Renee Altson and I traded some emails a year or so ago. I only knew her as “Iphy” from her blog at that time. When I stopped by I was impressed by both her honesty and her fresh writing style.
Now Renee has written a book. “Stumbling Toward Faith” is her own story, told in a bold and honest way. Many Christians will be very uncomfortable reading this, which is one of the reasons why I loved it. The book is published by Youth Specialties, which doesn't surprise me, but Youth Specialties books are published under the umbrella of Zondervan. I'm surprised the Big Z would take on a project this edgy. Good for them!
Renee is doing the kind of writing that Christianity needs. American Christianity has become a marketed religion. Of course, marketing is all about being up-beat and desirable. Many Christians will not admit to their own struggles and failures for fear of spoiling the big campaign.
But we live in a market-savvy world, and people can smell a sound bite from a mile off. Christian marketing is hype and verbiage before and sometimes in place of real living. Much that passes for relevancy in modern Christianity strikes me as being spectacularly irrelevant. Much that passes for depth is, in fact, very shallow.
Renee Altson doesn't care if she is relevant or attractive. She cares about telling the truth of her journey. She is willing to speak boldly and let the chips fall where they may. God bless her.
I got my copy a few days ago and found myself alternating between feeling very engaged and wanting to flinch and look away. It begins with a horrific shock, moves through pain, and ends with the kind of beauty that perhaps can only be found after one has suffered.
I wish to God that a book like “Stumbling Toward Faith” didn't need to be written, but it does. And the church must listen to this sort of book and hear it, if the church is to survive. This is the story of one person's journey toward God.
Some of Renee's friends have organized what they are calling a “Virtual Book Tour.” My blog is the first stop, so to speak. Other blogs will interview Renee or even allow her to be a guest blogger.
Fellow bloggers, this is what we do. We network outside of all traditional markets and media. We link to each other, and the traditional world of books and media are beginning to hear our roar. Why don't you drop by Renee's site and nose around a bit? I think you'll be intrigued and impressed.

rlp

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