Land of My Sojourn
The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found
by Mike Cosper
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Pub Date 27 Feb 2024 | Archive Date 28 Mar 2024
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Description
"At some point in every Christian's life, God intervenes to show us that what we thought to be our home isn't―and sometimes, only a lifetime later does one see that this was actually good news. […] If you've ever felt the pain of losing home―and if you want to learn how to long for something better―this is the book for you." — Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today
Mike Cosper writes, "In the years since leaving local church ministry, I've devoted an enormous amount of time and resources to examining the church's often troubled witness, its ongoing crisis of leadership, and the epidemic of narcissism, abuse, and cover-up that has continued to emerge year after year. This book is about my journey both before and undergirding that work—the shattering of dreams and the grace that restored a broken faith in the aftermath. It's a story about grace leading me home when I thought all was lost.
"Taken together, my encounters with Peter, Elijah, and Jesus connected to indelible images from my time in Israel and formed a new spiritual landscape in my mind, one with enough gravity to draw my feet back to solid ground. My hope is that as I tell this story you might find echoes of your own. I pray if you're in the wilderness, you might find that though the territory is a mystery, you are far from alone. Most of all, I pray that you rediscover that Jesus is chasing you like a lover . . . right through heaven's gates."
Advance Praise
"At some point in every Christian's life, God intervenes to show us that what we thought to be our home isn't—and sometimes, only a lifetime later does one see that this was actually good news. Mike Cosper is one of the sharpest thinkers in the Christian world, and also one of the most creative. This book includes cultural analysis, personal lament, and biblical reflection. If you've ever felt the pain of losing home—and if you want to learn how to long for something better—this is the book for you."
-Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today
"Land of My Sojourn is a beautifully told story of a life of grace, grief, and gratitude, an immensely personal, memoir-like narrative that seamlessly weaves together Mike Cosper's predictably wise musings on Scripture, culture, politics, power, trauma, the church, and more. It's a story so well told, truthfully told, and generously told that you'll likely find some of your own story in it too. What a gift!"
-Chuck DeGroat, professor of pastoral care at Western Theological Seminary and author of When Narcissism Comes to Church
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780830847341 |
| PRICE | US$24.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 176 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Jill T, Reviewer
5 stars
Land of My Sojourn
Mike Cosper
Wow, what a powerful book. This is a truthful, heartwarming and all too relatable look at the damage church can do and the healing that comes through Jesus.
This is one of those books that you need to sit with and let it thoroughly simmer, it is most definitely not a book to be rushed. Mike Cosper has written a part devotional/part memoir dealing with the harm a church can do to both their members and their leaders. Land of My Sojourn was not at all what I expected, it truly helped me to read a book by someone else(a leader no less) hurt by the church yet still found his way forward in a church with his faith intact. I'm still struggling with the church aspect.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.
Rachael N, Reviewer
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. This is probably one of the best books I’ve read this year, weaving memoir and biblical reflection masterfully and with great humility and wisdom. For anyone who has been hurt by the church, you will find comfort but also hope that God is bigger than our brokenness. If you enjoyed the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill you will love this. I wholeheartedly commend this book to you.
Warren d, Educator
Land of My Sojourn by Mike Cosper chronicles one man’s journey from the excitement of church planting, its growth and success and then the despair and pain of rejection by that same church. Mike Cosper has been put through the wringer and he wears his heart on his sleeve throughout this book. It is a tragedy that plays out all too often in churches today but it is also a heroic story of survival.
Land of My Sojourn is Mike Cosper’s account of the birth, growth and implosion of Sojourn church. It is a story of the heart told from the heart. It combines Scripture with insights on life that are all too real and meaningful. It hits us where we live.
Mr. Cosper is articulate and thoughtful:
‘I don’t need perfection as long as I have hope’
‘Jesus goes on to dismantle the way we think about ethics and judging others, he calls out reactionary faith that lives with a spirit of scarcity or anxiety, and he invites us into a spirituality that is quiet, resists performative actions, and cultivates intimacy with him.’ Chapter 9.
Throughout the book, one can feel his pain yet he does not give vent to vitriol or bitterness.
Kudos to the author for a story well told from which we can learn and grow in our own walk as Christians. It is more than a story of rejection but one of survival and spiritual success. It is truly a five-star experience.
Thank you Netgalley and Intervarsity Press for the ARC.
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