I am a believer who has been in ministry until I retired; Ive read about Saul being instructed to not even spare the animals of Amalek; Ive read of Joshuas instructions, etc., but I still cant answer thes nagging questions. Im a writer from Spain. Of course God will protect you. Im responding to your encouragement that we should follow the example of our Lord in forgiving when he prayed for his crucifiers, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Although this prayer reveals that the heart of Jesus was full of forgiveness at that moment (a wondrous thing! 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. The traditional age for creation is 6000 years ago. The same holds true for the renewed earth that Scripture talks about. Susan Stevens, My goodness, thats now 20 years ago! Neither of us was what you'd call a "happy" student. Thank you that you are able to help us see Gods love through our journey, and also His plan for us along the way. One evening, in the yard between Unit 5 and the main building, I asked Chaplain Paul to forgive me if I had hurt or offended him, saying that we as Christians need to forgive and to let go of hate and anger. It cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, the Pseudepigrapha, the Talmud, Mishna, or any other Jewish source. She went to check the mail and told me a book I ordered had come in. However, consider this summation but from a secular perspective: 1. Hes gotten past his anger, and is open to spirituality, more of the New Age kind. Along the way I realized that God had been misrepresented to me. Years ago,early in my faith walk, I read the books you wrote with Dr. 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. And I have a question. Hello Mr.Yancey! Im trying to believe in the amazing grace of God through Christ but I feel like I have no ministry other than perhaps to my wife and boys. Thank you. Hello Philip. Philip. I have started to read through your book on prayer. It opened my eyes to a new way of looking at the Lord, and it was a better way. I just finished watching The Chosen written and directed by Dallas Jenkins, son of Jerry Jenkins. Bless you, and the millions like you facing similar challenges during this crisis. Funny (and a little sad) that it didnt occur to me to pray for you & your ministry until after Id been reading your books for awhile. But I understand your intent, and am glad you waited so long to bless me with your kind and generous words. 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. Thanks a lot John, thanks again, hope to meet you someday. I finished it with a renewed sense of Gods grace in my life, and that multiplied after reading Where the Light Fell. You might take a look at Craig Keeners 2-volume Miracles. Dave Larkin, You have excellent taste in reading, as shown by that list of authors! Search for Beautiful Courageous You by Lauralee Berrill. Im sure many people can relate to some of your anecdotes. We both come from a Pentecostal/charismatic background, but we dont really classify ourselves as such, as And reading your book has convinced me that something is Grace. To the Newtown parents: More than anything I wanted to answer with authority, Yes! Looking at the great irony, that we know Jesus backwards, yet our life unfolds forwards. He searches for its presence in his own life and in the church. You asked at the end Why doesnt God do what we want Him to? and Why dont we act the way God wants us to? I am looking forward to reading more of your books in the future. Paul tried to control and manipulate every aspect of my working life. The books Ive read of yours are so thought provoking and inspiring I thank God for your gift. Capt. I am reading Disappointment with God for the second time, the first time was when I bought the book some thirty years ago. "When some of us attempt to be a bridge, we often end up making both sides angry. I wrote that book in my active journalism days, when I was seeking people to interview who might be models for my life. You have a way of expressing yourself that brings such clarity to my Christian experience. Pray that the character of Christ will also be the character of his people. Philip Yancey Returns to CIU | Columbia International University When We Hurt: Prayer, Preparation, & Hope for Life's Pain, Inspirio/Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 2006. Paul complained that I called him a bully and liar. Thank you for your poignant, refreshing writing. So thank you for sharing your story. I know he would be (is?) The problem with cut-and-dried is that it tends to produce a self-satisfied morality: OK, Ive kept all these laws, so Im better than other people. She treated me so badly like a a piece of rubbish totally disgusted with me, and all I had had was SSA thoughts . I have not heard that criticism before, so I must (accurate, in this case) look into that. Is he still at the same place he was when you originally wrote the book? I was especially moved by your chapter that touched on homosexuality. I am planning on going to London and paris then Korea early of next year. One is to say, Thank you, thank you, thank you for your writing that has been such a gift to the church and to me. Philip. Philip. I have no idea if he intervenes in my life (or anyones) like that. When this therapy failed, I was blamed, shamed and rejected by the groups that applied it to me. I cant promise that. Exactly, no one can. It helped me in difficult periods of my life. Pray for people of color first, along with undocumented workers and those particularly dependent on governmental services and