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Book Review
WOUNDED BY GODS PEOPLE
Anne Graham Lotz
(Zondervan, 176pp, $20h)
Back in the 80s, early in her speaking career, Bible teacher and popular speaker Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham and wife Ruth, was snubbed by a partisan group of male pastors who turned their chairs around on her during a convention at which she was guest speaker. They were indicating their displeasure at being addressed by a (gasp!) woman preacher. When I first read that I thought, Well, so much for Christian charity. It was hard for me to believe that self-professed Christian men would act that smugly, but the truth is they did. And thats why unchurched people have abandoned churchgoing; they think we are hypocrites.
Ms. Lotz has seen in the biblical story of Hagar, the maidservant of Abrahams wife, Sarah, and illegitimate mother of Ishmael, more truth than I have ever garnered through my years of studying the same scriptural passages and has offered the lessons in her book, Wounded by Gods People. In the course of the narrative, she chronicles the times she has been wounded by well-meaning, albeit self-righteous, Christians. Thankfully, and graciously, she did not mention her aforesaid ill-treatment by preachers (who should know better), although she did say in an interview with Morey Safer who, true to form, asked her about it, I think they're sincere men of God, Anne said, graciously. I think that's the way they see the Scripture and I think it's been passed down from generation to generation. I'd love to sit down with some of them and show them the way I've seen the Scripture and bring a little bit of fresh air in there."
Kudos to Ms. Lotz.
Still, in her book, while she recounts her life, inflicted wounds including incidents of divisive church politics, the mistreatment of ministers, attitudes toward the divorced, young women dealing with abortion, as well as generalizing enough to include whatever pain the reader might be experiencing, I was surprised that she did not address the wounds some well-meaning but self-righteous Christians are currently afflicting on women, gay people, and those Christians who dare to think outside the conservative evangelical, politically right-wing box. These are new issues before us now and will become more pressing in the future. How we adjust our thinking about them now will likely determine how the Church will fare in the days ahead. Nobody puts new wine into old wineskins, Jesus said. If he does, the new wine will burst the skinsthe wine will be spilt and the skins ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins.
After her detailed diagnosis of those who have been wounded by believers, and who have placed themselves in self-imposed exile from the church, Anne closes with a prescription: Dont confuse Gods imperfect people with God. People, even Christians, are just like youincomplete and imperfect, a work in progress.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author bio
Anne Graham Lotz is called the best preacher in the family by her father, Billy Graham, The New York Times named Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. Shes been profiled on 60 Minutes, and has appeared on TV programs such as Larry King Live and The Today Show. Her Just Give Me Jesus crusades have been held in more than 30 cities in 12 different countries, to hundreds of thousands of attendees.
Whether a delegate to Davos Economic Forum, a commentator to the Washington Post, or a groundbreaking speaker on platforms throughout the world, Annes aim is clear to bring renewal to the hearts of Gods people. And her message is consistent calling people into a personal relationship with God through His Word.
Anne is a best-selling and award-winning author. Her most recent releases are Wounded by Gods People, Fixing My Eyes on Jesus, Expecting to See Jesus and her first childrens book, Heaven: Gods Promise for Me.
Anne and her husband Danny Lotz have three grown children and three grandchildren. She is the founder and president of Angel Ministries.
Ref: Wounded by God?s People
WOUNDED BY GODS PEOPLE
Anne Graham Lotz
(Zondervan, 176pp, $20h)
Back in the 80s, early in her speaking career, Bible teacher and popular speaker Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham and wife Ruth, was snubbed by a partisan group of male pastors who turned their chairs around on her during a convention at which she was guest speaker. They were indicating their displeasure at being addressed by a (gasp!) woman preacher. When I first read that I thought, Well, so much for Christian charity. It was hard for me to believe that self-professed Christian men would act that smugly, but the truth is they did. And thats why unchurched people have abandoned churchgoing; they think we are hypocrites.
Ms. Lotz has seen in the biblical story of Hagar, the maidservant of Abrahams wife, Sarah, and illegitimate mother of Ishmael, more truth than I have ever garnered through my years of studying the same scriptural passages and has offered the lessons in her book, Wounded by Gods People. In the course of the narrative, she chronicles the times she has been wounded by well-meaning, albeit self-righteous, Christians. Thankfully, and graciously, she did not mention her aforesaid ill-treatment by preachers (who should know better), although she did say in an interview with Morey Safer who, true to form, asked her about it, I think they're sincere men of God, Anne said, graciously. I think that's the way they see the Scripture and I think it's been passed down from generation to generation. I'd love to sit down with some of them and show them the way I've seen the Scripture and bring a little bit of fresh air in there."
Kudos to Ms. Lotz.
Still, in her book, while she recounts her life, inflicted wounds including incidents of divisive church politics, the mistreatment of ministers, attitudes toward the divorced, young women dealing with abortion, as well as generalizing enough to include whatever pain the reader might be experiencing, I was surprised that she did not address the wounds some well-meaning but self-righteous Christians are currently afflicting on women, gay people, and those Christians who dare to think outside the conservative evangelical, politically right-wing box. These are new issues before us now and will become more pressing in the future. How we adjust our thinking about them now will likely determine how the Church will fare in the days ahead. Nobody puts new wine into old wineskins, Jesus said. If he does, the new wine will burst the skinsthe wine will be spilt and the skins ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins.
After her detailed diagnosis of those who have been wounded by believers, and who have placed themselves in self-imposed exile from the church, Anne closes with a prescription: Dont confuse Gods imperfect people with God. People, even Christians, are just like youincomplete and imperfect, a work in progress.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author bio
Anne Graham Lotz is called the best preacher in the family by her father, Billy Graham, The New York Times named Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. Shes been profiled on 60 Minutes, and has appeared on TV programs such as Larry King Live and The Today Show. Her Just Give Me Jesus crusades have been held in more than 30 cities in 12 different countries, to hundreds of thousands of attendees.
Whether a delegate to Davos Economic Forum, a commentator to the Washington Post, or a groundbreaking speaker on platforms throughout the world, Annes aim is clear to bring renewal to the hearts of Gods people. And her message is consistent calling people into a personal relationship with God through His Word.
Anne is a best-selling and award-winning author. Her most recent releases are Wounded by Gods People, Fixing My Eyes on Jesus, Expecting to See Jesus and her first childrens book, Heaven: Gods Promise for Me.
Anne and her husband Danny Lotz have three grown children and three grandchildren. She is the founder and president of Angel Ministries.
Ref: Wounded by God?s People
