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Living Faithfully: Human Sexuality and The United Methodist Church
by Alex Joyner David L. Barnhart Jr. Jill M Johnson Rebekah JordonThere is deep disagreement about what The United Methodist Church should teach about homosexuality, same gender marriage, and the ordination of LGBTQ persons. In 2019, a special session of General Conference will be held to consider these issues and how they will be addressed by The United Methodist Church in the future. Living Faithfully is designed to help you understand the shape of this debate and what it means for the present and the future. Each chapter includes background on the Bible, Christian theology, history, stories from diverse viewpoints, and United Methodist structure and practice to guide reflection and conversation. You’ll also find definitions of key terms and information about upcoming events. The four chapters are: 1. Is the Practice of Homosexuality Incompatible with Christian Teaching? 2. Is Same-gender Marriage Compatible with Christian Teaching? 3. Is Ordaining Practicing Homosexuals Compatible with Christian Teaching? 4. Where Are We Now? This four-week study will help you understand and grapple with various views about the ministry and teaching of The United Methodist Church around issues of human sexuality. It will lead you to have honest, well-informed, and grace-filled conversations with others about these matters and the calls for change. And it will help you discern, in prayer and conversation, how you can respond faithfully in love of God and neighbor. A Leader Guide is included with lesson plans to help facilitate a four-session small group study.
Living Faithfully Revised and Updated: Human Sexuality and The United Methodist Church
by Alex Joyner David L. Barnhart Jr. Jill M Johnson Rebekah JordonThere is deep disagreement about what The United Methodist Church should teach about homosexuality, same gender marriage, and the ordination of LGBTQ persons. In 2019, a special session of General Conference was held to consider these issues and how they will be addressed by The United Methodist Church in the future. Yet many have felt that the outcome of the special session did not lead to resolution, but to increased tension and deepening division. Living Faithfully is designed to help you understand the shape of this debate and what it means for the present and the future. Each chapter includes background on the Bible, Christian theology, history, stories from diverse viewpoints, and United Methodist structure and practice to guide reflection and conversation. You’ll also find definitions of key terms and information about upcoming events. The four chapters are: 1. Is the Practice of Homosexuality Incompatible with Christian Teaching? 2. Is Same-gender Marriage Compatible with Christian Teaching? 3. Is Ordaining Practicing Homosexuals Compatible with Christian Teaching? 4. Where Are We Now? This revised four-week study contains an updated fourth chapter that describes the outcome of the 2019 General Conference and the ongoing debates and responses to it. It will help you understand and grapple with various views about the ministry and teaching of The United Methodist Church around issues of human sexuality. It will lead you to have honest, well-informed, and grace-filled conversations with others about these matters and the calls for change. And it will help you discern, in prayer and conversation, how you can respond faithfully in love of God and neighbor. A Leader Guide is included with lesson plans to help facilitate a four-session small group study. From the Faultlines collection, resources intended to inform conversations around human sexuality and the church.
Living Faithfully with Disappointment in the Church
by J. LeBron McBrideA practical approach to address spiritually crippling disappointment with the church! Feeling disappointment with your church can be spiritually devastating. Living Faithfully with Disappointment in the Church gives you a theological and family therapy approach to disillusionment in the church that is practical and realistic. The author, an ordained minister and a licensed family therapist, discusses with sensitivity and hope the problems and the ways to resolve issues of spiritual disappointment.Living Faithfully with Disappointment in the Church uses a theological basis to lay a foundation of understanding, and then provides real strategies from a family therapy perspective to deal with personal disappointments in the church. The book sensitively discusses real problems using real examples of how church dynamics can unwittingly cause spiritual disillusionment within even the most faithful, even in diligent attempts to serve God. Honest, reverent, and written from the perspective that each of us needs the church to cultivate our faith, this book provides non-simplistic yet hopeful answers to the most difficult of problems. Find comfort in these pages. Living Faithfully with Disappointment in the Church discusses: idealism about the church how churches function according to the dynamics of family systems how a controlling family affects church dynamics people who become codependent to the church adjustment to belief structures within the church addictive processes in organizations the psychological danger zone of failed beliefs how to recognize when to stay and when to move on to another church considerations for someone in a denominational crisis the uses of spirituality and religion in psychologically healthy waysa theoretical model that gives priority to building a relational church Living Faithfully with Disappointment in the Church is for ministers, chaplains, seminary students, pastoral counselors, Sunday school teachers, or anyone that is facing a spiritual crisis in their church. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and discussion.