assistance. Bruce Smith became the National Director of Church Army and Capt. If they lied about this, then maybe they're lying to me about the Bible and Jesus and God and everything else as well. This seems to be a very common, often ignored, question among Christians. No one Bible passage. I also asked Bridges of Canada Manager Brian Harder for advice about it, but he never offered any. My husband has been unemployed for 16 months. So much anguish, and emphasis on refrain from both control (praiseworthy) and guidance (a bit problematic). In fact, as Ive pointed out before, the biggest group of givers on Kiva is Atheists, second are Christians. Where Is God When It Hurts and Disappointment with God convey some of my thoughts. I recently looked up the theory and equations of radioactive dating. Greetings in the Christ name! them. Then on your list book I got it!!! But suddenly I arrived to Chapter 7 in yours Vanishing Grace and God struck me lovingly with your words. I chose to remain behind to conduct two pre-scheduled chapel services because there had been no chapel services recently due to a series of lock-downs. Here it is: Over the past several months, I have read four books dealing with similar topics: yours (Soul Survivor), Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible, Mouw (The Smell of Sawdust), and Carpenter, History of Fundamentalism in the 30s and 40s. Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series. I know that God will honor your charity work. But by now I was attending another. To think that someone else had thought it too, separately, at a different time and country. I feel defeated. I did visit the website. PERSONAL: Just recently, I completed reading your book Soul Survivor. Youve known a lot of both. Does God have a right to twist our beliefs to something untrue? Everything was spelled out in black and white. please keep writing them. Thank you for writing the book that gave rise to my own passion to write. Philip Yancey (born November 4, 1949 [1]) is an American author who writes primarily about spiritual issues. Thanks for responding and your comment. To me, Stotts comment seems harsh, uncharacteristic of him. This fact has become a Trend Topic on Twitter Worldwide, remaining on second place for a while. Writing is hard work, done in isolation, and the only feedback I get comes from something I worked on months or years ago. I was exasperated on coming to this summation. Could you please tell me if this quote is from you and what is the source of the quote? I therefore request my immediate reinstatement at the Edmonton Institution. Oh God this is too hard, and Im too alone, and the world is making me feel like a helpless baby. I yearned for more, not knowing what more meant. We sold our house. Increase your biblical knowledge or pursue a career in ministry. Thank you so much for writing Disappointment with God. The first time I read it I was dealing with issues regarding my perspective of God. But had become something more in Janice Greens evil eyes and The Nicholson in Hawaii hated, homophobia , for the first time in my life I was labelled and because of Nicholson, Green and Lindsey and Smith, 4 people, the rest of my life would suffer the results of their hatred .None of them ever took the time to talk to me about it my feelings and views , they simply labelled me and did everything in their power to destroy a good man, my life. Thats my story, or at least a bit of it. I am a Christian and have been helped by many of your books. . Ive been raised in church and been in many different denominations, and Phillips books resonate with me. It is difficult not to have the impression its re-emergence in our lives was divinely orchestrated. Yanceys father died of polio when young and his mother was left to provide for the brothers, the eldest whom she vowed should be a missionary. I make friends with them, chat, and occasionally buy a hungry lady a pie or a can of juice, or even just fetch them a drink of water. It's available in many different formats, including leather editions and a handy compact size. Of course God will protect you. I keep asking those kinds of questions, and its encouraging to know that some of my readers do too. We all die, some old, some tragically young. I try to see God as my Father but as a mother I cannot understand why (if God is to be seen as our Heavenly Father) he would allow his children to suffer. And whatever we long for, God longs for more. Again, on what grounds can you make this statement? . Everyone knew and talked about this lawyers, guards, management, Elizabeth Fry Society members yet no one stopped him or reported him. ", Yancey's books offer "no facile solutions, no panacea to suffering and misery," to quote Sawyers. You make a good point about my pedantic language, and Ill need to watch that. There is a lot of pain and suffering because of that plan. I tend to go back to the Bible as a model, because I dont know a more honest book, Yancey explains. Library Journal, January 1, 1989, Elise Chase, review of Disappointment with God, p. 90; September 1, 1989, Cynthia Widmer, review of I Was Just Wondering, p. 195; October 15, 1989, review of I Was Just Wondering, p. 51; March 15, 1990, Mary Margaret Benson, review of Reality and the Vision: 17 Christian Authors Reveal Their Literary Legacy, p. 91; July 1, 1995, Henry Carrigan, review of Finding God in Unexpected Places, p. 87; September 15, 2003, John Moryl, review of Rumors of Another World: What on Earth Are We Missing?, p. 64; October 1, 2006, Graham Christian, review of Prayer, p. 80. 