Pastors

Margaret Feinberg on Scouting the Divine

Why God sometimes plants us in gravel

Leadership Journal October 9, 2009

The prolific author (without her constant canine companion, Hershey) introduced her latest book, and gave a copy to each attender at Catalyst: Scouting The Divine: My Search For God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey (Zondervan).

To write the book, Feinberg spent time with a shepherdess in Oregon, a farmer in Nebraska, a beekeeper in Colorado, and a vintner / winemaker in California. She learned lessons for life and growth in God.

For example, grapevines are planted in rocky, difficult soil—even up to 75% gravel. Sometimes the vintner will plant more rocks in the soil, to force the vines’ roots to grow deeper. Sometimes, Feinberg said, I wonder, why God, am I forced to have these hard rocks in my life? But it’s the only way the vine will produce the sweetest grapes, the best wine.

Her hope and prayer for the book? “That people would fall back in love with Scripture.”

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