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The Sacred Diaries
The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass Aged 37 3/4
The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass Aged 37 3/4 [SACRED DIARY OF ADRIAN PLASS A] [Paperback]
Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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492 people want to read
About the author
Adrian Plass
137 books104 followersAdrian Plass is a writer and speaker who has produced over thirty books in the last twenty years. The best known of these is probably The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, a gentle satire on the modern church, which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. This and other books have travelled to other countries and are translated into a number of foreign languages. Other books include biography, novels, short stories, a fictionalised account of the author's experiences as a residential child care worker, and collections of poems and sketches. A bemused Anglican, Adrian lives with his wife and daughter in a small market town near the Sussex South Downs.
Adrian has been in demand as a speaker in venues as varied as prisons, schools, churches, festivals, literary dinners and theatrical settings. His work also includes contribution to national and local radio and television. Live presentations combine humour, poetry, and story telling, largely revolving around his own inadequacies and struggles as a Christian and a human being.
In recent years Adrian has been joined by his wife Bridget in presenting a more varied and dramatic style of performance. Adrian and Bridget met at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and have found particular satisfaction in being allowed to ‘do a bit of acting’. They have also been privileged to work alongside World Vision on several occasions, visiting Bangladesh and Zambia, writing two books and touring both in the UK and abroad with the aim of encouraging people to take up child sponsorship
Their work now takes them as far away as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa, while trips to Europe have introduced the added dimension of speaking through interpreters. Not easy when you're trying to be funny!
Adrian's latest books include ‘Jesus Safe Tender and Extreme‘, published by Zondervan, ‘Blind Spots in the Bible’, published by BRF, and most recent of all ‘Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation’ published by Authentic Media. He and Bridget have also collaborated with friends in Canada to produce a CD of his favourite sketches from the last 20 years called ‘Preaching to the Converted’ while ‘A Touch of Plass’, CTA’s documentary video, is now out on DVD.
2008 began with a visit to Bolivia for Bridget and Adrian in collaboration with the charity Toybox to look at projects involving street children. Later on there will be a DVD, a book and a number of presentations promoting their work.
Adrian's central motivation continues to be his love for Jesus, although some may feel he expresses it rather eccentrically. His passion is to communicate the need for reality in faith, and a truth that he learned during a difficult stage in his life: "God is nice and he likes me..." Some have described his work as being ‘one long confessional’. They may well be right!
Adrian has been in demand as a speaker in venues as varied as prisons, schools, churches, festivals, literary dinners and theatrical settings. His work also includes contribution to national and local radio and television. Live presentations combine humour, poetry, and story telling, largely revolving around his own inadequacies and struggles as a Christian and a human being.
In recent years Adrian has been joined by his wife Bridget in presenting a more varied and dramatic style of performance. Adrian and Bridget met at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and have found particular satisfaction in being allowed to ‘do a bit of acting’. They have also been privileged to work alongside World Vision on several occasions, visiting Bangladesh and Zambia, writing two books and touring both in the UK and abroad with the aim of encouraging people to take up child sponsorship
Their work now takes them as far away as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa, while trips to Europe have introduced the added dimension of speaking through interpreters. Not easy when you're trying to be funny!
Adrian's latest books include ‘Jesus Safe Tender and Extreme‘, published by Zondervan, ‘Blind Spots in the Bible’, published by BRF, and most recent of all ‘Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation’ published by Authentic Media. He and Bridget have also collaborated with friends in Canada to produce a CD of his favourite sketches from the last 20 years called ‘Preaching to the Converted’ while ‘A Touch of Plass’, CTA’s documentary video, is now out on DVD.
2008 began with a visit to Bolivia for Bridget and Adrian in collaboration with the charity Toybox to look at projects involving street children. Later on there will be a DVD, a book and a number of presentations promoting their work.
Adrian's central motivation continues to be his love for Jesus, although some may feel he expresses it rather eccentrically. His passion is to communicate the need for reality in faith, and a truth that he learned during a difficult stage in his life: "God is nice and he likes me..." Some have described his work as being ‘one long confessional’. They may well be right!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
April 10, 2024
When I last read this as a teenager, I read it to howl at the brilliant satire. This time around I loved it just as much, but noticed the deeper underlying themes, and the reason that Adrian Plass wrote this. Not only is it at the top of Christian satire (done tastefully), but it was encouraging to me in my walk with Jesus. I love the tidbits of how God ends up using him even throughout all his bumbles. 🥹
July 20, 2007
a funny, lighthearted look into the suburban life of an evangelical Christian. Like Bridget Jones' Diary for British Born-Agains.
July 29, 2007
A hilariously honest look at the Christian life. You'll be laughing out loud, even as you recognize yourself in some of Adrian's life.
January 8, 2008
Hilarious is the best word to describe this book. Anyone who has ever been frustrated with the church or the people in must read this book. Plass has such a unique point of view that makes you fall in love with annoying people and all their faults. In this particular volume, he takes authority over paper clips, refuses to go Christmas carolling barring a vision, leads a home Bible study, and quarrels with a neighbor. Truly a MUST-READ for anyone in need of a good laugh!!!
