Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Book Review: Scouting the Divine, by Margaret Feinberg


Scouting the Divine: my search for God in wine, wool, and wild honey
by Margaret Feinberg

When author Margaret Feinberg realized that her modern life had little in common with the farmers and vinedressers she studied in the Scriptures, she began a quest to learn about these ancient professions. Along the way, she visited a shepherd, a farmer, a beekeeper and a vintner. She talked with each of them at length, learning about their work and discussing scripture passages relating to their professions.

Margaret describes Scouting the Divine as “a heartfelt attempt to make the Bible come alive in a fresh and innovative way” and she certainly succeeds. Her words are informative and thought-provoking without being preachy. Her style is honest and friendly and fresh--as if she's sharing her deep thoughts with a good friend. As I read her experiences with sheep, I saw the shepherd giving individual attention to each sheep and I thanked Jesus for being my personal caring Shepherd. In the chapters about farming, I was challenged by the balance a farmer finds between working hard and leaving the results to God. When I read Margaret's description of honeybees, I marveled at God's perfect design in such tiny but vital creatures. The vineyard segment showed me how intimately involved a vintner is with each vine—and I praised God for watching over me and walking beside me.

Equally appropriate for a cozy read alone or a chatty small group discussion, Scouting the Divine is a fascinating book, helpful to anyone who reads Scripture. I look forward to sharing it with my daughters when they are older. In the meantime, I'm recommending it to friends at Bible study.

Scouting the Divine is available at Amazon and Lifeway. Lifeway also offers a DVD study.

Margaret Feinberg's blog is hosting Scouting the Divine's Blog Tour. This post is my contribution to the tour.


DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

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