Lost In the Prairies.....Found by God

God summoned the ancient Israelites with the blast of a ram's horn. And he still calls people to action today! Dynamic young preacher Paul Hudson is committed to building his church---but at what cost? As he and his congregation struggle to live out their faith, they must choose between man's will---and God's. 450 pages, softcover from Tyndale.

I know many of you may have already read this novel and if you haven't, you need to.  This novel looks at a dying congregation who brings in a new pastor and how that pastor and congregation start to look at the larger picture and their own ambitions and not on God and His will.

I try to read this book every year.  I've hightlighted and taken notes in it.  I know this isn't a Bible, but it is a book that forces us to reflect on where and what our hearts are focused on when we are in ministry.  Is it God and how what we do reflects him to others?  Or is it we look to others or to the world?  These are things I always ask myself when I am involved in ministry.  For example I love to sing.  It took me three year at our previous church to allow myself to ask if I could join the worship team.  Not because I was unsure of whether I could sing or not, but so I could examine my heart as to my motivation to join.

I love how Francine Rivers tackles some of the questions I have regarding ministry  :

How often do we do things to please others, rather than what God tells us to do.
How do we view our church leaders?
Do we see submission in passive or negative terms?
Are we simplifying our message to assist or deceive?

She may not give us the answers that we want, but she gives us the places to look for those answers, namely God and His word.  She doesn't splice words in this novel, even while cleaning up the ending.  

This book is well written and explores our hearts as Christians and our motivations in our Churches.  I would recommend everyone reading this book not just as an eye opener as the Church today, but also to see what God can do when we do get caught up in us and not Him.