Ashamed No More

There are some things we just don't talk about.Things like sex, particularly when our sexuality is a matter of personal struggle.Things like the vulnerabilities of our pastors, who must maintain a façade not merely of respectability but of moral and psychological superiority.We don't talk about things that make us feel insecure, that make us feel unsettled. But the nature of spiritual growth, even the story of Christian faith, is a matter of being unsettled from the comfortable compromises we've made and set on a course together toward wholeness and mutually supportive community.Tom Ryan takes us on an unsettling journey through his lifelong struggle with sexual addiction, one that predated and pervaded his pastoral ministry-one which for far too long he faced in secrecy and isolation, separated from the brothers and sisters in Christ who were called to bear one another's burdens.Ashamed No Moredoesn't cast blame or argue for looser moral standards. It does, however, call us to the unsettling ministry that a God who is love calls us to-the unsettling grace that is the audacious gospel of Christ.

T.C. Ryan was founding and senior pastor of a large church for nearly twenty years. He now provides counseling and spiritual direction for pastors and ministry leaders.