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Start with Amen: How I Learned to Surrender by Keeping the End in Mind
One power-packed word: amen.
Millions of Christians all over the world say this word every day, yet do we realize what depth, truth, and connection are packed into this sacred word?
Throughout the centuries, Christian tradition has taught us to end prayers with amen. But the Bible is full of stories and passages where God’s people started their prayers with amen. Why? As Beth Guckenberger shows, amen is more than just a way to punctuate a conversation with the God of the universe. Amen is a declaration of who God is and who we are in relation to him. It is a moment of submission and worship; we say “So be it” to a Sovereignty that holds all things, and we acknowledge “It is as you say” to him who holds our lives.
In Start with Amen, Guckenberger unpacks what the Bible teaches us about the moment we say amen to God. Using key Scripture passages mixed with fresh teaching and personal stories, she invites you to experience a new richness in your conversations with God. For amen is more than just a word; it is an invitation from God, complete with all God requires from us and all he longs to share.
Millions of Christians all over the world say this word every day, yet do we realize what depth, truth, and connection are packed into this sacred word?
Throughout the centuries, Christian tradition has taught us to end prayers with amen. But the Bible is full of stories and passages where God’s people started their prayers with amen. Why? As Beth Guckenberger shows, amen is more than just a way to punctuate a conversation with the God of the universe. Amen is a declaration of who God is and who we are in relation to him. It is a moment of submission and worship; we say “So be it” to a Sovereignty that holds all things, and we acknowledge “It is as you say” to him who holds our lives.
In Start with Amen, Guckenberger unpacks what the Bible teaches us about the moment we say amen to God. Using key Scripture passages mixed with fresh teaching and personal stories, she invites you to experience a new richness in your conversations with God. For amen is more than just a word; it is an invitation from God, complete with all God requires from us and all he longs to share.
204 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2017
70 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 26, 2017
Having never read anything by Beth Guckenberger before, I wasn't sure what to expect - but the title and book description got my attention.
As the title suggests, the point Guckenberger seeks to make in her book is that we should begin our prayers with the mindset or heart-attitude of amen. As you says in her book, this is a posture of "so be it" or "let it be."
"Amen" is often the last word spoken or thought in prayer. The point in this book is that we should approach our conversations (our prayers) with God with submission and worship through the word "amen."
This is a viewpoint I haven't heard laid out in this way before, so I appreciated reading Guckenberger's thoughts. However, the book as a whole felt a little bit disjointed to me - as if the chapters didn't easily flow into one another. In a way, it's like reading several blog posts strung together. For that reason, I'm giving 3 stars. But it's a book worth reading if the description on the back cover copy seems intriguing. Since this is the first I've read of Guckenberger, this could be her usual style and I'm just not aware of that fact.
As the title suggests, the point Guckenberger seeks to make in her book is that we should begin our prayers with the mindset or heart-attitude of amen. As you says in her book, this is a posture of "so be it" or "let it be."
"Amen" is often the last word spoken or thought in prayer. The point in this book is that we should approach our conversations (our prayers) with God with submission and worship through the word "amen."
This is a viewpoint I haven't heard laid out in this way before, so I appreciated reading Guckenberger's thoughts. However, the book as a whole felt a little bit disjointed to me - as if the chapters didn't easily flow into one another. In a way, it's like reading several blog posts strung together. For that reason, I'm giving 3 stars. But it's a book worth reading if the description on the back cover copy seems intriguing. Since this is the first I've read of Guckenberger, this could be her usual style and I'm just not aware of that fact.
January 1, 2019
I’d give this 3.5 stars, maybe. The first third of the book was great (I was impressed enough that I gifted copies to 3 friends, as it seemed to align very well with the Psalm 23 study we were doing together at that time) and I was sure it would be a 5-star read based on the beginning. Unfortunately, as I continued reading, I felt it swerved a little too much into anecdotes and away from the application I was seeking. I found myself losing interest. That being said, it may not have been entirely the book’s fault, as I was losing interest in *everything* I was reading at the time, and kind of struggling to keep my head above water...so it might have been a personal thing. But if you look at my start and finish dates...
This book is definitely worth the read—especially that first third or so of the book—and I hope to implement the “Start with Amen” principle into my prayer life. I just wish I could have kept the excitement for the application found in the beginning through the rest of the book.
This book is definitely worth the read—especially that first third or so of the book—and I hope to implement the “Start with Amen” principle into my prayer life. I just wish I could have kept the excitement for the application found in the beginning through the rest of the book.
October 3, 2017
Beth Guckenberger suggests starting with the end–Amen, So be it, Lord–to form the best prayer stance with God. She tells many colorful stories in a somewhat lyrical style to show how both starting with amen and not starting with amen produce different results.
