For decades, Gail Ramshaw has lent her liturgical and theological creativity to the church's life in worship. Her past-presidency of the North American Academy of Liturgy is a signal of her gravitas in the academy, not to mention the more than two dozen books she has produced. For the churches--and not only her own Evangelical Lutheran Church in America--she has, internationally and ecumenically, and in part through active involvement in the World Council of Churches (WCC), had her work included in the ritual books of many traditions around the world. Here, in a fitting recognition of a life of scholarship and reflection, is an esteemed collection of writing by liturgical and homiletical scholars honoring and engaging with Gail Ramshaw's work and extending it further to new questions, contexts, and concerns. The volume is organized around the key themes of Ramshaw's work: lectionary patterns, prayer forms, and theological horizons.

Here, in a fitting recognition of a life of scholarship, is an esteemed collection of writing by liturgical and homiletical scholars honoring and engaging with Gail Ramshaw's work and extending it to new questions, contexts, and concerns. The volume is organized around themes of her work: lectionary patterns, prayer forms, and theological horizons.

How should we understand biblical texts where God is depicted as acting irrationally, violently, or destructively? If we distance ourselves from disturbing portrayals of God, how should we understand the authority of Scripture? How does the often wrathful God portrayed in the Old Testament relate to the God of love proclaimed in the New Testament? Is that contrast even accurate? Disturbing Divine Behavior addresses these perennially vexing questions for the student of the Bible. Eric A. Seibert calls for an engaged and discerning reading of the Old Testament that distinguishes the particular literary and theological goals achieved through narrative characterizations of God from the rich understanding of the divine to which the Old Testament as a whole points. Providing illuminating reflections on theological reading as well, this book will be a welcome resource for any readers who puzzle over disturbing representations of God in the Bible.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone who hasn't struggled with the desire to know God's will. The problem is, this struggle often involved a great deal of confusion and worry." ?Chuck Swindoll Many people have the idea that if they could just somehow find that single planned direction, they would be effortlessly swept through life. But life is not like that. Probably the most misunderstood factor of discovering God's will is the thought that, If I do this, the struggles will end, the questions are over, the answers come, and I live hapily ever after. But that's not reality. Does that mean that God's will must remain opaque to us?that we must muddle and grope blindly through life with no clue to what He wants for us? "Not at all," says Charles Swindoll. In this groundbreaking book, Swindoll invites us to join him on a spiritual quest. "I believe God's will for us in this life is not some black-and-white objective designed to take us to an appointed destination here on earth as much as it is about the journey itself . . . and what matters to Him in our lives." The Mystery of God's Will overflows with practical insights, humor, and unforgettable stories that will de-mystify, clarify, and put your mind at ease.

A closely argued book about what the negative tradition in Western theology involves.

Christians are identified by their participation in liturgy. In this primer, Catherine Vincie introduces readers to current liturgical theology by providing them with the foundational themes of the field. She explains that liturgy draws us into the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ, that it should create a space in which we attempt to name toward God by employing an abundance of metaphors and images, and that the sacraments are communicated and understood through the use of symbols. Vincie is grounded in the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. As such, Celebrating Divine Mystery seeks to draw readers into full, conscious, and active participation" in the liturgy by informing them about recent scholarship and challenging them to enter the divine mystery as informed and engaged participants. Catherine Vincie, RSHM, PhD, is professor of sacramental and liturgical theology at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. She is also author of The Role of the Assembly in Christian Initiation and many articles on initiation, Eucharist, and liturgy and justice. As a practicing liturgical musician, she is also interested in the role of the arts in past and current liturgical celebration. "

Now in paperback, from the New York Times best-selling author of Sacred Contracts and Anatomy of the Spirit, a timely guide with 100 prayers for entering into a personal relationship with the Divine. "I've loved so many of Caroline Myss's books, but maybe none so much as Intimate Conversations with the Divine. Has there ever been a more urgent need for her unique and profound (and sometimes wonderfully cranky) take on our spiritual reality, healing, and the language of holiness?" -- Anne Lamott, author of Traveling Mercies and Help, Thanks, Wow In her most personal book to date--now available in paperback for the first time--beloved teacher and best-selling author Caroline Myss draws on her own practice to help us regain our fluency in the language of prayer and renew our connection to the sacred. Intimate Conversations with the Divine offers 100 of Myss's personal prayers as a resource and inspiration to start a prayer practice of your own. Each prayer illustrates a different type of grace that feeds the human soul, from awakening, endurance, and healing, to silence, surrender, and trust. "We are one holy system of life and great cosmic truth, which is that all life--including all of us--breathes together," Myss writes. "I hope this book, these prayers, will bring you comfort and grace, and help you through the difficult times ahead. And I hope they will inspire you to believe that with God, all things are possible."