A Review of the Book, and Interview with the Author
by
Kathryn Churchill and Tracee Hackel
“How much of God do I really know and how much of God do I simply take other peoples word for or dismiss altogether?”
This is the question posed by Margaret Feinberg in her book the organic God. It is a book that I would not have pulled from the shelf in a bookstore. A friend confirmed this when she saw it on my table and said, “I didn’t think I’d ever see a book with title like that in your reading stack.” I asked her what she meant and she said that the title made her think the book would be liberal and maybe “new-agey”.
Well! We were both wrong, wrong, wrong. This is a wonderful book, in my humble opinion. Nonetheless, it took me a while to realize that. I began to read and my tendency to jump to conclusions grabbed me. I have a problem with the personal testimonial style of sharing the faith. I don’t like it and, when encountered, I quickly quit listening or reading. I put this book down after two chapters.
Once again I was wrong, wrong, wrong. This is not a book of “feel good” theology, nor is it shallow theology. It is solid theological writing, in the Reformed tradition, about the One True God. This is a book that uses fresh words and phrases to proclaim THE TRUTH.
Ms. Feinberg is very adept with words and her style reads easily and speaks clearly. Each chapter begins with a glimpse into her person, progressing from childhood to present. She then uses that snippet from her life to point to God. The entire book is about God. It is never about Margaret, nor even what God has done in, for, and through Margaret, although that enters in.
The author has a gift for using her life experiences, not as examples of how God works, but as invitations to us, the readers, to become aware of God and to join in the search for The organic God, that is the One True God. The invitation is to set aside, as much as we can, any preconceived and/or false perceptions we might carry with us and go to scripture and meet the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the One who sent Jesus and the Spirit to invade our planet.
I felt excitement welling within me as I progressed through the book. I took joy in the exquisite manner Ms. Feinberg shares what she has learned thus far about God. The titles of the chapters tell us what is explored in this little book. (187 pages, plus notes and discussion questions) “Bighearted”, “Breathtakingly Beautiful”, “Amazingly Wise”, “Surprisingly Talkative”, Wildly Infallible”, Outrageously Generous”, “Unbelievably Stubborn”, “Abundantly Kind”, “Deeply Mysterious” invite us to delve into scripture and discover a deeper, truer understanding of this God we call “Father.”
I hope that you will read this book. It has inspired me to pick up my Bible and explore, with renewed energy and expectation, what is really written there, from Genesis to Revelation.
Interview with the Author
It has been one of the great pleasures in my current pastorate to have Margaret Feinberg and her husband Leif Oines as a part of our congregational albit for far too short a time. I enjoyed talking with Margaret while she was working on her latest book the organic God and witnessing her hard work in wrestling with the Word of God and wordsmithing her valuable insights into a fresh and deep look at some of the amazing attributes of God. In this e-nterview (done by e-mail because she is now thousands of miles away) I get to follow up with her and ‘hear’ her reflect on the book that has been published and has already been and continues to be a valuable tool in the women’s ministry here at Chapel by the Lake.
VOW: Margaret, in ‘the organic God’ you describe your hunger to know Him. Can you give us some ideas about how to feed that hunger when it hits?
Margaret: For the organic God, I went through the entire New Testament and key books of the Old Testament and wrote down every verse that revealed something about God. There were quite a few! So I began categorizing them. I began looking at God’s names and nicknames, His likes and dislikes, those places in scripture where God is so readily apparent and those where He is withdrawn. And I began to discover God like I never had before. I found the hunger stirring in my heart to get to know Him more. How do you feed the hunger? For myself, sometimes I’ll pick a chapter or book of the Bible and read it again and again not just to know it but to own it. Obviously, no one can own scripture what I mean is that we can focus on a particular scripture and study it and pray over it until it comes alive in us. Then, when we think about it, or share it, we speak of it as content that we’ve not just gotten to know but that has gotten to know us. The Word then becomes a source of life, a food for the soul and spirit. Sometimes, I’ll pick a person in the Bible and study that person’s life and words as if it was someone who I met and wanted them to become my friend. I recently did this with Daniel and discovered so much about him that I had never seen before. Or sometimes I’ll pick a theme and follow it through the Bible and discover sustenance for my soul.
VOW: Which chapter is your favorite and why?
Margaret : I love Breathtakingly Beautiful. I don’t think many people talk about the beauty of God. Our God is so beautiful-He’s absolutely captivating and He invites us to set our eyes on Him.
VOW: Was there an attribute of God that you did not write about in the book that you would like to add? What is it and would you comment a bit on it?
Margaret: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the repetitive nature of God. How he doesn’t just say or express something once but again and again in multiple different ways. I’m just on the front end of searching the scriptures to discover why.
VOW: My guess is that it has something to do with us.
VOW: What was one of the more memorable responses you have had to the book?
Margaret: I had one gal who came up to me at an event and said, ‘When you first started talking about God as ‘organic’, I thought, ewww-I don’t want that. Organic food is expensive and it doesn’t taste very good. But then as you spoke, I realized that the reason I don’t like organic food is because I’ve been eating so much junk.’ I think she summed up so well what we all do from time to time in our regular diets as well as our spiritual diets.
VOW: You share a lot of personal experiences in your book. How do you understand the role of personal experience in sharing the Gospel?
Margaret: I’ve noticed that many people, particularly in younger (or younger at heart) generations, really resonate with personal experiences when sharing about God. Anyone can offer a brilliant quote or compelling scripture, but the question most people are secretly asking is, ‘Are you just saying that?’ or ‘Do you really mean it?’ When we share those points where the gospel intersects with our lives, we become testaments, living stones, portraits of faith, of God at work. When we share personal experiences we speak out of that which we own, that which we’ve paid a price for in life. It doesn’t just expose a truth but it gives a truth context, practicality and fresh expression. It says, ‘If God did that for her, maybe He can do it for me.’ Or, ‘I’m not the only one who feels that way.’ Or, ‘I’m not the only one who struggles with this.’ Personal experience when shared well and grounded in scriptural discovery can be a powerful tool for communicating the Gospel.
VOW: In the organic God you challenge us to see the Church as God sees her –How is the church important to our relationship with God?
Margaret: The church is essential. There are so many today who are poo-pooing the church. And no, she is not perfect. In fact, she has holes in her dress and too much make up and frizzy hair, but at the end of the day, she is still the Bride of Christ. And our role as followers of Jesus is not to find the faults as much as be part of the solution to help her be who he is creating her to be.
VOW: Speaking of the Church in your ministry you speak to a lot of women’s groups as well as college students and young adults in their 20s and 30swhat is something we can do better to reach the next generation?
Margaret: I love seeing the generations connect in the church. I think older women and men don’t realize how much the younger generation desires to spend time with them, hang out, and be with them. Most of the twenty- and thirty-something women I know would love to have a mentor. All it takes is asking, ‘Do you want to go to lunch sometime?’ ‘Do you want to go for a walk?’ ‘Do you want to have dinner with my family?’ You’d be amazed at how much both generations want to connect its’ just a matter of encouraging individuals to reach out and get to know each other.
VOW: Do you know what your next book will be about? Can you give us a preview without giving away who dies?
Margaret: I am currently bouncing between several ideas with my publisher. As far as the next book, it hasn’t been decided yet, but I’m hoping I’m the one who doesn’t die trying to write it J.
VOW: Me too! Thanks for the e-interview Margaret! If you want to find out more about Margaret, her book the organic God, her other books, speaking engagements, or blog check out www.margaretfeinberg.org .