A Story Worth Telling: A Brief Review and Recommendation

Followers of this blog will note that I rarely digress from anything other New Testament-related posts. In this particular case, I am making an exception. This is not to say that this book does not have plenty of New Testament-related material, but the focus is more on the praxis of belief than a theological/exegetical book proper. The author also happens to be my brother-in-law and I have had more than one discussion with him regarding the contents of this book.

Bill Blankschaen's new volume, A Story Worth Telling: A Field Guide to Living an Authentic Life (Abingdon Press, 2015), is a needed corrective to misguided notions of what it means to live a life of faith. According to Blankschaen, "Faith is doing what you believe to be true, often in spite of what you see, sense, or feel" (9). Further, Blankschaen helpfully stresses that believing/seeing are not antithetical aspects of having faith. If what we believe is true, than what we experience will line up with what we believe most of the time. Living a life of faith means having a story that is worth telling.

We all have stories, but most of us cling securely to the mundane of everyday life. Very few of us welcome change, most of us resist it. If you want to cling to your current situation, Bill's book should be one you ignore on the bookshelf. If, however, you are restless and feel like you are "simply existing" and your God-given gifts are lying dormant (13), A Story Worth Telling is a book that will provide a sure-footed guide in changing the course of your life story.

I have made my way through one-third of Bill's book and I already feel conviction in how I view almost every aspect of my life. To realize I need to take a personal inventory is in no small part due to this book. I recommend it highly to those of us who have been spinning our wheels and neglecting the gifts God has bestowed upon us.