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. If anyone will manage to get a fire going under my butt to get me writing more just reading your writings would do it! I was just wondering how are your days. 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. Then write it down. Thank you for unwittingly giving me the perseverance to write and publish a book and to demonstrate to my family that its not OK to sit back and do nothing. I struggle to live each month for all my needs and bills and go hungry most of the time . At one point I was literally on my face before the Lord in tears, thanking Him for His amazing love (chapter 13 for one) and there were chapters where my feeble brain struggled to keep up (chapter 27). I look forward to reading the rest of your books! But I found nothing. When I prayed, God help me. Sometime after my dismissal I talked with one of the case workers, Phil Joy. The Chronicles of Narnia ~ C.S. Lastly knowing that my good deeds doesnt matter, neither in writing or not writing. Best-Selling Author Philip Yancey Exclusive Interview I applaud Yancey for his disarming honesty and for giving us a story that will cause us to reflect about our own life and also to thank God for his wisdom and grace. Until then, I keep you and yours in my prayers: may you persevere the race marked out for us! Dr. W.E. To be honest, I have never been in intentional prayer and heard from God. I just was so angry with Him that I hated Him and wanted Him to know that I didnt believe in Him. Over the years Ive been helped by writers such as Scott Peck (especially his People of the Lie), Gerald May, James Fowler, and James Hillman to understand the stages of faith we go through. I had many toxic church experiences, and now I look back even on those with gratitude, for them spurred me to a kind of gritty, honest pursuit of God, one that, as I later discovered, the Bible honors. I would appreciate it if this is a possibility. All that to say, Philip, that your style of communicating really speaks to me. Natural Health, May 1, 1994, Ben Brooks, review of Pain, p. 145. Our retreat theme is Grace in a Mans Life and for humor our promo video uses clips from the old TV series MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (see it here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/b1sr3nroq4ivp25/2018%20Men's%20Retreat%20Promo.mp4?dl=0)! Ive been a Christian all my life. Thats also the way Ive treated my friends and family for as long as I can remember. I decided not to send it. Philip. He was of medium height, without a single ounce of fat on him, and had sandy, curly hair . I couldnt finish the Gracia Divina Vs. Condena Humana but this afternoon my dad found the english versin Whats so Amazing About Grace and that tile immediately got my attention, I forgot I had it as a gift from a Pastor I meet in North Carolina, making a long story short I started reading tonight and what a much difference feeling. I wish I could help. Thank you for all the books, especially the ones relating to the subject of suffering and pain. So thank u. Actually, I have been trying to find a part of a story I read a long while ago, written by you, in which you describe the character, meaning the Lord, emphatically pleading with (all I can recall is) a man in a hut. How could I ever thank you enough? In December 2015, the EPS contacted me in PEI to make a statement about Gord [2]. For now my faith is limited. After the initial shock wore off I agreed to a taped interview in the RCMP station in Summerside, PEI. Yes, writers need prayer, as we work in isolation and its a paranoia-producing occupation. Threshold Ministries denounced me for my same-sex attraction, even though I had not been living a homosexual lifestyle since my teenage years. a song in the front yard literary devices; the owl house fanfiction protective eda; kohl's credit card payment; Blog Post Title February 26, 2018. (When they hit the teenage years, that is a different story, of course!) My husband and I have been fans of your writing even before we met each other. And CSC head Chaplain Chris Carr said nothing. On Monday May 13th, 2017, I met with Snowy Nobel, the chaplain from the Prison for Women, and Pastor Oliver Johnson, a former police officer and former chaplain at the Edmonton Institution. Politics these days seems so cutthroat. You are a great resource for giving hope to non-Christians and people who need help in these days. 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. By the way, where did you go to college? And Philip Yancey is one of my two favorite Christian writers. The discord in the chaplaincy office was wearing me down. In the 4th chapter of Genesis it says:Tubalcain was an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron. From archaeologists in the Levant, the Bronze age ended 1500 B.C. Jesus tells us not to fear. My doctor told me to find a good GP and to take a year off work to recover. I was not a pretty sight. She said this man came over to her and he began saying something in English she couldnt understand and she looked up at him. I met Philip Yancey when we both were 22, newly minted editors at Youth for Christ's Campus Life magazine. Faith and Doubt - Philip YanceyPhilip Yancey I would like to know which of your books I should read next. I am a biological male happily married to another male, and although I respect your difficult decision to keep an open dialogue on homosexuality, I dont believe your attitude is morally defensible. Born 1948, in England; married Virginia Bell (a writer); children: three. I may well have misinterpreted what was going on. Thank you. what bible college did philip yancey attend. I went on a special program that brought together juvenile delinquents and federal prisoners, arranged by Chuck Colsons Prison Fellowship. In my letter, I described all the verbal abuse that Paul had directed against me. I finally got permission to bring in bins with lids for the garbage, to cut down on the flies buzzing around. A few months along, out of the blue my Pastor said he thought I should be ordained, and take on an outreach program for the church. Your comments touch me deeply. I could certainly resonate with a lot of the things you experienced, but not the pain that you shared so poignantly. 