Benedictions is about the presence of the sacred in ordinary things: the ground beneath our feet, the ways we bless each other, loss and grief, the making of our homes, even doubt and darkness. In the everyday experiences described here, God's presence is palpable and real. «Cleave the wood and I am there,» says Isaiah in the apocryphal gospel of Thomas. «Lift up the stone and you will find me there.» These benedictions–literally good words ...
What is Christian about counseling? That far-reaching question is exactly what prompted Dr. Friesen to deepen his study of The Sermon on the Mount. «Is what I do consistent with what Jesus said? This must direct my counseling or it does not qualify as 'Christian.'» He has been seriously engaged in the study of Psychology and Theology since 1974, beginning as a student at the Fuller Theological Seminary Graduate School of Psychology. H ...
The globalizing world of late modernity is heavily awash with pseudo-gods. Gods That Fail provocatively deploys the theological concept of idolatry to explore the ways in which these gods blind their devotees and wreak suffering and dehumanization. Many of these pseudo-gods have infiltrated the life of the Church and compromised its witness. Combining lively social critique with fresh expositions of familiar biblical stories, this book engages w ...
Holy Is a Four-Letter Word responds to the need for an accessible and simple articulation of the holy life, and what it means for the collective church as well as for individual believers. This goal is accomplished by taking the fundamental tenets of holiness doctrine and shaping them around twelve four-letter words: (1) Holy, (2) Self, (3) Full, (4) Pure, (5) Will, (6) Mind, (7) Body, (8) Love, (9) Rest, (10) Life, (11) Sent, and (12) Call. Eac ...
Anthony Acampora knows firsthand the power of Spirit-fueled compassion and the incredible impact the Word of God can have on a broken life. Through Christ he has overcome tremendous suffering and loss. The same kind of straightforward love and counsel he received he now offers to you through The Impact Devotional Series. Anthony also brings to bear years of experience as a chaplain, biblical counselor, ministry director, and spiritual growth con ...
Your congregation is teeming with people already doing community ministry. They just don't know it yet. This book knocks down the church walls that keep parishioner ministry hidden from congregational view. Do parishioners know that their already-mission counts as ministry in your congregation? Parishioners are already on mission raising their children, caring for elderly parents, volunteering in the community, supporting neighbors ...
Biblical scholars by and large remain unaware of the history of their own discipline. This present volume seeks to remedy that situation by exploring the early history of modern biblical criticism in the seventeenth century prior to the time of the Enlightenment when the birth of modern biblical criticism is usually dated. After surveying the earlier medieval origins of modern biblical criticism, the essays in this book focus on the more skeptic ...
This book draws from Bloomquist's many years and formative experiences as a pastor, theologian, activist, seminary professor, and speaker in a number of settings–both within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and ecumenically and globally. Drawing insights from many sources, Seeing-Remembering-Connecting proposes a new «church in society» framework, so that faith communities can engage and transform the urgent systemic injust ...
Jesus calls each of us to live in a way that gives the Father glory, shares his love with everyone around us, and reflects the life of Jesus. He invites us to scatter seed. Scattering seed can be a challenge, though, especially in our public lives, our professional lives, and volunteer lives. Those of us called to teach in some way feel the challenge deeply. We seek to share knowledge, experiences, and life lessons with a broad and varied group ...