September 3, 2009
If you like British humor AND you have ever struggled with working out your faith on a daily basis, this is the book for you. Adrian covers about 6 months of his life, journal-style, as he tries to figure out how a Christian is "supposed" to live in regard to things like dirty jokes that are actually funny, church people who talk in Christian jargon-ese, embarassing relatives, raising a teenager, trying to share his faith with his neighbors and a whole host of other real-life dilemmas. Amusing and reasurring, it bolstered my faith that God uses real people who don't have it all together, and somehow changes us along the way.
May 14, 2008
This is one of my all time favorite reads! I have read it about 5 times and have a copy that I lend out. It is a hysterical account of the life of a British man trying to live out the Christian life!
February 14, 2014
I simply love this book. Lost track of how many times I've read it. It's a 'reading happy place' for me. Truly a book I treasure.
December 12, 2018
Any book that claims to be funny is going to be held up to the Dave Barry golden standard: Does it make me spontaneously laugh out loud? Does it tickle me to the extent that I can't read it aloud intelligibly through my laughter?
Adrian Plass gets the chuckle award for sure. I enjoyed Plass' attempts at self-improved spirituality and especially loved his wife & son with the knowing eye rolls behind his back. It was light satire meant to feel familiar enough to make you laugh in recognition but gentle enough to make sure even Adrian Plass gets in on the joke before it is all said and done. There were funny moments & nice bits of irony for anyone who's spent enough time in church circles to understand the references.
I'm glad I read it but I am not in any particular hurry to track down all the sequels.
Adrian Plass gets the chuckle award for sure. I enjoyed Plass' attempts at self-improved spirituality and especially loved his wife & son with the knowing eye rolls behind his back. It was light satire meant to feel familiar enough to make you laugh in recognition but gentle enough to make sure even Adrian Plass gets in on the joke before it is all said and done. There were funny moments & nice bits of irony for anyone who's spent enough time in church circles to understand the references.
I'm glad I read it but I am not in any particular hurry to track down all the sequels.
May 16, 2025
Funny, light, short, comforting & relatable - perfect for my overworked brain during this exam period 👍🏼
December 31, 2024
Started this as a read-aloud with my husband at the beginning of the year... and then life got busy and we never came back to it. I picked it back up in November and remembered how much fun it was!
Hilarious, British, quirky, with insightful truths about living for Christ in the everydayness, commotion, chaos, and care of community.
Hilarious, British, quirky, with insightful truths about living for Christ in the everydayness, commotion, chaos, and care of community.
July 5, 2012
Hilarious book. Any christian who is at least a little honest will recognise themselves in this book. Extremely entertaining revealing the rather strange thought processes of your everyday christian, if you're not at least chuckling half of the time when reading this book, not sure whether you will ever find a book that will make you laugh.
September 4, 2007
Refreshingly honest look at Christian life, I have never laughed so hard while reading a fiction book in my life.
The book is worth the price just for Adrian's house guest. Andromeda the seven year old socialist who tries to convince Adrian to release his wife from bondage.
An instant classic.
The book is worth the price just for Adrian's house guest. Andromeda the seven year old socialist who tries to convince Adrian to release his wife from bondage.
An instant classic.
April 28, 2009
I don't generally like religious books and I'm not a religious person, but this was so funny. I'd advise everyone to read it.
August 6, 2010
Classic! I sniggered my way through this as a teen and have re-read it a couple of times since.
June 8, 2016
I still laugh when I read this book. Insightful but hilarious. I read it every few years to have a good laugh.
December 28, 2023
Dit boek blijft geweldig.
January 13, 2025
Good old Adrian Plass. Truly heartwarming humor - you can see that in between all the hilarious layers of supremely (sur)realistic antics, he's writing out of love.
March 27, 2017
Ние, евангелистите, сме сериозни хора. Вероятно повлияни от съдбовната си благовестителска мисия в този свят, сме склонни да обръщаме всички разговори с „невярващи“ – в Интернет или лице в лице – в беседи за моралните ценности и Бога. Нерядко сме и силно обидчиви и готови да припознаем в насмешливото отношение към самите нас съпротива срещу Твореца. Ако е вярно, че смирението се проявява в способността на човека да се надсмива над себе си, то книгата на Адриан Плас „Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас (на 37 ¾ години)“, издадена от Български християнски студентски съюз през далечната 2003 г., е така необходимото ни помагало за израстване във въпросната добродетел.
„Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас (на 37 ¾ години)“ от Адриан Плас (БХСС, 2003 г.)
„Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас (на 37 ¾ години)“ от Адриан Плас (БХСС, 2003 г.)
