Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons

by Frederick Buechner, Brian D. McLaren (Foreword)

Frederick Buechner has long been a kindred spirit to those who find elements of doubt as constant companions on their journey of faith. He is a passionate writer and preacher who can alter lives with a simple phrase. Buechner's words, both written and spoken, have the power to revolutionize and revitalize belief and faith. He reveals the presence of God in the midst of daily life. He faces and embraces difficult questions and doubt as essential components of our lives, rather than as enemies that destroy us. "Listen to your life!" is his clarion call. This theme pervades this definitive collection of sermons, delivered throughout Buechner's lifetime. Presented chronologically, they provide a clear picture of the development of his theology and thinking. Reflecting Buechner's exquisite gift for storytelling and his compassionate pastor's heart, Secrets in the Dark will inspire laughter, hope, and bring great solace. Turn the pages and rediscover what it means to be thoughtful about faith. See why this renowned writer has been quoted in countless pulpits and beloved by Americans for generations.

Genres: Christian, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Faith, Christianity, Theology

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2006

About the author

Frederick Buechner is a highly influential writer and theologian who has won awards for his poetry, short stories, novels and theological writings. His work pioneered the genre of spiritual memoir, laying the groundwork for writers such as Anne Lamott, Rob Bell and Lauren Winner.

His first book, A Long Day's Dying, was published to acclaim just two years after he graduated from Princeton. He entered Union Theological Seminary in 1954 where he studied under renowned theologians that included Reinhold Niebuhr, Paul Tillich, and James Muilenberg. In 1955, his short story "The Tiger" which had been published in the New Yorker won the O. Henry Prize.

After seminary he spent nine years at Phillips Exeter Academy, establishing a religion department and teaching courses in both religion and English. Among his students was the future author, John Irving. In 1969 he gave the Noble Lectures at Harvard. He presented a theological autobiography on a day in his life, which was published as The Alphabet of Grace.

In the years that followed he began publishing more novels, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist Godric. At the same time, he was also writing a series of spiritual autobiographies. A central theme in his theological writing is looking for God in the everyday, listening and paying attention, to hear God speak to people through their personal lives.

Reviews

[Justin Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book of incredible sermons by the brilliant poet, novelist, and theologian, Frederick Buechner, has reminded me of the reality of hope in the here and now, despite all appearances to the contrary. There were many passages I re-read and reflected on.

My two favorite sermons from this volume are "The Calling of Voices" and "Faith and Fiction." I highly recommend this book. You will be glad that you read it!

[Marty Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

For years, I have avoided reading Buechner, not because I thought I wouldn't like his works, but because I knew that I would and I didn't want yet another author that I needed to dive into. But alas, I heard a teaching from him that was so good that I had to acquire this book to examine it for myself. Sure enough.

"Secrets in the Dark" is a collection of sermons given by Buechner at different points of his life and career. Simply put, it's art. What he does to the craft of preaching, at least in written form, is bring poetry and depth to what is a deeply sacred communication. I often sit back and wonder just how he created the space to design a presentation that gets to the heart of the matter and helps the reader see an idea from an entirely new perspective.

While this is something that I love to do through history and academic details, Buechner accomplishes this through beauty and artistic prose. Carefully chosen words and an unbelievable knack for story telling. Poignant and captivating, this collection of teachings will certainly not disappoint.

[Davis Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made it through about 3/4 of this before I had to return it to the library. Buechner joins an exclusive echelon with such names as St. John Chrysostom, Martin Luther, and John Donne as pastors whose sermons are a pleasure to read in print and which stand as something like literary triumphs. His preaching is inextricably tied up with his fiction, and he speaks about the wonders of faith like few others. His perfectly-chosen images, winsome anecdotes, earthy realism, and lovingly cultivated language make for ideal daily "devotionals" if that's your thing. I was all set it to give it 5 stars, but I was disappointed to see the second half of the collection take a decided leap toward the "social gospel," vague good-works theism, and decreasing references to the historical realities and dogmas of Scripture. They started to sound more like watered-down secular calls to "just be kind." What changed from the committed exegesis of his earlier sermons? But the couple essays on literature and the imagination sprinkled in are very good. A volume worth owning, especially since it is a broad survey of Buechner's work, containing a little bit of all his genres: theology, memoir, essay, and excerpts from his fiction. It would also be a great gift for a pastor's bookshelf as a collection of sterling sermon exemplars.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of Frederick Buechner's sermons is a great introduction to anyone who has not yet read anything by this national treasure. He is a magical writer who gets to the heart of our longing and need for our true home.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is much to like here, although I admit the first few sermons after the first, which is quite good, were actually pretty disappointing. I nearly put the book down. The second half -- I suppose as he gets older -- gets much, much better. The style is similar -- anecdotal, lyrical as you'd expect from a novelist, thoughtful -- so it is not a matter of change in style; rather the first few chapters just seemed simplistic, too much of a leap of faith and not terribly realistic if well-intentioned. The second half is chronologically later and thus perhaps more grounded in his having lived more of life; it has a grittier flavor, more clever literary allusions, richer remembrances and more powerful questions.

