Positive Grace by Deb Haggerty

Deb’s Dozen: To know God, we must understand the Trinity and know His Word.

In these days of feel good Christianity and many churches’ desires to ensure the people in the pews are “comfortable,” James Goll’s book, Passionate Pursuit: Getting to Know God and His Word is as a fresh breeze. Goll wrote the book because he believes the fundamental teachings of the faith are not emphasized enough by the Church today. He feels we greatly underappreciate God, the Great I AM; the Son, the human incarnation of God; and the Spirit, the active part of God who brings us to Him. The book is divided into two sections—the first about the Trinity—and how we know God by our understanding of the Trinity. The second section show us how to know God through His Word, the Holy Bible.

The first section, about the Trinity, shows us how deeply God desires a relationship with us and that in turn, our greatest blessings come the more we know about God and His nature. Only if we truly understand God can we truly understand the relationship we have with Him through Jesus Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We have to be intentional about seeking to know Him more deeply. “After all, God said, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ He didn’t say, I am the God who ‘was’ or I am the God who ‘will be.'” The more we study and learn, the more we can experience His love. Topics Goll covers in Section One are those such as “God as Our Personal Father,” “God’s Amazing Attributes,” “The Messiah Has Come!” and “Holy Spirit, You are Welcome Here.” James’ desire is to show us “Here is the God who created the universe, and yet He is relational. He already knows you inside and out, and He wants you to know Him. He wants us all to know His heart.”

Section Two covers “Knowing the Master Builder,” “Hungry for His Every Word,” and “The Uniqueness of God’s Word” among others. He begins this section with this statement:
If you want to know God’s heart, then you must know His Word, where His nature and character are revealed. The Word speaks to you directly with His voice … and “God’s words, as revealed in the Scriptures, are trustworthy. God’s authoritative Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit. This Word takes the ‘warp’ out of our lives and sets us on the straight path. The Word is consistent and powerful, pulling down negative strongholds and making us complete in Him.

He states that “knowing God is not automatic; it is a lifelong process that required dedication to the task. It is a lost art, and I have dedicated my life to bring it back to the people of God.” He encourages us to be more like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus and less like Martha—we’re to “get out of the kitchen” and into the life and love He has for us.

If you are interested in growing deeper in your Christian walk, you’ll want to read Passionate Pursuit. James Goll brings to our remembrance or, perhaps, first knowledge, the Awesomeness of Almighty God and the power and privilege of His Word. Although you may find the Scriptures quoted within familiar, I trust they will also positively impact your desire to grow closer to God. I would rate this book five stars due to the importance of the Christian’s knowing intimately the material contained within.

Passionate Pursuit consists of teachings about God backed up by the appropriate Scriptures. Goll told me the book came into being over twelve years of discovering God and His nature—he taught these things in a class. He is concerned the plethora of writings today are all about helping people and not about teaching them to grow in knowledge of the supernatural—they’re more about today’s culture. He feels they teach God “stuff” but are not about teaching God.

In an effort to reaffirm his beliefs, he went back to look at the “classics” of Christian literature to see what had been said. He came under conviction that we need to center on God the Father, Jesus Christ the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit. He wants us to remember and deeply know “The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are love personified. This is the Godhead.”

I asked James what he learned about himself during the writing of this book. He said he started with the goal of “helping people think” He says as he began to teach this class (and write the book), he had to go back and ask, “What do I really believe myself?” He told me the writing helped him truly anchor his own soul to the truths of God and Scripture.

He studied at Central Missouri State and was valedictorian in 1970. He was on scholarship and enjoyed singing (bass and baritone). After a Bachelor’s in Social Work at Wesley Catholic Center in St, Joseph, he thought he’d work in biological research. However, his uncle, a Methodist minister spent much time conversing with him. His uncle was a church person who had “died to credentials before me.” James said, “I got saved from living a successful sinning life.

James has written more than thirty books—largely because books were his mentors and he wanted to be a mentor to others. He has a doctorate in Practical Ministry (2007) from and has worked for the Wagner Leadership Institute. He is the founder of the God Encounters Training E-School of the Heart—“where faith and life meet.” After serving in the pastorate in the Midwest, “he was thrust into the role of international itinerant teacher and trainer and has traveled extensively in over fifty nations.”

What did I learn about James from our interview? He has a great sense of humor, a wonderful speaking voice, and considers himself a “hipster.” He was a singer before he was a preacher and still sings every morning and evening.

He says his greatest quest is to leave a shadow. One can only cast a shadow when standing in the light. Believe me, James Goll is standing in the light! For more information about James and his ministry, go to www.jamesgoll.com

Deb’s Dozen: Come take an incredible sacred journey with Meg, Mara, Hannah, and Charissa.

Seldom, if ever, have I been drawn into such spiritual depth by a work of fiction. Sensible Shoes is an incredible journey with four very disparate women who come to know each other and themselves in a spiritually deep and rich fashion. I was drawn in by the characters of Meg, Hannah, Mara, and Charissa—perhaps because I could see a bit of myself in each of them. What wonderfully complex and vulnerable characters Sharon has written—so believable—to the point I wish I could talk with them and become their friend too.

