Honest to God !
Religion, Rebellion, Reflection, Relationship
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
A Tribute to Honesty
Sometimes when you pick up a
self-published book you wonder, “Is this book going to be worth my time?”
That’s a fair question. After all, there are tens of thousands of new books
that come out each year. But this book has made its way into your hands by
divine intervention I believe. Its message is unique in a forest of “blah,
blah, blah” books that all seem to be saying pretty much the same thing –
“Here’s your pathway to a happier, more fulfilling life” this book stands out
as different. It is about learning to become a person of absolute
sincerity and transparency.
Author and way shower Brad
Summers is an apt tour guide. There is a saying in the writing community.
“Writing is easy. Just open up a vein and start bleeding!” Brad has done us an
intimate favor by opening up multiple veins and letting us see his heart and
soul in a deep way.
This book is a gift to anyone who
has the good fortune to pick up a copy of it. It has much to impart to
its readers. In an age when hiding from anything that smacks of potential
controversy is the rule, Brad Summers bears his soul in a very refreshing way –
dare I say a life changing way to those who are stuck in a world of fear of
their own making.
This is an unusually heartfelt
confession from a man that is bearing his soul for anyone fortunate enough to
read this transparent confession of life lived out in the context of a rigid
church system that is anything but flexible with people’s imperfect lives.
He has been through
much. And lived to tell about it! I have wondered in conversation with
Brad what the reaction will be from his denomination once this confessional
book comes out. But Brad is a man of courage and I know he feels compelled to
put pen to paper. God will take care of the details!
I have known Brad for quite a
while – long enough to know that he is the real thing. What he writes
about is the stuff of authenticity. He speaks from his heart and he lives
from his heart.
He has much to show us about
living free from the fear of people. I have worked with people long enough
to know that the majority of people live in a place of darkness – either out of
shyness or the fear of rejection or a multitude of other reasons that might
keep us locked away from being our real, authentic selves as Christ has made us
uniquely to be. The question arises, “What would happen if my friends and
associates found out who I really am deep down?” That’s the question that
Brad mentors us in this work. Once we have that question answered with
enthusiasm we have come a long way toward becoming people of heart.
Brad is willing to bear his soul
in this book. That attitude is contagious. I believe one of the
results of reading this book will be a tendency to become more transparent and
honest yourself.
God bless your reading. God
bless your journey into authenticity.
Steve Sjogren
Founding Pastor
The Shocking Truth Concerning Jesus’ Death
Jesus was executed in the most
shameful, despicable way. He enters and exits the world in the same way He
begins His public ministry: with humility. This cross, a torture instrument
reserved for the worst of the worst, went beyond degradation. The word “cross”
denoted ugly images and insulting attitudes in the minds of the people.
Crucifixion was usually reserved
for the lower classes and was designed to be ugly. It was a penalty for the
worst criminals. The punishment was reserved for the rebellious aliens, the
most violent seditionists, and the thieves and robbers who tainted society.
Crucifixion is a book which will provide you with the details of its history,
practice, and effect on the population. It was the ultimate in cruelty and was
designed for humiliation and intense, lingering pain. This Roman penalty was
the worst form of torture that could be conceived in the minds of violent men.
It was terrorism.
For the Christians to propagate a
doctrine of a crucified Messiah was an offense to the culture. Many individuals
thought the Christians were delusional, superstitious, or insane. Their pagan
enemies accused them of worshipping a deceptive criminal and his cross. Docetism was a philosophy presented to remove the folly of
the cross. It was an attempt to remove the reality of the crucified cross and
to replace it with a happier, kinder, and gentler Christianity. The church in
But the obscenity of the cross is
the reality. It was not just a matter of getting rid of the criminal; it was a
well-designed system of degradation and the destruction of all dignity. Any
executioner with a wicked mind had the freedom to do whatever he wanted to the
victim on the cross.
Crucifixion was not performed on
the upper class criminals. It was a horrible thing that was used to incite war
and to break the will of the people. Obviously, the government used crucifixion
to silence both Jesus and His followers. When Paul preached the crucified
Christ, he was making it clear that he died a horrible death; the death of a
criminal, low-life, deceiver, shameful man, rebel, and slave. Since the
societies at the time knew about crucifixion, whether Greek, Roman, or Jewish,
they would have considered it foolishness to believe in a crucified Messiah.
They thought Paul was crazy to suggest it.
Roman citizens were exempt from the widespread torture of crucifixion. It should profoundly shake your imagination to realize that Jesus came into this world in the worst way (into a stinking sty), and left the world in the most humiliating, painful, and shockingly barbaric manner. No human in his right mind can demand anything more of God. Have you reacted with humility and repent
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About the Book
Your stomach turns when televangelists make your faith look strange and irrelevant. You are bored with Christianity-light and empty New Age sentimentality. You want to plunge deeper into your faith, but don’t know where to start. You mourn the lack of logical arguments in the conservative church. You are tired of embarrassingly shallow, syrupy-sweet Christianity. You are dissatisfied with what you are being told in church. You are willing to reevaluate your beliefs. You want to move to the next level. You thirst for more. This is your book. This is a refreshingly honest struggle. Summers looks at his life through the eyes of some of the world’s greatest theologians. He writes in a conversational style that is at times whimsical, at times scholarly. He is open about depression, drugs, alcohol, and crises of faith, and he reminds us that there is an answer to life in the midst of all the confusion. One thing is clear: Summers rejects phony Christianity and is willing to openly struggle in front of the reader. He struggles with personal holiness and does not hide that from the reader. Along the way he gives needed help for those who want to have a clearer understanding of how to interpret the Bible, how to understand the Old Testament, Jesus, Paul, and some of the more difficult doctrines of the church. This book is packed with information and a first-class list of sources. Summers is unafraid to criticize his conservative evangelical roots, relishes asking the tough questions, and lovingly writes to keep us from being intellectually lazy. You rarely hear this type of dialog in a church setting. Imagine having a cup of coffee with someone who has studied Theology and still struggles with matters of faith. Imagine eavesdropping on his prayers and finding out that you are not alone… Also Available Bittersweet: Acoustic Piano Pieces. Summers plays original meditative music on a Yamaha Grand piano. Imagine popular piano music with a touch of jazz played on solo piano. Order Bittersweet. Compact Disc available from Infinity Studios at: http://paulasay.indstate.edu/bittersweet/. Second recording available soon.
About the Author
Bradford Stanton Summers lives in Cincinnati with his wife and four children. He is an ordained pastor, pianist, and avid golfer. Summers, who holds a B.S. in Religion from Liberty University, and a M.A. in Theology from Wheaton College Graduate School, is currently working on his Ph.D. in Pastoral Counseling at Liberty University. He has created Infinity Ministries for the purpose of helping others through music, theology, and counseling. Please E-mail Infinity Ministries at bsum300000@aol.com for more information.