The Paraclete Book of Hospitality

The Paraclete Book of Hospitality
Author: Editors of Paraclete Press
Publisher: Paraclete Press
Total Pages: 95
Release: 2012-02-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1612611532

Become a person who is ready to respond to others. This book of monastic wisdom, practices, and reflection should inspire you to find new ways to respond to the world around you. There is nothing more central to the publishing mission of Paraclete Press than Christian hospitality, and we have pulled together what we've learned over the last 25 years. Chapters include: * Welcoming the stranger * Giving yourself away * The realness of caring for people * Food and table * Through the seasons of the church year * Opening your heart The result is an inspirational guide for practical living. From the book: "Is there anything more beautiful than the meeting of friends, the sharing of burdens, genuine caring love for another human being? Perhaps there is. Perhaps even more beautiful, in the Christian worldview, is when these things happen between those who are not friends, maybe they are strangers, or perhaps they are simply extending beyond their comfort zones to be friends, to listen or help in times of trouble, to show lo

Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love

Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love
Author: Lonni Collins Pratt
Publisher: Paraclete Press
Total Pages: 167
Release: 2011-06-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1557258937

For readers of “The Benedict Option”, here is another invaluable collection of Benedictine wisdom to live by. Today's culture is increasingly hostile and suspicious toward anyone who appears to be different--especially when tragedy strikes. Our instinct is to bolt our doors and protect the ones we love. But deep within the heart of Benedictine spirituality lies a remedy to hatred, fear, and suspicion: hospitality. At once deeply comforting and sharply challenging, true Benedictine hospitality requires that we welcome the stranger, not only into our homes, but into our hearts. With warmth and humor, drawing from the monastic tradition and sharing personal anecdotes from their own lives, Pratt and Homan encourage us to embrace not only the literal stranger, but the stranger within and the stranger in those we love.

Putting Joy Into Practice

Putting Joy Into Practice
Author: Phoebe Farag Mikhail
Publisher: Paraclete Press
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2019-04-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1640603204

Putting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church is an invitation to a life of joy. Phoebe Farag Mikhail explains what joy is and how to experience it through seven spiritual practices that cultivate our inner lives and connect us to our communities. These seven practices, which include giving thanks, hospitality, praise, and more, take us on a journey that leads to joy through the giving and receiving of sacrificial love. She describes her own experiences and struggles with joy and offers practical ways to implement these practices to increase joy in our own lives and in the lives of all those around us.

Flunking Sainthood Every Day

Flunking Sainthood Every Day
Author: Jana Riess
Publisher: Paraclete Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2014-12-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1612616747

Over one year recounted in Flunking Sainthood, Riess failed twelve different spiritual practices. To her surprise, thought, she learned something important even from the ones she failed most spectacularly. This new 365 daily devotional, readers who are looking for spiritual growth will find guidance, arranged according to monthly practices such as gratitude, generosity, prayer, Sabbath-keeping, and hospitality. Each day’s reading has a reflection from a contemporary or classic spiritual thinker, a short scripture verse, and a brief prayer, reflection, or follow-up action. This daily devotional helps us know that there is great compassion for all of us who are flunking sainthood as we learn that spiritual growth is a lifelong journey without a fixed destination. Jana Riess is the author of The Twible and Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray,and Still Loving My Neighbor, which was named by Publishers Weekly as one of the best religion books of the year. “This book is about how to relax in our imperfections, trust God’s grace, and take authentic and practical steps toward deepening maturity in faith.” —Sharon Garlough Brown, author of Sensible Shoes “This devotional will stimulate your brain, companion your soul, and inspire you.” —Lauren F. Winner, author of Mudhouse Sabbath and Still “In addition to being a sagely writer, Jana is an avid quote collector. Here are 365 gems, full of mojo in insight for normal folks like us, along with a simple challenge to make each day a wonderful experience of falling forward.” —Brian D. McLaren, author of We Make the Road by Walking “Refreshingly realistic about our human imperfections and heartily confident of grace.” —Marjorie Thompson, author of Soul Feast “Jana is a thoughtful, wise, and compassionate guide to the life of the spirit, and this book will be a daily gift to all of us who are flunking sainthood—but hope to raise our GPA.” —Greg Garrett, author of The Other Jesus “Relax, spiritual slackers. Somebody else has done all the reading. Now you have a book of poetic inspiration, Bible verses, current bestsellers and ancient thinkers, one for each day. Skip a day? No guilt. Don’t understand? You’ll catch up. What’s the point? Try doing it, anyway. Seriously? Hilariously.” —Lillian Daniel, author of When “Spiritual But Not Religious” Is Not Enough

