Secrets in the Dark

Starred review from October 17, 2005
Novelist and Christian writer Buechner (Brendan
; The Alphabet of Grace
) delivered a number of memorable sermons in more than four decades of service as a Presbyterian minister. This collection contains 37 of them, all featuring the intricate stories, fascinating connections and personal touches that are Buechner's signature. By presenting them chronologically, the evolution of his favorite themes of listening to your dreams, finding your calling and the importance of home are evident. Most touching are the sermons directed at youthful audiences (Buechner was a chaplain at two private boys' schools), such as "The Calling of Voices," in which he pleads with young people to pay attention to the deep gladness in their lives, following it to their life's vocation. For instruction on how to read the Bible, readers should turn to "Love," which recommends that the rule of love, found in the "great commandment" (Matthew 22:36–38), be used as a guide for biblical interpretation and perspective. In "Faith and Fiction," Buechner considers what it means to be a saint—not one who necessarily lives an exemplary life, but who is a "life-giver." Many of these sermons have been published elsewhere, but bound together, they become an elegant and life-giving memoir.