| Title | : | Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far from Home |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0664261701 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780664261702 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 241 |
| Publication | : | Published October 20, 2020 |
Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far from Home Reviews
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Publication Date – 10/20/20
Barbara Brown Taylor is a new author to me, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m always looking for uplifting and books with positive messages. This book checked those boxes!!
Inside, you will find a collection of thirty-one sermons delivered by Taylor in her role as a guest preacher. I really enjoyed reading a chapter (sermon) each morning with my coffee. It was an excellent way to start the day!
Some of her sermons really hit home for me and the message was strong. I found myself wishing that those sermons were longer or more in depth. I could listen to her sermons all day long!!
I will be reading more of Barbara Brown Taylor's work and I would recommend this book for anyone needing a dose of inspiration. They were perfect messages to add some joy during an otherwise difficult 2020.
Thank you #Edelweiss and #wjkbooks for providing me an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. -
I love everything BBT writes and this collection of sermons was no exception! She is brilliant and funny and I learn so much from everything she writes.
This book is a collection of sermons she preached as a guest in other churches or in chapel services at Christian colleges and seminaries or at special events.
I will be re-reading this several times! -
Well, first, Barbara Brown Taylor is another influential person that seems to have missed my radar for all these years. I can only assume she’s come into my world now because I need what she brings.
This is a book of homilies that she has preached over the last decade or so by invitation of various churches and conferences.
I would love to hear her in person but I will go find her “live” on the internet as a hold until another day. She has a very unique (to me) way of presenting the gospel.
I’m pretty sure the way I consumed this book like a box of movie theater candy was impulsive and I should probably of treated it like Christmas truffles and savored it one by one.
Anyway, she has earned her spot on my keeper bookshelf. I will definitely search out more of her writing and preaching. -
Using familiar Bible passages, the author gives the readers a sermon in a nutshell for each chapter. With various chapters on various topics, I found that it was easy to skip around and read just what I needed for that day. I especially liked the topics of Jesus’s return and correlating it to His birth. The author appeals to the practical side of each of us in order to get us to look at ourselves more carefully and to become closer to a real relationship with God. Since she is always a guest in different churches, so it would be good for us all to remember that we are only guests here on earth. I was a little taken aback at her humor which sometimes tended to be almost sacrilegious, but other than that, I recommend the book to anyone looking for a series of homilies on topics that are as varied as the colors that you can see in the world that God created. I think it would be a great gift for a pastor who needs some new ideas for sermons...not to use her messages but to get a fresh view of how and what to preach.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.” -
This is a book to be savored. You will not be able to pick it up and read it in one sitting… I mean, I suppose that you could do that, but I think that this is not a book for speed reading through… too much goodness would be missed, too much truth overlooked.
I read it a chapter or two at a time as part of my devotional reading. It is a series of talks/sermons that Barbara gave over the last several years at different churches and organizations. I am sure that each audience where she delivered these messages in person was encouraged and challenged by her words. However, I feel supremely blessed to have been able to read this collection and feel as though Barbara has been pastoring me specifically over the last month as I have read her words.
She has a way of communicating the truth of Scripture in fresh and relevant ways. Almost every chapter highlighted some thing I had never thought about before, even when she was discussing Scripture passages I am very familiar with. In many of the chapters, I found myself with tears in my eyes, almost without my permission. There is a tenderness to her words, a “sneaking up on you” of truth.
I think the highest compliment I could pay this book is that although I was given the opportunity to read this book for free through NetGalley, partway through my reading it, I had already purchased the book for my bookshelf, as I know I will be re-reading it in the future.
Thank you, Barbara, for releasing this collection. It is truly a gift to the world and to each reader who chooses to engage with it. -
Always a Guest is a collection of sermons Barbara Brown Taylor has given over the years as she travels around the country speaking. I have been working my way through them over the past few months. I've been meaning to read Taylor's work for awhile, and this felt like a good introduction to her.
