Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret of More - eBook

Mark Buchanan is a pastor, award-winning author, and father of three who lives with his wife, Cheryl, on the West Coast of Canada. Educated at the University of British Columbia and Regent College, his work has been published in numerous periodicals, including Christianity Today, Books and Culture, Leadership Journal, and Discipleship Magazine. He is the author of six books: Your God Is Too Safe, Things Unseen, The Holy Wild, The Rest of God, Hidden in Plain Sight, and Spiritual Rhythm.

A book on virtue may seem a thing of the past, but pastor Buchanan (Your God Is Too Safe; Things Unseen) puts a modern twist on its study and practice. ""How do I get more of God in my life?"" he asks himself. The answer has been obvious since the Apostle Peter, a follower of Jesus Christ, reputedly penned the words of the Bible's 2 Peter 1:1-9 nearly 2,000 years ago. Peter, who Buchanan describes as ""by turns rash, dithering, cocky, [and] cowering,"" lists in that passage seven virtues faithful Christians must seek to grow closer to God: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Buchanan first digs deeply into the faith that undergirds these virtues, then studies each one in depth. He defines, explains, details and applies each virtue to the Christian life, building one upon the other with the expertise of a master. Buchanan's creative and image-filled writing brings life to what could be a dry subject, and his spiritual depth reveals Peter's heart: ""Possess [these virtues] in increasing measure, and the life of Christ can flow unimpeded through you"" (2 Peter 1:8). This is a startlingly honest, newly revealing look at both Peter and these virtues left unmined for too long. Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly."

Hidden in Plain Sight by Mark Buchanan caught my attention with its title. I love a riddle! Even with author’s subtitle, Seven Old Things to Make Your Life New, I couldn’t make out what the book might be about. I was intrigued.
The author bases his work on a Scripture, one that was there all along, one we have heard and read and yet perhaps not realized the magnitude of; a Scripture that Buchanan claims holds the secret to victorious Christian life. Comparing the negatives of struggling against the “seven deadly sins,” he purports seeking after the seven virtues listed in the book of 2 Peter.
Sharing his own struggles and trials, Buchanan relates in his fresh, often startling, and anything but boring voice, how God brought him to see that these virtues are gifts provided for every Christian. He compares these truths to the materials of a house gathered and ready to be built. The individual must make an effort to build with these materials which God has provided in order to have victory over sin.
The first of three sections of the book deals with faith. The second section has seven parts, each discussing a godly character trait or virtue. The third section speaks of the rewards to be reaped by anyone determined to make the effort to build on his faith. Each section ends with a short story.
Buchanan is a pastor and author of four other books, The Rest of God, Your God is Too Safe, Things Unseen, and The Holy Wild. Buchanan’s writing may disturb readers with some disquieting notes, his sense of humor, and his “wild” ideas, yet it will inspire them to follow closer after God, to take the steps of faith to live fully what they believe. I like what Buchanan says in his introduction that he hopes his book disrupts readers, turning them upside down in order to help them live right-side up.
I recommend this book to Christians who find themselves struggling to grow in Christ. I think it might be especially appealing and fitting for young fathers. – Elece Hollis, Christian Book Previews.com