I do think Buechner's flaw (his more serious, methodological, flaw, at least, besides the more trivial and early one of being simplistic) remains: this is that to me he seems to take a little too much liberty with the Biblical text, and reads into some episodes an emotional subtext which may not be ahistorical but I think are as much a product of the reader's imaginative recreation as of the text itself. I'm not certain how productive this is as an exercise -- certainly imaginative recreation is important for reading historical texts (which the Bible is), but I think as far as possible it should go so far only as to accurately identity probable scenarios or the author's intended representation, but shouldn't be used to go further than the text allows it to go. (I hope I said that clearly).

However this flaw becomes less apparent and less important in context of what Buechner discusses. I think this could actually be due to a certain narrative technique he starts to use. At the beginning of a preacher's career perhaps he digs straightforwardly into the passage he is given, explaining and explicating it. After a few years I suppose that gets boring. Buechner feels, to me, to have allows the passage to take him deep into his own memory and imagination, and there find a nugget of truth. But rather than linearly recreating his thought process for the reader/hearer, he extracts and separates this truth, discusses it in non-theological language, and then in conclusion quotes the passage, which in context then resonates. Sort of a reverse engineering, but it allows him to come at the text from a refreshing angle and to use it powerfully without making it pedantic.

Additional notes:

C20 The Church – the point that Jesus formed his church out of human beings “with more or less the same mixture in them of cowardice and guts, of intelligence and stupidity, of selfishness and generosity, of openness of heart and sheer cussedness as you would be apt to find in any of us”, and the further point that “even after Jesus made these human beings into a church, they seem to have gone right on being human beings”…

Also: it wasn’t their idea to become a church – it was Jesus who made them a church. “They came together because Jesus called them to come” – it was an organically formed interest group… Church, in greek, is ekklesia, or “called out”…

C23 Faith and Fiction – I liked it for the point he made that “we can never be sure we’ve bet right, of course. The evidence both ways is fragmentary, fragile, ambiguous”; but also the profound point that “ a coincidence can be… God’s way of remaining anonymous”. I think this chapter overall is well combined with Heschel’s discussion of how the prophets knew God – not in a conceptual, rational sense, yet not in an abstract ‘leap of faith’ sense, either – rather, the sense of knowing a person, a presence…

C24 The Good Book as a Good Book – I like the point that God is the central character in the Bible, yet like the great white whale in Moby Dick. He is scarcely to be seen. “You shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen”. Further, God is not seen except in reflection in the faces and lives of people who have encountered him…

C26 Adoslescence and the Stewardship of Pain – interesting because he raises the same point about the story of the talents, that it seems rather unfair on the third servant who buried the talent… Buechner’s way of resolving this is that the burying act itself, or refusing to come to terms with things in our life, like pain, this buyring act itself is “darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth and the one who casts us into it is none other than ourselves”.

C27 The Longing for Home – I think I liked this simply for his description of his grandmother Naya: “The lover she had for me was not born of desperate need for me like my mother’s love but had more to do simply with her interest in me as a person and with the pleasure she took in my interest in her as the one grandchild she had who was bookish the way she was and who sat endlessly enraptured by the spells she cast”

C34 Waiting – I liked this because of its realism; he discusses his uncle’s suicide, then says” What I think about now is how even before those dark things happened, they had all been somehow there in that magical room – along with the tree and the presents and the uncles and aunts and cousins – waiting to happen. I think of how not all the love there was in that room was enough to keeo them from happening. There was not Christmas enough to save the day, There was not Christ enough, There never has been Christ enough – not just for my family way back then but for all of us right now and always. And yet at some unknowable point in the future, there will be Christ enough”. And then links it to the passage – Luke 21: 25-31 – “that is what Jesus is saying in this apocalyptic passage that is our text”. (Also an example of his later ability to indirect come at a passage from a poignant anecdote.)

