Howard Vanderwell response

I was honored to have my colleague, Rev. Howard Vanderwell, read my book over Christmas break and stop by my office yesterday to share his reflections. He said he appreciated the book, especially the point about "the artificial heaven of retirement" in Chapter 7--since Vanderwell works full time in his retirement--and the big gospel/small gospel distinction in Chapter 7. Small gospel believers, he agreed, are missing out -- "it's like standing in front of a skyscraper and looking only at the 1st floor," as he memorably put it. Vanderwell said the book's title may suggest the book is going to be mostly about heaven, when he thought "it's more about the 'bringing' and the 'connecting.'" I was a little worried about the same thing, but I figured the "bringing" and the "connecting" were the important parts, anyway--at least more than speculating about the nature of eternal life.