I have weird tastes in movies. The work too hard and too much for me lifting 100 lbs of Soap and I weighed maybe 80 lbs, I ended recking my stomach and have a 14 inch scar down my stomach today from lifting too heavy a load, they never said sorry. His writing took a more personal, introspective turn even as his activities turned outward. Thank you for sharing your heart, your struggles, the struggles of others and your faith. In about a year youll see an entirely new edition that combines the two books with Dr. I have been radically convicted that I do not have that right. Philip. Love and forgiveness and grace and mercy are so much more important to me than any miracle. I would be deeply grateful. I was never bothered by stories of drugs, although alcohol was a big part of my fathers life. Please advise. (With Paul Brand) In the Likeness of God: The Dr. Paul Brand Tribute Edition of Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and in His Image, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 2004. It could not have been easy, but thank you for not throwing it away. The idea is new to me. Along with ten Anglican prayer books marked Property of the Chapel, the box contained the 30 Torah study books, Jewish DVDs and Hanukkah candles that Rabbi Ari had donated to the Edmonton Institution [46] [47] [48]. Its funny how Dr. 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. We went to the chapel and to my office, and Mrs. Cunningham introduced me to Paul Vanderham, the other chaplain. Philip. The New International Version is the most read, most trusted Bible translation, and more than six million copies of The Student Bible have been sold. We do. Be encouraged! I LOVE what you wrote! Im far from a church hopper myself. On the 6th I was one of your several drivers and took you to the venue the school where you spoke and dropped you back. friend is just should know how much Jesus loves him. My mind raced back to Japan, where I heard from parents who had lost their children to a tsunami in a middle school, and forward to that very morning when I heard from parents who had lost theirs to a shooter in an elementary school. In December 2015, the EPS contacted me in PEI to make a statement about Gord [2]. Would you please expand on this or tell me where I can find the direct or indirect Biblical answers to this? First, some anger is appropriate. Grace, still the best and last word, transcends all our feeble attempts, and my new spiritual faith seems to have transcended my christian faith the best way to put it for me. And that has been the common theme in your books. I have had the book Where is God when it Hurts? it happens more for me throughout the day through things I see and experience. Again the British and German Embassy refused to help me even though I pleaded for help . A big hug. Any suggestion would be appreciated. I also told myself enough is enough and finally decided to stand up to Paul. Ive always wanted to visit Vicksburg, after reading about it in Civil War accounts. There must be a God, not just because Creation rings with Him, but also because in all of these deep and lonely breakings He has continued to help me praise Him again. Thats quite a balance to keep! I spent a year trying to get a prison chaplain position in the Eden Detention Centre in Texas. Pray for people of good will to reach out to their neighbors and friends. I heard you questioning the movement of evangelicals towards Trump, and I totally agree with you! Ill have a memoir out in 2021, if plans hold, and you can read the rest. It is so alarming! Dont know if these are my Top Ten, but they moved me: In the command re: how many times do I have to forgive someone, and He says 70 x 7 but that appears to me that the transgressor asked for forgiveness. Earlier this evening I was listening to your talk on Suffering & Grace that you delivered at the University of Virginia in 2015. I have read others books by you, but this one strikes a special chord with me. Michael, Philip, Ive been thinking about you lately and your book, Whats So Amazing About Grace? (What a great title) And how you deftly redefine the word to mean social justice. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. A great experience! However, after researching historical/alternative theories, it seems to me that atonement is far richer than I had ever imagined. My name is Lionel Chan, I live in semi rural Australia. He said that one of the couples running Malachi Dads was too old, that they had mental issues due to their ages. How would I know if the Bible addresses specific people (to Jesus disciples, as you stated in the Prayer: You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it) or everyone in general (Jeremiah 29:11; I even insert my name I know the plans I have for you, Horeb)? Your book is helping me. I have not yet received a reply. I recently read Vanishing Grace while on a mission trip to serve the poor in the appalachian mountains of Kentucky. I feel pretty lonely at times as a Christian ( and I realise that my erratic church attendance hasnt helped). Having experienced sexual abuse as a teenager, I knew firsthand about its devastating effects. This year is the tenth anniversary of my accident, and your prayers have been answeredin reverse! ), it does not mean that Jesus was actually extending forgiveness to his murderers at that moment. Disappointment with God was an understatement and my world was changed. I myself am having trouble looking at my own condition and relating it