C35 The Word of Life – interesting because of his discussion here of attendance and ambiguity regarding the wedding of a lesbian couple he and his wife knew.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

These sermons are about a 15-20 minute read each, and most of them are incredibly valuable reflections on Scripture, the Christian life, and human experience overall. It is unfortunately spoiled in a few places by progressive ideology that intrudes on a faithful reading and preaching of Scripture, but for the most part it remains a rich work that will prove helpful to those making their way along the journey.

[Meaghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t get enough of Fred!

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished this last night. I think if more ministers preached like Frederick Buechner, more people might consider going to church. What makes his sermons so moving is the acceptance of human beings as flawed creatures who are doing what they can to stumble towards the eternal. In many of his sermons he addresses doubt as a normal part of spirituality and he is able to be clear about the differences between religion and faith. He himself also comes through his sermons as one of the flawed, not one of the saved and I think that this makes the texts more readable.

In addition, his illustrations and allusions are beautifully done. Mostly they come from real life, Buechner's own experiences or the experiences of others. But he seems to have a great gift for being able to take the people from the Bible and fill out their stories too. He is also wonderful at being able to help you realize that the Biblical text doesn't have to be parsed down into a neat package that you hand the congregation and say, "This is what it means, run with it." Instead, he says frequently that it's actually a good thing not to always understand, that the text is meant to draw us closer to the Mystery, which is far bigger than we will ever understand.

The book gave me some inspiration for sermon writing and delivery. Buechner suggests that the sermon should draw people into the text so that in some way they feel like they were there. He also pointed out that if one is preaching about the joy of grace and salvation, etc., the sermon should reflect that these things are, indeed, a joyful thing.
I also want to think about how to help my people think about the great Mystery and not always give them such neat endings to my sermons.

I love Frederick Buechner, so I figured I would like this one. This is a collection of his sermons and even though I've only read a few, I found one I wish I could preach.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frederich Buechner has a blessed gift for choosing words and turning phrases, and for telling the human story of a spiritual being.

SOME QUOTES:

in principio Greek
bereshith Hebrew
IN THE BEGINNING
Before anything yet had been made that was to be made, before whatever it was that happened to make it possible for Being to happen. You can’t speak literally about such things, of course, but we assume that he is speaking as seriously as physicists also speak seriously about the possibility at least of a time beyond time before creation happened.
At that point where everything was nothing or nothing everything, before the Big Bang banged or the Steady State was stated, where there was no up and no down, no life and no death, no here and no there, at the very beginning, John says, there was this Word, which was God and through which all things were made.
Frederick Buechner, “Air for Two Voices,” Secrets in the Dark, 2006, p.118


"the mystery that life itself comes from" (Hey, that's my definition of GOD!)

