Beyond Words (2004)
Daily Reading in the ABC's of Faith
Book Description
In Beyond Words, Frederick Buechner brings his own unique perspective to well-worn characters, concepts, and words old and new.
With 366 entries, this devotional provides readers with an injection of wit and wisdom each day of the year, combining nineteen new reflections and an insightful introductory essay with meditations from Buechner’s lexical trilogy, Wishful Thinking, Peculiar Treasures, and Whistling in the Dark.
Taking on the ordinary and the sacred, the beautiful and the ugly, the complex and the simple, Beyond Words is an excellent introduction to Buechner’s work and thought, and a library staple for those already well-versed in his writing.
I have called the collection Beyond Words because in one way or another all the words it contains point to the realm of mystery and depth that lies beyond our ordinary experience and thus could be called beyond-words. To say something is beyond words is also to say that it is beyond the power of even beyond-words to convey adequately. Beethoven's last string quartets, falling in love, the death of a friend – how can we possibly describe such things other than to say that they are ultimately indescribable? You can know them only by experiencing them for yourself, and maybe that is the final message of a gallimaufry like this: Be alive to your life! Observe! Pay attention!
Reviews
"[A collection] that all preachers, teachers, and seekers will find themselves returning to again and again for spiritual inspiration."
— Spirituality and Health Magazine
"Those familiar with Buechner will feel like they've run into an old friend in the grocery store. Readers new to the author will probably develop a love affair with his ability to draw you into a story (sometimes with only a line or two) and then, in a few words, give you something you'll never forget. For instance, under the heading "Buechner": "I can't imagine myself with any other name...if my name were different, I would be different. When I tell you my name, I have given you a hold over me that you didn't have before. If you call it out, I stop, look and listen whether I want to or not. 'In the book of Exodus, God tells Moses that his name is Yahweh, and God hasn't had a peaceful moment since.”
— Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
"Buechner's folksy, unforgettable writing style puts him in a class by himself."
— Publishers Weekly
"Whether reading 'Beyond Words' makes for a happier, easier or more fulfilled life, I couldn't say. This much I know—it does, at least, for the duration of time you're reading it."
— Jeff Simon
