Treatment for Slipped Disciples
Restoring Your Spiritual Passion by Cordon MacDonald Oliver Nelson, $12.95 Reviewed by Mark Galli, pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, California
I write with a bias. I was trudging through one of those stretches of passionless ministry when I read Restoring Your Spiritual Passion. To lie frank, I review as one whose passion for ministry has been restored, and this book played no small part.
Author Gordon MacDonald writes “Who of us does not crave the passion or the power to be godly people? To give witness to our faith, to serve and give selflessly? To own control of our drives and dispositions? But for many it is easier to talk about passion than to find it or, having found it, to maintain it.”
That rings true especially for those in positions of spiritual leadership. The smuggle to maintain and nurture my spiritual passion remains one of the greatest challenges of my ministry. When passion evaporates, ministry seems trivial. Yet, when filled with SpititUAi passion, I find it difficult to imagine more significant or rewarding work.
MacDonald, who spent twenty-two years in the pastorate before becoming president of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, understands the weariness that can weigh down Christian leaders. This weariness, however, cannot be identified simply with the psychological states of stress and bumout. In a phone conversation, MacDonald said it goes deeper than that; it is “when the whole spirit just sags.”
MacDonald sees a number of reasons why this weariness troubles us today. The hurried pace of modern life and the unceasing demand for church programs are but two. He moves on to thoughtfully analyze seven conditions that threaten spiritual passion, such as the Drained Condition and the Driedout Condition. Writing about the Distorted Condition, he describes something not a little familiar: “I have frequently found myself in the state of what I describe as oversensation. As one grows older, it is possible to be involved in so many interesting and exciting things that adrenalin becomes something of an addictive drug. Life becomes a peak-to-peak hopping of wonderful experiences, each a bit emotionally higher that the last, until there comes a time when the peaks can’t get any higher or more frequent. The inner being is fed on thrills and excitements. It is a rather spiritually deficient diet that leaves one exhausted and weary.”
He next describes the varieties of people who affect spiritual passion. Very Resourceful, Very Important, and Very Trainable People generally add to our enthusiasm for ministry, but Very Draining People and Very Nice People tend to sap our spiritual energy.
Very Nice People, for example, “fill the pews and rooms and programs. En masse they provide substantial amounts of money .. . to fuel organizations sometimes called ministries. VNPs are . . . good people. And we make many fine friendships with VNP’s.” But he also notes, “Spiritual energy or passion is profoundly affected by the VNP’s. … Leaders spend exorbitant amounts of time solving the problems of programming, interpersonal conflict, and enlargement that VNP’s create by their presence.”
MacDonald hardly advocates ignoring those who tire us; Jesus certainly didn’t. In our conversation, MacDonald stressed we shouldn’t “accuse people of belonging to any of the categories.” But he wants us to note with what groups we spend the bulk of our time. If, for example, we spend time only with VNP’s, we should not be surprised that we feel drained.
He fills out the analysis of spiritual weariness with four spirits that destroy spiritual passion (competitive, critical, vain, and adversarial) and two inner battles that war against spiritual passion (ambition and pride), and then turns to describing “a few principles that when followed seem to develop, maintain, or restore spiritual passion.” In particular, he details our need for safe places, still times, and special friends.
Safe places are rest stops for roadweary travelers, places made safe by Christ meeting us there. Although we can experience a safe place anywhere, MacDonald notes that we might set aside a particular locale, a place free from interruptions, where we can “hear the secrets God whispers to the inner spirit.”
Regarding corporate safe places, he writes: “Those of us who have lived in the freer Protestant traditions have not been adequately taught the value of the holy places: sites exclusively reserved for worship and spiritual blessing. … We must come to see that genius is involved in setting aside on the maps of our lives places reserved only for the restoration of spiritual passion. We do not appreciate how much we lose by trying to restore our passion in spaces used for other things. Whenever possible, sanctuaries should not be treated as public auditoriums.”
In the chapter “The Still Times,” MacDonald discusses various principles that can restore spiritual passion. He concludes by noting that we can overcome “the hostile elements that cause fatigue only when Sabbaths find their way into the calendars of our lives: monthly, weekly, daily, hourly.”
Finally, MacDonald describes the seven “special-friend teammates” instrumental in restoring and maintaining spiritual passion, including the sponsor, the affirmer, and even the rebuker, a truth teller who may be “the most important member among our special friends.”
