Bücher von Stephen McCutchan

Whether you read the open chapters of Genesis, or reflect on the discipline of therapy, or simply listen deeply to someone in deep pain, you will discover that when your world seems to be in deep chaos, the capturing that chaos in words can enable you to discover meaning and hope. A Star and a Tear is a fictional attempt to tell the story of racism in our country. In listening to the story and sharing your thoughts with others, you can discover meaningful ways to respond in a way that offers healing and hope.The center of this story is found in the life of a church and its pastoral staff. Anti-racism becomes more than an abstract issue to debate. Faced with the toxic poison and divisive violence of racism in their own community, members discover a deeper and more relevant faith guiding them in hopeful and healing directions.

A Star and a Tear is a mystery thriller with a spiritual edge. Frank Sessions is locked in a season of grief caused by the violent death of his wife during a convenience store robbery. He emerges out of his grief when a young reporter asks for his assistance in writing a story about a rape in the city and Frank realizes he has a strange connection with the anonymous rapist. It soon becomes clear that the city is confronting a serial rapist with a religious fixation. Racing against time, Frank Sessions seeks to assist the police to track down a serial rapist recognizing that there are strong indications that the rapist will soon escalate to murdering his victims. If he is to succeed, he needs to confront an embarrassing chapter in his own past and recognize the strange symbiotic relationship between sexuality and spirituality present in religion. As one reviewer commented, "As the mystery and the search for the rapist develop, the author, . . ., takes us deeper and deeper into what it means to be a person of faith in crisis. Another review states: "Amid the story's varied twists and turns there is danger and darkness, humor and irony, faith and hypocrisy. (Like in the Bible?) Whether one takes religious issues to heart or views them as a creative vehicle for the story, A Star and a Tear makes fine reading." In addition to being an exciting mystery, the story provides the opportunity for a needed discussion about the issues of sexuality and religion. As a third review states: "This book, which takes us behind the closed doors of clergy confidentiality and privilege deserves to be required reading for in-depth discussion in Pastoral Care classes in all Protestant and Catholic seminaries. It also will serve clergy groups wherever the search for integrity and support, guidance and faithfulness really matter." While an enjoyable mystery with plenty of challenging twists and turns, A Star and a Tear also provides the foundation for a discussion on both the creative and destructive power of sexuality in life. Whether it be several clergy, lay people who want to explore this significant issue in the church, or someone who is interested in how to live a healthy life, this book is both an enjoyable and valuable foundation for exploring the relationship between sexuality and spirituality in our society. The mystery will keep you reading while the group discussion may deepen friendships and challenge your thinking.

Given the ideologically divided, tension-filled world in which we live, imagine hearing someone tell you how God can work through these divisions in a way that offers hope and healing for the world. The author suggests that this is exactly what Matthew sought to do in his gospel. The Hebrew Scriptures tell the story of how God chose to accomplish a divine work of reconciliation through a chosen people who demonstrated the same strengths and weaknesses as most people in the world today. Matthew interpreted the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the midrash, or commentary on these Hebrew Scriptures, that revealed how God works with both the shadow side and the bright side of our human nature to accomplish the divine purpose. The contemporary church, in a similar manner to Matthew's congregation, must determine the church's response to a world divided between the powerful and the powerless (Chapter 1), the Christian faith and other faiths (Chapter 2), male and female (Chapter 3), and the wealthy and the poor (Chapter 4). Following an interpretation of how Matthew found hope in the face of such divisions, the fifth chapter recognizes that most contemporary churches feel helpless in the face of such overwhelming realities. The author then describes Matthew's understanding of how God works through resistance and even betrayal to transform the world. The final chapter explores God's intention to bring about a common witness of Jews and Christians in the reconciliation of the entire world. This book will provide a vision of hope that will enable Christians to respond with strength to the challenges of the world and have confidence that their efforts are not in vain. A study guide is included in the introduction. You may reach the author on his web page at www.smccutchan.com.