A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original review appears below.
The Power to Make Things Happen, edited by Bruce Larson, Word, 1986,157 pages, paperback.
This book is a collection of messages by the major participating speakers at the 1985 Presbyterian Congress on Renewal meeting in Dallas, Texas. The book’s messages are light but inspirational. For me the outstanding messages are those of F. Dale Bruner: “A Parable Retold” – an insightful, fresh, and moving retelling of the parable of the prodigal son; of Lloyd John Ogilvie: “Perfect Makes Practice” – another of his wide-ranging, relational interpretations of Scripture, this time of Matthew 5:48, John 5:6 (NKJV!); of Roberta Hestenes: “Renewal Amidst the Darkness” – a down-to-earth and challenging exploration of the biblical images of the exodus, the race, and the vine and the branches; of Samuel Hugh Moffett: “Where’s the Power?” – a solid and enthusiastic endorsement of the Holy Spirit’s potential work in our lives by a former missionary to Korea; and, Leighton Ford’s exposition of “The Holy Spirit: The Finger of God.” In each of these messages I felt I got an open-ended forward-looking, and joyful sense of what renewal is meant to be. Certainly it was not reactionary or backward-looking. It is renewal pointed in the correct direction: with hearts open to the sovereign, gracious Spirit’s influence God’s people move forward, open-hearted and open-handed. Although I easily read through the book in an evening, it was pleasurable and encouraging stuff. Would that we would collect some of our Canadian Presbyterian “renewalist’s” messages. Why not? It would be an inspiration to our denomination.