Fire of Grace

Trinity Lutheran Church was burned to the ground byone of the most prolific arsonists in the history of theUnited States. When Paul Keller was finally apprehendedand imprisoned, one of his first visitors was Rick Rouse,pastor of the church he burned. Pastor Rouse said that hewas compelled by Christ to visit Paul and offer him hispersonal forgiveness.

That simple and profound act began a process of healingand transformation that included the entire congregation,the victims of arson, and his family. Through sharing hisstory - and highlighting other stories of forgiveness - PastorRouse outlines the path toward reconciliation that manyhave experienced when relying upon God's gift offorgiveness.

Perfect for small group discussion. A film about the church and their journey is available: Forgiveness: A Miracle of Love. Order the two together.

Rick Rouse is an ELCA pastor, having served congregations in Arizona, California, Washington, and Oregon. He has also served as executive director for church relations and continuing theological education at Pacific Lutheran University for twelve years. The author of several books, Rouse has also appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and has had his story of forgiveness and healing reported in USA Today, Reader"s Digest, and The Lutheran.