Книгата представлява „духовния“ дневник на един обикновен английски евангелист, който ходи на обикновена работа, има (почти) обикновено семейство, активен член е на обикновена умерено харизматична църква и се опитва да води (не)обикновен християнски живот. Въпросният дневник обхваща малко по-малко от половин година (от 14 декември до 31 май), но именно в този период попадат най-значителните празници в християнския календар, както и традиционният (за Англия) палатков лагер Spring Harvest, като всичко това дава на героите множество възможности за разнообразни преживявания. Първоначалните намерения на главния герой са да си води „духовен журнал в полза на бъдещите поколения“, където да записва „всяко ново божествено прозрение и преживяване“, с надеждата написаното един ден да „свети като фар в тъмнината“. Пълната му откровеност обаче ни разкрива един малък свят от личности, с които лесно може да отъждествим себе си и своите близки и познати. Също като мен Адриан пропуска да чете от Библията всеки ден, трудно издържа да се моли в продължение на повече от няколко минути, трудно се съсредоточава по време на проповеди и умът му блуждае във всякакви неблагочестиви посоки. Колкото и д�� копнее животът му да прилича на този на големите „герои на вярата“, ежедневието му прилича на това на всеки друг от съседите и приятелите му, където Бог на пръв поглед трудно може да се забележи. В негово лице срещаме стремленията, съмненията и страданията на всеки от нас, обикновените вярващи, между които – също както и между невярващите – има пияници, похотливци, лъжци и лицемери. Оказва се, че Христос няма против да си има вземане-даване с такива, а дори е в състояние и плавно да ги променя. До такава степен, че понякога е трудно да се каже със сигурност кой е Христов и кой не е. Както казва един от съседите чудаци на Адриан: “[Исус е] бил причина за големи скандали тогава… и продължава да е такъв и досега. Не ти дава да си направиш малка хубава системка и да я наречеш „църква“ и не ти позволява да се измъкнеш, като правиш по четири събирания на седмица, на които обсъждаш какво ще правите на събиранията през следващата седмица. Ако искате това, ще откриете, че Исус е крайно неподходящ. Казва неудобни и трудни неща като „обичай враговете си“ и „кани на вечеря хора, които наистина имат нужда от това“ и „обичай Бога преди всичко друго“. Ужасен е в това отношение. Тогава не са успели да Го поставят натясно и досега не могат…” Така посред непрестанния наниз от комични, а нерядко и трагични ситуации, в които се озовават героите на дневника, към края на книгата читателят остава с подозрението, че Бог е далеч по-въвлечен в ежедневието ни отколкото изглежда.
В англоезичния протестантски свят практиката да се води личен дневник с духовни размишления широко се насърчава, а немалко такива се издават и като книги за насърчение на „обикновените“ вярващи. В тях уважавани „герои на вярата“ споделят своите необикновени „опитности“ и прозрения. Жанрът се радва на радушен прием, макар и последствията за читателите най-често да са дълбока потиснатост и убеденост, че „нещо не е наред с мен като вярващ“. Дневниците обаче не са само християнски феномен. Пет години преди появата на „Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас“ (през 1987 г.) класациите за продажби на книги в Англия са оглавени от творбата на Сю Таунзенд – „Тайният дневник на Ейдриън Моул (на 13 и ¾ години)“ (българското издание е на „Гея-Либрис“, 2009 г.). Книгата представлява въображаемия дневник на едно обикновено английско момче. Съвпадението с първото име на Адриан Плас е случайно, но авторът съвсем съзнателно взаимства идеята и формата, за да се обърне едновременно към обикновените англичани, както и към обикновените християни, и да ни разкаже за личностното и „духовното“ израстване на своя съвсем обикновен герой.
Действителният Адриан Плас работи в младежките си години като социален работник към център за деца със специални нужди. След години работа обаче изпада в дълбока лична криза, след която решава да се посвети на писателска и актьорска дейност (следвал е актьорско майсторство в бристолската драматургична школа). Първоначално пише предимно за себе си и с терапевтична цел, като първата му (издадена много по-късно) творба е новелата „Посещението“, в която се разказва за една въображаема местна англиканска църква, посетена от Исус. „Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас“ е първата му издадена книга, която се заражда под формата на редовна рубрика към английското списание Family Magazine. Книгата бързо набира популярност и е последвана от още няколко от същата поредица. Оттогава Адриан Плас е написал тридесет и шест книги, последната от които е „Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас – Адриан Плас и църковната почивка“ (издадена в Англия през март 2013 г.). Двамата със съпругата му често са канени да изнасят лекции и представления, а междувременно участват активно в една съвременна надденоминационна монашеска общност в северната част на Ангsvлия.
Българското издание на книгата се радва на чудесен превод от Чавдар Хаджиев, който се е постарал да превъплъти типично английските шеги в такива, които имат повече смисъл в българската ни култура. Например, тъй като Джералд, синът на главния герой, има забавния навик да подхвърля на баща си анаграми, българските читатели можем да се наслаждаваме на образци като факта, че „Климент Охридски” е анаграма за „Ти, мил ден хорски“, а „др. Леонид Брежнев е анаграма за „див, небрежен дрол“. Изданието включва също подходящи илюстрации от Ивайло Кънчев.
