The following observations are offered to the rest of the church as the commendations and provocations of a loyal church member, not as the flatteries or insults of an outsider. They are offered in love-and exasperation, and longing, and even a bit of pique at times-in the hopes that the church somewhere, somehow, will be the better for them." -from the preface John Stackhouse's collection of short writings will be an invigorating reading experience for everyone, from pastors to laity, who loves the church in spite of its eccentricities and excesses. Heavily sprinkled with satire and wit, Church offers plenty of food for thought on topics such as worship, preaching, leadership, money, membership, literacy, and even summertime events (or the lack thereof). It is straightforward and practical, written by one of the keenest observers of the North American church scene. While Stackhouse is shameless about bringing both the good and the ugly to light in his provocative reflections, he is also shamelessly passionate about making the church an even better, more inviting, place to be.