Relentless Pursuit
God’s Love of Outsiders Including the Outsider in All of Us
Ken Gire
Bethany House Publishers, 2012
171 pages
Let me begin by telling on myself. I’m the kid that cried whenever Rudolph got to the Island of Misfit Toys. I have always felt like I was on the outside looking in. So to read a book addressed to outsiders was both validating and encouraging.
Way back when I was in high school creative writing, I was introduced to Thompson’s poem, The Hound of Heaven. I was a relatively new believer at the time, but I remember writing a piece that compared the poem to Psalm 139. I was impactful then, and Gire’s handling of the topic and material not only brought back the old thoughts, but gave me even greater insight to consider.
I was interested in reading and reviewing this book from the perspective of what it had to say to those outside faith. What ended up surprising me was how much it had to say to those on the inside with pieces and parts of themselves still outside God’s care and forgiveness.
I appreciated the Gire includes the stories of Thompson, C. S. Lewis, Eugene O’Neil and Dorothy Day, and Annie Lamott along with his own. I felt as I was reading and going briefly through the study questions at the end of each chapter that I was being invited to add my story to theirs. Another thing that he does very well is draw from scripture, both the Old and New Testaments. He is quite learned regarding so many topics, but he doesn’t come across in a expert way that would be offish to the reader, either as an insider or an outsider.
Two things that Gire mentions, somewhat in passing, really stood out to me. The first is a quote that Gire uses by Brene Brown from The Hustle for Worthiness stopped me completely. In it she says, “we stand outside of our story.” The entire quote seems to explain Gire’s understanding of what it means to be an outsider. The other is his reference to the Runaway Bunny. I could pay off most of my credit card debt if I had a dollar for every time I read that children’s classic. But I never made the connection with running away from God. It works though and I will remember it for a long time.
For me, the highpoint of the book was Gire’s handling of the topic of shame. I have read many books on this topic, from Bradshaw to Wilson, but there was something in Gire’s presentation that makes it less overwhelming. For example, he describes coming to terms with his ADD—yet another issue I could relate to. The way he presents his journey reminded me of another book read long ago, Making Friends With Your Shadow.
This is not a long book, but it is deep. It is inviting, but not simplistic. It is personal, but also relatable. I recommend it. It is set up with study questions, but I think it would take a very close and trusting group to deal honestly with this material—or hopefully they would be by the time they were done.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Bethany House Publishers blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,Part 255.
Marketing Copy:
What does it mean to give church a try when you haven’t really tried since you were twelve? At the end of her bestselling memoir Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, Rhoda Janzen had reconnected with her family and her roots, though her future felt uncertain. But when she starts dating a churchgoer, this skeptic begins a surprising journey to faith and love.
Rhoda doesn’t slide back into the dignified simplicity of the Mennonite church. Instead she finds herself hanging with the Pentecostals, who really know how to get down with sparkler pom-poms. Amid the hand waving and hallelujahs Rhoda finds a faith richly practical for life–just in time for some impressive lady problems, an unexpected romance, and a quirky new family.
Does This Church Make Me Look Fat? is for people who have a problem with organized religion, but can’t quite dismiss the notion of God, and for those who secretly sing hymns in their cars, but prefer a nice mimosa brunch to church. This is the story of what it means to find joy in love, comfort in prayer, and–incredibly, surprisingly–faith in a big-hearted God.
My Review
I finished this book a couple of days ago. I’ve talked about it with a friend and with my husband. I’ve started this review a half dozen times, and scrapped every one of them. There are parts I really liked. But all in all, it was not easy to like. And yet, I would recommend it. Now you know why I keep scrapping the reviews.
This book is good. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it at first. It’s a bit “edgier” than most of the books I read. It’s gritty and real. The author uses big words. I was glad I was reading it on my Nook so that I could just tap the word I didn’t know and look it up—but there were words that weren’t in its dictionary, either.
This book stretched me. I usually pick up a book and if I like it, I read it straight through. This book wouldn’t let me do that. It made me think. I found myself cheering at times, laughing out loud, and all teary at others.