About starting with amen, Beth writes:
"If I could pray no other word ever again, I would be okay. Amen speaks affirmation and commitment. It says yes to a lifestyle where he is to be trusted and I can rest in him. When I talk to God, I start with amen, and, with it, we communicate intimacy and a sense of knowing."
She notes how Jesus often began his comments with the Hebrew word amen, which appears in the Gospels almost seventy times. He had confidence in the Father, and he modeled confidence in prayer for us.
I enjoyed Beth’s balance of Bible stories with enhancements from the original contexts, and her personal stories as a missionary and foster parent. Her illustrations are rich, complex, and profound. This book is best sipped slowly and savored one chapter at a time so you are able to appreciate the deep meanings.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
-Each time I say amen, it’s like lifting a huge barbell with my faith muscle. It simply makes me stronger.
-He has treasures for me, hidden wealth in secret places, and I want to go there and hear him call me by name.
-Every single time we put to death our natural selves and tap into our spiritual selves, we put God on display.
-A prayer that starts with amen lets go. It pivots and feels conviction and makes course corrections. It’s an eager student and doesn’t care who gets credit.
Some of Beth’s insights have already made a significant impact on my prayer life. I am realizing that when I keep the end in mind, I have greater peace and hope. If you are looking for a contemplative book with rich stories to inspire your prayer life, Start with Amen is for you.
I received a free review copy of this book from the BookLook Bloggers program.
About starting with amen, Beth writes:
"If I could pray no other word ever again, I would be okay. Amen speaks affirmation and commitment. It says yes to a lifestyle where he is to be trusted and I can rest in him. When I talk to God, I start with amen, and, with it, we communicate intimacy and a sense of knowing."
She notes how Jesus often began his comments with the Hebrew word amen, which appears in the Gospels almost seventy times. He had confidence in the Father, and he modeled confidence in prayer for us.
I enjoyed Beth’s balance of Bible stories with enhancements from the original contexts, and her personal stories as a missionary and foster parent. Her illustrations are rich, complex, and profound. This book is best sipped slowly and savored one chapter at a time so you are able to appreciate the deep meanings.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
-Each time I say amen, it’s like lifting a huge barbell with my faith muscle. It simply makes me stronger.
-He has treasures for me, hidden wealth in secret places, and I want to go there and hear him call me by name.
-Every single time we put to death our natural selves and tap into our spiritual selves, we put God on display.
-A prayer that starts with amen lets go. It pivots and feels conviction and makes course corrections. It’s an eager student and doesn’t care who gets credit.
Some of Beth’s insights have already made a significant impact on my prayer life. I am realizing that when I keep the end in mind, I have greater peace and hope. If you are looking for a contemplative book with rich stories to inspire your prayer life, Start with Amen is for you.
I received a free review copy of this book from the BookLook Bloggers program.
June 5, 2017
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by BookLook/Thomas Nelson Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
It is not always easy to know where to start with a book like this. There is a lot to like about this book--the author is certainly very candid about her own struggles, her own strong sense of idealism and her concern for others. This particular book strikes a confessional tone that forgives many sins and certainly helps make this book a good deal less irritating than many of the social gospel books like it [1]. That does not mean the book's tone forgives all of the book's sins. This book has more than a few flaws that I still found rather irritating as I read it, namely the fact that the author felt it necessarily to continually namedrop the founders of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade) and to continually repeat the same phrases over again, especially using "Amen" as a rather nuanced and complicated noun, in the sense of someone who believes they have found a salable catchphrase that they are simply not going to let go of.
The author looks at the concept of letting things be so in various contexts, starting from the posture of acceptance, the benefits of proximity to God, how fallow ground needs to be broken up to be usable, what it is like sleeping with the frogs rather than praying to God for the frogs to be removed, the task of climbing the mountain of faith, dealing with the sin that crouches at our door, burning our ships--the opposite of amen, the confidence we get through the generosity of the king, the lifestyle of generosity, the boldness and chutzpah we gain through living a godly life, the rebuilding of the walls and ruins that results from godly faith, and the community of faith. Throughout the 200-page book the author spends a great deal of time talking about her travels, her missionary work in Mexico, her tendency to get hopelessly lost, the orphans and adoptees and foster care children her family took care of, and her foibles. This is one of those books where the level of awkward oversharing is pretty intense, so those readers who find such an attitude difficult to deal with would be advised to steer clear of this book.
