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Unpretty
by Sharon C RogersThe city of Lehigh, West Virginia, faces the insidious threat of a sadistic cult bent on eliminating all "unpretty" things in the world. A bomb goes off at the Conklin Art Gallery, killing eight people associated with a unique Michelangelo exhibit being shown there. The only person who may have seen the bomber is Hummingbird Collins, an aspiring artist who works down the street from the gallery. But she soon starts receiving ominous cassette recordings of a rambling madman who reveals his plan to rid the world of "unpretty" things. This madman -- known only as Number 26 -- leads a cult known as the Michelangelus Movement, which has kidnapped and tortured people for use in their bizarre artistic experiments over the past dozen years. When Hummingbird breaks her frightened silence, she enlists the help of Detective Buck Barnes, her brother, and an old family friend, Ready Robinson, a former pro-football player who entered the priesthood after ending his NFL career. But when Hummingbird is abducted by the cult, her friends must discover where she's been taken before she becomes another addition to the leader's horrific replication of Michelangelo's masterpiece -- Last Judgment.
Unprotected Texts: The Bible's Surprising Contradictions About Sex and Desire
by Jennifer Wright Knust“An explosive, fascinating book that reveals how the Bible cannot be used as a rulebook when it comes to sex. A terrific read by a top scholar.” —Bart Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus Boston University’s cutting-edge religion scholar Jennifer Wright Knust reveals the Bible’s contradictory messages about sex in this thoughtful, riveting, and timely reexploration of the letter of the gospels. In the tradition of Bart Erhman’s Jesus Interrupted and John Shelby Spong’s Sins of Scripture, Knust’s Unprotected Texts liberates us from the pervasive moralizing—the fickle dos and don’ts—so often dictated by religious demagogues. Knust’s powerful reading offers a return to the scripture, away from the mere slogans to which it is so often reduced.
Unqualified: Where You Can Begin to be Great
by Pat SchatzlineMaybe you have a tainted past. You let yourself get pulled into promiscuity, drugs, sabotage, or theft. Maybe you&’ve never had any of these major struggles, but you still battle insecurity. You can&’t imagine God would ever use you! You&’re completely unqualified. But the truth is God wants to use you exactly where you are because you are unqualified. Unqualified is a journey into the realization that you are not God&’s last resort. You will learn the truth about God&’s plan to use every submitted person. Pat Schatzline&’s compassionate and relatable teaching reveals:?? The pitfalls and traps waiting to stop the mission God has assigned you to lead?? The truth that God has always relied on submitted people to propel His message?? How you can let go of excuses, confront your past, rise up, and lead
Unquenchable: Grow a Wildfire Faith that Will Endure Anything
by Carol KentWhere is your faith today—first sparks of faith, bright blue flames, radiating heat, raging bonfire, red-hot coals, cooling embers, cold grey ashes? Is your love for God burning so brightly that you are consumed by its passion? Are those who surround you drawn to its radiance and warmed by its heat? Are sparks flying from you, spreading a wildfire faith that ignites passion in others? Or has your passion cooled, your light dimmed, or your fire been quenched? Throughout history God has chosen fire to represent his awesome power, his judgment and wrath, his protection, and his Shekinah glory: the flaming sword guarding Eden, the burning bush, the pillar of fire, the fiery furnace, the chariot of fire, the burning coal, the flame upon the altar, the lake of fire, and the flaming eyes of the Son of Man upon the throne—these are only a few of the images he has seared into our minds that we might know him more fully. God is the source of that first flicker that sparked your faith and one day you will stand in his holy presence, look into the flaming eyes of Jesus, and see his burning love for you face to face. But between that first flicker and that heavenly meeting, there is life to be lived on this earth. The challenge we all face is that life can dim our fire or even quench it, whether by the soggy mist of the mundane, or the quenching downpour of crisis. Carol Kent has discovered that God’s Word is filled with the secrets of nurturing his fire in our lives, sometimes painfully so, other times even undetected, refining, purifying, cauterizing, healing, and ultimately reshaping us into the image of his Son. Author and speaker Carol Kent will take you into God’s word, and into your own story, to reveal the true power of the fire God has placed in you, to fan the flames of your faith, stir your passion, and embolden you to spark wildfires that will spread to forever change the landscape of this world beyond your wildest imagination. God’s fire is in your life. Fan the flames. Burn brightly. Start a wildfire!
