Monk Habits For Everyday People

In their zeal for reform, early Protestant leaders tended to throw out Saint Benedict with the holy water. That is a mistake, writes Dennis Okholm, in Monk Habits for Everyday People. While on retreat in a Benedictine abbey, the author, a professor who was raised as a Pentecostal and a Baptist, observed how the meditative and ordered life of a monk lifted Jesus' teachings off the printed page and put them into daily practice. Vital aspects of devotion, humility, obedience, hospitality, and evangelism took on new clarity and meaning. Paralleling that experience, Okholm guides the reader on a focused and instructive journey that can revitalize the devotional life of any Christian who wants to slow down and dig deeper.

Jay Shetty, social media superstar and host of the #1 podcast On Purpose, distills the timeless wisdom he learned as a monk into practical steps anyone can take every day to live a less anxious, more meaningful life. When you think like a monk, you’ll understand: -How to overcome negativity -How to stop overthinking -Why comparison kills love -How to use your fear -Why you can’t find happiness by looking for it -How to learn from everyone you meet -Why you are not your thoughts -How to find your purpose -Why kindness is crucial to success -And much more... Shetty grew up in a family where you could become one of three things—a doctor, a lawyer, or a failure. His family was convinced he had chosen option three: instead of attending his college graduation ceremony, he headed to India to become a monk, to meditate every day for four to eight hours, and devote his life to helping others. After three years, one of his teachers told him that he would have more impact on the world if he left the monk’s path to share his experience and wisdom with others. Heavily in debt, and with no recognizable skills on his résumé, he moved back home in north London with his parents. Shetty reconnected with old school friends—many working for some of the world’s largest corporations—who were experiencing tremendous stress, pressure, and unhappiness, and they invited Shetty to coach them on well-being, purpose, and mindfulness. Since then, Shetty has become one of the world’s most popular influencers. In 2017, he was named in the Forbes magazine 30-under-30 for being a game-changer in the world of media. In 2018, he had the #1 video on Facebook with over 360 million views. His social media following totals over 38 million, he has produced over 400 viral videos which have amassed more than 8 billion views, and his podcast, On Purpose, is consistently ranked the world’s #1 Health and Wellness podcast. In this inspiring, empowering book, Shetty draws on his time as a monk to show us how we can clear the roadblocks to our potential and power. Combining ancient wisdom and his own rich experiences in the ashram, Think Like a Monk reveals how to overcome negative thoughts and habits, and access the calm and purpose that lie within all of us. He transforms abstract lessons into advice and exercises we can all apply to reduce stress, improve relationships, and give the gifts we find in ourselves to the world. Shetty proves that everyone can—and should—think like a monk.

The Gospel Coalition Book Award; Jesus Creed Book of the Year in Church History Protestant evangelicalism is in crisis. As evangelicals increasingly lose contact with the churches and traditions descending from the Reformation, it becomes harder to explain why one should remain committed to the Reformation in the face of perceived Protestant deficits and theological challenges. A number of younger Protestants have abandoned evangelicalism for traditions that appear more rooted in the early church. In Search of Ancient Roots examines this phenomenon within a wider historical context. Ken Stewart argues that the evangelical tradition in fact has a much healthier track record of interacting with Christian antiquity than it is usually given credit for. He surveys five centuries of Protestant engagement with the ancient church, showing that Christians belonging to the evangelical churches of the Reformation have consistently seen their faith as connected to early Christianity. In Search of Ancient Roots shows that evangelicals need not view their tradition as lacking deep roots. Christian antiquity is the heritage of all orthodox Christians, and evangelicals have the resources in their history to claim their place at the ecumenical table.

