LITMIR.BIZ

Having a careful ear and an open heart is vital to understanding the big ideas of the Universe. Two friends, Distefano and Machuga, put this on display here, vulnerably exploring some of humanity's most robust topics: what it means to be human, what it means to be saved, what it means to be lost, and what the meaning of life is. And while the authors agree on many things, including the ultimate fate of humanity, they do not necessarily agree on all the details of how we get there. But instead of «agreeing to disagree,» they model for their readers what conversations of this variety should look like–agreement with a little pushback, and even some poking fun at one another from time to time.
So, as Distefano advises, «take your time and enjoy these discussions.» They are transparent and hopeful, refreshingly liberating, and are imbued with complete awe toward the goodness of the Creator and her creation.

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This book is a very personal reflection on the life of Belinda (BJ) Allder, a young missionary whose life was cut short through cancer. Her father, Bruce, a Christian pastor and educator, explores the influences that shaped BJ into an effective missionary who impacted many people around the world. BJ's own reflections of her journey of life and faith through the battle with cancer are shared through excerpts from her own daily journal. While the emotions expressed are raw, there is a celebration of life and grace in the midst of tragedy. In this authentic and intellectually honest reflection, the focus is on serving in the midst of suffering. How does one make sense of unanticipated and devastating circumstances that came the way of BJ and her family? How does one «lean into suffering» and allow that response to make a significant impact? How does a pastoral family deal with the faith questions that inevitably come as a result of this journey of suffering? These are some of the questions explored through the retelling of specific events in the life of BJ Allder and her family.

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Understanding the Hebrew Bible has never been easy. Even great scholars have had to be content with understanding only bits and pieces of it. The main reason was the lack of hard evidence about Israel's history. Without such evidence, one could only guess about why and when a text was written, and if one couldn't really explain even one text, how could one explain the whole collection? Thanks to recent archaeology, however, it is now possible to paint a factually reliable history of Israel and make strong connections between texts and actual events. These connections, in turn, permit one to see structure where previously none was visible. This book is an attempt to offer a concise and, I hope, understandable response to questions that students and parishioners have been asking me for years, such as: Does the Hebrew Bible have a structure? What imagery and motifs form that structure? What is the dominant theology of that structure? Are there competing theologies? How do the most important texts relate to Israel's history? Is Israel's real history different from biblical accounts? Does the Hebrew Bible's structure continue into the New Testament, and if it does, so what?

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Jesus' life should turn our world upside-down. His first observers, according to Luke, were routinely seized with amazement, both at the bending of physics–making the blind see and lame walk–and at the ridiculous things he did and taught. A careful look at the Jesus of the Gospels sketches a man completely out of touch with conventional thinking; a man radically devoted to living a shocking life for the sake of the broken and forgotten. In popular depictions of Jesus today he seems to be more concerned with upholding a conventional way of life than with overturning our understanding of ourselves. Jesus' life story should lead more to humble servanthood than to syncopated light shows in church or the triumph of a political candidate or a well-ordered and respectable lifestyle.
The Upside Down Way is a series of devotionals drawn from the text of Luke. Each devotional is an invitation to a fresh look at the outrageous words and actions of Jesus. Author and pastor Matthew Ingalls combines rigorous historical study with a voice that is unflinchingly bold, reflective, honest, and challenging, in order to elevate Luke's ridiculous Jesus to his rightful position as the fountain of Christian faith.

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Have you made a New Year's resolution to get married out of nowhere? Did it work? When the author turned thirty, she put getting married on her New Year's resolution list, not because she wanted to get married or had a boyfriend but because of social pressure in which she lived. Social pressure made her think that if she wanted to ever get married, it was better to do so sooner than later. For three consecutive years, she prayed about it and made efforts to form relationships. After three years passed by, she was still single and unhappy. As she reflected on her unhappiness, she finally realized that she was not happy because she was not able to accomplish a goal that was ultimately out of her control. «How absurd it was to put 'get married' on my New Year's resolution!?» As she eliminated marriage from her New Year's resolutions and focused on what she really wanted to do with her life, her energy level was boosted. Although she did not have any tool to frame her singleness, she happened to choose the best course for her. Only if she knew the socially constructed characteristics of marriage, the first three years of her thirties would have been different. The author hopes ministers and never-married single women can learn what we think is normal is a very contextual product. The author invites never-married single women to own their own stories instead of being owned by metanarratives in their lives.

