Alison Gerber

Sea Grapes and Sea Oats

Arts & Literature

“This is the Summer beach read that brings the beach to you. A volume of shorter poems that indeed open doors, and behind each one, a vacation. The poetry is awash with imagery from coastal Florida, but Niehaus shows himself to be just as adept at transporting his readers into the classicist’s library or an English Cathedral as he is at capturing the feeling of a front porch or a quiet marina. There is a wonderful nostalgia, sometimes recalled as an ocean only looked upon, at other times evoked as the poet dives below the surface, securing such treasures as ‘Sun and sand and sea all spoke of you / And won my soul to love / and as I sank / Among the warm, shallow waters I / Could hardly imagine any other’ (Palm Beach Inlet). There is simplicity here, yet also depth. There is beauty here. An afternoon's reading in Sea Grapes and Sea Oats will leave you longing to know those things that Niehaus knows: a paradise he has found within, and yet another that lies ahead of him.”

Topical Preaching in a Complex World

Preaching & Worship

“I said I didn’t believe in topical preaching. But the truth is, I didn’t know how to do it while staying true to my convictions about preaching. At last, Chan and Gill have taught me how to construct topical sermons that are culturally and pastorally sensitive, scriptural, theological, and centered on Christ. This is the book that has been missing from the evangelical preacher’s library. I am thankful it is no longer missing from mine.”