In these reflections, Walter Brueggemann says that the Bible, as the live word of the living God, will not submit to the accounts we prefer to give it. The Bible's inherent, central evangelical proclamation has greater and more permanent authority than our inescapably provisional interpretations. William Placher notes that taking the Bible most seriously means struggling to understand its meaning as well as affirming its truth. And Brian Blount distinguishes what some may claim as a last word, which is necessarily a dead word, from the living word that is God's word to us today.

    The Book of Dharma charts Simon Haas’s journey to India and his “excavation” of the Dharma Code, a powerful system for making enlightened choices and manifesting our highest potential. Haas apprenticed with an elderly master practitioner in the Bhakti tradition for sixteen years and learned from him the system formerly used by kings and queens to effect personal transformation in their life and rule wisely.Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince were written specifically for rulers. While these works have become renowned, the teachings for kings and queens from India remain to this day largely undiscovered. In this ground-breaking book, Haas discloses these teachings for contemporary Western readers, for the first time openly revealing a knowledge that has been passed down in secrecy in a sacred tradition for millennia.

    But there are forces that can and do reverse it. They are not spectators, or critics, or occasional demonstrators. They are groups of citizens, encouraged and trained to take power with dignity and creativity and unrelenting determination, and to make it work for them, day by day, month by month, and year to year. For more than twenty-five years, Michael Gecan has been a professional organizer with Industrial Areas Foundation, which has trained thousands of little-known community groups from Brownsville, Texas, to Brownsville, Brooklyn. Having grown up witnessing at close range the destructive effects of political patronage on powerless, disenfranchised Chicago communities, Gecan knows from experience that strong relationships in the public sphere and sustained and disciplined organizing can spark the public and private alchemy necessary to achieve sidewalks, parks, schools, housing--and the collective renewal that results. Full of good advice and entertaining accounts of success, Going Public is the story of those who, says Gecan, “succeed in unexpected ways and in unexpected places.”

    Jazz Notes captures the essential Don Miller with non-religious reflections on how Don's incredible spiritual odyssey got started; what happened to Don at one of the most liberal colleges in the world to help him experience faith and grace for the first time in his life; a recasting of Don's marvelous "confession booth" story; and how Don discovered the secret to really loving other people-and himself. Jazz Notes includes a bonus audio CD with Don Miller interview.BLUE LIKE JAZZ Highlight Notes:1 million copies sold45 appearances on the NY Times Bestseller List-and countingA publishing phenomenon that continues to sell more books each year it is in the marketplace!

    Climate change, the depletion of oil, economic upheaval, and mass extinction together create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions. Active Hope shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face this crisis so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. This process equips us with tools to face the mess we’re in and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.

    Life would make more sense and would be infinitely more fulfilling.Reincarnation is the soul’s journey back to the Light via multiple physical incarnations.In each lifetime, the soul returns to the physical world to correct a different aspect of itself. In one incarnation a soul may need to learn about being rich; another it may need to learn about being poor. Or it may need to experience strength and weakness, anger and compassion, beauty and unsightliness. It doesn’t matter if you were Cleopatra or a foot soldier, the point is to be conscious of the things we failed at, the damage we came to restore so we can make the correction this time around.Reading this book can help you understand some of the challenges and questions you have in this lifetime that may have come from another life. Part I discussses the process of reincarnation—how and why it happens. In Part II, you will learn about life challenges and why it’s important to embrace them as a necessary part of our soul’s work. In Part III, you can detect past life lessons by using kabbalistic tools of angels, astrology, palm and face reading.Awareness of our soul’s journey creates a context that helps us to guide our lives and appreciate what we were given. With this knowledge over many lifetimes our soul eventuality manages to understand all the lessons and puts all of these fragments together. As it does so, the soul gathers sparks of Light back to itself. Eventually it returns to the source of all Light—the Creator—complete.When we understand reincarnation, our mistakes in this life become devastating. We develop a level of spiritual maturity that helps us to perceive how everything is part of a bigger plan designed to help us to change and grow.Death is not the end of the game, but just a chance to do over. We have nothing to fear. Life will be continued . . .

    What took place to operate such a personality change? Questioned, Wensbourgh told that an angel was the architect of this transformation, and when the psychiatrists and specialists studied the case, could not find any kind of imbalance in his mind. The case aroused the curiosity of many journalists, but it was the young Spanish writer Maria Vallejo-Nagera who had the opportunity to interview Wensbourgh.