„Свещеният дневник“ е книга, която всеки евангелист задължително трябва да прочете. Това е книгата, която трябва да се дава на всеки новоповярвал. Но ако не можете да се разпознаете в горните редове, а по-скоро усещате раздразнение, то все още не сте готови за тази книга.
В началото на тази рецензия прецених евангелистите като твърде сериозни и лишени от чувство за хумор. За щастие това не е съвсем вярно. Защото Адриан Плас е евангелист и не е единственият писател в протестантския свят, който знае как да се надсмива над собствените ни неадекватности. Всъщност мнозина православни и католически вярващи твърдят, че тъкмо евангелистите имаме най-много вицове за себе си. Ако е вярно, именно това може да е преимуществото, което може да ни помогне да бъдем малко по-смирени и малко „по-обикновени“.
(Из http://bulgar.andrewnedelchev.info/20...)
„Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас (на 37 ¾ години)“ от Адриан Плас (БХСС, 2003 г.)
„Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас (на 37 ¾ години)“ от Адриан Плас (БХСС, 2003 г.)
Книгата представлява „духовния“ дневник на един обикновен английски евангелист, който ходи на обикновена работа, има (почти) обикновено семейство, активен член е на обикновена умерено харизматична църква и се опитва да води (не)обикновен християнски живот. Въпросният дневник обхваща малко по-малко от половин година (от 14 декември до 31 май), но именно в този период попадат най-значителните празници в християнския календар, както и традиционният (за Англия) палатков лагер Spring Harvest, като всичко това дава на героите множество възможности за разнообразни преживявания. Първоначалните намерения на главния герой са да си води „духовен журнал в полза на бъдещите поколения“, където да записва „всяко ново божествено прозрение и преживяване“, с надеждата написаното един ден да „свети като фар в тъмнината“. Пълната му откровеност обаче ни разкрива един малък свят от личности, с които лесно може да отъждествим себе си и своите близки и познати. Също като мен Адриан пропуска да чете от Библията всеки ден, трудно издържа да се моли в продължение на повече от няколко минути, трудно се съсредоточава по време на проповеди и умът му блуждае във всякакви неблагочестиви посоки. Колкото и д�� копнее животът му да прилича на този на големите „герои на вярата“, ежедневието му прилича на това на всеки друг от съседите и приятелите му, където Бог на пръв поглед трудно може да се забележи. В негово лице срещаме стремленията, съмненията и страданията на всеки от нас, обикновените вярващи, между които – също както и между невярващите – има пияници, похотливци, лъжци и лицемери. Оказва се, че Христос няма против да си има вземане-даване с такива, а дори е в състояние и плавно да ги променя. До такава степен, че понякога е трудно да се каже със сигурност кой е Христов и кой не е. Както казва един от съседите чудаци на Адриан: “[Исус е] бил причина за големи скандали тогава… и продължава да е такъв и досега. Не ти дава да си направиш малка хубава системка и да я наречеш „църква“ и не ти позволява да се измъкнеш, като правиш по четири събирания на седмица, на които обсъждаш какво ще правите на събиранията през следващата седмица. Ако искате това, ще откриете, че Исус е крайно неподходящ. Казва неудобни и трудни неща като „обичай враговете си“ и „кани на вечеря хора, които наистина имат нужда от това“ и „обичай Бога преди всичко друго“. Ужасен е в това отношение. Тогава не са успели да Го поставят натясно и досега не могат…” Така посред непрестанния наниз от комични, а нерядко и трагични ситуации, в които се озовават героите на дневника, към края на книгата читателят остава с подозрението, че Бог е далеч по-въвлечен в ежедневието ни отколкото изглежда.
В англоезичния протестантски свят практиката да се води личен дневник с духовни размишления широко се насърчава, а немалко такива се издават и като книги за насърчение на „обикновените“ вярващи. В тях уважавани „герои на вярата“ споделят своите необикновени „опитности“ и прозрения. Жанрът се радва на радушен прием, макар и последствията за читателите най-често да са дълбока потиснатост и убеденост, че „нещо не е наред с мен като вярващ“. Дневниците обаче не са само християнски феномен. Пет години преди появата на „Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас“ (през 1987 г.) класациите за продажби на книги в Англия са оглавени от творбата на Сю Таунзенд – „Тайният дневник на Ейдриън Моул (на 13 и ¾ години)“ (българското издание е на „Гея-Либрис“, 2009 г.). Книгата представлява въображаемия дневник на едно обикновено английско момче. Съвпадението с първото име на Адриан Плас е случайно, но авторът съвсем съзнателно взаимства идеята и формата, за да се обърне едновременно към обикновените англичани, както и към обикновените християни, и да ни разкаже за личностното и „духовното“ израстване на своя съвсем обикновен герой.
