The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World

The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World
Author: Deanna A. Thompson
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Total Pages: 129
Release: 2016-11-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1501815199

We live in a wired world where 24/7 digital connectivity is increasingly the norm. Christian megachurch communities often embrace this reality wholeheartedly while more traditional churches often seem hesitant and overwhelmed by the need for an interactive website, a Facebook page and a twitter feed. This book accepts digital connectivity as our reality, but presents a vision of how faith communities can utilize technology to better be the body of Christ to those who are hurting while also helping followers of Christ think critically about the limits of our digital attachments. This book begins with a conversion story of a non-cell phone owning, non-Facebook using religion professor judgmental of the ability of digital tools to enhance relationships. A stage IV cancer diagnosis later, in the midst of being held up by virtual communities of support, a conversion occurs: this religion professor benefits in embodied ways from virtual sources and wants to convert others to the reality that the body of Christ can and does exist virtually and makes embodied difference in the lives of those who are hurting. The book neither uncritically embraces nor rejects the constant digital connectivity present in our lives. Rather it calls on the church to a) recognize ways in which digital social networks already enact the virtual body of Christ; b) tap into and expand how Christ is being experienced virtually; c) embrace thoughtfully the material effects of our new augmented reality, and c) influence utilization of technology that minimizes distraction and maximizes attentiveness toward God and the world God loves.

Life in the Body of Christ

Life in the Body of Christ
Author: Curtis C. Thomas
Publisher:
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2006
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780971336186

Thomas offers practical, biblical instruction on a wide range of issues involving individual and corporate participation and responsibility in the life of a local church. (Christian)

The Body of Christ

The Body of Christ
Author: Witness Lee
Publisher: Living Stream Ministry
Total Pages: 10
Release: 1998-02
Genre:
ISBN: 1575938790

Rediscover Church

Rediscover Church
Author: Collin Hansen
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 149
Release: 2021-07-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433579596

"A Christian without a church is a Christian in trouble." Since a global pandemic abruptly closed places of worship, many Christians have skipped church life, even neglecting virtual services. But this was a trend even before COVID-19. Polarizing issues, including political and racial strife, convinced some people to pull away from the church and one another. Now it's time to recommit to gathering as brothers and sisters in Christ. In Rediscover Church, Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman discuss why church is essential for believers and God's mission. Through biblical references and personal stories, they show readers God's true intention for corporate gathering: to spiritually strengthen members as individuals and the body of Christ. In an age of church-shopping and livestreamed services, rediscover why the future of the church relies on believers gathering regularly as the family of God. Published in partnership with the Gospel Coalition and 9Marks.

How the Body of Christ Talks

How the Body of Christ Talks
Author: C. Christopher Smith
Publisher: Brazos Press
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2019-04-16
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493417053

In today's highly charged social and political environment, we often don't know how to talk well with others--especially with people whose backgrounds differ from our own. C. Christopher Smith, coauthor of the critically acclaimed and influential Slow Church, addresses why conversation has become such a challenge in the 21st century and argues that it is perhaps the most-needed spiritual practice of our individualistic age. Smith likens practicing conversation to the working of the human body. Bodies are wondrous symphonies of diverse, intricate parts striving for our health, and our health suffers when these parts fail to converse effectively. Likewise, we must learn to converse effectively with those who differ from us in the body of Christ so we can embody Christ together in the world. In community, we learn what it means to belong to others and to a story that is bigger than ourselves. Smith shows how church communities can be training hubs where we learn to talk with and listen to one another with kindness and compassion. The book explores how churches can initiate and sustain conversation, offers advice for working through seasons of conflict, suggests spiritual practices and dispositions that can foster conversation, and features stories from several congregations that are learning to practice conversation.

The Mystical Body of Christ

The Mystical Body of Christ
Author: Fulton J. Sheen
Publisher: Ave Maria Press
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2015-03-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0870612956

The Mystical Body of Christ captures the theological precision and communicative genius of Fulton J. Sheen (1895–1979), whose radio and television broadcasts, including Life Is Worth Living, have reached millions of homes since the 1950s. With more than thirty of his works still in print, Sheen is one of the most beloved Catholic evangelists of all time. This full-length and fully developed work on the Church as an extension of the Incarnation reveals Sheen’s accessible and theologically astute teaching style in the early years of his ministry. First published in 1935, the book’s themes of the Eucharist as a source of unity for the Mystical Body of Christ—the Church—and the link between the liturgy and works of social justice were echoed in the Second Vatican Council several decades later.

The Glorious Body of Christ

The Glorious Body of Christ
Author: Rienk Bouke Kuiper
Publisher: Banner of Truth
Total Pages: 383
Release: 1967
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780851513683

'Glorious' is probably the last adjective most modern writers would use to describe the Christian Church. Yet R. B. Kuiper chose his title, The Glorious Body of Christ, advisedly, for he wished to emphasize what he believed to be a sadly neglected aspect of the subject, that the Church of Christ is glorious. Dr. Kuiper, who died in 1966, was for many decades a teacher of theology, and his great concern was for the popular presentation of Christian doctrine. His own books went far to meet that need, including his God-Centered Evangelism (also published by the Trust) and For Whom Did Christ Die? on the extent of the atonement. In addition to his vigorous and clear style, Kuiper is also noted for the comprehensive way in which he treats his subject. The Glorious Body contains no less than fifty-three chapters, and among the aspects of the subject dealt with are unity, the marks of the Church, the offices of the Church, its responsibilities and privileges, and the Church and the world. Although this book is worthy of the widest possible circulation, it may be particularly commended as a manual for office-bearers in the Church.

What You Do Best in the Body of Christ

What You Do Best in the Body of Christ
Author: Bruce Bugbee
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2005
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310257352

An acclaimed authority shows Christians how to discover and apply their unique passion, spiritual gifts, and relational style within the church. Expanded Edition.

Building Up the Body of Christ

Building Up the Body of Christ
Author: Bruce M. Hartung
Publisher:
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2016
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780758644428

Man is not meant to live alone. God's reflections in Genesis 2 make that quite clear, and our own inner longings for community confirm the truth that we were created for authentic relationships. Those who walk in church-worker shoes know that their congregation is a little community, one not gathered together by their efforts but united as a gift from God. Unique personalities and vastly different communication styles define each flock. And everything in the world, our sinful human flesh, and Satan seek to destroy these diverse relationships in the Body of Christ. Building Up the Body of Christ: Supporting Community Life in the Church gives church leaders a guidebook for developing and nurturing church environments that are psychologically and spiritually healthy. Author Bruce Hartung combines research, real stories, and personal experience that will inspire you to reevaluate best practices for loving and serving your neighbors at church. Return to your baptismal identity, receive God's Word and the Lord's Supper often, and you're ready to begin the journey! Book jacket.