Darkness Is My Only Companion

Darkness Is My Only Companion PDF Author: Kathryn Greene-McCreight
Publisher: Brazos Press
ISBN: 1587431750
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Book Description
A brave and compassionate look at mental illness that offers theological understanding and personal insights from author's experiences.

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die PDF Author: Sarah J. Robinson
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0593193539
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Book Description
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Not the Way It's Supposed to Be

Not the Way It's Supposed to Be PDF Author: Cornelius Plantinga
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 9780802842183
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 220

Book Description
"Plantinga's treatment of sin is comprehensive, articulate, and well written. It confirms the orthodox and neo-orthodox doctrine of sin, lavishly illustrates it from contemporary events, and plumbs depths in understanding sin's complexities and banalities...

Pastoral Counseling

Pastoral Counseling PDF Author: James E. Dittes
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN: 9780664257385
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 180

Book Description
In this invaluable resource for pastors and seminarians, James Dittes offers answers to some of a minister's basic counseling questions: how do I guide counseling conversations yet empower those who feel helpless? How do I negotiate relationships with people who I may counsel on one day and from whom I must seek a housing allowance on the next? Can I be psychologically adept while remaining theologically faithful? Dittes offers a wealth of insight into these and other fundamental issues.

Resurrecting the Person

Resurrecting the Person PDF Author: John Swinton
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780687082285
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 237

Book Description
In Resurrecting the Person, John Swinton argues that while mental illnesses are often biological and genetic in origin, the real handicap experienced by individuals is imposed by the types of reactions, values, and attitudes which are typical of contemporary western society. In other words, how a mental illness is experienced has much to do with how it is socially constructed. How will the church react to this suggestion? Swinton suggests that the key to the effective pastoral care of individuals with severe mental illness lies not only within the realms of psychiatry, therapy, and pharmacological intervention, but in the rehumanization which is borne within the relationship of friendship.

It Takes a Church to Baptize

It Takes a Church to Baptize PDF Author: Scot McKnight
Publisher: Brazos Press
ISBN: 1493414631
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 143

Book Description
The issue of baptism has troubled Protestants for centuries. Should infants be baptized before their faith is conscious, or does God command the baptism of babies whose parents have been baptized? Popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight makes a biblical case for infant baptism, exploring its history, meaning, and practice and showing that infant baptism is the most historic Christian way of forming children into the faith. He explains that the church's practice of infant baptism developed straight from the Bible and argues that it must begin with the family and then extend to the church. Baptism is not just an individual profession of faith: it takes a family and a church community to nurture a child into faith over time. McKnight explains infant baptism for readers coming from a tradition that baptizes adults only, and he counters criticisms that fail to consider the role of families in the formation of faith. The book includes a foreword by Todd Hunter and an afterword by Gerald McDermott.

Free of Charge

Free of Charge PDF Author: Miroslav Volf
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN: 031086206X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 247

Book Description
We are at our human best when we give and forgive. But we live in a world in which it makes little sense to do either one. In our increasingly graceless culture, where can we find the motivation to give? And how do we learn to forgive when forgiving seems counterintuitive or even futile? A deeply personal yet profoundly thoughtful book, Free of Charge explores these questions--and the further questions to which they give rise--in light of God's generosity and Christ's sacrifice for us. Miroslav Volf draws from popular culture as well as from a wealth of literary and theological sources, weaving his rich reflections around the sturdy frame of Paul's vision of God's grace and Martin Luther's interpretation of that vision. Blending the best of theology and spirituality, he encourages us to echo in our own lives God's generous giving and forgiving. A fresh examination of two practices at the heart of the Christian faith--giving and forgiving--the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lenten study book for 2006 is at the same time an introduction to Christianity. Even more, it is a compelling invitation to Christian faith as a way of life. "Miroslav Volf, one of the most celebrated theologians of our day, offers us a unique interweaving of intense reflection, vivid and painfully personal stories and sheer celebration of the giving God . . . I cannot remember having read a better account of what it means to say that Jesus suffered for us in our place." -- Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

Rejoicing in Lament

Rejoicing in Lament PDF Author: J. Todd Billings
Publisher: Brazos Press
ISBN: 1441222901
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 245

Book Description
At the age of thirty-nine, Christian theologian Todd Billings was diagnosed with a rare form of incurable cancer. In the wake of that diagnosis, he began grappling with the hard theological questions we face in the midst of crisis: Why me? Why now? Where is God in all of this? This eloquently written book shares Billings's journey, struggle, and reflections on providence, lament, and life in Christ in light of his illness, moving beyond pat answers toward hope in God's promises. Theologically robust yet eminently practical, it engages the open questions, areas of mystery, and times of disorientation in the Christian life. Billings offers concrete examples through autobiography, cultural commentary, and stories from others, showing how our human stories of joy and grief can be incorporated into the larger biblical story of God's saving work in Christ.

Ad Litteram

Ad Litteram PDF Author: Kathryn Greene-McCreight
Publisher: Peter Lang Incorporated, International Academic Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Bibles
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Book Description
Illuminating the thorny question of what constitutes a "plain sense" reading of scripture via exegesis of Genesis by three preeminent Christian theologians from the 5th, 16th, and 20th centuries, Greene- McCreight (religious studies, Connecticut College) proposes a hermeneutic solution relating the literal sense of the text to the church's Rule of Faith. The author's discussion of the nature of the problem encompasses the retention of the Old Testament, its Christological interpretation, ruled reading, and readers' narrative self-locating. Includes a list of works cited. Indexed by scripture references, subjects, and names. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Sustaining Ministry

Sustaining Ministry PDF Author: Sondra Wheeler
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493411578
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 186

Book Description
This book offers an account of the moral foundations of pastoral ethics and the underlying interpersonal dynamics that make the practice of ministry powerful--and also morally dangerous, even for those with the best of intentions. Sondra Wheeler examines the personal disciplines and spiritual practices that help sustain safe ministry, including the essential practices of prayer and spiritual accountability. She equips ministers to abide by ethical standards when they come under pressure and offers practical strategies for navigating challenges. The author also stresses personal vulnerability and "unselfish self-care."
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Rits Blog by Crimson Themes.