Действителният Адриан Плас работи в младежките си години като социален работник към център за деца със специални нужди. След години работа обаче изпада в дълбока лична криза, след която решава да се посвети на писателска и актьорска дейност (следвал е актьорско майсторство в бристолската драматургична школа). Първоначално пише предимно за себе си и с терапевтична цел, като първата му (издадена много по-късно) творба е новелата „Посещението“, в която се разказва за една въображаема местна англиканска църква, посетена от Исус. „Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас“ е първата му издадена книга, която се заражда под формата на редовна рубрика към английското списание Family Magazine. Книгата бързо набира популярност и е последвана от още няколко от същата поредица. Оттогава Адриан Плас е написал тридесет и шест книги, последната от които е „Свещеният дневник на Адриан Плас – Адриан Плас и църковната почивка“ (издадена в Англия през март 2013 г.). Двамата със съпругата му често са канени да изнасят лекции и представления, а междувременно участват активно в една съвременна надденоминационна монашеска общност в северната част на Ангsvлия.
Българското издание на книгата се радва на чудесен превод от Чавдар Хаджиев, който се е постарал да превъплъти типично английските шеги в такива, които имат повече смисъл в българската ни култура. Например, тъй като Джералд, синът на главния герой, има забавния навик да подхвърля на баща си анаграми, българските читатели можем да се наслаждаваме на образци като факта, че „Климент Охридски” е анаграма за „Ти, мил ден хорски“, а „др. Леонид Брежнев е анаграма за „див, небрежен дрол“. Изданието включва също подходящи илюстрации от Ивайло Кънчев.
„Свещеният дневник“ е книга, която всеки евангелист задължително трябва да прочете. Това е книгата, която трябва да се дава на всеки новоповярвал. Но ако не можете да се разпознаете в горните редове, а по-скоро усещате раздразнение, то все още не сте готови за тази книга.
В началото на тази рецензия прецених евангелистите като твърде сериозни и лишени от чувство за хумор. За щастие това не е съвсем вярно. Защото Адриан Плас е евангелист и не е единственият писател в протестантския свят, който знае как да се надсмива над собствените ни неадекватности. Всъщност мнозина православни и католически вярващи твърдят, че тъкмо евангелистите имаме най-много вицове за себе си. Ако е вярно, именно това може да е преимуществото, което може да ни помогне да бъдем малко по-смирени и малко „по-обикновени“.
(Из http://bulgar.andrewnedelchev.info/20...)
January 6, 2023
Coming into reading this book with an overwhelmingly strong awareness of the disfunctionality present within the present day Church, this book was a real joy to ingest. Providing a very witty and candid portrayal of the haphazard members of the Church, himself being one of the foremost, Plass implicitly gives his readers an empathetic pat on the back, a humorous invitation to greater humility, and a not unimportant reminder that God himself is the One who is really having to put up with us.
December 15, 2020
Kein Buch hat mich je so zum Lachen gebracht 😂 Adrian Plass ist überzeugter Christ und zufällig auch Meister der Selbstironie. Trifft sich beides außerordentlich gut. Ist natürlich besonders lustig, wenn man selbst ein wenig von Gemeinde etc mitbekommen hat. :D
September 28, 2024
A much needed boost of endorphins!
December 21, 2023
Just a little odd, quirky Christian humour. Never did anyone any harm but also makes for a slightly slow book, felt like a bad James Herriot spin off.
April 8, 2021
A fun, lighthearted satire on Christian life. I laughed out loud a lot while reading it!
Read
January 9, 2023I adored this little audiobook - precious & heartfelt.
January 3, 2014
I discovered Adrian Plass and his pal Jeff Lucas a little by accident (or chance) last spring.
I had accepted a friend’s invitation to go to a show: I just caught sight of the title: ‘Seriously Funny’ and thought why not – I like a good laugh. I expected a little comedy show and did not read on. Off we go.
I met up with that friend and an acquaintance and we headed to the show. It was in a church building; as I walked through the door, between the book stall and the ticket desk, I spotted a few familiar faces, from church. This is when I realized this was a church event, I wasn’t expecting this. I thought “oh…shit”.
Let me explain. I love church and my church friends but sincerely struggle with some aspects of church culture and its stereotypes so had been avoiding church events, apart from weekly services/gatherings with the church I attend and know. That so, especially after I found myself at a loss at a large church event I had attended one day when during the first morning session, the person sitting directly on my right started rocking backward and forward uncontrollably. I didn’t know what was going on, was petrified and wondered:
Is God doing some intervening? In which case Hallelujah I guess but couldn’t He just do it a bit further away?
Is she possessed? In which case, is it contagious?! Or worse, am I supposed to do anything…like exorcism? (and what is the magic formula?)
Is she seeking attention? She did rock like a child in an Eastern European orphanage and she looked perfectly grown up a minute earlier.
All I could do and did was put my hand between her elbow and her chair so she wouldn’t bang it and bruise, until a few wide-eyed middle-aged ladies walked over and started muttering words over her. Cheer relief, the mature ladies of faith were in charge. I could go for a hot-dog.