Four women—each with deep wounds from their past. Each drawn to attend a series of sessions by a plum-colored flyer that stated: “Jesus says, ‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly’ (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message). We invite you to come take a sacred journey.”

As they gather at the New Hope Retreat Center, they each wonder why they came—and think about not coming back. Mara, with the burdens of her unhappy home and infamous past; Meg, tied to a house haunted with the voice of an unaffectionate mother; Hannah, given a forced sabbatical of nine months by her church; and Charissa, an uptight, perfectionist of a graduate student working on her PhD. Four women with nothing in common who discover the commonality we all share.

One of the exercises is to confess the wells other than that of living water they’ve drunk from in their pasts to try to find fulfillment.

She had drawn from the well of sexual gratification, but the water had been bitter.

She had drawn from the well of material possessions, but that well was filled with salt water, making her crave more and more.

She had drawn from the well of approval and acceptance, but that well was unpredictable. She never knew if there would be water or not, and even when she managed to draw some out, her bucket leaked. She couldn’t hold it. It didn’t last.

Another came to the realization that she …

… had worn her self-sufficiency as a badge of honor. For years her own pride had kept her from Jesus …

… she didn’t want to feel guilty. Because she wanted to avoid reproach and punishment. Because she wanted other people to respect and admire her. Because she knew it was the right thing to do.

But love for God did not appear anywhere on her long list of reasons and motivation for living and obedient Christian life. How was that possible?

She had been self-centered, even in her faith. Totally self-centered.

And eventually one came to the realization that,

For so many years I based my identity on how much I achieved and on what other people thought of me. I wasn’t at rest in my relationship with God. I was always haunted by the thought that I should be doing more, that I wasn’t a faithful enough servant. Then when God stripped everything away and pruned me down to a stump, I began to see all the false things I had trusted in. I finally began to understand that I have the same invitation John the disciple had: to call myself ‘the one Jesus loves.’ To really believe it in a way I never had before and to live life from that center … I’m not trying to earn God’s love and favor anymore. I’m just resting in Christ. And it’s good. There’s such freedom there.

How I’ve identified with these statements. How many of you have identified with these statements too? Put on your Sensible Shoes and join Meg, Mara, Hannah, and Charissa on their sacred journey. You’ll be so happy and blessed that you did! Five stars only because I can’t give it ten!

To embark on the sacred journey, click here: Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey

Sharon Brown and I talked about how she came to write Sensible Shoes. She told me the book is drawn from real-life experience. In 2008, she asked a group of women if they’d like to be in a spiritual formation group—to grow into the Spirit. Twelve said yes. Over time they found they could be authentic, trust each other, and deal with the deep personal issues they each faced. The transformation was profound and deep and beautiful. One of them said, “To walk with God, you need to wear ‘sensible shoes.'” They discovered they needed a spiritual discipline to cooperate with grace.

Although much of the book is fiction, there is no fiction in the reactions of the women or their spiritual leaders. The book teaches there is hope, freedom, healing, and community to be found—no one needs to do this work in isolation.

I asked Sharon what she learned about Sharon by writing Sensible Shoes. She told me she had learned how to celebrate the love of God in her own life—especially as a pastor. She learned how to disentangle her professional and personal identities, coming to know herself as God’s beloved child instead of wearing herself out in anxiety-driven work for God. She realized her compulsion to rescue others and that she needed to be able to back off and trust the work of the Spirit.

Sharon was born in Arcadia, CA. She studied English at Smith College and then earned her Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. She’s married to Jack and they have a son, David, who is nineteen. Their ministry postings have taken them from Glasgow, Scotland, to Tulsa, OK, to Southampton, England, and they’re now in a pastorate in Caledonia, MI.

She was raised in Presbyterian and Methodist churches, but has ministered in several denominations: Presbyterian, Church of Scotland, a non-denominational church in England, and now they are with the Evangelical Covenant Church. She says they needed a “place to land” and found this church, founded in the 1800s, which has as a tenet the commitment to “agree in the essentials” while affording the freedom to disagree on the nonessentials.

Interestingly, she is a technophobe, just got her first cellphone in late May, and recently learned how to text. She says “I love all things British—especially tea. I love to read. I love to travel. I love watching movies with my family. I love to write. I’ve always loved to write.

Her second book, Two Steps Forward, which will release in September, is a continuation of Sensible Shoes, and covers the period of Advent. The book is the story of persevering in hope. The final book, Barefoot, covers Lent to Easter and is about surrendering to God and dying to self. The books are fiction books with non-fiction teaching content. The characters become windows and mirrors that the readers can look through and in to find themselves and see God more clearly.

Sharon Garlough Brown is a pastor, spiritual director, retreat leader, and author. Kathy Lee Gifford calls Sensible Shoes one of her “favorite things.” To learn more about Sharon, check out SensibleShoesClub.com.

InterVarsity gave me a copy of Sensible Shoes in exchange for my candid review.