Book Review: A Life of Daring Simplicity

Once in a while a book comes along that is interesting, out of the ordinary. I read a lot of books on the priesthood, on pastoral care, and ministry so I'm quite familiar with the terrain. Recently Liturgical Press published a book by Michael A. Becker called A Life of Daring Simplicity: Daily Devotions on the Priesthood (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014). 

This book is identical to the many Year in the Life Books that are published, A Year in the Life with Thomas Merton or a Year in the Life of Dorothy Day. Each day devoted to a saying or quotation from a particular person. This book is basically a years worth of daily devotions for priests. Each day opens with a short scripture verse, a selection from numerous contemporary and ancient authors, and then a very short prayer or reflection.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. The cover is inviting and the topic is a great one especially for people like me who are pastors. Yet I found the book very uneven. Becker draws upon a variety of writers such as Pope Francis, Saint Pope John Paul II, and the former Pope Benedict as he does others such as Thomas Merton and Gordon Lathrop.  I didn't count but it seemed like at least sixty to seventy percent of the daily devotions were from Cardinal Bernadin, Pope John II and Benedict. I only counted two or three from Gordon Lathrop a very well known liturgical pastoral theologian, and maybe two or three from Thomas Merton. There were two from John Chrysostom and then a few others.

Yet within the Christian Tradition, both ancient and modern, Catholic and non Catholic are a whole host of wonderful sayings from so many other writers that could have been included but were not: Ignatius of Antioch, Gregory the Great, Augustine, Frank Senn, Eugene Peterson, Will Willimon, and others. They have wonderful insights and sayings about pastoral care which pastors would enjoy reading. Perhaps this is a book that Liturgical Press could put together for the future.

For more information about this book click here 

Book Review: Resilient Ministry

Once in a while  book comes across my desk that I know I have to read. Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told us About Surviving and Thriving (Downers Grove, InterVarsity Press, 2013)  is one of those books. This is a book that all pastors both young and old need to read, especially those who are coming right out of seminary. It is that good, trust me.

The co-authors: Bob Burns, Tasha Chapman, and Donald Guthrie are well seasoned pastors and academics in the field of ministry and are well equipped to publish a book such as this. Resilient Ministry is chock full of information about the ups and downs, joys and sorrows of pastoral ministry. As I read through it the first time I knew that at some point I'd have to return again and re-read key sections as well as use the questions included in each chapter as key points for my journaling time.

The book originated out of the Pastors Summit which was a series of conferences on the life of the minister and his family. Included in the back of the book are a series of appendices such as research methods, questions, and various checklists that were used. It is great information since some of the information can be used by the reader such as creating your own Genogram as well as various checklists about emotions and other best practice type things.

Resilient Ministry is not a quick read. I generally read fast but I found that the organization of the book requires slow meditative reading especially since the authors include many quotations from pastors themselves about the parish life, the pastor and his family, and the challenges and choices that we make in congregational life. As a pastor who has served a single parish for fifteen years I really enjoyed reading many of these comments since so many of them validated either what I have experienced myself for what some of my co-pastors have experienced. These quotations stirred up a lot of memories for me, many that were not so good!

The book is organized into fifteen short chapters many of which are based on various themes such as: pastoral formation, self care of the pastor, marriage and family life, and leadership issues.  I found each chapter engaging, informative and really solid. As I was reading I thought, "Where was this book when I graduated seminary, I could have used it!" Alas, I realize that things come to us when we need them. I guess Resilient Ministry was meant for me now as I passed through my own desert experiences questioning my own vocation as a pastor. Not only have I survived but through the course of the years I've learned how to thrive.

I highly recommend Resilient Ministry for pastors who want to not only survive but thrive.

For more information about Resilient Ministry click here