Born in 1926, Frederick Buechner was the eldest of two children, named for his father, who committed suicide when Buechner was only 10. At the age of 15, while attending boarding school, Buechner decided that he wanted to write professionally, and formed what would become a lifelong friendship with poet James Merrill. He went on to serve two years in the military and then returned to Princeton where he received his Bachelor of Ars degree in 1947. in 1953, he moved to New York City, where he began attending Madison Avenue Presbyterian church and met George Buttrick, at whose urging he attended Union Theological Seminary and studied under Reinhold Neibuhr, Paul Tillich, and others. His extraordinary career has included teaching and lecturing, and extensive publication. This week's selection is taken from the publication Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who, in which Buechner walks the reader through the lives of biblical figures, reminding us that in their brokenness, laughter, tears, and celebration, the characters of scripture are very much like us. Specifically, we find Abraham, and his wife, Sarah, who have packed up their dreams of parenthood, only to find that God's plans are exceedingly astonishing, exceedingly fantastic, exceedingly absurd for their comprehension. And in that place of wonder, Sarah laughs. Are we ever prepared to discover what lies beyond our disbelief?
**What risks do we incur when we look beyond what our flesh claims as possible?
**Why do you think Sarah laughed in this moment? When have been times when you have felt such disbelief at God's possibility and later been proven wrong?
**How can our predicaments and painful moments ever become sources of delight and celebration?
***Next week, we will read a selection by Amy Carmichael, p 260 in Spiritual Disciplines***
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