In the Name of Jesus

In the Name of Jesus is Henri's Nouwen's bold, honest, and heartwarming message about Christian Leadership. According to Nouwen, Christians must give up their desire to be powerful and embrace authority based on prayer and forgiveness. His emphasis on a vigorous centered-Jesus life will be helpful to ministers in training and all those wanting to live with integrity and compassion of Christ.

Brenda's Thoughts: I read this book in an hour, but that one hour of reading produced many more hours of personal thought and reflection about what it means to be a leader in ministry who truly reflects the Savior we serve.

This book addresses ministers/pastors, but I think many of the principles he discusses are applicable to almost anyone who wants to serve God in ministry, even in non-leadership capacities. I was particularly struck when he discussed how those of us who serve in ministry can often get sidetracked and distracted in our work for God when we begin to associate our service with our own glory and not God's.
 
As leaders in ministry, we will regularly encounter and serve people who are in tough situations and we need to realize that this is a position of tremendous responsibility. Having this responsibility can tempt people into craving power or influence, which can lead to a lot of hurts once our motives for service are not authentic. All the more reason to enter into leadership with the right motives and a heart that is right with God. To be an effective leader for God who has joy in their service and whom God uses to the fullest for the benefit of those we serve.
 
Being a Christian leader is all about being genuine and vulnerable, and loving others through that vulnerability. "The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God's love" (Henri Nouwen). As a leader we can be set free to be ourselves and enjoy God and love others. Being an effective leader is very simple and has been done for thousands of years; it's about emptying ourselves, taking up our cross, and sharing that journey with those in our care. One of my favorite quotes and there are many..."Jesus has a different vision of maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go."

This book may be short, but sure does pack a punch!