Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People

Bolz-Weber, pastor of the House for All Saints and Sinners in Denver, Colo., presents a compulsively readable account of her meetings with many remarkable sinners who still retain the glimmers of God’s grace. Bolz-Weber isn’t your typical pastor; she is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, covered in tattoos, often profane, and convinced that God can be met in the darkest places, just as readily as in any church. Stepping through the liturgical year, reflecting on the deepest meanings of Christ’s presence in these rites, the author deftly explains why God’s love should be the heart of every sacred (and secular) experience. There is great healing to be found in this kind of preaching. Some readers may blanch at her often rough language, but her love for God and for humankind shines through on every page. (Sept.)