Few months after my daughter was identified autoimmune, my Mother-in-law at the same time was diagnosed cancer. I came across The Jesus l never Knew while trying to settle into my new life in rural Australia. I was hesitant to return to Edmonton due to all the sexual abuse I had reported in that city, and because of the hatred that some powerful people in the church, government and police there had for me. Phil, Although I did not find that the book helped me at all, I have to applaud you on your writing style. I am so glad I was able to represent my Saviour, my God, on Wall St that day. God bless you! Your definition There is nothing we can do to make God love us more,.less Really resonated with me. We could talk over details, but I appreciate the broad sweep of what youre saying. The danger of such a church like thatand there are manyis that by saying, "Don't doubt, just believe," you don't really resolve the doubts. What can happen, though, is that they may be constantly be told that they need to evangelize others, to love people, etc. Thank you. You must be reading these in English, Efrain. Paul told me that Barry was useless as a chaplain and that he should never have been ordained by the Anglican Church of Canada in the first place. At the time, I thought he was right. Dear Mr. Yancey, Years ago,early in my faith walk, I read the books you wrote with Dr. The author of more than a dozen books. I didnt know their stories. keep digging? Bless you, and the millions like you facing similar challenges during this crisis. Yancey worked as a journalist in Chicago for some twenty years, editing the youth magazine Campus Life while also writing for a wide variety of magazines including Readers Digest, Saturday Evening Post, National Wildlife, and Christianity Today. We just endured an incredibly painful election season, and the hatred and anger engendered by it continues to be expressed across this country. At first, let me introduce my self, Im Mariana from Indonesia, I have heard about you from my friend. And, since it was a prayer, might we know if and when this prayer was answered? Its been on my shelf all this time, and I didnt think to crack the cover until recently. I wanted to share it with you, just in case you were able some day to pass it on to someone who could benefit. . Right there and then Paul informed me that he had no intention of helping me to get oriented or settled in. Hes obviously not a Christian (its not even clear he believes in God) but he clearly takes the Bible seriously, and its refreshing to see that from someone in the elite. One source from jewishanswers.org, however says: Question: Theres a belief that the High Priest had a rope tied around his waist when he entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple during Yom Kippur (to pull him out should G-d judge him unfit and take his life). Thank you for the honesty and transparency in your blog and books. I want to start off by saying that you have been an invaluable resource for me in my shaky Christian walk. I have just finished reading Where the Light Fell. People are allowed to freely sin without consequence and sermons are touchy-feely inspiration that wont offend anyone because, as you seem to emphasize, we need to reach sinners by not offending them. The inmates wanted chicken but Paul bought fresh salad items in bulk. "Though he comes from a conservative upbringing, he is not stuck there but has moved past any labels we might try to put on him," wrote Zander Dunn in the Presbyterian Record. Dear Philip Yancey , One thing that kept me going was my hope that Paul would not be around much longer. I dont know enough to attempt an answer to your excellent question. My first permanent duty station was in Frankfurt, Germany and at that time I joined an Anglican Church. Philip. How inspiring and comforting your words are. had to buy new copies! I said, of course, Jesus loves you. It starts with the story of Babots Feast that jolted me and years later I still think about it. Maybe Im thick-headed, and thats okay, but I see so much pain here, and suffering, and helplessness and hopelessness, God, and thats okay God, I will keep doing my best, but oh God I just need you to show me something., A couple days later I was killing time in a used bookstore, for the air conditioning as much as anything else. I recommend 2 books by Lewis Smedes: Forgive and Forget and The Art of Forgiving. Through the years I have read and number of your books, and I appreciate your perspective in many areas of life and theology. I had watched the very funny film, What About Bob? 2 or 3 times before settling on the one kernel I should take away on my spiritual journey: When Bob (Bill Murray) is interviewed by a reporter, he says, I treat people as if they were telephones. Close-mindedness has a horrible track record: slavery, priest abuse, mysogony, womens right to vote, etc. This meant the loss of my license. I am thinking of Andrew Murray, Frank Laubach, George Muller, Thomas Kelly, Brigid Herman, and Rosalind Rinker. Judaism is so cut and dry. He goes on to say, I dont think so. My HIV-pos. You write the same questions and discoveries as I occasionally think. Both of those ideas start with a pretty small idea of God." Its all about Gods grace reaching us by unsuspected ways sometimes. And