The Unquenchable Lamp of the Covenant (History of Redemption)
by Abraham ParkThe Unquenchable Lamp of the Covenant continues the popular series by Rev. Abraham Park, offering Christian seekers an engaging, yet precisely Bible-based exploration of God's redemption plan for humanity. <P><P>In this book, we learn what the Bible's carefully listed genealogy of Jesus Christ shows us about that larger plan. The biblical timeline outlined in this Bible study of New Testament genealogies reveals how God was at work in redemptive history to guide it towards its fulfillment.This title is part of the History of Redemption series which includes:Book 1: The Genesis GenealogiesBook 2: The Covenant of the TourchBook 3: The Unquenchable Lamp of the CovenantBook 4: God's Profound and Mysterious ProvidenceBook 5: The Promise of the Eternal Covenant
An Unquenchable Thirst: A Memoir
by Mary JohnsonAn unforgettable spiritual autobiography about a search for meaning that begins alongside one of the great religious icons of our time and ends with a return to the secular world At seventeen, Mary Johnson saw Mother Teresa's face on the cover of Time and experienced her calling. Eighteen months later, she entered a convent in the South Bronx to begin her religious training. Not without difficulty, this bright, independent-minded Texas teenager eventually adapted to the sisters' austere life of poverty and devotion, and in time became close to Mother Teresa herself. Still, beneath the white and blue sari beat the heart of an ordinary young woman facing the struggles we all share--the desire for love and connection, meaning and identity. During her twenty years with the Missionaries of Charity, Sister Donata, as she was known, grappled with her faith, her sexuality, the politics of the order, and her complicated relationship with Mother Teresa. Eventually, she left the church to find her own path--one that led to love and herself.Provocative, profound, and emotionally charged, An Unquenchable Thirst presents a rare, privileged view of Mother Teresa. At the same time, it is a unique and magnificent memoir of self-discovery.From the Hardcover edition.
Unquenched: In Pursuit of the Supernatural
by Amanda Ferguson Jonathan Fergusonp.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #454545} God is able to do immeasurably more that what we often embrace. And Jonathan and Amanda Ferguson show us that we need to ask for more, expect more, and by His Spirit believe and actually apprehend the more of God.It's time to experience all you can experience in God, be all He has called you to be, and show the world His supernatural power. The Ferguson's boldly share how to renew our minds and bring revival to our hearts.God's original intent with man was for our spirits to know and commune with Him, like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the deception of the serpent led them to their fall. Without walking in Eden, how can we come to know a God we have not seen? Jonathan and Amanda Ferguson say that knowing who God is has everything to do with learning:His waysHis heartHis characterHis written wordHis mindHis passionObtaining supernatural experiences with Him.God's ability to reveal Himself is the avenue through which we come to know Him; the realization of that truth is evident when each person experiences God for himself. Supernatural experience may mean hearing His voice, seeing angels, or having heavenly visitations, outer body experiences, seeing visions, or even being granted insight into what God has planned for future events.The other side of knowing God is to know what God can actively, physically do. This side of the supernatural includes the performance of signs, wonders, and miracles. Combining both aspects of knowing God is what the Fergusons refer to as embracing the full spectrum of the supernatural. All of these components must work hand in hand. In UNQUENCHED, the Fergusons share from their own powerful experiences in order to help readers understand the explosive power of the supernatural in your everyday life.UNQUENCHED shows you how to go after God for a full life! p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #454545}
Unquestioned Answers: Rethinking Ten Christian Clichés to Rediscover Biblical Truths
by Jeff MyersWe hear and say short Christian clichés all the time, such as &“Jesus was a social justice warrior,&” &“Just have faith,&” and &“It&’s not my place to judge.&” These trite statements often go unquestioned. Sometimes they even substitute for truth, leading to a fragile and shallow faith. But what if a close study of these clichés could lead us to deep biblical truth? In Unquestioned Answers, Dr. Jeff Myers rethinks ten popular Christian clichés. Through an in-depth and fresh look, Myers shares insights into these overused statements to strengthen readers&’ faith and encourage them to share Jesus with others. Walk with Myers on a path to biblical truth as he explores critical topics such as social justice, faith, sin, loving others, God&’s goodness, prayer, and more.