p.75-76
… The whole earth is holy because God makes himself known on it, which means that in that sense a church is no holier than any other place. God is not more in a church than he is anywhere else. But what makes a church holy in a special way is that we ourselves are more present in it. (Bold mine.)
What I mean is that if we come to a church right, we come to it more fully and nakedly ourselves, come with more of our humanness showing, than we are apt to come to most places. We come like Moses with muck on our shoes -- footsore and travel-stained with the dust of our lives upon us, our failures, our deceits, our hypocrisies, because if, unlike Moses, we have never taken anybody’s life, we have again and again withheld from other people, including often even those who are nearest to us, the love that might have made their lives with living, not to mention our own. Like Moses we come here as we are, and like him we come as strangers and exiles in our way, because wherever it is that we truly belong, whatever it is that is truly home for us, we know in our hearts that we have somehow lost it and gotten lost. Something is missing from our lives that we cannot even name -- something we know best from the empty place inside us all where it belongs. We come here to find what we have lost. We come here to acknowledge that in terms of the best we could be we are lost and that we are helpless to save ourselves. We come here to confess our sins.
That is the sadness and searching of what church is, of what we are in a church -- and then suddenly FIRE! The bush bursts into flame. And the voice speaks our names, whatever they are -- Peter, John, Ann, Mary. The heart skips a beat. “YOU! YOU!” the voice says. Does it? Does any voice other than a human voice speak in this place? Does any flame other than a candle flame on Christmas Eve ever leap here? I think so. I think if you have your ears open, if you have your eyes open, every once in a while some word in even the most unpromising sermon will flame out, some scrap of prayer or anthem, some moment of silence even, the sudden glimpse of somebody you love sitting there near you, or of some stranger whose face without warning touches your heart, will flame out -- and these are the moments that speak our names in a way we cannot help hearing. These are the moments that, in the depths of whatever our dimness and sadness and lostness are, give us an echo of a wild and bidding voice that calls us from deeper still. It is the same voice that Moses heard and that one way or another says. “GO! BE! LIVE! LOVE!” sending us off on an extraordinary and fateful journey for which there are no sure maps and whose end we will never fully know until we get there. And for as long as the moment lasts, we suspect that maybe it is true -- maybe the ground on which we stand really is holy ground because we heard that voice here. It called us by name.


p.75-76
… The whole earth is holy because God makes himself known on it, which means that in that sense a church is no holier than any other place. God is not more in a church than he is anywhere else. But what makes a church holy in a special way is that we ourselves are more present in it. (Bold mine.)
What I mean is that if we come to a church right, we come to it more fully and nakedly ourselves, come with more of our humanness showing, than we are apt to come to most places. We come like Moses with muck on our shoes -- footsore and travel-stained with the dust of our lives upon us, our failures, our deceits, our hypocrisies, because if, unlike Moses, we have never taken anybody’s life, we have again and again withheld from other people, including often even those who are nearest to us, the love that might have made their lives with living, not to mention our own. Like Moses we come here as we are, and like him we come as strangers and exiles in our way, because wherever it is that we truly belong, whatever it is that is truly home for us, we know in our hearts that we have somehow lost it and gotten lost. Something is missing from our lives that we cannot even name -- something we know best from the empty place inside us all where it belongs. We come here to find what we have lost. We come here to acknowledge that in terms of the best we could be we are lost and that we are helpless to save ourselves. We come here to confess our sins.
That is the sadness and searching of what church is, of what we are in a church -- and then suddenly FIRE! The bush bursts into flame. And the voice speaks our names, whatever they are -- Peter, John, Ann, Mary. The heart skips a beat. “YOU! YOU!” the voice says. Does it? Does any voice other than a human voice speak in this place? Does any flame other than a candle flame on Christmas Eve ever leap here? I think so. I think if you have your ears open, if you have your eyes open, every once in a while some word in even the most unpromising sermon will flame out, some scrap of prayer or anthem, some moment of silence even, the sudden glimpse of somebody you love sitting there near you, or of some stranger whose face without warning touches your heart, will flame out -- and these are the moments that speak our names in a way we cannot help hearing. These are the moments that, in the depths of whatever our dimness and sadness and lostness are, give us an echo of a wild and bidding voice that calls us from deeper still. It is the same voice that Moses heard and that one way or another says. “GO! BE! LIVE! LOVE!” sending us off on an extraordinary and fateful journey for which there are no sure maps and whose end we will never fully know until we get there. And for as long as the moment lasts, we suspect that maybe it is true -- maybe the ground on which we stand really is holy ground because we heard that voice here. It called us by name.


