Christian Proclamation Gift And Response

The perfect gift! A specially priced, beautifully designed hardcover edition of The Joy of the Gospel with a foreword by Robert Barron and an afterword by James Martin, SJ. “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus… In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.” – Pope Francis This special edition of Pope Francis's popular message of hope explores themes that are important for believers in the 21st century. Examining the many obstacles to faith and what can be done to overcome those hurdles, he emphasizes the importance of service to God and all his creation. Advocating for “the homeless, the addicted, refugees, indigenous peoples, the elderly who are increasingly isolated and abandoned,” the Holy Father shows us how to respond to poverty and current economic challenges that affect us locally and globally. Ultimately, Pope Francis demonstrates how to develop a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ, “to recognize the traces of God’s Spirit in events great and small.” Profound in its insight, yet warm and accessible in its tone, The Joy of the Gospel is a call to action to live a life motivated by divine love and, in turn, to experience heaven on earth. Includes a foreword by Robert Barron, author of Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith and James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

Forty years of in-depth research on Martin Luther's theology has left Oswald Bayer uniquely qualified to present this comprehensive study. He does so with clarity and care, simply enough for nontheologians to access. This remarkable book offers the basics of Luther's understanding of theology, discussing his response to the philosophy of science tradition, the formula by which he studied theology, and the basic philosophy that informed him. Bayer then takes Luther's stance on Christian dogmatics and ethics and applies it to our own theological understanding in the modern age. With such a complete Lutheran dogmatic concept -- the first of its kind offered -- the stunning inner consistency of Luther's theology and its ease of application to contemporary studies become unmistakably clear. Martin Luther's Theology is a valuable tool for students and teachers of theology and for those looking for a guide into the mind and heart of Luther -- a theologian for today.

How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. These are times of immense challenge and immense opportunity for the Catholic Church. Consider these statistics for the United States. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing. Fully 10 percent of all adults in America are ex-Catholics. The number of marriages celebrated in the Church decreased dramatically, by nearly 60 percent, between 1972 and 2010. Only 60 percent of Catholics believe in a personal God. If the Church is to reverse these trends, the evangelizers must first be evangelized-in other words, Catholics-in-the-pew must make a conscious choice to know and follow Jesus before they can draw others to him. This work of discipleship lies at the heart of Forming Intentional Disciples, a book designed to help Church leaders, parish staff and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Drawing upon her fifteen years of experience with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell leads readers through steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion, how to open a conversation about faith and belief, how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the Great Story of Jesus, how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship, and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.

The most celebrated story collection from “one of the true American masters” (The New York Review of Books)—a haunting meditation on love, loss, and companionship, and finding one’s way through the dark that includes the iconic and much-referenced title story featured in the Academy Award-winning film Birdman. "Raymond Carver's America is ... clouded by pain and the loss of dreams, but it is not as fragile as it looks. It is a place of survivors and a place of stories.... [Carver] has done what many of the most gifted writers fail to do: He has invented a country of his own, like no other except that very world, as Wordsworth said, which is the world to all of us." —The New York Times Book Review

The Proclamation of Jesus Meditations on Jesus and His Message according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John The Proclamation of Jesus is a book of short meditations, covering the entire contents of the Gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament. Just as a picture puzzle can not be appreciated, until all the pieces are put together, so also we can not begin to know the glory of Jesus. until we become acquainted with the whole testimony of the four gospel writers. The meditations in The Proclamation of Jesus guide us to discover and reflect on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As we read these meditations and the verses of the Bible on which each is based, we will begin to see who Jesus truly is and what He has done for us. We will be encouraged to read the Bible faithfully and to grow spiritually.

"Michael Pasquarello has written a 'must read' book articulating a Trinitarian vision for preaching. His compelling argument is richly informed by traditional biblical hermeneutics, creedal history understood as storied attestation of the witness of Scripture, and liturgical theology and practice considered as embodied performance of the Bible's divine narrative. Here is a clear summons to the church to abandon all lesser homiletic aims and to prayerfully and faithfully proclaim the holy gospel to the glory of God." --Charles L. Bartow, Princeton Theological Seminary "Like all of Michael Pasquarello's work, his newest book not only upholds the classical Christian tradition but also breathes new vitality into it. In an era in which preaching is reduced to persuasive communication, Pasquarello reminds us that the Christian message has a content that originates in and gives expression to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." --Richard Lischer, Duke Divinity School "One of the refreshing things about this fine book by Michael Pasquarello is that, when he thinks about the ministry of preaching, he is not afraid to measure the breadth historically or plumb the depths theologically. Pasquarello has written this book like a good sermon--faithfully, thoughtfully, prayerfully, and with a profound word to speak. We are in his debt." --Thomas G. Long, Candler School of Theology "Boldly challenging homiletical accommodation to American culture, Pasquarello seeks to change the subject of preaching from method and 'marketing' to the Triune God, who is the source and goal of our speech. A welcome theological vision of preaching." --Charles L. Campbell, Columbia Theological Seminary "Christian Preaching brings together two disciplines that have sadly grown apart such that they almost developed irreconcilable differences--preaching and theology. Pasquarello offers a brilliant critique of theology as technique and draws on the theology and sermons of Irenaeus, Augustine, Luther, Wesley, and others, convincingly demonstrating that effective, pragmatic preaching requires substantive theological engagement (and vice versa). This book accomplishes its purpose so well that it should be used not only in preaching courses but also in basic theology courses. No preacher should be let loose on a congregation without passing through Pasquarello's Christian Preaching." --D. Stephen Long, Marquette University

This volume provides all who minister to young people with an effective blueprint for building a truly meaningful ministry

An important contribution to the ongoing discussion of the church's relationship to social development, this book contains the revised conference proceedings from the consultation The Church in Response to Human Need,Ó held in Wheaton, Illinois, in June of 1983. In the papers collected here writers from five continents consider whether the Bible indicates any method for ministry among the poor; the place of the poor in God's plan; God's purpose and the movement of human history; the nature of the gospel of the kingdom; and the interrelation of the gospel and human culture. In addition to the individual papers, the book includes the statement Transformation,Ó which was produced by the consultation as a whole.