Contentment

Contentment
Author: Richard Swenson
Publisher: Tyndale House
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2014-02-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1612915809

In a world that honors outward achievement, tells people they’ll never have enough, and encourages an impossibly busy life, peace and contentment can feel like a distant dream. But Dr. Richard Swenson, the best-selling author of Margin, shows that it really is possible. We can experience the contentment we long for—the peace, the fulfillment, the joy. But it is found in only one place: in Christ. Come along on a journey of discovery and uncover the simple truths and practices that inspire a truly contented life.

Benedict's Way

Benedict's Way
Author: Lonni Collins Pratt
Publisher:
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2001-09-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780829417876

A collection of stories, reflections, prayers, and exercises draws on the teachings and insights of the sixth-century monk St. Benedict to help readers shape the everyday spiritual lives.

The Paraclete

The Paraclete
Author: Joseph Parker
Publisher:
Total Pages: 428
Release: 1874
Genre: Holy Spirit
ISBN:

Reaching Out

Reaching Out
Author: Henri J. M. Nouwen
Publisher: Image
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2013-11-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0804152101

With clarity and depth characteristic of the classics, this spiritual bestseller from the author of The Return of the Prodigal Son lays out a perceptive and insightful plan for the spiritual life and achieving the ultimate goal of that life—union with God. “One of the world’s greatest spiritual writers.”—Christianity Today Henri Nouwen views our spiritual “ascent” as evolving in three movements: The first, from loneliness to solitude, focuses on the spiritual life as it relates to the experience of our own selves. The second, from hostility to hospitality, explores our spiritual life as a life for others. The final movement, from illusion to prayer, offers penetrating thoughts on the most mysterious relationship of all: our relationship with God. Throughout, Nouwen emphasizes that the more we understand (and not simply deny) our inner struggles, the more we will be able to embrace a prayerful and genuine life that is also open to others’ needs. Reaching Out is a rich book to be read, reread, pondered, and shared. It “does not offer answers or solutions,” Nouwen cautions, “but is written in the conviction that the quest for an authentic Christian spirituality is worth the effort and the pain, since in the midst of this quest we can find signs offering hope, courage, and confidence.”

The Limits of Hospitality

The Limits of Hospitality
Author: Jessica Wrobleski
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Total Pages: 185
Release: 2012
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 0814657648

Practicing hospitality is central to building a civil society, not to mention living a Christian life. It can be enriching and joy-filled, but it can also be profoundly demanding and sometimes even dangerous. In The Limits of Hospitality, Jessica Wrobleski explores the ethical questions surrounding the practice of hospitality, particularly hospitality that is informed by Christian theological commitments. While there is no algorithm that distinguishes between ethically "legitimate: " and "llegitimate" boundaries, the variety of circumstances in which hospitality is relevant and the nature of hospitality itself make advocating firm and fixed boundaries difficult. How much more so for Christians, for whom the practice of hospitality should be a manifestation of agape, a participation in God's eschatological welcome extended to all people through Jesus Christ! Are limits to hospitality, then, merely a regrettable concession to our finite and fallen condition? Wrobleski offers a rich theological reflection that will interest anyone who has a role in the practice of hospitality in community? Whether such communities are families, households, churches, educational institutions, or nation-states.

Fresh Air

Fresh Air
Author: Jack Levison
Publisher: Paraclete Press
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2012-04-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1612612539

"A rare and remarkable achievement." Eugene PETERSON Have you ever read a book that traced the path of an inspired life—a life we all long for—​not​ just from the mountaintop or in the monastery, but in real life—inspired life—in the gritty rhythm of our ordinary days? This revised anniversary edition of Fresh Air captures the poignant stories of a husband and father, the provocative insight of a renowned scholar, and the down-to-earth strategies of a gifted teacher. The result is stunning. In this profound and winsome book, you will discover the fresh breath of the Holy Spirit in the commonplace of every day. Filled with fresh insight and Jack’s depth of personal experiences over a lifetime of faith, this new edition of Fresh Air is a go-to guide for anyone who wants to meet the Holy Spirit for the first time, as well as for those who long for a bolder inspired relationship with the Holy Spirit. "His scholarship is spot on, his human warmth and Christian compassion are everywhere." N.T. WRIGHT