The Red Ember in the White Ash: Letting God Reignite Your Spiritual Passion

Prolific author Ogilvie, former pastor of Hollywood Presbyterian Church in Southern California and chaplain of the United States Senate, can communicate simple matters of faith engagingly and complex matters with humble unpretentiousness. In this encouraging text, Ogilvie's intent is to awaken the Christian church from its slumber. To ignite its dormant faith, he presents a living parable of the rekindling of a near-extinguished ember of faith that is coaxed into a roaring inferno of success on behalf of God's kingdom. The author states that believers must open the "damper" by way of spiritual commitment, both when they initially decide to follow God, and then as a daily habit of faith evidenced by relinquishment, reassurance and rejuvenation. Throughout each chapter, Ogilvie offers poignant narratives of faith renewed. Some of these stories are personal, while others are drawn from biblical texts. Every chapter specifies a different aspect of fire-tending paired with spiritual disciplines such as stoking with strength, flaming with faithfulness, warming up the "frozen chosen" and quelling the fire-quenchers. Ogilvie's work is so charming, kindly framed and warmly extended that readers will gladly cozy up to his lovingly proffered summons for authentic heart rekindling. (Aug.)