Groundwork: Farm Parables and the Cultivation of Faith - Book Reviews From Blue Ink Reviews

Pastor Rebecca Collison expounds upon Jesus’s parables to help Christians cultivate the soil of their souls and advance the Kingdom of God.

Collison, a Methodist minister, begins Groundwork with a thought-provoking statement: “If you have a question, ask the land.” In the busyness of life, Collison found that “getting back to the land is getting back to God.” In her biblical studies, she also noticed Jesus’s frequent use of farming analogies in his teachings. Drawing from this, she delivers a fresh, in-depth look at Jesus’s parables as she compares the process of cultivating the land to produce crops with cultivating the soil of our souls to produce spiritual fruit.

Collison covers six of Jesus’s parables, including “a story known by even people who do not read the Bible”—the prodigal son—“because of its ability to address our human condition.” In each chapter, Collison brings fresh perspective to overused and abstract religious ideas like mercy, grace, acceptance and salvation. She also speaks to the current cultural issues of discrimination, racism, equality and more through the lens of biblical truth.

Her tone is warm and caring. An obviously seasoned shepherdess of a church flock, Collison gently challenges readers to seek an authentic relationship with God through what she calls “cruciform cultivation”: “[D]ig down deep, bring what is found upward, swing it over to deposit it, and then return to that now empty space to fill it with a new growth.” This is an excellent visual for self-reflection and internal change.

Collison’s work is thoughtful, creative and encouraging, but unfortunately the narrative is replete with typographical errors. Missing text and wrong or repeated words cause confusion. The author’s scripture quotations are marred with a 7 every time a “th” was needed. These missteps lend an unpolished and unprofessional feel to the book.

Collison’s ideas are sound, but the book’s presentation needs attention before her book can appeal to a wide audience.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.

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