Books published by Resource Publications (CA)

When it is our time, is there any one of us who would not hope for a gentle ending to our lives and a peaceful death? Yet for many, this longing remains elusive. Fears and apprehensions cloud our understanding of what is involved in the ""getting there."" Many of us choose not to think about death or even consider preparing for this second of our universal human experiences. This death-unease can lead to our avoiding being with a dying family member or friend, sadly missing the precious chance to say goodbye. It may also prevent us from taking on the challenging but vastly rewarding role of caregiver. It is important to know you do not have to be alone.These lessons, learned from the dying themselves, will show you how the final journey--lived fully--can be the most extraordinary of your life. And yes, your goodbyes can be blessed in ways you could never have imagined.

The three cycles of sermons included here provide a spiritual geography, an announcement of the gospel set in New York State. The sermons were given life in the vibrant life of Asbury First United Methodist Church, Rochester, New York, over several years beginning in 2000. The collection is meant to exemplify a thematic form of preaching that addresses and creates a collective consciousness in the life a community. One series is set on "A Village Green." Another invites those along the Finger Lakes to travel "Once More to the Lake." The third traverses the major cities of the state, and their capacity to become "An Empire of the Spirit." The sermons here try to unfold an interpretation of Scripture by engaging local settings to produce a geography of the Spirit.

Mormon Prophet and Tenth President, Joseph Fielding Smith, once said:Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground. If Joseph Smith was a deceiver, who willfully attempted to mislead the people, then he should be exposed; his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false . . . The doctrines of false teachers will not stand the test when tried by the accepted standards of measurement, the Scriptures.--Doctrines of Salvation, 1:188.Brigham Young, Prophet and Second President offered this challenge:Well, now examine the character of the Savior, and examine the character of those who have written the Old and New Testament; and then compare them with the character of Joseph Smith, the founder of this work . . . and you will find that his character stands as fair as that of any man's mentioned in the Bible. We can find no person who presents a better character to the world . . . than Joseph Smith.--Journal of Discourses, Vol. 14, p. 203.Combining their research in Mormonism to author this work, Charles A. Crane and his son, Steven A. Crane, would like to accept the challenge and show why many, even among the LDS faith, are Ashamed of Joseph.

What does a Christianity constructed upon and pervaded by a theology of God's unconditional love look like? Aimed at a wide audience, A Faith Worth Living provides one portrait. Chuck Queen weaves together biblical interpretations, theological reflections, and spiritual observations drawn from stories, movies, literature, and common life experiences in his argument for an inclusive Christianity. In a simple, though scholarly informed style, he addresses Christians, students of religion, and spiritual seekers.Key elements of the presentation include: a transformative faith (holistic and non-dualistic), God's dream for the world (kingdom theology), Jesus' nonviolent atonement, the church as a kingdom community, universal salvation (judgment and the cosmic Christ), acceptance of other religious traditions, and the dynamics of a radical discipleship to the way of Jesus.

Here's a guide for English grammar that reads as easily as a story. It is a fresh, simple approach to the basic fundamentals of proper English form. The author, an experienced, accomplished thirty-year business executive enjoying a second career as a university instructor, is in sync with the reader early through interesting stories and illustrations. He takes the reader on a personal, one-step-at-a-time journey through proper form. Proper Form, Pure and Simple targets the bright individual who got a slow start in English grammar and has never been able to move ahead. It is designed to communicate in understandable terms with the learner who is unsure of his or her language skills. It reaches out to the hesitant, on-the-job professional whose upward mobility requires using proper form. A careful study of this handbook will allow the bright individual to emerge from the embarrassing shadows of poor grammatical structure. This small primer has the power to pump confidence into the student who dreads writing or speaking because of the fear of making grammatical errors. It can rescue the talented executive who is marooned on a plateau because of the lack of skill with written and spoken language. This guide will enable the learner to gain a competitive advantage in a world that demands and rewards the use of proper form.