to Gods love. If you dont agree with liberals, then we experience unceasing attacks meant for Trump, but received by those who voted him in. I know about the Old thing. But Phillip I have a question, I read a book rumors of another world and I thought it was written by you. I began my journey back mainly by encountering a world very different than I had been taught, an expansive world of beauty and goodness. Both are from the same web site, just different pages: http://necrometrics.com/gunsorxp.htm#XP I am a 68 year old male so you can imagine how much religion, society, and politics have changed in my lifetime also I was born and raised in LA. He would tell Chaplain Paul that some of the inmates Rabbi Ari had said were Jewish were actually not Jewish. People are saved by grace alone through faith in His precious Word, SCHOLARS have no idea who contrived the term Christianity Phil concludes saying the jury is out. Can you recommend reading that will help with right relationships with others? He claims to believe in grace and to have faith in a "Jesus." So what is grace? When she finally got the call on monday, I took off early from work to go be with her. I am an attorney and father of 6- just wondering.In Christ,Peter. Well said. Im sure your book can be great source for my journal to do mid semester exam, Thanks before Where Is God When It Hurts?, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1977, revised edition, Walker and Co. (New York, NY), 1996. When I tried ordering from Amazon, the provider says there are several used copies; however, when you click on this tab, you are re-directed to a similar book, The Question That Never Goes Away: What is God Up to in a World of such Tragedy and Pain? Writing is such an introspective act that I found myself looking for ways to connect with the planet bodily. I wanted to let you know that Ive been praying for you. There are a lot of losses. They needed water. Here is my email address. When he also told me to stop, I did so immediately. One has to be born-again. Thanks a lot Philip, thanks a lot. Philip. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. In particular the book PrayerDoes it make any difference? And I dont want to hear that he is answering through nature or something like that. It makes for such a refreshing change to hear common sense spoken, rather than political diatribe. A camera crew filmed the entire event from start of the fire inside to its complete destruction from the outside. I know it will encourage and inspire others. Im sorry if my references gave the wrong impression. As the Bible said, Therefore, I tell you her many sins have been forgivenfor she loved much. Its lonely. Having read psychological views with my very limited understanding capabilities, sometimes I still wonder whether its an illness to be cured/managed or a diabolical influence to be resisted. My life was in shambles and depression was looming at the horizon. I was told to sell my condo and move east, which I did. I used to struggle with it too. Thank you! I was particularly disturbed when you quoted your brother who used to quote 1 Chronicles (parbar) and people thought he was speaking in tongues. The last couple of months I do struggle with the problem of evil. "Of course, there were good qualities too. The traditional age for creation is 6000 years ago. Anti-Semitism in the Institution Homer Heater, Jr. Yesterday she asked for me and said I wish I had your religion now which gave me an opening to share the faith. Thank You, Pleasure. I want to lash out too, and say, read Matthew 7:1-5, for Heavens sake! Similarly, when I told Frank about the sexual abuses by church leaders, he replied, and I quote, Richard, you are too honest for your own good. What Good is GOD is another heart touching book in my hands now. Easy Donald is against killing unborn babies. Philip. If they lied about this, then maybe they're lying to me about the Bible and Jesus and God and everything else as well. The quote is from a book titled The Power of the Powerless which is a collection of Juergen Moltmanns sermons, published in 1983. He wants you to stand up and be counted! We heard about love and grace, but I didnt experience much. No one has influenced me more, he says. Brennan Manning says that 183 times someone asked Jesus a direct question and only 3 times did he give a direct answer. He told me it was a 5 year Contract with the federal Government and Capt. I feel now a pull to come back to attending the local Church, even if only to reconnect with local community and participate in local charity work to which I feel a calling as well. He went back to the United States and she never saw him again. 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. You, Milt Richards, Tim Stafford and Ron Hutchcraft were leading the sessions. My days are all the same now.loneliness, unemployment, worry, conflict. And, now, after reading Where the Light Fell it makes much more sense. This warms my heart, Lindsay. Been reading almost all of your books. We sold our house. Brand & I was blown away. He told me yes, and to go to a certain door, press the button and they will let you in. However, I have this book and have searched it thoroughly and I cannot find the quote. I cannot feel its right to leave her on her own regularly, even though she would never stop me. These books have been very helpful and challenging for me. It is so important to have a voice like yours in todays climate. Even though DWG addresses different questions than