The story of the prodigal son is a famous one in the church.
It is told over and over to the point that the truth blurs and it becomes a
story we think we know better than perhaps we do. But Andrew J. Bauman takes the
three players, runaway son, older son, and father and brings them to life in a
way that brings us back to the truth of God. The runaway son was struggling
with shame and self-contempt. The older son struggled with entitlement. The
father struggled with embracing grief/kindness to self and others/surrendering
control. The pictures that Bauman walks us through help us connect to depths of
our universal struggle to embrace resurrection—that has been freely given to us—in our lives. Stumbling Toward Wholeness is the story of each of us as we address our pain and bitterness
and step out in bravery to love the way the Father loves us all.
This book blew me away. I know I say this a lot, there have
been a lot of great books this year, but this one is my favorite for multiple
reasons. I have had a heart connection to the parable of the prodigal son for
many years. I felt like the wayward one who took everything good given to me
and wasted it on myself while letting everyone down. I didn’t deserve love, but
it was given to me as I started my journey of Stumbling Toward Wholeness.
But, Bauman takes this story to deeper levels that have left me in tears. His
vulnerability in this book is bold and brave. Wholeness is not something we
just magically find ourselves living in. We have been given wholeness in Christ
but living in this world is messy and it is more like stumbling than an easy
climb to experience all that God has for us in his love. By regularly returning
to the arms of our kind and loving Father we will be transformed. This book is
split into three sections, one for each of the characters, and contains
discussion/reflection questions at the end of each chapter. I highly recommend
this book to anyone struggling to live in wholeness, which I believe is everyone.
We are Stumbling Toward Wholeness and this book would make a great
companion on your journey of faith and a great Bible Study to do with close
friends. This book is vulnerable, raw, honest, and thought provoking. I hope
you enjoy it.
- Hannah
* I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.
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