"Every time people sit down to eat and drink together, there is the possibility that community will grow and people will be reconciled to one another. This is good news for a fractured and polarized world, and a strong sign of the importance of being a welcoming congregation that embraces all people with God's love and grace." from the introduction
This practical book by pastor and writer Henry G. Brinton studies the biblical basis for Christian hospitality and how it is practiced in congregations today. While recognizing the challenges for embracing all people in the life of the church, Brinton offers a helpful guide for creating a hospitable congregation and welcoming others through spiritual formation, reconciliation, and outreach. He includes discussion questions and an action plan in each chapter.

The Welcoming Congregation: Roots and Fruits of Christian Hospitality

Religion & Spirituality

Brinton, Henry G.

Christian Books & Bibles

Westminster/John Knox Press

American congregations are more divided than ever over a broad range of theological and social issues -- and this book outlines an innovative way to understand and address these difficult conflicts. Balancing Acts introduces readers to the two major spiritual themes that animate life in America today -- obligation and liberation -- and discusses how most Christians align themselves with one of these attitudes. One group focuses on the obligations of religious life and seeks moral clarity, while the other tends to see religion as a liberation movement and stresses God's love for the oppressed of the earth. The ability to strike a balance between these competing camps is the key to managing tension in the church and in the larger community -- and Balancing Acts provides readers with the tools to find and nurture Christian unity in the face of political, cultural, and theological diversity. Whether the issue is women in ministry, presidential politics, immigration, homosexuality, or war, this book demonstrates how common ground can be found by people of faith who are willing to perform a balancing act between obligation and liberation. How are we to minister and serve in the church today? Here is a healthy analysis of the challenge to faithful Christians in North American congregational life, provided by a thoughtful and experienced pastor. Brinton calls us to balance the obligation-keeping necessary for life together with the liberation-seeking call of the gospel. The work deserves a careful reading by both pastors and lay leaders in congregations, as well as by seminarians preparing to serve and lead the church. Louis B. Weeks, President Union Theological Seminary &amp; Presbyterian School of Christian Education A clear and compelling model for individuals and congregations wrestling with issues that are increasingly dividing and polarizing the church and our society. By grounding his work in the fundamental yet opposing biblical themes of obligation and liberation, Brinton provides a means for us to move from the labels of left and right, conservative and liberal, toward a common ground where dialogue and understanding are possible. Vanessa B. Andrews, Director National Cathedral Association Henry G. Brinton is the senior pastor of Fairfax Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, Virginia, and senior writer for the preaching journal Homiletics. He is also a frequent contributor to the Outlook section of the Washington Post, writing on contemporary religious issues. Brinton is a graduate of Duke University (B.A.) and Yale Divinity School (M.Div.).

Balancing Acts

CSS Publishing Company

Now, even when you're short of time, the SourceBook of Funerals gives you virtually everything you need to create comforting funerals that honor the deceased, whether a church member or unchurched. This 3-ring bound volume is packed with sermons appropriate for young and old, calls to worship, invocations, pastoral prayers and other assorted prayers, scripture readings, music suggestions, poetry and prose readings, committal services, liturgies, guidance on care for the dying, model pastoral letters to offer comfort to the bereaved, and much more. Order now and rest easy knowing you'll always have appropriate materials on hand to prepare a memorable, personalized funeral service. This SourceBook will reinforce your gifts during those most sensitive, critical times, and it will allow you to spend more time where you want to be, ministering to those left behind. (Unlike Volumes 2 and 3, this volume was not published with a CD.)

Sourcebook of Funerals

Schaper, Donna E.

Ferrill, Charles E.

Gray, Kathryn

Hammond, Heather E.

Merrill, Timothy F.

Peacock, Larry J.

Purdum, Alan

Russell, Thomas O.

Communication Resources

The end times. How should I approach such a topic? With hopefulness? intimidation? Do I even understand it? What does it mean to me? Immersion Bible Studies – Revelation helps answer the questions that often leave most readers puzzled. Over the course of this eight-week study, it will deepen the reader’s knowledge of this challenging but important book of the Bible and find hope through the revelation of Jesus Christ. Easy to follow, step-by-step suggestions for leading a group are provided as well as questions to facilitate class discussion. Immersion, inspired by a fresh translation--the Common English Bible--stands firmly on Scripture and helps readers explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of their personal faith. More importantly, they’ll be able to discover God’s revelation through readings and reflections.

Immersion Bible Studies: Revelation

Gilbert, John P.

Yieh, John Y H

ABINGDON PRESS *

City of Peace

When Methodist minister Harley Camden loses his wife and daughter in a European terrorist attack, he spirals downward into grief and anger. The bishop forces him to move to a tiny church in small-town Occoquan, Virginia, to heal and recover. But all hope for serenity is quickly shattered by the mysterious murder of the daughter of the local Iraqi baker, followed by the threat of an attack by Islamic extremists. Harley tries to build bridges to his neighbors, including Muslims and Coptic Christians, and digs into the history of the ancient Galilean city of Sepphoris to find the secret to survival in a fractured and violent world. Past and present come together in surprising ways as Harley sets out to stop the violence and save his new flock. City of Peace is a gripping and fast-paced mystery that will engage people politically and spiritually, leaving them with fresh insight into how they can overcome polarizing divisions among people of differing cultures and faiths.

