Home by Another Way

by Barbara Brown Taylor

In this selection of new sermons, Barbara Brown Taylor walks us through the church year, from the expectancy of Advent to the fires of Pentecost and beyond.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Christian, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction, Faith

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 1997

About the author

Barbara Brown Taylor is a New York Times best-selling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest. Her first memoir, Leaving Church (2006), won an Author of the Year award from the Georgia Writers Association. Her last book, Learning to Walk in the Dark (2014), was featured on the cover of TIME magazine. She has served on the faculties of Piedmont College, Columbia Theological Seminary, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, and the Certificate in Theological Studies program at Arrendale State Prison for Women in Alto, Georgia. In 2014 TIME included her on its annual list of Most Influential People; in 2015 she was named Georgia Woman of the Year; in 2016 she received The President’s Medal at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Mercer University and is working on her fourteenth book, Holy Envy, forthcoming from HarperOne in August 2018.

Reviews

[JoAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this: "Day by day you are going to get up, wash your face, and go ask for what you want. You are going to trust the process, regardless of what comes of it, because the process itself gives you life. The process keeps you engaged with what matters most to you, so you do not lose heart."

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I savored slowly as the lectionary moved through the church. Barbara is a gift to the 21C Church. She instills hope that we Christ followers still have something profoundly good to offer to the world.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. I hadn't read anything else of hers yet ... Just snippets of quotes in other writings.

Her words are often gentle, yet provocative, like a proper surgeon's scalpel ... you don't even know you're bleeding until the next page!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would love to hear her preach in real life. A fantastic grouping of sermons. She is so easily understood, gives a good twist on conventional thinking and beliefs and is ok with asking open ended questions. Loved this book and have so many pages dog-eared and have written all over it! A must read for any person who ever gets in a pulpit to preach!

[Rev. Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

In these sermons, Barabra Brown Taylor walks us through the church year from the expectancy of Advent to the fires of Pentecost and beyond. Her themes arise not only from a particular feast or fast, but out of the perennial questions of faith: doubt, grace, anger, and jubilation. These sermons are simply great stories well told.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara Brown Taylor (2018) HOME BY ANOTHER WAY: A CHRISTMAS STORY (AUDIOBOOK)
Audible - eChristian

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 out of 5 stars

Audible writes, "In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage'. (Matthew 2:1-2) This enchanting Christmas story by beloved author and preacher Barbara Brown Taylor follows the three wise men on their world-changing journey to Bethlehem. In this beautiful retelling of their adventure, Taylor captures the power of one very special star and gives listeners a new perspective on the three wise men and their encounters with King Herod, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus."
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Only very very short.
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[Bri McKoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me any book by Barbara Brown Taylor!

This book doesn’t just move through Lent, it moves through the whole church year. I love how Taylor can pack so much wisdom into just a single sentence. It’s like having little anchors I can come back to as I move past a peaceful morning into what can sometimes turn into chaotic or fast moving days.

This quote from her that has gripped me and not let go,”If we could ever once handle our fear of His intrusion - if we could ever once let Him in to do His work - then we might find Him emptying His pockets instead of filling them, giving us so much more than the poor little piles we have spent our lives protecting. The threat is not outside the door. It is inside us: in our misplaced fears, our misguided defenses.” Barbara Taylor Brown

[Joe Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of 39 sermons, organized in sections: Lent &Christmas (4), Epiphany (7), Lent (3),Good Friday (7), Easter & the Great Fifty Days (7), The Season After Pentecost (11). BBT has a wonderful ability to tell stories in a way that is both fresh and penetrating I was inclined to read maybe one sermon a day, maybe two. When I got to the one main point, it was generally delivered quite effectively and I was content to sit with it rather than be in too big a hurry to move on. It was like a meditation or a centering kind of thing for me.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book of sermons. Taylor might be at her best when explicating a particularly challenging passage of scripture. This book is 20 years old, but many of her sermons would be even more timely today than then. The challenge of following the teaching of Christ and yet simultaneously accepting and receiving grace as decidedly imperfect people is pretty much at the center of this book. The closer I got to the end, the sadder I was to leave her teaching behind. Very much worth reading.

