And the Shofar Blew

Francine Rivers weaves beautiful stories that are not just enjoyable fiction but in the case of this book, very relevant in today's rise of Mega churches. And the Shofar Blew shows just what can happen, and IS happening when churches turn from Gods' word and prefer to soften the gospel in an effort to garner membership and money.

I love the Christian message Francine has written into this book and can't recommend And The Shofar Blew enough.

When does your ministry stop being for God and become selfish? If you see a person in ministry who is acting inappropriately, are you helping them and protecting their ministry or actually just allowing really bad behavior to continue? What is the best way to manage these dilemmas and conflicts? How do you raise or handle things when you are not """"perfect"""" yourself? I found this book very challenging to read and quite confronting as it dealt with many issues faced in church life. It was quite emotional to read but all was written with grace, dignity and quite constructively. I was left really thinking about the issues raised long after I put the book down!

I found this book heart wrenching but incredibly challenging at the same time. I came away seeing that each of us is in so much danger the moment we start to work independently of God in our ministry and depend upon ourselves or try to please people. I would recommend this novel to anyone considering full time ministry or already in a position of ministry - knowing the dangers is half the battle and this book so clearly and cleverly portrays this. And reading a gripping story like this one is a great way to learn and be challenged by God!

I don't feel guilty 'wasting' time when I read a novel like this one. After putting it down, I'm left feeling challenged about my own prayer-life, marriage, people-pleasing and general godliness. This is a wonderful read with enough sad endings to be plausible, but enough happy endings to be enjoyable!

And the Shofar Blew tells the story of the rise and rise of a young American pastor who is seduced by the power and adulation of his congregation, and turns from seeking the Lord to seeking the praise of people. Most of all he is desperate for the blessing, the 'well done!', of his earthly father who has achieved fame, wealth and power as the leader of a 'seeker-friendly' mega-church. Rivers writes with compassion, not judgement. She managers to stir the reader's sympathy for him and as well as his godly, long-suffering wife and son and the friends who are wounded by his words and actions. \\r\\nBehind it all, of course, is the enemy of our souls. It is a powerful reminder of the vulnerability of our Christian leaders and their constant need for our prayers. \\r\\n\\r\\n\\r\\n