Wangerin has a way with words, and it is enjoyable to read his stories. This book is a mixture of childhood and being a young pastor just out of seminary. Growing up in two different settings. Learning and making choices. He grew up as a pastor's kid – with lots of expectations and people watching him. From various friends and acquaintances, I know this can indeed be a recipe for disaster. Not necessarily .. but it creates its own set of interesting problems. Turns out that Wangerin does indeed end up as a pastor, though .. with his own small church in Indiana. In the inner city, with an interesting cast of characters – and plenty of learning and growing up to do.
The title comes from a woman who plays a prominent role in his growing up as a pastor. She loves God and is a pillar of strength in their community. In comes a new pastor with all his learning under his belt and expectations about how he will run the congregation and how important he will be .. and Miz Lil has quite a bit to teach him. But she doesn't force feed him truth or make him change .. she teaches him gently (although sometimes her comments are more like knife-thrusts than pats on the back) and continues to value and respect him in the process. How much we all need Miz Lil's in our lives .. elders who will speak the truth out to us, challenge our assumptions, and force us to mature and continue to learn that it is not ourselves who can cause change, but only our Faithful Father.
| Title: | Miz Lil and the chronicles of grace |
|---|---|
| Author: | Walter Wangerin, Jr. |
| Date published: | 1988 |
| Genre: | autobiography |
| Number of pages: | 192 |
| Notes: | gift from t. davis |
