Messy Incarnation

by Bruce G. Epperly
Messy Incarnation
Author: Bruce G. Epperly
Publisher: Energion Publications
Total Pages: 138
Release: 2022-09-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1631998234
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The incarnation is a central Christian doctrine. Many books have been dedicated to attempting to understand its mystery and how it fits with the rest of Christian theology. But what about the way this doctrine can and should impact the way we live? Process theologian and pastor Bruce Epperly addresses this topic in this easy-to-read but challenging book. Starting with a look forward in Advent and moving through the seasons of the Christian year and indeed of life, he examines different elements of both the story and the doctrine. From expectation we move through the various “messy” ways in which God acts, Christmas, Epiphany, Pentecost, and the emerging kingdom of Christ. This book is theology where it meets practice, reflection put into practical action, and ethics drawn from the deepest wells of the Christ story. It will drive you deeper into scripture and spiritual growth from a variety of perspectives and sources, reflecting the chasms crossed in the one very messy incarnation.

Process Theology and the Revival We Need

by Bruce G. Epperly
Process Theology and the Revival We Need
Author: Bruce G. Epperly
Publisher: Energion Publications
Total Pages: 47
Release: 2023-03-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1631998684
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"Revival" has not been a popular word in mainline and progressive circles, but as more and more progressive and open & relational theologians have become open to spiritual and mystical possibilities, interest has grown. Bruce Epperly, who has previously tackled such controversial issues as angels, miracles, healing, and prayer, now takes on this challenging topic. With renewed discussion as the result of the Asbury Awakening and the release of the movie "Jesus Revolution," his response to revival movements in the church is especially welcome. Bruce has long been a prominent proponent of process theology for every church member, explaining some of the more difficult concepts in relatable terms for the people in the pews. In this book, he recognizes the need for revival, and asks what this should look like. Too often "moves of the Spirit" die out as people find it difficult to see a way to live out the divine encounter they have experienced. This book is addressed both to those hungry for more and to those who have felt the presence of the Divine in various ways and are asking how they can understand and live in the light of that they have experienced.

Incarnation

by Skya Abbate
Incarnation
Author: Skya Abbate
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 39
Release: 2013-08-21
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 1621898423
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The world--it is a place of mystery; religion a matter of faith. Yet all around us in the matrix of creation, animals, people, and personal experience the immanence of the Creator is present. More than that so is the Spirit who shapes the world, and Jesus the Incarnate, the Word of God and Redeemer of shattered relationships between God and all creation. We do not always have the clarity of experiencing God in the beauty or disorder of life, yet God is there, waiting to be praised, encountered, thanked, and experienced. Every moment is an opportunity to grasp that presence. Simple words of no great import in the world of literature can sometimes capture that experience in a phrase or an image. While that perception is individual we share common experiences and an imagination to envision rapture or difficulty. While my poems may not be memorable, like a key, they can open the realm of possible relationship that is available to everyone as God's invitation to his friendship, a relationship we can call grace as Incarnation.

Incarnation

by Rev. Adam Hamilton
Incarnation
Author: Rev. Adam Hamilton
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Total Pages:
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1791005551
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Be Transformed this Advent Season! His parents gave him the name Jesus. But the prophets, the shepherds, the wise men, and the angels addressed him by other names. They called him Lord, Messiah, Savior, Emmanuel, Light of the World, and Word Made Flesh. In Incarnation: Rediscovering the Significance of Christmas, best-selling author Adam Hamilton examines the names of Christ used by the gospel writers, exploring the historical and personal significance of his birth. This Advent season church families will come together to remember what’s important. In the face of uncertainty and conflict, Christians reclaim the Christ Child who brings us together, heals our hearts, and calls us to bring light into the darkness. Now more than ever, we invite you to reflect upon the significance of the Christ-child for our lives and world today! Incarnation is a standalone book, but works beautifully as a four-week Bible study experience perfect for all age groups during the Advent season. Additional components include a comprehensive Leader Guide, a DVD with short teaching videos featuring Adam Hamilton, as well as resources for children and youth.

