A Struggle For Holy Ground

A Struggle for Holy Ground results from thirty-five interviews with participants in the 1989 consolidations of then parishes in Chicago's Englewood and two parishes from the San Francisco consolidations after its 1989 earthquake. It explores the roles of ritual and pastoral care in this sometimes highly conflicted situation through the lens of trauma and reconciliation. It proposes a series of new rites: group reconciliation, atonement, lament, leave-taking, memorial, and inauguration based on the experience of people most impacted by parish restructurings.

Drawing on his Roman Catholic background, personal interviews with Catholics and Evangelicals, and years of research, Chris Castaldo takes readers on a fascinating and practical exploration of the challenges and opportunities encountered by Catholics who become Evangelicals. He examines the five major reasons why Christ’s followers often leave the Catholic Church, and shows how to emulate Jesus in practical ways when engaging Catholic friends and family. And, with humor and authenticity, he shares his own faith journey in order to help readers understand and work through their own.For those who are tired of scratching their head in confusion or frustration about how their Catholic background may influence their walk with Jesus, and why on earth their Catholic family believes they’ve gone off the deep end, Holy Ground offers vast insight and practical help. More than providing historical perspective, theological reflection, and practical lessons, it shows readers how to emulate the grace and truth of Jesus Christ in relating to the Catholic people whom they love.

With more than 250 cross-referenced entries covering every aspect of conflict in the Holy Land, this illuminating book will help students understand the volatile history of Palestine and Israel and its impact on the rest of the world. Palestine is considered a sacred land by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. This has contributed to the violence that has ravaged the Holy Land throughout its long history. This A–Z reference work, which defines the Holy Land as historic Palestine (the combined territories of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip), covers such ancient conflicts as Egypt's rule over Canaan, the reign of King David, and the Jewish Revolts against the Roman Empire. In addition, the title includes detailed entries on such medieval conflicts as the Crusades and such contemporary conflicts as the Arab-Israeli wars. The reference begins with an introduction that provides readers with the necessary context to understand the region's bloody history and a comprehensive chronology that will help students construct a more complete picture of conflict in the Holy Land. Then come hundreds of key entries on the events, individuals, groups, places, and ideologies that have played an important role in the strife there. The title concludes with an expansive bibliography that will aid students looking to do more research on the topic and a thorough index.

Occupation of Earth is now in its 27th year, and relations between humanity and the dictatorial Hefn have never seemed shakier. The aliens mission is to save the planet from its human abusers; and the Baby Ban imposed by mass hypnosis has made Earth a cleaner, wilder, less crowded place. But the Ban has now lasted so long, and provoked such hatred, that when a spark is struck the situation explodes into worldwide riots on one side and retaliatory mindwipings on the other. Years of effort by the eco-spiritual Gaians, who mediate between humans and Hefn, have been destroyed. While the Gaians regroup and brainstorm frantically in an atmosphere of doubt and danger, one obsessed Hefn and one young woman begin a radical experiment. Pam Pruitt has discovered a growing ability to acquire information by non-rational means. Childhood suffering has empowered her, in a way once understood by hunting and gathering peoples - an understanding lost with that lost lifeway - to communicate with mysterious forces through strong dreaming: to function as a shaman on behalf of her community, the human race.

"The dreams in our hearts have to be matched by our craftsmanship in the world." Spiritual seekers in the 21st century take many forms, from the visionary and futurist to the social activist and rebel. Yet whatever your inner calling, writes internationally renowned teacher Gloria Karpinski, you can benefit from the practical guidance of other seekers on how best to manifest your spiritual intentions in the nitty-gritty reality of everyday life. A new companion for traveling purposefully on the path, Barefoot on Holy Ground helps you learn how to call forth the good in every circumstance and use it to further your mission and consciousness. Through numerous enjoyable, effective exercises and meditations, you will learn how to integrate your inner and outer resources of mind, body, emotions, finances, and careers into your personal practice. This will free you to become a disciple–in the modern sense–to your own higher calling and service to the world. Drawing on the wisdom of ancient scriptures and contemporary thinkers from many world traditions, tapping into her own and other disciples’ real-life stories and insights, Karpinski shares the Twelve Lessons of Spiritual Craftsmanship that are essential to the disciple’s path. These easy-to-follow lessons are divided into three parts: Knowing the Way explores the ways we recognize and understand our mission through Knowledge, Revelation, Body Wisdom, and Discernment; Becoming the Way illuminates the fundamental building principles of strong discipleship: Love, Will, Faith, and Power; and Fulfilling the Way reveals the practical process through which we bring our journey to fruition by Creating, Transforming, Enduring, and Serving. Integration, balance, and wisdom are the benefits of the twelve lessons, the treasured syntheses of yin and yang, light and shadow, heaven and earth. Full of exciting, effective spiritual exercises, Barefoot on Holy Ground leads readers purposefully along the path to Conscious Evolution so that they can embrace their higher calling.

Honour the Holy Ground is the story of Steven Kennedy's struggle to survive the poverty of post-war Ireland. He is one of seven children yet he is determined to reach for the stars and succeed against all the odds. He is sent to live with his Aunt Agnes who has a hotel in Dublin. Agnes is a butch woman living with her partner, Peg. She has an adopted daughter, Molly. Steven falls in love with the mysterious Molly. Steven returns to Cork for his father's funeral and discovers that Molly is really his sister. On discovering this she commits suicide. His life changes when a US couple invite him to LA because he looks like a twin of their dead son. He loses his sexual innocence in a sauna and is seduced by an older woman. He marries the boss' daughter, Mary, and becomes a huge corporate success in the family advertising business. Mary is a film writer and Steven appears in one of her films. His young sister, a model, is kidnapped and raped in New York. While handing over the ransom he shoots both kidnappers dead with a gun borrowed from an IRA pub. He frequents the notorious West Manhattan and South Boston areas and gets involved with the Mafia and IRA gun-running. Steven gets caught up in two murders and a shoot-out in an IRA pub and begins to wonder what lies ahead.

In America's Holy Ground: 61 Faithful Reflections on Our National Parks, dive deeper into a unique aspect of each park, from Acadia to Zion, and reframe how you think about the parks and your faith. Connections, sabbath, reflection, perspective, beginnings, art, restoration - these are just a few of the themes you'll encounter on your national park journey. A trio of questions with each entry will help you see the bigger picture of your life and new ways to approach your relationship with God, your community, and your faith. Whether you're on the road or at home in your reading nook, think about your favorite national park in a whole new way!

Holy Ground illumines how the central symbols and interactions of Christian liturgy yield a new understanding and experience of the world and contribute to a refreshed sense of ecological ethics-a Christian sense of the holiness of the earth itself.