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. Nothing was made without the Word from the book of John. after Sandy Hook, to my surprise I felt my faith affirmed, not shattered. He quotes Desmond Tutu, For us who are Christians, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof positive that love is stronger than hate, that life is stronger than death, that light is stronger than darkness, that laughter and joy, and compassion and gentleness and truth, all these are so much stronger than their ghastly counterparts. I agree. My partnership with Dr. Paul Brand was transformative for me. I am amazed by the way Christians are judged and condemned. Im not sure where youre trying to get articles published, but if in Australia they could give you more helpful feedback. You may remember me from our contact in the early 2000s. However, most of the election discussions have instead fostered hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, dissension, factions and envy (Galatians 5: 20-21). At first, I didnt want to grab the book because the book was thicker than I thought I have written two books that might be of interest to you: 1) Subversive Meals, an analysis of the Lords Supper under Roman domination, and 2) Heaven on Earth: Experiencing the Kingdom of God in the Here and Now, which picks up where Dallas Willard left off. Every blessing David. The church sees no color or ethnicity we are all Christians or are trying to be. the way Jesus demonstrated a different way if being human. The National Fire Codes changed as a result of the 100 people killed and 230 injured. It has taught me so much about how to look at other people and to think of things outside of me and my control. maybe another book can come out of it, and I will hope to meet you and even host you (I live in Nigeria). This continues to haunt me for some reason and I am continuing to pray for him. So I am wondering if there is some kind of a generic guide you can point us to, questions to ask while we read the weekly chapters and for discussion when we meet? He also expressed shock and surprise, and assured me in writing that he would order an investigation into my dismissal and the events leading up to it [42] [43]. The things that we share in our world are far more valuable than those which divide us. Donald Williams, pilot for Spaceshuttle Discovery and commander for Spaceshuttle Atlantis, This planet is not terra firma. I was advised to send a letter to demand the reason for my dismissal, so I sent an e-mail to Misty McLaughlin at Bridges of Canada. If not, I suppose you can quit brainstorming the topic of your next book! (Jeremiah 29:13) Sounds like you are doing exactly that surely your eagerness and desire to speak with God pleases Him greatly! 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. Maybe Im thick-headed, and thats okay, but I see so much pain here, and suffering, and helplessness and hopelessness, God, and thats okay God, I will keep doing my best, but oh God I just need you to show me something., A couple days later I was killing time in a used bookstore, for the air conditioning as much as anything else. Over the years I have continued in my studies and now serve as Senior Research Professor of Biblical Exegesis atCriswell College (Dallas, Tx). People are allowed to freely sin without consequence and sermons are touchy-feely inspiration that wont offend anyone because, as you seem to emphasize, we need to reach sinners by not offending them. The priest said I was harsh and unforgiving, and lacked compassion for Christopher. I like the way you think, and you are asking very important questions. The man who interpreted it and brought it to be published said of it, I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book. This little girl spent the day helping the little boys get ready by cleaning them up, combing their hair, and wondering which one would be adopted by this American couple. Few months before, my mother-in-law illness finally was cured. I, too, grew up in Dekalb county GA though ten or so years later than you. Do not ever touch me. These comments hurt deeply and, combined with my Irritable Bowel Syndrome, produced major panic/anxiety attacks that required me to wear adult diapers for some time to prevent me from soiling myself. Today's Christian Woman, September, 2003, Corrie Cutrer, review of Rumors of Another World, p. 98; January, 2007, Lisa Ann Cockrel, review of Prayer, p. 10. But my son is a delight and has grown into a fine man with a child of his own. I dont know how to answer that. It is a large community of Romanians who would need your help. Enough turning the blind eye to church officials, government employees and police officers that have made it a lifestyle to break of the laws of this country. According to POLISH FRIENDS of mine there is NO one similar POLISH word for these two English words. I can never thank you enough for taking time to tell your story. I would say that you were afraid to lose the respect of either side of the conflict. What He taught men the Apostles simply referred to as The Way Right there and then Paul informed me that he had no intention of helping me to get oriented or settled in. . I will never forget a parent-teacher conference in high school with my English Lit. 