Product Description

Here's a thoughtful, probing exploration of why Christians get stuck in the place of complacency, dryness, and tedium -- and how to move on to new levels of spiritual passion! Buchanan shows how the majority of Christians begin their spiritual journey with excitement and enthusiasm -- only to get bogged down in a "borderland" -- an in-between space beyond the "old life" but short of the abundant, adventurous existence promised by Jesus. Citing Jonah, he examines the problem of "borderland living" -- where doubt, disappointment, guilt, and wonderlessness keep people in a quagmire of mediocrity -- then offers solutions ... effective ways to get unstuck and move into a bold, unpredictable, exhilarating walk with Christ. Inspired writing!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72071 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-05
• Released on: 2001-02-05
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 8.51" h x .67" w x 6.04" l, .75 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Canadian pastor and first-time author Buchanan says that he "hit the ground running" when he first became a Christian. He got involved in a church, taught Sunday school and read his Bible regularly. Then things got rote. Buchanan was, in a word, "stuck." But he had friends who weren't stuck: the elderly widow who seemed full of spiritual joy, a multiple sclerosis patient with a broken body but a strong faith. So Buchanan set out to write a book that would explain why many Christians fail to progress spiritually and why only a few grow stronger in faith. He concludes that believers reach a plateau when they think God is too cuddly and (as the title suggests) safe. The literary conceit of this narrative is all too familiar in evangelical Christian books: the church is full of euphemism and afloat on pat answers, but this bold, new author is going to be refreshingly honest about how difficult his own faith walk has been. Buchanan may be honest, but the tactic is stale. Equally banal are Buchanan's tips for "breaking free": Don't boast about your good deeds. Read the Bible. Confess when you've sinned. Pray. Perhaps his only innovative advice is that Christians take up fasting, a biblical activity that has become increasingly popular among contemporary evangelicals.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Born-again Christian Buchanan led youth groups, taught Sunday school, wrote the church newsletter, became a camp counselor, and mentored several young men. Like many who try to do everything, preferably all at once, he became bruised, jaded, and frustrated--afflicted with "chronic spiritual fatigue." This book records his restorative journey of self-discovery and tries to figure out why some whose lives are marked by great pain and suffering refuse to surrender to their darker impulses. Buchanan turned to such persons' stories and those of others throughout the ages for inspiration and a cure for the spiritual malaise that he sees has enveloped contemporary culture. The resulting, luminous book is full of self-doubt and self-knowledge. Ultimately, Buchanan chooses to celebrate life's goodness in a cautious optimism that offers hope and a sense of wonder without sentimentality or saccharinity. His book is a gift, pure and simple, that dares to question the status quo and attempts to restore meaning and purpose to daily living. June Sawyers
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Mark Buchanan is a pastor and freelance writer/editor who lives with his wife, Cheryl, and three children on the west coast of Canada. Educated at the University of British Columbia and Regent University, he has been published in numerous periodicals, including Christianity Today and Books and Culture.