the verdict is in. Please do let me know! Again, thank you for reaching out to misfits (the least of these, Id say) like me, Mr. Yancey. And Phil is correct about one thing: even after completing his book, its still The Question That Never Goes Away. I was initially surprised and then saddened by the fact he says, I dont know. This is extraordinarily unhelpful. I am one of prayer who is praying for Korea to be united in Jesus Christ and also to awe the Lord. I told her that my reporting had cost me my jobs, my friends, my colleagues, my reputation, my house and everything I owned. The rationale behind this note serves to express my gratitude towards you for shaping my thought world in the way you did. It certainly left me with feelings of disappointment with God! As a result, much of the food was thrown away, and because of lockdowns there was no feast. Snowy and Oliver were both shocked to hear about my dismissal, and Oliver said that it would be totally out of character for me for me to blow up at an inmate. With drugs, with divorce, with anger, with judgment, with holier-than-thou posts on Facebook. No, one does not exist. My parents changed churches when I was a junior in high school, and it was then that I began to more fully understand grace and that Gods grace was greater than all of my sins. Which was really sad as my mother was in the Salvation Army and if the war had not happened had been accepted into the Officers training in London. I wonder what you think now about this quote you shared in the book where a New York Times editorial warned that the activism of religious conservatives poses a far greater threat to democracy than was presented by communism. I did as instructed, but the guard in the control room would not open the door. When I first started attending my friends church, I bought a Bible and would randomly open it and read scripture (I was not raised reading the Bible). In extreme anguish I drove east, not knowing where to go. I am happy to have found your website and have signed up to receive your mailings. Anti-Semitism in the Chaplaincy Office It was here that I met Capt Mark Dickson of the Church Army and we became friends . If I directed you to some of those authors, then I feel accomplished. The publisher changed the title a few years agowhich is probably a mistake in the days of the Internet. As a small step I listed the most influential books I have ever read. I have a copy that is always in my carry-on and I read it and re-read it over and over, always moved to tears as I zoom my way through. Anyway, I was wondering if in the future you would write something about mental illness. My guess is that you are somewhat melancholic as well as very bright. As a faehtr of two young children, I was moved by the message. I am a 60 year old physician who became a christian while an undergraduate at Michigan State University many years ago. In Gethsemane, he did not pray, "Thank you for this opportunity to suffer," but rather pled desperately for an escape. Of course were all sick, were all sinners, and your last paragraph expresses it well. I found it thrilling to write about my heroes. Im curious if you might know what chapter or page it is included in so that I can cite the page number. So thank you for sharing your story. Yes. 10yrs ago, 3 adopted children , one an addict but we all love each other whatever, even though we sometimes despair!!! I would like to know if the brother would have any more books to recommend me, or any tips on passages that would be a good starting point to study more about the subject. Evil spirits are definitely present, existing somehow independently of the natural world. Actually, I talked with Richard just last week. If thats not what you have done, then you are truly genius!! O prazer que J gozou em sua velhice um simples antegozo do que est para vir. Our ultimate goal is to be resurrected and live in Gods Kingdom on earth (remember the Lords prayer Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. I was just wondering what your thinking is on this? It grieves me that people like Paul Vanderham and other bullies are allowed to continue spreading their poison there, while I am dismissed from my position there without cause. Thanks a lot John, thanks again, hope to meet you someday. It would mean a lot if you would take time to read it. For me, and only me, this was settled before Jesus was said to have walked the Earth 300 years BCE, as a matter of fact. Whenever I hold the book in my hands, I can clearly see that you threw away more than 10 pages to make one complete page. He had blocked these programs in the past and did not want to see them running. God is sovereign and knows what we need, the things that I have in my life are the things that I need. Required fields are marked *. Thank you for your existence..!!! I co-pastor of a small rural congregation alongside my husband, and preparing for a sermon recently I picked up The Jesus I Never Knew just to see what you had to say about the Wedding at Cana and I realized that now that I am coming up on my 36th birthday, it is almost 20 years since I first read it. I felt like I was walking on egg shells as far as my faith and practice was concerned. A penny for your thoughts: In thinking about prayer, it seems out of balance. Suddenly, I