p.75-76
… The whole earth is holy because God makes himself known on it, which means that in that sense a church is no holier than any other place. God is not more in a church than he is anywhere else. But what makes a church holy in a special way is that we ourselves are more present in it. (Bold mine.)
What I mean is that if we come to a church right, we come to it more fully and nakedly ourselves, come with more of our humanness showing, than we are apt to come to most places. We come like Moses with muck on our shoes -- footsore and travel-stained with the dust of our lives upon us, our failures, our deceits, our hypocrisies, because if, unlike Moses, we have never taken anybody’s life, we have again and again withheld from other people, including often even those who are nearest to us, the love that might have made their lives with living, not to mention our own. Like Moses we come here as we are, and like him we come as strangers and exiles in our way, because wherever it is that we truly belong, whatever it is that is truly home for us, we know in our hearts that we have somehow lost it and gotten lost. Something is missing from our lives that we cannot even name -- something we know best from the empty place inside us all where it belongs. We come here to find what we have lost. We come here to acknowledge that in terms of the best we could be we are lost and that we are helpless to save ourselves. We come here to confess our sins.
That is the sadness and searching of what church is, of what we are in a church -- and then suddenly FIRE! The bush bursts into flame. And the voice speaks our names, whatever they are -- Peter, John, Ann, Mary. The heart skips a beat. “YOU! YOU!” the voice says. Does it? Does any voice other than a human voice speak in this place? Does any flame other than a candle flame on Christmas Eve ever leap here? I think so. I think if you have your ears open, if you have your eyes open, every once in a while some word in even the most unpromising sermon will flame out, some scrap of prayer or anthem, some moment of silence even, the sudden glimpse of somebody you love sitting there near you, or of some stranger whose face without warning touches your heart, will flame out -- and these are the moments that speak our names in a way we cannot help hearing. These are the moments that, in the depths of whatever our dimness and sadness and lostness are, give us an echo of a wild and bidding voice that calls us from deeper still. It is the same voice that Moses heard and that one way or another says. “GO! BE! LIVE! LOVE!” sending us off on an extraordinary and fateful journey for which there are no sure maps and whose end we will never fully know until we get there. And for as long as the moment lasts, we suspect that maybe it is true -- maybe the ground on which we stand really is holy ground because we heard that voice here. It called us by name.

[Faith Key · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Death and dark are not the end. Life and light are the end. It is what the cross means, of course. The cross means that out of death came, of all things, birth. Happy Birthday indeed!...If the Lord is indeed our shepherd, then everything goes topsy-turvy."

some of buechner's essays make absolutely no sense logically or theologically. most of buechner's essays are lovely and profound. Scripture and life are full of wonder and mystery - buechner invites us to remember. To reread: Faith, Delay, Air for Two Voices, and The Clown in Belfry.

[Debs Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me about 2.5 years to read this collection with some stop-starts but I'm so glad I stuck with it. It's not a book meant to be read in one go anyway, each sermon is worth chewing on and given some space to breathe. Buechner's writing is disarming, sure I might throw up a few 'oh I'm not sure I hold with that', but he invites you on a lyrical journey full of curiosity and a sense of wonder. While he doesn't shy away from the sorrows of life he holds out the capacity for comfort, meaning and Presence even in unexpected places.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of sermons by F. Buechner. I haven't read any of his fiction works, so whatever fame he might have is lost on me.

I am not sure how to describe his sermons exactly. They seem an eclectic mix of belief and unbelief, security and insecurity, earthiness and the ethereal. He'll be trotting along quoting Scripture one minute, then wander off into private beliefs well beyond Scripture's scope the next.

Through it all his devotion to Christ and Christianity shine by and large. Occasional uplifting nuggets also shine forth, which may or may not (I say with his characteristic ambivalence...) make this collection worth a reader's attention.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frederick Buechner was the first ‘Christian author’ I read after beginning a walk of faith when I was well into my adult life. Three decades have passed and brought countless other authors to my attention, but none are ones I love as much as I love his writing. His gifts are many, but what I most appreciate is the timelessness of what he has to say. Fifty years have passed since this book was published and yet it is as relevant, touching, funny, and heartwarming now as I am sure it was then. I read this collection of essays as part of my daily devotional time and have been blessed each and every day by Buechner’s brilliance. Heartily recommend this and all other books he authored.

[Claxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the most exquisite theological writing I have read -- this is more poetry than sermons. Buechner and I are a ways apart theologically, but wow, I'm honored to learn from a brother who writes like this.

[Jake Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book on death, life and everything in between. I paused while reading this many times just to mediate on what I just read which I never do. Buechner is an artist with the human language and it was a joy to watch him work.

[Jim Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been tremendously helpful both in my faith and for inspiring me as a creative. Buechner is a true storyteller.