Living Folk Religions
by Sravana Borkataky-Varma Aaron Michael UllreyLiving Folk Religions presents cutting-edge contributions from a range of disciplines to examine religious folkways across cultures. This collection embraces the non-elite and non-sanctioned, the oral, fluid, accessible, evolving religions of people (volk) on the ground. Split into five sections, this book covers: What Is Folk Religion? Spirit Beings and Deities Performance and Ritual Praxis Possession and Exorcism Health, Healing, and Lifestyle Topics include demons and ambivalent gods, tree and nature spirits, revolutionary renunciates, oral lore, possession and exorcism, divination, midwestern American spiritualism, festivals, queer sexuality among ritual specialists, the dead returned, vernacular religions, diaspora adaptations, esoteric influences underlying public cultures, unidentified flying objects (UFOs), music and sound experiences, death rituals, and body and wellness cultures. Living Folk Religions is a must-read for those studying Comparative Religions, World Religions, and Religious Studies, and it will also interest specialists and general readers, particularly enthusiastic readers of Anthropology, Folklore and Folk Studies, Global Studies, and Sociology.
Living for Another: More of Others, Less of You
by Brent GambrellWhat did Jesus really mean when He said, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:25, NIV)? In Living for Another, author and speaker Brent Gambrell calls the reader to realize God has called us all to abundant life, but in order to have that, we must live a life for someone other than ourselves. You must live for Another. Your life is not destined to be a cautionary tale of what could have been. Have an abundant life by living a life of voluntary loss; a life poured out intentionally for others. Live a life that pleases the One who gave His life for you. Live an abundant life when you live for Another.
Living for Christ in the End Times
by Dr David ReaganAmid the tangles of far-out speculation about Christ's Second Coming, and its equally harmful twin, indifference, lies a clear, biblical picture of the end times. In this uncommonly frank, instructional, and enlightening book, Dr. David Reagan presents that biblical picture, and in the process enables both seekers and believers to clearly see the importance of prophetic events unfolding in our time.
Living for Jesus and Japan: The Social and Theological Thought of Uchimura Kanzo
by Shibuya Hiroshi & Chiba ShinUchimura Kanzo (1861–1930) was an independent, original, and thought-provoking pioneer of Christianity in modern Japan. His theological values were organically linked with his aspiration for living and practicing such evangelical ideas as prophetic existence, neighborly love, social justice, pacifism, patriotism, and internationalism in the sphere of public life. Uchimura's commitment to the interaction between religious thought and social life is apparent in his well-known epitaph: "I for Japan; Japan for the World; the World for Christ; and All for God."In this interdisciplinary, multi-angled approach to Uchimura Kanzo, the contributors shed light on the inner logic, meanings, and modes of interaction between the religious and social thought observable in Kanzo.Contributors:Andrew E. BarshayKei ChibaShin ChibaKyougae LeeHiroshi MiuraTsunao OhyamaHiroshi ShibuyaTakashi ShogimenYasuhiro TakahashiKunichika Yagyu
Living Fully: Dare to Step into Your Most Vibrant Life
by Mallory ErvinAn irresistible guide to living without holding back, from the vibrant lifestyle entrepreneur and host of the Living Fully podcastOne of Katie Couric Media&’s Best New Self Help Books to Read in the New Year • &“If you&’re ready to up-level your life and create long-lasting change, then this book is for you! Mallory&’s resilient path will inspire you to step into your power.&”—Gabrielle Bernstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Universe Has Your Back Mallory Ervin is known for exuding energy, joy, and laughter. But despite her public accomplishments, Mallory is no stranger to battling unhealthy attachments to performance and success. Now, in her unforgettable debut book, Mallory invites readers to see how her surprising journey—from achievement and accolades to devastating, never-before-shared lows—guided her and led her to a deeply fulfilling life. In Living Fully, Mallory shares her personal story of overcoming the unhealthy and damaging patterns in her life and shows readers how to trade this for something completely new and more rewarding. What she discovered was there had always been a different life available to her, one that she had not yet seen. Now she encourages readers to resist a &“just fine&” existence and to step into a life they never dared to imagine before. Through inspiring stories and practical advice Mallory encourages readers to: • stop returning to a &“just getting by&” mentality• shift perspective so blessings don&’t become burdens• remember that life&’s curveballs don&’t have to knock you off your feet• identify your passions and get back to your truest self• slow down and enjoy the extraordinary in the everyday moments• quiet the voice of fear• get clear on the life you want &“I wrote this to be your wake-up call, the thing that turns the lights on in your life and propels you to make real change, once and for all,&” Mallory says. &“I want you to wake up and stay awake.&” For anyone hungry for a richer life, or tired of coasting through life in a &“cruise control&” mindset, Living Fully is the ultimate invitation to embrace abundance and joy—and not look back!