As someone who grew up in a Christian home, I often feel like I've heard every spin on every sermon topic out there. So when a speaker or writer is able to show me something in a way I've never considered before, it is notable to say the least. Taylor did this for me over and over in these pages, in a way that was so refreshing to my spirit. She has a style of speaking right through the "christianese" so many of us are used to having and delivering zingers in a loving, powerful way. She is progressive without being heretical. I will definitely seek out more of her refreshing voice in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. -
More like 3.5. A fascinating collection of sermons from a woman Episcopal priest, preaching at different churches of different denominations, seminaries, and even some secular venues, such as conferences: hence she's "always a guest." She takes familiar Bible stories or passages from each Testament, turns them on their heads with her interpretations, contrasts, and comparisons, often bringing in modern touches. The last paragraph or few of of each consists of the lesson meant for the listener or reader. In no particular chronological order, they do not follow the liturgical year. [It would be easier to find Christmas or Easter sermons, for instance.] An unusual devotional, but worth rereading.
There is much comparison and contrast between similar stories in each sermon. Some were more meaningful to me than others, but all were thought-provoking. Title of one sermon: "Widow's Might?" Or was this deliberate, and a pun upon the phrase "Widow's mite?" Very readable, and I'd imagine, listenable.
Thanks for LibraryThing for an ARC.
Recommended. -
A series of 31 messages Barbara Brown Taylor spoke as a guest at various congregations and events during different parts of the Christian year. I loved her takes on many of the Bible passages that had me looking at them in a new light. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.
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4.5: what an amazing collection of messages! This might be the best I've read by this fantastic author. She consistently tackles difficult or confusing stories/passages and topics with wisdom, learning, insight and reflection. Almost without fail, each message was a home run!
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This collection of sermons was lovely. It's perfect for reading one a day or periodically as needed. I appreciate her calm, thoughtful style.
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Inspirational and aspirational. Thankful to have it on my shelf.
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Many churches invite guest preachers to their Sunday pulpit time for different reasons. It could be giving the regular pastor a break. It could also be due to a specialized topic that the congregation needed to hear in a specific moment of time. Sometimes, a famous preacher might be in town also available. Many churches would pounce on the opportunity to listen to experienced clergy and well-known preachers. Barbara Brown Taylor is one such person that I find churches should not miss out. As an Episcopal priest who had stepped down from her Church in order to teach, while she may not be preaching at her regular Church, she has been guest preaching in other places like seminaries, colleges, community groups, as well as churches from different denominations. In this book, Taylor shares her thoughts and experiences about what it means to be doing guest preaching and hones her literary creativity in a constantly changing congregational environment. This collection of sermons is a gift to the rest of the world. Not only does Taylor stay faithful to the Scripture, she expounds it in a way that is very much herself. On her website, she calls herself as one who dares to say things that most of us are not "supposed to say." Things like learning to see the ordinary as beautiful. The world famously glorifies the pretty aesthetics but fails to see from God's perspective, that all of God's creation is good. Our problem is sin, which has marred the way we see the world. She looks at political anxiety in society and carefully redirects the problem back to the nature of human unneighborliness. From the Habakuk passage, she shows us the difference between "having faith" and "living by faith." I loved the way she begins each sermon. One that struck home was how she introduced herself as a server to launch into an invitation to taste that God is good. It was a sumptuous seven course meal. Then there was her interpretation of the story of the poor widow's giving. For most people, it would simply mean cheerful giving or generosity from the heart. Taylor turns it around to point out that it is simply a "human story" where the privileged class does things to benefit themselves while the poor demonstrates true giving because the latter had nothing to benefit themselves. This reminds me of the kind of giving that gives not for self-benefit but for those who could not repay our generosity. What is more impressive is the way Taylor brings in the many contexts of widows in the Bible and expands it to urge listeners to be conscientious of the vulnerable in our midst.
The way she titles her sermons are creative and thought provoking. Like the title "Lady Lazarus" which would pique our curiosity as Lazarus in the Bible was male. Soon, we learn that Taylor was using it to parallel how Tabitha, like Lazarus was brought back to life. There is also "Believing Thomas" which challenges the way we tend to demonize the disciple Thomas as some ancient model of doubt or what not to copy. We were reminded of a small detail that would likely change the way we judge Thomas. Jesus asked him to touch his sides but Thomas never did. Instead, he believed! These and many more make this book a beautiful and captivating read. Taylor is never short of the tradition. From the ecclesiastical calendar to the classics, from the theological libraries to the modern writings, she constantly helps us understand the ancient texts while keeping her feet closely grounded on the present contexts.
My Thoughts
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For regular preachers, this book is a fresh look at some of the most common Bible passages being preached. With literary poise and creative prose, engaging thoughts and light humour, there is much to learn from this seasoned and wise preacher. We can learn about the clever use of titles to engage the audience. This means learning to discern biblical text and the contexts of the congregation. Knowing the Bible is one thing. Recognizing the unique circumstances of each congregation is another. For Taylor to do the same for so many different congregations and communities each week is a commendable task indeed.