You were born on earth in holiness but as you walk along life's road and become buffeted with life's trials you lose the knowledge of the holiness with which you were born. Join Judith Lawrence along her soul journey as she considers God's grace, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the abundance of Christ's love, and many other blessings received along life's road. Discover your soul's qualities, discern your soul's voice, and follow your soul's leading along your spiritual pilgrimage. Become a contemplative without a cloister, keep God at the center of your life, and find God's open doors along your pilgrim way. This book will take you through paths of prayer and assist you to become aware of your soul's presence within; it will guide you towards a unique relationship with God, take you along your path to spiritual maturity, and give you a realization of your holiness and oneness with God. The spiritual journey is one of awakening to your soul's presence, rediscovering the holiness with which you were born, and being transformed into spiritual beings.

There are a lot of books about leadership out there. I wanted to stir the pot and make some suggestions that I have not heard yet.Leadership is not about sticking qualities all over yourself, like dozens of ""yellow sticky notes"": ""Today I will learn time management. Tomorrow I will develop integrity."" Mere information is not enough to change us. Data may lead to transformation, but it is not enough to transform us on its own. Leadership is not about ""trends"" and ""buzzwords."" Leadership is about personhood. Personhood is where this transformation truly takes place.Leadership may perseverate into any one of these things (stickies, trends, information, data, and buzzwords), but it is ultimately and ideally about personhood. This may be a philosophical category that the church has left off discussing, but it meant a lot to the ancients. We need to stir some of their depth back into our existence.One's genuine ability to lead comes from one's genuine transformation into the kind of person that is needed for the particular form of leading at hand. Different traits will be called forth from the leader depending on the situation, place, time, and people. It is the person who is the leader and not the trait or characteristic that is the leader. ""Being"" is critical; not just ""doing."" I think a lot of our current reading on leadership is simply about skill-sets. They are important discussions, but that is not all there is. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying you must be perfect to lead. If that were the case, I would not be able to write this book. What I am saying is that your identity is where your true leading comes from, and if you are in a transformational relationship with Jesus the chances are good that your person and identity will deepen over time.

The notion and phrase of ""entering the stream"" has long been an image for merger and union. Most often it is meant to sum up the idea of union with the Divine Principle or God. Less often, yet still common, it is used to image the union of ideas, bodies, and movements.The sense that one thing folds into or flows into another and gets lost is still a major underpinning toward the belief that there is some ""ah ha"" moment in life where we are able to drift out of simple, commonplace existence and enter the field of ALL knowing. We believe that there can be and is a moment of merger (a born-again instant), an awakening to something outside of what it means to be singularly dual.It is not by chance that the two sacramental rites within Christianity that have the deepest roots in the gathered community over time--reaching down into the loam of our existence--are Baptism and Eucharist. The first--the initiation rite--is about dissolving into God and His mercy and forgiveness. We enter into Him and the fullness of His Kingdom. We are overwhelmed by the waters and emerge a new creature. The second--the continuation rite--is about God dissolving into us. He enters us bringing the fullness of His Kingdom. We ingest God (depending upon your theology) in either image or fact and we emerge a new creature.The poems that follow are about this ""axis of consumption,"" this ""axis of dissolving"" in our lives. We are swallowed up by God. We swallow up God.

""Go and make disciples . . ."" It's one of the most familiar phrases in the Bible, but one of the most puzzling and challenging to see fulfilled. How does one ""make"" a disciple? What's the cost? What's the reward? Why do so many Christians struggle with this Great Commission directive from the Lord? This book presents seven clear, biblical principles of ministry for serious Christians who want to have significant personal ministries. It gives encouragement, motivation, and practical instruction for success in making disciples for Jesus Christ. These are principles such as ""Be what you want others to be,"" ""Give your life to people, not just your knowledge,"" and ""Don't use people to build your ministry; use your ministry to build people."" This book will deepen your appreciation for the power of lay ministry and help you be a disciple-maker for Christ, right where you are.

