Search results for ""Westminster/John Knox Press,U.S.""

“One sheep makes a difference. Without her something is missing. Now my flock is complete.”Oh, no! The man is missing his sheep! The woman is missing her coin! The father is missing his son! Can you help them find what they are looking for?Who Counts? is a creative retelling of three popular parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. As young readers count to help the characters find what’s missing, Who Counts? teaches that every one of us counts in God’s eyes and that everyone should feel counted. The stories are beautifully illustrated with modern-day characters and a diversity of ethnicities so that all children will be able to see themselves in the stories.

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Christians insist that love stands at the heart of who God is. Yet, when we talk about love in the Hebrew Bible, how much do we really know? Possessing such a belief alone does not mean that we possess a clear understanding of what love is. Are we aware of how often divine and human love are tied up with the idea of preference for one individual or group over another? Do we know how often descriptions of love involve questions of power, authority, and gender? Do we see that love is connected to suffering, betrayal, and sometimes death in the Hebrew Scriptures? In Love in the Hebrew Bible, one of the first book-length studies of its kind, Suzie Park provides fascinating and essential insights into these questions, refreshing our understanding of the meaning of love in the Hebrew Bible. Pushing against characterizations of the loving God of the New Testament narrative universe versus the wrathful God of the Old Testament, Park shows that love is integral to the ways in which relationships, both among people and also between humanity and God, are imagined in the Hebrew text. Reflecting matrices of meaning and associations, love thus is a vital component of the ideology and theology of the Hebrew Scriptures, and an understanding of it remains fundamental to our knowledge of the biblical text.

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"Conscientious and compassionate use of our money in a world where people spend $310 million on costumes for their pets and $5 billion on entertaining ringtones for their phones is not an easy task. The temptation to spend now and think later (or never!) is ever-present, but with good intentions and prayerful hearts, we can slow down and reflect on what we earn, how we spend it, who is affected by it, and who we can share it with." -from the introduction Every Christian knows that we are called to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. But what about our wallet? We are asked to open it every Sunday when the offering basket comes by and are told that giving is a way of being a "good steward," but what about spending money at a restaurant or grocery store? Best-selling author Mike Slaughter offers a comprehensive look at how Christians use their money in The Christian Wallet. Slaughter explores today's culture of consumerism and the impact of what we buy, asking difficult questions about morality and money while acknowledging that there are no easy answers. Throughout the book, profiles of real people inspire thoughtful reflection about the true value of money and the rewards of conscious spending. Questions for individual or group study are also included with each chapter. The Christian Wallet helps Christians grapple with important questions about using money: how we spend, how we live, how we save, how we give, and what it all means.

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Popular author Ben Campbell Johnson discusses how the will of God relies on the depths of the human psyche. He addresses in specific terms how one may use intuition, imagination, and memory to ascertain the leading of God's will. Johnson claims that once God's will is sensed, one must trust that God will continue to give guidance. For each chapter, a series of reflection exercises is provided along with a brief guide to the process of discernment.

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This wonderful devotional book will stimulate both mind and heart. Howell provides contexts for the selected verses and draws from a wide range of sources to illuminate their meaning for Christian faith and life today. His insights are richly rewarding. He encourages, inspires, and motivates us to understand the biblical verses in relation to faithful Christian discipleship. Howell's pastoral sensitivities combined with his studies and seasoned wisdom make this book an outstanding companion to Scripture reading and a gift to all Bible readers.

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Feasting on the Word has quickly become the most popular lectionary commentary series in use today. This series of daily devotionals draws from the wealth of writing in the commentaries to present inspirational reflections for each day of the lectionary year. Each day of the week contains Scripture passages for the coming Sunday from the Revised Common Lectionary, excerpts from the commentaries for reflection, a response, and a prayer. Additional material is provided for each Sunday.These handsome volumes are packaged in a soft leather-like cover with rounded corners, a stamped cover, and a sewn-in ribbon to help you keep your place. Daily Feast is ideal for daily meditation, journaling, teaching, and worship preparation.