Living Fully
by Shyalpa Tenzin RinpocheWe all aspire to live fully and freely in the moment. In Living Fully, Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche reveals timeless wisdom that can help us fulfill this deepest aspiration. Each succinct teaching is a luminous jewel, an invaluable guide to actualizing our innate potential and breathing with joy and ease. Today, with so many struggling with financial, relationship, and career challenges, Living Fully: Finding Joy in Every Breath is a timely prescription. Rinpoche offers the tools we need to experience genuine inner freedom, uncorrupted by endless craving for something better. Topics include beginning with a pure motivation, the preciousness of breath, healing oneself and others, the essence of meditation, and spontaneous fulfillment. Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche has written the book that our troubled age has been yearning for. It is a treasure trove of heartfelt advice on how to seize the moment and live with kindness and understanding. Rinpoche's teachings gently beckon us home to the purity and simplicity of our true nature. At peace with ourselves and at ease with the world, we can discover what it means to live our lives fully.
Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness (Resources For Reconciliation)
by Stanley Hauerwas Jean VanierHow are Christians to live in a violent and wounded world? Rather than contending for privilege by wielding power and authority, we can witness prophetically from a position of weakness. The church has much to learn from an often-overlooked community—those with disabilities. <p><p> In this fascinating book, theologian Stanley Hauerwas collaborates with Jean Vanier, founder of the worldwide L'Arche communities. For many years, Hauerwas has reflected on the lives of people with disability, the political significance of community, and how the experience of disability addresses the weaknesses and failures of liberal society. And L'Arche provides a unique model of inclusive community that is underpinned by a deep spirituality and theology. Together, Vanier and Hauerwas carefully explore the contours of a countercultural community that embodies a different way of being and witnesses to a new order—one marked by radical forms of gentleness, peacemaking, and faithfulness. <p> The authors' explorations shed light on what it means to be human and how we are to live. The robust voice of Hauerwas and the gentle words of Vanier offer a synergy of ideas that, if listened to carefully, will lead the church to a fresh practicing of peace, love and friendship. This invigorating conversation is for everyday Christians who desire to live faithfully in a world that is violent and broken. <p> This expanded edition now includes a study guide for individual reflection or group discussion.
The Living Gita: The Complete Bhagavad Gita—A Commentary for Modern Readers
by Sri Swami SatchidanandaThe Bhagavad Gita tells the story of how Arjuna, the great warrior, is seated in his chariot about to engage in battle, when he sees his own kinsmen and his revered teacher arrayed in battle against him, and feels that he cannot fight. It is then that Krishna, the Cosmic Lord, comes to counsel him. Arjuna represents the human soul seated in the chariot of the body and Krishna is the inner Spirit, the God within, who is there to consel him. <p><p>Today we see humanity divided against itself and threatened with nuclear war and mutual destruction. No political means are adequate to deal with this problem, and many are driven to despair. It is then that the message of the Gita comes to teach us that it is only when we rise above human schemes and calculations and awake to the presence of the indwelling Spirit that we can hope to find the answer to our need.