The poet ceases. Something has changed. He has reached his goal but somehow remains undone. His soul has received as nourishment the odes he writes, yet he cannot rest. Or might it be possible that rest has now become enduring and no change appears to mind? Either way, he has been instructed to stop. Something has been completed even if not him. He counts the manuscripts upon the shelf. They are nine in number and the digit feels complete. The nine play host to more than one thousand of the odes, each and every one a blessing to be discovered and savored. The nine are now prepared and ready to be given at spirit's insistence. The poet must consider the musings done for now. He must move on to the next thing, to whatever his Guide deems essential. But what shall he call this ninth child? Is it an ending or merely a stopover, a brief respite from the work? The poet knows not but he wishes to know. He needs to comprehend this final step in this progression he has been subsumed by for the last two years. Yet he receives no reply, no answer, no direction except the simplicity of a title. Call it The Final Step, he is told; nothing more. It will conclude what must be never concluded for want of a better vision. But what does it say to me now that I must move on, he queries? It says nothing more than this:Forgiveness is my questClarity, my goalPeace to daily attend meLove to make me whole

In this third volume of his ""Adventures in Spirituality"" trilogy, Dr. Robert Vande Kappelle travels from Amsterdam to Cairo in search of his cultural and spiritual roots, inviting readers to join him in exploring fabled places across the Mediterranean World. Despite the grave problems centered in this region, it is the birthplace of Western civilization and the source of the world's three guiding religions. Readers unfamiliar with the emergence and development of Western civilization will find Into Thin Places a compelling introduction; others will discover here a new perspective.Affirming the human quest for adventure, meaning, and wholeness, Professor Vande Kappelle beckons adventurers to enjoy the wonderful experiences described in the book's ""travel entries."" Those seeking historical and cultural perspective will want to examine the numerous ""explanatory entries"" scattered throughout the narrative. These vignettes expand and deepen the storyline, piquing curiosity about seminal events, persons, and places that helped shape Western sensibility.As Dr. Vande Kappelle points out in his closing chapter, our world is in a state of crisis, precipitated by numerous factors but primarily by the loss of the sacred. ""Whether the current crisis is curable is debatable, but it will clearly require massive cultural reorientation. More importantly, it will require a transformation of the human spirit and a commitment of will."" Into Thin Places encourages readers to find ""thin places""--places transparent to the divine--in their own transformative journeys of discovery.

Have you ever met someone who changed your life? Have you ever met someone who left you speechless? Have you ever met someone who left you amazed? Have you ever met someone that left you awestruck?It was an everyday occurrence when real people encountered Jesus for the first time. Time after time they found their lives turned upside down after their encounter. There was the career fisherman who dropped his nets and found his cross. There was the crippled man taking his first steps. The blind opened their eyes to see Jesus for the first time. There was the woman who bled for more than a decade who rejoiced in her first day of relief. There was the father who welcomed his daughter back to life.The Gospel of Mark captures these encounters and more. These weren't everyday encounters. These were life-altering events that changed the course of history one life at a time. Mark shows everyday men and women left awestruck by their encounters with God in the flesh finding new life and fresh perspective each step of the way. The best part is that God still desires those encounters for us today.

Street Cop is the exciting story of one man's career in Law Enforcement. David Spell joined the Gwinnett County Police Department in 1984 at the tender age of twenty-one. This fast moving narrative takes the reader inside the squad car with David as he patrols some of the most dangerous areas and neighborhoods in Metro Atlanta. If you like the TV show Cops, you will love Street Cop. Get ready for your tour of duty. Strap into the passenger seat of David's squad car and enjoy the car chases, foot chases, fights, murder investigations, and other assorted crazy calls. You are about to see first-hand what it is really like on America's mean streets!

Essential Church History is an interesting, informative, and consistently readable narrative of the church. It brings to life central people and dramatic events that shaped the Christian religion-including the formation of the canon, the Arian controversy, the Crusades, and the Reformation period. Adam Murrell skillfully shows how the Bible, the believer's ultimate authority, must remain at the forefront in order for the church to be guided into truth. When that authority is abandoned or forsaken, however, the consequences are always devastating, as witnessed in the errors of Arianism, Pelagianism, holy wars, the moral bankruptcy of the medieval church, and liberal Protestantism. Essential Church History will serve as a fascinating introduction to the panoramic history of Christianity, all the while providing biblical truths for students and teachers of church history, for pastors, and for general readers.

