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HUNTING GRACE...a novel
This book tells the story of a former minister of a small west Texas town, who now finds himself outside of ministry for the first time. Living now in Seattle, Washington, Cyrus must cope with the loss of his former life, trying at the same time to keep his rocky relationship with his oldest son from tearing their home apart. The role of Paul Hanner, Wayne's transient friend, and mentor, becomes increasingly important and troublesome, as Paul and Wayne spend extended time hiking and camping together in the Pacific Northwest's lush forests and mountains. Cyrus works in the City Refuse department, recovering recyclable goods from the shut-ins of the city, while his wife Sara teaches, thoughs she is fighting a growing bitterness about the time missed with her children. Richard, their youngest son, seems to be excelling, but there are small signs that something is amiss. In a world that seems to be unraveling, will the Manning family make it, or become another statistic? What holds them together, and in the face of seeming tragedy, how will they go on?
Watch for HUNTING GRACE in 2004.
an excerpt from the book...
Slumped in the chair now, back by the window, my Jerusalem Bible lying open in my lap--I found it out in the garage, in a smashed box labeled "open"--I try to hunt down the thought I had regarding Proverbs.
But my mind is blank, a dull acedia lodged between my ears. Out the window, it's a gray day, the saturating oyster gray and green of the Pacific Northwest having thrown copious amounts of itself on the front lawn. I try to tell myself that no, my home is not the apex of this dingy shadowed world, but of course, it is. Travel two blocks in any direction away from me--I'm sure this is true--and there shines the sun, blazing hot as any summer noon.
Gray or clear white, the world out the window always does fine without me. Absently thumbing the pages of my Bible, I think of how the Christmas evergreens standing on every hill keep growing without me, the coffee served up on every corner doesn't need me to get a job to wake folks up, and the crisp Seattle air, lush with the sea and fairly crackling with cellular and fiber optic buzz, is indifferent to whether I think a decent thought or not.
Well, look--there's a peek of sun after all. The greenness of the place always surprises me, but the shock is wearing off. The spectacular invariably turns into normal, I suppose. The rhododendrons still get me, though, gushing pink. But they don't need me either; they were here when I came, and unless I take an axe to them, as I seem to be doing to most things these days, they will remain long after I'm gone.
Same with this old book sitting in my lap.
I glance down at the page and read.
"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel."
Skip to chapter two.
"My son, if you take my words to heart..."
Oh, there it is. There's the thought I was looking for.
Though I wish I hadn't found it, I think it again.
If a father neglects instructing his son in the way he should go, the fare for the return trip will be nothing short of hell to pay. |
on the site...
leaving ruin...the novel
The Jesus Monologue
a new solo performance...
Directed by Nikki Visel-Whitfield, this new performance work brings us to the feet of the Master Himself. THE JESUS MONOLOGUE is a fresh and surprising look at the words of the Christ, bringing them to life with a power that will help us realize again that this is the Man who holds the secrets to living a forever kind of life.
"The Kingdom of the Heavens is like a treasure, a treasure a man found hidden in a field..."
available for touring beginning January 2004...
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