This book takes the reader on a journey, and it’s not always pleasant or pretty. But it’s real. I could relate to her faith journey. I especially thought the discussions of her struggle with sex and tithing were worth the price of the book in themselves. These were not simplistic handlings of controversial topics, but nuts and bolts, real person questioning, and coming to resolution.
Over a decade ago, I was the interim pastor at a Mennonite church. I could see some of what the author has written might ruffle a few feathers, and possibly offend some. On the other hand, I know several people who struggle with issues with the church and their faith journey and I think this book would give them some things to grab onto and wrap their minds around.
This book is tight. Everything in there belongs. It’s real. It’s not fluffy. And how can you look fat when you’re beautifully transparent?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rhoda Janzen is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Mennonite in a Little Black Dress and the poetry collection Babel’s Stair. She holds a Ph.D. from UCLA and teaches English and creative writing at Hope College in Holland, Michigan
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
I feel like I’ve been living under a rock. I’m thinking I’m one of the few Americans who have never heard of or seen anything about the Joy Fit Club. I’m going to blame it on my work schedule. I never get to see the Today Show. I’m glad I found this book!
I am on a 100lb weight loss journey of my own, and in part, that is why I opted to review this book. I chose to e-reader version and now I really wish I had picked up the hard-copy instead. This book is page after page of inspiration. I loved the way the success stories were a mix of different kinds of people: young, old, men, women, and even couples. Here’s a list of the other things I really liked about this book:
-I’m a visual learner. Seeing the dramatic changes was so inspiring.
-I loved that the recipes were the kind that real people can use. You don’t need to have a culinary degree to understand them.
-The Diet Comparisons between before and after were helpful and gave me lots of ideas.
-Telling me what they had in their pantry encouraged me to clean mine out.
There was something I could relate to in every story. One person said they had only been overweight since birth. Yeah, me too. Another talked about how her pain was obvious in her appearance. While somebody else ‘fessed up to “secret food.” These people also didn’t just decide to make a change, but took the time to examine what got them into the predicament they found themselves in–and worked their way out.
I couldn’t wait to get home and tell my husband about the book, show him some of the stories about the men, and point out the recipes (since he is our cook). We’re both in this battle and this book gave us some solid ammunition. I liked the way that one of the persons put it, “If it were easy, obesity wouldn’t be an issue.” That got a big “Amen” from me. This book puts it out there that there is no finish line. The journey is the destination.
I highly recommend this book. It’s the kind of thing that is good for a kick start and motivator along the way in the face of discouragement. It sure makes me want to be a part of the Joy Club!
To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I need to let you know that NetGalley Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.
This morning I was going through the many blogs I read and I pulled up one from the Steve Laube Agency. It contained two videos. I was so sucked in I watched three more and then went back and watched the first one again. Here, you watch:
So what did you think? I wish we could dialogue together about this.
-First, I love the freedom. I have led such a boxed up and carefully contained boxed life. Free would never be a word that describes me. Controlled, absolutely. I never knew how to play, really let loose. I have never felt creative or imaginative. And no one will ever confuse me with someone adventurous. Here’s the poem that best describes me:
My Inside-Self and my Outside-Self
Are different as can be.
My Outside-Self wears gingham smocks,
And very round is she,
With freckles sprinkled on her nose,
And smoothly parted hair,
And clumsy feet that cannot dance
In heavy shoes and square.
But, oh, my little Inside-Self –
In gown of misty rose
She dances lighter than a leaf
On blithe and twinkling toes;
Her hair is blowing gold, and if
You chanced her face to see,
You would not think she could belong
To staid and sober me!
“My Inside-Self” by Rachel Field
Yep, that about sums me up…and perhaps why when I see people dancing freely, I weep. Enamored with the beauty, the freedom.
2. I listened to the video of how this guy, Matt, made these videos. Can you believe this was his job? How incredibly cool. In case you didn’t watch more than just the one I posted, he reports in his “how I made the video” video that if you google him, Matt, he’s the top four results. Can you imagine?! He went into his world, all around the world, and invited people to dance. And they danced.
