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Gail Cafferata was heartbroken when the church she pastored voted to close its doors. It may have been the right decision, but it led to a million questions in her mind about her call, leadership, and future. She began to think that other pastors who close churches perhaps go through this same experience. This led her to conduct a sociological study of over 130 pastors in five historically established denominations (Episcopal, Lutheran, United Methodist, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ) who were called to serve churches that closed. This book tells the results of that study, which consisted of many interviews, and the hard-won lessons learned by these courageous pastors.Gail Cafferata received her PhD in sociology from the University of Chicago and then went on to serve for twenty-two years as a medical sociologist in universities; the National Center for Health Services Research; Children's Hospital, Boston; and other nonprofits, writing over twenty-five academic and government publications. In 1997 she received her MDiv from Episcopal Divinity School and served a Northern California congregation for nine years before it closed.

Blending memoir, spirituality, and travel, Near the Exit examines how cultures confront and have confronted death, from Egypt's Valley of the Kings and Mayan temples, to a Colorado cremation pyre and Day of the Dead celebrations, to Maori settlements and tourist-destination graveyards.

How might a house look for Christmas based on what each Gospel says about it? In Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes, beautiful illustrations from architect Kevin Burns reimagine each of the four Gospels as a "house," which the church visits at Christmas. In each section, Cynthia M. Campbell reflects on the distinctive perspective of the birth of Jesus or the incarnation offered by each Gospel. Suitable for individual or group study, Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes creatively reimagines the season and inspires new and exciting reflection for Advent.

As we make our way into the twenty-first century, many Christians are looking for an expression of discipleship that speaks meaningfully to our time, a faith yearning that is at once personally intimate and relevant and that grows out of and nurtures authentic Christian community.The Pilgrim's Compass shepherds readers through a metaphorical pilgrimage to consider one's life a journey for faith formation. Using this book as a guide to help Christians consider their journey as they walk through the four stages of intentional faithfulness, disciples will encounter God, wrestle with God, be wounded as will God, and be reborn as a new person with a new name. The Pilgrim's Compass encourages individuals to embrace the ancient practice of pilgrimage both as metaphor for the daily walk of discipleship and as an intentional journey of faith, which uses prayerful travel to assist an inner transformation.

Valuable not only for their sublime musical expression, the African American spirituals provide profound insights into the human condition and Christian life. Many spirituals focus on the climax of the Christian drama, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the ways in which those events bring about the liberation of God's people.In these devotions for the season of Lent, Luke A. Powery leads the reader through the spirituals as they confront the mystery of Christ's atoning death and victory over the grave. Each selection includes the lyrics of the spiritual, a reflection by the author on the spiritual's meaning, a Scripture verse related to that meaning, and a brief prayer.

Published in the years following 9/11, David Dark's book The Gospel according to America warned American Christianity about the false worship that conflates love of country with love of God. It delved deeply into the political divide that had gripped the country and the cultural captivity into which so many American churches had fallen.In our current political season, the problems Dark identified have blossomed. The assessment he brought to these problems and the creative resources for resisting them are now more important than ever. Into this new political landscape and expanding on the analysis of The Gospel according to America, Dark offers The Possibility of America: How the Gospel Can Mend Our God-Blessed, God-Forsaken Land. Dark expands his vision of a fractured yet redeemable American Christianity, bringing his signature mix of theological, cultural, and political analysis to white supremacy, evangelical surrender, and other problems of the Trump era.

Presbyterian worship is known for its balance between form and freedom, seeking to be faithful to the leading of God's Word and open to the movement of God's spirit. For those who plan, lead, and participate in worship, living within this tension can be a creative challenge, one that poses many questions for our liturgical theology and practice. Presbyterian Worship Questions and Answers draws on the author's scholarly insights, pastoral instincts, and decade of experience in the Presbyterian denomination's Office of Theology and Worship to provide accessible answers to the questions people frequently ask about Presbyterian worship along with a few we ought to ask more frequently. From the philosophical-What is worship and what does it have to do with real life?-to the practical-Why is there a pink candle and when do we light it?-Presbyterian Worship Questions and Answers seeks to shed new light on the meaning and mystery of worship in the Reformed tradition.

For centuries, the Garden of Eden story has been a cornerstone for the Christian doctrine of "the Fall" and "original sin." In recent years, many scholars have disputed this understanding of Genesis 3 because it has no words for sin, transgression, disobedience, or punishment. Instead, it is about how the human condition came about. Yet the picture is not so simple. The Genesis of Good and Evil examines how the idea of "the Fall" developed in Jewish tradition on the eve of Christianity. In the end, the Garden of Eden is a rich study of humans in relation to God that leaves open many questions. One such question is, Does Genesis 3, 4, and 6, taken together, support the Christian doctrine of original sin? Smith's well-informed, close reading of these chapters concludes that it does. In this book, he addresses the many mysterious matters of the Garden story and invites readers to explore questions of their own.

Since the 1960s, theologians have been involved in efforts to guide Christians to reflection and action in light of planetary peril. The contributors to this volume illustrate how Friedrich Schleiermacher's theological work could fulfill that need.

The six themes explored in the books of 1 and 2 Timothy enable us in thechurch today to hear the gospel as expressed to these early Christians. Weneed to concentrate on worship, be led by faithful leaders, stay strong inthe faith, love God more than wealth, hear and live God's Word, and servefaithfully in the church. These themes can strengthen our lives of faith aswell as the church's witness and service to Jesus Christ. This volume includesmaterial for participants as well as outlines and guides for leadingall six sessions.

Presbyterian leader Gradye Parsons takes the reader on a tour of the current Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). After reflecting on the importance of being nourished in a local congregation and being relevant witnesses in the community, he walks us through four churches, big and small, showing the types of ministry being done by Presbyterians today. Our Connectional Church explores the risks being taken by congregations and reflects on the future of the denomination.

Presbyterians often have questions about Presbyterian theology and beliefs that are basic to Christian faith itself. Featuring a unique question- and-answer format, Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers is an accessible and concise treatment that provides a sampling of these questions on important topics and brief but complete answers from a distinguished Presbyterian theologian.Fully updated for the changes to the Presbyterian new Form of Government, this revised edition also includes updated entries and six new questions and answers. Arranged according to doctrinal topics, the book is ideal for individual and group study, church officer training, new member and confirmation classes, and all those who are interested in Presbyterian theology.

Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers is an accessible and concise treatment that provides a sampling of these questions on important topics and brief but complete answers from a distinguished Presbyterian theologian.

Those lovable friends, the church mice who took us on a tour of Sunday worship in A Children's Guide to Worship, are back, and this time they are teaching about the holidays and seasons of the church. In this colorful and beautifully illustrated children's book, Advent, Christmas, Palm Sunday, Easter, and more come alive as the mice trace the...

This revised study edition of the Book of Confessions contains the official creeds, catechisms, and confessional statements of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), including the new Confession of Belhar that was added at the 222nd General Assembly (2016). Each text is introduced by an informative essay providing in-depth historical and theological...

To â oeprepare for Christmasâ � in our society is to be sucked into a vortex of indulgence, from decor to gifts to calorie-rich foods. Layer upon layer of tinsel, lights, and wrapping paper create the illusion of abundance, disguising the feeling of emptiness in our souls. The arrival of the Messiah, by contrast, is true abundance disguised by...