Waiting in Christian Traditions

Waiting in Christian Traditions

Author: Joanne Robinson

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2015-12-17

Total Pages: 205

ISBN-13: 0739189409

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Christians wait for prayers to be answered, for an afterlife in heaven, for the Virgin Mary to appear, and for God to speak. They wait to be liberated from oppression, to be “saved” or born again, for Easter morning to dawn, for healing, for conversion, and for baptism. Waiting and the disappointment and hope that often accompany it are explained in terms that are, at first glance, remarkably invariant across Christian traditions: what will happen will happen “on God’s time.” A study of sources from across Christian traditions shows that there is considerable complexity beneath this surface claim. Understandings of free will and personal agency alongside shifts in institutional and theological commitments change the ways waiting is understood and valued. Waiting is often considered a positive state to be endured as long as God wills, and that fundamental understanding helps keep the promises at the heart of Christianity alive. Scholars have long overlooked the problem and promise of waiting despite (or perhaps because of) its prevalence. Indeed, there are relatively few mystics, few who have undergone “sudden” conversion, and few who have attained saintly status. Many, however, have waited, and that problem remains prominent—and its solutions remain influential—in Christian traditions today.


Washed and Waiting

Washed and Waiting

Author: Wesley Hill

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com

Published: 2010-11-29

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 1458723941

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Yet many who sit next to us in the pew at church fit that description, says author Wesley Hill. As a celibate gay Christian, Hill gives us a glimpse of what it looks like to wrestle firsthand with God's ''No'' to same-sex relationships. What does it mean for gay Christians to live faithful to God while struggling with the challenge of their homosexuality? What is God's will for believers who experience same-sex desires? Those who choose celibacy are often left to deal with loneliness and the hunger for relationships. How can gay Christians experience God's favor and blessing in the midst of a struggle that for many brings a crippling sense of shame and guilt? Weaving together reflections from his own life and the lives of other Christians, such as Henri Nouwen and Gerard Manley Hopkins, Hill offers a fresh perspective on these questions. He advocates neither unqualified ''healing'' for those who struggle, nor their accommodation to temptation, but rather faithfulness in the midst of brokenness. ''I hope this book may encourage other homosexual Christians to take the risky step of opening up their lives to others in the body of Christ,'' Hill writes. ''In so doing, they may find, as I have, by grace, that being known is spiritually healthier than remaining behind closed doors, that the light is better than the darkness.


Reflecting Christ

Reflecting Christ

Author: Ellen G. White

Publisher: Review and Herald Pub Assoc

Published: 2009-08

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0828024758

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"During her 70-year ministry the author spoke, through her pen, to young people, to church members, and to the world in the The Youth's Instructor, the Review and Herald, and The Signs of the Times. Selections for this book have been drawn from these three periodicals as well as from her books and previously unpublished manuscripts and letters"--Foreword.


Waiting on God

Waiting on God

Author: Wayne Stiles

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2015-08-11

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 1441248544

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

We have all experienced a disconnect between God's promises to us and our everyday reality. We wait, without understanding why. We want to know God's plan so that we can trust it--but God so often hides his plan so that we will trust him. What can we do in the meantime as we are waiting for an answer, a change, or a miracle? With deep compassion, Wayne Stiles helps readers understand why God makes them wait. Unpacking the Old Testament story of Joseph, Stiles shows readers how to find comfort and opportunity in the time between God's promises and his answers, revealing the perspective-altering truth that sometimes when we think we are waiting on God, he is actually waiting on us. Anyone who has felt a disconnect between God's promises and their reality, who doesn't know what God wants them to do next, or who struggles with the brokenness of their world will find in Wayne Stiles a wise and trustworthy guide to finding peace in the pauses.


