On Our Way Home: Courage and Faith for the Final Journey - Softcover

Herhold, Bob

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1561012432 ISBN 13: 9781561012435

Publisher: Cowley Publications, 2006

Synopsis

The author of this little book was a self-described “79-year-old geezer” who, like Paul Newman, wondered how he would “do the dying thing.”

After doctors have probed and prescribed and made us feel like volunteers for medical research, we often need to take a deep breath and make sense of things. In On Our Way Home Bob Herhold tells instructive, inspiring, and humorous stories of aging and loss, helping us to see that though life seems to be flying by, we can make every moment count by dancing lightly with God.

Herhold's stories encourage us as we face life's most democratic event―death―by demonstrating that

When we have fewer answers, we may have more faith
We can learn to forgive others, ourselves, and―are you ready for this?―even God (for giving us the gift of so much freedom!)
It is not how we keep the faith, but how the faith keeps us
It is not necessary to distinguish daily prayer from daily existence
Dying, though it is the last thing we do, teaches us so much about living
We probably do not have enough faith to be an atheist
Life offers hints that after we die, the dance still goes on
In this collection of thoughtful and concise reflections, Pastor Bob Herhold considers the meaning and challenges of living life to the end. From fear of death to the delights of old age, Herhold challenges us to honestly face what each of our lives offer with the faith that death itself brings hope. With an eye that peers beyond the horizon and a steady belief in taking each step at a time, Bob Herhold walks with us into the future with kindness, assurance, and a wit to humble Death itself.

About this title

About the Author

Bob Herhold was a clergyman, an award-winning journalist, author, and playwright. He was a Lutheran pastor who served churches in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and California. An early advocate of racial integration, Herhold participated in the famed civil rights march in Selma, Alabama in 1965 and was known for his outspoken views on social justice. He was the father of four and the grandfather of ten. He lived in Palo Alto, California with Muriel, his wife of 57 years. Herhold died on April 18, 2006 at the age of 81, just weeks after the publication of his book On Our Way Home: Courage and Faith for the Final Journey.

Review

My favorite thought is about baseball great Jackie Robinson's 1952 visit to Herhold's church. It is the ending of the story that is so important. Herhold believes Robinson did not know the word ‘defeat' and in death, we don't have to be defeated. Herhold says, ‘None of us beat death, but because of Jesus we can steal home.' Now that's a comforting and empowering thought! (Andrea Sisco Armchair Interviews)

Edition details

• Publisher: Cowley Publications
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1561012432
• ISBN 13: 9781561012435
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 100