Beside Still Waters: Resources for Shepherds in the Market Place (Paperback)

by J. Stephen Muse (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"As the missions- and denominational- landscape changes, Verwer's views are worth considering." -- Baptists Today, Sept. 2001

As heart longs for flowing streams (Ps42:1) so must the soul of a Spiritual Shepherd in Todays complex world long for Smyth & Helwys Beside Still Waters, Stephen Muse, editor. A MUST READ for all Orthodox Christian Clergy.

Any Clergy who have had difficulty keeping the wellsprings of their Ministry clear, recognizing their fellow travelers to Emmaus: keeping their relational boundaries with Christ and the people of God continually checked; fighting the good fight with radical evil in the community of faith must read Beside Still Waters.

Beside Still Waters is a dynamic encounter with some of the most powerful issues and hazards that so afflict and affect the life and ministry of todays Clergy. -- Bishop Alexios, Greek Orthodox Diocese of Atlanta

Shepherds who lose their perspective endanger their sheep. Yet ministry is full of pressures, which can make it difficult for pastors to see beyond the next appointment, committee meeting, or service. Beside Still Waters is a manual for both crisis prevention and rescue, which will help pastors-and their flocks-to walk faithfully in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd. I highly recommend it. -- Franklin Graham, Samaritan\222s Purse, Boone, NC

The battered and bedeviled lives of so many of the North American clergy are graced with clarity and compassion by Dr. Steve Muse and his colleagues. Whether we are admired or disdained, it is almost always for the wrong reasons. These writers probe the truth of w ho we are and what we deal with. They understand and guide us in Gospel ways that infuse us with courage. -- Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver BC Canada

Product Description
Succinct and highly practical, Beside Still Waters is devoted to solutions to the common obstacles of a successful and authentic pastoral ministry. The contributors use the 23rd Psalm to provide the context for discussion of a variety of the most critical pressure points that can disable a healthy ministry.

The book culminates in a final chapter, which addresses the task of preaching as pastoral care, which is most genuine when it emerges out of a keen awareness of good boundaries that protect the spiritual life of both pastor and parish. An annotated list of further readings is given for each area of discussion.

The authors have among themselves more than two hundred years of pastoral experience and have been on the front lines of the Pastoral Institute's national ministry to clergy in crisis. They include Greek Orthodox, Methodist, Presbyterian and Southern Baptist minister and pastoral counselors. They draw on both pastoral and clinical experiences to address the common and frequently overlooked areas of difficulty in ministry.

Contributors: Gloria Armstrong, Edwin Chase, James Johnson, Ron King, Stephen Muse, Barrett Smith and Jeffrey Wilson.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Smyth & Helwys Publishing (March 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157312317X
• ISBN-13: 978-1573123174
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,078,413 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Restores my soul, January 21, 2008

By	Servant21 (Adana, Turkey) - See all my reviews

"Beside Still Waters" completely surprised me. Psalm 1 was the picture in my mind--"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." I had no idea I was like the artificial tree in a basement apartment: colorful, needing no watering, but plastic and dead. My heart jolted when I read Muse's description of some clergy: "they have lost their zest and vitality. They have become dull, hollow, and uninteresting, and they know it."

I expected a renewal of spirit when reading, "Beside still waters" but discovered I needed to repent first. I needed to repent for "trying to answer to everyone but God for everything but the one thing that was most important." The repentance came quickly when I realized I had been going about my service in much the wrong way. The repentance felt good; it was right; and it ushered in a new healing and wholeness that I had longed to experience.

The desire to serve is so often borne out of a need to be loved, more than a desire to follow and obey the Master. I had forgotten how to say "No" and I so often confused my role with God's. There was another way, I learned. The One I so desperately loved wanted me to be myself. My humble service was bearing little fruit and I was growing weary. It was a freakish cycle of self-denial, disappointment, bitterness, guilt, and over and over. The more I worked the less satisfaction I felt and the more I resented those I was serving.

Muse's timely research findings paint a grave picture for the hearts of church leadership: "Seventy percent of clergy say they have a lower self-image now than when they started the pastorate." His insightful application on keeping the Sabbath and spiritual self-care was clear and simple. "Sabbath", he said, "is a time to make being more important than doing; to stand back and let God's handiwork shine in all its glory and goodness." I could feel the beginning of renewal.

The book is described as a "resource for shepherds in the market place" and yet it is so much more. It is a primer that could be incredibly formative for any divinity student preparing for service. It is a manual for deacon and elder boards as they fulfill their role in ministry and it is a meditation for pilgrims of all ages who are left wondering if something has been overlooked, if somehow the pursuit for pleasing Jesus could be less of a performance and more of a result of relationship. "Beside Still Waters" is truly a gift from the heart of a pilgrim who has discovered the joy of the Master.