Unraveling: Hanging On to Faith Through the End of a Christian Marriage
by Elisabeth Klein CorcoranTo be a separated or divorced Christian is to be an anomaly, a scandal. No one knows what box to put you in or what to do with you, and this no man's land--pun intended--can be a very isolating and core-shaking place to dwell. Elisabeth Klein Corcoran knows from experience. After extensive counseling, mentoring, 12-step groups, many tears, and even more prayers, Elisabeth found her 16-year marriage ending in separation and divorce. A believer completely in love with Jesus, Elisabeth was alone, drowning in a sea of emotions, and questioning how to navigate her way through the end of her marriage. Elisabeth walks readers through the varied emotions of being newly single in this collection of vulnerable and hopeful essays, expounding on some of the most common struggles of divorce: anger, faith, guilt, loneliness, and more. What started as an article for Crosswalk.com, has turned into a calling to soothe broken hearts with stories, prayer, action steps, and Scripture readings, helping readers hold on to profound faith and reassurance in the one Love that will never die. Whether separated, newly divorced, and just considering divorce, women will find hope and comfort in these short, but dynamic readings.
Unraveling Killer Secrets
by Shannon RedmonShe looked a criminal in the eye… …and now she&’s a target After discovering the scene of her friend&’s murder, forensic photographer Sasha Kane barely escapes alive. But snapping a photo puts her and her son directly in the killer&’s sights…and under the protection of her ex-boyfriend Detective Judah Walker. Stunned that Sasha kept their boy a secret, Judah must put his distrust aside to protect his new family. But with the killer closing in, their future hinges on whether they can survive long enough for justice to prevail.From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
The Unraveling of Wentwater (The Gates of Heaven, Book #4)
by C. S. LakinWhen the simple, backward village of Wentwater begins disappearing one word at a time, no one can figure out how to stop it. Not the learned men living up in the Heights nor the superstitious leaders of the village. But those who had attended the baby naming ceremony seventeen years earlier remember the words of the marsh witch, and her pronouncement that the babe would one day cause the unraveling of Wentwater. In their fear, the villagers banish the parents and set their cottage on fire, and the babe was thought to have perished in the flames. But . . . did she? Teralyn lives in the Heights and wants nothing more than to create beautiful music on her lap harp. When she comes down to the village for a festival, she falls in love with a villager named Fromer, much to the fury of Fromer's brother, Justyn. Justyn's jealousy moves him to make a deal with the witch, and when Wentwater vanishes due to a backfiring spell, it leaves Teralyn, the only person left in the kingdom, with a terrible choice. She must leave her life and forget Wentwater, or she can spend seven long years restoring everything back to the way it was, by spinning nettle into thread and stitching the world back... one word at a time. The Unraveling of Wentwater explores love, jealousy, mercy, and judgment. It spins a tale about the power and magic of words, and as the marsh witch, who keeps words in a jar, warns, "Be careful with your words, they have consequences!" Secrets and superstitions abound in the kingdom, but only a water creature who lives at the bottom of the lake and guards the sacred site knows the truth and can help Teralyn restore all. In this fourth installment of The Gates of Heaven fantasy series, readers will learn of the fourth of seven sacred sites heaven set up on earth to prevent evil from gaining a stronghold over the hearts of men. Inspired by the traditional fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, readers will be taken on a journey that will leave them, in a word... speechless.
