The Book

Still Laughing, Still Learning ...Still Looking for a Good Title

In this highly readable collection of brief, humorous and thought-provoking personal essays, Bill Chadwick touches on a wide array of subjects, from the terrors of parenting to the joys and challenges of pastoring. You may snort milk out your nose at his light-hearted looks at playing Santa or assorted bike mishaps, and then be deeply moved by his perceptive analyses of issues like inclusivity, anger, and death. About half the stories come from his personal family life, the others from his long experience as a parish pastor, chaplain and social justice activist. But you don’t need to be a church person to appreciate his insights into the human condition.

Still Laughing combines the style of Robert Fulghum’s classic, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, with the flavor of a less sentimental Chicken Soup for the Soul book, and a dash of Anne Lamott’s humor.

*If you wish to purchase five or more copies, please contact me directly for a better price. 5-9 copies are $16/each (including tax, plus shipping), 10 or more are $15/each (including tax, plus shipping).

**Books are also available on Amazon, at Valley Booksellers or First Presbyterian Church in Stillwater, Chain of Lakes Presbyterian Church in Blaine, Excelsior Bay Books, and Minneapolis Yoga. The cheapest way to purchase is directly through me, especially if you would like more than one book.

Praise for Still Laughing

"I read Still Laughing… in one long and enjoyable sitting in front of the fireplace on an unseasonably cold day. Bill Chadwick is one fine story teller; I laughed aloud and shed a tear or two as well. This book warmed this retired minister’s heart and quickened so many memories. Time and again, I nodded my head as I read, and said to myself, “Just so, just so.” As one might surmise, its pages are also full of potential sermon material!"

The Reverend Michael Lindvall

Former pastor of Brick Presbyterian Church, New York City, and best-selling author of numerous books, including the North Haven series, The Geography of God and What Did Jesus Do?

"Bill has a great gift for telling stories. At times I couldn’t stop laughing. At other times, I wept. His stories are laugh-out-loud hilarious, such as raising live alligators and feeding them hamburgers, to his comical adventures of having the Y-chromosome. Just when you think it couldn’t get funnier, Bill shares a tender and touching story that makes you gasp and get in touch with your deeper humanity. A life-changing book, Still Laughing helps you to see the absurdities of life and also the deep meaning of it."

Jolene L. Roehlkepartain

The founding editor of Children's Ministry magazine and the author of 33 books, including Nurturing Faith in Families and Teaching Kids to Care & Share

"Love your stories! Brilliant glimpses into humanity...what's sacred... it's thoroughly funny, moving, beautiful... how we belong to and for each other. Incredible… Dang man, you really spin a wonderful yarn, perfect amounts of spice, theology, foible."

Kevin Kling

Storyteller, author, playwright, regular contributor to NPR’s All Things Considered.

"In Still Laughing, Still Learning, Pastor Bill Chadwick touches the depth of our souls, while striking our funny bones squarely. He is one of the finest preachers I have ever heard, and this book captures his witty, prophetic style masterfully."

Jim Moline, Ph.D

Best-selling author, executive coach, professor, theologian and psychologist

"A wise rabbi once said, “God made humanity because God loves stories.” There is much for God to love in Bill’s stories, for they beautifully illuminate the holy in the midst of the ordinary. There is much for people like you and me to love as well, for through Bill’s insight, humor and grace, something of what it means to be human is revealed, and we clearly see how our lives fit into God’s greater story. A wonderful read!"

Reverend Paul E. Gilmore

Winnetka Presbyterian Church, Winnetka, Illinois

"When I was a child in Nigeria, most evenings when all the chores were done and right before bedtime, the children would gather for “Tales by Moonlight.” It was always the highlight of the day, when adults and older youth would share stories, sometimes based on real life events, but mostly fables embedded with life lessons. Bill’s book transported me to those magical moments with such an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Bill is a great storyteller…captivating and engaging, brutally honest and rib-crackingly hilarious! He gives a peek behind the scenes of a pastor’s life…Bill has an uncanny way of turning an ordinary event into a transformative experience."

Reverend Dr. Umo Udo

Certified life coach, retreat leader and grief coalition facilitator

"Some people have the “eye.” They look at events the rest of us pass by with hardly a flicker of interest and see depth, texture, and nuance, in short, epiphanies of the human condition. Bill Chadwick has the “eye,” and in this arresting collection of essays he approaches topics as lighthearted as “baldness” and as grave as ‘death’ and finds their revelations both divine and human. This is a book to be read and re-read with joy and insight.”

Dr. Thomas Long

Bandy Professor Emeritus of Preaching at Candler School of Theology, Emory University

Book Club Conversations

Are you reading Still Laughing as part of a book club or with friends? Check out our study guide and conversation starters for good discussion points.