Rest in the Storm: Self-Care Strategies for Clergy and Other Caregivers

by Kirk Byron Jones

Are You Overdosing on Overcommitment? Even the most committed and competent ministers suffer enormous physical, mental, and spiritual strain. Too many remain in denial about the severity of pastoral stress, even as they are deteriorating emotionally and physically. Drawing from biblical, theological, and sociological sources as well as personal experience, author Kirk Jones discusses the fundamental importance of self-care for clergy and other professionals engaged in helping people. Filled with creative and practical strategies for integrating self-care into vocational life, this compelling resource identifies the factors that influence overload and outlines plausible strategies for escaping such bondage. Rest in the Storm is a lifeline for caregivers who feel overwhelmed by the demands of their calling or profession.

Genres: Leadership, Theology, Counselling, Spirituality

Unknown Binding

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sharon McQueary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Vocational Excellence class with the Covenant. Great imagery, read many books before with the same advice. Quick read, even for a slow reader like me! 129 pages #Read20k16

[Ledayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard him speak, and he's amazing. His books are life-giving for anyone in the giving professions.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Short text, but loaded with life changing principles and strategies. I would recommend it to all caregivers and clerics.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells of the importance of self-care for the clergy and other caregivers, but of course self-care applies to all peoples. It is harder for the clergy since persons in the service of God are expected to be there for the congregation. Jones quoted Merton who said that lack of self-care is a form of self-violence. He draws parallels about what Jesus did in his ministry - Jesus found time to rest and to recharge. Jones wrote, "Although we ministers tend to blame others for our busyness, ... we have the power to curtail a great deal of our own overload by 'facing up to the monster of indispensability within.'" Using the Gospel story of Jesus calming the storm, Jones analogized that "back of the boat" stance of Jesus. According to Jones, "[t]he back of the boat is a place where we may feel God's full acceptance and bask in the glorious joy that is life apart from our striving and straining. The back of the boat holds the key to personal wholeness and wellness, prerequisite ingredients for vital and vibrant ministry in our weighty and harried world." The book also tells the importance of carving out alone time and the beauty of silence. If anyone needs permission to observe Sabbath diligently and who believes that God did grant Sabbath (God created for six days on the seventh day, He rested), read this book for affirmation.

[Bret Hammond · Rating 3 out of 5]

This resource was recommended in the book a Guide to Ministry Self-Care. There is a lot of good content in this, and some that I found myself speeding through. As with the other book on self-care I read, I believe it is best to read this before you need it. There are some wonderful principles and some great stories here that are worth your time.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on self care. The book looks at Jesus as the model and follows the authors experience with overload. He is imaginative and encouraging. Using imagery from the story when Jesus calms the storm, he gives a vision for what your life could be if you spent more time “at the back of the boat” where you can rest. Sacred pace was the most helpful part of the book for me.

[Sarah Pascual · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, practical, and and creative writing that invites us to spend more time "napping in the back of the boat" during storms. While I'm not particularly drawn to it, I really enjoy how the author's personality and passions come out in his writing.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kirk Byron Jones confronts the expectations that drive clergy to overwork and the 'self violence' pastors do to themselves by failing to have personal accountability, engaging in ecclesial competition and denying of their (own) person-hood. Against these, Jones offers the story of Jesus asleep in the back of the boat when the storm rages; his disciples are combating the storm with activist fervor, but Jesus commands the storm after having time to withdraw, recharge and practice margin. He responds, not rushed or harried, but at a sacred, trusting pace.

This is what Jones wants for ministers and offers a lot of advice about building in times of refreshing and Sabbath into ministry. He has good things to say and bolsters his case with reference to theologians, poets, self-help gurus, leadership literature, civil rights leaders, the Black church, and jazz musicians. There are other books which make the same case as this book, but I appreciated some of Jones's quotations and examples.

[Amos Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book particularly helpful during a stressful and stormy chapter of ministry. Kirk helped me to find my still point--to find my center. Jones writes about how it's so easy to get swept up in overload and hurry and to lose one's center. Instead of becoming a beacon of peace and a non-anxious presence many clergy become people of speed and restlessness. In this book Jones helps us find out way back to balance. Highly recommended.
-Amos Smith (author of Healing The Divide: Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots)

[Rivkah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a good book at addressed the need for those in ministry to find moments and times of peace and rest in the midst of their ministry so they can more fully work for the glory of God. A few points I disagreed with, but otherwise I felt it was a very good read.

[Paula Glassborow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for busy people to read!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for younger pastors trying to make it in the ministry in the modern age.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for pastors and others who struggle with balancing self-care and the responsibilities of ministry.

[Deanne Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book! Important reminders about trusting and resting even in the storms and when life is chaotic. I underlined so many sections and will be returning to peruse these pages in the future.