MacDonald told me he didn’t want to offer a list of specific suggestions, “gimmicks” that promise to restore passion in a few simple steps. Instead, he wanted to lift up themes, attested to in Scripture and church history, that would not only challenge our present practice of leadership but give leaders a sense of direction.
That is precisely what the book did for me. MacDonald had me examining anew my life and calling, and then molding my work patterns accordingly. It was not long before my weariness faded and a renewed passion for ministry began to blossom within.
And that, it seems to me, is more than enough to expect from a book by this title.
In Praise of the Pastorate
This People, This Parish by Robert K. Hudnut Zondervan, $7.95 Raiewed by John Throop, associate rector, Christ Episcopal Church, Shaker Heights, Ohio
“I come and go across the face of this parish. One morning a baby is born. Two mornings later a woman dies. A couple comes to get married. A man goes to the hospital for tests. … It is the ebb and flow of our life together. This people, this parish is like a great sea heaving, the tides strong and the currents swift. In every home, as I go down the street tonight, some frail craft is plying that sea between sorrow and joy. The doors open, and I am asked in.”
Robert Hudnut, senior pastor of Winnetka (Illinois) Presbyterian Church, speaks of his love affair with parish ministry in This People, This Parish. Hudnut writes reflectively, asking the reader to journey with him through his twenty-five years of church ministry to see the presence of God in the many events of his life and work-and ours, too.
The book is notable on two counts. First, Hudnut helps the reader get a feel for who pastors are and what they do. Many books develop a theology of ministry from the seminary greenhouse. Other books are practical, how-to manuals. Yet these books do not convey the richness, the humanness, and the incarnational wonder of pastoral work. Hudnut writes out of deep feeling, yet with strong theological underpinnings.
Second, it is rich in spirituality. Here is a man firmly committed to Christ and to bringing others to Christ’s love.
Hudnut is moved by worship. He has a strong devotional life. He is dedicated to his life of service. Most of all, he knows his limits. This People, This Parish allows us to peer into the soul of a pastor, to see his commitment to Christ-something few colleagues, and even fewer laity, are able to do with a pastor.
It is refreshing to view a pastor, after twenty-ffve years, still in love with the parish ministry and with God himself. Hudnut considers kindling this love, as in a marriage, a key element for the future of strong parish ministry. Christian spirituality, a strong devotional life, is the fire that kindles. “When I was at Union Theological Seminary in New York between 1956 and 1959,” says Hudnut, “there were no courses in spirituality. I continue to see that what is most lacking in mainline Protestant churches is spirituality, ways to educe God in the experiences of life. I have written this book to give pastors and their people a renewed sense of optimism that this can be done.”
Hudnut writes, “God speaks and reveals himself through percepts rather than concepts. We perceive rather than conceive C;od, and so it is necessary to see, touch, taste, smell, and hear God at work in life.”
In chronicling nearly 150 events, Hudnut does an admirable job perceiving God’s presence in parish life.
“We need each other in order to ‘see’ Jesus,” Hudnut continues. “That is how he becomes visible. We see Jesus in the other. Our job in this parish is to be transparent to Jesus. So often we are opaque, occasionally translucent, rarely transparent.”
True transparency is rare, but it is life giving in ministry. Hudnut writes: “She called to see how I was. She had been in the hospital recently, and we had been in touch occasionally since. But the call was not to inform me of her condition; rather it was to check in on mine. Not that I had been sick or distressed. She just wanted to know how things were going.
“I was surprised. Such calls to a pastor are rare. It is one thing for the pastor to inquire of a parishioner how things are going. It is quite another for a parishioner to make the inquiry of the pastor. I was touched.”
In another place, Hudnut states that those who show such concern or, even more rarely, speak casually yet sincerely of how they pray for the pastor are people who are etched into the pastor’s memory. Hudnut hopes This People, This Parish will encourage the burned out or discouraged to refocus on the joy of ministry.
Based on This People, This Parish, to be a part of the body served by this minister would be a blessing indeed. Thankfully, we can be a part of his flock during a couple of well-spent hours reading this book.
