Read This Book

I confess to loving book stores. And I confess to have a United Church resource centre in our church building and that I supervise the staff there. I work in the face of continual temptation.

That being said, I occasionally come across book that say to me "READ THIS!". Such a book is "This Odd and Wondrous Calling" by Lilian Daniel and Martin Copenhaver and published last year by Eerdmans. This is one of those book that reminds me of the old Rod Stewart song, "I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger...". I wish I had this book thirty years ago, when I was starting in ministry. It’s a book about pastoral ministry, not a "how to be a successful minister" book. There is a huge difference.

Written by two excellent writers (Daniels and Copenhaver are both part of the United Church of Christ’s Still Speaking writing team), this book sums up much of the awe, mystery, strange behaviour and wonder of ministry. Both Daniels and Copenhaver are lovers of ministry and the work we do. Yet they, like us, have struggled, wondered, been befuddled and even beaten. Yet they share their experiences with humour and a deep sense of God’s grace.

This is a book you can easily pick up, read, chew on and put down, coming back to re-engage it at any time. It would be especially good for those in theological college, those newly ordained or commissioned and those attempting to make sense of what we do (Hint: Don’t try. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense).

The book is available from all the usual outlets. You can read the first chapter at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0802864759/ref=asc_df_08028647591105051?tag=sty...