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A Sense of the Whole: Reading Gary Snyder's Mountains and Rivers Without End
by Mark GonnermanIn 1997, Mark Gonnerman organized a yearlong research workshop on Gary Snyder's Mountains and Rivers Without End at the Stanford Humanities Center. Members of what came to be known among faculty, students, and diverse community members as the Mountains & Rivers Workshop met regularly to read and discuss Snyder's epic poem. Here the poem served as a commons that turned the multiversity into a university once again, if only for a moment.The Workshop invited writers, teachers and scholars from Northern California and Japan to speak on various aspects of Snyder's great accomplishment. This book captures the excitement of these gatherings and invites readers to enter the poem through essays and talks by David Abram, Wendell Berry, Carl Bielefeldt, Tim Dean, Jim Dodge, Robert Hass, Stephanie Kaza, Julia Martin, Michael McClure, Nanao Sakaki, and Katsunori Yamazato. It includes an interview with Gary Snyder, appendices, and other resources for further study.Snyder once introduced a reading of this work with reference to whitewater rapids, saying most of his writing is like a Class III run where you will do just fine on your own, but that Mountains and Rivers is more like Class V: if you're going to make it to take-out, you need a guide. As a collection of commentaries and background readings, this companion volume enhances each reader's ability to find their way into and through an adventurous and engaging work of art.
Senses of Mystery: Engaging with Nature and the Meaning of Life
by David E. CooperIn this beautifully written book, David E. Cooper uses a gentle walk through a tropical garden – the view of the fields and hills beyond it, the sound of birds, voices and flutes, the reflection of light in water, the play of shadows among the trees and the presence of strange animals – as an opportunity to reflect on experiences of nature and the mystery of existence. Covering an extensive range of topics, from Daoism to dogs, from gardening to walking, from Zen to Debussy, Cooper succeeds in conveying some deep and difficult philosophical ideas about the meaning of life in an engaging manner, showing how those ideas bear upon the practical question of how we should relate to our world and live our lives. A thought-provoking and compelling book, Senses of Mystery is a triumph of both storytelling and philosophy.
Sensible Religion
by Christopher Lewis Dan Cohn-SherbokAround the globe religion is under attack. Humanists, secularists and atheists depict believers as deluded and dangerous. The aim of this book is to challenge this perception. Sensible Religion defends the validity and emphasises the excitement of the religious quest across the faiths. It demonstrates that the practice of sensible religion is often a courageous path pitted against religious extremism and secularism. Written by committed believers from the major world's faiths, the book endorses the term 'sensible' as expressing religious reasonableness as well as sensitivity to criticism and new insights. Followers of the different traditions live ordinary lives in the mainstream of the world. This volume therefore addresses beliefs and the manner in which these convictions relate to social, political and ethical action. Countering the argument that religion is at root extremist and irrational, Sensible Religion brings together thoughtful and critical reflections by leading thinkers about humanity's spiritual quest.
Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey (Sensible Shoes Series)
by Sharon Garlough BrownMidwest Publishing Awards Show Honorable MentionSharon Garlough Brown tells the moving story of four strangers as they embark together on a journey of spiritual formation:Hannah, a pastor who doesn't realize how exhausted she is.Meg, a widow and recent empty-nester who is haunted by her past.Mara, a woman who has experienced a lifetime of rejection and is now trying to navigate a difficult marriage.Charissa, a hard-working graduate student who wants to get things right.You're invited to join these four women as they reluctantly arrive at a retreat center and find themselves drawn out of their separate stories of isolation and struggle and into a collective journey of spiritual practice, mutual support and personal revelation.Along the way, readers will be taken into a new understanding of key spiritual practices and find tangible support for the deeper life with God.If you want to travel this journey with others, you will find a group study guide and book club resources at sensibleshoesclub.com.
Sensible Shoes Study Guide: A Story About The Spiritual Journey (Sensible Shoes Series)
by Sharon Garlough BrownHave you enjoyed the journey with Meg, Mara, Charissa, and Hannah? This companion guide will take you deeper into their world and give you an opportunity to try out the spiritual practices that you've seen them engage at New Hope Retreat Center. Sensible Shoes Study Guide includes twelve weeks of daily Scripture reading, prayer, and reflection questions (five days a week) that correspond to the disciplines the women practice in the book. A group discussion guide concludes each week. Engaging the lives of these characters in their spiritual journeys will offer both a window and a mirror into your own life and relationship with Christ.
