The Holy Ground Of Grace

"This is the fact of the matter-ivory-tower Christianity is a myth for most of us. For all of us. Yet we try to function, we have to function, in faith, despite our own shortcomings and the shortcomings of those around us. We try to live our lives in a lessthan- perfect world as less-than-perfect people who fall down, flat on our faces, time after time after time. Yet by grace through faith we get up, all the while clinging desperately to our hope in the Son. The Son of the promise." Tim Bowers is a product of grace--God's Grace. And that very grace is the subject of this book. He believes that life is a dance, a thing of beauty. And he further believes that it is an adventure in grace. Grace to behold, to embrace, to enjoy. He believes that it is God's grace which underscores our very lives and permeates both our every relationship and our every adventure. Tim is the father of two children and the third of four born to his parents, both retired educators. He is firmly and forever a product of the South, having grown up in Georgia and in the Southern Baptist Church; however, it was while living in Nashville, Tennessee, as a young businessman, that he discovered the doctrine and meaning of grace by faith alone. Since earning his Masters of Divinity in 1998, Tim has worked as a pastor, an outreach director, and as a church planter. He believes that the Church should reflect the Savior upon Whose cross it is founded-that it should be raw and real and reflect both the passion and the compassion of Jesus Christ Himself. That it should be anything but boring and that it should proclaim grace by faith alone in a nonjudgmental manner that truly changes lives.

Drawing on his Roman Catholic background, personal interviews with Catholics and Evangelicals, and years of research, Chris Castaldo takes readers on a fascinating and practical exploration of the challenges and opportunities encountered by Catholics who become Evangelicals. He examines the five major reasons why Christ’s followers often leave the Catholic Church, and shows how to emulate Jesus in practical ways when engaging Catholic friends and family. And, with humor and authenticity, he shares his own faith journey in order to help readers understand and work through their own.For those who are tired of scratching their head in confusion or frustration about how their Catholic background may influence their walk with Jesus, and why on earth their Catholic family believes they’ve gone off the deep end, Holy Ground offers vast insight and practical help. More than providing historical perspective, theological reflection, and practical lessons, it shows readers how to emulate the grace and truth of Jesus Christ in relating to the Catholic people whom they love.

Probing the dark corners of the South, this book follows the courageous people who risked their lives to rebuild the black churches in order to heal the Southern community.

Abraham leaving Ur for an unknown land God would show him. Jesus going out into the wilderness of temptation. Paul's life-changing trip down the Damascus Road. All of these biblical journeys offer insight into our own personal spiritual journey. In On Holy Ground, Charles Stanley takes an in-depth look at twelve-such biblical journeys to show us how we, too, can meet God and follow where He leads. Relating the timeless stories to our modern situations, Dr. Stanley offers solid biblical teaching that meets practical daily needs for encouragement and inspiration. A powerful devotional in the tradition of his best-selling classic, Enter His Gates.

Too often we turn prayer into well-intentioned patterns of our own making. Too often we assume prayer is primarily about words. Sometimes there's an almost magical understanding that if we get the words right, if we trust enough or believe enough, God will "answer." But most of us know that God is not a divine magician or our own personal valet and that prayer is much more than our feeble attempts to make God pay attention to what God already knows. Using the alphabet as a template of descriptive words and actions, Holy Ground: An Alphabet of Prayer invites reflection about prayer as paying Attention, looking for Beauty, showing Compassion, practicing Devotion, celebrating Enthusiasm--all the way to the end of the alphabet and discovering Wonder, X as mystery, and Z as Zeal. These reflections will help readers experience prayer as a place, an action, or attitude, a stance for recognizing and acknowledging God's presence in the midst of ordinary life--something like the sigh of the shoemaker, too busy to drop his worn shoes and kneel in disciplined prayer, but not too busy to sigh his prayer of gratitude. Prayer is so much more than words.

Lively essays of spiritual guidance tell the story of a woman's journey into solitude. With an earthy spirituality grounded in everyday family life, the author explores what it means to live a devout and holy life in our time. This is an engaging testimony to the compelling presence of God by a genuine Christian mystic. Reading Letters from the Holy Ground is learning to see God in all things. Building on the insight that "we are all platforms for the dancing God," this book invites us to be liberated by beauty and holiness. It is that presence of God which makes every place holy. Letters from the Holy Ground surprises and delights, encourages and uplifts, leading us to see with new eyes that holiness is all around.

If you're religious about your coffee, you're in holy company. If you like your coffee with a bit of inspiration, a hint of humor, and a dose of insight, you'll enjoy pouring a mug full of java and curling up with Holy Grounds. Popular author and avid coffee drinker Tim Schenck brews just the right blend of the personal and historical as he explores the sometimes amusing and often profound intersection between faith and coffee. From the coffee bean's discovery by ninth-century Ethiopian Muslims to being condemned as "Satan's drink" by medieval Christians, to becoming an integral part of Passover in America, coffee has fueled prayer and shaped religious culture for generations. In Holy Grounds, Schenck explores the relationship between coffee and religion, moving from faith-based legends that have become entwined with the history of coffee to personal narrative. He takes readers on a journey through coffee farms in Central America, a pilgrimage to Seattle, coffeehouses in Rome, and a monastic community in Pennsylvania. Along the way, he examines the power of ritual, mocks bad church coffee, introduces readers to the patron saint of coffee, wonders about ethical considerations for today's faith-based coffee lovers, and explores lessons people of faith should learn from coffeehouse culture about building healthy, authentic community.