God Who Became Bread: A True Story of Starving, Feasting, and Feeding Others

Take and eat, and take and read: Wierenga's exquisite writing feeds us--body, mind, and soul. --Dr. Carolyn Weber, award-winning author of Surprised by Oxford The gospel of God is the Bread of the Presence, and it reaches down into the deepest, darkest, ugliest recesses of the human spirit, the places polite chit-chat won't allow, the places watery juice doesn't open up, the places where crawfish and other creeping things of the swamps live. These are the places in which we run to the altar and find the bread, still warm. Places in which we begin to get full. Where our only food becomes God Himself. . In this memoir described as "poetic, raw, and achingly beautiful," Emily T. Wierenga takes readers on a vulnerable literary journey. A former anorexic who nearly starved to death, Emily longed for more--the more she'd glimpsed during her childhood in the Congo, surrounded by vibrant faith. All she had now was dry religion. She craved a Communion that was more than an empty ritual. It would be Emily's return to Africa that would bring her healing. Unexpectedly, it would be the poorest of the poor who would lead her there. Emily exchanged her deep struggles with food for a growing discovery that the God of inapproachable light "dons an apron and prepares us a banquet." All who are broken--come to the table. Break bread with Emily, and feast on the God Who Became Bread. You will never go hungry again.

About the Author :
EMILY T. WIERENGA is an award-winning writer and commissioned artist. Her books include Atlas Girl, Making It Home, and Chasing Silhouettes: How to Help a Loved One Battling an Eating Disorder, and she has contributed to publications like Christianity Today. Emily founded The Lulu Tree, a nonprofit serving vulnerable families around the world. She lives with her husband and three children on a farm in northern Alberta, Canada. Visit emilytwierenga.com.

Review :
God Who Became Bread is iridescent with insight and arresting in its compassionate yet direct gaze upon how our deepest hungers, individually and globally, can only be fulfilled in Christ. From fasting to feasting, this beautiful and brave book shows us how God's plentiful redemption is, indeed, enough. Take and eat, and take and read: Wierenga's exquisite writing feeds us--body, mind, and soul. --Dr. Carolyn Weber Professor, New College Franklin Award-winning author of Surprised by Oxford, now a feature film Emily Wierenga invites us on a tapestried journey of remembering what has long been forgotten--the blessing of bread, the rituals of being fed, the celebration of feasting. But she also invites us to remember and give weight to the hurts that have shaped us, the people on the other side of the world we too often ignore, and, perhaps most importantly, the God who weaves our hurts and our hearts into true healing. Read this book. Be filled. And remember. --Sheila Wray Gregoire Founder, Bare Marriage Emily Wierenga masterfully and tenderly feeds the hungry soul with life-giving stories of true feasting in the most unlikely places. Her pen becomes a paintbrush with sweeping strokes of grace that invite readers to pull up a chair to the table and listen in on intimate conversations of what it truly means to be full--to live full. Emily shows us how to not only feast on the Bread of Life, but also break bread and share the grace with others. --Sharon Jaynes International conference speaker Best-selling author of 25 books, including When You Don't Like Your Story: What If Your Worst Chapters Could Become Your Greatest Victories Emily Wierenga's story is not only about overcoming her own deep pain, which led her to almost starve herself to death, but also about how she used that pain to help others. It led her to travel beyond the comforts of her home in Canada to feed others in impoverished places in Africa and South Asia. She came to realize that God is not a stern and even angry Being but is a compassionate and relational God who loves her and the people He sends her to. Emily wants to see people not only be lifted out of poverty but also flourish spiritually. God Who Became Bread will take you deep into Emily's life and help you understand what motivates this hero of the faith and her amazing compassion for the poor and the church wherever it is found. Emily's journalistic skills are evident as you embark on this journey with her! --Greg Musselman Minister at Large, The Voice of the Martyrs Canada Former cohost, 100 Huntley Street I am completely undone. Undone is the only word I can stir up that describes my response to Emily Wierenga's new book, God Who Became Bread. The symbolism she presents is stunning; the rich lessons she layers in every section make me ravenous for more. There are sections of this book that I read with great heaves of my chest and gulps between my tears. How can a woman write with such simplicity and yet such texture? I believe the greatest endorsement one can give to a book is to humbly declare, "I wish I had written that book." I can assure you, I wish I had written this book. --Carol McLeod Best-selling author, Bible teacher, podcaster, and blogger www.carolmcleodministries.com I've known Emily for a very long time, and I have witnessed how she has completely given herself over to the will of God. She is incomparable. This beautiful book is her passion, penned onto pages. God Who Became Bread is a must-read that will move you. It is a testament to the transformative power of faith, reminding us that in God's boundless love, our hunger--both physical and spiritual--can be satisfied, and through us, the hunger of the world can be met. --Jennifer Dukes Lee Best-selling author, Growing Slow, It's All Under Control, and Stuff I'd Only Tell God Many of us have been starving for so long, we no longer feel the hunger in our souls. God Who Became Bread will awaken that hunger--and it will also satisfy it. This is more than a book; it is an intimate invitation to Christ's table, to feast with the God Who Became Bread. Wierenga's poetic, raw, achingly beautiful prose will take you to tables around the world and awaken your hunger for God in such a way that you will be changed, you will be filled, and you will want to feed others who are starving for His love, warmly inviting them, "Come to the table." --Rebekah Fox Blogger, BarrentoBeautiful.com Emily Wierenga's memoir God Who Became Bread features stories of food, faith, family, and friendship from around the world. Emily encourages readers to experience God's grace and feast on the living Bread of Jesus Christ and the nourishment He offers, reminding us that, before His death, rather than performing additional miracles, Jesus prioritized sharing a meal with His friends: "Maybe eating together is a miracle." With lyrical prose and honest reflections on her complicated and sometimes life-threatening relationship with food, Emily explores how God sustains us through both the physical gift of food and the sacrificial blood of His Son, consumed yet never depleted. --Dawn Camp Author, It All Began in a Garden Emily Wierenga has the soul of an artist and the heart of a missionary. Emily wrote this book because she was asked to, and not without first seeking God's heart to know if He would have her devote the time and energy necessary to tell the story well--a goal she far surpassed. Emily invites us to a feast. She sets a warm and welcoming table with her poetic words, feeds us the living Bread, and inspires us to go and serve others the feast we've freely received. I pray this book finds its way into the hands of many, and that they follow Emily's footsteps into the joy of becoming broken bread for the world. --Jeanne Damoff Author and speaker Secretary, The Lulu Tree Foundation Some years ago, Emily Wierenga put aside the platform she'd built as an author, set aside her ambition, and took up a calling to live the Word rather than simply write about it. Since then, the Lord has blessed countless people around the world because of her offering. It has been my honor and privilege to serve alongside Emily at The Lulu Tree, learning from her humble obedience and deep desire to please the Father above all else. I have never met a braver, stronger person than Emily. And yet her strength comes from the Spirit who fills her as she empties herself, loving the least of these with everything she has. As He often does, God returned Emily's sacrifice with compound interest. God Who Became Bread is a beautiful work of redemption, a powerful reminder that our God is a miracle worker, an abundant provider, and a tender and loving Father. --Erica Hale Vice President, The Lulu Tree Foundation So many of us go through life with a vague hunger for more. God Who Became Bread is an invitation to explore what will truly satisfy your soul--a feast of grace, hope, and resilience. Emily's words will help you settle deeper into your seat at the divine table, where you're fully known and loved, where you've always belonged. --Holley Gerth Wall Street Journal best-selling author of What Your Mind Needs for Anxious Moments