On a Hill Too Far Away: Putting the Cross Back into the Center of Our Lives [Paperback]

John Fischer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2001

Explores the centrality of the cross in a Christian's faith and the tragedy of its absence in contemporary Christian life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"The God of present-day evangelicalism is a big buddy in the sky," chides Fischer, a musician and columnist for Contemporary Christian Music magazine. What has happened to the cross? For someone firmly entrenched in evangelical culture, Fischer has some pretty harsh things to say about evangelicalism--things that he believes many Christians need to hear. Fischer often caustically reminds readers that sin is more than "dysfunction," that the promises of Easter are empty without the horrifying reality of Christ's bloody, bloody death. (Fischer, like a 19th-century Methodist hymn, likes to speak of "nothing but the blood.") This is an eye-opening if craggy read, challenging evangelical Christians to place the cross at the center of spiritual life.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

John Fischer has been mixing his unique combination of singing, speaking, and humor for a variety of audiences for over thirty years. His multifaceted talents of song writing, speaking, singing, and writing reflect the many avenues by which John carries on a spiritual dialogue with real life and real people.



John's books present a thought-provoking challenge to the Christian Church today, encouraging believers to pull the true essence of their faith from the trappings of the contemporary Christian subculture. John's debut into fiction, Saint Ben, received a Silver Angel award for fiction.



His other fiction books include Saint Ben, Saint's and Angel's Song, and Ashes on the Wind. Since l980, he has contributed a column to Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine.



A graduate of Wheaton College, John and his family now live in California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764224700
• ISBN-13: 978-0764224706
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Fischer is senior writer for PurposeDrivenLife.com, specializing in a daily devotional that reaches an audience of over 230,000 people five times a week. John's career spans over 30 years, first as a singer/songwriter, recording artist, and pioneer of Jesus Music, then as a best-selling author, and currently as a nationally popular speaker at conferences, retreats, churches, and colleges/universities. John's body of work includes 12 albums, 15 books, and numerous articles for a variety of publications. His early songs, such as "Love Him in the Morning" ("All Day Song") and "Have You Seen Jesus My Lord?" have become standard youth and camp favorites. His books include the best-selling "Real Christians Don't[crossed out] Dance" and his popular novel "Saint Ben." For over 23 years, he was a clarion call for the growing Christian music industry from his regular award-winning monthly column in "CCM" (Contemporary Christian Music) magazine. In addition to his writing with PurposeDrivenLife.com, John also writes for Chuck Colson's Breakpoint.org and is a regular columnist in "Relevant" magazine. "Confessions of a Caffeinated Christian" is John's first book with Tyndale House Publishers. John graduated from Wheaton College, Illinois, in 1969. He studied the ministry under the leadership of the late Ray C. Stedman at Peninsula Bible Church, Palo Alto, California, during the 1970s, and has served as artist in residence at Gordon College, Seattle Pacific University, and Baylor University. He now resides with his wife, Marti, and their son, Chandler, in Laguna Beach, California. They also have two adult children, Christopher and Anne. For more information, visit John's Web site at www.fischtank.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provides concrete Bible-based steps for Christian living, May 19, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On a Hill Too Far Away: Putting the Cross Back into the Center of Our Lives (Paperback)

With On A Hill Too Far Away: Putting The Cross Back Into The Center Of Our Lives, John Fischer explores the centrality of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to the Christian faith. Drawing upon the image of a 15-foot cross bolted front and center inside a Connecticut church, Fischer provides concrete Bible-based steps for Christian living. Other very highly recommended Fischer titles for a Christian readership include Ashes On The Wind; Saint Ben; The Saints' And Angels' Song; 12 Steps For The Recovering Pharisee; and True Believers Don't Ask Why.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars John Fischer hits a Home Run!, June 5, 2009

By 

Carl S. Wilson "Carl in Texas" (Austin Texas) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On a Hill Too Far Away: Putting the Cross Back into the Center of Our Lives (Paperback)

John shoots straight with us "church people." This small book drags us back to the church's fundamentals. Every believer should read this book.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this book, March 21, 2008

By 

Rick Willard (Everett, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On a Hill Too Far Away: Putting the Cross Back into the Center of Our Lives (Paperback)

I read this book a couple years ago, loved it so much I lent it to a friend, but apparently didn't get it back. So I ordered it again, and finished reading it in one setting, sensing once again the impact of the cross John Fischer writes about in this book. It is rugged and splintered. It's not 'pretty' nor 'polished'. And this book helped me again realize it was an awful tool of death where sin was destroyed for me and those that accept His gift of redemption. This book will touch places of your heart possibly never visited before and I highly recommend it.