The day went by and in the evening there were some testimonies about the day. I saw my very own rocking lady walk to the front to announce to all she had been healed from having a leg longer than the other (or was it a leg shorter than the other?), hallelujah!
I peeked down to her shoes for a sign of an orthopedic sole she would have been wearing until that day…
Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in miracles (I do) but I am naturally weary of the spectacular that’s not in newspapers and of crowd effects. Perhaps that lady was healed that day. Meanwhile I felt uncomfortable and decided I would not go back the following year nor ever.
That’s why when I realized the Seriously Funny Tour was a church thing I went glooooooom. I know this is silly but…
Now to get back to Adrian and Jeff’s show : well, my fears were unnecessary, I had a blast.
These guys were discussing church culture and stereotypes quite honestly and were hilarious. Seriously funny! I burst out laughing every couple of minutes, to tears a few of times. I loved the new perspective of being able to laugh at such things and ordered Adrian’s Sacred Diary second hand soon after.
This book is the diary of Adrian Pass’ alter ego Adrian, a pure and simple man married to Ann and father to Gerald a teenage boy. He is an ordinary Christian living an ordinary Christian life.
My first giggle aloud was prompted by one of the embarrassing Uncle Ralph’s drinking games, but that goes to the credit of Uncle Ralph alone, as Adrian would never have mentioned it himself : about the dirty General Custer joke Adrian hears from a colleague, he says “pity there is no-one I can tell the General Custer joke to. It’s so funny! Toyed with the idea of telling it to the study group as an example of the sort of joke we shouldn’t tell as Christians. Decided it wouldn’t go down too well, really”. However for your information, his less conscientious son Gerald ends up hearing the joke from the colleague invited at their party and tells it to Uncle Ralph, with whom it goes down well…
Next big giggle was when Adrian hears anew the verse about the seed sized faith that’s enough to move a mountain and decides to practice moving a paper clip by faith. The success being limited, he goes to an elder to chat about his faith problem and perseveres at home with the paper clip over and over until his wife and son catch him in the act of hissing viciously at it. Ann : “Darling, why did you tell that paper clip you’d straighten it out if it didn’t soon get its damned act together?”
It goes on, but I will mention the episode when Adrian is invited to a prayer and healing meeting. The upcoming event clearly preoccupies him and in the days preceding the event, his wife and son catch him lying on the landing floor with his feet up against the front door, checking both his legs are the same length…
Entertaining easy to read book.
I had accepted a friend’s invitation to go to a show: I just caught sight of the title: ‘Seriously Funny’ and thought why not – I like a good laugh. I expected a little comedy show and did not read on. Off we go.
I met up with that friend and an acquaintance and we headed to the show. It was in a church building; as I walked through the door, between the book stall and the ticket desk, I spotted a few familiar faces, from church. This is when I realized this was a church event, I wasn’t expecting this. I thought “oh…shit”.
Let me explain. I love church and my church friends but sincerely struggle with some aspects of church culture and its stereotypes so had been avoiding church events, apart from weekly services/gatherings with the church I attend and know. That so, especially after I found myself at a loss at a large church event I had attended one day when during the first morning session, the person sitting directly on my right started rocking backward and forward uncontrollably. I didn’t know what was going on, was petrified and wondered:
Is God doing some intervening? In which case Hallelujah I guess but couldn’t He just do it a bit further away?
Is she possessed? In which case, is it contagious?! Or worse, am I supposed to do anything…like exorcism? (and what is the magic formula?)
Is she seeking attention? She did rock like a child in an Eastern European orphanage and she looked perfectly grown up a minute earlier.
All I could do and did was put my hand between her elbow and her chair so she wouldn’t bang it and bruise, until a few wide-eyed middle-aged ladies walked over and started muttering words over her. Cheer relief, the mature ladies of faith were in charge. I could go for a hot-dog.
The day went by and in the evening there were some testimonies about the day. I saw my very own rocking lady walk to the front to announce to all she had been healed from having a leg longer than the other (or was it a leg shorter than the other?), hallelujah!
I peeked down to her shoes for a sign of an orthopedic sole she would have been wearing until that day…
Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in miracles (I do) but I am naturally weary of the spectacular that’s not in newspapers and of crowd effects. Perhaps that lady was healed that day. Meanwhile I felt uncomfortable and decided I would not go back the following year nor ever.
That’s why when I realized the Seriously Funny Tour was a church thing I went glooooooom. I know this is silly but…
Now to get back to Adrian and Jeff’s show : well, my fears were unnecessary, I had a blast.
These guys were discussing church culture and stereotypes quite honestly and were hilarious. Seriously funny! I burst out laughing every couple of minutes, to tears a few of times. I loved the new perspective of being able to laugh at such things and ordered Adrian’s Sacred Diary second hand soon after.
This book is the diary of Adrian Pass’ alter ego Adrian, a pure and simple man married to Ann and father to Gerald a teenage boy. He is an ordinary Christian living an ordinary Christian life.
