This book is a collection of sermons prepared by Elder Jan Paulsen, President of the General Conference, in which he opens his heart to the church. The criterion he used in the selection of the sermons is provided in an interview included at the end of the book. To the question, “What are the main tasks of the GC President?,” he answers, “My assignment is a spiritual one. I am not the chief executive officer of a corporation. It’s a spiritual leadership role that I have.” In the book Elder Paulsen addresses us as a spiritual leader, ministering to the world church.

In the sermons he shares with us that which is of extreme importance for him as he looks at the church and its mission. The language is that of a preacher, simple, easy to follow, addressing the heart of the church. The sermons deal with different aspects of the life of the community of believers and the hope that unites them. Here theology is fully put at the service of the church in order to minister to it. He describes for us what should happen to the church, in fact what is already happening as it travels home.

There is a significant emphasis on the unity of the church, which in the interview the author identifies as one of the main challenges we confront. He argues that this unity requires us to work together, to accept others who are different but still children of God, to be compassionate, loving and forgiving to each other and to recognize that we are all part of something that spans the whole world. The role of the Holy Spirit in creating and leading us is fundamental in Elder Paulsen’s view of the church. His ministry provides gifts that are to be used for the good of the church in loving service. In the sermons church members are challenged to transform the Christian life into an adventure of service to God and to others. That service is expected to be disinterested because the reward received comes to us as a gift and not as something earned. The sermon about the church as a community on the move is used to call us to live as pilgrims on this world exhibiting our specific values and lifestyles, loving each other and those around us.

The emphasis on unity and the need to improve the quality of life in the community as it continues to grow is not based on a sentimentality that knows no limits. This is clearly stated in the sermon on Matt 13:24-30, where Elder Paulsen indicates that we should not ignore “flagrant abuse of the church’s identity, standards, and mission by someone who ostensibly claims to belong to the church but who is increasingly showing himself or herself hostile and destructive to the church, its message, and its mission. Such a person does not belong. The church has the right to say so and take actions to signify that” (p. 78). The last sermon addresses the Adventist hope; the certainty of the return of the Lord, an appropriate closure to the collection of sermons.