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In every moment and event in our lives, God plants seeds which we may or may not notice in our paths. Our challenge is to prepare the soil of our lives to receive and nurture these seeds so that they may take root and help us grow closer to God. By tapping into the spiritual practices revealed in scripture and throughout Christian tradition, we come to embrace what God the Gardener is doing in our lives and, in turn, to share God's grace with the world. The healthier our spiritual lives, the more abundant will be the fruits of our love, hope, joy, and kindness. This book is for seekers of all ages and walks of life – college students, parents, professionals, the lapsed and the weary, as well as seasoned saints who wish to deepen their faith in small but meaningful ways, and it covers topics such as: Why Believe? The Practice of Doubt Awareness: The Practice of Seeking Loneliness vs. Being Alone: The Practice of Solitude Spiritual Exercise: The Practice of Practice Touchstones of the Sacred: The Practice of Living Sacramentally How, Then, Shall I Live? The Practice of Vocation Happy Are They: The Practice of Celebration When Did We See You Hungry? The Practice of Mercy Following Christ: The Practice of Discipleship
During our chaotic times, discover five forgotten values that can spark internal growth and help us reconcile our Christian faith with the complexities of race, sexuality, and social justice. WINNER OF THE CHRISTIANITY TODAY BOOK AWARD Most believers live in the state of “being a Christian” without ever being deeply formed by Christ. Our pace is too frenetic to be in union with God, and we don’t know how to quiet our hearts and minds to be present. Our emotions are unhealthy and compartmentalized. We feel unable to love well or live differently from the rest of the world—to live as people of the good news. New York pastor Rich Villodas says we must restore balance, focus, and meaning for our souls. The Deeply Formed Life lays out a fresh vision for spiritual breakthrough following five key values: • Contemplative Rhythms Value: slowing down our lives to be with God. • Racial Justice Value: examining a multi-layered approach to pursuing racial justice and reconciliation. • Interior Examination Value: looking beneath the surface of our lives to live free and love well. • Sexual Wholeness Value: exploring how our sexuality connects with our spirituality. • Missional Presence Value: living as the presence of Christ in a broken world. The Deeply Formed Life is a roadmap to live in the richly rooted place we all yearn for: a place of communion with God, a place where we find our purpose. Praise for The Deeply Formed Life “The Deeply Formed Life is a book for our time. Honest, wise, insightful, funny, and—above all—deep. The way Rich and New Life Fellowship hold emotional health and racial justice together is beyond inspiring. This is spiritual formation for the future of the church.”—John Mark Comer, pastor of teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church and author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry “I’ve studied the Bible under Pastor Rich’s leadership for close to a decade. The core values he shares in this book serve as guidance, not only for how we should live as Christians in an ever-changing world but also for how we can live a life of purpose—that consistently and enthusiastically points to Jesus.”—Susan Kelechi Watson, actress from the awardwinning television series This Is Us
Spiritual Capital seeks to re-focus discussion on core social values, on individuals' value systems and the internal dynamics that impel human beings to live by truth, goodness and love. This book defines, refines and disseminates the concept of spiritual capital. Contributions by practitioner-scholars in applied spirituality, who have practical experience of spiritual capital at work in diverse human situations, provide accounts of concrete expressions of spiritual capital and create an interdisciplinary discussion between spirituality practitioners, artists, ecologists, sociologists and others on the frontiers of change in contemporary culture.
In Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting Laura Kelly Fanucci sees the Catholic sacraments through the smudged and sticky lens of life with little ones. From dinnertime chaos to bath-time giggles to never-ending loads of laundry, Laura stumbles into the surprising truth of what the seven sacraments really mean: that God is present always, even in the messes of motherhood. A spiritual memoir of parenting's early years and a sacramental theology rooted in family life, Everyday Sacrament offers an honest, humorous, and hopeful look at ordinary moments as full of grace.
Based on the National Study of Youth and Religion--the same invaluable data as its predecessor, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers--Kenda Creasy Dean's compelling new book, Almost Christian, investigates why American teenagers are at once so positive about Christianity and at the same time so apathetic about genuine religious practice. In Soul Searching, Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton found that American teenagers have embraced a "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism"--a hodgepodge of banal, self-serving, feel-good beliefs that bears little resemblance to traditional Christianity. But far from faulting teens, Dean places the blame for this theological watering down squarely on the churches themselves. Instead of proclaiming a God who calls believers to lives of love, service and sacrifice, churches offer instead a bargain religion, easy to use, easy to forget, offering little and demanding less. But what is to be done? In order to produce ardent young Christians, Dean argues, churches must rediscover their sense of mission and model an understanding of being Christian as not something you do for yourself, but something that calls you to share God's love, in word and deed, with others. Dean found that the most committed young Christians shared four important traits: they could tell a personal and powerful story about God; they belonged to a significant faith community; they exhibited a sense of vocation; and they possessed a profound sense of hope. Based on these findings, Dean proposes an approach to Christian education that places the idea of mission at its core and offers a wealth of concrete suggestions for inspiring teens to live more authentically engaged Christian lives. Persuasively and accessibly written, Almost Christian is a wake up call no one concerned about the future of Christianity in America can afford to ignore.
