Stephen Copeland Bücher

In this narrative, Stephen Copeland embarks on a six-year journey of self-discovery and divine exploration during annual retreats to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Roanoke, Virginia. Here, a forty-year-old church softball tournament raises funds for mission work in Paraguay. Through his stories, Stephen delves into his inner self, navigating doubt, deconstruction, and depression, ultimately uncovering authentic hope in the darkness. Readers accompany him through significant paradigm shifts in various aspects of life. In spirituality, he transitions from striving to connect with God to simply abiding in the awareness of being a child of God. Psychologically, he moves from suppressing emotions to exploring them with curiosity and non-judgment. In relationships, he learns to accept others as they are rather than attempting to change them, fostering understanding across differences. In art, writing, and work, he shifts from the pressure of perfectionism to enjoying the creative process itself. Stephen’s present-tense narrative unfolds in a free-thinking, flowing manner, interweaving humor with complex theology. It oscillates between external stories and introspective moments, inviting readers to engage in their own journeys of introspection and contemplation.