Where All Hope Lies


Book Description

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Where All Hope Lies presents fifty-six select sermons by James Van Tholen, a gifted young pastor who lost his battle with cancer in January 2001 at the age of thirty-six. Though Jim's untimely death gives a certain poignancy to this volume, these sermons are far from dark or despairing. Van Tholen's conversational style, thought-provoking insights into Scripture, and frequent interaction with such writers as Flannery O'Connor, Frederick Buechner, Kathleen Norris, and others make these sermons truly enjoyable as well as profitable to read. Through them all there runs a sense of concentrating on what really matters--trusting in God no matter what suffering or difficulties might come our way. Indeed, as demonstrated by the book's title sermon--first published in Chrisitanity Today as "Surprised by Death"--more than anything, Van Tholen preached the grace and goodness of God. Including a foreword by Neal Plantinga and a closing reflection on "the man behind the sermons" by Jim's wife, Rachel, Where All Hope Lies offers gracious, powerful, uplifting words for believers throughout the church year.










Worshiping in Season


Book Description

Worshiping in Season guides ministers through a meaningful framework for ecologically oriented worship. Following the liturgical calendar and maintaining a Christocentric emphasis, Joseph E. Bush Jr. aligns earthly seasons with the liturgy and suggests readings, songs, and other acts of worship to amplify an ecologically informed Christology. The seasons of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost and Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany recall and reenact dramas about Jesus Christ that entail good news for the natural world and for the flourishing of earthly creatures. Bush examines the Christological and ecological importance of selections from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Mass and the Revised Common Lectionary that is used in ecumenical Protestant denominations. Creation and Christ weave together in concert, and Christian worship is seen as an opportunity to participate in both creation’s longing and in Christ’s saving work. Each chapter includes resources and suggestions for worship as well as biblical commentary and theological interpretation helpful to preaching. This book is a valuable companion in preparing for worship during the important seasons of the Christian year, giving voice to our faith in Christ and our hope for the Earth.




Expositions of the Psalms 1-32 (Vol. 1)


Book Description

"As the psalms are a microcosm of the Old Testament, so the Expositions of the Psalms can be seen as a microcosm of Augustinian thought. In the Book of Psalms are to be found the history of the people of Israel, the theology and spirituality of the Old Covenant, and a treasury of human experience expressed in prayer and poetry. So too does the work of expounding the psalms recapitulate and focus the experiences of Augustine's personal life, his theological reflections and his pastoral concerns as Bishop of Hippo."--Publisher's website.




Sermons for Lent and the Easter Season


Book Description

The sermons of Bernard of Clairvaux evoke the inner conversion of the human person who is open to the Word/words, the external conversion that is submission to the obedience of community life, and, finally, the personal recognition of the true nature of the divine Word. This volume contains Saint Bernard's sermons for the liturgical seasons of Lent and Easter. Included are sermons for the Purification, Septuagesima, the feast of Saint Benedict, and the feast of the Annunciation, all of which are interpreted by Bernard in light of the paschal mystery. In the sermons for Lent, especially, one gets to know a more hesitant and searching Bernard than appears in his other liturgical sermons. This volume is the third of a projected five volumes of Bernard's liturgical sermons.




Sermons for Christmas and Epiphany


Book Description




You Crown the Year with Your Goodness


Book Description

You Crown the Year with Your Goodness is a remarkable work, containing timely and timeless homilies for the liturgical year by a profound spiritual writer. Originally broadcast on the radio, the homilies in this volume span decades and represent some of the best of Father Hans Urs von Balthasarಙs preaching. They are arranged to correspond with the Churchಙs liturgical calendar, and include homilies on major feast days of Christ, his Mother, and the liturgical seasons. Each homily makes for insightful, informative, and inspirational spiritual reading, deepening the readerಙs appreciation for the Word of God and helping him to enter into the great Mystery of God. Also included are Father von Balthasarಙs Yearಙs End Examination of Conscience and four talks on Jesus Christ, that address contemporary debates about the Lord. This work is a feast for the heart and the mind presented by a man described by Pope Benedict as ಜa priest who, in obedience and in a hidden life, never sought personal approval, but rather in a true Ignatian spirit always desired the greater glory of Godಝ. Father Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905 1988), a Swiss theologian, was one of the most important Catholic thinkers and writers of the twentieth century. His many works address theology, literature, philosophy, and spirituality. Included among his books are his multi-volume works The Glory of the Lord, Theo-Drama, and Theo-Logic, as well as such works as Love Alone is Credible, Prayer, and Heart of the World. Highly regarded by Pope John Paul II, Father von Balthasar was named a cardinal of the Catholic Church but he died shortly before being received into the sacred college.