Fish Sandwiches: The Delight of Receiving God’s Promises

Schmidt (The Extreme New Bible Trivia Challenge) serves readers a satisfying menu of scriptural passages to encourage Christian hearts and nourish the soul. Schmidt’s experiences as a children’s video writer inform his casual tone, as when he writes about the “feeding of fish sandwiches,” as he refers to the biblical account of the Feeding of the 5,000, when Jesus fed multitudes with scant resources. It is, Schmidt notes, the only miracle other than the resurrection of Jesus that is present in all four Gospels. “In an unpredictable world filled with many variables, the only way to see a multiplication of our efforts and sense a greater satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy in life is to multiply God into the equation.” Throughout, Schmidt invites Christian readers to savor God’s promises of attention, compassion, provision, spiritual health, power, community, fulfillment, and blessing: “God feeds us those promises in a buffet Jesus served to a group of hungry people. What was on the menu? Fish Sandwiches.” Discussions of scriptural passages are sprinkled with humor and all close with contemplative “Saying Grace” prayers. Whether hungering for a deeper spiritual relationship with God or just beginning one, Christian readers will be satiated by Schmidt’s insights into Jesus’s teachings.[em] (Apr.) [/em]