Quick Reference for Deep Hurts
Helping Women in Crisis by Kay Marshall Strom Zondervan, $7.95 Reviewed by Nancy D. Becker, associate pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
After a hospital visit to a badly injured child, you receive a call from the child’s mother: “I did it,” she says. “I hurt my child.”
The mother of a five-year-old girl tells you her daughter has been molested by her Sunday school teacher, a man who has taught in your church for many years.
A married woman of the church confesses that she has been having an affair, but she doesn’t want to give up either her lover or her husband.
It is the nature of crisis situations that they arise inconveniently and have to be dealt with immediately. Kay Marshall Strom’s book, Helping Women in Crisis, is a succinct, thorough, and clearly written book to be read and kept within reach for just such crises in women’s lives.
Strom saw a need for this book while working with the subject of wife abuse. She realized women may face particular crises that few ministers feel adequate to handle. So Strom condensed a great deal of experience and research from the literature of crisis counseling into a highly useful work.
Each chapter deals with a specific crisis situation, considered in a model counseling situation. Then comes a brief summary of the issues for quick reference, a list of specific do’s and don’ts for counseling, a resource list of crisis agencies, a suggested reading list, and a place to fill in local sources of help for quick reference.
In the chapter on teen pregnancy, for example, Strom presents a case study: “You ask Stephanie if she has considered the possibility of placing the baby for adoption.
” ‘I don’t know,’ Stephanie says thoughtfully, ‘I’m not sure I could just say good-by to my baby and give it away.’
“You tell Stephanie that adoption procedures have changed in recent years. … You assure Stephanie that, should she decide on adoption, it will in no way indicate a lack of love for the baby.
“‘Do I have to make up my mind ahead of time?’ Stephanie asks. ‘Couldn’t I get to know the baby first and see how things go before I decide?’
“You tell Stephanie that although it is her legal right to wait, for the good of l everyone involved she should make l the decision before the baby is born.” | This concise, direct style is typical of the book.
The “Quick Overview” in each chapter is designed to be read under pressure, perhaps while hearing about the problem on the phone. In the chapter on infidelity, for example, the overview reads: “Spouses involved in adultery are very adept at rationalizing, excusing their sin and blaming their action on others. Refuse to accept this. If you are talking to the unfaithful spouse, insist that she accept the responsibility for her actions. If you are talking to the wronged spouse, insist that she refuse to accept the blame. … “
Strom offers specific advice for male counselors in crisis situations involving women: don’t be physical, don’t encourage dependence, see the problem from the woman’s perspective, and beware of operating from possible prejudices and stereotypes about female behavior
She enlarged on this in an interview by pointing out the difficult stance a male counselor has to take in comforting the woman. He has to be careful not to comfort by such natural physical signs as putting an arm around her. On the other hand, some men go too far in the other direction, becoming stiff and formal. The skill is to be caring and comforting without physical contact.
Strom deals straightforwardly with a counselor’s dilemma concerning confidentiality. In most cases, a counselor is required by law to report incidents of child abuse, child molestation, and incest. “‘Please don’t call the police,’ pleads the mother of the fifteen-yearold victim of incest. ‘I’ll have Shelley stay with her aunt for a week or two until this blows over and I have a chance to work this out with my husband.’
“You tell her that you can’t make such an agreement with her. For healing to be possible for either Shelley or her father, the secrecy must be broken, no matter how much it hurts. If you are unsure how to proceed, get some telephone counseling from a child abuse hotline.”
Strom said her prayer for the book is that it might provide the tools needed by counselors to deal directly and effectively with women who come to them in times of immediate trauma. It’s a book to keep close at hand for reference when crises crash unexpectedly and inconveniently into our lives.
Clergy Malpractice by H. Newton Malony, Thomas L. Needham, and Samuel Southard Westminster, $12.95
It can’t happen to me! pastors think to themselves, but in a suit-prone nation, even ministers are no longer immune. Clergy Malpractice deals with the some times tricky interplay of legal, professional, and biblical realities.
What about, for example, the practice of disciplining an erring member? (:)r the liability incurred by a lay counseling program? This book provides expert guidance for pastors wanting to rninister in situations where the risks of error (and a lawsuit) are great. The contributors speak from a spectrum of pastoral insight and legal expertise.
Appendices round out this resource with a code for the practice of ministry, a list of resources on legal issues iri pastoral practice, and addresses of companies that offer malpractice and liability coverage.
