Reallivepreacher.com (Paperback)

by Gordon Atkinson (Author) "There is a deep vent on the ocean floor of humanity, a place of creation between belief and unbelief..." (more)
Key Phrases: real live preacher, hollow church, smallest person, Crazy Joe, Hugh Elliott, Los Angeles (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 165 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802828108
• ISBN-13: 978-0802828101
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #567,846 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Striking honesty about faith, December 5, 2004

By	Fearless Reviews "D. Patrick Miller, Editor" (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

"If the wafers are going stale for you, be the bread yourself. Break yourself open and nourish the world..."

Two years ago a pastor of a small church in San Antonio, Texas, signed onto the web at Salon.com and began a journey. This dangerous expedition was an odyssey to plumb the depths of his core in order to share his own fears, doubts and desires. And, in the daring process of baring his soul before faceless millions, his weblog, RealLivePreacher.com, grew into one of the most widely read blogs in the world.

This collection of some of "The Preacher's" finest essays is a fascinating study into belief as experienced by an all-too-human man of the cloth. Atkinson is a no-holds-barred type of blogger. He makes no attempt to beautify the ugly realities of dealing with faith. He struggles in the dirt with it; he uses the f-word when appropriate; he takes no prisoners and leaves no stones unturned. And, when he occasionally loses his belief in God, he freely admits it. For example, when he can't deal with the glossiness of the modern-day, super-organized church versus the simple loving communion that Christ and his followers shared, he doesn't rein in his aversion.

Both new and veteran readers of RealLivePreacher.com will adore the characters who have helped Atkinson trek the dusty roads of his faith walk. There's big Earl the Gravedigger, friend and atheist. There's George the Deacon, dying of AIDS who enjoys a hit on his bong while partaking of his last communion. There's tiny Everett, born too soon, who dies before he can take his first breath but somehow manages to testify that hope can be born of sorrow. And then there's precious Elliot, a long-awaited child whose parents demonstrate the true meaning of forgiveness when a newcomer in Sunday school brutally bites him.

All in all, the most fascinating aspect of RealLivePreacher.com is its striking honesty. The Preacher shows us how God works faith in each and every one of us, no matter how broken, lost or thoroughly screwed up we are. This is Good News indeed. -- Cindy Appel for the FEARLESS REVIEWS

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the real thing, October 26, 2004

By	Casey (West Hartford, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This is a great book, collecting dozens of rlp's greatest essays from the blog that can be found at (where else?) www.reallivepreacher.com. For most of two years this blog was anonymously written, giving thousands of readers a glimpse inside the heart of a wonderful preacher, devoted father and very earthly man. Atkinson is a Texas Baptist minister who doesn't check his brain at the door. He is willing to share his own doubts, discuss crises of faith, and celebrate the real difficulties of life.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding God in surprising places., October 27, 2004

By	Rachel Barenblat "Velveteen Rabbi" (Williamstown, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a liberal Jew, I never would have expected to find genuine connection with God in the writings of a Baptist preacher from my birthplace, San Antonio. Good thing I didn't let that prejudice keep me from visiting RLP's blog, because the moment I did, I realized he was far more interesting than the label "southern Baptist preacher" implies. His faith is strong; so are his doubts. He lives fully in this world. He's interested in living righteously in a way that's aligned with his understanding of God. He repudiates fundamentalism. He understands the power of a good story.

This book holds the best essays from his blog, plus several new essays he crafted particularly for the collection, and it's just excellent. His stories are funny and poignant and humble. He's a hoot. He's a kick. He's genuine. He is a real live preacher, and whatever preconceptions you may have about that term, rest assured that he's going to blow them out of the water. Reading this book really moved me, and I recommend it highly.