Plain
Vanilla Jesus
By Pastor Marie Sorrentino
While
it’s subtitled,” A true story about plain vanilla,” this book
from Christian Services Network is more of a movable feast of as many flavors
as were surely found in the Sorrentino kitchen through the years that led the
family from Brooklyn, New York to San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. Yet, after
you’ve read this wonderful demonstration of pure and simple faith and its
power, the title makes absolute sense.
“Plain
vanilla.” The essence of whatever you are dealing with at the time from
cars to horses to spirituality; stripped clean of all the chrome, blankets and
ceremony. It’s just the way it is without embellishment.
You
will laugh and cry as you join this home maker, wife and hand maiden of the
Lord as she struggles through a life-long commitment to the service of others
(especially children) while all the time fighting to stay in the Lord’s
will and out of her own.
Marie
Sorrentino brought her simple faith along with her firefighter/wise-guy husband
on a journey that could only have been orchestrated by the Lord. She understood
the power of the Scripture, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen
you” (John 15:16a). She also knew all too well that when God guides, God
provides. But she was strong in her own belief that her calling to serve was in
her beloved Brooklyn where she could hang on tightly to her Italian roots.
Much
of her story brought back such fond memories of the years I’d spent in
neighborhoods just like the ones she describes. Many times I’d gone to
“Little Italy” in both Brooklyn and the Bronx for the celebration
of St. Anthony’s Feast Day. Streets are blocked off and food lines every
inch of both sides for about three to four blocks. It’s an invitation to
commit suicide by fork. And, believe me, you’d die with a smile on your
face. But, I digress.
After
attending a Morris Cerullo Revival, one thing led to another and the family
found themselves traveling all the way across the country to San Diego, first
to work for Cerullo, then to pastor a small church of their own. Then the
couple felt led to open the New Covenant Tabernacle in an abandoned theater in
National City, where worship services are held to this day.
Many
of you may remember another part of the story. The Sorrentino’s love of
children had led them to take in homeless kids for years and they were finally
led to start an orphanage for the poorest of the poor, the little lost children
they found living on the garbage dump in Tijuana. In the early 90s, just before
Christmas, a terrible fire raced through the Lily of the Valley Orphanage and
burned it to the ground. Even though a high fence surrounded it and firemen
took over two hours to respond, not one child died that cold winter’s
night.
Reviewed by Paul McShane of Carlsbad, an author, businessman and journalist.