Sensing Salvation in Early British Methodism: Accounts of Spiritual Experience, 1735-1765 (Routledge Methodist Studies Series)
by Erika K.R. StalcupThis book examines the spiritual experiences of the first British Methodist lay people and the language used to describe those experiences. It reflects on physical manifestations such as shouting, weeping, groaning, visions, and out-of-body experiences and their role in the process of spiritual development. These experiences offer an intimate perspective on the surprisingly holistic origins of the evangelical revival. The study features autobiographical narratives and other first-hand manuscripts in which “ordinary” lay people recount their first impressions of Methodism, their conflicted feelings throughout the conversion process, their approach toward death and dying, and their mixed attitudes toward the task of writing itself. The book will be relevant to scholars of Methodism, evangelicalism and religious history as well as those interested in emotions and religious experience.
Sensing the Divine: Influences of Near-Death, Out-of-Body & Cognate Neurology in Shaping Early Religious Behaviours (New Approaches to the Scientific Study of Religion #9)
by Michael N. MarshThis book proposes another unique basis for the origins of religion from disturbances in brain function. It proposes the novel idea that near-death and out-of-body experiences (ND/OBE) engendered “a sense of the divine” in ancient man.As the author points out, key aspects of ND/OBE are thematic of all later established religions. These include journeys to heaven, sightings of brightly-lit godlike figures, and dead people now alive. Thus, ND/OBE could be the originating source of these spiritual motifs. To this, the author adds a fourth factor: various brain influences contribute to or modulate ND/OBE. Such cognate neurological disorders include REM-sleep intrusions, sleep paralysis, narcolepsy, and the Guillain-Barré syndrome. Errors due to aberrant switching between key neural control centers disrupt critical state-boundaries between consciousness and dreaming. This may induce NDE. Thus, in this state, subjects temporarily fail to understand where they are, undergo loss of self, and detached from the world. They imagine a “union with Gods.” Here, then, is the biological basis of ineffability.Ancient humans gained beliefs about the "supernatural" through day-to-day existence. This book argues that near death experiences and cognate neurological conditions, some genetically-determined, could have facilitated, even augmented such beliefs. Hence, in configuring another realm of “spiritual” experience beyond the known environment, these neurological possibilities offer effective traction.
Sensing the Rhythm: Finding My Voice in a World Without Sound
by Mark Atteberry Mandy HarveyThe inspiring true story of Mandy Harvey—a young woman who became deaf at age nineteen while pursuing a degree in music—and how she overcame adversity and found the courage to live out her dreams.When Mandy Harvey began her freshman year at Colorado State University, she could see her future coming together right before her eyes. A gifted musician with perfect pitch, she planned to get a music degree and pursue a career doing what she loved. But less than two months into her first semester, she noticed she was having trouble hearing her professors. In a matter of months, Mandy was profoundly deaf. With her dreams so completely crushed, Mandy dropped out of college and suffered a year of severe depression. But one day, things changed. Mandy’s father asked her to join him in their once favorite pastime—recording music together—and the result was stunningly beautiful. Mandy soon learned to sense the vibrations of the music through her bare feet on a stage floor and to watch visual cues from her live accompaniment. The result was that she now sings on key, on beat, and in time, performing jazz, ballads, and sultry blues around the country. Full of inspiring wisdom and honest advice, Sensing the Rhythm is a deeply moving story about Mandy’s journey through profound loss, how she found hope and meaning in the face of adversity, and how she discovered a new sense of passion and joy.
Sensing the Scriptures: Aminadab's Chariot and the Predicament of Biblical Interpretation
by Karlfried FroehlichThis book explores the ways that Christians, from the period of late antiquity through the Protestant Reformation, interpreted the Bible according to its several levels of meaning. Using the five bodily senses as an organizing principle, Karlfried Froehlich probes key theological developments, traditions, and approaches across this broad period, culminating in a consideration of the implications of this historical development for the contemporary church.Distinguishing between "principles" and "rules" of interpretation, Froehlich offers a clear and useful way of discerning the fundamental difference between interpretive methods (rules) and the overarching spiritual goals (principles) that must guide biblical interpretation. As a study of roots and reasons as well as the role of imagination in the development of biblical interpretation, Sensing the Scriptures reminds us how intellectually and spiritually relevant the pursuit of a historical perspective is for Christian faith and life today.