    The third edition of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal underscores the nature and importance of the Sacred Liturgy in the life of the Church.

    In Gracious Living in a New World, Alexandra Stoddard offers a rich assortment of ideas for achieving a gracious lifestyle. As a busy professional and dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother who revels in the energy of the city and basks in the tranquility of the village, Alexandra is uniquely poised to help us smooth the frayed edges of our lives. Positive and practical, her path toward gracious living does not require money or "extra hands" around the house. When we give ourselves and others positive time and space, our life expands to gracious proportions: "We are surrounded by opportunities for living with grace—our own hands and our own hearts are all the tools we'll ever need."

    In this insightful book, the author looks at the teachings of ancient and modern prophets concerning the times we live in now and the times to come. In a clear and straightforward manner, he discusses dozens of signs of the latter days and examines many specific prophecies about what has happened and what will happen--and how we can be prepared for whatever comes. A memorable, easy-to-understand portrait of the last days

    No valley is as vast as grief, no journey as personal and life changing. Compassionate and wise guides Raymond Mitsch and Lynn Brookside shine a light on the road through grief. They can help you endure the anguish and uncertainty; understand the cycles of grief; sort through the emotions of anger, guilt, fear, and depression; and face the God who allowed you to lose the one you love. A series of thoughtful daily devotions, Grieving the Loss of Someone You Love shares wisdom, insight, and comfort that will help you through and beyond your grief.

    

    In this Annual Gandhi Lecture for the International Association of Gandhian Studies, Mark Shepard tackles some persistently wrong-headed views of Gandhi, offering us a more accurate picture of the man and his nonviolence.///////////////////////////////////////////////// Mark Shepard is the author of "Mahatma Gandhi and His Myths," "The Community of the Ark," and "Gandhi Today," called by the American Library Association's Booklist "a masterpiece of committed reporting." His writings on social alternatives have appeared in over 30 publications in the United States, Canada, England, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, and India. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE I suspect that most of the myths and misconceptions surrounding Gandhi have to do with nonviolence. For instance, it's surprising how many people still have the idea that nonviolent action is passive. It's important for us to be clear about this: There is nothing passive about Gandhian nonviolent action. I'm afraid Gandhi himself helped create this confusion by referring to his method at first as "passive resistance," because it was in some ways like techniques bearing that label. But he soon changed his mind and rejected the term. Gandhi's nonviolent action was not an evasive strategy nor a defensive one. Gandhi was always on the offensive. He believed in confronting his opponents aggressively, in such a way that they could not avoid dealing with him. But wasn't Gandhi's nonviolent action designed to avoid violence? Yes and no. Gandhi steadfastly avoided violence toward his opponents. He did not avoid violence toward himself or his followers. Gandhi said that the nonviolent activist, like any soldier, had to be ready to die for the cause. And in fact, during India's struggle for independence, hundreds of Indians were killed by the British. The difference was that the nonviolent activist, while willing to die, was never willing to kill. Gandhi pointed out three possible responses to oppression and injustice. One he described as the coward's way: to accept the wrong or run away from it.

    In a literal sense also, emotions are a chemical cocktail that course through our bodies. But while we have no problems with pleasant emotions, unpleasant emotions are the source of much angst in our lives. In Emotion: The Juice of Life, Sadhguru looks at the gamut of human emotions and how to turn them into stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks.Sadhguru is a yogi and profound mystic of our times. An absolute clarity of perception places him in a unique space in not only matters spiritual but in business, environmental and international affairs, and opens a new door on all that he touches.

    These daily readings offer the skeptic, the over-committed the opportunity to make room-perhaps just enough room-for God to show up. The weeks leading up to Christmas can spark a strong spiritual longing for more. Although it may never be articulated, we sense beneath those longings is a yearning for an experience of God. These brief writings address the challenges and realities of the season and include a simple action, ritual or meditation designed to gently steer the reader toward the deeper meaning that underlies the season. Smart, witty, edgy--and always hopeful--readings by Quinn Caldwell include a brief prayer for each morning and evening during the entire Christmas season. This book takes seriously the modern person's hunger for meaning and import in a season that feels increasingly frivolous. Includes a calendar with one easy task to do each day.