Response from Jeff Tigchelaar

Jeff Tigchelaar led a small group study of BHDTH at his church and offers these reflections:

Heaven Gets Grounded

While Nathan Bierma’s new book explores concepts relating to eternal heaven and life after death, it also manages along the way to tackle less-lofty topics – such as, say, the nature and purpose of work, ways of achieving peace and wholeness with and within creation, what it means to love God, and how this all ties in to the meaning of our earthly existence.

But to call the afterlife lofty after reading Bierma’s account would be selling the author short, since doing so fails to acknowledge what may be the book’s key accomplishment: living up to its title by challenging the “harps and clouds” conception of heaven and making it relevant to the here and now.

My small group at church found Bringing Heaven Down to Earth both pertinent and engaging. The book served as a springboard for lively discussion, but also encouraged its readers to slow down and take time to consider the things that matter most – in this life and the next.