Ultimately, my feelings about this book are mixed. The author certainly has noble intentions, but intentions don't really count for much with me if the results are not good enough. It was not the author's opinions as much as the author's approach that ultimately alienated me from a book that wanted more than anything to be intimate. This is by no means a bad book, but it is at least somewhat of an annoying book, and like most readers I am not the sort of person who likes people to annoy me with their writing. There is enough that is irritating and frustrating about life for books to be acceptable in this vein. This is a book that could have been vastly better, and perhaps all that remains is to recommend to the author that she needs to consider her audience and make it clear if she wants to write to guilt-ridden Evangelical women or if she would appreciate a larger audience that has to be addressed differently. It is possible, after all, as is often the case, that I simply read a book that was not written with me in mind as a reader, with the predictable consequences that ensue from that lack of focus and interest.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
It is not always easy to know where to start with a book like this. There is a lot to like about this book--the author is certainly very candid about her own struggles, her own strong sense of idealism and her concern for others. This particular book strikes a confessional tone that forgives many sins and certainly helps make this book a good deal less irritating than many of the social gospel books like it [1]. That does not mean the book's tone forgives all of the book's sins. This book has more than a few flaws that I still found rather irritating as I read it, namely the fact that the author felt it necessarily to continually namedrop the founders of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade) and to continually repeat the same phrases over again, especially using "Amen" as a rather nuanced and complicated noun, in the sense of someone who believes they have found a salable catchphrase that they are simply not going to let go of.
The author looks at the concept of letting things be so in various contexts, starting from the posture of acceptance, the benefits of proximity to God, how fallow ground needs to be broken up to be usable, what it is like sleeping with the frogs rather than praying to God for the frogs to be removed, the task of climbing the mountain of faith, dealing with the sin that crouches at our door, burning our ships--the opposite of amen, the confidence we get through the generosity of the king, the lifestyle of generosity, the boldness and chutzpah we gain through living a godly life, the rebuilding of the walls and ruins that results from godly faith, and the community of faith. Throughout the 200-page book the author spends a great deal of time talking about her travels, her missionary work in Mexico, her tendency to get hopelessly lost, the orphans and adoptees and foster care children her family took care of, and her foibles. This is one of those books where the level of awkward oversharing is pretty intense, so those readers who find such an attitude difficult to deal with would be advised to steer clear of this book.
Ultimately, my feelings about this book are mixed. The author certainly has noble intentions, but intentions don't really count for much with me if the results are not good enough. It was not the author's opinions as much as the author's approach that ultimately alienated me from a book that wanted more than anything to be intimate. This is by no means a bad book, but it is at least somewhat of an annoying book, and like most readers I am not the sort of person who likes people to annoy me with their writing. There is enough that is irritating and frustrating about life for books to be acceptable in this vein. This is a book that could have been vastly better, and perhaps all that remains is to recommend to the author that she needs to consider her audience and make it clear if she wants to write to guilt-ridden Evangelical women or if she would appreciate a larger audience that has to be addressed differently. It is possible, after all, as is often the case, that I simply read a book that was not written with me in mind as a reader, with the predictable consequences that ensue from that lack of focus and interest.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
May 23, 2017
One power-packed word: amen.
Millions of Christians all over the world say this word every day. Yet few realize what richness, depth, truth, and connection are packed into this sacred phrase.
Throughout the centuries, Christian tradition has taught us to end prayers with amen. But the Bible is full of stories and passages where God’s people started their prayers with amen. Why? As Beth Guckenberger shows, amen is more than just a way to punctuate a conversation with the God of the Universe. Amen is a declaration of who God is and who we are in relation to him. It is a moment of submission and worship, saying “So be it” to a Sovereignty that holds all things, and acknowledging “It is as you say” to him who holds our lives.
In Amen, Beth unpacks all the Bible has to teach us about the moment we say amen to God. Using key scripture passages mixed with fresh teaching and personal stories, she invites readers to experience the richness they’ve been missing.
Amen is more than just a word. Amen is a full invitation from God packed with all that he requires from us and all he longs to bestow upon us as his beloved children. As Beth writes, “He is beckoning us all. Come to me. Learn my ways. You are my child, whom I dearly love and bought with a price. The God of Amen rescued you so you can echo amen back to him. God intended this word to be a moment of intimacy, drenched in reverence, replete with peace—the moment when you rest in him and are rejuvenated by him. There is so much more he wants to give. Amen.”
If Christians long to be truly connected to their Creator, they must begin with amen. For, as Isaiah 65:16 says, “Because he who is blessed in the earth will be blessed by the God of Amen.”
I recommend this book to teenagers and adults.
This was a great read from a person I have always looked up to. Many of my readers know I lived in Mexico for three years as a missionary. I worked with the organization that this author co-founded. I was invited to join her launch team which included reading this book, writing my honest review, and promoting it on social media.
I loved the stories in this book that I have heard her share in person. I have never thought of this concept of starting our prayers with Amen. She is a great story teller and reminds us how starting with Amen can be a way of life without preaching at us.
The Lord has been teaching me this past year that when He asks me to go it is not always going to be big like I imagine it to be. When He asked us to move to Mexico it felt like a huge thing and I found no greater joy than following him there. Now when he asks me to go, it is to my sons bedroom, to the kitchen, to the living room floor, to the rocking chair at midnight when I would rather be in bed. For me this was a hard transition. This book showed me in so many ways how to lean into Him and how to pray for His will to be done and not mine.
Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book.
“I am to live and love like a daughter, talk like a daughter. I am to invite and extend myself and risk. Life’s sweetest taste comes from risk. I am to root myself in his identity and not gorge myself on counterfeit affections.”
It can be translated as “So be it” or paraphrased as “It is as you say.” It’s more than our modern understanding of “uncle” or “I give up.” It is surrender in the spirit of “Its up to you; you do it,” and “I made the promise, but only you can fulfill it.”
“In my relationship with Jesus, there have been seasons of passionate interaction and newlywed-like infatuation-and other periods of cooling off, when I dabbled my toes in waters where they didn’t belong. I have wrestled with him over circumstances, stomped my feet over loss, questioned him in my doubt, as I clung to him in brokenness.”
“No that’s not fair. No, I can do it myself. No, I won’t admit that. No, no, no, no. Suddenly, I am defensive or overwhelmed. I am anxious or offended. I cut off the flow of the Spirit in me and insert my rights above all else. Turning any ugly moment around begins softly with an agreement to so be it”
“It’s in this kind of community where I cultivate an appetite for conversations of substance that leave me challenged to sacrifice more, listen better, and be set apart. These relationships will be under attack by an enemy who prefers us divided, and they require more work than our technology-driven culture asks of us.”
I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
Millions of Christians all over the world say this word every day. Yet few realize what richness, depth, truth, and connection are packed into this sacred phrase.
Throughout the centuries, Christian tradition has taught us to end prayers with amen. But the Bible is full of stories and passages where God’s people started their prayers with amen. Why? As Beth Guckenberger shows, amen is more than just a way to punctuate a conversation with the God of the Universe. Amen is a declaration of who God is and who we are in relation to him. It is a moment of submission and worship, saying “So be it” to a Sovereignty that holds all things, and acknowledging “It is as you say” to him who holds our lives.
In Amen, Beth unpacks all the Bible has to teach us about the moment we say amen to God. Using key scripture passages mixed with fresh teaching and personal stories, she invites readers to experience the richness they’ve been missing.
Amen is more than just a word. Amen is a full invitation from God packed with all that he requires from us and all he longs to bestow upon us as his beloved children. As Beth writes, “He is beckoning us all. Come to me. Learn my ways. You are my child, whom I dearly love and bought with a price. The God of Amen rescued you so you can echo amen back to him. God intended this word to be a moment of intimacy, drenched in reverence, replete with peace—the moment when you rest in him and are rejuvenated by him. There is so much more he wants to give. Amen.”
If Christians long to be truly connected to their Creator, they must begin with amen. For, as Isaiah 65:16 says, “Because he who is blessed in the earth will be blessed by the God of Amen.”
I recommend this book to teenagers and adults.
This was a great read from a person I have always looked up to. Many of my readers know I lived in Mexico for three years as a missionary. I worked with the organization that this author co-founded. I was invited to join her launch team which included reading this book, writing my honest review, and promoting it on social media.
I loved the stories in this book that I have heard her share in person. I have never thought of this concept of starting our prayers with Amen. She is a great story teller and reminds us how starting with Amen can be a way of life without preaching at us.
The Lord has been teaching me this past year that when He asks me to go it is not always going to be big like I imagine it to be. When He asked us to move to Mexico it felt like a huge thing and I found no greater joy than following him there. Now when he asks me to go, it is to my sons bedroom, to the kitchen, to the living room floor, to the rocking chair at midnight when I would rather be in bed. For me this was a hard transition. This book showed me in so many ways how to lean into Him and how to pray for His will to be done and not mine.
Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book.
“I am to live and love like a daughter, talk like a daughter. I am to invite and extend myself and risk. Life’s sweetest taste comes from risk. I am to root myself in his identity and not gorge myself on counterfeit affections.”
It can be translated as “So be it” or paraphrased as “It is as you say.” It’s more than our modern understanding of “uncle” or “I give up.” It is surrender in the spirit of “Its up to you; you do it,” and “I made the promise, but only you can fulfill it.”
“In my relationship with Jesus, there have been seasons of passionate interaction and newlywed-like infatuation-and other periods of cooling off, when I dabbled my toes in waters where they didn’t belong. I have wrestled with him over circumstances, stomped my feet over loss, questioned him in my doubt, as I clung to him in brokenness.”
“No that’s not fair. No, I can do it myself. No, I won’t admit that. No, no, no, no. Suddenly, I am defensive or overwhelmed. I am anxious or offended. I cut off the flow of the Spirit in me and insert my rights above all else. Turning any ugly moment around begins softly with an agreement to so be it”
“It’s in this kind of community where I cultivate an appetite for conversations of substance that leave me challenged to sacrifice more, listen better, and be set apart. These relationships will be under attack by an enemy who prefers us divided, and they require more work than our technology-driven culture asks of us.”