Sensitive Preaching to the Sexually Hurting
by Sam SerioToday's church has sadly failed to minister to men and women deeply affected by porn, abortion, rape, casual sex, a sexless marriage, same-sex attraction, or childhood sexual abuse. Church leaders know these broken people sit in their pews. What they don't know is what to say to them. Those who would speak out directly from the pulpit worry that they will be unwise or insensitive, whatever their intent to the contrary. They may even fear being fired and losing their ministry altogether.The truth is that seminary curriculums rarely prepare preachers to talk about sex in their sermons. Despite the pervasiveness of sexual wounds in the church, preachers tend to either ignore them and say nothing or abhor them without nuance and condemn. Sam Serio posits a powerful and necessary middle ground: preaching that offers forgiveness, transformation, and restoration.Sensitive Preaching to the Sexually Hurting is a ready-to-use resource written from a preaching perspective. Serio examines the causes and consequences of the seven most difficult sexual issues of today. Moreover, he provides appropriate wording to use in crafting sermons, along with corresponding Scripture texts. He examines how preachers can prepare their churches, their hearts, and their sermons for the topic, and how these can all work together to build a healthier future for their congregations and the wider church body.
Sensitivity Of The Spirit: Learning to Stay in the Flow of God's Direction
by R.T. KendallWe must learn the difference between being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and being aware of the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit! Drawing on the story of Mary and Joseph moving ahead of Jesus, Dr. Kendall explains how easy it is for us to make assumptions in the natural and run on ahead of the Holy Spirit. When you find yourself ahead of God's timing and moving forward with your own personal plans, you must stop and go back! You can find the road back from anywhere, and that road is called repentance! It points you in the direction of peace!
Sensory Biographies: Lives and Deaths Among Nepal's Yolmo Buddhists
by Robert R. DesjarlaisSensory Biographies details the life histories of two Yolmo elders, a women in her late eighties known as Kisang Omu, and a Buddhist priest in his mid eighties known as Ghang Lama.
Sensual: Connect Deeply, Express Freely, Love Intimately
by Henika PatelSensual is a guide to understanding the inner spark we are all born with, why and how we lose it, and how to reclaim our power to live the life we truly want. Sensuality is about more than just pleasure. Sensuality is an innate power that can help you to tune in to your body, mind, and spirit. To be sensual is to know yourself so intimately that you can move through life with confidence and clarity, deeply connected to the fire within. In this book, Henika Patel invites you on a journey of expansion to find your unapologetic, unashamed, fully expressed sensual spirit. Blending Eastern philosophy and Western psychology with practices, rituals, and stories from her own life, Henika will empower you to: – Overcome blocks, shame, and numbness – Unleash and express your authentic desires – Discover your inner spark and confidence – Find sensuality, connection, and freedom in all areas of your life, from love and creativity to work and relationships Are you ready to connect with your sensual power?
Sensual Faith: The Art of Coming Home to Your Body
by Lyvonne BriggsAn invitation for women to discover a healthier approach to spirituality and sexuality that centers pleasure rather than shame, from body- and sex-positive preacher and author Lyvonne Briggs&“Home is not an address. Home is where you feel safe. And your body is aching to be your home.&”How you view your body and your sexuality is informed and strengthened by spiritual practices, but how many of us can say that religion has drawn us closer to our bodies? That&’s because worship spaces that are intended to be spiritual safe houses have not historically been welcoming to our bodies, forcing us to leave our flesh at the door. This ideological amputation is at best a disservice and at worst a sin. The remedy? Radical self-hospitality.In Sensual Faith, Lyvonne Briggs charts a path for us to practice spiritual wellness that aligns and harmonizes our bodies with pleasure and sexuality. By centering the rich traditions of ancient West African spirituality, Sensual Faith offers a radically inclusive model of companioning one&’s self. Filled with wellness rituals, journal prompts, affirmations, and practices, Sensual Faith shows us how to celebrate our bodies as our very homes.&“Pleasure is your birthright,&” writes Briggs, so whether it&’s accepting your flesh, nurturing your intuition, learning the language of consent, or sumptuous self-care, let radical self-hospitality guide you to healthy sexuality.
