This collection presents poems about the ordinary affairs of human existence: war and peace, love and hate, life and death. In addition, several selections attempt social comment through poetic interpretation of some of the more immediate and weighty issues of our time: race relations, injustice, warfare, domestic violence, murder, human exploitation. Everything here seeks to encourage intentional, serious moral, ethical, and spiritual reflection which, in response, can promote effective and positive social action.
In this compelling and hard-hitting book, respected preacher and teacher Thomas Long identifies and responds to what he sees as the most substantive theological forces and challenges facing preaching today. The issues, he says, are fourfold: the decline in the quality of narrative preaching and the need for its reinvigoration; the tendency of preachers to ignore God's action and presence in our midst; the return of the church's old nemesis, gnosticism--albeit in a milder form--evidenced in today's new "spirituality"; and the absence of eschatology in the pulpit. Long once again has his finger on the pulse of American preaching, demonstrated by his creative responses to these challenges. Whether he is calling for theologically smarter and more ethically discerning preaching, providing a method of interpretation that will allow pastors to recover the emphasis on God in our midst, or encouraging a kind of "interfaith dialogue" with gnosticism, he demonstrates why he has long been considered one of the most thoughtful and intelligent preachers in America today.
Theopoetics names the notion that the divine (theos) manifests itself as creative making (poiesis). Anatheism expresses the attendant claim that this making takes the form of a second creation – re-creation or creation again (ana) – where humanity and divinity collaborate in the coming of the Kingdom. The Art of Anatheism brings together philosophers, theologians, and artists to open up the question of the relationship between artistic creation and the divine. The book asks the question – how can God happen again after the death of God? It answers it by proposing an ‘art of anatheism’ which attends to the recreation and return of the divine through certain forms of literature, painting, liturgy, music, and performance. Engaging students, scholars, and interested readers across a wide range of disciplines – philosophy, theology, aesthetics, literary criticism, poetics – the volume includes contributions from both practising artists and professional academics. As such it brings together examples from ancient religious wisdom traditions and cutting-edge contemporary cultural practices to suggest that the sacred is often most potent and persuasive when recreating the everyday world of our secular experience.
“Let go, let God...” In The Writer’s Retreat, Sarah Connelly leaves the comforts of Boston for an innocuous lake in the Midwest. Her intent: to finish her first book, a travel romance novel, in the backdrop of an idyllic—if stereotypical—rental cabin. With her deadline creeping ever-closer, Sarah hopes that her tranquil getaway will give her ample time to finish without distraction. Despite Sarah’s plan for peace and productivity she encounters obstacles that delay her writing efforts. Travel setbacks launch her into a week filled with unpredictable mishaps and serendipitous moments. While Sarah troubleshoots the plan to meet her deadline, she also finds herself at odds with an ex-boyfriend who makes a bold attempt to win her back. A crossroads of creative struggle and romantic trouble causes Sarah to wonder whether the best plan is actually no plan at all. Will Sarah be able to clear her mind and relinquish her expectations? Will she finally accept the strange and the beautiful as she encounters it?
