Preach Magazine Issue 3 - Preaching and the Holy Spirit | Page 34

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REVIEWS

The Tortoise Usually Wins:
Biblical Reflections on Quiet Leadership
for Reluctant Leaders

Prayer:

Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God
Timothy Keller, Hodder & Stoughton (2015)

Brian Harris, Paternoster (2013)

I had never thought the topic of leadership was relevant
to me, and would probably never have chosen to read a
book about it. And yet, I suspect the situation described by
Brian Harris applies to many of us. He writes this book for
reluctant leaders who find themselves in the position, unsure
how they got there and whether they are able to fulfil the
role, but willing to give it a try. It’s a book about the skills of
leadership, not about being a natural born leader.
The eleven chapters in the book look at Church leadership
from all angles – the theory, the theology, the ethics, as
well as more practical chapters about how to create vision,
work as a team, manage time and resolve conflict. All of
the chapters are written in a clear and approachable style
that held my attention. I liked the way that, alongside
the theory, there are opportunities for self-analysis and
reflection, so that the reader is encouraged to relate the
theory to their own situation. Each chapter ends with a
case study, in which an experienced leader is invited to
relate the content of the chapter to their own experience.
Brian Harris suggests that this is not a book to rush, and
I think his suggestion of taking a chapter at a time, and
then allowing opportunity for reflection on the relevance
to one’s own context, would enable to reader to get the
most out of this book.
Although it is written for Christian leaders, with references
and examples drawn from biblical leaders, I also found it
useful to apply to the secular context. It has enhanced my
understanding and encouraged me to think through my
role in leadership, and I would recommend this book to
others who find themselves in this position.
RUTH LOGAN

LWPT8693 Preach Magazine - Issue 3 v3 REPRO.indd 34

I have read many books on prayer, but Keller’s stands
head and shoulders above the rest. Prayer is the fruit
of his own personal grappling with a realisation his
prayer life was inadequate in the face of illness and the
experience of pastoring a Manhattan church around
the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He writes from a
‘theological, experiential and methodological’ perspective,
in a scholarly yet accessible way that demands thought
and attention but doesn’t drain the reader.
The book is organised into five sections. Part one,
‘Desiring Prayer’, looks at why we pray. Part two,
‘Understanding Prayer’, gives an overview of the way
prayer is understood in various religious and nonreligious contexts. It makes the argument that prayer
is first and foremost our response to God’s Word. Part
three, ‘Learning Prayer’, distils wisdom from three
great historical theologians – Augustine, Luther and
Calvin – and uses the Lord’s Prayer as a model. Part
four, ‘Deepening Prayer’, is about meditation and
experiential prayer, and part five, ‘Doing Prayer’, is
wonderfully practical.
This is a book for anyone with appetite for deeper
knowledge and understanding of prayer. It is a book for
those who sense there is more – more to learn and more
to experience. Keller writes with a humble authority.
He draws from deep wells of academic and personal
knowledge of God and his writing is edifying in the
truest sense of the word. It is not an easy read, but the
work required is worth it.
JO SWINNEY

17/04/2015 15:43:00