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jbs1823's review
5.0
I really, really love this book. SO much helpful stuff in terms of developing a Christ and word-centred pastoral disposition. I'm sure I'll return to this book for years to come. It has got some Lutheran trimmings, but overall it's excellent.
zachbarnhart_'s review
5.0
When Jesus wanted to drive a point home with his disciples, he often took them to the farm. In John 4, for example, the disciples preoccupied themselves with meeting Jesus’ human hunger. But Jesus used the moment to teach them about his divine hunger for the souls of those he came to save. “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (Jn. 4:34). I picture the disciples here offering Jesus blank stares in return, trying to wrap their minds around how exactly Jesus gets nourishment from this.
That’s when Jesus paints them a more clear picture that they can understand. “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” (Jn. 4:35).
The care of crops and the care of God’s people turn out to have much in common. We hope to see both grow and mature. But to do so, they need much attention. They need to be treated with patience. They need watering. They need exposure to the light. They need to be tilled, weeded, protected, and carefully handled.
In The Care of Souls, Harold Senkbeil has powerfully used much of this imagery to point us to the realities of pastoral ministry and the work required to help God’s people grow. Son and grandson to farmers, Senkbeil was primed for the pastorate early on by lessons and life on the farm. But the wisdom driving this book rests not as much in Senkbeil’s farmhouse upbringing as much as it does in his five decades of experience pastoring the souls of men, women, and children.
What you find in The Care of Souls is not a handful of flashy, new leadership techniques to grow your influence and build your charm. Innovation did not drive Senkbeil to read this book. It is rather a call for pastors to return back to a “classical” model of pastoral care and leadership:
“I’m going to suggest a radical idea: Let’s get back to the root of the matter. “Radical” after all has to do with roots. And here’s the root of the matter: When ministry is rooted in Jesus and his gifts, then that ministry will be all the more fruitful.” (16)
One of the things I most appreciate about Senkbeil’s book is its emphasis on giving what we have received. He notes that “giving out the gifts of God in Christ that you yourself receive by faith” is “the very core of what pastoring is all about” (19). With such a ministry philosophy, two particular implications are important.
First, we as pastors will simply have nothing to offer our people if we have not first received for ourselves. Pastors need their souls cared for, too. “What we have been given to give to others we need to receive ourselves; the alternative isn’t pretty. It feeds robotic, perfunctory ministry and leads to spiritual shipwreck for ourselves and those we serve” (129-130). As we look around evangelicalism today and see so many pastors making shipwreck of their reputation and their ministries, we can easily surmise that in most (if not all) of these cases, these pastors were running on spiritual fumes. Eventually, their own souls ran out of fuel, and they had nothing left to give but their own broken, sinful selves. Pastors must see their work as dependent on their own spiritual health. We cannot properly give until we first receive for ourselves.
Second, this principle reminds us that the pastor is merely a steward, an emissary of the gospel. Senkbeil rightly calls pastors “errand boys for Jesus.” To pastor is not to sell yourself, or your church building, or your ministries. It is to invite souls to receive the gifts of God He has prepared for them. This affects how we preach, what ministry programs we prioritize, how we counsel members, and much more. Senkbeil reminds us that when we sit across the table from someone without hope, or grieving, or searching for answers, we have something better than human platitudes to offer them: “we have something solid and lasting to give. We are the sweet aroma of life amid the stench of death, for we speak a sure and lasting word when all other human speech falters and fails” (53).
Anyone who seeks to better understand the purpose and the outworking of pastoral ministry should read The Care of Souls. It is a re-centering and comforting word to those who have been entrusted with the care of God’s people. And as I read it, I felt pastorally cared for.
*Thanks to Lexham Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
That’s when Jesus paints them a more clear picture that they can understand. “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” (Jn. 4:35).
The care of crops and the care of God’s people turn out to have much in common. We hope to see both grow and mature. But to do so, they need much attention. They need to be treated with patience. They need watering. They need exposure to the light. They need to be tilled, weeded, protected, and carefully handled.
In The Care of Souls, Harold Senkbeil has powerfully used much of this imagery to point us to the realities of pastoral ministry and the work required to help God’s people grow. Son and grandson to farmers, Senkbeil was primed for the pastorate early on by lessons and life on the farm. But the wisdom driving this book rests not as much in Senkbeil’s farmhouse upbringing as much as it does in his five decades of experience pastoring the souls of men, women, and children.
