Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Non-fiction

A gift of words: Review of Faithgirlz Bible

I still have the first Bible I ever received, a Precious Moments edition with some cute illustrations to accompany the NKJV translation of the words. It wasn’t until high school, though, that I had in my hands a Bible I wanted to read (and could).

faithgirlz bibleAs our household has grown, so has our collection of Bibles and Bible storybooks. When our daughter started reading and needed a Bible regularly in her Sunday School class, I gave her the one I’d grown up with because it was the most kid-friendly complete Bible we had in the house. It soon became clear that the NKJV was not the best translation for an elementary school girl, and I really wanted her to have her own Bible.

When I saw the NIV Faithgirlz Bible available from Zondervan, I thought I’d get it for her. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the Bible in exchange for my review, through the Booklook Bloggers program.) Billed as a Bible for tween girls, around ages 8-12, some of the features are a little too grown-up for my 7-year-old, but she can grow into it.

What has been fun is seeing her embrace it as her own. She takes it to church. Looks through it and reads it at night, sometimes, and during Advent, she has been reading selected passages after dinner during our Advent devotions. The NIV has been much easier for her to read and understand. That’s what she likes about it.

As she grows, we’ll explore some of the other features in this Bible, like the quizzes and telling the Bible stories in her own words.

I know there is some criticism of the themed and topical Bibles, but as a parent of an elementary school girl, I’m excited to see how my daughter connects with the Bible on a level she is ready for.

 

The blurred line between saints and sinners: Review of Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber

accidental saintsIt would be tempting for someone to dismiss a tattoo-clad Lutheran pastor who freely uses colorful language and does CrossFit as a fad, without much substance to back up her beliefs. I say “someone” but I mean “me.” I’ve been wanting to read a book by Nadia Bolz-Weber for some time, mostly because I’m in a phase where I want to read edgy Christian stuff. I was surprised, then, by the depth of Bolz-Weber’s convictions and how much her stories and understanding of Scripture challenged me. I’m so glad I gave her a chance. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my review.)

Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People is a collection of stories, of how Bolz-Weber, a Lutheran pastor at House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Colorado, has imperfectly loved the people in her care. It is more how-not-to-love people than a shining example of how to behave in such a way as to be called a saint.

It has been my experience that what makes us the saints of God is not our ability to be saintly but rather God’s ability to work through sinners. The title ‘saint’ is always conferred, never earned. (p. 7)

It is hopeful writing (and full of language which might offend some people. I personally don’t find it gratuitous, but you’ve been warned.) and challenging. Some of her thoughts on Advent are particularly thought-provoking and timely as we enter this season.  Throughout the book, I found myself pondering her interpretation of a text I’d read numerous times before.

She’s also blatantly honest about her own shortcomings. Her stories are as much lessons for herself as they are for anyone reading.

If you think yourself a sinner too messed up for a purpose in God’s kingdom, I challenge you to read this book. And if you’re working hard to earn your sainthood, pick this one up as well. The line between sinner and saint is blurry, sometimes, and Bolz-Weber’s stories are proof that God often shows up in the unlikeliest places and people.