Scott is with Smyth & Hewlys, a new religious Publishing company, who produced "Running with the Dolphins," my book about Tybee Island which was a stretch because there was little religious about it."Of course I can," I assure Scott.
So I wrote "Playing Hide & Seek: A non-Church Goers Path to Finding God."
"Seriously?" Scott asks after I submit the manuscript.
It's Guy Sayles fault. He suggests we write a book together with the title "Called In/Called Out" ... about how he works for the church as a "Professional Christian" (well on his way to becoming America's greatest minister) and I have nothing to do with the Church as a very unprofessional Christian.
I wrote my part.
Guy never wrote his.
That's how "Hide & Seek" was born.
"We can't find anybody to endorse the book," Scott Nash informs me. "Nobody will write an introduction or even give you a blurb for the cover."
"Who have you asked?"
"Well ... everybody," he explains. "The best response is from Tony Compolo" ...(the famous sociologist, pastor, author, public speaker and spiritual advisor to U.S. Presidents).
"What did Tony say?"
"He takes issue with your statement that "No Savior will ever sleep in the White House" because ... he apparently sleeps in the White House."
"So you're telling me he's putting himself in the "Savior" category?
A few days later I receive a letter from Tony explaining what a terrible book I've written.
I didn't write him back and I didn't send him a Christmas Card either.
"What'cha gonna do?" I ask Scott.
"It's too damn good so we're going to publish it anyway," he explains.
Sure enough when "Hide & Seek" comes out the first page reads, "... none of the publically known church leaders we contacted would endorse this book. Most, however, encouraged us to publish it ..."
Or, as my friend Rev. Benny Mitchell said, "Elliott, why did you do that? You said everything we think but don't say. You outted us!"
The reviews were great! My favorite was ... "At the beginning of the second Chapter I threw the book against the wall but later picked it up and kept reading ..."
It's the kind of book people ask be put in a brown paper bag before they stick it under their arms and dash out of the Book Store ... sort of like religious Porn.
It still makes me proud today because it's about how God and you can have a perfectly fine relationship with or without a Church.
It really is about just you and God.
