Bøger af Stephen McCutchan

Hospitality for Alien Strangers opens with a midsized city, once familiar, now trapped beneath an impenetrable bubble, its horizon pierced by the silhouettes of alien spacecrafts. These otherworldly beings present an ultimatum: prove humanity's worth in a mere five years.Entrusted to a pastor and the pure hearts of children, this decree thrusts the city into a whirlwind of soul-searching and revelation. What would you do to showcase the very core of your humanity? How would you bridge the chasm between yourself and those unlike you?While this tale doesn't boast the celestial artistry of biblical parables, it ignites profound dialogues about the sanctity of life and the priceless value embedded in every soul. Imagine a world where every glance reflects recognition of another's worth, where compassion and empathy aren't just virtues but a way of life.Let this story be your beacon, drawing you out from today's tumult and lighting the path to a more united, radiant tomorrow.This story of hope is more than just words-it's a journey.My aspirations for you are fourfold: May you revel in the allure of a captivating tale.Like the profound parables of Jesus, may it prompt reflections on life's profound truths.I hope it resonates so deeply that you're compelled to share and converse about it with others.And in those discussions, may you unearth the profound essence of your being and your destined path.If you desire to probe deeper on how to do this, I invite you to go to my web page, www.smccutchan.com where you will find other novels that probe the value of life and a variety of non-fiction books that show practical ways of living towards a healthier world.

During his pastorate in Winston-Salem, the city experienced three major racial incidents that filled the city with fear and anxiety. Steve invited two Black colleagues to lunch to discuss how their churches should respond. Out of that discussion they formed the Presbyterian Inter-racial Dialogue. Over time it expanded into multiple churches and interfaith community. This book tells the twenty-year story of that multi-faith community. It demonstrates the power of faith communities who connect and work together.

This book seeks to guide churches in using the Internet to reach across both the individualism of our society and the geographical distance that separates our communities and rediscover the One Body of Christ. It offers creative exercises that enable members to rediscover the power of their own faith.

This booklet offers you a unique way to take advantage of technology to build community both among your church members and with other churches around the world. The intention is to use social media to deepen members spiritual maturity and renew their vision of what it can mean to be part of the One Body of Christ provided with all necessary spiritual gifts to contribute to the healing of this fractured world. Step by step guidance is offered to engage a church's membership and how to engage in a fun connection with other churches across the world.

Frank Sessions, pastor of John Knox Church in Lincoln, North Carolina, is halfway through his sermon when he sees a teenager rise from his pew a third of the way back in the sanctuary. Before Frank can process what is happening, the youth calls out his name, shouts that it is all a lie, and begins shooting people around him. Within two weeks, a teenage girl shoots up another church. Both willingly die in the process. Later it happens in Wisconsin, then Texas, and beyond. Soon the whole nation lives in fear that a church near them will be next. It is always a teenager with some version of the same accusation. When they finally capture one teen alive, on questioning, they hear about a mysterious leader who identifies alienated teenagers on the internet, uses equally alienated veterans to train them, and sends them to their next target. Frank, his psychologist son, Jacob, and police officer daughter, Rachel, join with Amanda Singletary of the Justice Department to advise the President on this new form of terrorist threat to the country. The Leader even hacks into national news broadcasts and the President's news conference with taunting messages in banners across the screen. The church and the nation are under attack. Who is this mysterious leader, what is the leader's connection with Frank, why are the churches always the target? These are the questions that Frank and his family seek to answer as the death toll mounts across the nation. Since the attacks seem random, and there are too many churches in the country to guard them effectively, Frank's team seeks a strategy to countermand the despair in the minds of an invisible river of teens attracted to violence as their answer to the world that has disappointed them. A gripping story that pits faith and realistic hope against the desperate despair in a nation that has lost its confidence in institutions and people in power. Benefits for the Reader 1.A psychological mystery thriller that explores our response to violence in our society. 2.Shows the role of pastors in responding to violence in our society. 3.Demonstrates the way faith works through human pastors who struggle with real issues in life. 4.Illustrates how the church has a significant role to play in our society. 5.Helps the reader think through complex issues while enjoying a good story. 6.Offers a mystery that engages while stimulating fresh ways to think about the role of violence in our society. 7.Suggests why violence is attractive when humans feel overwhelmed by the complexity of our world. 8.Explores the relationship between violence and our hunger for transcendence. 9.Provides an image of dignity for the role of pastoral leadership. 10.Shows the interrelationship between faith, violence, humor, honesty, doubt, and human interaction in our church communities. 11.Provides an image of healthy relationships in the midst of stressful challenges in life. This is an action adventure novel that will also cause you to think and want to discuss with friends how to respond to the forces that are dividing us as a society and what are the reasons we have for hope.

