People Of Faith Rising Above Covid 19

The circumstances surrounding COVID-19 brought about an unprecedented change in people’s lives on a scale as never before, at least in modern history. Lockdown, protection of the vulnerable, protection of self, poor and mixed government advice and evaluation, vested interests – all are part of the picture that has enveloped us and we have become since early 2020. This book is not the place to get into the rights and wrongs of government, corporate or global management of the crisis. But it is the place to go into how people of many faiths, and none, have responded to the crisis with the goodness of their hearts, inspired by their different spiritual awareness – and by doing so, rising above the crisis to make something positive from it. As The European Times News put it: "It is the most comprehensive and well illustrated, yet brief collection of evidenced facts of what People of Faith DO in times of need".

At the heart of our current moment lies a universal yearning, writes David Zahl, not to be happy or respected so much as enough--what religions call "righteous." To fill the void left by religion, we look to all sorts of everyday activities--from eating and parenting to dating and voting--for the identity, purpose, and meaning once provided on Sunday morning. In our striving, we are chasing a sense of enoughness. But it remains ever out of reach, and the effort and anxiety are burning us out. Seculosity takes a thoughtful yet entertaining tour of American "performancism" and its cousins, highlighting both their ingenuity and mercilessness, all while challenging the conventional narrative of religious decline. Zahl unmasks the competing pieties around which so much of our lives revolve, and he does so in a way that's at points playful, personal, and incisive. Ultimately he brings us to a fresh appreciation for the grace of God in all its countercultural wonder.

"In our lifetime, we have never experienced a disaster with effects as widespread as the COVID-19 pandemic. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 certainly caused upheaval, but they didn't force people to shelter at home or cause churches to stop meeting. As we slowly work back to our normal lives-or a new normal-we must recognize this will not be the last major disaster we will ever have to face. But what does that mean for the Church, especially the local congregation?"--

From New York Times bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller, a book about facing the death of loved ones, as well as our own inevitable death Significant events such as birth, marriage, and death are milestones in our lives in which we experience our greatest happiness and our deepest grief. And so it is profoundly important to understand how to approach and experience these occasions with grace, endurance, and joy. In a culture that does its best to deny death, Timothy Keller--theologian and bestselling author--teaches us about facing death with the resources of faith from the Bible. With wisdom and compassion, Keller finds in the Bible an alternative to both despair or denial. A short, powerful book, On Death gives us the tools to understand the meaning of death within God's vision of life.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it. What began as temporary limitations to restrict the virus's spread turned into a year-long struggle to fight the disease. Health leaders and public officials imposed restrictions that impacted nearly every aspect of life. These restrictions included canceling in-person activities, working from home, completing school online, and losing livelihood through massive unemployment and businesses closing. The Church was not exempt from the impact of COVID-19 either. In many places, in-person gatherings were prohibited or severely limited. Pastors and church leaders learned new skills in providing online worship services and discipleship programs. Likely the most significant impact was the challenge to faith as people wrestled with facing life and death issues due to a microscopic organism. What people needed during this time was the wisdom and experience of a veteran follower of God. Someone who learned how to walk by faith during the most challenging seasons of life. That veteran of faith was David, the shepherd-king of ancient Israel. In Living the Psalms 23 Faith in a COVID-19 World, pastor Michael Black shares a series of messages from Psalms 23 that draw from King David's wisdom. David describes how his faith in God as his Divine Shepherd empowered him to face circumstances just as destructive as the pandemic. Take a journey with David through this familiar Psalm and learn from his wisdom. He will be our mentor-guide, modeling for us what it means to live a Psalms 23 faith even in the most dire circumstances we might face. Michael Black is a semi-retired pastor, teacher, husband, and father of three daughters who are married and grandfather to four grandchildren. His hobbies include writing, walking, woodworking, outdoor activities, and mystery movies. Mike has earned degrees from Indiana Wesleyan Seminary, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and Asbury Theological Seminary. Mike and his wife Ruth live in Williamston, Michigan. You can contact mike via email at [email protected].

For many years the resolution plot has dominated homiletical theory, made most famous by the ‘Lowry Loop’ – a staple of preaching theory for today’s ministry student. Whilst the approach is important, some have accused ‘resolution plot’ of leaving little room for ambiguity, and failing to reflect the messy reality of life. Offering a ground-breaking approach as a counter to well-worn preaching strategies, this book explores the ‘revelatory plot’, focused more on the gradual revelation of relevant truths within the biblical text through character and embodied insight, and through imaginative and sensory detail rather than through answering the questions ‘how and ‘why’. It will prove an invaluable resource for students, homileticians and preachers alike.