I don’t think I’ve ever read a Francine Rivers book, but this one intrigued me. And it rocked my world. It’s called And the Shofar Blew and it is about a young pastor who takes over a small, struggling, church in a small town outside of Sacramento, California.
It is over the top in places, but it is a narrative that challenges all of the ‘church growth’ assumptions that are so prevalent in American Christianity. The biggest challenge to me in reading the book was realizing the ‘at all costs’ mentality that we pastors struggle with. Is the growth of the church (that is in bucks and butts) worth: ignoring your own family, compromising your message, looking past those in your church who are not ‘cool,’ spending zillions on buildings, etc.? The book was moving and convicting to me and caused me to reevaluate my own ministry.
