LITMIR.BIZ

These sermons make a strong exegetical and homiletical case, each based upon specific biblical texts, for the central biblical claim for God's radical, unconditional, and universal grace to humankind. They address a variety of themes and texts for Ordinary Time, with the intent of surprising the reader, preacher, or hearer with a fresh and attention-getting perspective on the gospel message. This volume is filled with sermons that deal in every case with profound biblical and theological issues, exegetically grounded in direct interpretation of Scripture texts, and woven together in such a way as to consistently bring to the surface the mainstream of the radical grace theology that is the Word of God throughout both the Hebrew Bible (OT) and the Christian Scriptures (NT). That grace theology mainstream runs from Genesis 3:15 to the last chapter of The Revelation of St. John.

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Ever wonder if your daily work really matters? Do you wish your career could truly connect with Christ's mission and the bigger story he's writing every day? Is it possible for you to find deeper satisfaction in your job, greater integration of your faith in your daily work, and stronger connections with co-workers, clients, and other work contacts?
In Henry's Glory, Zach and Maggie face a critical crisis in both family and their careers. Old spiritual «ghosts» haunt Zach's psyche, based on his larger-than-life uncle's narrow view of the kind of work that truly glorifies God. Transported across their journey of discovery by a classic old pickup truck and several wise but oh-so-quirky characters, Zach and Mags embark on an intriguing quest for a real sense of calling and greater life purpose in their everyday work. Their story of discovery proves stunning, provocative, and forever perspective-changing.
Join the adventure of personal discovery in this captivating story. Henry's Glory supplies a robust blend of humor, biblical/spiritual inspiration, history, romance, mystery, and thought-provoking reflection questions for personal study and group discussion.

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Today's ecclesial praxis has to add something to human capacity in order for the church to envision itself whole. This book addresses multiple struggles, as creative acts theologically, for rethinking a possibly constructive ecclesial praxis that addresses God's new creation in its relation to God's people. By examining it in broader paradigms, Herry Mukdani proposes an/Other praxis as a critical option for ecclesial freedom.
An/Other Praxis searches not only new impulses for theological practices, but the extension of voices from the margins that have contributed both to fresh ideas and to new opportunities for life. It also demands ecclesial praxis to put all existing voices into account, and responsibly re(dis-)cover the subaltern or subordinated others. Thus, this praxis helps the subaltern communities of faith claim their own identities, as border-crossers, in the midst of cultural and religious plurality. They will be active subjects of new theological productions from and for the church. They are able to prove theological creativity possible today that expands beyond its ecclesial limits.
An/Other Praxis will be of interest to readers not merely because they want to learn something beyond the existing forms of praxis. Rather, it will always give them refreshing energies capable of making rich and sometimes risky responses to the ministry possible and real. It will also give them attitude and perspective to improve a culturally diverse conversation in theology, and thus, it adds divers(al)ity in ministry and leadership in today's church.

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Does social justice promote Christian unity? With reference to paragraph 12 of Unitatis Redintegratio–Vatican II's declaration on ecumenism–this book argues that an emphasis on justice and unity without proper consideration of social context actually risks obscuring a clear public declaration of Christ, by having Christians uncritically accept the presumptions that underpin the sociopolitical status quo. This constitutes a failure in Christian interpretation, the crux of which is a failure in ecclesiology. Matthew John Paul Tan suggests the beginnings of a corrective with reference to works by Pope Benedict XVI, theologians such as Graham Ward, and postmodern theorists like Michel Foucault. Ultimately, Tan invites the reader to begin considering how answering this seemingly simple question will implicate not only theology, but also philosophy and political theory, as well as considering the need for the church to engage in a bolder confessional politics in place of the politics of the public square often favored by Christian and non-Christian commentators.

