NamedoneoftheTopTenBooksbytheAcademyofParishClergyHundredsofbooks,tapes,workshopsandseminarspromisetoanswertheseimpossiblequestions.Someofferasetofpracticalguidelines;otherssuggestasystemorpatterntofollow.Somestressvariousministryfunctions;othersfeaturecasestudiesasmodelsofsuccessorfailure.Somearehelpful.Othersarenot.ButinTheArtofPastoring,DavidHansenturnspastoralself-helpprogramsontheirheads.Hetacklestheperennialquestionsfromwithinhisownexperience.FromtheInsideOutHansen’sfresh,boldnarrativegrowsfromnearlyadecadeofministry.HedrawsyouintohislifeandintothelivesofFlorence-VictorParishinthemountainsofMontana,includingunforgettableencounterswithunforgettablepeople--astubbornpioneerwomanwhostillchopsherownfirewoodthoughshe’sblindand90yearsold,achampionshiprodeocowboywhowasbaptizedinhisboots,andmanymore.Hansen’sgoalistohelpyoudiscover“thatpastoralministryisalife,notatechnology...[that]lifeasapastorisfarmorethanthesumofthetasksIcarryout.ItisacallfromGodthatinvolvesmywholelife.“FromCallingtoLivingParableEverypastorhasencounteredthosewhostruggletohearGod’svoiceinahospitalroom,whoreachforJesusinthesacraments.Nosystematicanswerscanmeettheirdeep,eternalneeds.Whatcantouchthem,Hansencontends,isalifeitself,alifelivedasaparableofJesus.“AsaparableofJesusChrist,“Hansenwrites,“IdeliversomethingtotheparishionerthatIamnot,andintheprocessIdelivertheparishionerintothehandsofGod.“ItisthisknackforgettingtotheheartofthingsthatmakesTheArtofPastoringvaluableforpastorsinanysetting--rural,suburbanorurban.Parachurchworkers,missionaries,churchleadersandministryvolunteerswillalsofindinspirationhere.Inthissignificantlyrevisednewedition,Hansenincludesnewinsightsintohisviewofpastorateasparableandaddsanewpostludeinwhichhecomescleanonhis“constantattemptstoleavetheministry.“
