Tending to the Holy: The Practice of the Presence of God in Ministry

Bruce G. Epperly & Katherine Gould Epperly

ISBN 10: 1566993911 / ISBN 13: 9781566993913

Published by Alban Institute, 2009

About this Item

196 pages. 8.40x5.40x0.70 inches. In Stock.

Seller Inventory # x-1566993911

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Tending to the Holy: The Practice of the Presence of God in Ministry
• Publisher: Alban Institute
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1566993911
• ISBN 13: 9781566993913
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Brand New

About this title

Synopsis

Tending to the Holy: The Practice of the Presence of God in Ministry invites pastors to embody their deepest beliefs in the routine and surprising tasks of ministry. Inspired by Brother Lawrence's classic text in spirituality, Tending to the Holy integrates the wisdom and practices of the Christian spiritual tradition with the commonplace practices of pastoral ministry. Bruce and Katherine Epperly utilize a variety of spiritual disciplines especially Benedictine, Celtic, Ignatian, Rhineland, and process spiritualities to provide a framework for helping clergy nurture the awareness of God, creative imagination, and personal well-being in every aspect of their ministerial lives.

Practicing God's presence in the ordinary tasks of ministry inspires wholeness, spiritual transformation, vision, imagination, endurance, and healthy self-differentiation in ministry. Commitment to joining spiritual practices with the routine and repetitive tasks of ministry provides an important antidote to unhealthy stress, burnout, and loss of vision in ministry. By seeing their congregational leadership in terms of spiritual transformation, imaginative practice, and relational interdependence, ordinary ministerial practices can become ways pastors can deepen their relationship with God. Growing out of their work with pastors at every season of ministry, as well as combined ministerial experience of nearly sixty years, Bruce and Katherine Epperly invite pastoral leaders to complement and expand on their understanding of spiritual leadership, pastoral excellence, and self-care, integrating traditional and contemporary spiritual practices with the concrete arts of ministry.

About the Author

Bruce Epperly is Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Continuing Education at Lancaster Theological Seminary, Pennsylvania, USA.