What does it mean to live a contemplative life? How does someone become contemplative? Does being contemplative mean sitting around thinking about God all day? Does it require living a simple or even austere life, like a monk or a nun? Roger Owens challenges readers to expand their definition of contemplative living to encompass all ways of seeking to be more open, available, and responsive to God. God may be found just as easily in an office cubicle, a donut shop, or a laundry room as in a m...

In today's deeply divided world where discussions can quickly become heated and uncivil, churches need to learn how to talk about sensitive issues. Our society needs brave churches where people can talk about the real struggles they are experiencing without fear of being dismissed, shamed, or judged. Brave Church helps congregations talk about controversial topics with sensitivity to those who see the world and have experienced life differently from themselves. It guides readers to think thr...

"This is a prayer book for revolution—a revolution of love and compassion and justice," Shane Claiborne writes in the foreword. The prayers in this collection are meant to be prayed in community. Rally is a prayer book for faith communities searching for words to respond to the injustices around them. It's a prayer book for Christian activists who believe in putting feet to their prayers. The book supplies words for concerned Christians who yearn to lift their voices to God about such issues ...

Christians often have the head knowledge that we are beloved, but deep in our hearts do we truly believe it? Author Kristen Vincent takes us on a journey with Jesus that helps us discover how deeply beloved we are. This 6-week Lenten journey follows stories of Jesus' experience of God's love. The incarnate Son of God was made fully human, which means that Jesus had to fully mature in strength and wisdom to learn that he was beloved. Just as Jesus learned of his belovedness, we, too, can culti...

Who came up with the idea of using nativity scenes to celebrate Christmas? Many might be surprised to learn that Francis of Assisi, the well-known thirteenth-century saint, is credited with creating the first nativity scene. The Living Nativity introduces readers to Saint Francis and his joyous reenactment of the birth of Jesus, complete with a manger and animals. The Living Nativity explores how nativity sets, Advent wreaths, candles, carols, Christmas cards, and other traditions help prepar...

Named One of the Best Spiritual Books of 2017 by Spirituality and Practice (Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat) In the face of hurtful public dialogue and worldwide conflict, many Christians want to practice and experience genuine compassion. After all, centuries of Christian teachings have insisted that compassion is at the heart of the Christian life. "Love your enemies," Jesus said in Luke 6:35-36. "Do good to them. Be compassionate, just as God is compassionate." How do we become more compassion...

Discover a spiritual practice that helps you maintain spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental health. "We toiled on computers seven days per week, rising as early as 4:00 a.m. to squeeze in spiritual quiet time before we both retreated to our respective laptops, typing the days (and weekends) away. Though I grew up keeping Sundays sacred, six years into our marriage, we'd fallen into the trap of using the Lord's Day to catch up. … At its worst, our church attendance was less than 50 perce...

"Tell me a story." Countless parents and grandparents have heard that request from children. People of all ages are captivated by a good story. Storytelling helps us makes sense of the events of our lives, the world around us, and God. When we tell stories, we speak a world into being—just as God did in the creation accounts in the book of Genesis. "Everyone is a storyteller," says author Michael Williams. You don't have to be a professional storyteller to be able to tell good stories. In thi...

Healing from trauma begins with the courageous act of telling your story. Yet many survivors of trauma are afraid to tell anyone about their deeply painful and personal experience(s). Trauma survivors often feel shame, guilt, fear, and anger. They may also carry deep spiritual wounds, such as feeling abandoned or punished by God. They may wonder how they can ever trust God. In Beads of Healing, Kristen Vincent shares her story of childhood trauma and how she eventually found God's peace, heal...

How can the church stay in step with the Spirit during a time of unprecedented change? The apostle Paul led the Galatians through a massive cultural shift in which they had to radically expand their ideas of who God is, who they were, and God's mission for the church. He was able to lead them through this time of great change because of his encounter with the risen Christ on the Damascus road, an experience in which his view of God was completely upended. Today Christianity is undergoing a cu...