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Listen to men talking
Jeremy Crossley enjoys personal testimonies
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| Six Men Encountering God Brad Lincoln
Bible Reading Fellowship £6.99 (978-1-84101-528-6) Church Times Bookshop £6.30 WHEN I first saw this book, I won-dered whether it would appeal to the average reader of the Church Times. Many books in this genre have been published recently; their quality has been mixed, and they have not infrequently left the reader with feelings of profound irritation. This book was different — I was gripped by it. The foreword by François Pienaar sets the tone: reflecting on the victory of the team he captained in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, he shows that his Christian faith infuses the whole of his life. He sums up this book as telling the stories of six men who met the Lord for themselves in different ways and places, and “found that know-ing Him made all the difference”. But it does not pretend that becoming a Christian solves all life’s problems. In his conclusion the editor writes: “Their lives did not immediately become one long string of answered prayers and uninterrupted blessing. One has since been married and divorced, and another has experienced business insolvency. They all found that becoming a Christian . . . can bring challenges, persecution and problems as well as blessing and joy.” It is the integrity of the six writers, and the variety of ways in which they came to faith, that make this book attractive and striking. Their different stories are told in a compelling way; and the fact that all are told by men make this a great book to give to men. The key parts played by individuals encourage those of us who might be hesitant to share our faith to do so, however stumblingly. This book answers a clear need. It is worth every penny. The Revd Jeremy Crossley is Rector of St Margaret Lothbury, and Area Dean of the City of London. To order this book, email the details to Church Times Bookshop (please mention "Church Times Bookshop Price") |
