A resource to enable pastors and other church leaders to integrate healing services into the total life of the church using a wholistic approach that connects healing liturgies with the theology, pastoral care, and social concerns of the church. The book provides practical tools for healing homilies and liturgies, theological reflection on the healing ministry of the church, pastoral self-care, and congregational health care ministries.

Healing Worship: Purpose & Practice

Religion & Spirituality

Bruce G. Epperly

Christian Books & Bibles

Pilgrim Press, The

"In a process relational world, to love God is to be swept up into God's own love for the world. It is to become a participant in God's great compassion. To develop spirituality in this relational world of ours is to develop a habit of attentiveness to the call of the Spirit, which will lead us ever more deeply into lives that are marked by the compassion of God. These nine essays form an integral whole, combining a careful analysis of relational dynamics with very practical suggestions for personal and communal ways of intensifying our spirituality. The essays flow from the wellsprings of spirituality in each of our authors; they are "lived" essays, and not simply theoretical discussions. To read the essays, then, is to be invited into the privilege of seeing how the call of the Spirit has been answered in each of these three lives. One can join with them by reading this book meditively, reflecting on one's own responses to the issues named. But one can also read this book as a kind of manual, giving tested instruction for persons and for communties to focus intentionally on increasing our spiritual awareness. In this sense, then, perhaps the book functions according to its apt title - it may, indeed, represent for us the call of the Spirit." - from the Introduction

The Call of the Spirit: Process Spirituality in a Relational World

John B. Cobb, Jr.

Paul S. Nancarrow

P & F Press

Philippians: A Participatory Study Guide

Philippians: A Participatory Study Guide is the sixth volume in the Participatory Study Series. From beginning to end, the student is invited to absorb the text and allow God's message to change her or his life. At the same time, it maintains the series standard of providing a guide that takes account of current biblical scholarship and helps the student examine the text critically while also listening to and being guided by the Holy Spirit. This guide contains eight lessons suitable for use by an individual student, but best used in a small group. The lessons are clearly written so that a laity-led class or small group can use them to advantage. In addition, there is a guide to using the book that provides insights into Bible study in general, and two appendices, one outlining the process of Bible study and one listing and describing useful resources. Each lesson includes prayers, spiritual exercises, thought questions, and theological reflection. These are designed to help students learn to see the text in a new way and to realize their full potential through the power of the Holy Spirit. This book will not only impact your knowledge of scripture; it will change the way you pray, live, witness, and relate to your community of faith and the world.

Reference

Energion Publications

Piglet's Process: Process Theology for All God's Children

Does theology have to be dry and boring in order to be serious? Not at all! The prophet Isaiah once said, "a little child will lead them." But, what about a character from Winnie the Pooh? Can anxious, yet adventurous, Piglet help us understand our relationship with God and one another? Theology is serious business. So serious that it can't be left solely to adults! Bruce Epperly's imaginative conversations with Piglet explore the contours of theological reflection from the perspective of Process Theology. Process Theology is often seen as far too complicated for adults to understand and impossible to teach or preach to laypeople. In this text, an experienced pastor and professor and a beloved character from the Winnie the Pooh stories bring Process Theology to life and explore themes such as beauty, spirituality, adventure, friendship, healing, and God's presence in our lives. In the spirit of Jesus' parables, Piglet's Process will inspire your imagination and creativity and invite you on a never-ending spiritual journey with a theologian, stuffed animal, and the healer from Nazareth as your companions. This is a book to read for fun and study seriously. It's theology for everyone.

Life is a holy adventure in which our lives emerge from our relationships and the institutions that have shaped us. In this second edition, I want to give thanks to the institutions that have most shaped me spiritually and professionally: Claremont School of Theology, Claremont Graduate School, and the Disciples Seminary Foundation in Claremont; the United Church of Christ; and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This book is an embodiment of the United Church of Christ’s affirmation: “God is still speaking.” I give thanks daily for my wife and partner in life, ministry, parenting, and grand parenting, Kate Epperly. Life is always an adventure with Kate: her Myers-Briggs “P” (perceiving) spirit keeps my “J” (judging) on my toes and challenges me to modify my plans at a moment’s notice. Her “E” (extroversion) has energized my “I” (introversion) personally and professionally. I am grateful for the impact of being a father on my personal and professional life. My son Matt has awakened me to the meaning of unconditional love and has expanded the circle of love to include his wife Ingrid and two very adventurous young boys. This book is an affirmation of God’s holy adventure in every season of life from childhood to eldership, and my two grandsons have deepened my commitment to be God’s companion in healing the world for their generation and their children’s children. I am thankful for the “cloud of witness” and “creative companions” who have inspired my adventures. In that cloud of adventurers, journeying in God’s realm of adventurous shalom, I give thanks for my mom and dad, Loretta and Everett Epperly, my brother Bill, and for mentors – Bernie Loomer, Shorty Collins, Marie Fox, and Howard Thurman. I give thanks for living adventurers whose mentoring and teaching still shapes my life – John Cobb, David Ray Griffin, and John Akers. This text reflects the encouragement of dear friends, many of whom regularly repeat back to me my own words – “it’s a holy adventure” – when I am tempted to shrink from making great plans or embarking on journeys to new places – Anna Rollins, Patricia Adams Farmer, Suzanne Schmidt, Monica Coleman, Kathy Harvey Nelson, Jay McDaniel, and Edwin David Aponte. Two churches have shaped the writing of this text – Disciples United Community Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, whose open-spirit and partnership encouraged theological, spiritual, and worship adventures, and South Congregational United Church of Christ, Centerville, Massachusetts, whose faithful ministry on Cape Cod lures me forward to new and creative adventures. Finally, this second edition emerged through an invitation from David Tullock, Publisher of Parson’s Porch Books, who joins publication with social concern and healing. Publishing, for David, is more about prophets than profits, in his quest to bring sustenance and joy to vulnerable persons so that they might have the freedom to see their lives as adventurous and holy. Pentecost 2013

Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living

Parsons Porch Books