Encountering Mystery

Encountering Mystery PDF Author: Dale C. Allison
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467464341
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Despite widespread skepticism on the matter, a significant number of people today have stories of religious experience—moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near-death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions. How should rationally minded people respond? What would your reaction be if someone told you that, one night while sitting alone, she saw through the window a brilliant light descend from the sky until it was so large that it filled the room—and that it radiated a feeling of “pure love”? And what would you say if a friend confided that one night he woke up and could not move, felt he was being suffocated, and sensed an evil spirit in the room? By default in the secular age we are skeptical about anything mysterious or supernatural. More likely than not, most people would respond to the stories above with embarrassment and concern about the person’s grasp of reality, or they would attempt to explain them away through rational or scientific means. But the truth is that religious experiences like these are not as uncommon as they seem—although talking about such experiences often is. This is the case even in a faith tradition such as Christianity, despite the Bible’s numerous accounts of miraculous and mysterious happenings. In Encountering Mystery, noted biblical scholar Dale Allison makes the argument that stories of religious experience are meaningful and not to be marginalized—and that we have a moral prerogative to lovingly engage with such stories regardless of whether we have had similar experiences. Through a close look at phenomena such as moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near-death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions, Allison shows how ordinary practices of faith need not be at odds with individual religious experiences. Above all, he enjoins us to be honest about the persistence of religious experience in a secular age and to make space for those who encounter mystery in their lives.

Encountering Mystery

Encountering Mystery PDF Author: Dale C. Allison
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467464341
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Get Book Here

Book Description
Despite widespread skepticism on the matter, a significant number of people today have stories of religious experience—moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near-death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions. How should rationally minded people respond? What would your reaction be if someone told you that, one night while sitting alone, she saw through the window a brilliant light descend from the sky until it was so large that it filled the room—and that it radiated a feeling of “pure love”? And what would you say if a friend confided that one night he woke up and could not move, felt he was being suffocated, and sensed an evil spirit in the room? By default in the secular age we are skeptical about anything mysterious or supernatural. More likely than not, most people would respond to the stories above with embarrassment and concern about the person’s grasp of reality, or they would attempt to explain them away through rational or scientific means. But the truth is that religious experiences like these are not as uncommon as they seem—although talking about such experiences often is. This is the case even in a faith tradition such as Christianity, despite the Bible’s numerous accounts of miraculous and mysterious happenings. In Encountering Mystery, noted biblical scholar Dale Allison makes the argument that stories of religious experience are meaningful and not to be marginalized—and that we have a moral prerogative to lovingly engage with such stories regardless of whether we have had similar experiences. Through a close look at phenomena such as moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near-death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions, Allison shows how ordinary practices of faith need not be at odds with individual religious experiences. Above all, he enjoins us to be honest about the persistence of religious experience in a secular age and to make space for those who encounter mystery in their lives.

Encountering Christ in the Eucharist

Encountering Christ in the Eucharist PDF Author: Bruce T. Morrill
Publisher: Paulist Press
ISBN: 0809147688
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Book Description
If changes in the church's liturgical practice were the most obvious development of Vatican II to be noticed by the faithful in the pew, then inevitably, shifts in eucharistic theology were not far behind. The previous focus on Christ's presence in the sacrament itself under the species of bread and wine and the attendant forms of worship that this spawned have gradually yielded to deepening insights into the manifold ways in which Christ is present among the faithful. Drawing upon the best of recent biblical, historical, and theological sources, Bruce Morrill unfolds how the divine Spirit of Jesus works through ways Christ is present in the celebration of the Eucharist--in the assembly, presiding minister, biblical word, and ritual sacrament. Mindful of challenges inherent in eucharistic theologies within and among church traditions and communities, Morrill orients his theology on two key principles from Vatican II's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: the celebration of the liturgy as participation in the paschal mystery, and the multiple bodily, symbolic ways Christ is present in the ritual celebration. In the process, he sheds new light on such topics as sacrifice, covenant, divine presence and absence, and the tradition's relationship to Judaism. There are some challenging implications here, not least to the modern tendency to think of liturgy in terms of a personal transaction--"what I got out of it"--and to those who hear God's word only according to their own preconceived ideas: "God's is not a reign limited to our personal histories," Morrill points out, "but, rather, is one that calls us to hear our story as part of one much larger, at times comforting, at others confronting us." Morrill eloquently invokes these human modes of Christ's presence to draw participants into the mystery of the cross and resurrection, into communion with the God whose love for humanity has been revealed unto death, making the Eucharist the source and summit for lives shaped in the pattern of Christ's justice and mercy for the life of the world. +

Encountering the Mystery

Encountering the Mystery PDF Author: Bartholomew I (Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople)
Publisher: Image
ISBN: 0385518137
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
The spiritual leader of Orthodox Christianity chronicles the history, culture, traditions, and tenets of his faith in a volume that traces the two-thousand-year evolution of the faith, the schisms that led to its split with Western Christianity, its doctrine and liturgy, its ties to the traditions of the early Christian church, and its enduring teachings and theology. 15,000 first printing.

Great is the Mystery: Encountering the Formational Power of Liturgy

Great is the Mystery: Encountering the Formational Power of Liturgy PDF Author: Joe Paprocki
Publisher: Liturgy Training Publications
ISBN: 1618330586
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description


Encountering Our Wild God

Encountering Our Wild God PDF Author: Kim Meeder
Publisher: Chosen Books
ISBN: 1493414607
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
Journey into the Mystery of God's Presence Who our God is and how he works cannot be captured or contained. Our God is extreme. Our God is unstoppable, unfathomable, and untamable. Our God is wild. And he is beckoning us to pursue him beyond our circumstances, beyond our emotions, and beyond our logic into the glorious mystery that is him. Offering miraculous, inspiring stories of lives and circumstances transformed by the Holy Spirit, author and speaker Kim Meeder shows that God isn't calling us to fully understand him; he's calling us to fully trust Him. Here she gives practical, everyday ways to pursue him more passionately and to trust him more fiercely. The wild beauty and glory of our God are calling. And in this hallowed, thrilling place, we will see his face reflected in the miraculous--and we will experience the limitless nature of our wild God.