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Here Adam Neder offers an exploration of the concept of "participation in Christ" in Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics and what it means for understanding Christian faith. He clarifies Barth's claim that humanity as a whole, and human beings individually, participate in Jesus Christ--revelation, election, creation, reconciliation, and redemption all take place in Christ; and their meaning may only be comprehended in Christ. In these acts of inclusion and realization, the creature is incorporated into a fellowship that is nothing less than participation in the being of God.The Columbia Series in Reformed Theology represents a joint commitment by Columbia Theological Seminary and Westminster John Knox Press to provide theological resources from the Reformed tradition for the church today. This series examines theological and ethical issues that confront church and society in our own particular time and place.

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Sunday worship is the central act of the Christian faith, yet few people truly understand what is happening during the service, and why, and how. Based on numerous visits with congregations of many denominations, Jane Rogers Vann examines how we can eliminate the barrier between the preacher and the people in the pew and offers practical advice directed not just toward church leaders but to worship committees and church members--all who are yearning to be fully engaged in worship. Photographs of many of the churches she visited are included.

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In Caring for Mother, Virginia Stem Owens gives a clear and realistic account of caring for an elderly loved one. Along the way, Owens notes the spiritual challenges she encountered, not the least of which included fear of her own suffering and death. This book will be a helpful companion to those who have recently assumed the role of caregiver, helping them anticipate some of the emotional turbulence they will encounter along the way.

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Most Christians are unaware of the doctrinal debates taking place within the religious academic community. When they are aware of these discussions, they may consider them irrelevant or even harmful to Christian practice. Jaime Clark- Soles invites seminarians, seminary faculty, and church leaders to find common ground by considering the various debates, the reasons they persist, the implications of each, and how they pertain to Christian identity and faith within the larger contemporary culture. Includes study questions.

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With the twelve-volume series Feasting on the Word, Westminster John Knox Press offers one of the most extensive and well-respected resources for preaching on the market today. When complete, the twelve volumes will cover all of the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with moveable occasions.The page layout is truly unique. For each lectionary text, preachers will find brief essays --one each on the exegetical, theological, pastoral, and homiletical challenges of the text. Each volume will also contain an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers may make use of its contents.The printed volumes for Ordinary Time include the complementary stream during Year A, the complementary stream during the first half of Year B, the semicontinuous stream during the second half of Year B, and the semicontinuous stream during Year C. Beginning with the season after Pentecost in Year C, the alternate lections for Ordinary Time not in the print volumes will be available online at feastingontheword.net.

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With this new lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. When complete, the twelve volumes of the series will cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints' Day.For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays--one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclaimation of the Word on any given occasion.The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series will follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume will contain an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.

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The letter to the Colossians offers great insight into the faith, life, and problems of an early Christian church. Understanding this letter to be one of Paul's prison epistles but aware of the differences between this and his other writings, Jerry Sumney shows how the church struggled with expressing its new faith in the diverse settings of the Greco-Roman world. Paying special attention to the ways of forgiveness and salvation through the power of Christ, this fine commentary shows Colossians' expansive Christology and expectant eschatology.The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.

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Well-known educator Don Griggs has written an accessible, easy-to-understand overview of the Bible for adults who have--or fear they have--little or no Bible knowledge. In two volumes, one each for the Old and New Testaments, Griggs guides us through the Bible and introduces basic tools and skills for Bible study.Donald L. Griggs' popular volumes The Bible from Scratch: The Old Testament for Beginners and The Bible from Scratch: The New Testament for Beginners present basic themes, histories, personalities, and meanings of the Bible. A leader's guide and participant section are included for each book, making each volume an excellent resource for group or individual study.