Unraveling the Origins Controversy
by David DeWittAnswers many of the most challenging questions in the origins debate. Dr. DeWitt clears up the confusion about creation and evolution by distinguishing fact from interpretation. He exposes underlying assumptions and evidence on both sides of this contentious debate from a consistent Biblical worldview. Using scientific evidence and Scripture, he presents a positive, compelling case for a creation perspective.
An Unreal Estate: Sustainability & Freedom in an Evolving Community
by Lucinda CarspeckenIn An Unreal Estate, Lucinda Carspecken takes an in-depth look at Lothlorien, a Southern Indiana nature sanctuary, sustainable camping ground, festival site, collective residence, and experiment in ecological building, stewardship, and organization. Carspecken notes the way fiction and reality intertwine on this piece of land and argues that examples such as Lothlorien have the power to be a force for social change. Lothlorien's organization and social norms are in sharp contrast with its surrounding communities. As a unique enclave within a larger society, it offers to the latter both an implicit critique and a cluster of alternative values and lifestyles. In addition, it has created a niche where some participants change, grow, and find empowerment in an environment that is accepting of difference—particularly in areas of religion and sexual orientation.
Unreasonable Doubts: A Novel
by Reyna Marder GentinJaded New York City Public Defender Liana Cohen would give anything to have one client in whom she can believe. Dozens of hardened criminals and repeat offenders have chipped away at her faith in both herself and the system. Her boyfriend Jakob’s high-powered law firm colleagues see her do-gooder job as a joke, which only adds to the increasing strain in their relationship. Enter imprisoned felon Danny Shea, whose unforgivable crime would raise a moral conflict in an attorney at the height of her idealism—and that hasn't been Liana in quite a while. But Danny's astonishing blend of good looks, intelligence, and vulnerability intrigues Liana. Could he be the client she’s been longing for—the wrongly accused in need of a second chance? Is he innocent? As their attorney-client relationship transforms into something less than arm’s length, Liana is forced to confront fundamental questions of truth, faith, and love—and to decide who she wants to be.
Unreasonable Hope: Finding Faith in the God Who Brings Purpose to Your Pain
by Judah Smith Chad Veach"Where was God when ____? How could God allow ____? Why?" These are the questions that flood our hearts and minds when the unimaginable happens. When things go horribly wrong and the world seems to be unraveling, how do you believe in God's goodness? How do you cling to hope? Chad Veach directs readers away from clichéd Sunday school answers that fail to offer real comfort or provide faith-building insights. Instead, he draws from God's promises in the Bible and from the story of his own daughter's diagnosis of a devastating and debilitating disease to reveal simple, purposeful steps for dealing with pain. Resting in God's love, remembering his past faithfulness, and realizing the distinction between having faith and clinging to hope are just some of these steps. Veach reminds us that because we know who God is, we know there is hope.
Unreconciled: From Racial Reconciliation to Racial Justice in Christian Evangelicalism
by Andrea SmithIn the 1990s, many evangelical Christian organizations and church leaders began to acknowledge their long history of racism and launched efforts at becoming more inclusive of people of color. While much of this racial reconciliation movement has not directly confronted systemic racism's structural causes, there exists a smaller countermovement within evangelicalism, primarily led by women of color who are actively engaged in antiracism and social justice struggles. In Unreconciled Andrea Smith examines these movements through a critical ethnic studies lens, evaluating the varying degrees to which evangelical communities that were founded on white supremacy have addressed racism. Drawing on evangelical publications, sermons, and organization statements, as well as ethnographic fieldwork and participation in evangelical events, Smith shows how evangelicalism is largely unable to effectively challenge white supremacy due to its reliance upon discourses of whiteness. At the same time, the work of progressive evangelical women of color not only demonstrates that evangelical Christianity can be an unexpected place in which to find theoretical critique and social justice organizing but also shows how critical ethnic studies' interventions can be applied broadly across political and religious divides outside the academy.