I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
May 25, 2017
About the Book:
One power-packed word: amen.
Millions of Christians all over the world say this word every day. Yet few realize what richness, depth, truth, and connection are packed into this sacred phrase.
Throughout the centuries, Christian tradition has taught us to end prayers with amen. But the Bible is full of stories and passages where God’s people started their prayers with amen. Why? As Beth Guckenberger shows, amen is more than just a way to punctuate a conversation with the God of the Universe. Amen is a declaration of who God is and who we are in relation to him. It is a moment of submission and worship, saying “So be it” to a Sovereignty that holds all things, and acknowledging “It is as you say” to him who holds our lives.
In Amen, Beth unpacks all the Bible has to teach us about the moment we say amen to God. Using key scripture passages mixed with fresh teaching and personal stories, she invites readers to experience the richness they’ve been missing.
Amen is more than just a word. Amen is a full invitation from God packed with all that he requires from us and all he longs to bestow upon us as his beloved children. As Beth writes, “He is beckoning us all. Come to me. Learn my ways. You are my child, whom I dearly love and bought with a price. The God of Amen rescued you so you can echo amen back to him. God intended this word to be a moment of intimacy, drenched in reverence, replete with peace—the moment when you rest in him and are rejuvenated by him. There is so much more he wants to give. Amen.”
If Christians long to be truly connected to their Creator, they must begin with amen. For, as Isaiah 65:16 says, “Because he who is blessed in the earth will be blessed by the God of Amen.”
My Review:
Amen, a word that for many can become part of the praying routine. I know for me it seems like such an igsignificant word that doesnt hold much weight. But through the reading of this book, Start With Amen--I have learned that this one word that seems so small at the end of each prayer holds a lot of hope for each of us and its much more than we realize. So be it, is its meaning.
So be it could mean healing for a child in the hospital with cancer. So be it could mean a family not destroyed, so be it could mean a relationship restored. So as you can see so be it holds a lot of hope for so many. After reading this book I will start my hope at the beginning of my prayers because the word Amen does hold a lot of weight. God created everything so precisely even the structure of our prayers. A fantastic Bible story and read!
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author. All opinions are my own.
One power-packed word: amen.
Millions of Christians all over the world say this word every day. Yet few realize what richness, depth, truth, and connection are packed into this sacred phrase.
Throughout the centuries, Christian tradition has taught us to end prayers with amen. But the Bible is full of stories and passages where God’s people started their prayers with amen. Why? As Beth Guckenberger shows, amen is more than just a way to punctuate a conversation with the God of the Universe. Amen is a declaration of who God is and who we are in relation to him. It is a moment of submission and worship, saying “So be it” to a Sovereignty that holds all things, and acknowledging “It is as you say” to him who holds our lives.
In Amen, Beth unpacks all the Bible has to teach us about the moment we say amen to God. Using key scripture passages mixed with fresh teaching and personal stories, she invites readers to experience the richness they’ve been missing.
Amen is more than just a word. Amen is a full invitation from God packed with all that he requires from us and all he longs to bestow upon us as his beloved children. As Beth writes, “He is beckoning us all. Come to me. Learn my ways. You are my child, whom I dearly love and bought with a price. The God of Amen rescued you so you can echo amen back to him. God intended this word to be a moment of intimacy, drenched in reverence, replete with peace—the moment when you rest in him and are rejuvenated by him. There is so much more he wants to give. Amen.”
If Christians long to be truly connected to their Creator, they must begin with amen. For, as Isaiah 65:16 says, “Because he who is blessed in the earth will be blessed by the God of Amen.”
My Review:
Amen, a word that for many can become part of the praying routine. I know for me it seems like such an igsignificant word that doesnt hold much weight. But through the reading of this book, Start With Amen--I have learned that this one word that seems so small at the end of each prayer holds a lot of hope for each of us and its much more than we realize. So be it, is its meaning.
So be it could mean healing for a child in the hospital with cancer. So be it could mean a family not destroyed, so be it could mean a relationship restored. So as you can see so be it holds a lot of hope for so many. After reading this book I will start my hope at the beginning of my prayers because the word Amen does hold a lot of weight. God created everything so precisely even the structure of our prayers. A fantastic Bible story and read!
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author. All opinions are my own.
May 19, 2017
If you asked a person about the word, “Amen,” most would respond by explaining it is a word you tack onto the end of a prayer. Most people think of it a form of punctuation. In contrast, author Beth Guckenberger views it as posture of life, or an attitude of the heart.
This is amen: hands raised, faces bowed, hearts at peace. There our metaphorical spiritual buckets get filled, and there is plenty to offer each other. Unity is felt among the church, and communion is a reality. Here, in this posture, I am always surprised by what God has for me.
