Secure, content, competent, reasonably happy and fulfilled, such persons of strength go their own way without any apparent discomfort at having missed the benefits of the Christian faith. . . . What do you say to the person who says, through his or her neglect of the faith, "Thanks, but I don't need it"? -from the book Bishop William Willimon brings the Gospel of Jesus Christ to life for the person who has everything - happy, fulfilled human beings, who don't feel the same level of need expressed by the downcast, the outcast, the brokenhearted, and the miserable. Willimon says that the church's message to the wretched and sad must not exclude the strong and the joyous. In nine concise, inspired chapters, he discusses these ideas: * Must one be sad, depressed, wallowing in sin and degradation, immature, and childishly dependent in order truly to hear the Good News? (See chapters 1 and 2.) * "What do we say to the strong?" (See chapters 3 and 4.) * Speaking to the strong and to the people who are weak and want to be stronger: a particular kind of evangelistic message. They have their sins, but these sins are not the sins of the weak (chapter 5). * Worship which takes God's strong love seriously (chapter 6) * Ethics which arise out of our response to that love (chapter 7) * Church as a place of continual growth and widening responsibility (chapters 8 and 9)

Lillian Daniel shares how her congregation reap-propriated the practice of testimony one Lenten season, a practice that would eventually revitalize their worship and transform their congregational culture. The experience strengthened lay leadership, fostered more intimate community, and drew the congregation closer to God. The book features the testimonies worshipers heard and reflections from both those who spoke and those who listened to these stories about God at work in the world.

Sloppy talk about the Christian religion has become an acceptable prejudice, especially on the part of people who pride themselves as being unprejudiced. Daniel's book provides humorous yet intellectual commentary on the way religion gets talked about today. She explains Christian ideas and practices in non-academic, yet non-facile terms. In her signature style, popularized in widely debated articles for The Huffington Post and Christianity Today, she outlines four types of non-church-goers: no-longer, no-way, never-have, not-yet and with experiential insight from more than a decade as a pastor, she explains how churches of all denominations and doctrines can provide them intellectual rigor, reasons for belief and authentic religious community. No one should have to check their brain at the door of the church, she says and churches must deal with present-day issues and be intellectually open, inviting people to bring questions, rather than dispensing old, easy answers.

People find it comfortable and convenient to create their own version of God-but can they really face the God who created them? The phrase "I'm spiritual, but not religious has been used so much as a blanket statement of faith that it has become a cliche. Some users have been damaged by particular traditions; others cannot settle for just one. Often "religious people" - especially if they are open-minded and progressive themselves - don't know how to respond. Lillian Daniel answes the dilemma with real, compelling stories of what a life of faith can truly be: odd, wondrous, God-soaked and worth trying. Here are people looking for God in the midst of everyday life, unashamed to be "religious" in the full and wonderful sense of the word. Private "spiritual life" keeps people self-focused and vague, depriving them of centuries of careful religious thought, current debate, and most importantly, a community of support. It is not remarkable to see God in sunsets and mountaintops; what is remarkable is to find God in the midst of fallible human beings. When "Spiritual but Not Religious" is Not Enough is the book for people who want to find God in nature and in other weird places: prison, airports, yoga classes, committee meetings, and even the weirdest of all places, the local church.

This Odd and Wondrous Calling offers something different from most books available on ministry. Two people still pastoring reflect honestly here on both the joys and the challenges of their vocation. / Anecdotal and extremely readable, the book covers a diversity of subjects revealing the incredible variety of a pastors day. The chapters move from comedy to pathos, story to theology, Scripture to contemporary culture. This Odd and Wondrous Calling is both serious and fun and is ideal for those who are considering the ministry or who want a better understanding of their own ministers life.

Sloppy talk about the Christian religion has become an acceptable prejudice, especially on the part of people who pride themselves as being unprejudiced. Daniel's book provides humorous yet intellectual commentary on the way religion gets talked about today. She explains Christian ideas and practices in non-academic, yet non-facile terms. In her signature style, popularized in widely debated articles for The Huffington Post and Christianity Today, she outlines four types of non-church-goers: no-longer, no-way, never-have, not-yet and with experiential insight from more than a decade as a pastor, she explains how churches of all denominations and doctrines can provide them intellectual rigor, reasons for belief and authentic religious community. No one should have to check their brain at the door of the church, she says and churches must deal with present-day issues and be intellectually open, inviting people to bring questions, rather than dispensing old, easy answers.

People find it comfortable and convenient to create their own version of God-but can they really face the God who created them? The phrase "I'm spiritual, but not religious has been used so much as a blanket statement of faith that it has become a cliche. Some users have been damaged by particular traditions; others cannot settle for just one. Often "religious people" - especially if they are open-minded and progressive themselves - don't know how to respond. Lillian Daniel answes the dilemma with real, compelling stories of what a life of faith can truly be: odd, wondrous, God-soaked and worth trying. Here are people looking for God in the midst of everyday life, unashamed to be "religious" in the full and wonderful sense of the word. Private "spiritual life" keeps people self-focused and vague, depriving them of centuries of careful religious thought, current debate, and most importantly, a community of support. It is not remarkable to see God in sunsets and mountaintops; what is remarkable is to find God in the midst of fallible human beings. When "Spiritual but Not Religious" is Not Enough is the book for people who want to find God in nature and in other weird places: prison, airports, yoga classes, committee meetings, and even the weirdest of all places, the local church.