"Even with all of the devotion to Jesus we see in the church and society today, many Christians lack a clear understanding of his most central teachings," believes Church of God pastor Robert C Buehler of Marbury, Maryland. That observation, corroborated by recent findings from evangelical pollster George Barna, motivated Buehler to write a detailed analysis of the Sermon on the Mount in an easily accessible style.
Buehler's book, Building On the Rock: Practical Advice from Jesus (ISBN 1-55212-205-0) has just been released by Trafford Publishing in Victoria, Canada. It provides a provocative introduction to Christian ethics along with a thematic overview of Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7. While carefully researched, it does not encumber the reader with the scholarly apparatus of a more technical approach.
"My intent was not to write a commentary but to focus on a single question," says Buehler. "That question is, how can the ethical teaching of Jesus be taken seriously in the modern world, and not merely dismissed as an impossible, irrelevant ideal? This book is an attempt to raise that question. It should serve the reader as a starting point for further thought about practical Christianity."
Bob Buehler has been telling people the good news of Jesus for many years. Raised in rural New England, far from the Bible belt, and coming of age in the turbulent 1960s, he brings a perspective that combines the ability to speak the language of the street with a profound love of scripture and a respect for tradition, history and scholarship.
Bob's passionate search for practical Christianity has made him a leader in church and community life, and an outspoken advocate for the marginalized. He has developed programs for ministry to the homeless, and is now an active supporter of Habitat for Humanity and other efforts aimed at economic sustainability. Ordained in 1987, he has been pastor of churches in New Mexico, New York and Maryland. He now lives in southern Maryland with his wife Shannon, four sons, and two cats.
Contact the author at rcb@seethekingdom.net or godnix@gmail.com
To reach the author by phone: 301-743-5567