Jesus and Mature Love

Jesus and Mature Love PDF Author: Leonard Desroches
Publisher: FriesenPress
ISBN: 1039191630
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 77

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Book Description
"Every paragraph of this compelling book calls for liberatory action, enabling radical transformation and planetary survival." - Kathy Kelly, board president of World BEYOND War "Len Desroches' passion for peace is a bright flame, a torch in a dark world. May its light so shine as to ignite action and the building of heaven among us." - Joy Kogawa, novelist, poet "How have we been neglecting the deepest form of love for ourselves and all others? Moving toward this kind of mature love is a courageous, intentional, act of resistance." - Emma Whitla, university student "As someone who had previously not heard of love of enemy as a concept for the world, it really made me think about alternative ways to handle acts of violence within our society today because in a lot of ways I think the media and people make violence seem like the only response to violence. 'Jesus and Mature Love' has altered my perspective on the world." - Naomi Zacharias Bezanson, high school student "Mennonites, like everyone, need to stir up their commitment to active nonviolent peacemaking. The call to mature love opens the way to true freedom and full humanness. This is a rich and energizing essay about the fullness of love." - Tim Reimer, Mennonite pastor

Stories of Encounter

Stories of Encounter PDF Author: Hugh Hillyard Parker
Publisher: Saint Andrew Press
ISBN: 0715209876
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
Behind the theme of this new volume in the popular annual Pray Now series, is the belief that everyone has a story to tell, no matter what age or stage of life they are at, and that in worship we weave our stories into the bigger story of God. Our stories are shaped by encounters with other people, with the physical world, with the variety of our own experiences and emotions, and with God. This volume offers a dynamic resource for prayer and reflection that will enable a deeper understanding of how all these kinds of encounters shape us. More than seventy short sections, each containing a scripture quotation, prayers for morning and evening, a short meditation, suggested scripture readings and a blessing, explore a rich variety of encounters: • Between Jesus and others in the Gospels - disciples, women, the young, the old, critics, enemies • The people we encounter – friends, neighbours, colleagues, family, strangers, the hostile • Encounters with the physical world – animals, weather, traffic jams, crowded cities, empty spaces • Encounters with ourselves – success, disaster, loneliness, identity, hope, fear, mystery and more • Encounters with God in prayer – how Christians across the centuries, including Julian of Norwich, St Benedict, Martin Luther, Wesley, C S Lewis and others understood and practiced prayer. Stories of Encounter is the Church of Scotland’s theme for 2018 that will inform its worship and its mission throughout the coming year. At its heart is a desire to help people to tell their stories, to share those stories with others and with their communities, to reflect on their journeys of faith and ultimately their stories of encounters with God. This dynamic collection of newly written prayers, meditations and blessings will be a welcome aid for worship, for small group devotions and for personal discipleship.

Encounter with God

Encounter with God PDF Author: Duncan B. Forrester
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567440745
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
An ecumenical introduction to the study of Christian worship which emphasises the complimentarity of Word and Sacrament and the unity of theology and practice, and considers the place of worship in the modern age. It is especially designed for those, of various traditions, who are preparing for the ministry or who participate regularly in worship and wish to deepen their understanding.

Youth Beyond the Developmental Lens

Youth Beyond the Developmental Lens PDF Author: Wesley W. Ellis
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 1506494951
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 277

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Book Description
What happens when we stop thinking of young people as projects and recognize them for who they are, here and now? Wesley Ellis exposes the insidious impact of developmental psychology upon youth ministry and practice, arguing instead for a theological anthropology of youth that can help us see all people--including adolescents--as uniquely created in the image of God. Propelled by the conviction that ministry requires us to see youth as beings rather than becomings, Ellis demonstrates how we can reorient our vision toward ministry that prioritizes relationship and inclusion over rigid developmental frameworks. A veteran youth minister across multiple denominations, Ellis knows his subject deeply as both practitioner and theologian. Youth beyond the Developmental Lens mines personal accounts, the biblical narrative, and a vast array of theological expertise to release readers from restrictive assumptions that have long bound youth ministry. Ellis's finely tuned pastoral sensibilities bring all these elements into focus, helping us understand ministry as relational and all humans as part of God's story. Rostered ministers, lay leaders, and others engaged with youth will find an antidote to anxiety about the future of the church. Ellis reminds us that God is here already. Our call is simply to be.

Presence and Encounter

Presence and Encounter PDF Author: David G. PhD Benner
Publisher: Brazos Press
ISBN: 1441221506
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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Book Description
The most vital and significant moments in life are moments of encounter. Whether we encounter ourselves, others, or God, these moments let us know that life is meaningful. And presence is what makes encounter possible. When we are truly present, everything that has being becomes potentially present to us. In this unique resource, David Benner invites us to live with more presence so we can know the presence of God more deeply in our lives. Drawing on over thirty-five years of experience integrating psychology and spirituality, Benner examines the transformational possibilities of spiritual presence and encounter in fresh, exciting, and practical ways. He helps readers understand the personal and interpersonal dimensions of presence and encounter, revealing how they mediate Divine Presence and serve as sacraments of everyday life. His rich meditations are presented in a voice that is intelligent, compassionate, and engaging. The book includes end-of-chapter reflection exercises for individual or group use and a foreword by Richard Rohr.