See Us Hear Us

Everyone knows that pulpits are for preaching and pews are for listening to sermons. This obvious scenario, however, masks an essentialprerequisite for faithful, fruitful preaching -- namely, that preachers listen to God and to their people before they speak. Roger Van Harn here puts forth pointed questions that sermon listeners really ask of preachers: Why should we listen to sermons? Doesevery sermon need a Bible text? How can a sermon be the word of God? Do you preach for the church or the world? Van Harn grapples withand discusses such questions, giving preachers fresh insights into the needs and desires of congregations. Preacher, Can You Hear Us Listening? will foster an ongoing dialogue between pulpit and pew and sharpen listening skills in both directions.

How are emerging generations making meaning in their lives? This team of eight scholars and ministry leaders from across the denominational spectrum formed Co.lab.inq, a collective learning laboratory focused on open-ended inquiry, to explore this question. Together they interviewed over 200 people under 40 in search of the lessons they might teach us about belonging, adversity, legacy - and faith. Through collaborative storytelling conversations focused on truth-seeking and meaning-making, Sue Pizor Yoder and her co-authors illustrate the complex and varied ways Millennials and Gen Z are navigating life and crafting their stories. What do younger Americans have to say about belonging? Where do they find meaning? What challenges are they facing--and how do they confront them? How do they envision their legacies? Pizor Yoder and her colleagues were surprised to find that in addition to these questions, their conversation partners also wanted to talk about faith--even when they didn't identify with any religious tradition. The narratives these authors uncover offer both critique and blessing for society and the church.

Seven stories and novellas by the author of Under the Volcano, a master of twentieth-century fiction. For fans of the novel Under the Volcano, this collection of stories—many of them published for the first time posthumously—provides great insight into the author’s genius. The stories range from heartfelt tragedy to exuberant triumph. In the novella “Through the Panama,” a burned-out, alcoholic writer tries to make sense of the literature that has kept him afloat while the pulse of his life grows harder to distinguish. In “The Forest Path to Spring,” a couple that has survived hell finds new life in the seclusion of a vast forest. And in “The Bravest Boat,” a young boy sends a message across the ocean to an unknown recipient. Together, these stories reveal a writer who traveled widely, observed keenly, and maintained an engrossing literary style that still reverberates today.

A collection of stories that describe and dramatize current issues in the hopes of inspiring people of all ages to action.

The author of the acclaimed Gay Fiction Speaks brings us new interviews with twelve prominent gay writers who have emerged in the last decade. Hear Us Out demonstrates how in recent decades the canon of gay fiction has developed, diversified, and expanded its audience into the mainstream. Readers will recognize names like Michael Cunningham, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Hours inspired the hit movie; and others like Christopher Bram, Bernard Cooper, Stephen McCauley, and Matthew Stadler. These accounts explore the vicissitudes of writing on gay male themes in fiction over the last thirty years—prejudices of the literary marketplace; social and political questions; the impact of AIDS; commonalities between gay male and lesbian fiction... and even some delectable bits of gossip.

When You Hear Me (You Hear Us) is an anthology of poetry and personal stories centering the voices of those directly impacted by the incarceration of young people in the United States. Compiled by Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, this rich collection includes firsthand accounts from both the young people charged and incarcerated in the adult criminal legal system and from the community at large: the mothers, the loved ones, the correctional staff, public defenders, prosecutors, and others harmed and left with unhealed trauma. These critical voices, uniquely combined, illustrate the ecosystem that surrounds youth who are incarcerated--and expose the ripple effects that touch us all. This book challenges us to hear these voices calling out for accountability, transformative justice, and healing. Together, they demonstrate the collective impact of the prison system, and our collective responsibility to create a society where every one of us can thrive.