Chris Altrock - Behind Esther: Thriving When God Seems Distant

Some of Esther's peers, like Daniel, lived with a distinct advantage: they experienced the mighty, miracle-making wonder of God. Esther, on the other hand, was surrounded by extravagant wealth and impiety in the disenchanted empire of Persia. Faith wasn't easy in a place like this, but thankfully, Esther learned there was more to God than what she could see.

Join Chris in an extended exploration of one of the Bible's most neglected stories and discover the core spiritual practices and habits of Esther's life. Each chapter takes up one of these practices (examen, waiting, engaging, humility, radical prayer, valuing others, empathy, generosity, mercy, purpose, celebration, and service). Learn to take an active stance and look for God in places you have never imagined.

Readers often have nebulous childhood memories of the story of Esther as the beautiful teenage girl who is chosen to be the queen of Persia and gets to save the Jewish people. Altrock rescues the story of Esther from its fairy-tale/Arabian-nights status. He takes it off the children's book shelf and places it in the adult section employing such hard-hitting words as racism, sexual exploitation, genocide, and hubris. Along the way, Altrock eloquently and convincingly unpacks the core theological theme of Esther: that God is at work in the world bringing about his good purposes not only in ancient Persia but in ordinary lives today.