With God in the Crucible: Preaching Costly Discipleship [Paperback]

Peter J Storey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002

Often the church is accused of being so embedded in the culture that effective prophecy leveled at the culture is impossible. But this book illustrates that there was a time and a place where the church community was faithful to its mission as the body of Christ, as church leaders led, people lifted high the cross, and they marched into the uncertainty that still prevails. Here is a time and place where the call to risky discipleship was answered not with whimpers, whines, and excuses, but with the power of faithful Christians living out their call. This book illustrates what it can mean to faithfully answer the call to discipleship and God's service.

Many people wonder if they would be able to stand up for their faith if it meant great personal sacrifice or the sacrifice of people they love. They wonder what they would risk for their faith, if anything. In the United States where cost/benefit analysis is a popular way to assess risk, many Christians wonder if they might not have to stand alone, because too many see the risks as too costly.

As suggested by the title, this book draws upon a collection of sermons and addresses given by Peter Storey in a variety of contexts between 1966 and 1993. The original audiences ranged from the all-white Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg, to the South African Council of Churches, to the nation of South Africa, and to the world. All of these sermons and addresses are directly related to specific historical events: security police confrontations, beatings, and tear-gassings in churches around the country of South Africa; an imposed State of Emergency; the murder of 14-year-old Stompie Sepie by Winnie Mandela's thugs; and the violent jockeying for power between Mandela's African National Congress, Chief Mangosutho Buthelizi's Inkatha Movement, and F. W. de Klerk's regime.

The book offers the full perspective of what it means to speak truth, empower people to stand for the truth, and to pastor souls during times when living truth seems almost impossible.

Key Features: 1. Foreword by Desmond Tutu   2. 15 chapters, each including a brief description of the original context, the sermon and its connection with the present, and a prayer  3. Epilogue by Will Willimon

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This anthology of sermons and addresses delivered by Storey, professor of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School, is no ordinary sermon collection. Instead, it is Storey's words over nearly 30 of the most intense years of the anti-apartheid struggle, when he played a crucial role as, among other things, president of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, president of the South African Council of Churches and prison chaplain to Nelson Mandela. Storey's discourses offer more than an inside look at a crucial period (1966 to 1992, roughly the same period covered by South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission). In an era where terrorism and the "war on terror" leave us hungry for deeper truths, Storey speaks with the prophetic authority of apartheid's darkest, most violent days. "We need to care while caring is still possible," he says to a half-empty church the Sunday after the Soweto riots where the South African police gunned down marching school children. While this book will be a rich resource for ministers and study groups, its compelling ethical voice invites anyone interested in the anti-apartheid struggle, social justice, or models of leadership for challenging times. An introduction and footnotes guide the reader who is unfamiliar with the historical and political context of apartheid.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068705253X
• ISBN-13: 978-0687052530
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #893,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful sermons that concisely tell the story of the fall of apartheid in South Africa, November 13, 2008

By 

Andrew D. Rowell (Durham, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: With God in the Crucible: Preaching Costly Discipleship (Paperback)

I was moved to tears and deeply challenged by this tale of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa--illustrated by the concise sermons of Peter Storey. In 1990, apartheid began being dismantled. In 1994, the first democratic elections were held. Storey was involved before, during and after these events. Storey was the pastor of Central Methodist Mission Methodist in Johannesburg from 1976 to 1989; Methodist Bishop of the Johannesburg/Soweto area from 1984 to 1997; and Professor of the Practice of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School from 1999 to 2006. Storey himself is a white South African but served alongside black leaders like Desmond Tutu who wrote the foreword.

It took me about 4 hours to read the 175 pages. There are 23 sermons here which may sound like a lot but they are only 2-5 pages each. Each sermon is prefaced by a description of the dramatic events that occasioned the sermon. The sermons launch from a relevant Scriptural text and are illustrated with poignant stories and powerful quotations.

Retired United Methodist Bishop Ken Carder required this book for first year MDiv students in his Introduction to Christian Ministry course at Duke Divinity School and they thoroughly enjoyed it.