The Living God
by Alister E. McgrathThe Christian Belief for Everyone series comprises five guides to the basic ideas of the Christian faith. Full of stories and helpful illustrations, these guides have been written primarily for ordinary churchgoers, though they will no doubt also appeal to interested readers outside the church.
The Living God and The Fullness of Life
by Jürgen MoltmannModern humanity has accepted a truncated, impoverished definition of life. Focusing solely on material realities, we have forgotten that joy, purpose, and meaning come from a life that is both immersed in the temporal and alive to the transcendent. We have, in other words, ceased to live in God. In this book, renowned theologian Jürgen Moltmann shows us what that life of joy and purpose looks like. Describing how we came to live in a world devoid of the ultimate, he charts a way back to an intimate connection with the biblical God. He counsels that we adopt a "theology of life," an orientation that sees God at work in both the mundane and the extraordinary and that pushes us to work for a world that fully reflects the life of its Creator. Moltmann offers a telling critique of the shallow values of consumerist society and provides a compelling rationale for why spiritual sensibilities and encounter with God must lie at the heart of any life that seeks to be authentically human.
Living God's Love: An Invitation to Chrisitan Spirituality
by Gary HollowayDo you want a deeper relationship with God? A closer walk with Jesus? A sense of the Holy Spirit's constant presence? Is this the deepest desire of your heart, but you don't know where to begin?This book is for you. It offers no shortcuts or sure-fire techniques for a deeper spirituality. But it serves as a simple and easy-to-follow signpost marking the path of daily relationship with God.God invites you into relationship with him, just as you are. Even if you're not sure about God, even if you have no religious background, even if you've been a churchgoer all your life, God invites you to share his very life. It is a life richer than you can imagine.
Living God's Politics
by Jim WallisAfter fifteen weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list, God's Politics not only changed the conversation about faith and politics in this country, it began a movement. All across the country, wherever Jim Wallis spoke, people were frustrated by tax cuts and budgets that widened the gap between rich and poor, aggravated by the government's lack of response to natural disasters, wearied of misinformation and the ongoing war in the Middle East, and exasperated by the impractical political rhetoric about sexual abstinence in lieu of policies that would strengthen more broadly family values and community health. Folks began asking what they could do to promote peace, economic justice, racial equality, and the sanctity of life. They wanted to know how they could influence government policies to better reflect their moral values. In response, Wallis and the editors of Sojourners magazine offer Living God's Politics, a reader's guide for putting the lessons of God's Politics into action. Who will change our government's policies to better integrate our values? We're the ones we've been waiting for, and this book offers us the tools and techniques to change the political landscape for the better.
Living God's Politics
by Jim Wallis Chuck GutensonA companion book for God's Politics by Jim Wallis
Living God's Way
by Thomas NelsonEquip our graduates for living in the real world!Graduates from high school and college move into a newer, higher level of independence, making decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives. They need wisdom and guidance as they face the challenges that come with living in the world without becoming part of it. Life Principles for the Graduateprovides nine biblical truths for living God's way as opposed to the world's way, creating greater opportunity to grow stronger in faith while learning to trust and fully believe His Word as truth.
Living God's Word: Discovering Our Place in the Great Story of Scripture
by J. Daniel Hays J. Scott DuvallChristians resolved to study the Bible more fervently often struggle to grasp the progression of Scripture as a whole, instead encountering various passages each week through unrelated readings, studies, and sermons. But once they see the Bible as a Great Story, they begin to see how their own lives fit into what God has done and is doing in the world. New Testament scholar J. Scott Duvall and Old Testament expert J. Daniel Hays wrote Living God’s Word to help Christians consider how their lives can be integrated into the story of the Bible, thus enabling them to live faithfully in deep and important ways. They survey the entire Bible through broad themes that trace the progression of God’s redemptive plan. Each section deals with a certain portion of Scripture’s story and includes reading/listening preparation, explanation, summary, observations about theological significance, connections to the Great Story, and written assignments for further study. These features—combined with the authors’ engaging style—make Living God’s Word an ideal introductory college text, Sunday school elective, or small group study.