[James Uscroft · Rating 1 out of 5]

For people who claim to regard the Bible as the perfect, inerrant word of God, Christians do seem to love twisting and butchering it in every possible way imaginable! Because dude, the Nativity story we see and hear every Xmas is already retconned fan-fic; mashing together two completely incongruous and conflicting stories. So this fan-fic about the three wise men when Matthew doesn't even give the number of wise men is just too hilarious for words! xD

[Jodie Toresdahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels odd to rate sermons, so I am thinking of these more as essays, and I would still give the collection 5 stars. Barbara Brown Taylor is a great writer because she knows how to tell a story. The arc of each essay/sermon is engaging. She doesn't preach down at you, but invites the listener, or in this case, the reader, to wonder and be challenged alongside her. This collection spans the liturgical year, so it could be a nice book to pick up in different seasons (Lent, Advent, Pentecost, etc.), but the sermons are approachable and applicable any time of year.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are no extraneous words in Barbara Brown Taylor’s writing. The only thing that could have made this book better was an audio version, where I would have listened to her beautiful, melodic voice as she exposed my defenses, fears, hopes and shortcomings with these incredible sermons. Favorite chapters: God’s Beloved Thief; Rest for the Land; The Yes and No Brothers.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor began preaching as someone who was influenced by Fred Craddock. By the time this collection came out she had developed her own unique and powerful preaching voice. In the pulpit she had a poise and confidence that comes through in the written text. This is her best preaching work in print. After this came our she began a new phase of life as a spiritual nomad.

[Bryn Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to rate a collection of sermons. But among these were some that really hit home and others that were a mere (but also, not an insignificant): “hm...”

I love her style and approach to preaching and felt like each of these had something to teach me all because they didn’t preach but instead invited me into the story of scripture.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did start this in Advent 2020 -- generally reading one each Sunday. I like Brown Taylor's writing style, and also find what she has to say to be well worth reading. I do not rate them as I go along, but my overall feel is that they are generally good to amazing sermons, and they make very worthwhile meditations, also. She often has a unique take on a traditional concept. Very worth reading!

[Claudia Staude · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love B.B. Taylor’s thoughts on faith and life and this collection of homilies aligned with the seasons of the church year did not disappoint! Each one is a self-contained little devotion in and of itself. All were thought provoking and inspiring!

[Edward Bellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of sermons, I was moved to remember my own life, my own honest questions, my own concerns of faith. One strong story about her granddaughter losing hope in wishing while blowing out birthday candles struck a cord of truth with me. Well done, BBT! Well done!

[Joshua Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

well i'll be, she did it again.

[Becca Messman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m all in for BBT sermons.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pastor Brown-Taylor is a beautiful speaker, with a pastoral heart & an ear for a story. Gorgeous, poetic sermons. She is GOALS.

[Kathleen Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding imagery. She has given me wonderful ideas and leads for sermons throughout the church year.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Barbara Brown Taylor! Very nice collection of sermons.

[Emily Lund-Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Brown Taylor is a treasure, and I am so grateful for her work and witness.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring sermons read with Bible Study group. Inspired great discussions.

[Phillip Block · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an anthology of sermons preached by the author when she was an Episcopal priest.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. This was the perfect book to go through the church calendar with. Each sermon was just long enough to get its point across without being too long.

[Sharon Thomsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

BBT has the ability to, in a few words, write of deep truths that encourage, nourish and enlighten the reader. Her sermons/essays are a beautiful way to begin each day.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely stunning. It left me with such interesting questions, answers, and explorations.

[Laurie-Ann Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful surprise. It’s a keeper and will definitely be reread

[Rachel | All the RAD Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally started reading it alongside the church calendar, as it’s a collection of writings (her sermons!) following the church holidays, but I eventually just kept reading since it’s so good! I love all things BBT and even though I don’t belong to a liturgical church, I love the rhythms of the calendar and found these sermons deeply insightful, moving, inspiring, and beautiful. I’ll come back to this one during Advent and Lent especially!