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Have you ever felt a dissonance between the joy-filled Sunday school messages and the difficult sayings attributed to Jesus in the scriptures? There is a movement in American churches today that separates the Gospel into two parts: attractive and repulsive. It is probably surprising for many to know that there is more in the latter category than in the former. Church leaders know that preaching about suffering and demanding personal sacrifice for the sake of discipleship is not going to win over many converts. In fact, people tend to leave and seek out worship centers that portray Christ in kinder, gentler ways. After all, how many of the most applauded preachers of the present generation fo...
A Tale of Two Churches examines the complexities of resurrecting a congregation postmortem. While conflict is a natural occurrence in all communities, it can lead to organizational implosion. The warning signs become blaring sirens when mistrust goes viral, rumors escalate uncontrolled, and the people discontinue their participation. Pastor Ehlke attempts to generate new life in the corpse of a dying church through means of spiritual transformation. Using the Scripture as a guidepost for reform, the pastor starts a small group designed for the sole purpose of loving the people. Trusting this will spark a revolution of compassion, the leadership embarks on breathing new life into a community declared all but dead by many in observance. Having worked at St. John Lutheran Church in Winter Park, perhaps this paradigm will breathe life into other faith communities who are staring into the darkness of death.
Miracles can take up to 40 weeks to occur. It is amazing to behold that with Gods blessing and breath, new life is formed in merely 280 days. Regardless of what we have seen before, there is nothing so powerful as witnessing the birth of a child. A world bellowing with destruction and chaos cannot detract from the wonder of a newborns cry nor can the radiance of earthly gems outshine the brilliance emanating from youthful eyes. Yet, in a matter of moments, the joy of fatherhood is trespassed. Fear creeps into our stream of conscious thought. What can I possibly offer this incarnation of love? If we are fortunate, we know our shortcomings and have taken inventory of our failures, because the ...
Muddy Mentors and Scaly Scholars is a primer for the exploration of animal ethics through the lenses of the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Secular writings, and Native American mythology. The purpose of the text is to challenge the pervading belief that humans, by nature, have a greater degree of intrinsic worth. Animals have a great deal to teach us and may offer insight into areas that we have overlooked for some time. This text raises four key arenas for inspection: morality, respect, friendship, and ritual remembrance. If we look to the animals and how they interact with some humans, we may see the emergence of a more sophisticated ethical standard that appreciates all of life, rather than...
In an age of relativism, tolerance and political correctness, the church is called to walk in the footsteps of Christ. As his witnesses, we must reject all forms of coercion and violence while simultaneously refusing to shy away from the authority and conviction that come from carrying his revelation. Dr. Ervin Budiselić examines the concept of “witnessing” in the writings of Luke, contextualizing it within the larger framework of Scripture’s emphasis on revelation and testimony. Like Judaism, Christianity is a religion of revelation, where specific content must be preserved, passed on and proclaimed to others. Dr. Budiselić explores the communal nature of this calling, as well as it...
In this book Phil Corr provides a tour de force by writing for both the biography reader and the scholar. In this hybrid work he vividly portrays the life of Titus Coan, “the pen painter,” while also filling gaps in the scholarship. These gaps include: the volume itself (no full-length published book has previously been written on Titus Coan) and the following chapters—“Patagonia,” “Peace,” and “Other Religions.” Using the unpublished thesis by Margaret Ehlke and many other primary and secondary sources, he significantly deepens the understanding of Coan in many areas. This book is presented to the future reader for the purposes of edification and increasing the scholarship of this man who lived an incredible life during incredible times.
Advice on how to care for pastors' kids and allow them to find their own faith and identity. Pastors' kids are often burdened by others' expectations, but there is a wonderful solution, both at home and in the church: grace. In this revised, refreshed version of Barnabas Piper's best-known book, the author candidly shares his own experiences as son of pastor and bestselling author John Piper, offering a challenge to our churches and to the families at their very heart: how to care for pastors' kids and allow them to find their own faith and identity. Foreword by John Piper.