September's Book - Leaving Church

"Leaving Church", by Barbara Brown Taylor

"Leaving Church" is a surprising and honest memoir written by an Episcopal priest.  Our group felt that this book challenges us as laypersons to give some thought to the lives, dedicated to God, lived by those who have been ordained to the ministry: their dreams, hopes, and often frustration, when they seek to serve God in a broken world as fellow seekers.


Our group really enjoyed Taylor's lyrical prose and gorgeous metaphorical language.  She is a tremendous writer.  We discussed at length the meaning of her "compassion fatigue", near collapse, and subsequent exodus from the church:

• What do you think was the greatest impetus to her departure from the church?
• What did Barbara lose when she left?  What did she find?
• How do we choose between the many "good" things that we can be doing with our lives?  Are they all important?  Does God care which we do?
• Is there a difference between having energy to help others and being called to help others?
• What might have gone differently for Barbara if she had been able to build better boundaries around her Sabbath time?
• Think about the paradox of being a priest set aside for God, and the fact that this career made it hard for Taylor to find God and herself.
• Is it possible for clergy to really be "off the clock"? Why or why not?
• What does this book teach us about caring for our own clergy?
• Did Barbara move toward heresy when she began to embrace Native American practice, or did she actually deepen her understanding of what it means to be a Christian?
• Did Barbara's role as a clergyperson serve to integrate her more fully into the community or to separate her from the community?
• What steps can we all take to recognize and avoid compassion fatigue in both lay and ordained ministry?

There is an excellent interview of Barbara Brown Taylor by PBS Video.  See below:

You may also like to check this Reading and Discussion Guide for "Leaving Church": http://www.smallgroupguides.com/guides/leaving-church-by-barbara-brown-taylor/leaving-church-by-barbara-brown-taylor/

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