Ideal for young Christians seeking more precise understanding of what the Bible is meant to teach

books:

	• Marry a Pregnant Virgin: Unusual Bible Stories for New and Curious Christians Frank G. Honeycutt Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2008 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Playful and Profound

One of the challenges of doing Bible study is to get participants to hear familiar texts in radical ways. Marry a Pregnant Virgin, by Frank Honeycutt, is at once playful and dead on deep in its treatment of Biblical stories. In Honeycutt's hands the explosive potential of these stories comes alive. He has a gift for taking a detail which is often overlooked and bringing out the significance which was hiding in plain sight. The chapters are constructed around the liturgical year and texts from the Common Lectionary. Equipped with reflection questions at the end of each chapter, this book begs to be used in group study. But Marry a Pregnant Virgin is also one of those rare books which serves equally well as the focus of one's morning devotions and as the springboard for a preacher in search of a fresh insight into texts which have become domesticated by repeated, unimaginative hearings. This is the work of one who believes that texts are not archeological relics to be dispassionately displayed, but living organisms capable of surprising and transforming the hearer.

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Gospel Imperatives

In MARRY A PREGNANT VIRGIN Rev. Frank Honeycutt offers challenging, insightful essays/sermons on biblical texts that may be familiar to the reader but that are seen anew through the lens of Honeycutt's keen intelligence and unexpected angles of vision. These carefully crafted reflections forcefully remind us that genuine conversion is an ongoing process, that both individual Christians and the churches to which they belong must continually renew their commitment to discipleship. As the author remarks, "One of the reasons that many churches are so diminished here early in the twenty-first century is that our perception of Jesus and his claim upon our lives is often so stunted." This book deepens the readers' understanding of that claim and encourages closer examination of the biblical texts on which that claim is grounded. Highly recommended!

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Refreshing Exploration

This book is refreshing. Frank Honeycutt is not about telling the readers what the scriptures mean for them. Instead, readers are invited along on an exploration of a text. Frank has a keen sense of the connections and plausible interpretations of texts throughout the scriptures. Readers are invited to dig deeply into the possible meanings and theological implications of the messages found there. He shares his own connections to the text from his life experience and readers are spirited away to explore the meanings for themselves. This book does not claim to have all the answers, but it does ask plenty of great questions. The book requires the reader to think honestly about biblical literature. It challenges the reader to be open to the ancient scriptures in dealing with the demands of modern living.

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Biblical Wine Steward

This latest gem from Frank Honeycutt is an exceptionally insightful celebration of the wondrous oddness of the Bible. Although written primarily with new Christians in mind, this book will also appeal to those with a mature faith who are open to the multiple meanings, the "polyvalent" quality of the peculiar Bible stories Honeycutt has selected. One such oddity Honeycutt cites is God's bidding to Ezekiel to "eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it." Scripture is meant to be devoured, apparently, not merely read. Well, if Ezekiel's response to this direction was to serve as a sort of prophetic scriptural chef, Honeycutt's calling seems to be something like a biblical wine steward (not inappropriate for an active pastor) because he serves up these unusual stories like individual glasses of fine wine, each held up to a new light to look for new color, each sniffed for new aroma, each sipped and yes, devoured, for new taste and nourishment. Hold the vintage story of Mary and Joseph up to the light and turn the glass a bit. There is certainly miracle aplenty in Mary's virginal pregnancy, but what of the miracle of Joseph's acceptance of his role, against every tenet of custom, law and "righteousness" of his time? Sample again the story of Peter's raising of Tabitha (aka Dorcas, the "gazelle"). It is a miracle indeed that she rises from the dead in response to Peter's call to "get up." But as Honeycutt notes, that same simple phrase is also used to described the first step taken by disciples beginning their ministry. We are called to "get up" on this side of the grave,too. Resurrection can occur now. Or taste again the exciting nautical tale of Jesus saving his fellow sailor disciples from certain sinking and drowning by quelling the storm's winds and waves. More miracle. Swirl that story around a little, though, and see that the truer miracle is Jesus equipping us with the means to develop a faith mature enough to weather any such storm. So open Honeycutt's book as you would a fine bottle of wine and devour these old, odd stories anew!

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Ideal for young Christians seeking more precise understanding of what the Bible is meant to teach

The idea of a "pregnant virgin" is just one of the unusual tales found in the Holy Bible. "Marry A Pregnant Virgin: Unusual Bible Stories for New and Curious Christians" is a examination of such initially perplexing tales. A guide to understanding and interpreting these Biblical stories, "Marry a Pregnant Virgin" is ideal for young Christians seeking more precise understanding of what the Bible is meant to teach. A fine gift to any curious religious teen.

reviews: page 1, 2

For those new to Christian life, the Bible is often an imposing book filled with tales of pregnant virgins, large fish, unbelievable miracles, and challenging stretches of the imagination. It is a daunting task to make sense of biblical narrative and to convey what the story is attempting to do, but skilled storyteller Frank Honeycutt brings lively, fresh interpretations to old stories and readers will come away with both understanding and inspiration.

Conveniently arranged by seasons of the church year, newcomers and life-long Christians alike will encounter the Bible stories of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost in a whole new way. The stories explored include: Desert Highway Home, Isaiah 40:3; Surrogate Messiahs, John 1:19-20; Love at First Sight, Matthew 4:20; Boating Tips for Night Crossings, Matthew 14:22, and many more.

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