BOOK REVIEW: AND THE SHOFAR BLEW

And the Shofar blew is the story of a young, zealous pastor named Paul Hudson, the son of a mega-church pastor and a teacher at a Christian school. 

Paul receives a call from the church elders of a slowly dying church, Centreville Christian Church, inviting him to come and pastor the church. He accepts the job and relocates to his new pastorate with his wife and young son, Eunice and Timothy.

Down the line, however, Paul and the elders clash, with the elders insisting on maintaining things as they were and Paul insisting on implementing new ideas. In time, the elders quit and Paul gains full control over the church. He appoints his own elders, starts building a new church, and witnesses a great surge in church attendance.

Despite this seeming success, Paul’s wife, Eunice, feels that all is not well. She tries to warn Paul on several occasions but he brushes her off each time and even starts doubting her loyalty to him. Their marriage slowly begins to disintegrate and Paul’s relationship with his wife and teenage son become strained. Eunice, meanwhile, feels attracted to a recovering alcoholic- turned-born again Christian, Stephen Decker.

Things finally get to a head between Paul and Eunice one day when she walks in on Paul locked in a tight embrace with the wife of one of the elders. From there the story gets to fever-pitch, with a series of revelations and confrontations taking place, an accident occurring, and the Shofar blowing for Pastor Paul…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Francine Rivers, an ECPA gold medallion winner, is the beloved author of several best-selling books like the Mark of the Lion series, Redeeming Love, and the Atonement Child. Many of her books have sold up to a million or more copies and continue to remain on bestseller lists around the world.

BOOK ANALYSIS:

STRENGTHS:

And the Shofar blew is a profound book and a must-read for Christians especially. The book is realistic in its description of the day-to-day life of the average pastor. It also highlights the importance of a praying spouse and a godly grandmother, and emphasizes the importance of having a relationship with the Heavenly Father.

Finally, the book points out the fact that no one is perfect; everyone has their flaws, and only the grace of God can keep one on the right track.

WEAKNESS:

Personally, I found it difficult connecting with the ‘heroine’ of the book, Eunice. She came across as a weak, somehow wimpy woman who made it slightly easy for her husband to walk over her. I wish Francine Rivers had made her character a bit stronger but hey, that’s just my own personal opinion.

RATING:

4.5 out of 5 stars.