The Sensual God: How the Senses Make the Almighty Senseless
by Aviad KleinbergIn the Old Testament, God wrestles with a man (and loses). In the Talmud, God wriggles his toes to make thunder and takes human form to shave the king of Assyria. In the New Testament, God is made flesh and dwells among humans. For religious thinkers trained in Greek philosophy and its deep distaste for matter, sacred scripture can be distressing. A philosophically respectable God should be untainted by sensuality, yet the God of sacred texts is often embarrassingly sensual.Setting experts' minds at ease was neither easy nor simple, and often faith and logic were stretched to their limits. Focusing on examples from both Christian and Jewish sources, from the Bible to sources from the Late Middle Ages, Aviad Kleinberg examines the way Christian and Jewish philosophers, exegetes, and theologians attempted to reconcile God's supposed ineffability with numerous biblical and postbiblical accounts of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and even tasting the almighty. The conceptual entanglements ensnaring religious thinkers, and the strange, ingenious solutions they used to extricate themselves, tell us something profound about human needs and divine attributes, about faith, hope, and cognitive dissonance.
Sent: How One Ordinary Family Traded the American Dream for God's Greater Purpose
by Hilary AlanTwo words from Jesus change everything If anyone had the ability to succeed as a committed Christian as well as a high-achieving American, it was Hilary Alan. She and her husband, Curt, had a beautiful home, a fast-track career, and talented, successful children. But in the midst of their comfortable life and active church involvement, they realized they rarely heard from God. Sent tells the story of ordinary Christians who accepted two words from Jesus at face value and found that doing so changed everything. In Jesus's call to "follow me," the Alans discovered answers to the most pressing human needs: meaning, purpose, vocation, significance, and God's plan for the future. For the Alans, it led to selling nearly all their belongings and moving with their children halfway around the world. For you, the particulars will be completely different, but no less significant. Jesus's call can change everything in your life. As you follow Hilary Alan's journey in response to Jesus's call to discipleship, you will gain a clear understanding of the things that can keep you from obeying God. You will no longer wonder if you're investing your life in the best way possible, because two words from Jesus change everything.
Sent: Living a Life That Invites Others to Jesus
by Ashley Holleman Heather HollemanWhat if your ordinary interactions with family, neighbors, and coworkers are actually invitations to adventure with God?Sent: Living a Life that Invites Others to Jesus invites you to grow joyfully with Jesus as you live out your true identity as sent to share Jesus with others. Heather and Ashley Holleman have fully embraced their identities as sent through nearly two decades of full-time ministry. With joy, they proclaim the name of Jesus knowing that God is always at work around us, that He is seeking and saving the lost, and that He is excited for us to do this work with Him.In Sent, they provide insights and stories gleaned from their experiences so you too can live into your identity as sent. You&’ll learn practical strategies for gathering those in your community through discussion questions and activities that teach everything from asking good questions to sharing your own stories of gospel transformation. Use this resource individually or in groups to grow in intimacy with Christ as you engage the world around you with the hope and love of Christ. When we believe in God&’s desire to reach the lost, how we live our own lives changes, and we begin to partake in the joys—not obligations—of evangelism.
Sent: Living a Life That Invites Others to Jesus
by Ashley Holleman Heather HollemanWhat if your ordinary interactions with family, neighbors, and coworkers are actually invitations to adventure with God?Sent: Living a Life that Invites Others to Jesus invites you to grow joyfully with Jesus as you live out your true identity as sent to share Jesus with others. Heather and Ashley Holleman have fully embraced their identities as sent through nearly two decades of full-time ministry. With joy, they proclaim the name of Jesus knowing that God is always at work around us, that He is seeking and saving the lost, and that He is excited for us to do this work with Him.In Sent, they provide insights and stories gleaned from their experiences so you too can live into your identity as sent. You&’ll learn practical strategies for gathering those in your community through discussion questions and activities that teach everything from asking good questions to sharing your own stories of gospel transformation. Use this resource individually or in groups to grow in intimacy with Christ as you engage the world around you with the hope and love of Christ. When we believe in God&’s desire to reach the lost, how we live our own lives changes, and we begin to partake in the joys—not obligations—of evangelism.
