Upside-Down Spirituality


Book Description

In our age when the church can too often seem like a poor copy of the world, Chad Bird challenges us to reclaim the astounding originality of our ancient, backward faith. Where the world stresses the importance of success, Bird invites readers to embrace nine specific failures in the areas of our personal lives, our relationships, and the church. Why? Because what human wisdom deems indispensable is so often an impediment to our spiritual growth, and what it deems insignificant is so often essential to it. With compelling examples from the Bible and today, Bird paints an enticing picture of the counterintuitive, countercultural life that God wants for us. He helps readers delight in all of the ways that Jesus turned the world upside-down, allowing us to experience true freedom, not from our weaknesses but in the midst of them.




World Upside Down


Book Description

No longer can Acts be seen as a simple apologia that articulates Christianity's harmlessness vis-à-vis Rome. Rather, in its attempt to form communities that witness to God's apocalypse, author Kavin Rowe argues that Luke's second volume is a highly charged and theologically sophisticated political document. Luke aims at nothing less than the construction of a new culture - a total pattern of life - that inherently runs counter to the constitutive aspects of Graeco-Roman society.




How to Keep Your Faith in an Upside-Down World


Book Description

In a world where evil is glorified, Christians are vilified, and athletes earn more than the total budget of some small countries, there comes a time when you think life is out of control-and your world is upside down. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).




The World Turned Upside Down


Book Description

What could the supernatural world of Stranger Things have in common with the Bible? The paranormal television series Stranger Things taps into the mysterious elements that have fueled spiritual questions for millennia. The otherworldly manifestations in Hawkins, Indiana offer compelling portrayals of important spiritual truths--and many of these truths are echoed in the supernatural worldview of the Bible. For Michael Heiser, Stranger Things is the perfect marriage of his interest in popular culture and the paranormal. In The Unseen Realm, he opened the eyes of thousands, helping readers understand the supernatural worldview of the Bible. Now he turns his attention to the worldwide television phenomenon, exploring how Stranger Things relates to Christian theology and the Christian life. In The World Turned Upside Down, Heiser draws on this supernatural worldview to help us think about the story of Jesus and discover glimpses of the gospel in the Upside Down. He argues that this celebrated series helps us understand the gospel in unique and overlooked ways. The spiritual questions and crises raised by Stranger Things are addressed the same way they are in the gospel, with mystery and transcendent power.




Upside Down Evangelism


Book Description

Over the centuries, people have been turned off by Christianity because of its role in institutionalized religion. What if the person of Jesus could be separated from two thousand years of horrendous acts committed by people who say they follow Him? What impact would that have on a society that is increasingly global-minded, cynical, and post-Christian? Fábio Muniz was raised in Brazil and has spent years in Canada, Spain, the U.S. and Japan. Learn from his experience with atheists, agnostics and people burned out on religion around the world as he demystifies one of the most controversial people of all time. By living out our lives as the people we were created to be, we can allow evangelism to happen organically. Read this book to see why Jesus was not the founder of Christianity, how our life is our mission and our mission is our life, the reason our lives should never be compartmentalized, and why it's not always necessary to talk about the Old Testament when talking about the historical person of Jesus Christ.




Falling Upward


Book Description

A valuable new companion journal for the best-selling Falling Upward In Falling Upward, Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." The Companion Journal helps those who have (and those who have not) read Falling Upward to engage more deeply with the questions the book raises. Using a blend of quotes, questions for individual and group reflection, stories, and suggestions for spiritual practices, it provides a wise guide for deepening the spiritual journey. . . at any time of life. Explains why the second half of life can and should be full of spiritual richness Offers tools for spiritual growth and greater understanding of the ideas in Falling Upward Richard Rohr is a regular contributing writer for Sojourners and Tikkun magazines This important companion to Falling Upward is an excellent tool for exploring the counterintuitive messages of how we grow spiritually.




The Upside-Down Kingdom


Book Description

The Upside-Down Kingdom calls readers to imagine and embody the reign of God on earth as it is in heaven. Since its publication in 1978, The Upside-Down Kingdom won the National Religious Book Award and has become the most trusted resource on radical Christian discipleship. In this completely updated anniversary edition, author Donald B. Kraybill asks: What does it mean to follow the Christ who traded victory and power for hanging out with the poor and forgiving his enemies? How did a man in first-century Palestine threaten the established order, and what does that mean for us today? Jesus turned expectations upside down. The kingdom of God is still full of surprises. Are you ready? Free downloadable study guide available here.




Upside-Down Zen


Book Description

"Upside-Down Zen" invites readers to explore the vivid spirit of Zen Buddhism in fresh ways. Recalling, in another vein, the warm, lyrical style of Lin Jensen's "Bad Dog!, " author Susan Murphy offers a multifaceted take on the spiritual, grounded in the everyday. She uses her skills as storyteller, filmmaker, and poet to uncover the connections between Zen and Western cinema, as well as between Zen and traditions as diverse as Australian aboriginal beliefs and Jewish folktales. In the process, she finds spirituality where it has always belonged -- wherever life is happening. Murphy helps readers make sense of Zen koans, the often oversimplified and misunderstood teaching stories of the tradition, and highlights their wisdom for any reader on the spiritual path. A strong new voice in Western Buddhism, Murphy speaks for the many "unrecorded" women of Zen while bringing a lively, literate approach to a sometimes daunting genre.




Back to Front and Upside Down


Book Description

It's the principal Mr. Slipper's birthday, and while the rest of the class gets busy writing cards for the occasion, Stan becomes frustrated when his letters come out all in a muddle. Stan is afraid to ask for help, until a friend assures him that nobody's good at everything. And after lots and lots of practice, Stan's letters come out the right way round and the right way up. This delightful book deals with a common childhood frustration and will remind readers that practice pays off and that everyone has to ask for help sometimes.




“Your ‘Tor-tell-ah’s’ Upside Down!”


Book Description

Unpredicted insights come to light through encounters with angels, mystics, psychics and shamans in this comedic memoir. A seemingly fictional nonfiction is asking for more than laughter from its readers. We are called to task and challenged to awaken. Living reflections of divinity and darkness. Boulton suggests we are the midwives of an emerging spiritual renaissance. “Your Tor-tell–ah’s Upside Down!”, unfolds through metaphors of grace in this odyssey of the heart. Are we coming together or coming apart? Right side up or upside down, this is a story of hope for our evolution in 2012 and beyond.