remembered word for word the Twenty-Third Psalm. Is Peterson something similar? It seems that you and the writers mentioned have something subtle in common. I grew up in an ultra-conservative (cult) christian church. My Small Group is presently studying The Jesus I Never Knew. Philip. Thank you for sharing your heart, your struggles, the struggles of others and your faith. Only after they were deeply convicted of their crime and asking how they might be saved from its consequences did they hear that word of amazing grace, the offer of baptism, and the promise of forgiveness. and one from the imagined doubts I perceived from others (is her faith not real?). I found out after lunch that this innocent decision further revealed the depth of misgivings that Brian had towards me. It seems to me that all the books, all the sermons I read and hear are just different excuses for why we cannot see or feel God. Hello, this is Hee-Soo from South korea. what bible college did philip yancey attend. I am writing a book about addiction and recovery and would like to quote some passages in this book. . Thank you for your book. God provides support and solidarity, yes, but not protectionat least not the kind of protection we desperately long for. I was wondering if you could elaborate a bit on your understanding of the atonement, as I am curious about the way you briefly described the good news in chapter 9, ie. I also contacted Don Head, the Commissioner of Corrections. When she finally got the call on monday, I took off early from work to go be with her. I hope to hear from you. body found in milford, ct . I face a daily struggle in my faith and walk. Philip. He was shocked by such a question, and said there was no security issue concerning me. No one has influenced me more, he says. You each speak to the same truth from different directions and style and I am a lifetime reader of something every day. Its so easy to call on believers to say the right thing instead of asking them to follow the gospel in actions that offend the world and is considered judgmental. I recently read Whats So Amazing About Grace? and I find myself trying to apply the lessons I learned from it everyday. Early on he crafted best-selling books such as Disappointment with God and Where is God When it Hurts? I just need some reassurance. Since I am only a couple of years older than you (I think your brother was probably in my class at Wheaton, but in a clean-out phase, I no longer have my yearbooks to check! Of course that is true, but also rather clinical. Philip. A group called Evangelicals and Catholics Together has been working on this for years (the magazine First Things covers them well). Philip. No one knows a mans heart, except God. There are some things about Catholic culture and doctrine that seem strange to me (celibacy of priests, Assumption and Perpetual Virginity of Mary, papal infallibility, etc. With life issues coming up on daily basis, The Las Vegas shooting killing 58 and over 500 injuired; only yesterday the Texas Church shooting killing 26 and many more event in 2017. Before we, as video game makers, express something with our art, we have to have something to say. Mr Yancey, I want to thank you for giving me hope in a tough life. "One method," he said, "was to inform God of something he didn't already know, or else to talk God into doing something that God was probably reluctant to do. I applaud Yancey for his disarming honesty and for giving us a story that will cause us to reflect about our own life and also to thank God for his wisdom and grace. Hmm, well, I beg to differ. But writing these books has also helped Yancey deal with his own crisis of faith, which he experienced in a family saga of death, poverty and toxic fundamentalism. The field is extremely interesting because the equations are correct, confirming and expounding upon the geologists relative time scale. The misrepresentation of grace is actually the death of truth. Thats quite a balance to keep! I asked Brian Harder if all was well with me and Bridges of Canada, and he said Yes, no problems. Certainly there is nothing wrong with pointing out in love, errors to people you know well enough to do so. SF Jonas, [] article originally appeared on the authors website on October 28, 2021. Philip. I became interested in your devotions and so I bought your book. Ive just revised and updated two of those books with Dr. I am now trying to read Reaching for the Invisible God. Bills are late. They tried to cast out homosexual demons, and I was told I was rebellious and so on. If Im ever in the area, Ill let you know. It offers a glimpse of what millions of people may be going through right now, in the midst of this pandemic. Does forgiveness means God reconciliation with us by forgetting our sin? Lewis that was incredibly helpful to me. David, Now I feel like Im gushing over this book the same way General Loewenhielm couldnt say enough about Babettes Feast. I cannot afford the means to live , I trusted people and they let me down . God bless you , For first books, I would recommend The Jesus I Never Knew and Whats So Amazing About Grace. The Regioal Chaplain for Correctional Servies Canada John Tonks held a contract over my head for a whole year for me to sign, he kept promising to bring it and have me sign it for