My first giggle aloud was prompted by one of the embarrassing Uncle Ralph’s drinking games, but that goes to the credit of Uncle Ralph alone, as Adrian would never have mentioned it himself : about the dirty General Custer joke Adrian hears from a colleague, he says “pity there is no-one I can tell the General Custer joke to. It’s so funny! Toyed with the idea of telling it to the study group as an example of the sort of joke we shouldn’t tell as Christians. Decided it wouldn’t go down too well, really”. However for your information, his less conscientious son Gerald ends up hearing the joke from the colleague invited at their party and tells it to Uncle Ralph, with whom it goes down well…
Next big giggle was when Adrian hears anew the verse about the seed sized faith that’s enough to move a mountain and decides to practice moving a paper clip by faith. The success being limited, he goes to an elder to chat about his faith problem and perseveres at home with the paper clip over and over until his wife and son catch him in the act of hissing viciously at it. Ann : “Darling, why did you tell that paper clip you’d straighten it out if it didn’t soon get its damned act together?”
It goes on, but I will mention the episode when Adrian is invited to a prayer and healing meeting. The upcoming event clearly preoccupies him and in the days preceding the event, his wife and son catch him lying on the landing floor with his feet up against the front door, checking both his legs are the same length…
Entertaining easy to read book.
July 31, 2024
Смешная, честная.
February 28, 2026
This was re-read as a bit of a research for a writing project. I initially came across it in 1990 as a very new fifteen-year-old Christian, and it was hugely popular at the time, a key part of the strange cultural underworld of Christian media at the time. Not long after my conversion, I ended up seeing a stage show based on the book in London. A lot of it passed over my head at the time, but the longer I spent in church culture, the more it began to make sense.
Adrian Plass is a well-known Christian writer, speaker and broadcaster in the UK, and the book's title is an obvious ripoff of the Adrian Mole books, which were hugely popular at the time. The whole "Sacred Diary" began as a column in Christian Family magazine in the mid-eighties, and the book appeared in 1987. It's entirely fictional, and is intended as a satirical, humorous look at Christian life and culture at the time.
It's worth noting that if you weren't around in the British evangelical church scene at the time, about 90% of this book's contents will fly right over your head. Several real people are mentioned, but not in any great detail. The church and location the story is set in is very much "anytown" in nature, all quite generic, but you can read through the lines enough to work out that the church is perhaps of the Evangelical Free tradition, with some slight inclination towards charismatic things, at least within some of the congregation. There's quite a varied mixture of people in it, from young to old, with some different ideas on what it means to be a Christian in the modern world, and that's where much of the humour comes from - differing opinions on what constitutes acceptable behaviour and conduct.
I've actually warmed to it a bit more than I did on previous readings. Christian humour tends to err on the very safe side, and is usually extremely unsubtle, unsophisticated and uncontroversial. In places, given the culture that existed in churches at the time, this almost feels a bit subversive and daring. In some places, the exaggeration for comic effect is hopelessly overdone, but in other places, the writing is funny, very well-observed, and quite sophisticated in the observations it makes. Christians of the time did often have some strange ideas, and got confused and upset over some very odd things.
He deals quite well with a number of things, like a young man at Bible college feeling lonely and inadequate, and uncertainty over how to conduct oneself in the workplace and socially. There's even some hints under the surface of not being entirely convinced he wants to go to Heaven. The cast of supporting characters is a bit cliched and stereotypical in places, but there's a lot of archetypes of people all of us met in church in here.
Everything finishes up pretty neat and tidy, of course, and there's no explicit criticism of anything evangelicals believed at the time. Most unfortunately the author feels it necessary to point out that he considers gay sex to be wrong, but it was a very, very brave man who challenged that piece of theological orthodoxy in the mid-80s - it would have been much better if it hadn't been mentioned at all, though. That and one or two other things feel like they've aged like sour milk, but if you look at it through the lens of when it was written, and what it's describing, that can be forgiven.
Last time I read it was in 2023, when I was still feeling somewhat bitter and angry about the abuse I'd suffered in church, and I struggled to give it anything more than 2 stars. The therapy I've had since then, as well as the healing effects of time, have earned it another star, as in places it's very good writing. While I'd prefer something a bit more critical in places, it's rare to find Christian comedy that's even vaguely funny, and in places this genuinely is. It pokes fun in a way that still feels a bit too restrained and respectful to me, as someone who no longer believes any of it, but it's an interesting dive back into the culture I used to live in, and has given me some ideas for writing about my own experiences.
Fairly typically, other reviews on Goodreads give this an unequivocal five stars, and I do feel there's a conspiracy to upvote any Christian media in an attempt to get people to read it. It feels like yet another very unsubtle attempt at trying to get unbelievers to engage with it, so they'll nudge themselves closer to the Kingdom. This book strongly urges readers to share their faith, a habit I now find extremely obnoxious, but hey, it's a Christian book by a Christian author, aimed at Christian readers. You can't really expect much else.
