How Our Hunger Leads Us Closer to Jesus Many Christians—especially those who have grown up in the church—seem to be living "good" lives, free from extreme hardship and scandalous sin. Yet even this good life leaves them longing. Regardless of our backgrounds and circumstances, all of us have a deep hunger that only Jesus can satisfy. In this book, Amy DiMarcangelo invites readers to feast at the table of grace, where they will find God's vast glory and intimate care, his strength made perfect in weakness, and his gifts of joy and comfort to his children. Even the most hungry Christians will be encouraged that they "may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). Encouragement for Christian Women: Written to help both new and mature Christians embrace their need for Christ and find satisfaction in him alone Biblical: Unfolds the unsearchable glories of God through his word Discussion Questions and Recommended Books: Provides an opportunity for group study and further reflection Published in partnership with the Gospel Coalition
In the lyrical yet tough-minded tradition of Thoreau, this prescient and impassioned volume, written by a former Ethics columnist for Esquire magazine, examines the myths and follies of a culture that celebrates greed and defines success solely in terms of wealth. As timely today as it was upon its original release in 1989, the book examines the corrosive effects of money-worship on the social fabric and warns of the consequences of pursuing a lifestyle rather than building a life. Written in a lively, journalistic style, and filled with telling observations, the volume takes an unsparing look at the world as it is---and also points the way toward the more humane and fulfilling world that is in our power to create. Said The New York Times, “Shames' critique is on the mark…concrete, compelling reading.”“A scathing indictment of the excesses of our time as well as a prophecy of changes ahead.”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No More Hunger, written by William Dudley Pelley in the throes of the Great Depression of the 1930s and revised in 1961, presents an examination of the economic and financial flaws of private capitalism. It then outlines the features of a Christian Commonwealth that would unleash the full productive capability of the nation, with full implementation of human rights for every solitary citizen. During its republication in the sixties, thousands of copies were printed. They were read by those who were protesting the economic and financial inequities of our society, and by those who opposed the nation's untenable and brutal embroilment in the Vietnam War. Mr. Pelley passed on in 1965; nearly half a century has passed since his death. The ideas he put forth, however, are more vital and timely than ever. Peace with economic justice and stability in the nation cannot be realized without an honest and an analytical focus on the flaws of private capitalism and the abuses of the unconstitutional private banking system. No More Hunger offers a guide to addressing the major obstacle to harmony today: the futile attempt to solve the serious problems of the society while at the same time retaining the very economic structural ills that are responsible for the problems in the first place.
There is an appetite for God. And it can be awakened. I invite you to turn from the dulling effects of food and the dangers of idolatry, and to say with some simple fast: "This much, O God, I want you." Our appetites dictate the direction of our lives - whether it be the cravings of our stomachs, the passionate desire for possessions or power, or the longings of our spirits for God. But for the Christian, the hunger for anything besides God can be an arch-enemy. While our hunger for God - and Him alone - is the only thing that will bring victory. Do you have that hunger for Him? As John Piper puts it: "If we don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great." If we are full of what the world offers, then perhaps a fast might express, or even increase, our soul's appetite for God. Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence is this path of pleasant pain called fasting. It is the path John Piper invites you to travel in this book. For when God is the supreme hunger of your heart, He will be supreme in everything. And when you are most satisfied in Him, He will be most glorified in you.
Using the imagery of the psalms as a backdrop, author Calvin Miller explores our hunger for intimacy with our Holy God. Insisting that the pathway to God's holiness is through a journey into our own selves, Miller yet maintains that our end is not to know ourselves but to know Christ. Our hunger for the Holy leads us to a table for two in a quiet wilderness. Here, Miller says, we meet as "ardent lovers in the lonely desert of the human heart. There, he speaks as much as we do, and even when both of us say nothing, we are rapt in a welded oneness." In Miller's inimitable style, he graciously invites us to satisfy our hunger for the holiness of God as we meditate on the psalms and are challenged to know the God of the universe in a personal, intimate relationship.
