Book Review: The Visitation by Frank Peretti- Oct 2017
This. This book.
Listen, y'all.
There are very few Christians willing to put themselves out there and be honest enough about the crap that goes along with being a church member, preacher, or Christian in general. You might offend a fellow church member. You might get kicked off the board. You might find your Sunday School class being taught by someone else, or find yourself on the prayer list. This book delves into the world of Church-ism. Frank is brutally honest and brilliantly encapsulates all the issues that one finds in churches across the country.
I am personally at a place where religion really bothers me. I love Jesus. I love God. I am born again. But I hate...hate religion. It's stifling, it suppresses individuals, it screams of "works-based salvation". It is the quickest set up to have someone wrongfully judged, but then turns around and judges folks for judging. It is full of backbiting. Petty disagreements. Pompous figures in high places that are really just puffed up nobodies thinking they're somebodies because they are related to someone else who thinks they are somebody and holds a position in a church full of nobodies. Now don't misunderstand what I'm saying: I am not directing this toward an individual, or the group of Christians I worship with and fellowship with. But in any church, in any place, you will find religious people that make everyone sick except the misguided folks who follow them as though they are Jesus. I have experienced many of the scenarios presented in this book, or have had to watch others fall for them all in the name of good ol' Christianity. So with that said, I enjoyed this book immensely, and feel that if everyone attending a church read it, they would have some scales fall from their eyes. Then I might be able to tolerate so many more people.
The book is written from the perspective of Travis Jordan--a former pastor who has given up the pulpit. A stranger comes to town performing miracles and claiming to be Jesus. In a small American town, with every tiny church looking for their "touch" from Jesus, the masses flock to him. But the Messiah and Travis know each other better than Travis initially realizes, and what unfolds is a lot of spiritual realization, church drama, and chaos. And sadly, I could see this unfolding in my neck of the woods just as easy as it did in Antioch, Washington.
My favorite quotes:
(This is difficult, because I don't do spoilers, and because I highlighted so much in this book I would have to retype half the book for you. I'll limit myself.)
He looked liked he was about to interrupt, but I didn't give him a chance. 'No one...has ever...taken a city for Christ. Not Paul, not Peter, nobody. Not even Christ took a city for Christ.'
"Which brings me to the nursery sing-up sheet. Keep that puppy circulating or somebody's going to get stuck in there doing the job alone and forever while all the parents dump their kids on them. Same goes for the children's ministry. Be careful you don't find anyone too good at it, because they'll get stuck with the job until they burn out."
I got into a religious argument with him once and he finished it in Latin.
Just don't get into a doctrinal dispute with him. He doesn't like being disagreed with.
"Do you know what I mean by 'stuff'?" I nodded. "It's becoming increasingly clear to me." She smiled. "That's all it ever was. You know I never turned away from the Lord. It was just..." She shrugged. "All the stuff."
...
"Kind of like having the same old conversation so many times you don't feel like having it again." (This really hit home with me. Go to church. Go through the motions. Come home. Repeat. Is this what Jesus meant when He said to fellowship with other believers? Is this really what He intended the "church" to be? It's draining.)
All the women were in dresses--long dresses. No pants anywhere. I began to dread the moment when the song would end and people would open their eyes and see me. They'd probably think I wasn't saved.
I watched from the sidelines, trying not to look sick and in need of prayer...
(When preachers tell you to turn to your neighbor and say__<insert whatever ridiculous thing>__)
Someone turned to me and said it, but I didn't even turn. I had made up my mind long ago I'd never turn to anyone and say anything ever again. This. This hit me in my gut. I have NEVER felt good about this. It's just creepy. And stupid. Don't tell me what to say.
And finally, this one:
They did everything and had no procedure for dealing with two unknown faces emerging from the multitude and wanting to do something. So month after month we continued to show up, hurry in, praise the Lord, hear the Word, and hurry out with the thousands. We put our tithe check into the offering plate and supported those highly trained, handpicked folks who ran all those programs with all those logos. Surely we could get used to feeling unknown and unneeded every Sunday. Someday we would conquer the cynicism we felt every time we turned to greet those around us, knowing the likelihood of ever seeing them again. After all, this was our role as members.
What I love about this book is it captures the crazy, stereotypical junk that you get in churches. You have folks getting mad at you for taking your meds after they lay hands on you and "heal you". As though you have no faith if you continue to seek medical advice.
You have folks convincing others that if you don't speak in tongues, you aren't really saved. Something must be wrong with you.
You have those looking for signs in the clouds, in tree trunks, coffee grinds, whatever.
You have those who think because they are married to, related to, or friends with the preacher or deacons, they have more spiritual authority or maturity than you: and more say so in the church and YOUR life.
It's easy to join a church, only to find that you've been there 5 years and they only want your husband/wife to serve: you are just there because you're with him/her. "Do you need help serving __<insert ministry>__?" "No, we're great! Thanks!" but you find out they are complaining about not having enough people serving. "Let me know if you need me anywhere!" "Will do!" But still, nothing. They don't want you teaching the kids, even though you have plenty of experience. They don't want you teaching adults because they don't know you well enough. After years, they don't know you well enough. And that's your fault, somehow, even though you spent the first two years showing up to the meetings, the get-togethers, and all you gleaned from it was who is in what clique.
Travis Jordan is burned out and no longer gives a flip what anyone thinks about him. And he's content to no longer have anything to do with the religious folks that have driven him nuts and judged him for years. But since he (and the new pastor to his old church) are apparently the only ones not falling for this "Messiah", he feels he has to do something to expose the guy. And that's when the religious crap hits the fan.
By the end of the book, I was ready to go back to my church and hug my friends there. Not because it is without some of the above issues, because every church has something. But because I do not feel bound by rules of man and religion, and can worship freely and choose my friends carefully. When it comes down to it, we are the church. And we are called to love, even if folks are unlovable. Even when folks are hard to deal with, it's nothing to stay offended about. They don't pay your bills.
Content:
Language: None.
Sex: Nothing ugly
Religion: Oh, it's ugly. But it hits the nail on the head.
I would give his book 6 stars if I could, but I'll have to settle for the max allowed. Five!
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