This book addresses the challenge of spiritual leadership in an age of fear and distrust. Honestly facing the imperfections of churches, it seeks to offer a strategy by which pastors can lead and affirm the ways in which a congregation can confess the imperfections and be open to God's spirit creatively working among them. It also offers a strategy by which congregations can awaken our experience of the One Body of Christ and strengthen the bonds among churches in our neighborhood and around the world. It seeks to be a book that enables people to have hopeful insight and renewed energy while being honest about the realities and challenges faced by our churches and our society. It is a guide for how people can have the courage of faith and take risks in ministry within the community of faith. It trusts that the call of God is a valid response in our lives.

Whether you read the open chapters of Genesis, or reflect on the discipline of therapy, or simply listen deeply to someone in deep pain, you will discover that when your world seems to be in deep chaos, the capturing that chaos in words can enable you to discover meaning and hope. A Star and a Tear is a fictional attempt to tell the story of racism in our country. In listening to the story and sharing your thoughts with others, you can discover meaningful ways to respond in a way that offers healing and hope.The center of this story is found in the life of a church and its pastoral staff. Anti-racism becomes more than an abstract issue to debate. Faced with the toxic poison and divisive violence of racism in their own community, members discover a deeper and more relevant faith guiding them in hopeful and healing directions.

A Star and a Tear is a mystery thriller with a spiritual edge. Frank Sessions is locked in a season of grief caused by the violent death of his wife during a convenience store robbery. He emerges out of his grief when a young reporter asks for his assistance in writing a story about a rape in the city and Frank realizes he has a strange connection with the anonymous rapist. It soon becomes clear that the city is confronting a serial rapist with a religious fixation. Racing against time, Frank Sessions seeks to assist the police to track down a serial rapist recognizing that there are strong indications that the rapist will soon escalate to murdering his victims. If he is to succeed, he needs to confront an embarrassing chapter in his own past and recognize the strange symbiotic relationship between sexuality and spirituality present in religion. As one reviewer commented, "As the mystery and the search for the rapist develop, the author, . . ., takes us deeper and deeper into what it means to be a person of faith in crisis. Another review states: "Amid the story's varied twists and turns there is danger and darkness, humor and irony, faith and hypocrisy. (Like in the Bible?) Whether one takes religious issues to heart or views them as a creative vehicle for the story, A Star and a Tear makes fine reading." In addition to being an exciting mystery, the story provides the opportunity for a needed discussion about the issues of sexuality and religion. As a third review states: "This book, which takes us behind the closed doors of clergy confidentiality and privilege deserves to be required reading for in-depth discussion in Pastoral Care classes in all Protestant and Catholic seminaries. It also will serve clergy groups wherever the search for integrity and support, guidance and faithfulness really matter." While an enjoyable mystery with plenty of challenging twists and turns, A Star and a Tear also provides the foundation for a discussion on both the creative and destructive power of sexuality in life. Whether it be several clergy, lay people who want to explore this significant issue in the church, or someone who is interested in how to live a healthy life, this book is both an enjoyable and valuable foundation for exploring the relationship between sexuality and spirituality in our society. The mystery will keep you reading while the group discussion may deepen friendships and challenge your thinking.