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This new commentary in the New Testament Library series is not a systematic study of Pauline theology; rather, the aim of this study is to trace Paul's theology as it unfolds in his letter to the church at Galatia, and to attempt to illuminate, as far as possible, how the Galatians likely comprehended it, at the time they received it. The author asks readers to imagine themselves as silent witnesses to Paul's dictation of the letter and to observe, through a historical perspective, how the Galatian Christians might have understood Paul's words.

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In this critical work, liturgical scholar Paul Galbreath brings together key theological insights and historical analysis to offer a theological roadmap of where the Reformed tradition has traveled in order to propose directions for where it is heading.From the time of John Calvin until today, Reformed theology and worship have acknowledged Word and sacrament as central to its Christian identity. Yet the ways in which Scripture is read and used in worship and the ways in which baptism and the Lord's Supper are experienced have varied and developed throughout the history of the Reformed church. By exploring key liturgies, confessions, directories for worship, and theological movements, this book examines common theological themes and commitments that have undergirded worship as well as ways that our understandings and practices have developed in light of new contexts and challenges.Historical insights from the Reformed tradition provide a basis for expl

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There are few things more joyous in a congregation than the presentation of a new baby or small child for baptism. But even lifelong Christians can lack an understanding of the theology and terminology surrounding baptism. The Baptism of Your Child answers common questions new parents and new members with small children may have about having their children baptized, and it includes prayers and ideas for helping children grow in their faith.

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This book of Jeremiah offers a remarkable range of literature, including prose, poetry, homilies, oracles, and proverbs. This commentary understands the book as a work of religious literature, to be examined in its final form and yet with careful attention to the historical contexts of writing and development through which the present text took shape. Jeremiah proclaimed a message of coming judgment, because of the people's unfaithful worship, and yet also emphasized the call to know Yahweh and to live as God's faithful people. Through it all, Allen identifies a tragectory of grace, in which the proclamations of doom can be understood within the context of promises for a renewed future.The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.

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The Nature and Destiny of Man issues a vigorous challenge to Western civilization to understand its roots in the faith of the Bible, particularly in the Hebraic tradition. Niebuhr here lays out his influential understanding of the two poles of human existence: finitude and freedom. Individual human thriving requires that we fully understand and honor both of these aspects of our nature, yet human history demonstrates our penchant for placing one over the other. This book is arguably Reinhold Niebuhr's most important work. It offers a sustained articulation of Niebuhr’s theological ethics and is considered a landmark in twentieth-century thought.

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A Stubborn Sweetness and Other Stories for the Christmas Season is a collection of modern-day short stories by Katherine Paterson, award-winning author of Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins—both loved by children and adults for over twenty years. This compilation includes stories of real-life people such as a shopping mall's night watchman, a lonely widower, a pregnant teenage runaway, a political prisoner in China, a grieving mother, and a privileged American, who have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas because of loss, pain, greed, or circumstances. Through unexpected and uplifting ways, each is reminded of the first Christmas story and the vision of hope and peace it offers the world. They realize that even in the darkness, the light and song of Christmas can be seen and heard.This heart-warming gift book, filled with stories of realistic people finding hope, courage, and faith amidst life's circumstances, radiates the spirit of the season and reminds each of us what Christmas truly means. Originally written to be read during her church's Christmas Eve service, this collection of holiday stories is perfect for individuals, families, and churches to read and share during the season.

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It is within America's technical and financial power to help end world hunger in our lifetime, if we set our hearts and minds to the task. Contrary to what many people believe, the world has made measurable advancements against hunger and poverty over the last several decades. But too often the binding constraint on further progress is a simple lack of political will. As a result, one of the most powerful ways to affect change is often the most neglected- political activism. In this powerful and hopeful book, David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World and a leading anti-hunger activist, looks at the causes of hunger, presents case studies of countries that have made great strides against it, and puts a human face on the problem by sharing stories of people who are, quite simply, hungry every day. The problems can seem overwhelming but Beckmann lays out a clear and workable plan for effectively using political channels to make great progress. He not only challenges us to get involved, he shows us how. It is no less than our call to do so.

