Books by J. Barrie Shepherd

The accomplished poet and preacher, J. Barrie Shepherd, retells a series of dramatic Old Testament "encounters" from a contemporary point of view, using poetic imagery and diction. Among the stories he reexamines are Jacob at Jabbok, Moses on the Mountain, Jacob at Bethel, Elijah and the Voice, Gideon at Harod, Adam and Eve at the Garden, Abraham in Moriah, Sarah at the tent flap, Joshua at Jericho, Isaiah at the Altar, and Ezekiel and the Wheel. By retelling these familiar stories in new and unexpected ways, Shepherd challenges us to reexamine many of the basic issues of biblical theology and their relevance to the contemporary world.

Pastor and author J. Barrie Shepherd carries forward a rich tradition of Christian prayer and devotion in this outstanding book. The book contains sixty-two theme-based prayers: thirty for morning, thirty for evening, and one each for Sunday morning and Sunday evening. Opposite each prayer is a blank page for journaling, recording Bible verses...

Preaching is an art, J. Barrie Shepherd argues, and the sermon is an art form, an exercise in creativity and imagination. But all too often preaching suffers from a lack of imagination and a loss of the joy and wonder that attracted the crowds to Jesus' words two thousand years ago. In this book, based on his 2003 Beecher Lectures at Yale...

Based on the Common Lectionary, J. Barrie Shepherd presents a Lenten prayer diary with forty-seven days of morning and evening prayers. The prayers are derived from suggested lessons of the scripture. Themes include suffering, repentance, and joyful welcome of Christ's...

The good Samaritan, the prodigal son, the lost sheep--more than one third of all that Jesus taught is found in the form of parables. Now from J. Barrie Shepherd comes a fresh, positive approach to the best known and loved of Jesus' teachings.This unique collection of meditations offers morning and evening reflections for thirty-one days--each...

Well-known for his devotional writing, J. Barrie Shepherd reflects on best-loved Psalms, including Psalms 23, 100, and 118: "The Lord is my shepherd," "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!" and "O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good." In the format of morning and evening prayers for one month, Shepherd writes on themes of...

In this Christmas classic, Barrie Shepherd describes the thoughts, feelings, questions, and dreams of those who gathered around that manger of long ago, as well as the faces that have been there in the centuries since. Through poems, stories, and prayers, Shepherd leads the reader to be one of the many who have knelt in worship beside the...

J. Barrie Shepherd presents thirty days of thoughtful and thought-provoking meditation for morning and evening reading. Reflecting on the parables found in the book of Luke, Shepherd describes a way of seeing and looking beyond what the eye can see to what the soul...

This is a book of inspiring prayers and meditations for the Advent and Christmas season. Daily prayers for morning and evening devotion are followed by a space in which the reader in encouraged to write his or her own prayers, meditations, reflections, and...