a 5 year contract with CSC but he never did bring it,it was a very cruel game he was playing. But I wanted to read Prayer as slow as I could, basically decompose every context in the book. I looked for a psychiatrist and his diagnosis: anxiety. I too met my future wife when washing dishes in the college kitchen. I tend to go back to the Bible as a model, because I dont know a more honest book, Yancey explains. There are so few authors that come with me on this journey. Thank you for being a good and faithful guide for me along the way. Thank you for your ministry (writing these books: Whats so Amazing, Prayer, Does it make difference?, Where is God when it hurts and The Jesus I never knew) which I just encountered when I started in seminary 2 years ago. Thank you for this book. What does it take to move beyond wanting to change to actually changing? I quote a passage near the end from Whats so Amazing About Grace where you quote C.S. Evan McMullin is a sane alternative and the only conservative in the race. when they find these very activities too much to bear and then the feel guilty because they are not doing what they are being told they should be doing. What shines through the brilliant writing of this once bigoted man is a redeemed vision of hopefulness and spiritual vitality." As the warmer weather approached in 2016, we constantly had flies buzzing around in the chapel and offices. Woodlands Indians were making arrow heads on our farm 1000 years before Eden. Your writing, at the very least, extends sympathy to the likes of me. Ive been to your great country three times, and wish it were more. I will not mention what religion I was raised, nor the denomination of my friends church because it is not about the religion it truly is about our relationship with Him! There was a time when a 76 year old man told me the doctors told him he had a 25% chance of living. Im reading through Vanishing Grace for a second time right now, and I keep thinking, this is what I want!, sometimes with tears. Christobel herself refused to stand with me, saying that she was not going to lose her job for me. I was exasperated on coming to this summation. I stuggled back to Edmonton and stayed with friends. Currently I am reading Soul Survivor and can hardly put it down. Yet, grace never came alive in my heart like it did today. However, Yancey was fortunate and did not. Thank you so much for your efforts. Philip, I am going through Whats So Amazing About Grace for the second or third time, and just finished the chapter about your friend, Mel. As was my habit, I said hello to people passing by. I am not at either extreme of the gay issue , I am just me who loves people no matter their struggles in life . , You are my encourager of the month, Jee Kim. I told him all was okay, but he did not seem satisfied; he was fishing for something. Anyway, I know I am preaching to the choir, but it feels good to get some of these things off my chest. Your sermon was wonderful, but I wanted to thank you for your last comments most of all. I thought that being a Christian meant experiencing God and Jesus in the same way that I would experience my human family and friends, which I have never been able to do. When I failed to be accepted by a graduate school I had applied to, she said, God knew it would make you proud, so you didnt get in. Later, when I left the rural church I had served for a dozen years in west Texas to go to a suburban church in Ohio, she accused me of abandoning those good people for a big city church; again, because I was proud. Can you give me your source? The amount of hate, sexism, racism, every -ism that this campaign has brought out in our country grieves me deeply. Ramazan also told me that Brian was bullying him, after his daughter had asked him one time why he had let Brian Harder shout at him and say the things that he had said to him on the phone. Ive often written about the problem of pain, and my latest attempt is The Question That Never Goes Away. Ive only been to Phoenix once, for some golf, but I have some good friends there, so dont be surprised if you can check that one off someday. God Bless. Thank you for the reminder. "Their lives had meaning because of their service and their connection with God," Yancey told a Publishers Weekly interviewer. HI! I have nearly read all your books. Quarterly-Christian Legal Society, winter, 1990, Thomas L. Shaffer, review of Disappointment with God. I am rereading Soul Survivor for the 3rd time. God looks at the heart.Look at David in the bible.God said David is a man after my own heart. More confident. What bible passage or passages inspired you to use those words? Hi Philip, Whats So Amazing About Grace ~ Philip Yancey so they are not carrying bitterness or resentment. Thanks so much for your service to the hurting. Our retreat theme is Grace in a Mans Life and for humor our promo video uses clips from the old TV series MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (see it here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/b1sr3nroq4ivp25/2018%20Men's%20Retreat%20Promo.mp4?dl=0)! The spiritual insights I learned are amazing. And indeed, with God nothing is impossible. Any suggestions? Mourning and dancing touch each otherthis is a beautiful concept, straight out of the Bible, of course. Blessing