How many times have you heard someone say, “I want to be close to God,” or “I feel far from Jesus?” For many of us, we have been led to believe that our relationship with Jesus is based on proximity—a sliding scale of “near” or “far” based on the faithfulness of our spiritual devotion.

But what if being “close” to you isn’t good enough for Jesus? What if he wants to be closer than close? Instead of simply having a “personal relationship” with you, what if Jesus longs to be “perfectly one” with you instead?

In this achingly bold and beautiful book, pastor, scholar, friend, and now author, Dave Hickman, invites you into his personal journey from striving to abiding, anxiety to peace, weariness to rest; from having a relationship with Jesus to awakening to the freedom of his union with Christ. Through careful attention to Scripture, personal stories, and everyday examples, join Dave as he guides you into the depths of the mystery of your personal and corporate union with Christ. In doing so, you, too, can awaken to the wonder and freedom that is already yours in Christ.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The White Arrow
1 . Striving to Abide
2 . The Bond of Breath

PART ONE: THE DIVINE MYSTERY
3 . The Mystery of God
4 . Famous Last Words
5 . Union to Disunion: Who We Were and What We Lost
6 . Reunion to Perfect Union: Who We Are and What We Will Be

PART TWO: THE DIVINE REALITY
7 . Personal Identity: The Most Loved
8 . The Spiritual Disciplines: Paradigm Shift
9 . The Church: The Body of Christ
10. The Mission of Christ: So That the World May Know

Endorsements
"Dave Hickman has given a real gift to the church. His book is a clarion call to come back to a cornerstone of our faith: Christ in us. As practical and personal as it is theological, Closer Than Close paints a powerful picture of how rich and full life can be when we choose to live out of our in- ness."
---JARRETT STEVENS, Pastor of Soul City Church, author of Four Small Words

"Dave Hickman has written an empowering work that challenges us to stop trying to earn intimacy with God. Our greatest freedom lies in believing that Christ offers us a fully intimate union with God—an opportunity to live into our identity as “fully loved” sons and daughters. If you find yourself in the endless cycle of striving and trying to work for a closer relationship with Christ, you should read this book!"
---KEVIN PALAU, President of the Luis Palau Association, author of Unlikely: Setting Aside Our Differences to Live Out the Gospel

"Dave Hickman reconnects us with Christianity’s deepest longing—“that all might be one . . . I in them and you in me!” Dave reveals his heart to us, and in it we see ourselves. Enjoy his journey, the journey of the church, and our own invitation from Christ to be Closer Than Close."
---FR. MICHAEL T. MARTIN, OFM Conv., director of Duke Catholic Center