A Time for Good News: Reflections on the Gospel for People on the Go

A.J. Pell is rector of Holy Trinity Cathedral in the Diocese of New
Westminster, British Columbia.

At first glance the title of this book suggests that it might be a
“sermon aid” for busy clergy, for it contains “mini-sermons”
based on the gospel reading for each Sunday in Year C of the common
(i.e., ecumenical) lectionary. Based on O’Driscoll’s reputation as a
preacher and as a former warden of the College of Preachers in
Washington, D.C., probably some clergy will use it as a shortcut in
sermon preparation.

But that is not O’Driscoll’s intention, as he makes very clear in a
short “Suggestions for the Use of This Book” section that follows
the table of contents. This is for the nonordained—for those who want
to prepare themselves for Sunday worship, for those who are shut in, for
those who are travelling and unable to attend church, for lunch-hour
study-and-prayer groups.

The author has succeeded in what he set out to do. For each week the
full text of the gospel reading is printed, followed by O’Driscoll’s
reflection, which is always less than two full pages. These are the
reflections of a cleric who knows the cultural, occupational, and
emotional cares, concerns, and pressures of Christian laity today. He
gives the text life by filling in gaps (to the twentieth-century mind)
in the narrative, and then raises a contemporary point or question in a
manner calculated to make the reader think about her or his own life and
faith. By the end of the year (book), the reader will have found this to
be a valuable aid in his or her spiritual journey.