Keeping Alive The Rumor Of God

"Can't you hear those little bells tinkling? Down on your knees! They're bringing the sacraments to a dying God," wrote Heinrich Heine in 1834. It took a while but today it is happening. Across the Western world the traditional picture of God is dying, and institutional religion collapsing. Today we are trying something never done before, living with no agreed narrative that tells us who we are and with a materialist view of life. It isn't enough. An idea of God may have died but the mystery of our human life is of an inner depth which is not simply physical or material. Marvel, mystery, wonder, beauty, love, the numinous, the mysterium tremendum, remain the essence of who we are. What I am trying to do is describe this experience in such a way that those who have not had it can get a glimpse of it from inside and understand how it can give a life meaning and purpose. This is explored through a liberal Christian tradition committed to social justice and honest exploration. Scripture is vital to this but so are art, poetry, music, and beauty. When most people are looking the other way, we must keep the rumor of God alive.

“Can’t you hear those little bells tinkling? Down on your knees! They’re bringing the sacraments to a dying God,” wrote Heinrich Heine in 1834. It took a while but today it is happening. Across the Western world the traditional picture of God is dying, and institutional religion collapsing. Today we are trying something never done before, living with no agreed narrative that tells us who we are and with a materialist view of life. It isn’t enough. An idea of God may have died but the mystery of our human life is of an inner depth which is not simply physical or material. Marvel, mystery, wonder, beauty, love, the numinous, the mysterium tremendum, remain the essence of who we are. What I am trying to do is describe this experience in such a way that those who have not had it can get a glimpse of it from inside and understand how it can give a life meaning and purpose. This is explored through a liberal Christian tradition committed to social justice and honest exploration. Scripture is vital to this but so are art, poetry, music, and beauty. When most people are looking the other way, we must keep the rumor of God alive.

The Practice of the Presence of God is a spiritual classic written by Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century Carmelite monk. This small but impactful work is a compilation of letters and conversations attributed to Brother Lawrence, offering profound insights into cultivating a continuous awareness of the presence of God in everyday life.

MyBible V Let the Word of God Keep You Alive 1.Testimonies by members of the congregation (Protestants, Catholics, and other denominations) are the main focus. 1) Mr. Takuya Shimamura, President of AGC Corporation (formerly Asahi Glass). 2) Mr. Satoshi Nakamura: After suffering from schizophrenia, he is a testament to his resurrection. 3) Ms. Shizue Sasaki: After suffering from cancer, a series of reversals continue to support her health. 4) Mr. Munemasa Yamada, abbot of Daitokuji Temple in Kyoto, who teaches zazen to priests and believers. 2. Introduction to the Monastery Hokkaido Trappist Monastery Sacred Word Monastery Nagasaki Redemptorist Monastery 3. Special Projects To know the existence of God Knowing God through the body Mayumi Okano, Doctor & Sister, St. Mary's Hospital Scientists who had met God Ichiro Sanda, Life Deacon, Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo Invitation to Mass You can figure out what the Mass is about. Father Yoshitaka Yoshiike, Priest, Koenji Church

MyBible Ⅵ Let the Word of God Keep You Alive 1. Testimonies by members of the congregation (Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox) are the main focus. 1) Kengo Kawamura, Chairman, National Union of Breakfast Prayer Meeting 2) Norihiro Hirai, General Director, The International Gideons Association of Japan, Inc. 3) Hideki Kina, Missionary 4) Tooru Ogawa , Representative Director, International Navigator 5) Akiko Suzumura, Orthodox Church member 2. Introduction to Monasteries and Congregations Missionary Nuns of Bellis Merses Society of St. Mary's Nuns 3. Special Projects 1) The 53 Martyrs of the Yonezawa Clan 2) Daily life at the end of life

Today more and more people are asking questions about human, social, and cosmic destiny. Does the universe have a purpose? What is the point of historical existence? What happens at death? What can we hope for? Is it possible to talk meaningfully about another world? In 'Keeping Hope Alive', Dermot A. Lane addresses these and other questions. The author sets out to develop a theology of hope rooted in both human experience and the Christian tradition. In discussing Christian belief, Lane pays particular attention to the death and resurrection of Christ as both the pivotal eschatological event and the fundamental ground of Christian hope. At the same time he deals with contemporary human experience, addressing questions arising from the Marxist critique of Christianity, the nuclear threat, the ecological crisis, and the apparent emptiness of much post-modern thinking. Dermot Lane confronts difficult issues, such as death, heaven, hell, purgatory, resurrection, reincarnation, and the possibility of universal salvation, with realism and honesty. The end result is a new theological synthesis that takes account of recent developments in anthropology, feminism, and cosmology. This carefully-crafted book will be of value to all who are asking searching questions about the meaning of living and dying.

In this fearful and cynical age, when doom-and-gloomers forecast catastrophe and fearmongers try to get us to hedge our bets on the future with insurance policies and safety nets, we need to rediscover real hope. Lewis Smedes says, "Hope is as native to our spirits as thinking is to our brain. Keep hoping, and you keep living. Stop hoping, and you start dying." He shows how hope powers every good thing we accomplish and helps us overcome every bad thing we encounter. He talks about how to keep hope alive in difficult times, discern false hope from true hope, and move beyond worry to trust in God.