The Unreformed Martin Luther: A Serious (and Not So Serious) Look at the Man Behind the Myths
by Anreas MalessaWill the real Martin Luther please stand up?After five hundred years of examining the life of the “father of the Reformation,” we must surely know all there is to know about Martin Luther. But is that true?Did he really nail his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door?Did he throw an inkpot at the devil?Did he plant an apple tree?Did his wife escape her convent in a herring barrel?German radio and television journalist Andreas Malessa looks at the actual history of Luther and concludes that many of the tales we know best are nothing but nonsense.Diving gleefully into the research, Malessa investigates many of the falsehoods and fallacies surrounding the reformer, rejecting them in favor of equally incredible facts. Full of humor and irony, this book educates and entertains while demonstrating a profound respect for Luther's life and mission.If you're looking for the truth of the man behind the theses, come discover his faith and influence--with the myths stripped away.
Unrelenting Grace: A United Methodist Way of Life
by Bishop Kenneth H. Carter Jr.A way of life: embracing grace, seeking holiness, building connections.United Methodist people long to love God and serve their neighbors. Unrelenting Grace by Bishop Ken Carter shows us how to come together and embrace grace, seek holiness, and build meaningful connections promoting strength and healing. Unrelenting Grace evokes insights and courage to overcome feelings of isolation, loneliness, and alienation.The book is an inspiring and practical resource for United Methodists who want to move forward with confidence and hope. As we wrestle with the effects of the pandemic, social disruption, and conflicts, Unrelenting Grace offers guidance for stepping into the future as individuals and as communities of faith. Ken Carter reminds us of our core values as United Methodists, prompting readers to rediscover, redefine, and reclaim the power of grace, holiness, and connection. We see afresh ways to bridge the gap between faith and life, and rediscover deep connections of unity and love.
Unresolved Issues
by Wanda B. CampbellStacelyn thought her life was complete the day she married Dr. Derrick Garrison. The fairytale life she envisioned quickly vanishes, however, when Derrick's late nights and unexplained absences cause her to question his motives for marrying her. As secrets from the past and emotional wounds are revealed, Stacelyn discovers the hard way that it takes more than love to build a marriage.Alone and bitter after Derrick's sudden departure, Stacelyn is forced to face hard truths about the man she married. In the process, she discovers her own unresolved issues. Will the revelations drive her to her knees, or send her seeking comfort from the enemy?Wanda B. Campbell is a graduate of Western Career College in San Leandro, California. She has spent the past twenty years serving the public through the public healthcare system in Alameda County. As an ordained elder, she conducted couples ministry for more than ten years along with her husband, and is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in biblical studies.
Unruly Catholic Feminists: Prose, Poetry, and the Future of the Faith (Excelsior Editions)
by Jeana DelRosso Leigh Eicke Ana KotheA collection of creative pieces, Unruly Catholic Feminists explores how women are coming to terms with their feminism and Catholicism in the twenty-first century. Through short stories, poems, and personal essays, third- and fourth-wave feminists write about the issues, reforms, and potential for progress. Giving voice to many younger writers, the book includes a variety of geographic and ethnic points of view from which women write about their experiences with Catholicism and their visions for the future. While change in the church may be slow to come, even the promise of progress may provide hope for women struggling with the conflicts between their religion and their sense of their own spirituality. Rather than always only oppressing or containing women, Catholicism also drives or inspires many to challenge literary, social, political, or religious hierarchies. By examining how women attempt to reconcile their unruliness with their Catholic backgrounds or conversions and their future hopes and dreams, Unruly Catholic Feminists offers new perspectives on gender and religion today—and for the days yet to come.