This book shares one pastor's journey to uncover the inherent barriers that cause many African American parishioners not to receive the help they need regarding their mental and emotional health. These barriers are revealing and may be surprising to clergy and counseling professionals. In this book, Kennard Murray examines the phenomenon of resistance to professional counseling in the African American community and the source of this resistance, the reasons parishioners seek out pastors for help during emotional distress, whether pastors feel adequately equipped to provide such counseling, and the need for training on making appropriate referrals. Also, the author identifies an emerging method of providing church-based pastoral counseling in local churches to address the barriers of resistance to seeking help in the community at large. The information contained within these pages will help not only African American pastors, but also pastors in rural communities where other counseling professionals are not readily accessible.

The Passion of Christ is observed by people all around the world as one of the more significant days on the Christian calendar. In certain parts of the world, such as the Philippines, the re-enactments of the crucifixion can go so far as to include actual nails driven through the hands of participants as they wail in pain. Is this the way we are to learn about the crucifixion? Will a re-enactment teach us the truth of the cross?The text of John 18 and 19 teaches us clearly the facts of the crucifixion and is surrounded by intrigue and mystery. For too long, Protestant Christianity has neglected the years of scholarship in pre-reformation and post-reformation Roman research. In The Trials and Passion of Christ, Michael Cannon brings together the best of Protestant and Roman scholasticism to uncover significant details surrounding the trials and the drama of the crucifixion on Golgotha. This book is a journey, reading nearly like an eye-witness report, through the trials, the suffering, and the passion of Christ.

Prayer is an often practiced, more often neglected, and less often understood practice of Christendom. Counselors prescribe prayer as a means to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Some approach prayer as Eastern meditation, some as an expression of tongues, and other traditions offer chants in a strict liturgical form. John 17 offers the reader an unusual opportunity to listen to a prayer. Some might say the prayer in John 17 is the prayer of all prayers, the true definition of the Lord's prayer. Drawing on classic commentators, Michael Cannon casts John 17 in a pastoral light showing the grace, wisdom, and love of Christ for his people as he pours his heart out before his heavenly Father on their behalf. While these were messages originally preached in the context of worship, they also serve as a detailed commentary on one of the most beloved passages of Scripture.

The Flood, Noah, angels, demons, dinosaurs, monsters, archaeology, ancient history, epic fantasy, John Stringer brings us a fearsome, captivating, ultimately redemptive and realistic glimpse at the war in heaven and the pre-Flood earth, where terrible nephaliim stalk the ground. Mankind suffers, and Unos works to redeem all things against a backdrop of angelic rebellion and war.Vitruvius Affluveum is a frustrated archaeologist who makes an incredible discovery near his exhausted excavation site at Nemrut Dag, Turkey, a discovery that captivates the world . . .In the skies above, the melody of heaven sang beneath the wings of the giant pterosaurs and was heard deep in the veins of the earth where rock flowed like liquid gold nursing the world and warming her skin. But archangels clashed, the Watchers came, and nephaliim were spawned. The earth groans in a travesty of darkness, death, and dread. Lost in the tide, One, God's precious, created man is lured away and abandons his one true hope.But the Throne has a plan . . .

Conditional Futurism introduces a new perspective of end-time theology (eschatology). The book holds to Christian futurism while integrating the Apocalypse of John with the conditional dynamics of prophecy taught in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and various other books throughout the Old Testament. The new paradigm concludes that the final antichrist (also known as the man of lawlessness, the beast, and the eighth king) may read the apocalyptic prophecy of his doom while deciding instead to repent of evil and turn to the Lord, which is a biblical option that would fulfill the divine purposes of the apocalypse. This cutting-edge scholarship also develops new biblical models of angels appearing as humans, the descent of Christ into hell, and the kings in Revelation that incorporate with this end-time theology that encourages hope in all circumstances.

