How About a Gift for the GOLFER in Your Life?
Friends! If you’re on the hunt for a gift for the golfer in your life, look no further! I’ve got something fun up my sleeve I believe you and/or the golfer in your life will enjoy.
It’ll come as no surprise to y’all this gift idea is a book, In God’s Grip: What Golf Can Teach Us About the Gospel. Here’s the cover:
This past spring, I reviewed another book by author Russell Levenson, a/k/a “Russ.” I’m still raving about it and pointing friends to it when asked about favorite recent reads. (Here’s a link to my review of Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H. W. And Barbara Bush )
So when I learned of Russ’ new book, which parallels our faith to the game of golf from Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, I jumped at the chance to grab copies for my “better two-thirds”, a/k/a John Sr., and our three sons for Christmas gifts: John Jr., Gordy, and Woody. (Spoiler alert, boys!)
Of course I had to read it first (!!!). I can honestly say, the book will be a great boost to your faith, and to whomever you give it to. Russ quotes famous people of strong faith, authors, favorite Scriptures, and of course, Ben Hogan.
He begins by telling us Ben Hogan’s heirs gave him their permission to quote from his book, Five Lessons. He also has several endorsements including one I like by Max McLean, Founder and Artistic Director of Fellowship for Performing Arts. Max says, “In God’s Grip is a winsome parable that uses golf to gently confront us with profound, life-changing tips to improve something far more important, our relationship with Christ.”
The other endorsement I like is by Joe Sweeney, Businessman and author of five books, including New York Times bestseller, Networking is a Contact Sport. Joe says, “Russ Levenson has done a masterful job of showing how the game of golf is a metaphor of living a good life through the Gospels and that when we’re in ‘God’s Grip,’ anything is possible!”
Did you know Ben Hogan said,
Thru’ the course of the book, we readers get to tackle the grip, the backswing, the downswing, and the review. Even if you’re not a golfer, you’ll gain not only a better understanding of the game of golf, you’ll also be challenged to step up your faith. Today, I’ll just offer a few snippets from the book to cause enough curiosity you’ll want to read more…(Also if you’d like to SEE Russ in an interview about this book, you can find the links at the end of this post. It’s a most engaging interview!)
My favorite chapter is “Standing in the Smile of God.” Isn’t that a fun phrase? Russ tells us while stance is vital in golf, it’s “more about how you stand than where you stand. But with our faith, where we stand is vital.”
Now buckle your seatbelt and prepare for these questions:
“Do we stand in the past, weighed down by our bad shots and old wounds?
Or do we stand in the grace of God, practicing life in that grace, day after day, week after week, year after year, drowning out the whispers of the bad guys and owning up to how very vulnerable we are to God Almighty?”
See what I mean by there being pertinent, thought-provoking questions? They’re all throughout the book. And in this same chapter, you’ll learn what “standing in the smile of God” means. It makes me want to teach our grand angels this concept. And it makes me smile to think about….
Well let’s hear a few words from Hogan himself. This quote is near the end of Hogan’s book and is found in the chapter on “The Review,” also near the end of In God’s Grip. Hogan says of the game:
“I have always thought of golf as the best of all games—the most interesting, the most demanding , the most rewarding . I cannot begin to express the gratification I have always felt in being a part of a game with such a wonderful flavor and spirit…I have found the game to be, in all factualness, a universal language wherever I traveled at home or abroad. I have really enjoyed every minute I have spent in golf—above all, the many wonderful friends I have made. I have loved playing the game and practicing it. Whether my schedule for the following day called for a tournament round or merely a trip to the practice tee, the prospect that there was going to be golf in it made me feel privileged and extremely happy, and I couldn’t wait for the sun to come up the next morning so that I could get out on the course again.”
I love this quote as my husband, John, would agree. He may not always come home with a happy score, but we’ve watched enough golf to realize even the pros mess up and there’s always the next game. What he always says, like Hogan does, is that the fellowship is what he enjoys more than anything plus the new friends he’s made along the way.
Finally, let’s close with a favorite prayer Russ includes in the chapter on “The Backswing.” When Hogan discusses fundamentals, likewise Russ teaches us about having a mentor, prayer, study, confession, worship, and the whole game in general. Like nuts and bolts of golf, these five fundamentals of the Christian faith will keep our faith well-oiled/anointed.
Russ uses a prayer I believe most of us are familiar with from The Common Book of Prayer—Let’s pray:
Before we part, I’d like to show you some other books you may be interested in by our author including the one I reviewed on George H.W. and Barbara Bush:
Just in time for Advent, I’m enjoying one of four seasonal books Russ has written, called Preparing Room: An Advent Companion. Each day’s entry includes a Scripture, a meditation, a challenge for preparing for Advent and a prayer. These four parts cause you to PAUSE AND PONDER…which is a healing balm for our hurried souls. It is excellent!
There are three more to cover the rest of the year:
Now you know how we like to close! Run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore and snag any of these excellent books by Russ Levenson, especially In God’s Grip if you have a golfer you’re hunting for a Christmas gift for….
‘Til next time!
P.S. Here’s a FUN POSTSCRIPT with links to watch a FUN INTERVIEW with Russ and Jim Lisante. Russ’ Church, St. Martin’s Episcopal in Houston,Texas, sent out the below information—NOTE: while the show was 12/10, you’ll find links to where you can watch the interview at your leisure:
Our Rector, Russ Levenson, to Be Featured on the Catholic Channel Podcast, "Personally Speaking," Sunday, December 10th at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. (All Eastern Time).
Russ Levenson will be interviewed by Monsignor Jim Lisante this coming Sunday on the Monsignor's very popular program on SiriusXM Radio Station "The Catholic Channel," (Channel 129).
Russ will be responding to questions about his new book "In God's Grip: What Golf Can Teach Us About The Gospel," and other aspects of parish ministry. Following an incredible line up of other guests, including Henry Winkler, Jim Caviezel, Larry Kudlow, Jeannie Gaffigan, Susan Lucci and Kathie Lee Gifford, Russ' admiration for the Monsignor comes shining through -- and you might learn a few things you did not know about our Rector!
If you don't have time to tune in to the pre-recorded broadcast, you can find enjoy the interview by clicking on these links below!
YouTube (https://youtu.be/ojEs9Z521ZA)
Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com/857326/14113901)
Personally Speaking ep. 184 (Rev Russell Levenson) - Personally Speaking with Msgr. Jim Lisante (https://www.buzzsprout.com/857326/14113901)
In this episode of Personally Speaking, Msgr. Jim Lisante is joined by Reverend Russell J. Levenson, Jr. Reverend Levenson has served as Rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, which is the largest Episcopal Church in North America.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.”