Random Pokes: Miscellaneous Musings about Life, Faith, People, Family, Church, and Other Stuff (but No Politics!). Sometimes Serious, Sometimes . Smile, and Occasionally Laugh out Loud.

Steve Dennie has been writing for Christian audiences for over 40 years. This book compiles miscellaneous articles that are worth keeping around—about the church, missions, childhood, marriage, and odd angles on familiar Bible stories. Most of these pieces are laced with his trademark humor, but others are more serious.

The hope is that these bite-sized articles will make you think in some new directions, especially about the Christian faith, and do so in a way that makes you smile frequently and occasionally laugh out loud.

He asks some questions, like:

• Does a Christian really need a life verse?
• Why don't the Gospels describe what Jesus looked like?
• How did Moses learn the Creation story?

He recalls some memories from childhood:

• The creep teacher who made a pass at him.
• Regrets about not taking a smoke with church friends.
• His deep and abiding fear of boogeymen in basements.

He muses about some people he encountered along the way:

• The nun in bluejeans who broke all the stereotypes.
• The waitress who prayed for the elders’ breakfast.
• The jerk husband at Applebees.

And he does some casual griping:

• Those never-ending pastoral prayers.
• Saying that “everyone is a missionary.”
• Uncomfortable church pews.

Altogether, there are 59 chapters—short, and usually with a point worth caring about.