Wind in the Wheat

by Reed Arvin

Book Overview

As a young man growing up in Kansas, Andrew Miracle enjoys working on his family farm and singing gospel music at his small church. But when John van Grimes, an agent in the music industry, hears Andrew sing one night, he persuades the young man to join him in Nashville for the ministry opportunity of a lifetime. In Nashville, Andrew is greeted by Carolyn Hemphill, a beautiful young woman who works at the John van Grimes Management Agency. As she...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785281460
• ISBN13: 9780785281467
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Faith, Creativity, and the Desire to Live an Honest Life.

As a Christian (a disciple of Jesus) and as an Artist (someone who was designed to make and/or do something creative), one is presented with some very unique challenges. Jesus called us to be in the world, but we are not of the world. It is a fine line to walk and can only be done through temperance (which is balance). Reed Arvin should know a lot about temperance because for several years he was a musician and producer of Contemporary Christian Music. Arvin eventually left the CCM arena and became a writer. THE WIND IN THE WHEAT is, I believe, his first novel. THE WIND IN THE WHEAT revolves around an extremely talented and gifted musician named Andrew Miracle. Miracle is a young Kansas farmer who works in the fields once owned by his father. His father is deceased and Andrew is attempting to save the farm for his mother. Andrew enjoys working in the fields and often hears the God speaking to him through the wind in the wheat. But, Andrew isn't like other people his age. Andrew doesn't have many close friends because most of the people Andrew's age are more concerned with drinking, cussing, etc. Andrew tries to hang around them, but he almost always ends up "preaching" to them. He doesn't do out of arrogance, but out of love. His peers don't understand this. One night Andrew hears God. The voice is still and quiet and all it says is, "Andrew, you are love." Andrew doesn't know what to make of the message and wrestles with it for several days. Not long after a touring ministry group enters the town, the manager of the group meets with Andrew and offers him an opportunity to fly to Nashville to join the group. Andrew believes this might be why God was speaking to him and agrees. What starts out as the possibility of Andrew joining a touring musical ministry group turns into Andrew becoming the latest Christian and pop music sensation. Andrew skyrockets through both the CCM and pop charts and becomes an overnight superstar. Yet, Andrew senses something is missing. Andrew has to discover for himself how to reach the largest and best possible audience but without losing sight of his ministry. THE WIND IN THE WHEAT does an excellent job of presenting some of the struggles that Christian artists, particularly Christian musicians, have to go through. It gives a behind the scenes look at some of the workings of the industry which many probably aren't familiar with at all. The novel is also a love story between Andrew and Carolyn, the woman he first meets in Nashville and whom he falls in love with. In short, this is a great novel about faith and the struggle to find temperance in the creative life.

Beautiful Story, Important Message

Arvin does just an incredible job of writing a book that is solid from a literary standpoint but which also tackles a serious message in a very effective manner. Andrew Miracle has been given a musical gift from God. A visiting manager hears him perform and in a flash Andrew is signed out of obscurity to a major label and thrust into a whirlwind world that is totally foreign to him. Everything that was once important and clear to him is now hazy and hard questions arise. What is at the core of Christian music? What are its values? Is it a business? Is it a ministry? Is there such a thing as the "business of ministry?" As his star begins its rapid ascent, Andrew must face these questions head on and make some hard choices that are all too relevant to today's music scene. If you are a fan of CCM at all, or especially if you think you will be involved with CCM professionally, you really should pick up this book. It has a serious message, but it's not heavy-handed. It is fair, but bluntly honest. It will force you to re-examine how you view the music you are buying, your attitudes towards many aspects of the scene, and especially how you as a fan look at the artists you listen to. Read this along with Charlie Peacock's At the Crossroads. Five Stars.

A must-read

This is a rare work of art in the modern American church: it's honest. It's a must-read for anyone entering the ministry and who seeks to live in true holiness. Holiness doesn't present itself as holy. It just is holy. It doesn't draw attention to itself. This work shows us the shame of trying to live an image of holiness instead of being holy. How to deal with our superficial faith. It's a work about God saying 'no' instead of being a short order cook always supplying us with what we consider to be the best of everything. Obviously, it's sobering. It's also enjoyable and hardly as critical or mean as this review sounds. Although there's alot of music industry info, the plot itself is compelling and the ending is rewarding and packs quite a twist! Happy reading, all.

A better understanding

I often questioned where I belonged in the vast spectrum of Christian Music and had the pleasure of meeting Reed Arvin at a seminar sponsored by the GMA. That is where I picked up this book. Mr. Arvin was open and honest in his seminars and his book helped me gain a better understanding as to where I belong. Thank you Reed.

in Christ name?

This book takes a hard look at the music industry flying under the Christian flag. It shows a young man's struggle to keep his Christianity as he slowly watches it slide between his fingers, as everybody around him tells him it's "o.k." I enjoyed this book throughly, espcially from the marketing standpoint. It's very authentic and real to the struggles in trying to keep your trueself while everything around you is fabricated. A good read for anyone who questions where their spiritual gifts lie and how they should use them. I felt like I lost a good friend when I finished this book.