Living God's Word, Second Edition: Discovering Our Place in the Great Story of Scripture
by J. Scott Duvall J. Daniel HaysLiving God's Word is your pathway to read the Bible as it was meant to be read: as God's Great Story. Many Christians resolve to study the Bible more fervently, but often struggle to grasp the progression of Scripture as a whole. They encounter various passages each week through unrelated readings, studies, and sermons and it all feels disconnected. But once they see the Bible as God's Great Story, they begin to understand how it all fits together and they start see how their own lives fit into what God has done and is doing in the world.In Living God's Word, Second Edition, New Testament scholar J. Scott Duvall and Old Testament expert J. Daniel Hays help Christians consider how their lives can be integrated into the story of the Bible, thus enabling them to live faithfully in deep and important ways. Living God's Word explores the entire Bible through broad themes that trace the progression of God's redemptive plan. Each section deals with a certain portion of Scripture's story and includes:Reading/listening preparationExplanationSummaryObservations about theological significanceConnections to the Great StoryWritten assignments for further studyThese features--combined with the authors' engaging style--make Living God's Word an ideal book for those who want to understand the Bible better, for introductory college courses, Sunday school electives, or small group study. Readers can further enhance their learning experience with the Living God's Word WORKBOOK (sold separately) which contains additional questions and exercises to help them reflect on what they are reading in Living God's Word.
Living God's Word Workbook: Discovering Our Place in the Great Story of Scripture
by J. Scott Duvall J. Daniel HaysA Companion WORKBOOK to Help You Discover the Great Story of Scripture and Find Your Place in ItLiving God's Word is your pathway to read the Bible as it was meant to be read: as God's Great Story. This WORKBOOK is designed for use alongside the second edition of Living God's Word. While the textbook helps you see the big picture of what God is doing throughout the Bible, the WORKBOOK lets you reflect on and internalize what you are reading.Many Christians resolve to study the Bible more fervently, but often struggle to grasp the progression of Scripture as a whole. They encounter various passages each week through unrelated readings, studies, and sermons and it all feels disconnected. But once they see the Bible as God's Great Story, they begin to understand how it all fits together and they start see how their own lives fit into what God has done and is doing in the world.In Living God's Word, Second Edition, New Testament scholar J. Scott Duvall and Old Testament expert J. Daniel Hays help Christians consider how their lives can be integrated into the story of the Bible, thus enabling them to live faithfully in deep and important ways. Living God's Word explores the entire Bible through broad themes that trace the progression of God's redemptive plan. Each section deals with a certain portion of Scripture's story and includes:Reading/listening preparationExplanationSummaryObservations about theological significanceConnections to the Great StoryWritten assignments for further studyThese features--combined with the authors' engaging style--make Living God's Word an ideal book for those who want to understand the Bible better, for introductory college courses, Sunday school electives, or small group study.When used alongside the textbook, this workbook is the ideal resource for anyone looking to better understand how the entire Bible fits together as God's Great Story.
Living Grace: An Outline of United Methodist Theology
by Walter Klaiber Manfred MarquardtLiving Grace is the most comprehensive expression of systematic theology for United Methodism to appear in the 1990's. Its authors, Bishop Walter Klaiber and Dr. Manfred Marquardt, are leading theologians of continental European United Methodism. Their work meets the long-felt need to provide partners in ecumenical dialog a clearer exposition of Methodism's theology, as founded upon biblical witness, apostolic heritage, the Protestant Reformation, and the Wesleyan Revival. The authors concede that Methodists are often regarded more as specialists in evangelization, ecclesial organization, or social engagement, than as representatives of a cogently articulated theology. Further, United Methodists today are frequently at the forefront of facilitating interchurch cooperation in worship and social outreach. It is the authors' hope that a clearer exposition of our common understanding could offer a foundation upon which the "vital Wesleyan accent" could better direct the Christian witness we are offering in the world. Their response to the challenge has produced a thoughtful attempt to find a solid theological basis for our identity as a church that will not only accent our distinctiveness but will also assist other faith communities to articulate their profiles of faith. In this first English edition, the work has been adapted for the American historical and social milieu. As such, it becomes a pathbreaking effort to articulate for our American constituency the global dimensions of a United Methodist theology, in which the American church is increasingly called to participate. Four emphases of the book are: Responsible Proclamation, Basics of a UMC theology; Universal Salvation; Personal Faith; and, Fullness of Christian Life and the Reality of Love.