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When people felt obligated to attend worship, as in 1955, it didn't matter whether or not their religious needs were being met. But since our culture has shifted to giving people a choice, they are seeking something meaningful during worship; something which helps them to change their lives. In the church, we talk a lot about «changing people's lives» but we do not articulate what it is that the church has to offer to those seeking to do so. The author explores what happens during worship to provide a transformative experience and identifies which forms of worship are most conducive to this process. The focus here is on small groups, bible study, and forms of interaction between and among leaders and worshippers. For pastors and leaders discerning what forms of worship to experiment with in order to connect with seekers in their community and bring visitors back a second Sunday, this book offers easy to implement, practical ideas for church growth.

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Evangelicalism is reaching an inflection point. The exodus of millennials from Evangelical churches and the growth of those self-identifying as «Nones,» as in «None of the Above,» for their church affiliation, is concerning for the movement's future. Evangelical leaders offer mixed responses to this challenge–from circling the wagons to an enthusiastic «Everything must change!» posture.
Theosis takes a different approach. Seeking to understand Evangelicalism and its origins, this book suggests that Evangelicalism is best understood as the sibling of western, Enlightenment Modernity, which served it well . . . until the modern cultural ethos began to shift dramatically toward post-modernity.
In this shift, young Evangelicals–principally postmoderns themselves–are abandoning «their father's Evangelicalism» and its perceived linearity, hyper-rationalism, either/or exclusivity, and faith expression, too often perceived as stripped of mystery and wonder. Theosis proposes that to move forward, Evangelicalism must go back to the future, to re-engage with the patristic understanding of salvation as theosis; deification, or union with God.
This radical return–and broadening of the doctrine of salvation–has begun to gain traction in Western Christendom, slowly being considered as it has always in the Christian East, as mere Christianity.

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Have you ever wondered where Jesus might worship if he came to earth for a visit? Would he choose a magnificent cathedral, or would he join a rag-tag group sitting under a tree? Is there a «right» way or a «wrong» way to worship? Is worship an individual act, or can it only occur in unison with other like-minded people? Where Egos Dare presents a series of Scriptures and poems that highlight the First Century concept of worship. Whatever your worship preference, may these words inspire you to seek a closer walk with God.

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What is the Bible really all about? Is it primarily a work of history, tales of long ago? Is it a collection of spiritual episodes designed to inspire? Is it a series of moral stories intended to show you how to be a better person? Or is it more? In forty-five devotional meditations, The Story of the Word explores the Bible from its beginnings in Genesis all the way to its glorious end in Revelation, showing how Scripture narrates God's story of the world, a story which finds its ultimate meaning and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. This book guides you on a prayerful journey through the major turning points in the Bible, inviting you to trace the developing storyline from creation to the cross to the consummation of history. And as you learn to read the story of the Bible as the story of Jesus, you'll discover how you fit in to the wondrous story God is telling.

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St. Paul's epistle to the Galatians offers a fascinating window into the life of the Christian church in its earliest days. We see in this letter a pastor guiding his people through questions of salvation, theology, and ethics. The more we read, the more we realize that many of the same questions facing the Galatian Christians continue to face us today: Are we still under the Old Testament Law? What happened to the Law when Jesus came? Who are the people of God? From Law to Logos: Reading St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians is a primer for reading Galatians for all it is worth. The focus of this book is preparing lay Christians to understand Galatians by reading it as a letter, in its entirety, over and over again. At the end of each chapter, the reader is better prepared to read and study Galatians in its literary, historical, and theological context.

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