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What goes on in the back of clergy folks’ heads that we wish we could talk about? And what do we talk about with no holds barred? In each chapter of this book, Groff offers a spiritual spin on an issue in ministry normally viewed as a distraction. He shows real life ways that a barrier can become a bridge to deepening spiritual life and vocation. A paragraph ends with a question, inviting the reader to pause . . . and ponder. Each chapter ends with a spiritual practice and questions for reflection. Here is ideal grist for intergenerational study groups for ministers, members, and seekers.

Do you believe in angels? Do you believe there is good & evil in this world? The primary character of Covenant, Sam McBride, hadn’t given it much thought until he woke up one morning on a beach & had an encounter with a Savior. A recovering alcoholic & new follower of Jesus Christ, Sam begins a new life that is not without hardships and conflicts, angels and demons.

Daniel Martin brings God’s powerful, extravagant love into the life of a 21^st century town that could be your town. Real, imperfect people make choices and put their faith in themselves or God – and live with the consequences. Choose you this day who you will serve.

The creation-evolution controversy is one of the most contentious in Christianity. It may appear to many to be much less important than issues with more direct moral implications. Yet how we view the relationship between science and religion will have a significant impact on how we live and on how we understand our faith and our world.

Herold Weiss comes to this issue not as a scientist, historian, or a philosopher, but rather as a student of Scripture. He believes that the various authors of Scripture view creation in varied and sometimes contrasting ways. Many discussions of creation focus on the first three chapters of Genesis, but Weiss takes in the entire scope of scripture, looking at creation in the prophets, the wisdom literature, Genesis 2, Genesis 1, Romans, the Corinthian letters, Colossians, Hebrews, and finally Revelation.

In a book of this size it is impossible to study all of these areas in depth, but Weiss provides an excellent overview that will help any student of the Bible gain a better perspective on how creation impacts biblical teaching on a variety of issues. His presentation is representative, rather than exhaustive, but it provides a breadth that is much needed, and often lacking, in discussions of this issue.

No matter in which way the biblical authors viewed creation, they were free to affirm their faith in the Creator. Weiss helps us understand that we, like them, can also affirm our faith in the Creator God no matter how we view the natural world and the universe in which we live. The Bible itself demonstrates the independence of faith from any and all cultural descriptions of the material reality of which we are a part.

Christian discussions of creation or origins typically start with one of the standard positions on this contentious doctrine and then presents the arguments in favor of that position. In this book, Edward W. H. Vick looks at creation as a matter of systematic theology. What does it mean for a doctrine to be called “Christian”? How does one derive and express a doctrine of creation that is truly Christian in content? He starts by distinguishing biblical theology, the topic of companion volume Creation in Scripture by Herold Weiss, from the systematic theology approach used in this book.

This book is divided into three parts. Each has its own style and function.

The first presents an introductory statement about how we approach a doctrinal explanation of the theme of Creation. Then we give a theological account of the meaning of the assertion that God is Creator.

The second presents statements by representative respected theologians, as they expound the theme and argue for a separation of theology from science. It presents some quite basic positions.

The third is in the form of a conversation –– an effective way of introducing differing points of view pro and con.

Finally, the book includes a series of questions for each chapter, making it useful as a basis for group study and discussion.

The rift between Protestants and Roman Catholics continues to separate Christians from one another and to diminish our witness in the world. Words such as “heretic,” “apostate,” “idolater,” and “papist” have characterized much of the discussion over the last several centuries since the reformation. While changes in both groups over the last few decades have improved the tone of the discussion, much remains to be accomplished. Author Bob LaRochelle, as a former Roman Catholic and now a United Church of Christ minister, is well-equipped to guide us toward a more constructive relationship.

Crossing the Street speaks to the heart of the Energion Publications mission statement by advocating a “mainstream ecumenical center” in which Roman Catholics and Protestants can come to a deeper appreciation and understanding of the gifts they bring to one another. It demonstrates ways in which these traditions have misunderstood one another and even themselves, and then proposes strategies for both ecumenical cooperation and self-understanding.

This book is founded in a thorough understanding of both traditions and a commitment to ecumenical dialog and cooperation. It addresses both theory and practice. In a series of four chapters, it examines how we live in our own houses, the author’s own story, and then the gifts that each group offers the other.

We carry our purses everywhere. We don’t leave home without them. They are as diverse and unique as we are. A purse can truly reflect who we are. Is it smooth, black leather or bold pink flowers? Does it hang from our arm or is slung over our back or strapped around our waist?

What if we were given a purse by Jesus Himself full of whatever we would need for the day and season of life? How much would it cost? Who could afford it? It’s free because it is given to us, the Bride, by our Groom, Jesus Christ. Let’s see what Jesus has given – It’s in the Bag!

A questioning approach lies at the heart of our relationship with God. That’s how God engages us. In fact, questioning (or free inquiry), is central to our being human. Yet the major monotheistic religions vary markedly on this matter. In The Questioning God, Dr. Greenham examines the three major monotheistic religions, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, to see how they relate to questioning, both the questions that God asks us, and the questions that we ask about God. His goal is to develop a biblical theology of questioning, avoiding a loss of direction and focus that results from selective questioning, and also a loss of humanity that results from bypassing our questions through an inappropriate submission.

The examination is wide ranging, including chapters on questioning in Islam, Judaism, evangelical and mainline Christianity, along with an examination of the consequences of a non-questioning culture. He ends the book with a proposal for a biblical theology and a look at the practical implications–just what does it mean to pursue this questioning culture.

The author finds that questions are not just valuable, they are essential for serious human interaction. “As questioning beings,” he concludes, “there is no limit to what we might ask, but our questions must always be anchored in the questioning God’s enduring concern to engage us.”

Joshua Hawkins is twenty-five years old, a young vice-president for his father’s clothing company, Avarice, and has been given every opportunity to live the American Dream. Joshua Hawkins is twenty-five years old…twenty-five years old, and dead. But Joshua is soon finding out that being dead may be just the thing he needs in order to truly live. Following in the same vein of “The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan, the reader is invited to journey with Joshua from death to life. To abandon the burden upon their back, and release the chains that bind. The path will not be easy, but it must be traveled. For at the path’s end, lies eternal life.