In 1989 Dr. Robert Vande Kappelle cycled solo cross-country. The 3,400-mile trip was the seed project for the Washington County (Pennsylvania) chapter of Habitat for Humanity. For forty-two days he went ""Homeless for Habitat,"" placing himself and his personal needs in the hands of strangers he met along the way. At the beginning he cycled across some of the most mountainous--and spectacular--terrain in America. After he crossed the Rockies, a nagging headwind arose, which only intensified with time. That, coupled with a deteriorating bicycle--along one of the most desolate stretches of the journey--produced spiritual testing of epic proportions.He was tempted to compromise the integrity of the trek, then to quit the trek, and finally to curse his circumstances. He sensed he was climbing an invisible mountain, whose top could not be reached. After venting his anger and frustration, he discerned that tailwinds and flat terrain rarely evoke wisdom. Insight flows freely, however, from the watershed atop life's invisible mountains.The Invisible Mountain narrates the account of that trek. The story examines the trek as adventure, spiritual odyssey, and as metaphor for the journey of life.In the words of Millard Fuller, co-founder of Habitat for Humanity International and The Fuller Center for Housing: ""Ride with [Bob Vande Kappelle] as you read. You will enjoy the trip and you will gain all sorts of insights . . . and perhaps most importantly, you will learn about yourself and grow spiritually as you experience vicariously the wonderful adventure of this 'journey of faith.'""

"The Church, who is she?" asks Bo Giertz in this book, which, he adds, "is first of all for those who have some notion of the life which is present within the church walls and also have some desire to understand that life better and know more about it." If you're among the tens of thousands who've read Giertz's bestselling novel The Hammer of God about ordinary people in their relation to the Church and her message, then you know his ability to engage you in the dramatic events of everyday life. Giertz shows the same engaging ability, when he in Christ's Church takes you on a walk from her biblical roots toward her glorious future.

""It is 4:00 a.m. the day after Rosa died.I am wide-awake from a brief and troubled sleep.""This book explores the loss of a dear friend and companion-a remarkable fifteen-year-old retriever named Rosa. Many people form deep attachments to their pets. Yet we wonder how to celebrate our friendships with them and how to grieve their death. Dog-Kissed Tears is a meditative memoir woven from life with Rosa. In stories that are funny, sad, moving, and honest, Lambert Zuidervaart links his attachment to his beloved dog and his love for human friends. Familiar songs help him trace his personal journey through the adoption, life, and death of a canine companion. As Lambert works through grief and longing for Rosa, he connects memories of childhood with self-discoveries in middle age. Dog-Kissed Tears weaves a lyrical narrative of friendship, loss, and healing. Its spiritual undercurrent is subtle but profound.

The genius of Paul is evident in chapter 2 of his Letter to the Ephesians. However, more importantly, two truths are revealed through a closer examination of his presentation. First is the realization that Paul listens, contemplates, and abides by the words of his Savior, and ours, in presenting the truths revealed to him. This was the result of Paul relinquishing the mantle of self-centeredness and replacing it with the crown of Christ-centeredness. This became his guiding light through the tests, trials, and tribulations of walking with Jesus.Second, there is the recognition of Paul's love for, and commitment to, professing Christians, whether they be babes in the faith, adolescents, or maturing adults. He realized they had been, or would be, confronted by the desires of the flesh and of the mind during their life's journey. He wanted them to know the living Christ.This chapter is pivotal to understanding God's mercy and grace, as well as our need for His spiritual blessings. When we accept the Lord Jesus' invitation to follow Him in His commands and teachings, we will know the joy of a right relationship with the glorious Father, reconciliation through Christ, praying through the Holy Spirit, and God's Foundation built on the apostles and prophets.

The Triune God speaks to the saints and in so doing proclaims God's will and the spiritual blessings available from Him, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. It starts with doctrine, God's call, Christ's teachings, trusting Him, and knowing the Word. The Word is essential, it needs to be the whole Word of God revealing His being, nature, teachings, and commands. It culminates in stressing the importance of prayer, in giving thanks, receiving wisdom in the knowledge of Him, being enlightened, knowing the hope of His calling, and believing in His mighty power as we walk through life with Jesus encountering its trials, tests, and tribulations as well as experiencing its joys, blessings, and gifts with a grateful heart.

Climbing Up the Downward Spiral takes a holistic approach in looking at practical, neurological, and spiritual issues, as it walks readers through the shadows of some of the most difficult problems of our time: financial loss; drug and alcohol abuse and addiction; mental illness; and suicide.The authors also share from their considerable personal experience with these problems. Bringing together some twenty years of work with people in programs of downtown, late-night ministry in different cities as well as personal experiences with illegal drugs, bipolar disorder, and a serious suicide attempt, Jones and Joseph walk readers through the shadows of our lives, offering encouragement, methods of coping, and above all, hope.

