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Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a More Joyful Christmas
By Bill Mckibben. 1998
Too many people have come to dread the approach of the holidays, a season that should -- and can --…
be the most relaxed, intimate, joyful, and spiritual time of the year. In this book, Bill McKibben offers some suggestions on how to rethink Christmas time, so that our current obsession with present-buying becomes less important than the dozens of other possible traditions and celebrations. Working through their local churches, McKibben and his colleagues found that people were hungry for a more joyful Christmas season. For many, trying to limit the amount of money they spent at Christmas to about a hundred dollars per family, was a real spur to their creativity -- and a real anchor against the relentless onslaught of commercials and catalogs that try to say Christmas is only Christmas if it comes from a store. McKibben shows how the store-bought Christmas developed and how out of tune it is with our current lives; when we're really eager for family fellowship for community involvement, for contact with the natural world, and also for the blessed silence and peace that the season should offer. McKibben shows us how to return to a simpler and more enjoyable holiday.Christmas is too wonderful a celebration to give up on, too precious a time simply to repeat the same empty gestures from year to year. This book will serve as a road map to a Christmas far more joyful than the ones you've known in the past.Essential Eschatology: Our Present and Future Hope
By John E. Phelan Jr.. 2013
Embracing the Wideness: The Shared Convictions of The United Methodist Church
By William H. Willimon, Stanley Hauerwas, Kenneth H. Carter. 2018
Embracing the Wideness contrasts a generous orthodoxy with the culture wars that seek to drive a wedge between Christians with…
deep faith convictions. A generous orthodoxy is possible for The United Methodist Church because scripture supports both a confessing movement and a reconciling movement. In addition to our divergent understandings of holiness in The United Methodist Church, we apparently have two distinct conceptions of church. These two conceptions of church present in American Methodism grew from seeds planted in the earliest practice of British Methodism: A separatist church, which views holiness as a calling that separates us from the world—“come out from among them and be separated” (2 Corinthians 6:17). Here holiness is a quality that distinguishes Christians from the world. An activist church, which understands holiness as a movement for change in an unjust world. The boundaries between church and society are blurred, with the “wheat and tares” growing together (Matthew 13) until God’s final judgment. At times, a denomination is able to hold these two conceptions of church in tension. And at times, as in recent experiences of American Christianity, there is fragmentation and division. The division may finally be the result of clearly articulated values that are not compatible. And the division may also be the result of how leaders do harm to each other. What great things could be accomplished if we rediscovered orthodoxy in service of the healing, instead of dividing, of our bodies—our churches! Such a generous orthodoxy would help us not to become immersed in the emotional processes that pit people against each other. Such a generous orthodoxy would keep us from becoming stuck in cycles of harmful collusion and escalating conflict. Such a generous orthodoxy would know that the source of our capacity to be healed of our schisms is a miracle beyond our human power or goodness or intelligence.What better way to capture the spirit of this glorious season than this offering of a Gaither family Christmas? Gloria…
Gaither's Christmas lyrics quickly become everybody's favorite songs of the season. Here Gloria explores the meaning behind the lyrics and the stories of how they came to be written. And for a real treat, Gloria shares eighteen of her favorite seasonal recipes sure to make your mouth water. In this ideal Christmas celebration, you can almost hear the fire crackling, smell the turkey and cinnamon buns baking-and, just maybe, notice the swish of angel wings.Man, Myth, Messiah
By Rice Broocks. 2016
Did Jesus Really Exist? The search for the historical Jesus continues to be headline news. Any speculative theory seems to…
get instant attention as the debate rages about His real identity and the claims made in His name. Did Jesus really exist? Is there real historical evidence that demonstrates that He lived and actually said and did the things the Gospels record? Is there any validity to the speculative claims that the Jesus story was a myth, borrowed from a variety of pagan cultures of the ancient world? In this follow-up to the book God's Not Dead (that inspired the movie), Man, Myth, Messiah looks at the evidence for the historical Jesus and exposes the notions of skeptics that Jesus was a contrived figure of ancient mythology. It also looks at the reliability of the Gospel records as well as the evidence for the resurrection that validates His identity as the promised Messiah. Man, Myth, Messiah will be released concurrent to the God's Not Dead movie sequel, which will cover the same theme.You Want Me to do What?: Get Off Your Blessed Assurance and Do Something!