For guest preachers, we learn about the pros and cons of speaking to an unknown congregation, especially if we are speaking in that place for the first time. On the one hand, it is exciting. On the other, it comes with unknown expectations. Taylor is candid about this as well, fully prepared not to be invited back in case she says things that are unconventional or controversial. We have much to learn on how to choose our titles; connect the Bible passages with the modern culture; and to preach in a manner that reminds us of our ecclesiastical heritage, namely, the Church calendar.
For the rest of us, this book showcases the literary prowess and communications skills of one of America's best known preachers, in particular, lady preachers. Taylor is not afraid to be upfront like Anne Lamott or observant like Annie Dillard. Neither is she restrained in pushing the limits of conventional wisdom. What I appreciate is her ability to shed new light on old stories. That alone should challenge us to find creative ways to bring out the fresh light of the gospel of Christ. The biggest strength in this book is the way Taylor invites us to eavesdrop on what she was saying to the particular congregation and gradually we realize she speaks directly to us.
Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopal priest, professor, author, and theologian and is one of the best-known preachers in the United States. In 2014, TIME included her on its annual list of Most Influential People; in 2015, she was named Georgia Woman of the Year; in 2018, she was named one of the world's twelve most effective preachers in a landmark survey of clergy by Baylor University. She is the author of many books, including New York Times bestsellers Leaving Church, An Altar in the World, and Holy Envy.
Rating: 5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied. -
In a landmark survey of clergy by Baylor University, Barbara Brown Taylor was named one of the twelve most effective preachers.
I'm not sure you would realize such a lofty recognition while immersing yourself in Taylor's "Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far From Home," not because it's not written with Taylor's usual ample doses of wisdom and spiritual insight but because Taylor manages to come off as both incredibly intelligent and, quite simply, one of us.
I am not as intelligent as Barbara Brown Taylor, of this I have no doubt despite my having attended seminary and despite my having spoken from my share of pulpits.
The simple truth is that Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest who left parish ministry years ago, weaves together biblical exegesis and application expertly while making spiritual truths accessible to both lifelong students of the Gospel and those getting their feet wet, or perhaps washed, for the very first time.
"Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far From Home" is a collection of 31 messages, presented here as chapters, delivered by Taylor in her now present role as a frequent guest preacher along with her ongoing roles as professor, author, and theologian. While she is Episcopalian by background, the messages here represent Taylor's presence across a wide array of denominations and spiritual paths including churches, conferences, and seminaries. In fact, it would seem those wonderful Presbyterians are particularly fond of Taylor, while Taylor time and again presents with a wonderful ability to, well, tailor her messages to her particular audience.
"Always a Guest," while not a lengthy book, is not a quick read. "Always a Guest" is a collection that practically demands patience and the moving of Spirit amidst the words. You can practically feel Taylor's presence and you can practically hear Taylor's words as you read, her language undeniably that of a seminary-trained pastor yet her presence undeniably that of someone whose life has been irrevocably changed by that seminary training and a life lived in service to God and to God's people.
I found myself reading "Always a Guest" most nights before drifting off to sleep, 30-60 minutes of Barbara Brown Taylor feeling like the kind of church experience to which we all should aspire. Each night, I would slowly immerse myself in 2-3 messages, a surprisingly slow pace for an unusually fast reader but a pace that felt necessary and which seemed to honor the intent of this life-giving and faith-celebrating collection.
As is true of nearly every sermon ever delivered, some will resonate more deeply than others There will be times you'll be be-bopping along with Taylor's distinct preaching rhythms, while there may be other times you'll find yourself thoughtful, maybe even resistant, as her words can challenge and charge and command with spiritual authority. There may be times you disagree, I certainly did, but her words will still leave you informed, inspired, and motivated to keep learning and keep seeking understanding.
While inspiration is present throughout "Always a Guest," Taylor's messages are quite often real world messages with applicability to daily life, social justice, global issues, and even politics. Episcopalians aren't Episcopalians if they're timid and, trust me, Barbara Brown Taylor is far from timid. These are the words and the messages of a pastor and theologian lived and learned and who continues to do the hard work of trying to love the world as God so loved the world.
"Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far From Home" is a "must have" collection for fans of Barbara Brown Taylor and for preachers, seminarians, professors, everyday theologians, and for those who simply seek to find church between the pages of her written words.
"Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far From Home" will be released by Westminster John Knox Press on October 20, 2020. -
Preaching takes a different sensibility when you're a guest versus being at home. I've done both, so I know that each has its own identity. When I preach to the congregation I serve as pastor I know the people in the pews. When I go to another church and preach I may know a few people, but I'm not their pastor. I might preach differently in one place versus the other.
In "Always a Guest," Barbara Brown Taylor shares sermons preached "far from home." These are sermons preached in the twenty years after she left her Episcopal parish. There are in this collection thirty-one sermons. Some were preached in a church on a Sunday morning. Some were preached in a college chapel. Others were preached at special events. Each of these locations has its own identity.
Barbara Brown Taylor is a well-known preacher and author. Her books have inspired, encouraged, and comforted people over the years. I would expect that these sermons, covering a wide variety of texts and subjects will prove equally valuable. She writes that when she left parish ministry, her "preaching life was born again." She notes that her expectation, shared by colleagues, was that "guest preaching was for people who didn't have a real preaching job," making it a rather "lame gig" (p. ix).
She writes that some of this critique proved to be true, but she also found it a worthwhile opportunity. She quickly learned, she reports, that when a guest one should ask certain questions and remember that the congregation loves their pastor, so "don't pretend to be something you're not" (p. x). That's good advice. The blessings that came with this new situation, begun when she moved from being a settled priest to college professor, was the "loosening of denomination bonds." That meant recognizing that appropriate sermon lengths differed from tradition to tradition. The language that worked in one place might not work elsewhere. But all of this offered welcome opportunities.
What was the "most surprising gift" from preaching away from home? She reports that it was "the freedom to preach without fear of being fired---of if not fired, at least roundly criticized with apparent relish" (p. x). She also came to value traveling light. So, she learned to take only a few things with her "a sacred text, a trust in the Spirit, an experience of being human, and a desire to bear good news" (p. xi). You will find all of this present in the thirty-one sermons that make up the collection.
Preaching is a calling that requires a monologue that brings a word from God to a people. It's a calling that is not always well understood, which is why it's easy to critique sermons. Preachers are the worst at that. So, sometimes it's good to hear from a master preacher or at least read her sermons. So, preachers will find this volume encouraging and life-affirming. Non-preachers may find that this volume will provide a way of exploring one's faith in a devotional way. Because it is a collection of sermons preached over many years, there isn't a cohesive message that carries from beginning to end. Each sermon stands on its own. The exception to this rule is found in the final two sermons in the collection, which form two parts titled "The Wise and Foolish Church" (chapters 30 and 31).
So, here you have a month of Sundays to consider. May it prove to be a blessing.
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I cherish Barbara Brown Taylor’s voice–not because she and I agree on everything, but because we do not. Her prose is lyrical and her reasoning is crystalline, which is so healthy for someone like me, addicted to being right and generally convinced that everyone who disagrees with me must do so because they do not fully understand the issue at hand.
Always a Guest is a collection of sermons and speeches Brown Taylor delivered as guest speaker after having left parish ministry. Ironically, it has been in this ministry of schlepping from pulpit to podium that she has stumbled upon the rich insight that the speaker’s role is “to do what any person sitting in front of them could do: give voice to the faith that is in them, and trust God to do the rest.” (89) As a teacher, I’ve inscribed these words in the front of my journal as a sort of mission statement and a reminder of Who’s behind all the words, both written and spoken.
BBT has a gift for reading a well-known Bible story, diving in head first, and emerging from the depths, clutching in her fist a completely fresh and fearless interpretation based simply on her willingness to observe the scene without the bias of the familiar. Her commitment to the creative life bubbles forth as a joyful invitation to others to create and to appreciate beauty everywhere:
When we put something beautiful into the world, it is Genesis all over again.” (210)
“[Jesus] seemed to know that what anxious people need most is to get over ourselves for a moment, losing ourselves in the kind of beauty that loosens our grip on all the thing we mistakenly think will keep us safe.” (279)
Conversations about the nature of true faith, Christians and conflict, and what it means to worship God challenge the reader to embrace the truth that God exists outside our organizational systems–even outside our theology, which is, after all only a servant of the inquiring heart. If you are willing to take the risk of being prodded into seeing your following life in a new way, this is the book for your late fall night stand.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which, of course, is offered freely and with honesty. -
Hearing Barbara Brown Taylor speak at the (virtual) Evolving Faith conference this month reminded me why she is one of my very favorite preachers. Every sermon of hers I’ve heard, and every book of hers I’ve read, has challenged me to have a deeper, more compassionate, more expansive faith—a faith that holds space for the full depth and breadth of human experiences, emotions, and needs.
