MInistry is not an 8-to-5 job but primarily a way of life for others to see and understand so that liberation can become a possibility, writes Henri Nouwen. And in this thoughtful examination of the various complex tasks that are part of way of life, a wellknown representative of the progressive movement within the Church today explores the need to infuse the daily pastoral work of the minister with a new creative spirituality in order to make it truly meaningful. In separate sections on each of the five areas which he considers the primary responsibilities of the priest and minister–teaching, preaching, counseling, organizing, and celebrating Father Nouwen shows how these professional duties are inextricably tied to the minister's own spiritual life, and explains why they must be directed towards a creative dialog between minister and parishioner if they are to be rewarding. FOr each of these functions, he maintains, become true ministry only when the priest moves beyond his professional role and leaves himself open, takes risks, and, in the words of the Gospel, "lays down his life for his friends" in order to give new life. To illustrate his points, Father Nouwen includes numerous examples drawn from his own experience. His advice is both detailed and practical, and it is filled with rich spiritual and psychological insights he has developed in his dual role as priest-psychologist. "There is today a great hunger for new spirituality, that is: a new experience is essential for every minister but cannot be found outside of the limits of his ministry. It must be possible to find the seeds of this new spirituality right in the center of the Christian service... " "... But what is true for ministers and priests in the formal sense is true for every man and woman who wants to live his life in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, in essence, this book is about the lifestyle of every Christian".