This got me thinking, and the more I thought the more I wept. No one is going to pay me to go around the world. I’ve been given my little corner. I firmly believe that God put me in this spot, at this time, on purpose. Am I dancing? Am I living an intentionally infectuous and all out life for Jesus that draws people in? Maybe a little, but that seal in the video danced better than me. (It’s okay, go back and look for it, I nearly missed it too. It’s at the 4:08 spot.) I don’t want to just be a good neighbor, a responsible community member. I want to shine and dance for Jesus. My prayer is that. Just that. Free me up Jesus. Take this love I feel for you on the inside and help me let it out, in ways that bring joy and a hunger and thirst in others to join the dance.
Look in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no! It’s a helicopter and it’s carrying Mark Royce!
Whether it’s Spiderman, Ironman, Larry the Cucumber, or the Avatar, it seems that we are in search of a hero. Life is oppressive and we feel weak and defeated. Who you going to call?
Enter Mark Royce. Now the interesting thing is you will not be able to call him, but he can be your hero just the same. His calling comes from one much higher, and mysterious…and farther up the food chain. He doesn’t have super powers, or a suit of armor, but he gets the job done. And he’s so real. You can’t help but like him—he has a charisma…at least that’s how the story goes. This man’s man does a pretty good job with the ladies, too!
But what I like best is that no matter where he’s at or who he’s saving or protecting you know that his true mission is immersed in God’s heart. Don’t get me wrong, Davis knows how put the Word in his words. The reader can’t help but walk away with a deeper sense of God, but never feels beat up in the process.
This is Book 2 in the Marc Royce series (Lion of Babylon is Book 1). The really nice thing is that Rare Earth is a stand-alone novel – the main character is the same as in Lion, but nearly all the other characters are new to this book. Readers will have no trouble understanding Rare Earth if they have not read Lion yet. But trust me, you’ll want to read it too.
Here’s the Plot of Rare Earth
Marc Royce stares out of the helicopter, a sense of foreboding rising with the volcanic cloud. Below, the Rift Valley slashes across Africa like a scar. Decades of conflicts, droughts, and natural disasters have left their mark.
Dispatched to audit a relief organization, Royce is thrust into the squalor and chaos of Kenyan refugee camps. But his true mission focuses on the area’s reserves of once-obscure minerals now indispensable to high-tech industries. These strategic elements—called rare earth—have inflamed tensions on the world’s stage and stoked tribal rivalries. As Royce prepares to report back to Washington, he seizes on a bold and risky venture for restoring justice to this troubled land.
But this time, Royce may have gone too far.
Be A Winner!
I have been authorized to give away a copy of this exciting new book! Here’s how you can be entered into a drawing to win your very own copy of Rare Earth:
1. Leave a comment on this review.
2. Let me know that you signed up for Davis’s e-newsletter http://www.davisbunn.com/news.htm
3. Like Davis’s Facebook page facebook.com/davisbunnauthor
Now here’s the super thing about this contest: you get an entry for every step you complete! That means you have three times the chances of winning if you do all three and let me know about it!
About Davis Bunn
Davis Bunn is an award-winning novelist whose audience spans reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings. He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write. Visit Davis at http://www.davisbunn.com.
Q & A with Davis Bunn When you finished writing Lion of Babylon (book 1 in the Marc Royce series), did you just keep going with the storyline and wrote Rare Earth at the same time? Or was there a time gap in between?
Normally by the time I complete a story, I have been living with the characters and the tale for about a year. What I need more than anything just then is a break. I don’t need to stop writing; I just need to write about something else. The emotions for a new book have to be fresh. The characters are not just continuing on. They are starting over. The emotions and the concepts and the tension and the theme are all brand new. The names stay the same. The rest of the universe shifts on its axis. Marc Royce is not your typical hero. Where did you find your inspiration for his character?
As I started researching the first book in this series, Lion of Babylon, I took a flight where I was seated next to this very remarkable woman, an amazing combination of hard intelligence and great gentleness. She was reading a pocket New Testament. We started talking, and it turned out that she was a special operative, formerly with the State Department intelligence division, and now working with the Department of Defense Intel. I found myself drawn by this incredible paradox of ruthless focus and very intense calm.