[John Minch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most moving sermon in this compendium for me was Beuchner's take on the parable of the talents. He posited that it represents how in life we are all given different things to work with both in terms of blessings and pain. But, in both cases we bear no fruit when we bury what we are given and tolerate no risk. When we bury and hide our pains out of fear we miss out on the good that can be done in our own hearts and the world by sharing. My wife and I listened to this while trying to decide where to live, it helped us lament that none of the options available would allow us to both preserve the places of ministry, community, family, joy and meaning making our lives have come to revolve around as singles. When that lament was taking place we found the freedom to do what was previously immobilizing - make a decision, talk about our values and the future and bury the beauty of what could have been in soil capable of yielding a fruitful future.
I highly recommend Beuchner and this collection.

[Jonathan Crabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me a long time to finish, but this is one of my favorite books of all time. It's a collection of sermons which may not be for everyone, but they spoke deeply to me.

It sits on top of my list of the books that you would give away if you had 100 copies. I keep waiting for a sale on the paperback so I can start passing them out.

Review from second time through -
This is one of my favorite books by Buechner and I always love reading it again. One of my dreams is to be able to actually word-by-word preach some of the sermons at Covenant during chapel. This book is a collection of his sermons given over the years, particularly within FB's term of being a chaplain at an all boy's school. This caused him to be forced to make his sermons compelling but also very pointed at the necessity of Christ and his Kingdom come.

There are so many classics within this text. Given that Buechner is my favorite faith author, clearly I am going to rate this well, but I will note that more readers should check him out. Fans of CS Lewis and Tim Keller will find a similar voice with Buechner.

[Sarah Eisele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this here and there. Buechner is a Pulitzer-Prize nominated (runner up for Godric) author who I adore. He's a thoughtful, honest, "authentic" Christian author and preacher. I love his books and his sermons.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been reading this book for months (started March 4th and it’s now mid-June). I was introduced to this book of sermons by other faith-based writers who recommended it, and it is highly rated. I first checked it out of the library but decided to buy my own copy as it was taking me too long to read by the library’s timetable, and I was intrigued enough to want to finish it. Well, I’ve now read more than half of the book (24 of the 37 sermons) and I’m taking a break but wanted to review it while it’s still fresh in my mind.

The things that kept me reading – the author’s insightful observations, topics, honesty, and talented writing: choice of words, descriptions, perspective, powerful imagery. Buechner is an ordained Presbyterian minister who isn’t afraid to share his doubts and ask some challenging questions.

The subtitle is “A Life in Sermons” and he often shares personal life experiences in his sermons. That can be uncomfortable or poignant, but always truthful and passionate. Truthful and passionate for him, but I found his theology unsettling at times.

One complaint – why not include the year as well as location of each sermon at the beginning or conclusion of each chapter? At least add those facts in an index – I felt like that was a major “secret in the dark” that needed to be revealed.

Of course, not each and every sermon is going to resonate, and that was the case here. Some were thoughtful and illuminating, others a bit wordy (boring) and maybe even eyebrow-lifting. There is much to ponder within these pages even if I didn’t always agree with him. Maybe I will read one of his highly rated memoirs.

[David Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember where I heard about Frederick Buechner but recently decided yo read one of his many books. I decided on this one since it is a collection of his sermons. What a wonderful introduction to a fine man. I feel in some ways many religious traditions have kind of lost the art of the sermon. We seem to hear the ratings of some evangelicals that seem intended to inspire by fear and guilt to the other extreme the dry "talk" with little inspiration, imagination or thought provoking inspiration that moves us to change. I wish more religious leaders would read Buechner and apply his approach to the art and inspiration of the sermon. I most definitely will be reading more of his work.

Favorite quote: “All the absurd little meetings, decisions, inner skirmishes that go to make up our days. It all adds up to very little, and yet it all adds up to very much. Our days are full of nonsense, and yet not, because it is precisely into the nonsense of our days that God speaks to us words of great significance—not words that are written in the stars but words that are written into the raw stuff and nonsense of our days, which are not nonsense just because God speaks into the midst of them. And the words that he says, to each of us differently, are “Be brave…be merciful…feed my lambs…press on toward the goal.”

[Jonathan Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much Jesus, so much joy, so much pain, so much kindness. What a gift this books is.

