A short, concentrated reminder for Christians that prayer remains one of the central missions of their faith.
A writer calls for a more engaged personal Christianity.
This brief work from Bryant (God’s Servant, 2016, etc.) returns frequently to a dilemma that will be familiar to many modern-day Christians: the many demands of daily life and how those tasks can sometimes obscure the importance of their faith. “We might try to fit in a five-minute prayer before we retire for the night,” Bryant writes. “But we have to make the decision that being alone with God is something we cannot afford to neglect.” The author stresses again and again that the benefits of communing with God immensely outweigh the minor irritation of finding the time in a busy schedule. God, for Bryant, is the source of all strength and support in life. As subsequent chapters make clear, this remains true even in times of trouble, when the faithful might even feel that God has let them down. “But can we rise from the ashes of a wounded faith and once again believe in the power of God?” the author asks, citing both Scripture and the trials in her own life. The most pointed Scriptural analogy is of course the pairing of Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary. Busy Martha is irritated that all the housework is left to her when Jesus visits their home and talks to the other guests. Mary has wisely decided to listen to Jesus’ teachings rather than helping her sister. The key to a more meaningful Christian fellowship, Bryant maintains, is to strike a successful balance between the spiritual and the material. In the book’s clear and concise prose and quick chapters, the author underscores the vital significance of “sustaining a consistent prayer life,” and although most of the author’s personal anecdotes are rather general, the intimate tone throughout is ultimately winning. The faith observations made in every chapter are often on the anodyne side, the kinds of easy sentiments that the author’s Christian readers will have heard many times in church. But the practical understanding in the backgrounds of all these reflections—Bryant’s clear noting of the distractions of daily life—should have many readers nodding in recognition.
A short, concentrated reminder for Christians that prayer remains one of the central missions of their faith.Pub Date: April 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68197-010-3
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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