Mainstream American evangelicalism is facing an identity crisis. Many wonder whether or not evangelical communities can become safe spaces that better enable people to enjoy, love, and know God and all that God cares about. This book, in honor of Dennis Okholm’s decades of leadership in the academy and the church, commends the ways in which he has attempted to help his own communities flourish. His goal of filling the pews with theologically and biblically literate Christians is a much-needed example of steadiness and wisdom to an otherwise turbulent reality facing those who wish to maintain some association with the evangelical label. The emphases that appear in the contributions to this book represent Okholm’s passion for the life of the church, his desire for evangelicalism to be a more hospitable home for all within its fold and in relation to other communities, and his desire for friendship and community to have a more prominent role in theological and biblical reflection. To Be Welcomed as Christ offers an example for engaging one’s own community and the communities of others with the hospitality of Christ. Table of Contents 1. Theology as a Healing Art Ellen T. Charry 2. To Be Welcomed as Christ—Into the Church Todd Hunter 3. Participating in God’s Mission: A Proposal at the Boundaries of Evangelicalism Justin Ashworth 4. Evangelicalism: A Home for All of Us Vincent Bacote 5. Herstory: Reclaiming Women’s Voices for the Evangelical Tradition Jennifer Buck 6. Thinking Theologically about Interfaith Dialogue Richard J. Mouw 7. Talking with Evangelicals: The Latter-day Saint-Evangelical Dialogue in Retrospect Robert Millet 8. The Monkhood of All Believers: On Monasticism Old and New Rodney Clapp 9. When Friends Become Siblings: A Pauline Theology of Friendship Scot McKnight 10. Wiri Nina in the Body of Christ: Considering Friendship from an African Perspective David Fugoyo-Baime 11. Of All These Friends and Lovers: Remembering the Body and the Blood Craig Keen 12. Is it OK to be Proud of Your Humility? Robert Roberts 13. Dennis Okholm Michael McNichols Epilogue: At the Advice of a Sister: The Benedictine Way for the Unexpected Benet Tvedten, OSB

In Practicing the Monastic Disciplines, authors Sam Hamstra Jr. and Samuel Cocar recover the wisdom of the Christian desert and make it more available and accessible to modern Christians, especially those in the evangelical circle they inhabit. Believing that moderns like themselves often flail in their Christian lives, the authors discover in the desert Christians of late antiquity a clear map for growing in Christlikeness, as well as an effective set of tools (or weapons) for combating temptation. This set of insights sees its completion in the spiritual theology of Evagrius Ponticus, a monastic theologian who expertly assessed the maladies and corresponding remedies of Christian discipleship. Evagrius and his comrades offer modern Christians a coherent framework for spiritual formation and growth, one which treats seriously both the frailties of human nature and the potential for sanctification. This strand of patristic spirituality guides us toward glorifying God through both training our bodies and ordering our interior lives.

"Habits for a Sacred Home is destined to become a classic. . . . All women who long to follow God, and to be filled with courage, should read this book. . . . Excellent in every way."--SALLY CLARKSON, bestselling author of multiple books and host of the At Home with Sally podcast Change the world by changing your home, one habit at a time In a world as chaotic as it is right now, it can feel downright difficult to be raising kids. Our culture has come unhinged from Christian moorings and timeless values. But Jennifer Pepito wants you to know there is hope. A mom of seven and a mentor to mothers around the world, Jennifer helps you establish nine restorative habits and practices in your home to foster peace, simplicity, and stability during turbulent times. Leaning on the practices of historic Christians--like Saint Benedict and Amy Carmichael--this book guides you toward habits of work, prayer, hospitality, and more to create the sacred home you long for. Learn how to: · push back chaos by finding your own rhythm · eliminate distractions so your home becomes a place of refuge · foster a family culture of simplicity and stability Don't fear the future. Create a home that brings life to future generations--and shines with hope and peace in these trying times.

Buschart and Eilers identify six critical areas—Scripture, theology, worship, spirituality, mission and culture—where contemporary Christians are retrieving aspects of our Christian past for life and thought today. The result is a fascinating tour and wise reflection on how Christians might receive, employ and transmit the treasures of their past.

Missionaries go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, while monks live cloistered in a monastery and focus their lives on prayer and studying Scripture--correct? Not exactly. When we study the history of Christian mission, especially from around 500 to 1500 CE, the key missionaries that we constantly encounter are monks. In fact, if we don't have monks in this period then we have very little in the way of Christian mission. Our aim in this book is to examine the phenomenon of missionary monks--those who pursued both a monastic and missionary calling. We will meet the monks and monastic orders, narrate their journeys in mission, and evaluate their approaches to and thoughts about mission.