So what a delight it was to discover recently that Barbara Brown Taylor is publishing a collection of her sermons that she has preached as a guest preacher and lecturer at various churches, colleges, and other gatherings.
If your mind immediately assumed that because BBT is preaching as a guest at these locations that her sermons are superficial, guess again. Just reading the titles of the first page of the table of contents will disabuse you of that notion. (And to be honest, I would never recommend that anyone bother to listen to or read superficial sermons or spiritual writing. We are grown ups, the world is on fire, and we do not have time for fluffy nonsense that makes the world out to be simpler than it is.)
This book releases on October 20th (pre-order or place your library hold now!) but I was lucky enough to snag an advanced reader copy through NetGalley so I’ve been slowly working my way through this beautiful book over the past few weeks. This is the perfect format for a slow-but-steady read or a daily dose of inspiration or devotion.
I will likely end up gifting this book to a few people this holiday season, but, of course, this is also a great book to give to yourself. -
Taylor is considered by a whole lot of people to be among the best Christian preachers of her generation, and this collection of sermons and homilies offers evidence that they are correct. The content of this book is wonderful, but the best thing about this Audible Audio version is that the author is also the reader. It doesn't get much better than that.
Taylor is at her best when she challenges conventional readings of familiar scripture passages, such as the widow's mite, the miracle at the wedding at Canna, the Good Samaritan, Doubting Thomas, etc. She is equally comfortable with Jesus being completely human and totally divine, but she seems to find more interesting observations about his humanity. Her message can be appreciated by almost anyone of faith, regardless of religious affiliation, which speaks to her high level of discernment and humility.
Taylor demonstrates incredible skill with her use of metaphors, which she often employs as a hook for her sermons. They are always dead center. She is masterful at using colloquial language and idiomatic expressions that are designed with her specific audience in mind. She brings the loftiest theological concepts right down to the level where we can understand and apply them to our own lives. This is a fine collection -- inspiring, uplifting, and provocative. -
I am a long time fan of Barbara Brown Taylor. I love both reading her work and hearing her speak which I've been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do three or four times now.
This book is a collection of sermons from events or guest pastor spots where I might have heard her - chance encounters with a visiting pastor. While she goes into some of the things in the open of the book that often trip up visiting pastors, the beauty of a visiting pastor experience is that there often aren't expectations and - as expected - Brown Taylor always rises well above the fray to provide a message that is both inspirational and thought provoking.
The 31 sermons in the book blend in common messages from Brown Taylors other writings so as a long time fan this was comfortable territory. It was also new territory as I considered how a specific message delivered on a certain day in a certain audience might have had different meaning or a different context for the listener. The book is worth of that kind of deep exploration and thought as you read and re-read it. The chapters are brief - about the length of a 10 - 20 minute sermon and are easily readable. They also leave you thinking and will be something you can return to regularly. -
Thank you to Westminster John Knox Press for the advanced reader copy for review purposes!
Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far from Home is a compilation of sermons given by Barbara Brown Taylor as a guest speaker in a variety of settings over the course of many years. In the introduction, Taylor talks about the unusual role the guest speaker plays- sometimes able to speak a little more frankly about touchy subjects like money or passages that are a little more challenging because they don't face the Monday morning complaints, while also not having the connection to the local church to know what they are facing.
The very first sermon, How to Live with High Anxiety (preaching from Luke 21:25-28) was written and delivered for the first Sunday in Advent 2018, but it delivered deep comfort to me in 2020. I have read several of Barbara Brown Taylor's books and have always appreciated her storytelling and deep spiritual lessons. In a time when many of us are distant from our local churches, it was so helpful and comforting to be able to turn to Taylor's sermons for truth that lasts beyond our current events. -
Having read and enjoyed Barbara Brown Taylor's "Leaving Church" within the past few months, I was expecting that this book might have something to do with further reflections on her journey of faith and ministry. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that "Always a Guest" is a collection of guest sermons she's preached over the span of over a decade in a variety of settings– parishes, cathedrals, campus ministry communities, conferences. So many times I was struck and impressed by a fresh and intriguing new angle she presented on a Bible story I thought I knew. So often I wished I could have been present when she actually preached these sermons, to feel– in the context of a communal experience of worship, rather than alone in a chair– the agreement, the discomfort, the bafflement, the wonder that come from taking in and pondering her words interacting with the words and characters in the stories. Spreading this out over five weeks turned out to be a wonderful grounding rhythm for the Christian season of Lent this year, as well as a time of ongoing reflection about life during and after the life-altering pandemic.
