The Bride Collector

I have to admit, the first few chapters of this book had me wondering if I should even continue reading. But I did. It’s Dekker. He has that way that just makes you want to know what happens and how the light shines in the end despite the darkness the story takes you through to get there. This story is dark, but it is full of pinpricks of light, like stars giving a glimpse of light in the darkest night. And the ending . . . oh what a beautiful ending. But I won’t say anything else about that now.

The Bride Collector brings together an interesting array of characters, full of a wit and beauty all their own. The FBI agents, Raines and Holden, are intriguing, but not so much as Roudy, Andrea, Cass, and Paradise. And in this story, while it does deal with those threatening to kill the body, it is also a story about what kills a person from within. The story is a beautiful story of love, and a story of facing the fears within oneself. While there is light at the end of the tunnel, the journey to get there is dark—but it is a beautiful and insightful read.

Radical by David Platt

So my recent facebook status—Are we settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves?—actually came from an excerpt of the book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream, a book by David Platt. And I must say, just the first chapter is a challenge to how anyone views their Christianity. It got me to think and I’m sure this is something I will be taking to heart for quite some time.

If the rest of the book is like the first chapter, I’m not sure steel-toed boots will help because this message is so weighty that you’ll feel your toes being stepped on as he asks questions and compares the message of the Word with the message of the church today. Are we shaping Jesus into what we want of Him, or are we letting Him shape us into what He wants of us?

This book is definitely on my must-read list.

You can also read the first chapter of this book (in PDF format) by going here:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2010/04/20/sneak-peek-radical-by-david-platt/


To order a free copy of The Radical Question: What is Jesus Worth to You then go here:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/RadicalQuestion/