I met Jim Palmer on a bus in the Bahamas on my way to a private island as a part of the first day of Soularize. He sat beside and me and was really nice, of course I was being very Canadian and didn’t say much back so I doubt he remembers, but anyway in one of his seminars he handed out his book and I grabbed it.

I started reading it a while back and couldn’t get past the first few chapters. I found myself in a period of life that wasn’t up for another “emergent” type book. But I decided to pick it up again just recently. I have to be honest…I almost put it down again.

Let me first say that the book is basically Jim’s journey from being a “successful” minister to falling apart (personally and professionally) to getting his soul back and the people who helped him on this journey.

The reason I had trouble getting through the first half was because of how much Jim talked about what it used to be like being in the big evangelical circles. I am not sure why he felt he needed to recall over and over how successful he was (even if it was drenched in sarcasm). There just seemed to be too much comparison happening. But the 2nd half I truly truly enjoyed. Jim’s honesty about his family, about ministry and about his friends (Richard, and especially Bill, wow that was an intense and well written chapter) was great and it felt like Jim changed tones. It was almost as if the first half was a reaction, and the second half was Jim just being himself.

At the end of the day the book is a testimonial read, with extra testimonies of friends of Jim who taught him along the way how to just be, not to try to achieve. In my CP rating I give it a 3/5, but I recommend it for anyone who is stuck in the “only professionals can be ministers” type mindset. If you do pick it up push through the first part, you wont regret it.

Tags: book review, divine nobodies, jim palmer