Stephen Mccutchan

Clergy Tales--tails: Volume 1, Who Wags the Dog; Volume 2, Wagging Frinedly but Exhausting, Volume 3, when God Wags the Tale Stephen Mccutchan

Publisher Marketing: Ministers are strong and weak, faithful and faithless, as are the members of their congregations. The miracle of the church is not in our faithfulness but in God's faithfulness. We are witnesses to how our confused reality keeps being interrupted by grace. This collection of clergy tales tell the stories of clergy in both their noble light and their shadows. At its most boring, there is something special about the ministry and frequently it is a full-time, hair-raising adventure that is anything but boring. This book seeks to provide parabolic stories of the complexity of ministry. It is an attempt to build respect for clergy, one story at a time. The necessary mundane nature of many of the demands of ministry can also blur the special nature of this body, the Body of Christ, chosen to incarnate God's expression of truth. There is a particular danger of moving from an adrenaline-pumping event in one moment to a mind-numbing meeting that solves nothing the next moment. Mix that with listening to how someone has taken offense at something you did, or the heart-breaking experience of watching a friend's marriage disintegrate, or the pain of strangers who have come to you in desperate need for help and you have a sense of the daily encounters in the ministry. A major cause of stress for a pastor is the disconnect between the ideals of faith shaped by his or her beliefs and the pressures and demands of serving a church. A pastor is called by God and hired by a congregation. Sometimes, these two forces are in tension. You are invited to read these tales and increase your awareness of the labyrinth that clergy walk in response to God's call. Contributor Bio:  McCutchan, Stephen A Pastor Who Loves the Church Stephen McCutchan is an ordained Presbyterian minister. In thirty-eight years serving the church as a pastor, in retirement he has focused his energies on developing resources in support of the clergy who continue to serve the church. This particular volume suggests a special role that an interim can play on behalf of the church. As a writer, humorist, and advocate for the care of clergy, Steve has authored fourteen books and two CDs in support of various aspects of ministry by clergy. These include two books on the ways to draw on Scripture (Matthew and the Psalms), three devotional books based on the Revised Common Lectionary, a mystery novel, A Star and a Tear, that explores the symbiotic relationship between sexuality and spirituality. One CD, A Deep Well for the Pastor combines the music of david bailey with meditations around the challenges of ministry. The second CD, Laughter From the Well, again makes use of david bailey's music, augmented by music by Brian McFarland mixed with comedy skits about pastoral life. This new series, Healthy Clergy Make Healthy Congregations. [HCMHC] currently offers three volumes. Volume 1, A Company of Pastors, provides a twenty-session structure for a fresh approach for a pastors' support group. The author draws upon parabolic stories about different aspects of ministry to engage clergy in exploring their experiences in ministry. Volume 2, God Laughs-Why Don't You?, focuses on the use of humor both in the practice of ministry and in the sustaining ones physical, emotional, and spiritual health as clergy. The third volume in the HCMHC series is An Interim Pastor's Gift To a Congregation. This book offers a plan on ways an interim can educate a congregation about the stresses in clergy life and how the congregation can offer support in addressing these challenges in their pastor's ministry. All of his published works are available on his Web site www.smccutchan.com as well as his weekly blog on various practical ways that clergy, congregations, and denominations can practice healthy ministry.