Discover the echoes of Mary throughout the timeline of Scripture Throughout the history of the Bible, incredible women have played a part in the story of salvation. Steeped in Scripture, the Blessed Mother would have known and pondered the stories of these women. She might even have recognized pieces of her own story in theirs. Following the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, the same one used in The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)™ podcast, Whispers of Mary: What Twelve Old Testament Women Teach Us About Mary invites Catholics to explore Marian typology through the lives of women like Eve, Esther, and Judith. Written by Bible teacher Gayle Somers, Whispers of Mary serves as a resource for Catholics to grow in relationship with the Blessed Mother through: Stories of biblical women from each Old Testament time period of The Bible Timeline Reflection questions that provoke deep thought about how each Bible story applies to our lives Space for journaling at the end of every chapter And more! With thought-provoking commentary and hundreds of Scripture verses, Whispers of Mary deepens readers' appreciation for the story of salvation by revealing how even in the Old Testament, the lives of heroic women pointed toward Mary, and through Mary, to God. Those who've reread a favorite novel or watched yet again a beloved movie know what a delight it can be. Already knowing the ending, we notice the true significance of characters and events we previously thought little of. In these pages, Gayle Somers invites us to read the Old Testament in light of what God accomplished in and through the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a great resource for individuals or study groups who want to approach Scripture with fresh eyes. After all, when it comes to this story, we can never be too familiar with it—for it is the story of our salvation." –Fr. Sebastian White, O.P. Editor-in-Chief, Magnificat "Years ago, I sat riveted to my folding chair in our parish hall as Gayle brought to life the women of the Bible, full of vibrancy and color—making them real and relatable and endearing. I’m overjoyed that her wisdom and deep insight is now in my hands, able to be gleaned and savored again and again. Whispers of Mary will transport readers into the sweeping story of salvation history and allow them to recognize within it not only Our Lady, not only her types in Scripture, but—marvelously!—even themselves." —Claire Dwyer Author of This Present Paradise: A Spiritual Journey with St Elizabeth of the Trinity and Co-founder of Write These Words.com "Whispers of Mary is an elegant and insightful read. Somers’ writing is utterly engaging and reflects an infectious love of scripture and of Our Lady." –Noelle Mering Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and author of Awake, Not Woke and the Theology of Home books series. "As a young girl I loved reading the stories of women from the Old Testament, enjoying the isolated tales of these bold and complicated foremothers in their own right. But no one taught me to see the connecting threads between them, threads that are woven into the fabric of salvation history itself, reaching a culmination in the figure of Mary. This masterful study reveals those connections by unveiling the biblical art of typology—the signs and “whispers” of the new covenant that are hidden in the old, and which take on new life and meaning through the light of the Incarnation. The stories of these women are each part of God’s unfolding self-revelation, from the distant era of the patriarchs to the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost. Whispers of Mary invites us to rediscover, in all its richness and complexity, the feminine genealogy of our faith." –Abigail Favale professor at the University of Notre Dame and author, The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory and Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion
Putting body and bones to the biblical stories, Brakeman explores the passions of biblical women, such as Sarah's laughter, Jephthah's daughter's anger, and Martha's envy. Each of the eight chapters probes what these women might have felt and encourages women to name and claim their feelings. Includes suggestions for personal prayer and meditation, and ideas for group exercises.
With roots tracing back to the original Deerfield settlement, Katie Day, attending her 10-year class reunion in Old Deerfield, Massachusetts, discovers Mary Wells’s journal dating back to the late 17th century. Captivated by Mary's account of frontier life and her developing friendship with Sarah Smith, haunted by accusations of her own past, Katie finds herself drawn into these women’s stories. Recounting the Puritan attitudes of the day, this novelette tells the story of one woman's encounter with the harsh colonial infanticide laws and Katie's mission for the truth and to free Sarah Smith's soul from the guilt trapping her in this earthly realm.
Texas Prison Break is an action-packed mystery. Forrest Wilson, a Christian has returned to Fort Worth from Walter Reed Army Medical Center after partially recuperating from serious wounds sustained in Afghanistan. Right after his return he has a traumatic breakup with his fiance, Elizabeth Young, in her apartment and then has a one-car accident two hours later, leaving him with dissociate amnesia. Although Elizabeth is alive when he leaves her, an unknown assailant kills her, leaving no incriminating evidence behind. A month later a grand jury indicts Wilson for Elizabeths murder. In his unstable condition he pleads guilty and receives a 20-year sentence. In prison he regains his memory and draws close to God. After he has been in prison three years, Elizabeths sister, Mary, tells him she has discovered new evidence that might help him find her sisters killer. To protect her and the new evidence, Forrest decides to break out of prison. During his adventures in the free world he encounters and helps several other Christians that are in different kinds of prisons from the one he has left.
