In ministry as in life, we get knocked down. Sometimes, due to our folly or despair or fatigue or external opposition, we stumble and fall. How do we get back up--again and again and again? Resiliency, the ability to bounce back, is a gift of God. Leaders are able to get up and follow the crucified and risen Lord when they are drawn, when they are enchanted by the awesome mystery of the triune God. Discipleship has never been easy. The way, staying on the narrow path that leads to abundant life, is hard. Today, no less than the first disciples, followers of Christ face an array of challenges, not the least of which is disenchantment: "We had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21). Seen through an Enlightenment lens, disenchantment may be more acute and prevalent in our times, but it is not new. We walk our own Emmaus Road. And when we keep walking, when we follow the one who joins us on the Road, eyes are opened, hearts burn, the one standing before us is recognized, and we are sustained for the journey. This collection of theological essays on ministry is an invitation to "run and not be weary . . . to walk and not faint" (Isa 40:31) by walking in wonder with the wholly other God who is near.