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Feasting on the Gospels is a new seven-volume series that follows up on the success of the Feasting on the Word series to provide another trusted preaching resource, this time on the most prominent and preached upon most preached upon books in the Bible: the four Gospels. With contributions from a diverse and respected group of scholars and pastors, Feasting on the Gospels includes completely new material that covers every single passage in the Gospels, making it suitable for both pastors who preach from the lectionary and pastors who do not. Moreover, these volumes incorporate the unique format of Feasting on the Word, giving preachers four perspectives to choose from for each Gospel passage: theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical. Feasting on the Gospels offers a unique resource for all who preach, either continuously or occasionally, on the Gospels.

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Feasting on the Gospels is a new seven-volume series that follows up on the success of the Feasting on the Word series to provide another trusted preaching resource, this time on the most prominent and preached upon most preached upon books in the Bible: the four Gospels. With contributions from a diverse and respected group of scholars and pastors, Feasting on the Gospels includes completely new material that covers every single passage in the Gospels, making it suitable for both pastors who preach from the lectionary and pastors who do not. Moreover, these volumes incorporate the unique format of Feasting on the Word, giving preachers four perspectives to choose from for each Gospel passage: theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical. Feasting on the Gospels offers a unique resource for all who preach, either continuously or occasionally, on the Gospels.

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Kathleen Long Bostrom and Peter Graystone provide the ultimate to do list: ninety-nine things that everyone should experience during their time on earth. From the sublime (watch the sun rise), to the wonderfully silly (ride a roller-coaster!), the activities presented will breathe new life into readers' lives while opening them up to new spiritual experiences.Each entry provides a description of the activity, what the reader can expect to gain from it, and how much of a time commitment it will require. Blank space is included to record memories of and thoughts about the experience.

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Parables make up one-third of Jesus' speech in the New Testament. In this volume, Richard Lischer provides an expert guide to these parables and proposes an important distinction between reading and interpreting the parables.Emphasizing the importance of reading the parables versus interpreting them, Lischer asserts that reading offers a kind of breathing space to explore historical, literary, theological, and socio-political dimensions of the parables and their various meanings, whereas interpreting implies an expert and critical position that must be defended. In this volume, Lischer lays out four theories for reading parables: 1) parables obscure truth; 2) parables teach many truths; 3) parables teach one truth; and 4) parables undermine the truth. Ultimately, he concludes that biblical parables undermine dominant myths called "the truth" to shine light on the Truth that is Jesus, God's presence with us.

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Christian Faith is one of the most important works of Christian theology ever written. The author, known as the "father of theological liberalism," correlates the entirety of Christian doctrine to the human experience of and consciousness of God. A work of exhaustive scholarship written in deep sympathy with the ministry of congregations and church bodies, Christian Faith has inspired admiration and debate from all quarters of the Christian family since its first publication in 1821.This is the first full translation of Schleiermacher's Christian Faith since 1928 and the first English-language critical edition ever. Edited by top Schleiermacher scholars, this edition includes extensive notes that detail changes Schleiermacher made to the text and explain references that may be unfamiliar to contemporary readers. Employing shorter sentences and more careful tracking of vocabulary, the editors have crafted a translation that is significantly easier to read and follow. Anyone who wishes to understand theology in the modern period will find this an indispensable resource.