Living Gratitude: 28 Days of Prayer and Thanksgiving
by Abingdon PressDiscover the powerful Christian principles of gratitude, prayer, and faith.Not only are humans born to be generous, we are born in the image of a loving and generous God. And sometimes we need a reminder.These 28 devotionals gathered into four weekly themes, inspire the reader to discover the powerful Christian principles of gratitude, generosity, prayer, and call—leading them back to the generous life they were born to live.The daily readings are written by the diverse group of pastors, business and church leaders, speakers, and authors. Each reading includes scripture, a message containing personal stories and anecdotes, and a challenge to inspire the reader toward the discovery of the powerful Christian principles of gratitude, prayer, and faith—all which will lead them back to the generous life they were born to live.
Living Grieving: Using Energy Medicine to Alchemize Grief and Loss
by Karen V. JohnsonShamanic energy teacher Karen Johnson writes with both hope and compassion in a book described by bestselling author and noted shamanic teacher Alberto Villoldo as "The owner's manual for embracing grief with courage and transforming it into wisdom, to discover the ultimate and lasting gift of joy."Karen Johnson's fast-paced professional life came to an abrupt halt when she lost her twenty-seven-year-old son to a heroin overdose. Rather than grieve in a way that made people around her comfortable, she did the unexpected. She retired, sold her house and all her household goods, and went on a two-and-a-half-year journey that took her all over the world, finding a spiritual practice along the way.Karen didn't think she could ever find her way out of despair, but she found a process that worked-a sacred journey and map-that she wants to share with others so they can heal too. This book is structured around practices that are part of the Four Winds Medicine Wheel as developed by Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D. Karen blends her personal story and meaningful experiences with each direction of the Medicine Wheel, offering exercises related to each of the four practices.Writes Karen, "I want you to know something really important. You may be feeling stuck in your grief and wondering why you can't seem to get over it. I felt the same way until I realized we do not get over grief. It's not like catching the - u; we aren't sick. There is no cure, and we can't medicate it away. Grief is a state of being that carries energy that you can tap into to create a new life. Just as we use the energy of other newly acquired states of being like marriage or parenthood to transform our lives, we can likewise use the energy of grieving to transform."
The Living Human Document: Re-Visioning Pastoral Counseling in a Hermeneutical Mode
by Charles V. GerkinThe Living Human Document: Re-visioning Pastoral Counseling in a Hermeneutical Mode.
The Living I Ching: Using Ancient Chinese Wisdom to Shape Your Life
by Ming-Dao DengFrom the author of 365 Tao and a leading authority on Taoist practice and philosophy comes a completely innovative translation of the classic text of Eastern wisdom, the I Ching.<P> The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is an ancient manual for divining the future. Its basic text is traditionally attributed to the Chinese King Wen, the Duke of Zhou, and the philosopher Confucius. By tossing coins, rolling dice, using a computer, or, more traditionally, counting yarrow stalks, one can create a seemingly random combination of heads or tails, odd or even, yin or yang, to construct six lines (for example, solid for odd numbers or broken for even numbers). These six lines make up a hexagram that provides advice, predictions, and answers to questions on topics from love and career to family and finance.<P> While known mostly as a tool of divination, the I Ching is also a repository of centuries of wisdom. Most of the existing translations offer either dense, scholarly commentary or little more than fortune-cookie platitudes, but in The Living I Ching Deng Ming-Dao takes a more holistic approach. His new translation recovers the true wisdom and philosophy of this ancient classic, so that the I Ching becomes more than just a book of fortune-telling -- it becomes a manual for living.