Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry by Paul David Tripp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I listend to the audiobook version of this book, which I really enjoyed, as much of the content comes through better in more “preached” form than “read” form. Tripp goes right to the throat in confronting the tendency in pastors and ministers who are living a double-life. We might immediately think of the pastor who ran off with the secretary, but often, many well-intentioned, godly, and otherwise qualified pastors have slipped into subtle compromises and have lost much of the joy and vigor which they once displayed in ministry.
Throughout the book, Tripp calls pastors to truly examine themselves, their motives, their habits, and ask themselves hard questions about why they are in the ministry, where they are cutting corners spiritually, and where they maybe have adopted a mindset of going about doing pastoral things without a personal love for Christ, His people, and hunger for His Word. Pride, laziness, lust, apathy, cynicism, self-pity, and many other sins creep into a pastor’s life, often unnoticed.
The book is very modern in much of its language, which at times is conversational, but at times it feels too consumerist in the way it is written, rather than timeless. However, Tripp asks the tough questions we ministers need to be asked, and I found this book had a way of stepping on toes which hadn’t been stepped on for a while, and I am very grateful for the reminder. The book reminded me of my friend, Eric Ludy’s message: When a Pastor Lives a Double Life. The overall intent of this book (keeping pastors focused on what their calling truly is) is very good, the execution of it at times felt a little too “best-seller list”.