"Always a Guest" (Barbara Brown Taylor)

TITLE: Always a Guest: Speaking of Faith Far from Home
AUTHOR: Barbara Brown Taylor
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2020, (256 pages).

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

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.