Hidden in Plain Sight

Here's an interesting book... (full disclosure: I was sent this for review)

This is one, that on the face of it, I didn't have much interest in. It seemed to be the standard evangelical publishing "Christian life" book. I put it on the stack and just got to it this morning.

But...

The first thing I noticed when I picked it up is that this guy can write. I don't know much about the author, Mark Buchanan, but one thing he did let slip is that he got his start as a fiction writer- and it shows. He know how to put together a sentence, a paragraph, a page. I thought I would skim, but I found myself reading. That's one point.
Within a page or two, a book I thought I probably wouldn't keep started to mentally work its way onto my shelf. That's two points.
And then a book that I thought would sit on my shelf until a later time, started to work its way from the shelf, down next to my reading chair for some morning reading time. That's three.

Hmmm.

At first, as I said, this book looks pretty non-descript. And here I have to lay blame on the publishers... neither the cover shown on Amazon, nor the better cover on the copy I have really convey either what the book is about or really anything that might grab my interest. The title "Hidden in Plain Sight," makes sense when you read the book, but the sub-title "Seven Old Things That Can Make Your Life New," turns me off more than it turns me on... I'm sure the publishers have test-marketed and focused grouped this and there's probably a sub-section of the church going public who will love it as-is, but...

Anyway, what looks at first to be a pretty normal kind of "live the Christian life to the Full!" book seems to actually be something different. A discussion of seven virtues found in the Petrine Epistles, their resonance and place in the Christians life, interspersed with writing on the life of Peter, juxtaposing what we know about Peter from the Gospels and Acts with what he writes later in life.

"The Spirit of Jesus, the one who rescued us, lives in those who embrace Him. By His Spirit we are made new. But that Spirit does not work out of thin air. He does not conjure newness and wholeness out of mere wishful thinking or stern lecturing. God is a God of means, and one of the chief means He uses are disciplines we embrace and practice. We walk a path of fellowship and worship, humility and attentiveness. We soak ourselves in the Word, ground ourselves in prayer, place ourselves in community. The Spirit takes these things, meagre as they are, and works miracles from them. He receives our few loaves and fishes and multiplies them a thousand-fold. But first we bring our loaves and fishes. This book is about bringing those loaves and fishes- seven, to be exact. It's about seven God-given disciplines so the Spirit can multiply our small effort into more than we can ak or imagine. It's about seven seeds we plant and cultivate so the spirit can bear much fruit in us and through us. It's about seven gifts the bride brings to her dowry and then the Bridegroom uses to perfect her. It's about seven virtues."

As I say, I thought this might sit on my shelf until I was ready to preach through 1st and/or 2nd Peter. Now I'm thinking I'd like to read this...
Even more, I'm thinking of a number of people I might give this book to- those people who are on the middle lane spiritually- definitely past the beginning stuff, needing something a bit meatier to chew on, but who may not make it through something like Willard. I love that he grounds this in a journey through some biblical books as well...

Check it out: Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret of More

Comments

[ryan]

Hey Bob, thanks for the tip about Mark's book here. I have enjoyed some of his other books especially his one entitled, "The Rest of God" which is about enjoying the Sabbath. I will look forward to reading this one, when I can get my hands on a copy.

[Jon]

Thanks for the review. It's not a book I would have ever considered. I'll have to take a look now...