How can we reconcile the ideal church described by theology with the broken church that we see in the world? In this book Joseph Small argues that the church's true identity is known somewhere in the tension between the two.Small revisits familiar ecclesiological concepts—people of God, the body of Christ, the communion of the Holy Spirit—but rather than focusing on theological abstractions or worldly cynicism, he carefully evaluates the church in its scriptural, historical, theolo...

Prominent Presbyterian pastors and leaders address each of the Great Ends of the Church in sermons that both challenge and uplift readers. For decades the Great Ends of the Church, a historic listing of ways Presbyterians have understood the role of the church, has helped to establish church directions in mission and ministry. The Great Ends of the Church are (1) the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; (2) the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the childre...

The pastoral office has always been a difficult calling. Today, the pastor is often asked to fulfill multiple roles: preacher, teacher, therapist, administrator, CEO. How can pastors thrive amid such demands?What is needed is a contemporary pastoral rule: a pattern for ministry that both encourages pastors and enables them to focus on what is most important in their pastoral task.This book, coauthored by three experts with decades of practical experience, explains how rely...

" Heartbreaking and heartwarming - a story of struggle and triumph, victory, and losses."-New York Times Bestselling Author Tosca Lee, co-author of The Long March Home**Footsteps of a Soldier is a story of faith, hope, and perseverance for all who have served, all who have loved, and all who have lost a love.Based on actual events, Footsteps of a Soldier dares you to imagine being nineteen years old and carrying a weapon. Feel what it's like to w...

"Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air." Carl Sandburg's quote captures the transcendence one feels when expressing a poem. Each of these poems was lovingly selected from a lifetime of attempts at flight. The observations and reflections are imaginative expressions of the myriad experiences encountered on life's journey. They resonate with the gamut of human emotions, from love and anger to hope and passing, from breaking and healing to the wonde...

This short tale was first published in book form alongside 'Heart of Darkness' and 'The End of the Tether', the three tales representing youth, middle age and old age, respectively. One of Conrad's 'Marlow yarns', the story is based on the trouble-plagued, much-delayed and ultimately ill-fated voyage of the cargo vessel 'Palestine' carrying coal from England to Bangkok in 1882-1883, on which Conrad served his first posting as second mate. The story is notable in the light-hearted buoyancy ...

Working collaboratively with Deborah Pearson and Stacey Gregg, four Clean Break members, who are artists with prison experience, created Inside Bitch.This show challenges societal perceptions by challenging the stories we tell through television, the media, and to ourselves. Inside Bitch questions what is lost when we try to tell a story.

This book discusses the role of television drama series on a global scale, analyzing these dramas across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Contributors consider the role of television dramas as economically valuable cultural products and with their depictions of gender roles, sexualities, race, cultural values, political systems, and religious beliefs as they analyze how these programs allow us to indulge our innate desire to share human narratives in a way that binds us t...

What would the war do without me?We March at Midnight is award-winning author Ray McPadden’s chronicle of his experience as a highly decorated Ranger Officer leading some of the most dangerous missions during the height of the Iraq and Afghan wars. In 2005, Ray joined the army in search of what he calls “the moment”—a chance to prove to himself and his brothers in arms that he is a true leader. His job is to establish the first outpost in the Korengal, Afghanistan...

As a student of philosophy, I took interest in it. History was also a favorite study. I was an A student in English. I liked to read and write. Creative writing was fun to do. Over the years, as I traveled and worked on ships and construction sites, I developed my manhood, you might say. I matured around men who talked filthy, played the dozen, and told a lot of jokes. Of course, I was influenced by some of this. I picked up on a lot of jokes and old sayings, mostly from older men. Through...

In Scripture and the Authority of God, Tom Wright argues that God is the ultimate source of all authority, and that God's authority is not primarily about providing the right answers to disputed questions, but about God's sovereign, saving purposes being declared and accomplished through Jesus and the Spirit.This revised and expanded edition includes two helpful case studies, looking at what it means to keep Sabbath and at how Christians can defend martial monogamy...

An epic, genre-bending, and transformative new series that reimagines World War II with female soldiers fighting on the front lines.World War II, 1942. A court decision makes women subject to the draft and eligible for service. The unproven American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled, the armed forces of Nazi Germany.Three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspira...