It's the most important subject in Christianity. It reveals who God is, how God works, how we mature as followers of Jesus, and how we are to conduct ourselves in this sinful world. The subject is suffering. To explore it biblically and inspirationally is to identify the basic elements of a responsible Christian theology that's more than a set of pious abstractions. This subject forces us close to where we hurt, doubt, believe, and rel ...
So many Christians pray the Lord's Prayer. It is almost «second nature.» This book is meant to help these people pray it more deeply and lovingly. Ecumenical and even striving to be global in nature, this book explores what the Scriptures teach us about this prayer, how the Christian tradition has approached this prayer in its long history, and how many of our contemporary concerns challenge the way we can pray this prayer, and also how the ...
Henri Nouwen wisely said, «The great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there.» Jesus has «been there» and knows how to lead us out–but first, he just may lead us in. He meets us in the desert and does his best work in us there. We look for an easier way in vain. I myself reluctantly entered the desert and eventually received unimagined gifts there–gifts I didn't ask for, d ...
This book is for people who are serious about leading people–men and women who have accepted big challenges, who have passed through the fire of tough decisions, who have acknowledged they at times have failed, and have recovered for the next challenge, but do not want to repeat the past. The thesis of the book is that the journey of leadership takes us deep into the dangers of both authority and risk, and our attempts to avoid one or the other ...
The preacher's body is a tool for proclamation, a vehicle by which a sermon comes to life. Female preachers, engaged in a task not long their own, know well the added attention directed to their physicality. They can experience ordinary decisions about attire, accessories, hairstyles, and movement as complex, and occasionally precarious, choices around how to bring flesh to their sermons. They can also experience the extraordinary power of ...
Wise Up! invites the reader to step up to the divine customer service desk and exchange self-sufficiency, self-absorption, self-indulgence, and self-protection for the four virtues of biblical wisdom: the fear of the Lord (faith), the listening heart (compassion), the cool spirit (self-discipline), and the subversive voice (moral courage). An invaluable resource for personal devotion, small group study, and sermon series, Wise Up! is a s ...
"For the sake of the world, we question.For the sake of the gospel, we examine.For the sake of the dignity of the image-bearers we serve–as well as ourselves–we inquire." The evolution that has taken place in the world of mission over the last twenty-five years has left many Christians asking brutally honest questions about what we do and why we do it. Are we doing more damage than good? What does it look like to truly love and serv ...
Churches often find themselves in the middle of conflict. These conflicts can exist between people within the church, between the leaders and congregation, or even between churches themselves. Leaders often turn to Scripture for guidance in resolving these conflicts. However, the Bible does not outline or even discuss conflict management. In fact, various biblical figures–from ancient Israelite kings to New Testament apostles–all uniquely approa ...
Written at a time when his ideas and practices were provoking opposition even from fellow Christians, the Apostle Paul articulates in his Letter to the Romans his understanding of God's plan for humanity and discusses the implications of this plan for different groups of people. Romans is considered by many as the most theologically significant and sophisticated book of the Bible. This volume is designed to bridge the gap between studying R ...