Body and Blood

by Andrew R. Hardy
Body and Blood
Author: Andrew R. Hardy
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2019-06-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1532657331
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The largest missional challenge facing the church of Christ in the West is to equip every member to engage in missionary endeavor in third places. Third places are those social zones in society like coffee shops, gyms, shopping malls, pubs, etc., that everyone and anyone can meet in as commonly owned spaces. The authors argue that for too long the church has not equipped and trained its members to engage in mission in the public square. The mobilization of every member to become the hands and feet of the missional sacramental body of Christ to carry the message of God's generous love to not-yet-Christians is vital, if we want to witness the kingdom reign of God extend into their lives. Places are important to the sovereign Lord of mission and this book challenges the churches of Christ to become what they properly need to be, equipping agencies for every member mission and ministry.

Out of the Ashes

by Kenneth W. Arthur
Out of the Ashes
Author: Kenneth W. Arthur
Publisher: Energion Publications
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2017-08-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1631993984
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This book seeks to help those who doubt or can no longer believe what they've been taught about Christianity that they don't have to abandon their faith. Kenneth Arthur challenges traditional thinking and helps the reader move beyond fundamentalism by thoughtfully reflecting on theological alternatives. His life has truly been a pilgrimage, a search for meaning and purpose that includes belief and behavior as well as belonging, so he proposes a constructive theology based on his own experiences and education in conjunction with the Bible, well known theologians, and other sources of revelation. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite conversation and provide a helpful resource for small groups.

Process Theology and Mysticism

by Bruce G. Epperly
Process Theology and Mysticism
Author: Bruce G. Epperly
Publisher: Energion Publications
Total Pages: 39
Release: 2023-12-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1631998862
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Can mysticism and process theology work together in a way that is a valuable and practical part of one’s spiritual life? In this booklet, the first of three that integrate process theology with contemporary spiritual life and activity, Bruce Epperly brings process thought into our spiritual lives and physical well-being in a call to Shalom in cooperation with the Divine. Epperly is a specialist in bringing difficult concepts to life for everyone. He combines that skill with the short format of the Topical Line Drives series to reach spiritual seekers embedded in a busy and challenging world. Mysticism is not something just for people in ancient times or who live in monasteries. It can be a vital part of your life. These may be the words you’re looking for to understand and express what you feel.

Shame Baseball

by Jeff Newburg
Shame Baseball
Author: Jeff Newburg
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2020-07-29
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1725267438
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For years, John has served as a pastor to a socially progressive church of artists in Los Angeles. Cloistered in this bubble, he was floored by the outcome of the 2016 election, a shock that continues to compound. Waking to how entwined American Christianity has become with anti-Christ ideologies, seeing that even his own “inclusive” community propagates shame while preaching love, John resigns from the church. He flees—LA, his wife, his entire web of relationships, all of which were glued to the church. As he sets out on this wandering road trip, John seeks to fathom the depths of his own complicity in systems of abuse, his own shame, by writing to his father, the conservative evangelical. In journaling, John hopes to discover what relationship could exist between this unbendingly legalistic man and the first authentic self he’s ever shown. On this walkabout, John logs new and old friendships, adventures, and traumas that push him to sublime joy and his faith to the brink. In his writing, John begins to make sense of his swirling present and complicated past to see if he might reconcile to all those relationships he fled. He sketches what of his faith might remain after the deconstruction—a Heavenly Father untangled from his earthly one, what of God is left after shame is gone.

Process Theology and Healing

by Bruce G. Epperly
Process Theology and Healing
Author: Bruce G. Epperly
Publisher: Energion Publications
Total Pages: 39
Release: 2023-12-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1631998900
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Religious and spiritual healing practices are often seen as a show in which a healer claims to physically cure someone through actions or words. These healings mostly fail. In this booklet, the third of three that integrate process theology with contemporary spiritual life and activity, Bruce Epperly presents a very different view of healing. He calls for a healing ministry, but one that finds God in all things and uses scientific medicine, healing ritual practices, and prayer in concert, sometimes for spiritual healing but also for a way to live out the challenge of illness, to face death with dignity, and yes, sometimes for a cure that appears miraculous. He applies these healing practices not just to human beings, but to all life and to the planet we live on. Healing is not the province of a few, calling on supernatural forces. Rather, it is a cooperation with the energies God has placed in the universe. Rather than supernatural it is more natural than anything. Epperly is a specialist in bringing difficult concepts to life for everyone. He combines that skill with the short format of the Topical Line Drives series to present a call for all of us to be healed and to become healers as part of God’s call to life and light. This book may well be the call you need to hear to find wholeness, Shalom, in your life and your relationships to others and this world.