A Company of Pastors offers a fresh approach to overcoming the type of loneliness that seems inherent in the lives of religious leaders. The book offers a two-year framework for a clergy support group among pastors. It invites them to practice fun, food, and fellowship as a prophetic witness against all the pressures that seek to set them one against another. It invites clergy to rediscover the support of the beloved community as an antidote to the toxic isolation so frequent among clergy. Do you ever wonder why being a pastor is such a lonely calling? Numerous people surround the pastor many of them both like and admire him or her. Clergy have the privilege of being present at some of the more tender and most intimate moments in people's lives. Most pastors experience great satisfaction in being able to contribute to people's lives. Yet a pastor experiences significant moment of loneliness. Why? Clergy are entrusted with intimate and often painful secrets about other people's lives that they cannot share. As very public figures, they are frequently subject to a variety of often conflicting criticism but rarely have an opportunity to respond. They experience painful trauma, tragedy, and death of many people who they care about. They are expected to assist these people in their grief and confusion but rarely have others to help them respond to their own personal grief. They continually try to balance the tension between what they believe to be true and what will please their main constituency. Frequently they are caught between the needs of their family and the needs of the congregation. They work long hours, experience a roller coaster of emotions, and receive modest pay. Joining with other clergy who understand the complexity of ministry can be a source of support. Sadly many pastors lack the bonds of trust among their colleagues that would allow them to probe the depth of what they are experiencing. For a variety of reasons ranging from ego, competition, theological differences, jealousy, time constraints, geography, and exhaustion, many clergy rarely have "a company of pastors" with whom they can truly share. Like parables in the Bible, this book offers stories drawn from the lives of clergy that can enable pastors to analyze together the stresses and challenges of their calling. I have a passion for all the brave souls who have heard God's call to the ministry. Even though we still wonder at times where ministry will take us, like Abraham and Sarah, we set off on a journey trusting that God knows where we are going. There is no shame in feeling the pain of loneliness in our profession. In fact the better a pastor we are, the more we will absorb the pain in other people's lives and be sensitive to the deeply fractured nature of our society. However, it is important to discover ways that we can process these feelings and not allow them to become toxic in our lives. Whether it is with two or three or even a dozen other clergy, I invite them to make use of this book as a guide for supporting each other in this God initiated adventure of being a pastor. If I can help, please contact me steve@smccutchan.com.

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.

HOW TO MOVE BEYOND DENIAL AND PARALYZING GUILTTo redemptively confront the shameful history of racism in the church requires Christians to move beyondthe twin forces of DENIALand paralyzing GUILT.Explore redemptive faith that honestly confronts our shameful history.Adapt the lessons of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission to enable the church, Black and White, to honestly explore the power ofCONFESSION andFORGIVENESSto reconnect the racially divided community of faith and offer a healing hope to our fractured society.The book provides specific steps by which the Christian community can reflect the God who was in Christ reconciling the world to God's self.Go to www.smccutchan.com and get a copy of a book that can guide the whole church to act in a way that trusts God to offer a way to overcome racism and celebrate the diverse world that God loves.

GO LAUGHS-WHY DON'T YOU? introducing the art of humor as a healing antidote to the toxic aspects of ministry. Ministry is not easy. In addition to administrating a complex voluntary society and weekly seeking to challenge and inspire them, clergy Drink in the pain and stresses of their church and the society Absorb the pain of those who come for support and Absorb the criticism of the disappointed The cost to their bodies and emotions is cumulative unless they find a healing response. God Laughs-Why Don't You? introduces the art of humor as a healing antidote to the toxic aspects of ministry. Believing that God has a sense of humor, the author shows how to employ humor: In sermons and worship In counseling In times of conflict In self-care The book also provides a pastor's survival notebook to: Defeat clergy killers Combat clergy burnout Written to support colleagues who have responded to God's call. A guide introducing laughter into various ministerial responsibilities A resource to restore energy to a pastor exhausted by the demands of ministry A refreshing laugh when you think about the craziness of ministry A perfect gift for a clergy you care about Motivational humorist Judy Carter, who is interviewed in the book, suggests the perfect antidote to stress in life is the ability to find laughter. Scientific research indicates that laughter, even when nothing is funny, offers healing properties. It is just more fun if you can find the funny in what you are experiencing.