Getting the Word Out by Theodore Baehr Harper & Row, $14.95
Not every pastor’s voice will grace radio or TV airwaves. But whether the pastor wants to launch into broadcast media or settle for a monthly newsletter, religious communications executive Theodore Baehr has a book full of ideas for spreading the Good News.
For radio or television outreach, Baehr walks through each step-raising funds, deciding on format, determining audience. But he also provides a process to determine the advisability of other, less costly, media. Chapters on public speaking and newsletter editing are helpful here.
This book is written by a communications expert with ready techniques and solid theory.
Strategies for Growing Your Church by C. Wayne Zunkel Cook, $12.95
Solid church growth does not come cheaply or automatically, Wayne Zunkel believes. “It demands our minds, our creative energies, our passion, our hearts.”
Growing in faith and members also requires careful attention to patterns and principles that create the climate for growth. Zunkel draws on pastoral experience and church growth training to discuss such vital ingredients as visionary goal setting and community outreach. He explores ways to multiply small groups and train members to share their faith. He offers chapters on starting a satellite congregation on a shoestring and joining in partnership with neighborhood ethnic fellowships.
To help a pastor teach these concepts, included are plans for twelve one-hour class sessions, work sheets, and transparency masters for lively visual aids.
Innovative Approaches to Counseling by Gary R. Collins Word, $10.95
This book grows out of a counselor’s profound discovery: Significant counseling can and does take place in church foyers, hospital rooms, even street corners. Collins uses his clinical expertise to explore ways to expand counseling opportunities beyond the walls of the pastoral counselor’s office.
Collins looks, for example, at preventive counseling that heads off tensions before they become crises. He explores single-session counseling strategies that quickly identify issues and begin problem-solving processes. Collins also advises on the possibilities- and pitfalls-of training lay counselors.
The settings for such innovative pastoral care are diverse. Collins reflects, “Christ met people where they were- in the streets, in their homes, at their places of worship, near their bedsides.” This book will help the counselor, pastoral or lay, find ways to care in similarly diverse circumstances.
Preparing Your Church for Ministry to Alcoholics and Their Families by Thomas Hamilton Cairns Charles C. Thomas, $16.95
Many congregations can’t miss noticing the needs of their alcoholic families. They want to help but often lack know-how. This book can help build a bridge between the millions who suffer from alcoholism and the untapped potential of churches ready to help.
Whether an annual series of workshops for parents and children of alcoholics or a church-sponsored group patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous, opportunities are there, as the suggestions in this book attest. The author lists signs to alert pastors to the possibility of closet alcoholism, and outlines fruitful strategies for beginning interventions. One also finds a list of books and institutions that can help.
Forced Termination by Brooks Faulkner Broadman, $4.95
Conflict is like death and taxes: inevitable, even in the church. Brooks Faulkner has found ample evidence for that assertion through leading workshops for pastors recuperating from a firing or forced resignation.
As complex as the underlying causes usually are, this book helps clarify how and why such terminations happen. Faulkner suggests, for example, that “When a minister receives a minimum amount of feedback from church members who feel a maximum need to give feedback, it is hardly surprising that the eruption is just a matter of ‘when.’ ” Or, “It’s an American tradition. If you don’t win games, you fire the coach.” If the church isn’t growing, “it is easier to fire the coach than to turn the team around from within.”
One chapter outlines a redemptive possibility: a weekend “retraining” event designed to help pastor and parishioners communicate more deeply. Other chapters give advice to the pastor, and to the church retooling in the wake of resignation.
Pastoral Administration by David Luecke and Samuel Southard Word, $11.95
It’s ironic. Surveys show, say the authors, that while pastors give the most time to administration, they find it the least satisfying of all duties. This manual helps guide the pastor into administration that is an extension of, not an intrusion into, vital ministry.
Fuller Seminary professors Luecke and Southard begin by recognizing that some pastors are people oriented, more likely to resent “administrative busywork.” Others are more task oriented, inclined to worry that individual needs may block decisive action.
Whatever one’s inclination, they argue, once identified, it can be used effectively. Other sections focus on how administrators deal with conflict and keep lines of communication open.
-Reviewed by Timothy K. Jones Christ Our Peace Church of the Brethren The Woodlands, Texas
He who is not angry at sin is not in love with virtue. -Tames Strachan
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