If I could pray no other word ever again, I would be okay. Amen speaks affirmation and commitment. It says yes to a lifestyle where he is to be trusted and I can rest in him.
When I talk to God, I start with amen, and, with it, we communicate intimacy and a sense of knowing.
I know he’s got this.
He’s knows I’m letting him have this, whatever in the moment “this” may be.
As the author explains in the acknowledgements, her style is storytelling. Thus, it naturally follows that the book is a collection of stories loosely tied together to illustrate a principle. She weaves in personal stories, examples, principles, and biblical stories into her presentation.
While I appreciate and agree with the concept that we need to submit all the parts of our life to God, it felt like proof texting to base that principle on one word. While her stories were entertaining and encouraging, I didn’t really see how they were tied together. It felt a bit like stream-of-consciousness writing. This is not to say the book is a bad one. It just did not appeal to me.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
This is amen: hands raised, faces bowed, hearts at peace. There our metaphorical spiritual buckets get filled, and there is plenty to offer each other. Unity is felt among the church, and communion is a reality. Here, in this posture, I am always surprised by what God has for me.
If I could pray no other word ever again, I would be okay. Amen speaks affirmation and commitment. It says yes to a lifestyle where he is to be trusted and I can rest in him.
When I talk to God, I start with amen, and, with it, we communicate intimacy and a sense of knowing.
I know he’s got this.
He’s knows I’m letting him have this, whatever in the moment “this” may be.
As the author explains in the acknowledgements, her style is storytelling. Thus, it naturally follows that the book is a collection of stories loosely tied together to illustrate a principle. She weaves in personal stories, examples, principles, and biblical stories into her presentation.
While I appreciate and agree with the concept that we need to submit all the parts of our life to God, it felt like proof texting to base that principle on one word. While her stories were entertaining and encouraging, I didn’t really see how they were tied together. It felt a bit like stream-of-consciousness writing. This is not to say the book is a bad one. It just did not appeal to me.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
May 27, 2017
When you think of the word “amen”, which means “so be it”, you probably will tend to think about endings. Amen is typically said at the end of a prayer. It is a form of posture that is one of submissiveness. So maybe it’s no surprise that with her new book, Start with Amen, Beth Guckenberger advises that the word should be the very first thing to emerge from one’s lips in prayer to God. It’s all about putting God’s will ahead of your will, or so seems to argue Guckenberger.
While the revelation seems new and fresh from this Christian’s standpoint, anyone familiar with Step Three of Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12 Step Program should be familiar with what Guckenberger is proposing. Basically, the idea is to get someone suffering from addiction and who is on the road to recovery to turn their will and lives over to God. Everything must go. The desire to drink. Any expectations (which Guckenberger calls “premeditated resentments"). Your career path. It’s all up for grabs and on the table.
Regardless if you’re a recovering alcoholic or not, the book is a pretty powerful one. I didn’t agree with everything Guckenberger says or her brand of Christianity, but I found the words had a lulling effect. (I suppose some may call this “brainwashing”, but nevertheless … ). Guckenberger draws from both her personal life as a biological, foster and adoptive mom and the Bible’s background to frame her spiritual beliefs. Sometimes, as another reviewer online has pointed out, the personal tales don’t seem to make much sense to what she’s proposing.
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
While the revelation seems new and fresh from this Christian’s standpoint, anyone familiar with Step Three of Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12 Step Program should be familiar with what Guckenberger is proposing. Basically, the idea is to get someone suffering from addiction and who is on the road to recovery to turn their will and lives over to God. Everything must go. The desire to drink. Any expectations (which Guckenberger calls “premeditated resentments"). Your career path. It’s all up for grabs and on the table.
Regardless if you’re a recovering alcoholic or not, the book is a pretty powerful one. I didn’t agree with everything Guckenberger says or her brand of Christianity, but I found the words had a lulling effect. (I suppose some may call this “brainwashing”, but nevertheless … ). Guckenberger draws from both her personal life as a biological, foster and adoptive mom and the Bible’s background to frame her spiritual beliefs. Sometimes, as another reviewer online has pointed out, the personal tales don’t seem to make much sense to what she’s proposing.
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
May 9, 2017
Beth is a storyteller. She has been given a gift and this trait shines through in her latest book, Start With Amen. The book is insightful, tender, honest, vulnerable and presents a posture of yielding. As she laid out the concept of inverted prayer and of beginning with the end in mind encompassed with a broken surrender, I was captivated and led to a deeper place as I explored intimacy with my Savior in a different way. To resign my way to His perfect way by beginning with Amen (or “so be it”) allowed for a calming inside of me well before I even brought my concerns, my worries, my confessions, my praises. Beginning with Amen allows for a breathing in and out of peace and settled-ness and it allows me to experience a rhythm of trust and grace and understanding new levels of faithfulness that my God holds out to me. I found it hard to put down and I continue to go back and sift through the pages and the stories. I’m grateful for an opportunity to explore a different approach to prayer and to learn of a practice that truly puts God at the beginning and at the center of where He always should be.