Adrian Plass is a well-known Christian writer, speaker and broadcaster in the UK, and the book's title is an obvious ripoff of the Adrian Mole books, which were hugely popular at the time. The whole "Sacred Diary" began as a column in Christian Family magazine in the mid-eighties, and the book appeared in 1987. It's entirely fictional, and is intended as a satirical, humorous look at Christian life and culture at the time.
It's worth noting that if you weren't around in the British evangelical church scene at the time, about 90% of this book's contents will fly right over your head. Several real people are mentioned, but not in any great detail. The church and location the story is set in is very much "anytown" in nature, all quite generic, but you can read through the lines enough to work out that the church is perhaps of the Evangelical Free tradition, with some slight inclination towards charismatic things, at least within some of the congregation. There's quite a varied mixture of people in it, from young to old, with some different ideas on what it means to be a Christian in the modern world, and that's where much of the humour comes from - differing opinions on what constitutes acceptable behaviour and conduct.
I've actually warmed to it a bit more than I did on previous readings. Christian humour tends to err on the very safe side, and is usually extremely unsubtle, unsophisticated and uncontroversial. In places, given the culture that existed in churches at the time, this almost feels a bit subversive and daring. In some places, the exaggeration for comic effect is hopelessly overdone, but in other places, the writing is funny, very well-observed, and quite sophisticated in the observations it makes. Christians of the time did often have some strange ideas, and got confused and upset over some very odd things.
He deals quite well with a number of things, like a young man at Bible college feeling lonely and inadequate, and uncertainty over how to conduct oneself in the workplace and socially. There's even some hints under the surface of not being entirely convinced he wants to go to Heaven. The cast of supporting characters is a bit cliched and stereotypical in places, but there's a lot of archetypes of people all of us met in church in here.
Everything finishes up pretty neat and tidy, of course, and there's no explicit criticism of anything evangelicals believed at the time. Most unfortunately the author feels it necessary to point out that he considers gay sex to be wrong, but it was a very, very brave man who challenged that piece of theological orthodoxy in the mid-80s - it would have been much better if it hadn't been mentioned at all, though. That and one or two other things feel like they've aged like sour milk, but if you look at it through the lens of when it was written, and what it's describing, that can be forgiven.
Last time I read it was in 2023, when I was still feeling somewhat bitter and angry about the abuse I'd suffered in church, and I struggled to give it anything more than 2 stars. The therapy I've had since then, as well as the healing effects of time, have earned it another star, as in places it's very good writing. While I'd prefer something a bit more critical in places, it's rare to find Christian comedy that's even vaguely funny, and in places this genuinely is. It pokes fun in a way that still feels a bit too restrained and respectful to me, as someone who no longer believes any of it, but it's an interesting dive back into the culture I used to live in, and has given me some ideas for writing about my own experiences.
Fairly typically, other reviews on Goodreads give this an unequivocal five stars, and I do feel there's a conspiracy to upvote any Christian media in an attempt to get people to read it. It feels like yet another very unsubtle attempt at trying to get unbelievers to engage with it, so they'll nudge themselves closer to the Kingdom. This book strongly urges readers to share their faith, a habit I now find extremely obnoxious, but hey, it's a Christian book by a Christian author, aimed at Christian readers. You can't really expect much else.
February 7, 2024
This book, originally a column in a Christian magazine, is written in diary format. The fictional writer has the same name as the real author, but a different family. Although Anne (the fictional wife) and Bridget (the real Adrian Plass’s wife) have rather merged into one in my mind, their college-age son Gerald is unique. He makes bad puns, and spends time making anagrams out of the names of famous people.
I’ve just finished re-reading this book yet again, wondering if I would still find it as funny as I did previously. I remembered many of the one-liners, and the general story which follows five months of the author’s fictional life. There were still a few places where I chuckled, many where I smiled. Gentle fun is made of the church and the way many Christians behave.
I love this book and have recommended it to many people; most of them have also enjoyed it, but occasionally someone has handed it back to me, a little puzzled, wondering what the point was. The humour won’t appeal to everyone. It’s satirical and British, as are the caricatured friends and colleagues. Yet the writing has a serious vein running through the humour, and I find it very thought-provoking.
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I’ve just finished re-reading this book yet again, wondering if I would still find it as funny as I did previously. I remembered many of the one-liners, and the general story which follows five months of the author’s fictional life. There were still a few places where I chuckled, many where I smiled. Gentle fun is made of the church and the way many Christians behave.
I love this book and have recommended it to many people; most of them have also enjoyed it, but occasionally someone has handed it back to me, a little puzzled, wondering what the point was. The humour won’t appeal to everyone. It’s satirical and British, as are the caricatured friends and colleagues. Yet the writing has a serious vein running through the humour, and I find it very thought-provoking.
Latest longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
July 17, 2008
this book is so quick and funny, but also so wise and honest. i loved it! i'll definitely find more of his work.
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