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

Mill Street Books

When Methodist minister Harley Camden loses his wife and daughter in a European terrorist attack, he spirals downward into grief and anger. The bishop forces him to move to a tiny church in small-town Occoquan, Virginia, to heal and recover. But all hope for serenity is quickly shattered by the mysterious murder of the daughter of the local Iraqi baker, followed by the threat of an attack by Islamic extremists. Harley tries to build bridges to his neighbors, including Muslims and Coptic Christians, and digs into the history of the ancient Galilean city of Sepphoris to find the secret to survival in a fractured and violent world. Past and present come together in surprising ways as Harley sets out to stop the violence and save his new flock. City of Peace is a gripping and fast-paced mystery that will engage people politically and spiritually, leaving them with fresh insight into how they can overcome polarizing divisions among people of differing cultures and faiths. City of Peace (2018) is the first in Henry G. Brinton's 'Mill Street Mysteries." The sequel is Windows of the Heavens (2021)

From the creation story of Genesis to the new heaven and new earth of Revelation, The Bible's Greatest Hits contains the top sixty-six passages in Holy Scripture. Presbyterian pastor and novelist Henry G. Brinton invites readers into discussion and debate as he reveals the significance of these passages and connects them to contemporary life. Some readers will disagree with Brinton's selections, just as music fans dispute the choices on a greatest-hits album, but all will gain a new appreciation for the richness of scriptural insights found in the full range of biblical books, from the well-known to the obscure. Written for both private devotion and group discussion, The Bible's Greatest Hits includes the best in biblical scholarship as well as practical connections to daily life, along with questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. The book gives Christian youths and adults an introduction to the major characters and stories of Holy Scripture, as it links their daily lives to the Bible's most important moral and theological insights. Readers will gain the satisfaction of increased biblical literacy while being shaped by the most transformative passages from Genesis to Revelation in the course of their ongoing faith development.

The Bible's Greatest Hits: Top Sixty-Six Passages from Genesis to Revelation

Resource Publications

The Bible's Greatest Hits

Resource Publications (CA)

Windows of the Heavens

Religious Studies

Review\nFINALIST in the Mystery/Suspense: Cozy Mystery category of the 2022 American Fiction Awards\n"Brinton spins an intriguing murder mystery interwoven with real theological issues: boundaries defining good and evil, child abuse and religious beliefs, Christianity and the environment, and combatting the prince of lies. How do we find balance in our lives through God, truth, and love that allows us to live in harmony with each other and the world around us? A great murder mystery with food for thought about our spiritual future; well worth the price of admission!" 
--John J. Jessop, author of Guardian Angel: Unforgiven\n"Witches, gangs, a catastrophic flood--never a dull moment in Harley Camden's life! Windows of the Heavens is a spellbinding story that weaves in thought-provoking perspectives on religion, history, and climate change. Insightful and entertaining!" 
--Beth Cabrera, author of Beyond Happy: Women, Work, and Well-Being\n"Both engaging and thought-provoking, Windows of the Heavens gives the reader so much to consider. Brinton tells a tale of climate change, religious intolerance, and interfaith understanding, all wrapped up in an intimate small-town murder mystery that keeps us wanting more." 
--David Williams, author of Our Angry Eden: Faith and Hope on a Hotter, Harsher Planet\nFINALIST in the Mystery/Suspense: Cozy Mystery category of the 2022 American Fiction Awards\nWhen the heavens open on the small river town of Occoquan, Virginia, the streets flood and a candle shop is swept away. A Methodist pastor named Harley Camden witnesses the destructive deluge and then discovers, in the debris, a dead man with a crude carving of Satan's claws in his back. Harley is drawn into the mystery of what caused the flood and who killed the man, while diving into questions of good and evil, body and spirit, humanity and the environment—especially questions about the change in climate that now threatens life around the globe. He discovers that there is a spiritual dimension to every social issue, whether it be the violence of Central American gangs or the racism that leads a black businessman to make a fateful choice. When the windows of the heavens open, surprising truths are revealed about how people can coexist in an interfaith, multicultural community, and how humans can establish a sustainable relationship with the natural world around them. Windows of the Heavens is the sequel to City of Peace (2018).\nFrom the Author\nFor over twenty years, physical fitness has been a key to my spiritual fitness. At my fortieth birthday party, a Catholic priest friend challenged me to run the Marine Corps Marathon. The goal seemed crazy, since I had no experience as a runner, and the prospect of running twenty-six miles was daunting.\nBut, like Pastor Harley Camden in this mystery novel Windows of the Heavens, I needed a midlife challenge. My priest friend had run several marathons, so he gave me some tips and turned me loose.\nThe first time I hit the road, I ran for three minutes and had to stop, gasping for breath. But after walking for seven minutes, I was able to run for another three, and then I walked another seven and ran three. Over several weeks, my running increased and my walking decreased until I could run for an hour. And then I ran two hours.\n"If you can run two hours, you can run four hours," the priest said to me. "If you can run four hours, you can do a marathon."\nThe priest was right. Six months after beginning my training, I finished the Marine Corps Marathon in a respectable four hours and twelve minutes. I felt as if I'd been through boot camp, but my wobbly elation at the finish line made the pain worthwhile.\nMarathon training quickly became a meditation for me, an opportunity to think, dream, pray, and problem-solve. I came to appreciate how exercise cuts through the clutter of life and gives the gift of simplicity for a few hours each week. In a career dominated by phone calls, emails, me

Windows of the Heavens: A Novel

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