Soon after this flight, I had an opportunity to meet a senior figure in the CIA. I had never had any contact with the intelligence community, and all of a sudden I was finding one door after another being opened, because both of these people—the DOD Intel officer and the CIA agent—took it upon themselves to help introduce me to their worlds. I have found this happen on a number of occasions, and these ongoing miracles humble and astound me. I drew on these people as the basis for structuring my hero.
What can readers expect to find in Rare Earth?
All my books hold to one key aim—to create a story that carries a moral, and together result in an impact or challenge or inspiration or comforting assurance that remains long after the book is set down. That, to me, defines a worthy effort.
What kind of character is Mark Royce?
He carries his faith into a world that likes to think Jesus no longer plays a role. He sees himself as the ultimate outsider, wounded by the loss of his wife, searching for a place he can call home, and an ideal worth living for—or giving his life for.
Tell us about one or two other key characters.
Like the book that launched this series, Rare Earth is a story about the missionary church. Many of the other characters are Kenyan, and reveal the amazing role that believers play in this nation.
What type of research did you do for this series?
I worked in Africa for four years early in my adult life. I was not a believer at that time. I came to faith four years later. I taught in Kenya last year, the first time I had been back to sub-Sahara Africa in almost twenty years. Going back to Africa now, as a believer, has opened my eyes to many things. Seeing with the compassion of sharing faith and seeking to serve means that I do not merely observe, I share with them. I hope this comes across in my story.
Research is a huge component of all of my stories. But with Lion of Babylon and Rare Earth, the situation was quite different. In both these Royce novels, I was combining knowledge gained in my previous business life with the perspective gained from my walk in faith. It has been quite a fulfilling experience, personally, to revisit these lands and see them through the eyes of our compassionate God.
Which character in Rare Earth do you connect to the most?
This is the second book starring Marc Royce. He is a complex individual with a lot of amazing traits. I feel like I am finally coming to terms with the depths of this man.
Which character was the most difficult to write?
There is a Luo chief in Nairobi, a strong leader who has had everything stripped from him except his faith. He is the uncle of another great man, another leader. To have two people from the same tribe, and create individuals that stood out as unique portraits, was very challenging. I feel that I have done a solid job with them. I look forward to hearing what my readers think.
What was your favorite scene to write in Rare Earth?
It is very rare that a first scene holds such a powerful connection for me. Generally it is one where there is a revelation between characters, or a defining moment when a person’s eyes are truly opened to the eternal for the first time.
But in Rare Earth, when I shut my eyes and envision the story, it is that first scene that blazes into light. Travelling on the UN chopper from Nairobi, watching the volcano take shape upon the horizon. Marc Royce has been sent out there to fail. And to die. I really am pleased with that opening sequence.
What’s next in your writing pipeline?
The film project Unlimited, for which I wrote the screenplay, has now ‘wrapped’, that is, filming has been completed. The producer and director are now deep into the editing process. Meanwhile, I must get busy and write the novel.
I had the whole thing backwards here, doing the script first, but it has been a lot of fun, and the concept remains very fresh. So hopefully it will come alive on the page as well as the screen. Both the film and the story are titled Unlimited, and are slated for release in September 2013.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Unsettled. That’s how I felt when I finished reading this book. I started reading it and I couldn’t put it down. I felt like I was watching a movie, you know the kind, where you yell at the TV screen, trying to tell the actors not to go down in the basement or up in the attic.
My family teases me that I use the word “intense” too much—but this book was intense. Not in an action packed sort of way, but I was aware of the clock ticking. No, come on, no more delays…time was running out.
Perhaps it was just the offer itself. Yeah, I think that’s really it. What would you do? What would I do? Chose seven hours to go back and relive, add seven hours now, or just die. People say you can’t have regrets and going back to change things can change more than you want to change. And could you live with that? One thought that grabbed my mind and heart was this: “If hope was good medicine, regrets were a disease, a viral infection that invaded every cell of the body and spread its poison, not at once but over time, gradually building toxicity until the whole of the life affected was consumed. (p. 86)”
The main character, Professor Dan Blakely, was very relatable. His feelings, frustrations, and fears made sense. He had it all, life looked like it was coming together and then someone wants to rip it away.
This was the first book I read by this author. He is an engaging storyteller. I know this, it will not be my last.
To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, please mention as part of every Web or Amazon review that Tyndale House Publishers has provided you with a complimentary copy of this book.
A friend blogger suggested this…and I couldn’t resist. Thanks Edie! I absolutely LOVE the smell of lilacs and we had none this spring. I would line my entire property with these beauties if I could!
We’re continuing in our study of Blackaby’s, ‘Experiencing God”, in our Sunday school class. I wasn’t scheduled to teach, but had begun the lesson since our teacher was 15min late. Happy to see him, because I had read the lesson as a student and not fully prepared to teach, I quickly slid out of the teachers seat, passing the reigns as I did.
At one point there was discussion about how as we move more deeply in our relationship with God, we become more accustomed to hearing his voice. The comment was made that the further away we are, the harder it is to hear His voice.
Right then I was physically present in that classroom, but taking a trip through a memory. I think I bought the ticket for the trip courtesy of another blogger. Sometime during this past week, someone asked what initially seemed like and inocuous question: what do you miss about summer? I can’t tell you why, but that simple question has stuck with me. I would find myself thinking about it almost daily. And it came to mind this morning during class.
When I was a child the rule was that you couldn’t be farther away than your parent’s voice. When your parent yelled your name, you better be within “shoutin’ distance” so you could be home before they closed the screen door. When I was in early grade school, that wasn’t hard because we weren’t allowed out of our fenced in back yard. The older we got, the further we would venture out–but never beyond their voice. I always thought a couple of my friends were super lucky. One mom had this special whistle that she did and it sure seemed like the wind carried that whistle forever. Another friend’s parents put a bell with a rope on their back porch and would ring it like a dinnerbell when it was time to come in. That bell was so loud, I thought it could be heard in the next county. But for me, there was no bell; there was no whistle. I had to listen hard, because punishment was swift and hard if I failed to hit the step before the door hit the frame.
In some ways, I think I liked it better when I grew a little older and the signal for coming in was when the streetlights came on. The problem with this new system was that I had to be responsible with looking up now and then to be sure the lights weren’t on yet. There was no external prompt, just me paying attention. It seemed with greater responsibility came greater consequences.
So of course, I began seeing the spiritaul parrallels as I sat in class this morning. It is very true the farther away we get, the harder it is to hear or distinguish God’s voice. I had trouble hearing my mother shout my name. God rarely shouts, so to hear Him we need to be tuned in relationally. The old hymn puts it well, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” The things on the periphery can seem so enticing, but they move us further and further away from Home.
As for streetlights, well, that reminds me a lot of my responsibility in this love relationship with God. I find it quite easy to become so obsorbed in what I am doing that I often miss the signals and signs. I don’t want to do that with God. It takes greater discipline and intentionality than what comes naturally for me. In my spiritual garden where the fruit is grown, I have to give special attention to the friut of self-control. I don’t want to be rigid, but I have to be more aware and disciplined. I can’t just pencil in the time for God. I have to live into the difficult “make every effort.”
The question then that still remains to be answered is what do I miss. I think I miss the simplicity of listening for God’s voice and not having to be so responsible and disciplined. I wonder if Adam and Eve missed that after they left the Garden. Oh, I know God continues to call us to deeper levels of awareness and maturity, but I’m not sure any of it is ever meant to replace the tenderness of hearing him whisper our name.
I lived the first half of my life seeking to arrive, and now, by grace, I am enjoying the journey.
My life is spent in words: written, spoken, listened to. I love to laugh, but I'm not afraid to weep. I am an encourager and peace-maker. I delight in sharing my aha moments of faith.
The apostle Paul penned the verse that has guided my life: My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ (Colossians 2:2). Peterson in The Message paints it even more invitingly: I want you woven into a tapestry of love.
I also find that I follow quite closely to the thought of Emily Dickenson: I dwell in possibilities.
