Discerning Welcome

Welcoming the undocumented resident refugee into the life of the polis is a challenge for some communities and a moral imperative for others. This books provides a Christian ethic for church leaders, congregants, and their churches to discern a way of welcoming their neighbors who are refugees residing in the US without authorization. Grounded in political theology and the Presbyterian-Reformed faith tradition, the ethical debates presented here and the legal overview of US immigration and alienage laws applicable to the undocumented resident lead to practices of worship, witness, and welcome for churches that can be tailored to different contexts. When Jesus challenged the sharp lawyer to love his neighbor as himself, the lawyer asked Jesus: "who is my neighbor?" Jesus responded by telling him the parable of the Good Samaritan. Then Jesus asked the lawyer: "who was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" And the crestfallen lawyer answered: "the one who showed him mercy." Jesus told him "to go and do likewise." This book assists faith communities to find mercy for those undocumented refugee neighbors who many would condemn. It points a path towards doing the "likewise" of mercy in ethically defensible ways.

Christian worship in North America has undergone great change in recent years. But change always brings uncertainty -- at times even division -- about what constitutes "authentic worship." This important book reviews a wide variety of current perspectives and offers a fresh outlook on the contemporary practice of Christian worship. In order to provide the widest, most insightful discussion on present-day worship practices yet assembled, the authors gathered a team of church musicians, ministers, worship leaders, and educators from eight church traditions. Discerning the Spirits is the fruit of their work. Shaped by the wisdom of men and women like Marva Dawn, Justo Gonzalez, C. Michael Hawn, and John Witvliet, this book broadens today's "worship wars" into a bigger, richer discussion that moves from arguments over musical tastes to good thinking about the overall purpose of worship in relation to church life and God himself. Sidebar articles and quotes are meant to draw readers and study groups into dialogue on these issues. Whether one plays a leadership role in church worship or is simply grappling with questions about it, Discerning the Spirits is a must-read.

Partner with angelic activity and release God’s breakthrough answers through prayer! Rebecca Greenwood believes that the key to effective warfare prayer is discerning what spiritual forces are at work around you. When you can sense the movement of God’s Spirit and identify the enemy’s tactics, you can pray with power...

These are the central questions of this book, a work that analyzes four ways that technology is understood."--BOOK JACKET.

Throughout the spiritual journey, God’s love engenders within every Christian active, contemplative, and solitary inclinations. Consequently, each person wants to do some good, to have a basic receptivity to God, and at times to be alone with God. As life unfolds, God’s love also calls forth within a person an overriding attraction toward one of those three orientations, which in due course impels the individual toward a corresponding vocational lifestyle: an apostolic life, a contemplative life, or an eremitic life. In this book, the authors identify the core features of those three vocational lifestyles. In light of each vocational core, they then discuss an ensemble of signs and patterns that point to an authentic calling from God. This study offers wisdom and insight to those pondering the mystery of their personal vocations, to those discerning their vocational direction, and to spiritual directors, formation personnel, ecclesial leadership, and Christian educators who accompany them in their quest.

The 32nd edition of The Good Pub Guide is as invaluable as ever. Organised county by county, its comprehensive yearly updates and countless reader recommendations ensure that only the very best pubs make the grade. Here you will find classic country pubs, town-centre inns, riverside retreats, historic havens and exciting newcomers, plus gastropubs and pubs specialising in malt whisky or own-brew beer. Discover the top pubs in each county for beer, dining and accommodation, and find out the winners of the coveted titles of Pub of the Year and Landlord of the Year. Packed with hidden gems, The Good Pub Guide 2014 provides a wealth of honest, entertaining and indispensable information. Whether you are planning a night out, a weekend away, holidaying in the UK or simply looking for a local pub, Alisdair Aird and Fiona Stapley have it covered.

Spiritual discernment is a key theme in the Scriptures. From the Garden when Adam and Eve turned away from the simplest terms of a relationship with God, to the Garden when John the Apostle wrote the book of Revelation to a distracted people anticipating eternity, discerning God has been the heart of the matter. In modern times, however, we have forgotten the basic premise of practicing a preference for God, out of which we then are invited to live for God. Instead, we have implanted strategic planning, head-to-head battling, and will-of-God knowing in its place. In The Discerning Life, Stephen A. Macchia seeks to upend the one-eyed and limited Christian understandings of spiritual discernment and invite readers and leaders to reconsider how they prioritize the care of their souls, the grace of their communities, and the mission of their lives, churches, and organizations. When we have a fuller understanding of how spiritual discernment matters to the whole of our lives, we will in turn encourage others to follow likewise and then lean fully into the mission, mandate, and message of the whole counsel of God.