Blog Tour: "Washed and Waiting" by Wesley Hill

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Wesley Hill, Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality, Zondervan, 2010. 160 Pages. 

Thanks to http://engagingchurchblog.com/ for this book and for putting on this blog tour. 

Homosexuality is an important topic in the church and, as such, there is no shortage of books on the subject.  However, buried within the mountains of theological treatises, biblical exegesis, and stories of healing, it can be difficult to find an accessible, well written, and honest presentation from someone who is still in the midst of this trial, and may be their entire life. This is such a book. Part biblical theology, part personal memoir, and entirely honest and challenging, Wesley Hill graciously opens his heart and his mind for us to learn as he records his struggle to remain faithful to Christ in the face of his homosexuality. Divided into three parts, Hill seeks to explore and question (more than answer) issues of what the gospel demands of him, loneliness, and guilt and pleasing God. 

This is a great book. Rare is the book which not only accomplishes its purpose but transcends it. In other words, this book is a necessary read for those struggling with, or ministering to those struggling with, homosexuality.  But, on top of that, Hill has included much material which is helpful to any Christians.  In one  section he asks why it makes sense to persevere through trials in order to be faithful to Christ, and his answers alone are worth the price of admission, so to speak. But he offers more.  His explorations of loneliness (a common human struggle to be certain), living with unmet desires (Hill argues that this is the normal state of affairs for us, despite our cultures messages to the contrary), and what it means to please God (drawing heavily from The Weight of Glory by Lewis; how could one go wrong with that as source material? :) are all excellent. 

Conclusion: 4.5 Stars. Recommended. Excellent book. You will get something good from reading this. 

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