By Michael Youssef. 2009
When individuals feel God telling them to do something that is out of their comfort zone, what is the instinctive…
reaction? To run for the hills? To pretend they didn't hear? To argue? Dr. Michael Youssef explains that God challenges every Christian to fulfill the call He has placed on their lives. Dr. Youssef walks readers through the story of Joshua and leads them to discover how to take on what seems to be impossible, learn from failure, complete the victory, claim their inheritance, and share their story. By the end of this journey they will be inspired to put the lessons of this book into practice and claim the promises that accompany God's calling.Honor's Reward: How to Attract God's Favor and Blessing
By John Bevere. 2007
In HONOR'S REWARD, bestselling author John Bevere unveils the power and truth of an often-overlooked principle-the spiritual law of honor.…
Bevere explains that understanding the vital role of this virtue will enable readers to attract blessing both now and for eternity.Freedom of Simplicity:
By Richard J. Foster. 2005
A revised and updated edition of the manifesto that shows how simplicity is not merely having less stress and more…
leisure but an essential spiritual discipline for the health of our soul.Unlikely Gifts: Devotions for the Holiday Season
By J. Ellsworth Kalas, David Kalas, Taddy Kalas. 2018
The Christmas season is one of the busiest times of the year. But it is also a season of reflection…
and preparation for that special day when we remember the arrival of our eternal God in our own frail humanity. Let the Christ of Christmas prepare your heart for the celebration of his birth through a devotional journey reflecting on Advent and Christmas. Enjoy thirty-one thoughtful, and never-before-published Christmas devotionals from the late, beloved, best-selling author, J. Ellsworth Kalas. The inspirational selections were lovingly compiled by Dr. Kalas’ son, David, and daughter, Taddy, and include additional notes and memories of their father and the holiday season. Unlikely Gifts celebrates the Savior’s birth as we explore the blessings of hope, joy, love, and peace that believers can experience as they keep their eyes on Jesus.Dancing in the Water of Life
By Thomas Merton. 1964
The sixties were a time of restlessness, inner turmoil, and exuberance for Merton during which he closely followed the careening…
development of political and social activism - Martin Luther King, Jr., and the March on Selma, the Catholic Worker Movement, the Vietnam war, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Volume 5 chronicles the approach of Merton's fiftieth birthday and marks his move to Mount Olivet, his hermitage at the Abbey of Gethsemani, where he was finally able to fully embrace the joys and challenges of solitary life: 'In the hermitage, one must pray of go to seed. The pretense of prayer will not suffice. Just sitting will not suffice . . . Solitude puts you with your back to the wall (or your face to it!), and this is good' (13 October, 1964).Sarah and After: Five Women Who Founded a Nation
By Lynne Reid Banks. 1975
Dialogues with Silence
By Thomas Merton. 2001
An intensely personal devotional book from Thomas Merton, the ultimate spiritual writer of our time, showing his contemplative and religious…
side through his prayers and rarely-seen drawings. The only Merton gift book available. Dialogues with Silence contains a selection of prayers from throughout Merton's life--from his journals, letters, poetry, books--accompanied by all 100 of Merton's rarely seen, delightful Zen-like pen-and-ink drawings, and will attract new readers as well as Merton devotees. There is no other Merton devotional like this, and the paperback edition will be elegantly designed and packaged.Spirituality for the Rest of Us
By Larry Osborne. 2007
Contrarian thinking at its best simply asks,Is this really true? It speaks up when the politically correct answer or the…
conventional wisdom doesn't match reality - when things simply don't work the way everyone says they should. -- Larry Osborne. If you don't fit the mold... If you're tired of adjusting to other people's definitions of spirituality... If traditional spiritual disciplines just aren't working for you... If all the standard answers aren't enough... but your deepest desire is to know God more... Here's Spirituality for the Rest of Us.The Divine Conspiracy Participant's Guide: Jesus' Master Class for Life
By Kevin Harney, Dallas Willard. 2010
Renowned teacher, writer of the acclaimed The Spirit of the Disciplines, and one of today's most brilliant Christian thinkers, Dallas…