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Rosario Picardo was a recently divorced and slightly jaded ex-Marine when he heeded God's call to plant «a church for broken people.» This book chronicles the struggles and triumphs of Embrace Church, from its beginnings in his basement as a rare urban church plant to a multi-campus congregation that reaches hundreds of folks broken by poverty, burned by Christians, and in need of healing grace. By telling his story, Picardo hopes to inform, inspire, and encourage seminary students, future church planters, and any Christian committed to expanding the body of Christ among marginalized people in urban areas. Alongside relevant data and theological insights, Picardo shares the practical lessons he learned, as well as personal journal entries about his internal struggles, in order to offer a comprehensive glimpse into not only the need for new church plants, but the difficulties and opportunities that exist in this sort of ministry.

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"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But it's no secret that the Christian church is «broke,» and does need fixing.
Despite great effort, things are going badly for us. We've tried trendy and tech-savvy, entrepreneurial and coffee-house gritty. They're not helping. Our problem is deeper than that. Our problem is our instincts–instincts informed by our story. There was a time when the Christian church was a powerfully transformative presence in society. It can be again–but it will require radical rethinking of the story that informs our instincts. And it's time! It's been five hundred years since the Reformation, our last major update. Today is a pivotal moment in history. With our worldview upended by quantum physics, history is demanding we renew the Christian story for our times.
Rethinking Our Story reframes the elements of the Christian narrative for the new era. It explores «quantum» ways of thinking about God, human nature, Jesus, salvation, and the afterlife. The future of the church and the health of our society depend on our willingness to rethink, retell, and live out a better story. We will either update our instincts and contribute to the earth's well-being–or disappear into oblivion.

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As If the Heart Mattered expounds on John Wesley's image of religion as a house by exploring three main parts: the porch of repentance, the door of faith, and holiness (the house itself). Useful study helps include references to John Wesley sermons and Charles Wesley hymns. But this approach to spiritual life transcends Methodism and provides essential biblical truth applicable to all Christians. Questions for reflection or discussion are provided at the end of each chapter.

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‘Hey,’ Father John heard one of the voices call again. He looked up. It was the brown-haired girl. ‘Ain’t you gonna come up? We could do somethin.’ In this sequel to Union Square, it is 1964 Baltimore, where Fr. John Martin has been haunted by those two questions every day for a dozen years. His god-brother, Jezriel Heath, walks all over the city in service of his faith, trying to make sense of the contemplative visions that have begun to visit him. John’s eight-year-old cousin Marnie, whose Catholic world is “too wonderful, too exciting,” is the champion of her best friend, Alice, who clings to Marnie as safety against her own hidden sorrows and traumas.
In this supernaturally charged world, Miraculous Medal looks within each character to reveal “the most important thing,” a world where faith is molded by violence and contentment, ignorance and compassion, blind cynicism and equally blind confidence. All four navigate in their adult or childish ways the temptations of suffering and salvation, and each faces a reckoning that accompanies that temptation.
Like Union Square, Miraculous Medal is a novel as rich in humor as it is unflinching in its telling of calamity and loss. It carries the reader to a moment in urban America and Catholic culture on the threshold of radical change, a community unfolding inside a tattered but still-miraculous parochial world.

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Strong, resilient, and deeply loyal, Dottie Connell farms her family’s three hundred acres in rural Ohio alone, having sacrificed love and family for land she does not own. A sudden, inexplicable event leaves the daughter of her childhood friend in her care. Pressured by her community to allow her former fiancé to raise the child, Dottie must face the past she has worked fifteen years to forget. Spanning a decade, This Heavy Silence explores the power of the vows we make to others, and, more binding, those we make to ourselves. Evoking the hardship, spring-fed beauty, and the complexities of community in the rural Midwest, this beautifully observed novel leads us to question our ideas about motherhood, faith, and the debts we owe.

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Putting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church is an invitation to a life of joy. Phoebe Farag Mikhail explains what joy is and how to experience it through seven spiritual practices that cultivate our inner lives and connect us to our communities. These seven practices, which include giving thanks, hospitality, praise, and more, take us on a journey that leads to joy through the giving and receiving of sacrificial love. She describes her own experiences and struggles with joy and offers practical ways to implement these practices to increase joy in our own lives and in the lives of all those around us.

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