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Thanks to Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley for a gifted digital copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
I've read a few of BBT's books, so I was pretty sure I would enjoy this one. And Always A Guest was such a treat. This is a collection of thirty-one sermons Taylor delivered during the past decade or so as a guest pastor (ah, that's what the title means). I enjoyed reading a chapter/sermon each morning - which was a great way to start the day.
Beginning with a short scripture reading from the Bible, Taylor discussed a related topic, explaining her point in an intelligent and entertaining as well as thought-provoking way. I have heard more than the usual number of sermons since I used to work at a seminary, and I can attest that Taylor's sermons are witty and stimulating. I could almost hear her cadences and inflections through her writing, and was sorry when I came to the end of the book. Her observations are fresh and I guarantee you will learn something new with each chapter.
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She writes in the sermon "The Bright Cloud of Unknowing": "The idea seems to be that the [biblical] story itself is chiefly a suitcase for conveying the meaning inside of it." She further points out the very often the idea we think is the idea is either wrong, distracting, or, worse, shutting us out of what is really going on in the narrative.
I had a student once who, during a discussion of the story of the Good Samaritan, "You know, what might be more important in understanding this story is what we don't know." This led us into one of the best eye-opening encounters with this pivotal narrative that, in turn, changed not only the way I approach that particular story but all stories in that wonderful library of books we call Holy Writ.
This is what BBT does in this wonderful collection of sermons. Read and have your eyes open to a new and or renewed read of the text. Nearly every sermon startled me with, Wow, I never saw, read, heard, considered "whatever" from that perspective and each time I was invited into a whole new world. -
I LOVE LOVE LOVED this book and need to say that you will took, before I tell you what the book is. So, first commit to reading it. Agreed?
Okay. It is a book of sermons. I know. I didn't think I would like that, had no idea that is what the book was going to be, but it is Barbara Brown Taylor, and pretty much everything she writes is brilliant, and so when I started listening to this as an audiobook (bonus: her voice is so soothing) I was like... uhm... she is just reading from old sermons she once gave as a guest preacher in random places? Wha? But then a few minutes in, I was hooked. Because these are the sort of sermons that actually lift your spirit up and make you think about interpreting ancient texts in new ways. It was soothing, and empowering, and all around wonderful. It might sound weird, but really, whether you believe something or anything or not, they are beautiful meditations on life and faith. -
It should come as no surprise that a collection of sermons and stories (or should that be sermon-stories and story-sermons?) from Barbara Brown Taylor, who's repeatedly been recognized as one of the best preachers in America, is powerful. It's also challenging, moving, illuminating, and delightful. In my opinion, "Mariam the Magnificent", a sermon about Mary, the mother of Jesus, is worth the entire price of the book. Her ability to turn a biblical story with which most Christians are almost too familiar so that a new facet is revealed is almost unparalleled and certainly invaluable. As a whole, the collection depicts a Jesus who was firmly grounded in his first century Jewish culture, who cared deeply for the physical bodies and realities of his followers (not just their spiritual lives), and who loved us unto death.
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Barbara Brown Taylor left settled parish ministry twenty years ago, but she continues to write, teach, and preach widely. "Always a Guest" is a compilation of sermons she's preached as a guest preacher in churches, seminaries, college chapels, cathedrals, the Chautauqua Institution, and on the radio.
Preaching to people you've never met presents particular challenges. Over and over, Barbara Brown Taylor demonstrates her gift for weaving scripture, relevant cultural touchstones, historical realities, literature, and the liturgical calendar together in such a way that the reader hears truth in a new, eye-opening way. Familiar bible passages shimmer with new resonance because of her provocative but simple words.
This collection belongs on every preacher's bookshelf and will be great devotional reading for preachers and non-preachers alike.
