Ordinary Miracles: Life in a Small Church - Hardcover

Surprising in its ability to move the reader emotionally, this book charts a year in the life of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, which serves a small suburb outside of New York City. Taylor, who pays special attention to the telling details of the life of a religious community, was apparently granted free access to everything from vestry meetings to the pastor's visits to homebound elderly parishioners. He made good use of his privileges, capturing the frustrations of a congregation struggling to make its annual budget even while it considers the possibility of building for expansion. Taylor does not offer a dry, distant, dispassionate look at the workings of a small church. Instead, he puts himself squarely into the narrative, discussing his own life and struggles with questions of faith. His book will appeal to people involved in small and growing churches of whatever denomination and might serve well as required reading for those considering the ministry. Recommended for general collections.
- David Dodd, Benicia P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A 125-year-old suburban Episcopal church serves as the focal point in Taylor's ( Sins of the Fathers ) search for "the extraordinariness of ordinary people." Following the daily activities of the Rev. Lincoln Stelk, at St. Mary's church in Lake Mohegan, N.Y., the author admiringly depicts a community of the faithful. Their ability to carry on the tasks of daily life while "tamping down their fear" and "rejecting arrogance and greed" is the stuff of "true heroic acts," writes Taylor. Stelk and his congregation cope with financial problems, a balking vestry and the diverse needs of an aging but growing parish community facing modern societal ills. Glimpses of Stelk's private life with his wife and three daughters and vignettes about parishioners impart an intimate, cozy quality to the prose, but Taylor's heavy-handed epiphanies will appeal only to the converted.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.