The Truth Shall Make You Odd,: Speaking with Pastoral Integrity in Awkward Situations

How to Speak Truthfully in Awkward Situations

In the life of a pastor, it can be tempting to offer half-truths that make everyone happy. Speaking with holy candor can anger or alienate church members, but authentic pastoral care sometimes requires it. Pastor-storyteller Frank Honeycutt draws on his church life experiences over the past twenty-five years to offer nitty-gritty guidance on handling the inevitable awkward situations that all pastors face.

"Frank Honeycutt is one of our most able pastoral theologians and a master communicator of the faith. This fast-paced, engaging book tackles subjects that we mainline Protestant Christians have recently bypassed or neglected--subjects like sin, Satan, lying, and truth telling--and discusses them against the backdrop of Frank's generous theology of God's active, amazing grace."--Will Willimon, author and bishop of the United Methodist Church, Birmingham (Alabama) Area

"Finally, a book that addresses the dirty little secret of the half-truths and untruths told by ministers to their members from baptismal font to graveside. From a seasoned pastor willing to expose his own struggles with integrity comes a book that provides both scriptural backbone and practical instruction in pastoral truth telling. This book has convicted me, taught me, and encouraged me. And that's the truth."--Ron Luckey, pastor, Faith Lutheran Church, Lexington, Kentucky

"Books that call for the rejection of half-truths and outright lies are prone to be judgmental, insufficiently self-critical, and in any case, deadly serious. Frank Honeycutt's wonderful book is none of these. He reads the Bible with a novelist's attentiveness, theological acumen, and a well-tuned sense of humor, directed first of all at himself. Any book about 'speaking the truth in love' (Ephesians 4:15) needs to make sure that it practices what it commends; Honeycutt succeeds by preferring the winsome word to the cudgel of correction."--John Hoffmeyer, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

"The Truth Shall Make You Odd is a book for clergy but also for any Christian who wishes to delve into the complexities of belief. Frank Honeycutt is a gifted writer and a man of immense wisdom."--Ron Rash, novelist; Western Carolina University