Sent By An Angel: A True Story of Tragic Loss & Unexpected Love
by Kevin SkeltonKevin Skelton watched helplessly as a bomb ripped apart the life he knew. It was 15 August 1998, and the place was Omagh, in Northern Ireland. Kevin's wife Mena was one of the 29 people killed that day, and his daughter Shauna was horrifically injured. Kevin had lost the love of his life. He sank into the depths of despair after the bomb. At a time when his family needed him most, he turned to drink and self-loathing, often wishing he could have taken Mena's place that day. More than once, he held a loaded shotgun to his mouth, but he could never go through with it.Mena was the angel who saved him. Before she died, she and Kevin had been bringing a young girl, Andreea, from a Romanian orphanage, for holidays to their home. In memory of Mena, Kevin decided to adopt Andreea, but on his first trip to Romania to start proceedings, he was shocked to discover that her mother, Maria, was still alive. In the most unlikely of circumstances, a love blossomed between them, convincing Kevin that Mena had sent Andreea and Maria to him so that he could find happiness again. He believes Mena has been a constant presence in the family's lives since her death, watching over them and protecting them. Sent by an Angel is a true story of love rising from the ashes of tragedy, a romance that reaches beyond the boundaries of this world.
Sent by Earth: A Message from the Grandmother Spirit
by Alice WalkerNow more timely than ever, Alice Walker's Sent By Earth reflects on the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and addresses the anger many Americans felt at the presumed perpetrator of the attack: Osama bin Laden. In powerfully reflective, nuanced, and above all heartfelt prose, Walker explores the seeds of hatred and resentment around the globe, and advances a surprisingly controversial theory: that hatred can never be defeated by hatred, but only by love.
Sent Devotions for the Season: Delivering the Gift of Hope at Christmas (Sent Advent series)
by Justin Larosa Jorge Acevedo Jacob Armstrong Lanecia Rouse Rachel BillupsAs you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . --John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study. This devotional, offering four weeks of daily reflections, functions beautifully on its own or as part of the church-wide experience. The reflections are ideal for use during Advent and include Scripture, personal insights, daily challenges, and prayers.
Sent [Large Print]: Delivering the Gift of Hope at Christmas (Sent Advent series)
by Justin Larosa Jorge Acevedo Jacob Armstrong Lanecia Rouse Rachel BillupsAs you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . --John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study.
Sent Leader Guide: Delivering the Gift of Hope at Christmas (Sent Advent series)
by Justin Larosa Jorge Acevedo Jacob Armstrong Lanecia Rouse Rachel BillupsAs you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . --John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study. This 64-page Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the study program. Includes session plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. This guide centers around the book, the videos, and Scripture.
Sent to Flourish: A Guide to Planting and Multiplying Churches
by Charles E. Cotherman Charles E. Cotherman, Leonard Jay Tang Leonard Jay TangChurch planting is hard work.Sent to FlourishCarrie Boren HeadingtonJohn LoTim MoreyJohnny Ramírez-JohnsonScott W. SunquistNick WarnesJR WoodwardEvery church planter needs a healthy "root system" of three interwoven components: a biblical theology of church planting, personal spiritual formation, and robust intercultural competencies to navigate diverse ministry contexts. Each section of this book delves into these areas in turn, covering topics such asbiblical, cultural, historical, and contemporary dimensions of church plantingthe missiology of Jesus' ministry and teaching on the kingdom of Godresources to sustain the spiritual formation of church planters, leadership teams, and church membershow to contextualize the gospel message and planting methods in different cultures and communitiesSent to Flourish
Sent Youth Study Book: Delivering the Gift of Hope at Christmas (Sent Advent series)
by Justin Larosa Kevin Alton Jorge Acevedo Jacob Armstrong Lanecia Rouse Rachel BillupsAs you sent me into the world, so I have sent them . . . --John 17:18 God sent Christ at Christmas. In turn, Christ sends us into the world to be his hands and feet, head and heart. Dynamic pastor Jorge Acevedo leads us on a 5-week Advent journey to discover how, where, and why we are sent. Joining him on the journey are four young clergy including Jacob Armstrong, Rachel Billups, Justin LaRosa, and Lanecia Rouse, who challenge us through story, art, and Bible study. The Youth Study Book contains everything needed to conduct a five-week Advent study geared to youth, including current examples that have meaning to young people ages 13-18. Can be used with the adult-level DVD.