Waiting On God

Waiting On God

Author: Andrew Murray

Publisher: Moody Publishers

Published: 2013-02-06

Total Pages: 91

ISBN-13: 0802488439

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A month's worth of daily readings with a common theme--"my soul, wait thou only upon God" (Psalm 62:5). These stimulating meditations were born out of a burning conviction that Christians should learn to know God better. In his introductory sections, the author says: We want to...give God time and place to show us what He could, what He will do. Let us expect great things of our God. The great lack of our religion is we do not know God. Let us enlarge our hearts and not limit Him. We need more of God. [Prayer is] the one great remedy for all our need. Thirty-one thought-provoking reminders of the "must" of-- Waiting on God.


Celebration of Discipline

Celebration of Discipline

Author: Richard J. Foster

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 1988-10-05

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 0060628391

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In the twenty years since its publication, Celebration of Discipline has helped over a million seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God. For this special twentieth anniversary edition, Richard J. Foster has added an introduction, in which he shares the story of how this beloved and enduring spiritual guidebook came to be. Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline explores the "classic Disciplines," or central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith. Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be found. Dividing the Disciplines into three movements of the Spirit, Foster shows how each of these areas contribute to a balanced spiritual life. The inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service, help prepare us to make the world a better place. The corporate Disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration, bring us nearer to one another and to God. Foster provides a wealth of examples demonstrating how these Disciplines can become part of our daily activities-and how they can help us shed our superficial habits and "bring the abundance of God into our lives." He offers crucial new insights on simplicity, demonstrating how the biblical view of simplicity, properly understood and applied, brings joy and balance to our inward and outward lives and "sets us free to enjoy the provision of God as a gift that can be shared with others." The discussion of celebration, often the most neglected of the Disciplines, shows its critical importance, for it stands at the heart of the way to Christ. Celebration of Discipline will help motivate Christians everywhere to embark on a journey of prayer and spiritual growth.


On Waiting Well

On Waiting Well

Author: Bradley Baurain

Publisher: Moody Publishers

Published: 2020-07-07

Total Pages: 142

ISBN-13: 0802498590

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Why Does God Make Us Wait? And Wait… And Wait… In a fast-paced society, we don’t like waiting for anything. Drive-throughs and microwaves expedite dinner while texting and email afford instantaneous communication. Because we’re conditioned to expect instant gratification, we’re startled—even frustrated—when we have to wait. And perhaps we become spiritually frustrated, doubting our faith, when we find ourselves waiting on God. Bradley Baurain invites Christians to reject how society has conditioned us to view waiting—especially when it comes to knowing God. On Waiting Well identifies the experience of waiting as a crucial dimension to loving God, having faith, and following Christ. Your time doesn’t have to become passive, purposeless, or tedious when God seems to be absent or moving slowly. Instead, discover how waiting is actually integral to God’s plans of life and salvation. When we gain that perspective, these seemingly dry times of waiting become invigorating opportunities to strengthen our hope in God and see that He is always faithful.


He's in the Waiting

He's in the Waiting

Author: Chad Roberts

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2018-08-07

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 9781722490294

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

It can be difficult and frustrating to wait on God. Anyone who actively prays will know first hand what it means for God to say, "Wait." What does a Christian do during seasons of silence? How do we respond while waiting on God to answer? In this devotional style of Scriptural, Pastor Chad Roberts helps us learn how to wait patiently upon the Lord. Discover for yourself how to find God faithful and reliable in times of waiting.


Streams of Living Water

Streams of Living Water

Author: Richard J. Foster

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2001-11-27

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13: 0060628227

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The author of the bestselling celebration of discipline explores the great traditions of Christian spirituality and their role in spiritual renewal today. In this landmark work, Foster examines the "streams of living water" –– the six dimensions of faith and practice that define Christian tradition. He lifts up the enduring character of each tradition and shows how a variety of practices, from individual study and retreat to disciplines of service and community, are all essential elements of growth and maturity. Foster examines the unique contributions of each of these traditions and offers as examples the inspiring stories of faithful people whose lives defined each of these "streams."