what I was dealing with, it still helped me immensely. Christianity Today, November 19, 1990, Larry Sibley, review of Reality and the Vision, p. 40; May 15, 1995, review of Finding God in Unexpected Places, p. 66; August 9, 1999, Susan Wise Bauer, review of The Bible Jesus Read, p. 71. I still have the NIV Student Bible my Mother gave me a few months after my Dad passed away from cancer when I was still in college. Ill continue to be a supporter and reader of your work regardless. Faced with an unexpected challenge, we seek out self help books. It has been such a blessing in my life. Lewis and St. Augustine. Do not write about the history of the area where you are not close. He immediately calmed down. You are doing very important work, Emily, and Im delighted to hear that weve come to some similar conclusions. to anymore. I know a little about Borderline Personality, which in the US is recognized as a most challenging category. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, Look at that, you son of a bitch. Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14, I really believe that if the political leaders of the world could see their planet from a distance of 100,000 miles their outlook could be fundamentally changed. The biggest confusions came from the congregation, and my resultant feelings that we (my family) would and never could be good enough to fit the white-picket-fence image of perfection. To understand freedom in Christ over canned answers, cliche and religiosity. I lived the first 26 years of my life barely acknowledging God and praying sporadically whenever I wanted to, nothing I did back then ever went right. I, too, was raised in a rather strict, confusing (Lutheran) church, seemingly focused more on law than on grace, even though the Word was preached by kind pastors. Ive started doing some writing after I developed the study guide for Carl Medearis book Speaking of Jesus. "In this book, we see why [Yancey] is so effective" as a mediator or bridge between conservative and liberal Christians, John Congram stated in the Presbyterian Record. He was overly homophobic and to look out. Kindest regards Yet our Lord did not pronounce forgiveness upon his murderers at that moment by saying to them, I forgive you or Your sin is forgiven. No, instead he prayed that they would be forgiven, which is very different than actually pronouncing a person to be forgiven. If nothing else could you please pray I could be more of worth to my family and God would help with my depression and chronic pain. Herbert Spencer and others created Social Darwinism and caused a huge amount of suffering. Can you suggest anything to help me feel Im worthy of the sacrifice madeI am simultaneously eager and scared to meet Jesus again. make booking inquiries, I lived on $644 a month. Forever thankful for your ministry and help! I am amazed by the way Christians are judged and condemned. In 1994, evangelical author Philip Yancey reported, "I have not met a single Christian leader who, after meeting with Clinton, comes away questioning his sincerity." I continued to serve those under my care and enhanced the chaplaincy services there [4]. Phil also told me that Don would make prisoners stand facing the wall on the unit for his whole shift, not allowing them to move. "His openness and transparency are appealing, and he writes with love.". Barth, Karl I must also admit that I have used many illustrations from your books over the years of leading a study from our home that has now morphed into a zoom study. It changed the trajectory of my thinking. She is not a believer yet. So incarnate. I never heard any more about the envelope incident from Matt, nor did I see any report written up about it. Then Imam Ramazan, who was also in the meeting, added that I had gone into my own office one day, locked the door and refused to open it for them. This is what the Torah says, and I am not at either extreme of the gay issue , I am just me who loves people no matter their struggles in life . My books Disappointment with God and Where Is God When It Hurts are the main places I explore the big question you raise. Philip. These men and women had in common a commitment to the goals of Christianity, explained Booklist contributor Ray Olson; "each realized and then taught and lived for the great concerns of Christianitycheerfulness, justice, grace, truth, humility, healing, compassion." Then I drastically switched during the following 26 years by opening my heart and soul to the Holy Spirit and praying on the daily. They are passionate authors! I might not be the best Christian, but I know who I am. And secondly the officer who I was replacing had never met with him in a year, and attended a Pentecostal church not an Anglican Church which had not gone down well. Standing My Ground and Attempts at Reconciliation I am ashamed about not having written to thank you decades ago. Platinum Book Award, ECPA, US, 1992. I sought out people I wanted to emulate in some way. And never ever should have considered going with them again in hind sight. Evan McMullin is a sane alternative and the only conservative in the race. I did a word search on a man in a hut and turned up nothing. Thank you, Matt. I found affinity regarding your assessment of the fundamental beliefs and churches. Dave Larkin, You have excellent taste in reading, as shown by that list of authors! 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. Philip Yancey publishes a shining example of "Christian" contradiction. Youre quite welcome to post this. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), April 27, 1994, Bashir Qureshi, review of Pain, p. 1294. I recently looked up the theory and equations of radioactive dating. I walked out of the chapel in shock, to talk to the Acting Warden, Clovis LaPointe. BARTH, KARL (18861968), Swiss Reformed theologian, described by Pope Pius XII as the greatest theologian since Thomas Aquina, Most ancient societies and religions had an idea of an afterlife judgment, especially understood as a "weighing of souls," where the gods would rewar, Nicholson, William 1948- My wife and I often use your books as gifts when we talk to people in need of encouragement or a different bigger picture offered than the one we find in tacky church messages or half-hearted encouragement by fellow Christians. As a 53 year old male who is happily married and extremely satisfied in every aspect of my life, the struggle remains in following Gods primary command to love God with all your heart and soul. When I first read Disappointment With God, I hid the cover of it when I was reading on the subway or in public, scared people would get the wrong idea about me. Thank you for all the books, especially the ones relating to the subject of suffering and pain. I know you answered a lot of questions about writing in your Q and A section but hopefully you will still read this. I also questioned the sincerity of Christians and legalism but, unlike Yancey, music was not important early in my life, mainly because music lessons were forced upon me. My problem is that, at this age, I dont know where to start. I accept a complex matter leads to a complex book. Unlike me, Paul was under contract to CSC. Keep on brother! Jesus can deal with the details in his life, just as he deals with the details in all of our lives. I was in the process of apologizing for the misunderstanding, when a nearby female dog handler jumped off a counter and started shouting at me You breached security!. I was exasperated on coming to this summation. Turn the other cheek. It didnt take long for this little girl to draw conclusions about herself based on the way that people treated her. Instead, I have a video of the front door of the club crammed with concert goers as they burn alive feet first. But then, I find myself in a different kind of legalism- I think Im a better Christian, but no Im a wretched sinner. LTRP Note: Today, we received the following e-mail from a Lighthouse Trails reader who is in ministry. Through the grace of which you write I have been won back and come to the realisation, of which Victor Frankl wrote so ably, that the only choice that cannot be taken from us is that of how we will respond to whatever happens to us. The body usually wins. + Where Is God When It Hurts? I cannot agree with the premise of mutual exclusivity between Gods sovereignty and Gods love. I spoke to all four wardens at the Institution about it, as well as CSC Commissioner Don Head. Im 23, a recent college grad, and Ive been telling my friends that youre my favorite author since high school, when I first read Whats So Amazing About Grace. I knew he loved every one of them as if they were his own. I prayed for him all through the book especially when I saw that he was still choosing not to believe at the end. Mr. Yancey, you are, and will always be, one of my favorite writers. I am trying to put across (without causing stress to your followers) about how this book is, well, to be blunt not touching my heart strings. Let Jesus deal with the rest. God bless you! God bless you. Born 1948, in England; married Virginia Bell (a writer); children: three. Thank you. I went out into the chapel and there stood CSC Commissioner Don Head. Surely thats the only time Ive been linked with David Robinson. In one of them, you write about your relationship with Mel Wright. Id read too many responses to suffering which merely seem to say: sickness is a product of the Fall, and God will heal it one day. They actually have morality police patrolling with clubs to punish the disobedient. Can you tell me where you found this? I havent read much of Spong, but Borg was helpful in researching The Jesus I Never Knew, and Brian McLaren is a friend and a favorite of mine. This created a big disconnect for me, and I have spent years assuming that the disconnect was a sign of my own unbelief. There is a lot of pain and suffering because of that plan. a cell phone in the gutter. He considered himself Epicurean and theres little doubt that phrases like unalienable rights, all men are created equal and others stem from TJs understanding of Epicurus. Mainly, though, I have looked for healthy Christians to help heal my image of what wholesome faith looks like. Thank you for the suggestion. It sounds like youre doing great, frankly. I do love reading but it is hard to open a book and forget about checking my social media, even though I am not active user. If I knew this webpage exists, I would have come earlier. I just wanted to thank you for faithfully asking questions, writing, speaking, and following Christ in a way that has encouraged and inspired me. Hillery, or as I call her, Hitlery, has proven over the years to be very anti- Christian . https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A2KIbMmZtlxfgr8AfAxXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3BpdnM-?p=Colorado%27s+54+mountains+over+14%2C000+feet&fr2=piv-web&fr=yfp-t&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9zZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tL3NlYXJjaD9wPUNvbG9yYWRvJTI3cys1NCttb3VudGFpbnMrb3ZlcisxNCUyQzAwMCtmZWV0JmZyPXlmcC10JmVpPVVURi04JmZwPTE&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEISlnTYBLx3KDJL_xRYYnaCdIr9BSWl_6CdDR3O1LQXgv-YYa9Y0xBSI3aHt2eQou5Ky-vzRLS_85NAmdJREs4jkUuW4vlOA9ChXW7MrBJPVDe3Xd0MN4L624sIzfssujorojbn3e-xSj8G4uZaqyE8SA-Lf-l1KchC5_2P-CeX&_guc_consent_skip=1599911721#id=0&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.staticflickr.com%2F3463%2F3277252724_e01b32ac92_z.jpg%3Fzz%3D1&action=close. I received an e-mail reply from him shortly afterwards, confirming my dismissal but providing no reason for it [36]. This thank you note is long overdue. I found it as I was searching if theres any of your events I could participate. His books have garnered 13 Gold Medallion Awards from Christian publishers and booksellers. ), I grew up in the more fundamentalist era, tempered by Northern liberalism and a pastor dad who had experienced a more eclectic church upbringing than many. Growing up in a strict, fundamentalist church in the southern USA, a young Philip Yancey tended to view God as a scowling Supercop, searching for anyone who might be having a good timein order to squash them. Yancey jokes today about being in recovery from a toxic church. I identify so well with what you write. At the age of 31 I had completely lost hope and was disappointed with God. Then one day word came that a couple from America was going to adopt a little boy. You might try Writing For Your Life. (With Tim Stafford) Unhappy Secrets of the Christian Life, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1979. I have Jews and various Christian denominations in my immediate family and ancestry; nevertheless, we all got on together. Ive stood in front of the ovens in Auschwitz. Wonderful story, Christina. Thank you for expressing things which have always made me feel awkwardand never a real Christians. Its hard, but its beautiful. How do you deal with that? A multi headed hydra brilliantly dividing mankind employing sages If this is supposed to be the most important relationship of my life, then its not netting out so well in progress Id always heard that as we age we tend to draw closer to God but Im finding it increasingly more difficult to embrace and sustain a passion for something that remains so abstract and unclear. So basically, l believe in a penal/substitutionary view while trying to incorporate parts of the Christus Victor view. Or do you just send your work out to different publishing houses (is that the right word?) The quote is (roughly), You cant worship a homeless guy on Sunday then ignore one on Monday. I know a little about mathematics and biology. When the verdict was brought forward, I could not stand and stayed silent with tears. Thank you again for the willingness to have the discussion. I could not keep thinking about yesterday shooting at Texas Church, a family of 8 killed, a pregnant Woman with 3 children killed. Of course, there were good qualities too. Let me read you some promises from the Bible. Again, Im dumbfounded. There are so many great references to other famous writers, many of whom were Christians who have struggled in their faith. What is the greatest commandment? Mr. Yancey, (When they hit the teenage years, that is a different story, of course!) Frankly, it has been a while since Ive last read anything Yancy. Coming from that background, I know how difficult it can be to sort out what to retain and what to jettison. Since becoming a Canadian citizen 38 years ago pledged to stand up for what is right, to uphold the law of this country. This week is special. As I did so, I was physically assaulted by Mr. French, the Institutional Manager. [4] When he was one year old, his father, stricken with polio, died after church members suggested he go off life support in faith that God would heal him. However, I know of not a single case in 5 centuries (or 20 really) where He has. So, youre saying that he suffers more than we do yet stands with folded arms of indifference? I went to a fundamental Church and sent my children there. Both the East and the West in recent times, under the influence of mechanisation, strayed too far on the side of guidance without love perhaps, even if the colonial mechanised dominance of the West arose out of the conditions of overdoing love without guidance/restraint/obedience. Your best sellers, Where is God When It Hurts? Your book is helping me recover for that. 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? I know for a fact that the first 11 chapters of Genesis did not take place 6000 years ago because of radiogenic dating. I would certainly include Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement; and Sir Ghillean Prance, one of the early voices in climate change and former director of the New York Botanical Gardens. I have a lot of faith but when you feel God isnt there when youre in that much despair its very disheartening. The fact that you want so desperately to communicate with God is a wonderful thing and leads me to believe He is drawing you closer. I am not fancy with words but I have been looking forward to speak to you. And whatever we long for, God longs for more. Again, on what grounds can you make this statement? My all-time favorite is Whats so Amazing about Grace, but recently I read Reaching for the Invisible God again, which caused me to remember that my faith is just that: faith. Goodness, this is a blushingly generous comment, Jen. He told me I was on my own.