Emily Scott never planned on becoming a pastor. But when she started a church for misfits that met over dinner in Brooklyn, she discovered an unlikely calling—and an antidote to modern loneliness. “I absolutely devoured this exquisitely written memoir.”—Nadia Bolz-Weber, New York Times bestselling author of Shameless As founding pastor of St. Lydia’s in Brooklyn, New York, where worship takes place over a meal, Emily M. D. Scott spent eight years ministering to a scrappy collective of people with different backgrounds, incomes, and levels of social skills. Each week they broke bread, sang hymns, made halting conversation with strangers, then did the dishes. In a city where everyone lives on top of each other yet everyone is lonely, these gatherings around a table offered connection and solace that soon would become their lifelines. When Hurricane Sandy slams into the coast of New York, Scott and her church members are faced with a disorienting crisis. Startled by the impact of the storm on their more vulnerable neighbors, they learn to work alongside one another, bailing water out of basements and canvassing emptied apartment buildings. Every week, they return to those steady, strong tables at Dinner Church. Together, they find community, even in the midst of disaster. Scott discovers how small acts of connection hold more power than we realize in a time when our differences are being weaponized, and learns to create activism and justice work fueled by empathy and relationship. With tenderness and humor, Scott weaves stories and reflections from the life of her unlikely congregation while articulating the value of church as a place where people can hear not only that they are loved but that they are good. For All Who Hunger is a story about a God whose love has no limits and a faith that opens our eyes to the truth. There’s a place for you at the table. Praise for For All Who Hunger “In this intimate and openly heartfelt debut memoir, Scott explores the power of faith and community as strength-building resources for navigating difficult times. . . . A moving personal memoir and an accessibly reverent meditation on finding faith through unconventional acts of worship. Highly inspiring for anyone seeking solace in our modern world.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Lutheran pastor Scott asks in her exceptional debut: if you strip from church all ‘the creeds and the chasubles,’ what would be left? The answer, for her, became St. Lydia’s Dinner Church in New York City, which she founded in 2008 as a place for queer, marginalized, artistic, nerdy, and often lonely lovers of God to gather for bread, wine, and the words of Jesus . . . Scott’s writing is leavened by a healthy dose of self-awareness, and her stories capture the humanity of her mission and community with a light sacramental touch.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Everyone wants to be significant. To a certain extent, this is natural and good—evidence of our God-given desire for meaning and purpose. However, our longing for significance can easily twist into an insatiable craving for approval, recognition, and praise—and, if left unchecked, this craving will enslave us. In Glory Hunger, pastor JR Vassar challenges Christians to reevaluate their priorities when it comes to leaving a legacy, pointing to the gospel as the key to freedom from the bondage of narcissism and insecurity. Addressing cultural obsessions such as physical beauty and the goal of cultivating a “perfect” digital reputation via social media, this book will help readers refocus on what really matters: living a life marked by the passionate pursuit of God’s glory above all else.
Too often the world speaks words of harm, and too often we believe them--and so we live stories God never intended for us. Yet God longs to rewrite and redeem your story. Tiffini Kilgore, founder of the lifestyle and design boutique House of Belonging, grew up in a broken home before marrying at the tender age of sixteen. Years later, divorced and with three small children, she remarried. The seasons that followed brought two more children, another broken marriage, chronic disease, major surgeries, and cycles of abuse--leaving Tiffini feeling alone and unloved. Hungry for healing and a safe space, Tiffini began seeking Jesus through journaling and soon found bread crumbs of grace leading her down a new path. There, she found a rich table set for misfits just like her--a place of nourishment and restoration. Where she was fed lies of worthlessness, God fed her truth that she was his treasured daughter. Where she was told she was a helpless victim, God offered her the cup of his strength. Where she once held an empty future, God gave her hope and a fresh start. In cultivating an ongoing dialogue with her Abba Father, God transformed Tiffini's pain into passion, and ultimately, fierce belonging. Tiffini writes as a modern-day mystic, with lyrical force and deep tending of the soul, in this book for anyone who has ever felt out of place or at odds in the world. Each chapter features compelling narrative as well as a poignant response from "Papa" God as Tiffini calls him, and the result is a stirring invitation to come home to where you belong. Come and sit, take and eat, and join the battle cry to take God at his word.
JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • A young chef whose dreams were cut short savors every last minute as she explores food and adventure, illness and mortality in Savor, an “inspiring” (The New York Times Book Review) memoir and family story that sweeps from Pakistan to Manhattan and beyond. “Ali’s strength and passion for food and her culture shines through. . . . This memoir is a tribute to the extraordinary life and impact she made in twenty-nine years.”—Oprah Daily (Best Books of the Year) Fatima Ali won the hearts of viewers as the Fan Favorite of Bravo’s Top Chef in season fifteen. Twenty-nine years old, she was a dynamic, boundary-breaking chef and a bright new voice for change in the food world. After the taping wrapped and before the show aired, Fati was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Not one to ever slow down or admit defeat, the star chef vowed to spend her final year traveling the world, eating delicious food, and making memories with her loved ones. But when her condition abruptly worsened, her plans were sidelined. She pivoted, determined to make her final days count as she worked to tell the story of a brown girl chef who set out to make a name for herself, her food, and her culture. Including writing from Fatima during her last months and contributions by her mother, Farezeh, and her collaborator, Tarajia Morrell, Savor is a deftly woven account and an inspiring ode to the food, family, and countries Fatima loved so much. Alternating between past and present, readers are transported back to Pakistan and the childhoods of both Fatima and Farezeh, each deeply affected by cultural barriers that shaped the course of their lives. From the rustic stalls of the outdoor markets of Karachi to the kitchen and dining room of Meadowood, the acclaimed three-star Michelin restaurant where she apprenticed, Fati reflects on her life and her identity as a chef, a daughter, and a queer woman butting up against traditional views. Savor is a triumphant memoir, at once an exploration of the sense of wonder that made Fatima so special and a shining testament to the resilience of the human spirit. At its core, it is a story about what it means to truly live, a profound and exquisite portrait of savoring every moment.