The needs for and the benefits of holistic health care--care that extends to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of individuals--have been well known for 2,500 years or so. But still, to quote the late Rodney Dangerfield, some caregivers "don't get no respect." Fred Reklau is out to change that with this book, offered as an exploration of the synergies possible among those who care for persons. In the 1980s he wrote the theses that formed the core of this book. Since then they have helped many, in groups and singly, to see their work in a new light. Chaplains, pastors, parish nurses, lay caregivers, hospice workers--all will rejoice to read this heartfelt plea to elevate them to equal status with the vital care-giving services performed by physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other members of the medical professions.

Theology can become quite futile if it does not emerge from the day-to-day lives of the people. Theology, on its part, has to be answerable to the church and society and fulfill its noble mission of contributing towards the transformation of the present order of the church and society. This book ultimately has this aim. By identifying the ideological underpinnings that emerge from the perceptions of women, this book indicates possible future directions in the area of theology.The uniqueness of this book lies in its contextual focus and the day-to-day lived experiences of women with their bodies. It is the first of its kind in making a scientific study on the socio-cultural perceptions of women with regard to their bodies in the context of India. The special contribution of this book is in bringing to the fore the elements of agency which women exercise in their everyday lives in spite of their oppressive situations.The unconventional women of this book become possible role models for women who are voiceless, helpless, and victimized to grow in assertion and affirmation of their bodies and identities. This book will facilitate women to deconstruct the age-old oppressive perceptions and construct their identity as women in relation to their bodies and to take hold of their bodies amidst dehumanization. The book will also facilitate a critical look at the present understanding of body in Christian theology and provide future directions for the reformulation of the Theology of Body and Sexuality.

The work of American Baptist missionaries among the Telugu people in India in the nineteenth century came to fruition in 1897, when Telugus established their own indigenous missionary organization, the Telugu Home Missionary Society. Six years later, in 1903, the society took the highly ambitious step of sending one of its own, John Rangiah, to South Africa as a missionary to work among Telugus who'd gone to that country as indentured laborers.Vision in Progress tells the story of Indian Baptists' work in South Africa, work mitigated by the negatives influences of colonialism and racism, manifested by the openly racist South African doctrine of apartheid. It examines the values, missions philosophy, and struggles of John Rangiah and of others--men and women--who have shaped the history of Indian Baptists in South Africa up to this day. In telling this story, the author provides a thorough history of the organization Indian Baptists formed--the Baptist Association of South Africa--and its friction-filled efforts to work alongside other Baptist groups. Informational and inspirational, Vision in Progress serves ultimately as a testimony of people of great faith who were up against tremendous odds.

When we stand in the presence of the natural world of creation, something very powerful occurs. Our heart senses a raw and vital connection between ourselves and the handiwork of God revealed in the trees and rivers. Our eye catches some small detail and we are opened up to union with the world around us and to the Creator of that world. It does not take a magnificent vista; it could be a snowdrop or the sound of the wind. Our lives are informed by the wonder, the awe, and the radical amazement hidden in the beauty of the wild. We somehow grow in step with all that is about us. Looking deeply into the real life scenes of simple nature poems can illuminate a rhythm to our days that we might miss without the pause afforded in the whisper of ice on a branch. Explore the unity that is our lives in this series of meditations-this retreat into God.

Mike McNichols has created a marvelous fable about evangelism, spiritual formation, faith community, and ministry leadership in The Bartender. This is a study guide to that book. It was written by one who has led several discussion groups on The Bartender and who discovered that readers found it deeply fascinating. The issues it raises are so relevant to many contemporary conversations about how those who believe intersect and interact with those who may not . . . or those who do but don't know they do yet. Mike McNichol's choice to discuss these issues in the context of a fable made them accessible in ways that a more didactic approach would not have. As a result, this guide has been adapted for the use of a more general audience. Specifically, it's been formatted into twelve sessions for those who would wish to read, discuss it, and practice its principles together over a defined period of time. Of course, it can be adapted for other schedules and formats. Whether you're reading this on your own or as part of a group, The Bartender's Assistant is a helpful guide for the journey.