What you find in The Care of Souls is not a handful of flashy, new leadership techniques to grow your influence and build your charm. Innovation did not drive Senkbeil to read this book. It is rather a call for pastors to return back to a “classical” model of pastoral care and leadership:
“I’m going to suggest a radical idea: Let’s get back to the root of the matter. “Radical” after all has to do with roots. And here’s the root of the matter: When ministry is rooted in Jesus and his gifts, then that ministry will be all the more fruitful.” (16)
One of the things I most appreciate about Senkbeil’s book is its emphasis on giving what we have received. He notes that “giving out the gifts of God in Christ that you yourself receive by faith” is “the very core of what pastoring is all about” (19). With such a ministry philosophy, two particular implications are important.
First, we as pastors will simply have nothing to offer our people if we have not first received for ourselves. Pastors need their souls cared for, too. “What we have been given to give to others we need to receive ourselves; the alternative isn’t pretty. It feeds robotic, perfunctory ministry and leads to spiritual shipwreck for ourselves and those we serve” (129-130). As we look around evangelicalism today and see so many pastors making shipwreck of their reputation and their ministries, we can easily surmise that in most (if not all) of these cases, these pastors were running on spiritual fumes. Eventually, their own souls ran out of fuel, and they had nothing left to give but their own broken, sinful selves. Pastors must see their work as dependent on their own spiritual health. We cannot properly give until we first receive for ourselves.
Second, this principle reminds us that the pastor is merely a steward, an emissary of the gospel. Senkbeil rightly calls pastors “errand boys for Jesus.” To pastor is not to sell yourself, or your church building, or your ministries. It is to invite souls to receive the gifts of God He has prepared for them. This affects how we preach, what ministry programs we prioritize, how we counsel members, and much more. Senkbeil reminds us that when we sit across the table from someone without hope, or grieving, or searching for answers, we have something better than human platitudes to offer them: “we have something solid and lasting to give. We are the sweet aroma of life amid the stench of death, for we speak a sure and lasting word when all other human speech falters and fails” (53).
Anyone who seeks to better understand the purpose and the outworking of pastoral ministry should read The Care of Souls. It is a re-centering and comforting word to those who have been entrusted with the care of God’s people. And as I read it, I felt pastorally cared for.
*Thanks to Lexham Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
thezachleslie's review
5.0
I was intrigued by this one for a couple reasons:
1. My dad was a big fan
2. Fellow brothers and sisters in the realm of pastoral work from all different church traditions were singing the praises of it
Surpassed my expectations! One of the better pastoral reads I can remember, even if the Lutheran traditions and practices are laid on thick. Will stick with me!
1. My dad was a big fan
2. Fellow brothers and sisters in the realm of pastoral work from all different church traditions were singing the praises of it
Surpassed my expectations! One of the better pastoral reads I can remember, even if the Lutheran traditions and practices are laid on thick. Will stick with me!
jdsummerlin's review
5.0
Beautifully written. Rather than seeing pastoring as a CEO or executive, this book shows the true art of a pastor as a shepherd, who pastors people in their trials and feeds them with God’s word. Excellent book
kirsten_canuck's review
3.0
What I loved:
Senkbeil's dedication to the hubris of pastoring: the character, rhythms of life, and high value of time spent in prayer, in Scripture and with the sacraments. We need more books for pastors that focus on the character of the pastor and less on the performance or business-driven practices that can consume pastors.
What was difficult:
This is written for male pastors. It's not misogynist or anything, just has no category for female clergy, and it's a never-ending refrain of "brothers, sons, as Fathers, because we as men are..." and the like. For 90% of pastors, this will go unnoticed, but for those of us women in ministry, it wasn't occasional - it was constant, and that's exhausting.
Of note:
This is distinctly Lutheran. It has limited value for those outside of the Lutheran tradition.
Senkbeil's dedication to the hubris of pastoring: the character, rhythms of life, and high value of time spent in prayer, in Scripture and with the sacraments. We need more books for pastors that focus on the character of the pastor and less on the performance or business-driven practices that can consume pastors.