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. I have friends who work with the organization G.R.A.C.E. He spent most of his early life in a bubble, attending a Bible college that in hindsight seems like "an island fortress against the outside world, one with its own private culture." Even the Sixties' sexual revolution did not penetrate the college's sealed environment . Im feeling a strong pull to Catholicism or eastern Orthodox. Ramazan was very dependent upon Paul to complete all the information on Moslem diets and other customs on the computer, and therefore worked closely with Paul. Coming from that background, I know how difficult it can be to sort out what to retain and what to jettison. Similarly, she would not allow the Jewish inmates from different units to mix on Friday evenings for prayers and Torah readings. Philip Yancey is an American author who writes primarily about spiritual issues. We could not dance or go to movies or date girls who did. Christian Book Award Winner, ECPA, US, 1992. Philip Yancey (born November 4, 1949[1]) is an American author who writes primarily about spiritual issues. They had noticed my Franciscan Habit . Some folks in Northern Africa still do! Does It Matter? First, the very people that were put into places of public trust and responsibility over me, people in the church, in government and the police, told me to keep quiet. I recently read, 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. Philip, Years ago I had the opportunity to reald The Jesus I never Knew (English version), I still have that book with me ; then I got in my hands Gracia Divina Vs. Condena Humana the title in spanish never attracted me, I start reading it because it was a Philip Yancey book and The Jesus I never Knew really touched me. Your sorrow has been used to comfort so many of us. Hey have you checked out Evan McMullin for President? Where the Light Fell: Philip Yancey - FamilyLife It would be great to receive some of your books to add to our library. Ramazan also joined Paul in making fun of the Prairie Regions chaplain, a woman licensed by the Church of the Nazarene, and he joined Paul in his hatred for Bridges of Canada, calling Bridges Manager Brian Harder a cowboy. Thanks so much for your service to the hurting. Bless you. T roublesome issues like divorce and homosexuality take on a different cast when you confront them not in a state legislature but in a family reunion. Today as I finished your book, my 7 siblings and I, along with my Mom prepare to say goodbye to my 89 yo Dad, who lies in a hospital with Covid and only hours to live. The best part is that they all say Have faith or GOD has a plan I know the scriptures and the scriptures are real in my head, not my heart (religious folks in 3..2..1..) How many times does a person have to ask GOD for a relationship and nothing. If we do not ask, we do not receive forgiveness we receive hell I cannot be more holy and righteous than God Im his creation saved by grace. All the best! Angela (Alberta, Canada). Certainly Jesus did come bearing grace and truth but above all he came with love. I was nineteen years old at the time. The Pastor of the church we attended ended upon running around on his wife and eventually committed suicide. I have read several of your books over the years, having just finished The Bible Jesus Read. The fishermen Jesus picked were not chosen for their proud theology, Christ ignored the learned Pharisees spiritually esteemed in His day She had called ahead and warned them this queer as she saw me was on the way. Scary is good. I wrote a whole book about it, Reaching for the Invisible God. You express depression very well. I crossed the border into Canada and headed for Saint John New Brunswick where there was a YWAM base where I knew people. We were there, he explained, to devote our lives to more important matters than politics. As I often say, If I were God, I wouldnt have turned over the mission to the likes of us. Philip. I complete the one-year, graduate level thirty hours in four months with no grade lower than an A.. And frankly, obscene. We are The Church and we do not need seeds of discord from Phillip Yancey! Carpenters book is a good correction on some of the distortion about fundamentalism, and Mouw acknowledges that correction. Dont know if these are my Top Ten, but they moved me: Philip. Monty and Frank sided with Threshold Ministries, and from that point on refused to communicate any more with me. Look at Vukovar. However that does not mean Ive given up reading in general or anything Yancy specifically. Mdecins Sans Frontires (Doctors Without Borders) doesnt know why evil exists Thank you for your consideration. After doing this for one year, they offered to build a small apartment for me in their basement. I was raised to believe I fall so short, but now Im like my name Nathan Davidtelling my sins to myself. We would love to have you come and speak here! It seems that your pilgrimage somehow inspired me to embark on mine, somewhat. Of course, there were good qualities too. This amplified the discomfort I have been feeling for many years about the emphasis of evangelicalism on a personal relationship and emotional experiences with God that I simply could not relate to, as much as I wanted to.