The book features such chapter titles as “Doing Church: Learning to Love Charismatics, Presbyterians, Baptists and other Children of God,” and “Rock on: Living With Popular Culture Without Backsliding or Becoming Amish.” These brash titles are really an appeal to middle ground. Where does one find God in the Church that has been so corrupted by man? How does one really apply godly precepts to life in the 21st century? Sikes’ piece serves to pose answers to the questions and fears of today’s Christian.
The book begins with his initial encounter with religion:
- "Back at my parent’s church, the old folks were so thrilled to have a young person actually show an interest in religion that they made me a junior deacon. After Saturday nights filled with excessive drinking and fooling around with my girlfriend, I got up early enough to put on my suit and stand before the congregation, take the offering, dispense the grape juice and little communion wafers, and act mighty pious."
This idea of a double life, where one day is filled with the excesses of the world and the other is filled with a vain run at religious practices, is one all too familiar to many Americans. Eventually Sikes recounts his dismissal of this double life and surrender to God, a surrender marked not by instant transformation or ease of life, but one that ushers in more questions about how to live.
Sikes covers the topic of doubt, doubt of oneself, doubt over salvation, doubt about God, all exposing this very real and prevalent internal struggle.
Sikes also yields insight on topics such as suffering: “We lose sight of the fact that, while eternal life begins when we meet Christ, we do a fair amount of suffering right here in this life.” This is not a book that describes a glamorous and easy Christianity. It is a real look at the questions people face throughout life, and the often rough journey one encounters when following Jesus.
Sikes also speaks a great deal on sex. He rehashes unfulfilling relationships and untimely scares, eventually covering various facets of marriage and family, moving from tales of his life growing up to those of raising his children. Drawing out godly principles from the his marriage, Sikes writes, “Marriage is a strong house we enter that has no back door exit, and therein, we learn to truly love with the unrelenting grace God provides.”
Sikes closes his book with some final words on heaven and hell from a rather refreshing angle:
- "Our desire for the blessedness fully revealed only in the hereafter need no only be merely hope, but a current reality. Eternal life begins now, and while we seem to be squinting to glimpse some distant horizon, His Spirit within those who believe is the ‘assurance’ of all that is to come (1 John 5:10-12)."
Sikes speaks of ministry, sex, homosexuality, the Church, marriage, music, theology, worship, drug abuse, money and an array of other topics that illuminate some very important life issues. This is not a journal but an attempt at guiding the disenchanted, the disillusioned and those that just need to know they are not alone.
The conclusion to Sikes’ preface reads:
- Of at least this much I am completely certain: While the details of my pilgrimage are different from yours, we all share a human condition that requires Divine intervention. Because I have written as honestly as possible, much of what I have found to be true will probably be true for you as well. I pray that this book will help you along your way.