to you and whatever chapter you are in. (You can email me privately, if you are willing.). Most of the credit for his success must surely go to his wife Janet. Otherwise, Ive mostly read the novels by Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Ralph Allison and the liketheyve certainly shaped my sensibility, if not my faith. One of the Christian World's Most Thoughtful Writers Offers a Fresh Take on an Ancient Spiritual Practice," p. 48, and review of Prayer, p. 49. You took my own questions, sought answers, and emerged wiser and stronger. I am not sure if you remember me, by that is it unimportant. On this cursed planet, even God suffered the loss of a Son. And I just want to let you know how right you are, You have no idea how hard it is for me to read without distraction. Merely, I have ambiguous obedience which you have mentioned. I just was so angry with Him that I hated Him and wanted Him to know that I didnt believe in Him. This is what God himself apparently says since mathematics is the magic behind physics and the Word himself (Jesus, the second person of the Trinity) is the spirit of mathematics. We have all been really moved by your video clips and it has made us think at a different level esp being in partnership with God in Prayer which is so exciting.I grew up in an evangelical clergy family but much loved and even when my Dad died i had so much support but became a little missionary at the age of 11yrs old!! The claims of Christ demand that I seek the things that make for peace. Smith and she had told him the lies Janice Green from YWAM Colorado had spread right across the USA about what happened in Honolulu,which was just impure thoughts nothing more. Here is my email address. Thanks for asking, though. I know we are to forgive others and the reason we should forgive. I can never thank you enough for taking time to tell your story. Absolutely. Using many of the same techniques Jesus employed in his own ministry, Yancey tackles tough theological questions in a style that general readers can easily understand. Philip. I have purchased the Participants Guide (Zondervan 2000) and the DVD (both have the pink cover with pasture and fence). Thats been scary for several reasons. A big concern of Dobson is Supreme Court appointments. Again, thank you. Upon my arrival at the CSC head office, Monty pulled me aside and said, Richard, we have to compromise our religious beliefs here to get in the door. It was shocking for me to hear this from a Pentecostal pastor. I grew a garden and ate acorns, dandelions and wild apples (after first removing the worms). One of them spends his life looking after the needs of homeless people, the elderly, undocumented immigrants, and people living (and dying) with AIDS. I know about the Old thing. Thank you for your writings. I called my friend Capt. I called a friend I knew to be a strong Christian and asked what was happening. Local church and Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship organized prayer circle and support for Dad. what the contract says. Philip, we started Vanishing Grace as an adult bible study I gift them to anyone who has experienced the unfairness of suffering. In the process he interviewed diverse people enriched by their personal faith, such as President Jimmy Carter, Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller, and Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement. Instead, I have a video of the front door of the club crammed with concert goers as they burn alive feet first. Youll likely enjoy Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Eugene Peterson, Robert Barron as well. It has been long enough that I am not sure what it is going to take to get me to go back. Despite being a Christian for many years and praying about this for a long time I still struggled. Its refreshing to me that you dont focus on the distinctions. In the last chapter, you mention Revelation 5 which prompted me to listen again to Chris Tomlins glorious song Is He Worthy?. As I sat and listened to the Word I was struck, convicted and in tears. Thank you for asking and bringing up the questions that are rarely spoken about, and helping me understand that my occasional doubt is necessary for deeper reaches and experiences with God. It is a million miles away from writing or anything creative in general. This is just to thank you for your conscientious and deep-seated effort to share the faith and love that will not let us go. God keep you publishing and writing and safe in the palm of His hands. On page 119 the words discussion of parenthood helped to define my purpose more clearly and keep me focused. The church of Christ that I am a member of welcomes everyone. Considering full term abortions, Benghazi, funding from Islamic nations, her husbands MANY sexual infidelities, and all the things she has contradicted herself on all these years. Thank you for your hopeful vision of suffering redeemed. I do love reading but it is hard to open a book and forget about checking my social media, even though I am not active user. Neither of us was what you'd call a "happy" student. I want to know simple answer, if you can, are you more of Progressive Christian? We must feel helpless. In that culture at that time, that was unacceptable. Struggling with anger towards divorce?