A Voice in the Wilderness: Mastering Ministry (Pressure Points)

This book is a part of a series published my Multnomah Press on Mastering Ministry Pressure Points. Unlike other books that deal with the craft of sermon building, or the character of the pulpit, this book deals with the pressure and opposition a pastor must face. I am appreciative of the fact that aside from the usual pressure points that a book of his nature would normally deal with, the author deals rather extensively with the "cultural wars" we find ourselves in. The authors do a very good job in promoting the value of inductive preaching to the post-modern audience. Chapter one on authority is outstanding. When I was in seminary, we were never taught this, in fact, if one would have expounded the authority of the pastor he would have been publicly scoffed at by facility and student alike. The step by step plan to establish one's authority in the local church is excellent. This book is full of practical advice. The chapter on strength for the weekly grind is indicative of this practicality. The authors were refreshingly honest in their approach to preaching. The advice on "short-cuts" alone was well worth the price of the book. The discussion on the tension that exists between the voice of authority and the voice of transparency helped put his difficult dilemma in proper perspective.Practically, this book has very few weaknesses. It does not purport to be a scholarly time, nor did it pretend to teach each subject exhaustively. It accomplishes it goal in helping pastors with practical advice. I will take one theology stab at the book. On pg. 93 he say repentance "does not mean calling people to straighten out everything they've committed . . . it is agreeing with God about who he is , who you are, and what's you've done and what needs to change." Like or not, repentance means a change of behavior as well as a change of attitude. Well, he goes the Lordship debate all over again. More than most books, A Voice in the Wilderness addresses the practical issues that every minister is faced with. Whereas it is unlikely to save a failing ministry, this book can certainly help those ministers who may be struggling day to day.

"A Voice In The Wilderness", is a very insightful book that is written collectively by three seasoned ministers. The deal with three catagories of issues. The first being that of Cultural Wars. The second issue discussed is Internal Pressures, and the third is External Pressures. Steve Brown, Haddon Robinson, and William Willimon give great advice that is illustrated by personal experiences from their lives. It was a great book and a enjoyable read.