A HEADLINE SHOUTS FROM A NEWSPAPERA DOZEN CHURCHES CHOOSE TO MOVE BEYOND RACIAL DIVISION AND OFFER HOPE OF RACIAL RECONCILIATION What type of witness are these churches making? Do you agree that authentic ministry seeks to effect the healing of our racial divisions? Many churches are reluctant to initiate anti-racism ministry because they are concerned it would contribute to divisions rather than reconciliation. This book offers specific steps that churches can take that will:1.Offer a way that churches can face racism in a positive and creative way.2.Share and join with multi-ethnic churches in demonstrating racial healing.3.Discover a deeper personal faith and spiritual depth in their church in the process.4.Show the larger society that there is a way to heal society's divisions.5.Live in trust that God is not defeated by racism.In implementing these procedures, Christians can reaffirm the vision of God reconciling the world to God's self and not counting our sins against us. RACISM DOESN'T NEED TO DEFEAT CHURCHES.RACISM CAN BE RECOGNIZED AND DEFEATED BY ACTIVE CHRISTIANSDrawing on the experience of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa, And a biblical guide to confession and forgiveness, Together with the discipline of Active Listening, This guide can assist you in demonstrating hope for our fractured world.I invite you to join me in that mission and nurture a deeper faith among Christians in the proces

INTERIMS CAN SHAPE HEALTHY CHURCHESChurches without pastors face uncertain futures. Congregations feel like they are treading water.How do we stay afloat?Where do we look?How do we make sure we make the right choice?It is a time filled with anxiety and hope.An Interim pastor can offer a creative possibility for how the congregation can make use of this transition time to encourage their next chapter of ministry to be strong and healthy. An interim pastor is in a better position than anyone to help the congregation both understand and be supportive of good ministry.This book is designed to assist an interim in leaving the congregation with an intentional plan for a healthy partnership with their new pastor. It offers specific steps that an interim can take to educate the congregation about the stresses and challenge of ministry. The book then provides: Guidance for search committees about good criteria to considerA healthy approach to working with the new pastor. A check list of steps a congregation can take to welcome the new pastor and family Ways that the leadership can take the temperature of the health of the evolving ministry.This is one of nine volumes that are part of the series supporting the thesis that Healthy Clergy Make Healthy Congregations [HCMHC]. Each volume is designed to support clergy in a way that nurtures the spiritual health of the whole congregation. They are offered in the firm belief that God has called people together in congregations and called individuals to the ordained ministry in those congregations. All nine volumes are available on Amazon.com. Those who care about the church are invited to go to the author's Web site www.smccutchan.com to view these and other resources designed to support the church.God calls the church together for a purpose. Healthy clergy enable congregations to listen to God and respond in a healthy manner with a ministry that can feed the spiritual hunger of a fractured world.

All of life involves responding to a series of losses. This booklet intends to help people understand and cope with the losses that accompany growing older. While based on the foundation in the Abrahamic faith tradition, it also has a strong psychological foundation. Every loss contains an experience of pain and sadness because something we value is gone. It also contains the seeds of the gift of God's presence and God's love for us. The booklet includes a step by step process by which we can be honest about our pain but also anticipate the possible gift of something new.

Given the ideologically divided, tension-filled world in which we live, imagine hearing someone tell you how God can work through these divisions in a way that offers hope and healing for the world. The author suggests that this is exactly what Matthew sought to do in his gospel. The Hebrew Scriptures tell the story of how God chose to accomplish a divine work of reconciliation through a chosen people who demonstrated the same strengths and weaknesses as most people in the world today. Matthew interpreted the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the midrash, or commentary on these Hebrew Scriptures, that revealed how God works with both the shadow side and the bright side of our human nature to accomplish the divine purpose. The contemporary church, in a similar manner to Matthew's congregation, must determine the church's response to a world divided between the powerful and the powerless (Chapter 1), the Christian faith and other faiths (Chapter 2), male and female (Chapter 3), and the wealthy and the poor (Chapter 4). Following an interpretation of how Matthew found hope in the face of such divisions, the fifth chapter recognizes that most contemporary churches feel helpless in the face of such overwhelming realities. The author then describes Matthew's understanding of how God works through resistance and even betrayal to transform the world. The final chapter explores God's intention to bring about a common witness of Jews and Christians in the reconciliation of the entire world. This book will provide a vision of hope that will enable Christians to respond with strength to the challenges of the world and have confidence that their efforts are not in vain. A study guide is included in the introduction. You may reach the author on his web page at www.smccutchan.com.