Willard now offers a new six-session video study and participant’s guide—a timely and challenging call back to the true meaning of Christian discipleship. Gracefully weaving biblical teaching, popular culture, science, scholarship, and spiritual practice into one cohesive group study, Willard shows Christians everywhere the necessity of making profound changes in how we view our lives and live out our faith. This study masterfully captures the core of Christ's teachings in a fresh, relevant light, revealing a revolutionary way to experience God … by knowing Him as an essential part of the here and now, rather than only as a part of the hereafter. Based on the Sermon on the Mount, the author calls Christians into a more authentic faith and then offers a practical plan by which we can answer the call. In light of sales of the groundbreaking print book, thousands of Christians will enroll in “Jesus’ Master Class for Life” … The Divine Conspiracy. The Divine Conspiracy session titles include: The Divine Conspiracy The Path to a Blessed Life Becoming a Good Person Treasuring What Matters Most Becoming a Community of Prayerful Love Living as a Disciple of Jesus Designed for use with the video.Civilizations of the Holy Land
By Paul Johnson. 1979
From the book s introduction civilizations of the holy land is an expression not easily…
defined in either space or time By the Holy Land most of us mean the stretch of Near-Eastern territory the nucleus of which is modern Palestine or Israel intimately associated with the great Religions of the Book Judaism Christianity and Islam Many of the events crucial to the origin and early development of these three faiths took place outside this geographical nucleus but cannot for that reason be ignored in this account Equally not all the cultures which have flourished in this region have been directly linked to the beliefs which to us make it holy but they are part of its history nonetheless and must be brought into the story The truth is that the history of this corner of the world is extremely complicated and does not easily accommodate itself to the straitjacket of a strictly systematic treatment In telling it we shall sometimes find ourselves digressing both in chronology and geography before resuming the main thread of our narrative In short we shall be closer to the methods of Herodotus than those of Thucydides - with a dash of Pausanias and Strabo thrown in No matter what the tale loses in clarity it may gain in colour History buffs and students of the Bible and Koran would find this book fascinating The understanding of either book will be enhanced by knowing the history and culture behind those books and the places of worship which they inspire From Canaaites to Crusaders Very readableThe Gift of the Nutcracker Leader Guide (The Gift of the Nutcracker)
By Matt Rawle. 2018
The Nutcracker is a delightful and whimsical Christmas classic that children and adults look forward to every year. First performed…
in 1892, the music, dance, and story of this classic hold a special place in our cultural Christmas celebrations. Matt Rawle, author of The Redemption of Scrooge, explores the story to help us understand God’s greatest gift of the Christ child, and the kingdom he came to establish. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study, including session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.Dialogues with Silence
By Thomas Merton. 2001
An intensely personal devotional book from Thomas Merton, the ultimate spiritual writer of our time, showing his contemplative and religious…
side through his prayers and rarely-seen drawings. The only Merton gift book available.Dialogues with Silence contains a selection of prayers from throughout Merton's life--from his journals, letters, poetry, books--accompanied by all 100 of Merton's rarely seen, delightful Zen-like pen-and-ink drawings, and will attract new readers as well as Merton devotees. There is no other Merton devotional like this, and the paperback edition will be elegantly designed and packaged.Dancing in the Water of Life
By Thomas Merton. 1964
The sixties were a time of restlessness, inner turmoil, and exuberance for Merton during which he closely followed the careening…
development of political and social activism - Martin Luther King, Jr., and the March on Selma, the Catholic Worker Movement, the Vietnam war, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Volume 5 chronicles the approach of Merton's fiftieth birthday and marks his move to Mount Olivet, his hermitage at the Abbey of Gethsemani, where he was finally able to fully embrace the joys and challenges of solitary life: 'In the hermitage, one must pray of go to seed. The pretense of prayer will not suffice. Just sitting will not suffice . . . Solitude puts you with your back to the wall (or your face to it!), and this is good' (13 October, 1964).Pascal's Wager: The Man Who Played Dice with God
By James A. Connor. 2006
The Reading Group: A festive FREE short story (1)
By Della Parker. 2016
'Brims with laughs, love, family and friendship. You will love this heartwarming read!' Trisha Ashley. Meet the Reading Group: six…
women in the seaside village of Little Sanderton come together every month to share their love of reading. No topic is off-limits: books, family, love and loss . . . and don't forget the glass of red!Grace knows that the holiday season is going to be different this year. No turkey, no tinsel, no gorgeously wrapped gifts under the tree . . . how on earth is she going to break it to her little boys that Christmas is effectively cancelled? And can she bear to tell anyone her embarrassing secret? Enter the Reading Group: Grace's life might have turned upside down but there's no problem they can't solve.