The Blessing of Adversity ((Tyndale, 2011)
Barry C. Black grew up in Baltimore’s inner city, the son of a self-sacrificing, prayer warrior mother and an alcoholic father. At the age of 8, his mother brought home a thick, old record album containing two sermons of Peter Marshall, chaplain of the U. S. Senate from 1947 to 1949. Barry played those records so many times that he memorized the sermons and recited entire paragraphs (complete with Scottish accent) for his inner city friends. Little did he realize that in 2003 he would become the Senate chaplain, a position he still holds today. Prior to his current position, he served in the U.S. Navy for 27 years.
The book’s 23 chapters are divided into three parts: Mastering the Basics, Avoiding Sources of Trouble, and Turning Your Adversity Into Advantage. Chaplain Black supports the major points of each chapter with relevant Bible passages as well as occasional quotations from historical figures when appropriate. The major points appear again at the end of each chapter as an action plan.
The following chapters expecially are applicable and relevant to those in a time of transition: Win by Waiting (8), Live the Blessed Life (10), Facing Life’s Pleasures with Faith (11), Dealing with God’s Silence (12), Use It or Lose It (13), Find Satisfaction (15), Master the Spiritual Disciplines (16), and Win over Worry (18).