I received this book in exchange for my review from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I received this book in exchange for my review from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
March 8, 2018
5 stars for content, stories, Biblical application, etc.
3 stars for organization, structure of thought
This book was so refreshing. Beth did a wonderful job relating Truth and showing how easily God’s principals can be applied. She shows how living a life of “amen” (meaning “so be it” or surrender to God) is not complicated, doesn’t have to be muddled with our fears and stress. He is faithful and will handle the hard work; His yoke is easy. Amen!
I often find non-fiction Christian literature to be fluffy and the Bible to be nonexistent or haphazardly applied. I learned so much from Beth’s work - the idea about vines being held up, about Moses returning repeatedly to the mountain to talk to God, etc. I will be mulling over her insights and His word for a while.
My struggle with this book was structure. And it was a big distraction. I read the first chapter and was very confused by Beth’s premise. Chapter and section titles didn’t help. I finally gave up trying to follow her train of thought and read it more as a conversation. I wish the structure was there because I feel like I missed some of her points.
3 stars for organization, structure of thought
This book was so refreshing. Beth did a wonderful job relating Truth and showing how easily God’s principals can be applied. She shows how living a life of “amen” (meaning “so be it” or surrender to God) is not complicated, doesn’t have to be muddled with our fears and stress. He is faithful and will handle the hard work; His yoke is easy. Amen!
I often find non-fiction Christian literature to be fluffy and the Bible to be nonexistent or haphazardly applied. I learned so much from Beth’s work - the idea about vines being held up, about Moses returning repeatedly to the mountain to talk to God, etc. I will be mulling over her insights and His word for a while.
My struggle with this book was structure. And it was a big distraction. I read the first chapter and was very confused by Beth’s premise. Chapter and section titles didn’t help. I finally gave up trying to follow her train of thought and read it more as a conversation. I wish the structure was there because I feel like I missed some of her points.
December 28, 2018
What I most appreciated about Guckenberger's book is that she really does start with a simple premise--beginning prayer with the word "Amen"--and from this gleans a whole slew of spiritual lessons for how this simple change affects our posture towards God and towards our fellow man. She and her husband have led incredible lives serving all over the world and in their own neighborhoods, and she draws from this extensive experience to provide great, meaningful illustrations of ways that a simple change in words and attitudes contributes to our formation as Christians and the subsequent witness that we have to others around us. There is a lot here that is intriguing and convicting. The one problem I have with the book is that Guckenberger switches between Bible translations a lot, to the pint that it feels in some cases like she's looking for the best translation to support her point, rather than adapting her point to fit a consistent translation. But this is, overall, a minor complaint.
May 5, 2017
Start With Amen is a book I recommend everyone read.
Packed with so many truths spoken in word stories that will allow the read to remember for a long time. I liked how the author didn't beat me over the head but gently, through her experiences, led me into a deeper understanding of surrender and obedience to God.
Start with Amen is literally flipping your prayers by beginning with Amen, which means "so be it". By doing so, it will put you in a place of surrender. For example, "Amen, I trust you Lord. I know you have a plan." and proceed with requests and end with, "Dear Jesus". It isn't a formula, by any means, but a place where you can come before the Lord in a different posture.
Again, I highly recommend Start With Amen!
**I received an advance copy from the author and publisher for my honest review."
Packed with so many truths spoken in word stories that will allow the read to remember for a long time. I liked how the author didn't beat me over the head but gently, through her experiences, led me into a deeper understanding of surrender and obedience to God.
Start with Amen is literally flipping your prayers by beginning with Amen, which means "so be it". By doing so, it will put you in a place of surrender. For example, "Amen, I trust you Lord. I know you have a plan." and proceed with requests and end with, "Dear Jesus". It isn't a formula, by any means, but a place where you can come before the Lord in a different posture.
Again, I highly recommend Start With Amen!
**I received an advance copy from the author and publisher for my honest review."
May 9, 2017
Wow! What a wonderful book. Start with Amen challenges us to change the way we pray by accepting what God has for us. Beginning our requests with acceptance by starting with "amen" means there is trust in all He has for us, no matter the way it ends up. I felt this book encouraged me to think of the end result (God is good-however the story unfolds). Through Beth's storytelling, you feel like a friend is sharing her knowledge with you, perhaps over a cup of tea. She has many great stories from her own life of serving that will touch your heart and push you forward to doing something rather than being the silent majority. It will challenge you to reach out to those not like you and encourage change where it's needed. Loved this book!