"Yes, take your times seriously. Yes, know that you are judged by the terrible sins of your times. Yes, you do well to faint with fear and foreboding at what is coming on the world. And yet rejoice. Rejoice. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety. Pray."

"All the absurd little meetings, decisions, inner skirmishes that go to make up our days. It all adds up to very little, and yet it all adds up to very much. Our days are full of nonsense, and yet not, because it is precisely into the nonsense of our days that God speaks to us words of great significance—not words that are written in the stars but words that are written into the raw stuff and nonsense of our days, which are not nonsense just because God speaks into the midst of them. And the words that he says, to each of us differently, are “Be brave…be merciful…feed my lambs…press on toward the goal."

"Part of the inner world of everyone is this sense of emptiness, unease, incompleteness, and I believe that this in itself is a word from God, that this is the sound that God’s voice makes in a world that has explained him away. In such a world, I suspect that maybe God speaks to us most clearly through his silence, his absence, so that we know him best through our missing him."

[Emily Magnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

My man B can do no wrong in his books. This was a hefty compilation of sermons and when you only read them in the morning it feels like a lifetime but WOWEE are his words important. Great sermons full of tid bits and wisdom and kindness and just love his perspective of God instead of the rules of religion. Feeling refreshed and will def be revisiting these words

QOTB: All the absurd little meetings, decisions, inner skirmishes that go to make up our days. It all adds up to very little, and yet it all adds up to very much. Our days are full of nonsense, and yet not, because it is precisely into the nonsense of our days that God speaks to us words of great significance—not words that are written in the stars but words that are written into the raw stuff and nonsense of our days, which are not nonsense just because God speaks into the midst of them. And the words that he says, to each of us differently, are “Be brave…be merciful…feed my lambs…press on toward the goal.

[Terence · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time I gave a book one-star. I found this to be almost unbearable.

All potential readers should first know that Frederick Buechner saw himself first as a novelist of fiction, and not a pastor. (As articulated in the chapter Faith and Fiction) If you read that chapter and like it, then this book is for you.

His theology when it exists is poor but it generally doesn't exist. He seems to focus on selecting the right word versus saying the right thing. My sense is he desired to be liked and appreciated more than he desired to articulate the truth, unfortunately.

If you want to listen to fiction, storytelling and mostly spirituality, then this may be what you are looking for, but I can't recommend it.

[Ben Jeapes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is a Trinitarian-believing Christian, and it underpins his entire life. And there he could leave it, and many would, but he doesn't. The implications of what he believes go right down to the molecular level, and he is not afraid to draw them out in beautiful - if sometimes lengthy - prose. His words seep in and may activate truths deep down inside you that you may not be aware of for years, but which will start to change your life and perceptions straight away. If I have one criticism, it's that - a bit like St Paul - he is very given to very long and convoluted sentences, such that sometimes just putting down a period/full stop seems to take conscious effort on his part. So, not a book to read quickly, but one to find time for, and to savour and enjoy.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read in 2006, I read and reread this book, a chronology of sorts that tracks mature writer Frederick Buechner's pilgrim progress. Meandering around subjects, spell-binding and insightful, his honesty compels readers to trust and follow where he leads. People with doubts about Christianity will appreciate how from time to time, Buechner admits his own faith struggles and doubts and then comes back to center his faith on the person of Jesus Christ. Exquisite writing and heartfelt warmth of emotion stand out on every page.

[Marcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buechner is such a treasure. This collection of sermons brought new life to my heart each time I picked it up. I read the book slowly, savoring each little gem, even rereading chapters several times before moving on. His way of writing/speaking takes a little getting used to, but I found the effort well worthwhile. Buechner deals honestly with the mess of our reality, both internal and external, in a way that is both validating and refreshing. Yet he balances this with the wonder and hope that arise from a well cultivated view of God’s glory found in the world all around us.

[Whitney Kats · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the reason why I fell in love with Buechner so much is because of the way he creates space in his sermons. He leaves room to breathe, room to think. Buechner plants seeds of ideas, but let’s his listeners take care of the plant from there. He sees holiness in the mundane. He asks questions without having to come up with theological answers. It is so refreshing to listen to a pastor who doesn’t feel the need to explain everything with points, pamphlets, and a study guide. I am excited to read more of his work, particularly his novels.