Unruly Catholic Nuns: Sisters' Stories (Excelsior Editions)
by Jeana DelRosso; Leigh Eicke; Ana KotheUnruly Catholic Nuns explores the voices of current and former Catholic nuns and, by doing so, contributes to the global conversation about the role of women in the Catholic Church today. Through autobiography, fiction, poetry, and prose, Sisters and former nuns write about their lived experiences with Catholicism, both in accordance and in conflict with the institutional Church. Through their stories we learn how these women act out their missions of social justice, challenge cultural and governmental policies, and attempt to reconcile their unruliness with their religious orders and the strictures of the church hierarchy. At a time when questions of gender, religion, race, and sexuality are provoking intense debate within Catholicism and other Christian traditions, and when religion is frequently invoked in political rhetoric, these stories provide a vital corrective to our contemporary understanding of the role of women and nuns in the Roman Catholic Church.
Unruly Catholic Women Writers: Creative Responses to Catholicism (Excelsior Editions)
by Jeana DelRosso; Leigh Eicke; Ana KotheFinalist for the 2013 ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year Award in the Anthologies CategoryThis unique literary anthology is devoted to unruly Catholic women. In short stories, poems, personal essays, and drama, the contributors describe women's struggles with Catholicism and also complicate contemporary understandings of women's relationships to their faith. Catholicism often oppresses the women in these creative pieces, but it also inspires them to challenge literary, social, political, and religious hierarchies. The collection reflects the considerations of a wide range of women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, geographic locations, and generations; they encompass the gamut of reactions to the Catholic experience—humor, anger, nostalgia, critique, appreciation, and engagement or rejection on one's own terms. Authors address real life versus Catholic dogma, motherhood, childhood, alienation from the Church, Catholic school days, mentors and exemplary figures, Church strictures on women's sexualities, and leaving or remaining in the Church among many other experiences. Readers will find this a rich and multifaceted exploration, one that offers new perspectives and moments of recognition.
Unruly Souls: The Digital Activism of Muslim and Christian Feminists
by Kristin M. PetersonAmid growing digital activism to address gender-based violence, institutional racism, and homophobia in U.S. society, Unruly Souls explores the intersectional feminist activism among young people within Islam and Evangelical Christianity. These religious misfits—marginalized from traditional religious spaces due to their sexuality, gender, or race—employ the creative tactics of digital media in their work to seek justice and to display their fundamental equality in the eyes of God. Through an analysis of various digital projects from hip-hop music videos and Instagram accounts to Twitter hashtags and podcasts, Kristin Peterson argues that the hybrid, flexible, playful, and sensory nature of digital media facilitate intersectional feminist activism within and beyond religious communities. Drawing on work from queer theory, decolonial theory, and Black feminist theory, this study explores how those who have been marginalized are able to effectively deploy their disregarded status along with digital media tactics to cultivate empathetic communities for those recovering from religious trauma.
Unsatisfied: Finding Contentment in a Discontented World
by Ann C. SullivanYou should be happy, like everyone else (it seems). But you feel so unsatisfied and unhappy. Maybe because we are in an epic battle to find contentment in a culture that’s defined by Snapchat and Instagram. Maybe we need permission to feel imperfect. In Unsatisfied Ann C. Sullivan shoots from the hip, with contagious writing and an honest approach. She sorts through the reasons for our frustrations by connecting the dots that lead to genuine contentment. Unsatisfied dares to wonder where God is when life doesn’t go exactly as planned. And it dares you to believe that He is closer than you think.
The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel
by Dean InserraWhat to do when they say they&’re Christian but don&’t know Jesus Whether it&’s the Christmas and Easter Christians or the faithful church attenders whose hearts are cold toward the Lord, we&’ve all encountered cultural Christians. They&’d check the Christian box on a survey, they&’re fine with church, but the truth is, they&’re far from God. So how do we bring Jesus to this overlooked mission field?The Unsaved Christian equips you to confront cultural Christianity with honesty, compassion, and grace, whether you&’re doing it from the pulpit or the pews. This practical guide will: show you how to recognize cultural Christianityteach you how to overcome the barriers that get in the waygive you easy-to-understand advice about VBS, holiday services, reaching &“good people,&” and more!If you&’ve ever felt stuck or unsure how to minister to someone who identifies as Christian but still needs Jesus, this book is for you.