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October 2004 |
Michiana lay person writes book to bring readers closer to God
BRISTOL, Ind. (The Elkhart Truth) - For Robert Sikkenga, teaching has been a lifelong vocation. He hopes his new book, Moon Over Ajalon, will be his greatest lesson.
"No other work of literature has had a greater impact on my life than the Bible," said Sikkenga, 68, a retired high school literature teacher who now leads Bible studies classes at Bristol United Methodist Church. "I want to share this with other people. I wrote my book to encourage people to read the Bible so they can experience the joy of growing closer to God."
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The book is designed to be a spiritual reference guide for Christians as they read the Bible and try to interpret its meaning. - Robert Sikkenga |
Moon Over Ajalon chronologically covers the first six books of the Bible from Genesis to Joshua. Each two- to three-page chapter analyzes a few successive Bible verses while also providing supplementary reading suggestions from other passages in both the Old and New Testaments. While Sikkenga divides his book into 365 chapters so readers can follow along one-day-at-a-time; it does not necessarily have to be read this way.
"Few people enter into a serious study of what the Bible says. A lot of people go to church and never read the Bible because they are afraid they will not understand the message behind it," he said. "The book is designed to be a spiritual reference guide for Christians as they read the Bible and try to interpret its meaning."
As for the title of the book, "Moon Over Ajalon" is a reference to a story in the book of Joshua where Israelites waged a major battle against five kings on the road to the promised land after their escape from slavery in Egypt.
"Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still so they would have enough light to win the battle and cross the river of Ajalon," said Sikkenga. "God also made the moon stand still, but there's no explanation offered for why he did this. My approach is that God shines his bright light on the major mountains in our lives, but he also shines his moon beams on us during the valleys of our lives so that we are not left alone in the darkness."
Moon Over Ajalon is Sikkenga's first work. Writing the book took him more than a decade to complete. After sending his manuscript to numerous publishing companies hoping for a response, he was thrilled when WinePress Promotions, a Christian publishing company located in Enumclaw, Wash., agreed to publish and distribute Moon Over Ajalon in bookstores across the country.
"Writing this book has been a very fulfilling experience as I have learned so much about the teachings of the Bible," said Sikkenga. "That depth of knowledge has increased my understanding of God and the context of his word. I am fundamentally a teacher. And teaching is learning. You learn so you share this knowledge with others."
Used by permission of The Elkhart Truth.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008