95 Prostheses: Appendages and Musings for the Body of Christ in Transition

Five hundred years after Luthers famous posting of his 95 Theses in 1517 the church again faces an important crossroads. Sunday worship attendance is shrinking at alarming rates. There are now more Elvis believers in the US than Episcopalians and almost limitless spiritual options exist for those who seek faith and trust in something but are hesitant to commit to a particular path leading to truth. The word prosthesis normally associated with surgery is also an apt word to describe the churchs need to forge a theological identity that fits our current context. The church faces change and a transformed body but not at the expense of the biblical richness and tradition that fueled the restlessness of the reformers. The essays gathered here arranged around the seasons of the church year address familiar challenges faced by all pastors and leaders in an era of transition specifically in Christian formation and discipleship. Appropriate for group and personal reflection 95 Prostheses employs humor and biblical accessibility with the skeptical outsider who may be considering Jesus and his church for the first time in mind. Frank Honeycutt is an engaging preacher whose depictions of Jesus and other biblical characters are unique. Readers will have much to ponder in this collection of some of his best sermons. --Gerald R. McDermott author of Famous Stutterers Several times these essays brought me to a complete stop as I thought Id never considered that. Honeycutts breezy accessible style cleverly peels layer upon layer to unveil both depth and wisdom. By the end I was wishing he was my pastor. --Deb Richardson-Moore author of The Weight of Mercy The Cantaloupe Thief and The Cover Story In this accessible witty and often profound book Honeycutt invites those of us who know the content of the Bible and those of us who dont to explore its treasures with fresh eyes as the church commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. He brings his own insightful observations and reflections to the text and invites us as individuals or in groups to do the same. Those familiar with Honeycutts approachable style will not be surprised that this book is hard to put down; those who have not yet made his acquaintance will find here a wise helpful guide to the often strange world of the Bible. --H. Julian Gordy Bishop ELCA Southeastern Synod When Pastor Honeycutt describes John the Baptist as a Rottweiler who hasnt eaten in awhile you know that inside this easygoing storyteller is a serious wordsmith who wants to wake up the neighbors. Hes right--we avoid the Bible not because were busy but because were afraid. But if youre willing to risk reading the Bible again Honeycutt is a wise and whimsical guide. He writes like that rare real-life pastor you can say anything to because hes done said or thought it himself. --Lillian Daniel author of Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Dont Belong to Senior Pastor First Congregational Church Dubuque Iowa Frank G. Honeycutt is the author of fifty magazine articles and eight books including The Truth Shall Make You Odd: Speaking with Pastoral Integrity in Awkward Situations. An ELCA pastor with over thirty years of parish experience Honeycutt lives in Walhalla SC.