A Winter Name for God

Encounter, Summer 2006 by Wing, Richard A

A Winter Name for God. By R. Scott Colglazier. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2005. 133 pages.

We live in a snippet, headlines, short quote, "get to the point" world. Attention spans are down to a few seconds. More information is being printed while less is being read. Scott Colglazier does not complain about our short attention spans. Instead, he wastes no time in pointing us toward God when life gets cold outside our doors and inside our souls.

Pema Chodron, a Buddhist nun, said, "Enlightenment is knowing where you are and telling the truth about it." Colglazier does that very well. By naming where we are and who we are and finally whose we are, we may find light for our winter path.

M. Scott Peck was the master of Community Building, a process that creates the possibility of deep human connection. Community Building turns to chaos whenever one tries to "heal, convert or fix" another. As Colglazier reflects on our yearning for God, and even more, God's yearning for us, he does not tell us how much we have messed up in our search for God or how much we were looking the other way when God did appear in our lives. Colglazier does not fall into preaching, healing, or fixing. He knows that the greatest movements of the soul toward God do not come with the efforts we or others make, but when a place and a space are created where people can tell their stories without anyone trying to heal or fix them.

Scott Colglazier is easily among the best read pastors in America, making him a powerful resource for believers and seekers. In an age of rampant narcissism, I usually do not invite people to speak more of themselves, but in this sweet volume of spiritual nuggets, I would have appreciated more personal testimony from Colglazier. I would like to know of the moments in his life when the snow did not melt and the harshness of winter's long nights seemed never to end, no matter how hard he prayed or tried to find light.

My wish for more personal reflection does not take any greatness away from the marvelous path that Colglazier leads us along in this wonderful book. Many of the lay people in my large church have told me that A Winter Name for God was a wonderful companion during the Advent season. One cannot fool the people in the pews.

Indeed, there is a time of winter, both in the seasons and in the soul. During those times, people need a quiet corner where the truth can be told that will finally lead them into the open arms of a searching God. This book is an excellent guide for that journey.

Richard A. Wing

First Community Church

Columbus, Ohio