During my Lenten journey this year, I’ve had the opportunity to read a book entitled, Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People. This book is written by Nadia Bole-Weber a Lutheran pastor, writer and speaker. Accidental Saints The book has been a refreshing blessing for me. I recommend the book to you because I think you’d like it, too.
Nadia is a gifted story teller. She draws into the story and acquaints him/her with the people. The reader is never quite sure how the story will end. When the story does draw to a close it does so with an unexpected twist. No pat answers or catchy cliches are pandered, but rather reflect is invited.
I disagree (a little) with the title of the book. Though the book contains a list of interesting and sometimes outlandish people, it is not so much about people. Rather the stories describe how God’s love, grace and presence are revealed in the lives of people and in the situations in which they find themselves. Accidental Saints doesn’t highlight the individual and one’s personal experience of God either. Community is stressed instead and God’s grace in the community is celebrated.
As a fellow Lutheran pastor, I appreciate the way Nadia uses the liturgy and rituals of the church. She takes the old and reshapes it into something that fits the modern context and is meaningful to the people. Liturgy and rituals clearly communicate God’s love and grace.
Reading this book was part of my Lenten discipline. You do not need to wait until Lent 2017 before you read and enjoy this book. I encourage you to pick up a copy as soon as possible and enjoy. You also might want to visit Nadia’s website: www.nadiabolzweber.com.