Reaching for the Invisible God - Hardcover

Yancey, Philip

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0310235316 ISBN 13: 9780310235316

Publisher: Zondervan, 2000

Synopsis

How does a relationship with God really work? How do I relate to a God who is invisible, when I’m never quite sure he’s there? How do I know him? How do I communicate with him? How do I live my life growing in my understanding of him, living more and more with a conscious awareness of him, doing more of those things he indicates are good for me--and others?Many have found the bright promises people make about God don't work. Others have seen God's promises work, but have stumbled, and want to believe again. Author Philip Yancey pointed out in Disappointment with God some of the false expectations people have in God and his workings. It's time now to turn the coin. In Reaching for the Invisible God Yancey answers the question What Can We Expect from God? with a surprising investigation of how the Christian life really does work.The average person often finds that what they hear in a sermon or read in a Bible corresponds to little of what they experience. Why? When others do experience great things from God, those who sense 'business as usual' in their spiritual life ask, 'What's wrong with me?' God doesn't do certain things he could--heal, mend, or change--but what does he do? How does God work, and how does he work with me?In taking on these questions Yancey continues his quest to help readers get close to the core of Christian truth and experience. Reaching for the Invisible God develops what we can expect from God by taking readers to six foundational areas: the thirst or hunger for God, God himself, the Spirit, faith, growth, and personal transformation in the spiritual life. Reaching for the Invisible God also explores the personality of God, the choice God made in limiting himself, and the great condescension he made as the Holy Spirit, choosing to live in human beings. Finally, Reaching for the Invisible God comes to an appropriate finish as Yancey writes about growth, about childlike living under God apart from unrealistic expectations, legalisms, and unhealthy dependence. The goal is mature childlikeness, with no preconceptions, an ability to accept gifts from God, and trust, which lead to the responses of love, sacrifice, the denial of self, and servant leadership.In Reaching for the Invisible God Philip Yancey writes with honesty about the Christian life, about how to get along with God, how to believe again, and about the Reaching for the Invisible God of faith, or the things people never told you about the Christian life. It's the real scoop and straight talk about the truth--like an operating manual for faith. It is for the reader seeking to be honest with God. And it will help anyone wanting to explain to friends what life as a Christian is all

About this title

From the Back Cover

How does a relationship with God really work? How do I relate to a God who is invisible, when I'm never quite sure he's there? How do I know him? How do I communicate with him? How do I live my life growing in my understanding of him, living more and more with a conscious awareness of him, doing more of those things he indicates are good for me--and others?

Many have found the bright promises people make about God don't work. Others have seen God's promises work, but have stumbled, and want to believe again. Author Philip Yancey pointed out in Disappointment with God some of the false expectations people have in God and his workings. It's time now to turn the coin. In Reaching for the Invisible God Yancey answers the question What Can We Expect from God? with a surprising investigation of how the Christian life really does work.

The average person often finds that what they hear in a sermon or read in a Bible corresponds to little of what they experience. Why? When others do experience great things from God, those who sense "business as usual" in their spiritual life ask, "What's wrong with me?" God doesn't do certain things he could--heal, mend, or change--but what does he do? How does God work, and how does he work with me?

In taking on these questions Yancey continues his quest to help readers get close to the core of Christian truth and experience. Reaching for the Invisible God develops what we can expect from God by taking readers to six foundational areas: the thirst or hunger for God, God himself, the Spirit, faith, growth, and personal transformation in the spiritual life. Reaching for the Invisible God also explores the personality of God, the choice God made in limiting himself, and the great condescension he made as the Holy Spirit, choosing to live in human beings. Finally, Reaching for the Invisible God comes to an appropriate finish as Yancey writes about growth, about childlike living under God apart from unrealistic expectations, legalisms, and unhealthy dependence. The goal is mature childlikeness, with no preconceptions, an ability to accept gifts from God, and trust, which lead to the responses of love, sacrifice, the denial of self, and servant leadership.

In Reaching for the Invisible God Philip Yancey writes with honesty about the Christian life, about how to get along with God, how to believe again, and about the Reaching for the Invisible God of faith, or the things people never told you about the Christian life. It's the real scoop and straight talk about the truth--like an operating manual for faith. It is for the reader seeking to be honest with God. And it will help anyone wanting to explain to friends what life as a Christian is all about.

Reviews

HPopular theologian Yancey (The Jesus I Never Knew; What's So Amazing About Grace?) steers clear of trite detours, inviting readers to travel through some of the most difficult aspects of nurturing a human relationship with a transcendent God. Drawing upon wide experience and a rich well of stories, Yancey considers honestly the predicaments of human existence. We are distracted with the daily grind, checking our e-mail more often than we meditate. We banish doubts in the name of more streamlined versions of success and self-fulfillment. Christians in particular, Yancey says, are often guilty of worshipping the impossible while failing to believe in the possibleDthat relationship of grace God extends to humankind daily. With common sense and a poetic sensibility, Yancey poses fruitful questions and offers real insights. In the search for signposts of the invisible God, Yancey beckons readers to the Bible to encounter God's loving and gracious personality. Without clich s, he reminds us that doubt and difficulty can be catalysts for intimacy with God. And with humor and fair wisdom, he talks about seeking the Holy Spirit: "To reach for the Spirit is like hunting for your eyeglasses while wearing them." In conversation with the many sages he citesDC.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton and Umberto Eco, to name a fewDYancey is at once pastoral and provocative. Meet a friend. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

One of the most approachable evangelical Christian writers acknowledges his struggles with faith, laments his considerable shortcomings, and vows to do better in what amounts to an intimate encounter with one man's faith. He relays many anecdotes, often culling them from his own experiences, and he shares the wisdom of fellow spiritual travelers, including C. S. Lewis, Kathleen Norris, and Martin Marty. He admits he doesn't know all the answers but says he has become more comfortable with not knowing. His is not an easy faith. He offers no facile solutions, no panacea to suffering and misery. Nevertheless, he addresses perennial human concerns, ranging from why bad things happen to good people to the difference between free will and supernatural intervention. Whether acknowledging the existence of God or attempting to fathom the inner workings of fellow humans, a leap of faith is required, he says. Despite the ongoing struggle of daily living, Yancey remains optimistic about the human condition, certain that the religious impulse will continue to offer solace and enable companionship. June Sawyers
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Zondervan
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0310235316
• ISBN 13: 9780310235316
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304