am so disappointed. Let me read you some promises from the Bible. Again, Im dumbfounded. and Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? I know there are plenty of Christians who share my point-of-view, even though I know many more who dont (unfortunately).