What was difficult:
This is written for male pastors. It's not misogynist or anything, just has no category for female clergy, and it's a never-ending refrain of "brothers, sons, as Fathers, because we as men are..." and the like. For 90% of pastors, this will go unnoticed, but for those of us women in ministry, it wasn't occasional - it was constant, and that's exhausting.
Of note:
This is distinctly Lutheran. It has limited value for those outside of the Lutheran tradition.
bigtex's review
5.0
This is not just a great book; it is a beautiful and rich book. There is a richness to it that made me feel as if I were being taught pastoral ministry at the feet of a master. Senkbeil is a Lutheran and his sacramental theology is front and center throughout the book. Though I wouldn't agree with him on some things, those things had zero impact on what I received from this book. This should be on every pastor's shelf.
johndamon's review
5.0
Rev. Senkbeil's book is entirely deserving of all the praise it has received, if not more. Although geared towards those in the pastoral office, as a lay person I found the book encouraging and even enchanting. Rev. Senkbeil unlocks the treasure chest of the Lutheran tradition and freely distributes its wealth of pastoral wisdom to the rest of Christendom. I was especially struck by how he applies and brings home the effective power of the word far better than I've ever heard it expressed before. The way he approaches his writing is in of itself pastoral and I found myself feeling like I just came out of a encouraging meeting with my own priest.
On a very different but not an altogether unimportant note: this book was possibly one of the most gorgeous books I've ever owned.
On a very different but not an altogether unimportant note: this book was possibly one of the most gorgeous books I've ever owned.
jrchorn's review
4.0
For anyone seriously considering the vocation of ordained ministry of for anyone already in it like myself. This is a necessary read. Whilst at times it's a bit tough going the wisdom in these pages is invaluable for anyone who has been called to be a minister.
sonofwilliam_reads's review
4.0
2021 reads: 03/52
Rating: 4 stars
Publisher: Lexham Press
Harold Senkbeil has written a refreshing, poetic and vivid proposal for pastoral ministry. The book pushes up against the flow of commercial culture and methods of pragmatism that abound in the church today. The main burden of Senbeil is that pastors ought to develop a pastoral ‘habitus’—a way of being that cares for souls through the word and sacraments. Senkbeil is an avid Lutheran which brought some novelty to the book (speaking as a baptist). His proposal is realistic and hopeful, never excusing the warts and pains of ministry but ever directing the pastors efforts to Christ’s presence in word and sacrament. Some sections were pure gold; Senkbeil’s 50 years of ministry shines through in many ways. The book’s argument is also couched in agricultural imagery which gives it an earthy and fresh telling. I so appreciated the lessons about waiting, patience, navigating relationships and Senkbeil’s willingness to know the limits of the pastoral vocation.
Readers outside the Lutheran tradition will find his emphasis on sacrament and absolution a little jarring, but I was helped by it and it certainly gave me much to think through. Besides this (and the somewhat difficult layout of very short sections under new headings) this is a book on the ministry every one should read. Senkbeil’s contemplative, deeply scriptural and ancient approach to caring for souls is much needed in today’s modern landscape.
Rating: 4 stars
Publisher: Lexham Press
Harold Senkbeil has written a refreshing, poetic and vivid proposal for pastoral ministry. The book pushes up against the flow of commercial culture and methods of pragmatism that abound in the church today. The main burden of Senbeil is that pastors ought to develop a pastoral ‘habitus’—a way of being that cares for souls through the word and sacraments. Senkbeil is an avid Lutheran which brought some novelty to the book (speaking as a baptist). His proposal is realistic and hopeful, never excusing the warts and pains of ministry but ever directing the pastors efforts to Christ’s presence in word and sacrament. Some sections were pure gold; Senkbeil’s 50 years of ministry shines through in many ways. The book’s argument is also couched in agricultural imagery which gives it an earthy and fresh telling. I so appreciated the lessons about waiting, patience, navigating relationships and Senkbeil’s willingness to know the limits of the pastoral vocation.
Readers outside the Lutheran tradition will find his emphasis on sacrament and absolution a little jarring, but I was helped by it and it certainly gave me much to think through. Besides this (and the somewhat difficult layout of very short sections under new headings) this is a book on the ministry every one should read. Senkbeil’s contemplative, deeply scriptural and ancient approach to caring for souls is much needed in today’s modern landscape.