The Orthodox Church: New Edition

The Orthodox Church: New Edition . This is the best single-volume introduction to Eastern Christianity currently available. Bishop Ware's approach covers virtually all aspects of the Eastern Church -- history, theology, sacramentality, church organization, and the Orthodox diaspora with a special emphasis on rendering Orthodoxy comprehensible to Western Christian readers. Ware's approach is very ecumenical, and he frankly and even-handedly addresses the issues that unite and divide the Christian East and West. Because of his own dual background as a Westerner (he teaches at Oxford) who chose to become Orthodox, Ware is particularly well-situated to explain the wondrous and beautiful mysteries of Eastern Christianity to Westerners. While the book is in the nature of a broad overview, it actually covers the issues addressed in an impressive level of depth. The bibliography is also a great starting point for further reading and research, broken down helpfully by topic. This book is a must-read for anyone wishing to acqaint themselves with the riches of the Eastern Christian tradition. See details

In the Heart of the Desert : The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers

In the Heart of the Desert : The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Father John's inspiring introduction to the spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers brings their words to life for the modern reader. These key figures of the early church chose lives of hardship and solitude, where they could point their hearts away from the outward world and toward an introspective path of God's calling in a deliberate and individual way. Contains a Foreword by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, the second highest ranking Orthodox Bishop in England. See details

The Organic God

The Organic God . An emerging popular writer for culture-savvy evangelicals, Feinberg challenges 20-somethings and older Christians to trade in their current relationship with God for an "organic" one. In a word, Feinberg describes her former understanding of God as "polluted," while today she longs for closeness to the creator as characterized by all that is "natural, pure, and essential." Throughout these introspective spiritual musings, Feinberg (What the Heck Should I Do with My Life? and God Whispers) is engaging and thoughtful as she pairs the mysteries of the divine-human relationship with everyday wonders found in the material world. Thematically laid out, the book shares Feinberg's personal recollections from childhood on to present-day experiences while pointing to various aspects of God's character; Feinberg's God is bighearted, beautiful, wise, talkative, infallible, generous, stubborn, kind and mysterious. In one particularly transparent story, Feinberg shares how God nudged her to bestow generosity by giving away a beloved sweater, a pair of gloves and some gourmet treats. Feinberg resisted, only to ruin the sweater, lose a glove and find the treats uneatable within a 24-hour period. She learned that "the Organic God doesn't just want me to give until it hurts, but rather to give until it feels good." Feinberg's quirky personality shines forth on every page, making her text a delectable treat. See details

The Sacred Echo

The Sacred Echo challenges readers not to listen for the seemingly distant voice of God as much as to listen for the echo. When God really wants to get your attention, he doesn’t just say something once, he echoes. He speaks through a Sunday sermon, a chance conversation with a friend the next day, and even a random email. The same theme, idea, impression, or lesson will repeat itself in surprising and unexpected ways until you realize that maybe, just maybe, God is at work. As God’s voice echoes to us, we are invited to echo back to him in prayer. We are invited to be persistent and tenacious not only in the things we ask but also in our desire for a relationship with him.

From the Back Cover

“Don’t Listen For the Voice of God. Listen for His Echo.”

When God really wants to get your attention, he doesn’t just say something once.

He echoes.

He speaks through a Sunday sermon, a chance conversation with a friend the next day, even a random email. The same theme, idea, impression, or lesson will repeat itself in surprising and unexpected ways until you realize that maybe, just maybe, God is at work.

According to author Margaret Feinberg, the repetitive nature of a sacred echo gives us confidence that God really is prompting, guiding, or leading. The sacred echo reminds us to pay close attention – something important may be going on here. The sacred echo challenges us to prayerfully consider how God is at work in our life as well as in the lives of those around us. The sacred echo is an invitation to spiritual awakening.

Margaret writes, “I want a relationship with God where prayer is as natural as breathing. If God is the one in whom we are to live and move and have our being, then I want my every inhale infused with his presence, my every exhale an extension of his love.”

If that’s your desire too, let Sacred Echo be your guide to a deeper, more rewarding relationship with the God of the universe. See details

Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God

Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God. When last we heard from Mark Batterson, he was chasing a lion down a pit on a snowy day. Now he's chasing a wild goose. Evidently, there's a lot of chasing going on in Mark's neck of the hood.

Most of us think a wild goose chase is, as Mark puts it, "a purposeless endeavor without a defined destination." Mark thinks otherwise. He notes that one of the Celtic Christian images of the Holy Spirit was An Geadh Glas, "the Wild Goose." Chasing that Wild Goose is anything but a purposeless endeavor, even though we don't know the defined destination at the outset of the chase.

Chasing the Wild Goose pulls you out of "inverted Christianity." "Instead of following the Spirit," Mark writes, "we invite the Spirit to follow us. Instead of serving God's purposes, we want Him to serve our purposes." Such a form of Christianity is sinful--displacing God from the center and putting our selves there instead--but it is also deadly boring. Mark deploys the image of a caged animal at the zoo to describe the life of inverted Christianity. The natural beauty, freedom, and power of biblical Christianity gets locked away behind safe, comfortable, and predictable bars. If we want to chase the Goose, we have to get out of our cages.

In Wild Goose Chase, Mark identifies six cages inverted Christians get locked inside: responsibility, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure, and fear. He devotes one chapter to each of the cages and uses one character from the Bible to illustrate spiritual uncaged living. Nehemiah shows us how to live a "responsibly irresponsible life," one that is infused with God's passion. Moses shows us how to break out of our spiritual routines. Abraham shows us how to overcome the antisupernatural assumptions that place limits on what God can do in our lives. Peter shows us how to let God's grace overcome our guilt and lead to a life of gratitude. Paul shows us how apparent failures are actually providential opportunities to spread the gospel. And Jonathan shows us to live on offense, rather than defense. Mark also peppers each chapter with stories from lives of contemporary people who are chasing the Goose. See details