This is the first book in the author's series on Christian maturity.
“Luke Larson’s book reveals The Way as I experienced it, and in ways that I wish everyone could.” Martin Sheen Keeping Company invites you to step off the treadmill and “go for a walk”—wherever you are. There are ways that you, too, may experience God more intimately. For a spiritual pilgrim, the Road to Compostela is not about beautiful vistas, meeting interesting people, and drinking good wine. It is not about exercise. Luke Larson and his wife Evie took this famous journey for very different reasons. For a true pilgrim, walking an ancient path becomes a kind of discipleship, a renewal of faith, and in this case, a journey with Jesus himself. Join Luke and Evie as they explore a pilgrimage so central to the Christian story that it is often simply called, The Way. They also journeyed intentionally with St. Ignatius of Loyola, who knew parts of this road himself hundreds of years ago, and the major themes of Ignatian Spirituality add rich layers to this magnificent book. “Combining the beauty of Martin Sheen’s movie The Way, the allure of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and a gentle, original and creative introduction to Ignatian spirituality, Larson provides insight into marriage, self-knowledge and God. A great read!” —Dr. Richard G. Malloy, SJ, The University of Scranton, author of Being on Fire: The Top Ten Essentials of Catholic Faith “We are fortunate that Luke Larson has been willing to share this incredible journey. He and his wife Evie clearly have a profoundly deep spirituality that is grounded in the everyday issues that confront us in trying to encounter the living God. What they learned about themselves, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the God of pilgrimage is an incredible window into how even lesser ‘walks’ can be transformative.” —Sr. Carol Keehan DC, President/CEO, Catholic Health Association of the United States Luke Larson spent eight years as a Jesuit seminarian. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s in religious studies from Gonzaga University. He is a mission executive with one of the largest Catholic health systems, a certified chaplain, executive coach, and spiritual director.
Presenting a thorough, comprehensive theory of spiritual capital based on solid academic research, 'Spiritual Capital' serves to reinforce and amplify the notion of a moral economic core that is beginning to feature in contemporary economic arguments. In this rare major work wholly dedicated to the subject of spiritual capital, Sam Rima explains the desperate need for revolutionary and transformational thinking in the area of economic policy and practice and makes the case for a new moral foundation to business and economics that directly addresses today's financial and business crisis. Writing in an accessible style, and drawing on examples from several continents, Rima explains spiritual capital theory in terms of the resources needed for its creation, how it is formed, how it can be invested and what the return on investment can be. The book provides practical tools for measuring a personal or organizational store of spiritual capital, along with clear guidelines on how to engage in spiritual capital formation. These will benefit business leaders interested in developing viable and sustainable enterprises capable of avoiding the disconnection between economic policy and social reality. There are also recommendations here for policy makers regarding the macro application of spiritual capital theory. This important contribution to Gower's Transformation and Innovation Series will appeal to business leaders and policy makers, academicians and students in the fields of sociology, theology, and economics, and anyone interested in social and economic justice issues, social innovation, and corporate social responsibility.
Become a person who is ready to respond to others. This book of monastic wisdom, practices, and reflection should inspire you to find new ways to respond to the world around you. There is nothing more central to the publishing mission of Paraclete Press than Christian hospitality, and we have pulled together what we've learned over the last 25 years. Chapters include: * Welcoming the stranger * Giving yourself away * The realness of caring for people * Food and table * Through the seasons of the church year * Opening your heart The result is an inspirational guide for practical living. From the book: "Is there anything more beautiful than the meeting of friends, the sharing of burdens, genuine caring love for another human being? Perhaps there is. Perhaps even more beautiful, in the Christian worldview, is when these things happen between those who are not friends, maybe they are strangers, or perhaps they are simply extending beyond their comfort zones to be friends, to listen or help in times of trouble, to show lo
Father Leo Booth, nationally renowned spokesperson on recovery issues, reveals a startling picture of millions of people living dysfunctional lives through their religious addiction. Father Booth offers a clear-cut program, giving readers practical ways to overcome excessive devotion and attain healthy spirituality.