The church is at its best when it pursues the biblical value of unity in diversity. Pastor and theologian Irwyn Ince boldly unpacks the reasons for our divisions while gently guiding us toward our true hope for wholeness and reconciliation. To heal our fractured humanity, we must cultivate spiritual practices that help us pursue beautiful community.
Winner of the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize A New York Times Notable Book of the Year Winner of the Whiting Writers' Award A Seattle Post-Intelligencer Best Book of the Year Catfish and Mandala is the story of an American odyssey--a solo bicycle voyage around the Pacific Rim to Vietnam--made by a young Vietnamese-American man in pursuit of both his adopted homeland and his forsaken fatherland. Andrew X. Pham was born in Vietnam and raised in California. His father had been a POW of the Vietcong; his family came to America as "boat people." Following the suicide of his sister, Pham quit his job, sold all of his possessions, and embarked on a year-long bicycle journey that took him through the Mexican desert, around a thousand-mile loop from Narita to Kyoto in Japan; and, after five months and 2,357 miles, to Saigon, where he finds "nothing familiar in the bombed-out darkness." In Vietnam, he's taken for Japanese or Korean by his countrymen, except, of course, by his relatives, who doubt that as a Vietnamese he has the stamina to complete his journey ("Only Westerners can do it"); and in the United States he's considered anything but American. A vibrant, picaresque memoir written with narrative flair and an eye-opening sense of adventure, Catfish and Mandala is an unforgettable search for cultural identity.
This book is about my sister, Faith Marie, who died of cancer at the age of fifty. Over the next several nights after her death, we had many conversations of heaven and its workings. She told me of the many different colors present in heaven and the meaning of the colors. There is also the violet flame. As with many, I thought heaven was a glorious place to go and never thought of what heaven really entailed. It took Faith that many days to explain everything to me. She is now free from pain and suffering and is safe in the arms of God.
Unprecedented crises challenge humanity on all fronts, threatening to tear us apart, however, if past crises have taught us anything, it is that we are stronger in unity. Only then, can we learn from one another, grow, and shine even brighter. Together We Shine is a collection of real stories that demonstrates what happens when everyday people tear down walls and build deep, meaningful relationships with their neighbors. You'll meet a Buffalo firefighter, a retired priest, a former inmate, a refugee, a custodian, a deli owner and so many more amazing people who made a lasting, significant difference in their communities and in the lives of others. You'll also meet leaders, such as Dr. Claire Crane who, through grit and determination, brought a divided community together to spur profound change." "Little good deeds by individuals make a big difference in our community. Little good deeds done by a unified group can change the world." These stories prove that every one of us has the power to make the world a better place--if we're willing to open our hearts and connect with others. As we build those connections, new worlds are revealed to us, enlivening, enlightening, and strengthening communities."Human beings are capable of incredible things when they come together! People want to help and contribute to their community. It feels good! When we encourage partnerships, we are giving people opportunities." Tom Costin, former Mayor and Postmaster General of Lynn, MA
It is 2030 and the world has been taken over by A.I. converting people into its Matrix via the chip as the mark of the beast. Through their collective pain and suffering a band of soul rebels known as “The Apocalypsos” go on a world tour spreading their Galactivating message calling for the Warriors of the Rainbow to unite for the end of the fourth world making ready to ascend into the fifth world, 5D and the 5th Age of Peace as was long prophecized by the Hopi Nation. With their ascension pod and the “Wise Ones,” who are their Spirit Guides they make the mighty morph to 5D. Now Sophia Star Water returns from 5D to share with you all about her journey of transformation so that you will know what is to come and can begin to prepare.
Our Father put it in my heart to write this, to share my testimony and how I have overcome them, and to bring to light what I see and hear concerning Christians still of the world. To share with you what our Lord has shared with me. and for us to show the world that we belong to Jesus by How we love one another, as True Brothers and Sisters.
First published in 1994. The sociology of community is currently undergoing something of a revival, and this book has been written with the aim of contributing to this process in a number of ways. First of all, it draws attention to the burgeoning literature on sociological aspects of community life. Secondly, its bring together the various studies considered here into a more coherent whole than they possess as simply a collection of separate pieces of research.
Since the late 1960s, individuals rebelling against societal norms have embraced intentional communities as a means to challenge capitalism and manifest their ideals. Combining archival work with an ethnographic approach, this book examines how these communities have implemented the utopias they claim to have in their daily lives. Focusing primarily on intentional communities in the United States who have adopted egalitarian principles of life and work, notably Twin Oaks in Virginia, the author examines the lives and actions of members to further understand these concrete utopias. In doing so, the book demonstrates that intentional communities aren't relics of a bygone era but rather catalysts capable of shaping our future.
