Synopses & Reviews
In December of 2002, a pastor of a small Baptist church in South Texas began posting essays at a web log he called bReal Live Preacher.b From the beginning, the only claim he made was that he wanted to write as honestly as he could.
Within a few months, thousands of people were coming to read his essays on life, faith, children, tamales, the stars, Jesus, and anything else that was on his mind. The readers of bReal Live Preacherb began leaving comments and have formed an online community where all questions may be asked and everyone is welcome. bReal Live Preacherb is currently listed in the top ten web logs at Salon.com and is one of the most read web logs in the world.
"RealLivePreacher.com" is a collection of the best of his writing from the web log and includes a number of essays that were never published online. You will meet Earl the gravedigger, the little blue shoes girl, Elliot, whose birth was called Advent, and George, a deacon whose legacy lives in a rock that is embedded in a wall of the church. They are all real people and make of the world of bReal Live Preacher.b
Synopsis
Gordon Atkinson is the pastor of a small church in San Antonio, Texas. But he is more widely known to a large online readership simply as bThe Preacher, b having posted many honest, witty, probing reflections on the weblog called RealLivePreacher.com. Within months of this weblogbs start in late 2002, thousands of people were coming to read Atkinsonbs latest postings, and today RealLivePreacher.com is one of Salon.combs top ten blogs and one of the most-read weblogs in the world.
This book gathers the finest of Atkinsonbs electronic essays (reworked for print publication), together with nine new writings never posted online. As veteran blog readers already know, Atkinsonbs mind skews here and there, commenting on the stars, children, and tamales as often as he considers the foibles of life and faith. Readers will meet Earl the gravedigger; the little blue shoes girl; Elliot, whose birth was called Advent; and George, a deacon whose legacy lives in a rock embedded in a church wall. These are all real people, and they make up just part of the fascinating world of RealLivePreacher.com.
Anyone wondering about the spiritual side of Atkinsonbs writing can expect challenges. One of his aims is bto find God in the seams and transitions of life, especially at the places where sacred meets secular.b Hebs not afraid to explore the full spectrum of life, including the disturbing. No matter the subject, however, the common thread running through these essays is the search for God in it all.
A unique book that will also turn readers on to a vital, engaging, worldwide online community, "RealLivePreacher.com" offers something for everyone.