If any acquaintances of mine should hear that I have written this book their reactions might well be, "Who is he to write such a book? He's not rich or famous, and certainly has done nothing of real importance." I would not only hasten to agree with them, I would willingly supply reams of supporting evidence.
Nevertheless, the book did get written and apparently you have it in your hand, so perhaps I owe you an explanation of how and why that came to be. This book is a chronicle of my personal spiritual journey, meandering from holy-roller revivals I experienced as a child to the other side of the Christian spectrum. It is simply my search for the Norm-not the average, but the normative life of the Christian. What should that look like, and how can one recognize it if he does stumble upon it? This is what I found.
I long debated whether or not I even wanted to bother writing it all out, but I finally decided to do so, as much to settle the issue in my own mind as anything else. Among the other reasons were these:
First, my trek took some totally unexpected turns long after I thought I had things pretty well settled and in their proper places. Were it not for these late-life changes I certainly would not have bothered with this account. In fact, those changes are the very reason for its existence.
Second, I particularly want the members of the church that I pastored (or any other seekers of Truth) to be able to understand, should they desire, what these changes are and how they evolved over time. These people meant and still mean more to me than they will ever know, and several members have asked for just such a report.
Third, I know a fair amount of people in both the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity, and I would be especially pleased if my little record of discovery could help some of them understand and appreciate the other just a tad better. They have much more in common than either suspects-I suspect. I have no idea whether or not I have been successful. Writing simply and clearly is not easy for me; it requires one to try to hogtie a thought and wrap it securely in a sentence that is at least intelligible to someone else. Often that means staring out the window all afternoon looking for the right word and not finding it.
However, as a repayment for any effort you may make here, I promise that if you write your own story I will both buy your book and read it. I should like that very much.