Everyone is paying attention to Pope Francis, and that includes the most unlikely of admirers: a female Baptist pastor. Veteran minister and social justice advocate Donna Schaper has become a fan of the pope, covering him for Religion Dispatches, traveling to see him speak, and taking up many of his issues. Schaper says that Francis is a pope for all of us, and she has written him a series of letters—love letters, of a sort. She agrees with him on the environment, climate change, love of a...

“When I saw the title, I wanted to shout from the rooftop: It’s time! Donna Schaper makes a compelling case for clearing space, both architecturally and in our ministry journeys. This little book is a gift to a tired and caged-in church!”—Paul Nixon, author of Multi and I Refuse to Lead a Dying ChurchPastor Donna Schaper takes the long view of religious institutions in an age of rapid change. The question of who the Church is today—and how it empl...

This guide explains how the labyrinth is a symbol that transcends traditions, and how walking its path brings us together. Here is your entry to the fascinating history and philosophy of the labyrinth walk, with directions for making a labyrinth of your own, or finding one in your area, and guidance on ways to use labyrinths creatively.

The third in Cowley's Cloister Book series, Sabbath Keeping is a collection of ten meditations, each exploring a different aspect of keeping the sabbath and ending with a prayer. Since it is a difficult art in a society that does not value rest, Schaper encourages small acts of sabbath keeping that initially focus on physical and mental renewal but soon broaden to questions of justice and power.She begins with a chapter called “What is Sabbath?” and goes to the Bible for definition...

Money, like sex or politics, is one of our last taboos. We earn it, spend it, worry about it-but rarely talk about it honestly. Meditations on Money invites readers to break the silence and explore the deeper meanings behind what we earn and how we live.Written with the warmth and wisdom of a trusted friend, this book offers gentle, thought-provoking reflections on our relationship with money-how it shapes our choices, our relationships, and our sense of self. It's not a ho...

As winter recedes and the soil starts to stir with the promise of new life, gardeners everywhere feel the tug of something ancient and holy—a call to return to the earth, to begin again. In this powerful devotional***,*** readers are invited to engage with gardening as a spiritual practice just as the Easter season begins.Eastertide—the 40 days following Easter Sunday—is a season of resurrection, hope, and unfolding life. It also just so happens to...

As membership in traditional churches or religious institutions plummets, the meaning of marriage is changing rapidly. Interfaith marriages are on the rise, creating new challenges from wedding planning to childraising. People of faith are marrying nonreligious people. Many question the institution of marriage itself. At a time when those identifying as spiritual but not religious is on the rise, Pastor Donna Schaper provides a roadmap to help readers to understand this continuing transiti...

In her more than forty years as a minister, Rev. Donna Schaper has been approached hundreds of times by people wanting to know how to prepare for the end of life in both practical and spiritual matters. Countless others have turned to her for guidance on how to handle the death of a loved one. From making a will and planning a memorial service to finding peace in the toughest circumstances, Approaching the End of Life offers practical and spiritual guidance to anyone wrestling with the end...

Most of us struggle with the “time famine”—the pervasive feeling of never having enough time. Whether we work three jobs or none, have many children or none, or live in a huge city or a small town, most of us have the feeling there is always more to do than we’re able, more time required than we can give. In Never Enough Time,Rev. Donna Schaper helps us think through the practical and spiritual elements of the time famine and helps us instead aim for a feast. Schaper’s advice centers aroun...

Grace at Table advocates prayer at table as a way to solve everything. By everything we mean the dismay, dis-ease, and fear of the future that permeates way too many human souls. Addiction is one response to the moment, fear another, and despair a third. Widespread immobility and lack of focus come to mind as indications of over-stimulation by the negatives and under-stimulation by the positives. Prayer at table stimulates the positives. It is a pause that refreshes the spirit, reorienting...

Almost everyone prays: believers, unbelievers, wanna-be believers and might-have-been believers. It assures us all in our many parts and many moods that everything is going to be okay, despite any evidence to the contrary. When people say “I don’t know how to pray,” what they often mean is “I don’t believe.” Or perhaps they are struggling with disappointment or anger with God and have taken a break from their prayer life. This book is written to remove these obstacles to prayer and to show...

“When I saw the title, I wanted to shout from the rooftop: It’s time! Donna Schaper makes a compelling case for clearing space, both architecturally and in our ministry journeys. This little book is a gift to a tired and caged-in church!”—Paul Nixon, author of Multi and I Refuse to Lead a Dying ChurchPastor Donna Schaper takes the long view of religious institutions in an age of rapid change. The question of who the Church is today—and how it empl...