Always A Guest: Speaking of Faith Far From Home

by Barbara Brown Taylor

Overview

From beloved writer and renowned preacher Barbara Brown Taylor comes a new collection of stories and sermons of faith, grace, and hope. Taylor, author of the best-selling books Holy Envy and An Altar in the World, among others, finds that when you are the invited guest speaking of faith to people you don't know, one must seek common ground: exploring the central human experience. Full of Taylor's astute observations on the Spirit and the state of the world along with her gentle wit, this collection will inspire Taylor’s fans and preachers alike as she explores faith in all its beauty and complexity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780664261702
Publisher:	Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date:	10/20/2020
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	160,026
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Barbara Brown Tayloris anEpiscopalpriest, 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, includingNew York TimesbestsellersLeaving Church,An Altar in the World, andHoly Envy.

Editorial Reviews

"Taylor's writing is lyrical and compelling, a feast for the senses and the intellect. Recommended for all libraries." —Library Journal, starred review

"Always a Guest is a pitch-perfect sermon collection for these anxious times." —Foreword Reviews

"In these anxious times BBT travels light, but her humor is reassuring, her scriptural insights challenging, and her breadth of vision inspiring.Always a Guestis the guest who becomes family, even in a pandemic." —Spectrum

"Serving as a pastor of a church in great transition and navigating leading and being Christ's church in the throes of a pandemic, I strongly recommend Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, Always a Guest. In each chapter, a well-crafted sermon and a reminder to stay in God’s Word. In each chapter, a priceless reminder to trust that the Holy Spirit will make necessary connections. In each chapter, a reminder that we are always guests wading in cavernous pools of God’s good love in Jesus Christ." —The Presbyterian Outlook

"Taylor delivers good news to any preacher stuck in a rut and longing to just tell it like it is, for once, for Christ's sake." —The Englewood Review of Books

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2020

Episcopal priest Taylor (Learning To Walk in the Dark) is a well-known speaker and writer who bills herself as a "spiritual contrarian," declaring, "I say things you're not supposed to say." Taylor keeps that promise in her latest book, which is a collection of sermons delivered to various congregations over the past decade or so. The author uses her role as guest speaker to challenge traditional thought about the teachings of Jesus and Christian norms. Each of Taylor's 31 thought-provoking discourses are based on a scriptural passage made relevant to believers' everyday lives: "Believing Thomas" shows us that it's okay and only logical to harbor doubts from time to time; the "Widow's Might" is not a story of one woman's ultimate sacrifice but of people and institutions that fail to use their power to care for those who are poor and powerless; the "Good Heretic" informs us that the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches that instead of trying to make our lives conform to unexamined belief systems, we should allow events in our lives to shape our beliefs. VERDICT Taylor's writing is lyrical and compelling, a feast for the senses and the intellect. Recommended for all libraries.—Gail Eubanks, Univ. of Missouri, Springfield

Library Journal