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Fire in the Whole explores the anger of Black Christians who feel betrayed by white Christianity's complicity of perpetuating racism. In this transformative work, author Robert Callahan not only empathizes with this pain, giving words to strong and powerful emotions, but also provides guidance for healing church-related wounds.How can all Christians claim to love and serve the same God and yet see and act in the world so differently? Texas attorney and writer Robert Callahan makes the case that white American Christians have failed to embody both their civic commitment to liberty and justice for all and their biblical call to love every neighbor as Christ loves us. In Fire in the Whole, Callahan explores the poignant journey of Christians who grapple with their sense of belonging within a faith tainted by toxic political ideologiesseeking healing for their souls. Boldly questioning the authenticity of individuals within the white Christian community who a

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In Proclaiming the Parables, noted preacher and scholar Thomas G. Long moves away from past treatment of the parables primarily as literary devices and moves toward an emphasis on their theological impact as pointers to the kingdom of God. While the parables are indeed significant poetic literary creations that have enchanted readers over the centuries, their main power, he claims, lies in their disclosure of the kingdom of God, which is not merely an idea, nor even just a complex symbol with generative and centrifugal force, but an event: the inbreaking of the life of God into human history and experience.Long sees parables not merely as creative figures of speech but as GPS devices taking hearers to those places where the event of God is happening all around us. This book provides two chapters for each synoptic Gospel. The first focuses on the Gospel as a whole and the parables' place in it, and the second provides preachers and teachers with detailed e

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Historical events have long been the standard lens through which scholars have sought to understand the theology of Christianity in late antiquity. The lives of significant theological figures, the rejection of individuals and movements as heretical, and the Trinitarian and christological controversiesthe defining theological events of the early churchhave long provided the framework with which to understand the development of early Christian belief. In this groundbreaking work, esteemed historian of Christianity Justo González chooses to focus on the literature of early Christianity. Beginning with the epistolary writings of the earliest Christian writers of the second century CE, he moves through apologies, martyrologies, antiheretical polemics, biblical commentaries, sermons, all the way up through Augustines invention of spiritual autobiography and beyond. Throughout he demonstrates how literary genre played a decisive role in the construction of theological meaning. Covering the earliest noncanonical Christian writings through the fifth century and later, this book will serve as an indispensable guide to students studying the theology of the early church.

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Beloved and respected by scholars, preachers, and laity alike, Walter Brueggemann offers penetrating insights on Scripture and prophetic diagnoses of our culture. Instead of maintaining what is safe and routine, A Gospel of Hope encourages readers to embrace the audacity required to live out one’s faith. This must-have volume gathers Brueggemann’s wisdom on topics ranging from anxiety and abundance to partisanship and the role of faith in public life.

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Help nurture the faith of the children in your life with Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible. This engaging resource features 150 popular Bible stories that are organized by 13 themes, including Strong Women and Men; Listening for God; Parables; Healings and Miracles; and more. Each story is built on the latest in biblical scholarship and learning theory and helps children begin to understand the Bible and apply its teachings to the world around them. Growing in God’s Love features diverse artwork from more than twenty artists to appeal to a variety of ages and learning styles. Three reflection questions—Hear, See, Act—are included at the end of each story to help children further ponder the message of the story. Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible is ideal for children ages 4-8, and it is perfect for Sunday school classrooms, children’s sermons, vacation Bible school, and gift-giving at baptism or other milestones.

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The Twilight saga has become one of the most successful fiction series ever written, with more than one hundred million copies in print and several blockbuster films. Despite the tremendous commercial success Twilight has generated, few readers have analyzed its theological teachings or the messages Stephenie Meyer might be sending to women and teenage girls. This book offers both a feminist critique of Twilight and a theological review of the stories' ideas about salvation, heaven and hell, power, reconciliation, resurrection, and organized religion.Elaine Heath writes in an accessible voice, calling attention to both the "good news" of Twilight's theology and the "bad news" of its gender stereotypes and depictions of violence against women.The book includes questions for youth and adult groups or for classroom discussions.

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Feasting on the Gospels follows up on the success of the Feasting on the Word series with all new material on the most prominent and preached-on New Testament books, the four Gospels.With contributions from a diverse and respected group of scholars and pastors, Feasting on the Gospels covers every single passage in the Gospels, making it suitable for both lectionary and nonlectionary use. Moreover, these volumes incorporate the unique format of Feasting on the Word, with four perspectives for preachers to choose from for each Gospel passage: theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical.

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