**I received a pre-released copy from the author and publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are my own unbiased opinions of the book.**
**I received a pre-released copy from the author and publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are my own unbiased opinions of the book.**
May 9, 2017
I've heard Beth Guckenberger speak before and her teaching was full of stories. Her newest book, Start with Amen, is no different. Through stories of her family and ministry, we see a life lived in submission to God. She encourages readers to start prayers and their lives with amen, a posture that says "so be it" to God. This book is perfect if you are looking for inspiration and encouragement to live by faith, as Beth Guckenberger so beautifully models. I expected a book about prayer, but it is so much more than that.
I received this book from the publisher for review.
I received this book from the publisher for review.
May 26, 2017
I really found this book to be very informative and packed with many soft spoken stories. The author creates a beautiful read that is not overpowering yet you understand what she is saying through her own experiences. This book will give you a deeper understanding of God and the power of prayer. Start with Amen is literally flipping your prayers by beginning with Amen, which means “so be it”. By doing so, it will put you in a place of surrender. I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.
June 11, 2020
I have so much love and respect for Beth Guckenberger and the stories she faithfully shares of God at work in the world. I’ve heard her speak countless times (basically if @bguckenberger is speaking in one of my spheres, I show up 🤷🏻♀️) and am consistently challenged by her to love God and people more. This is her book on prayer and the posture of surrender we can take as we approach God. It was chock full of stories of God and teaching from scripture. I admit I like listening to Beth more than I like reading her stuff (it just packs more punch in person), but it was still a gift to read
July 22, 2017
loved, loved, loved this book and the Summer Bible Study we did with it!! Many great insights like...the switch from believing in God to... believing God!! Also, the beautiful answer the boy gave the judge when asked "Why do you think this family is right for you?" Tyler said slowly, "Because I am their hijo. And they came for me. God has a plan, and we will trust it."
Truth brings peace and peace brings confidence.
Truth brings peace and peace brings confidence.
February 19, 2018
I loved this book. It was so encouraging of how God is truly working in this world, when all the headlines are discouraging. Beth shares how God is showing up in her family, her work, and her heart. The idea to start with Amen, start with surrendering to God's goodness and sovereignty was refreshing and inspired hope in my heart. It was a fabulous reminder of who God truly is, and broke through lies I didn't know I was believing about Him. This would be a fabulous book for a Bible Study group or book club. I am thankful I own it, so I can come back to it again and again.
January 6, 2018
I have great respect for Beth and Todd Guckenberger and the ministries of Back2Back. I’ve heard Beth speak on a number of occasions, and she is a gifted storyteller and communicator. This book packages that storytelling with biblical encouragement in ways that will leave the reader both inspired and informed. Eugene Peterson has this to say about storytelling,
“Stories are verbal acts of hospitality.” Start With Amen is filled with verbal acts of grace and hospitality.
“Stories are verbal acts of hospitality.” Start With Amen is filled with verbal acts of grace and hospitality.
January 25, 2019
Beth is an incredible storyteller! I had the opportunity to hear her speak live at a foster mom conference I attended last year. I was captivated by the way she told stories and also the deep theological and ancient near eastern roots she wove into her stories. If you can hear her in person, I highly recommend it. And if you can’t, this book was a great capture of some of the stories she shared!
January 16, 2022
Amen!
This has changed my outlook on a lot of things. It was the right book at the right time for me.
Seeking God’s will in everything and starting with ‘Amen’ - ‘Thy will be done’.
The subtitle sums the book up perfectly- learning to surrender with the end in mind.
Great read too - a mix of personal stories, scripture and encouragement.
This has changed my outlook on a lot of things. It was the right book at the right time for me.
Seeking God’s will in everything and starting with ‘Amen’ - ‘Thy will be done’.
The subtitle sums the book up perfectly- learning to surrender with the end in mind.
Great read too - a mix of personal stories, scripture and encouragement.
February 6, 2023
This book challenged some of my thinking while simultaneously affirming some things God has been impressing on my heart for a few years now. I enjoyed the stories! There was never a dull moment. Each story pointed back to the original message of the book.
January 24, 2024
I liked the topic and I liked her points on prayer (our attitude, our approach) but it all felt too disconnected and “chatty”, too many stories that didn’t add anything to the point, also I prefer more Bible based approaches.
June 16, 2025
It has taken a few weeks to do this book as a daily Bible Study because I usually have several and let the Lord lead me in which one to pick up for that day! This book has been a game changer in the way I see prayer and "Amen". "So be it" is complete surrender to God's plan! ❤️
May 12, 2017
Loved this book! Beth is a natural story teller and is passionate about sharing this idea of agreeing with the will of God even when it's unknown.
August 4, 2017
Really enjoyed the writing style - incredible stories and powerful scriptures
November 9, 2017
5 + stars for content, but the writing was a bit disjointed in parts.
August 25, 2018
A convicting way to look at prayer, believing it will be answered!
November 5, 2018
Loved it!
December 31, 2018
An encouraging and uplifting read!
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