Book Review: Counsel Fireside Reader

Nicholson, J.B., Jr., editor.
The Counsel Fireside Reader.
Port Colborne, ON:
Gospel Folio Press, 2001

Many years ago, my employer sent me to a Dale Carnegie course. I never became a public speaker, but I did pick up one powerful rule. Mr. Carnegie insisted that to relate to an audience, you had to tell stories—not all stories, but at least a few.

Ever since that day, I’ve always listened with a slightly critical ear. A preacher who illustrates his message with the occasional story has me with him—I can rejoice or weep as he leads but I can never fall asleep. My emotions are involved as well as my mind—and J. Boyd Nicholson has that gift in his writing.

The first line of the first essay introduces us to Harry, his navigator (a fellow-believer), then to Cookie, a seven year old orphan at a mission in India. Nicholson's heart aches as he says goodbye to her and heads for Burma, never to see her again. We feel the pain—but then he asks the question, “Whatever must it have meant to God the Father to yield up His only Son?”



Napoleon's tomb, June 2012

Nicholson’s second article opens at Napoleon’s tomb in Paris, as his guide proudly states, “Here is the glory of France!” Ten days later, Nicholson is in Jerusalem, in an empty tomb, and cries out aloud, “Here is the glory of Christ!”

The list goes on: “God’s Bag Lady”, the “cloud sandwich”, “Kambungu’s heart,” the ‘Tower of Tears’, “God Bless the Giblites!”, “Two o’clock at Entebbe”, “Love’s Rendezvous”…

Reading on, I came to another story that thrilled me—a blessing on Tom Agnew, auto mechanic! “Not just a ‘fixer’, but a man who put his Christian testimony into his workmanship.” “Later, Tom moved into sales and was renowned for many years as one of that unusual breed, a thoroughly trustworthy car salesman!” “Dealing with Tom, you didn’t even need to kick the tires.”

A few of the essays make dry reading, I’m afraid, and most of these prove the need for ‘story’. There is an exception—I encourage you to read an uncharacteristic chapter by Nicholson, entitled “Tears—in Heaven!”

Just to balance things out, let me mention a few minor ‘cons’ that came to mind. For instance, I’m not sure why Adolph Saphir was included—he wasn’t a real contributor to Counsel Magazine, since he died in 1891. My other comment is more of a suggestion. I don’t really know most of the writers. Perhaps a three or four line biography of each author should have been included as an appendix.

I got my copy of Fireside Reader directly from Gospel Folio Press in Port Colborne, on sale for only $10, but it’s full of treasure. To quote from a preface once written by A.W.Tozer, “here is true gold of Ophir.”

Reviewed by Glenn Wilson