Download or read book Parables of a 21st Century Shepherd and Other Farm Stories written by Dale Hetherington and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2023-08-08 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Genesis 46, Jacob calls God his shepherd as he blesses Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim. In the beloved Psalm 23, David sings about what it means that the Lord is his shepherd. In Isaiah 40, God promises to come to His people and tend to them like a shepherd. In John 10, Jesus says He is the Good Shepherd. In Hebrews 13, He is called the Great Shepherd. In 1 Peter 5, He is the Chief Shepherd. This is only a sample of places in the Bible where God’s relationship with His people is equated with that of a shepherd to His sheep. I became a pastor shortly after we started raising sheep, and I began seeing similarities between being a pastor and a shepherd. This makes sense since pastor comes from the Greek word poimen, which means shepherd. Jesus taught in parables, earthly stories with a spiritual meaning. That’s the idea behind this little book. I wrote stories about our dealings with our sheep that illustrate similarities I saw between my relationship with my sheep and my relationship with the people I shepherded in the church. I hope that these stories will entertain you and also give you insight as well. For pastors, maybe it will even help you in your ministry. Being aware of this has helped me in mine.
Download or read book The Sheep of His Hand written by Suzanne Davenport Tietjen and published by Monarch Books. This book was released on 2009-06-16 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Sheep of His Hand is a walk through the Psalms alongside a little band of sheep. Sheep are individuals, and benefit from individualized care. Shepherds have always dealt with primal concerns--birth, death, love, rejection. Technology has changed much in the last millennium but the mud and the blood of shepherding are timeless--and sheep are still sheep. Sharing this ancient occupation with the Psalmist helped Suzanne Tietjen to understand what David had to say about walking with God. "This book is amazing! I not only learned more about sheep than I ever knew, I learned something about The Shepherd, too." Bob Hartman performance storyteller and author, The Lion Storyteller Bible "Brilliant . . . This highly original book breathes fresh life into an old metaphor. It deserves to be read by millions." Dr. Mark Stibbe The Father's House Trust "Beautifully written, refreshingly funny, and spiritually profound. This is the kind of book that sticks with you. Buy it. Read it. Share it with a friend." Dr. Bill Giovannetti author, How to Keep Your Inner Mess from Trashing Your Outer World "The escapades and tragedies of Suzanne's little woolly sheep touched my heart." Karen H. Whiting author, God's Girls
Download or read book The Parables of Jesus the Galilean written by Ernest van Eck and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2016-08-09 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who do we meet in the stories Jesus told? In The Parables of Jesus the Galilean: Stories of a Social Prophet, a selection of the parables of Jesus is read using a social-scientific approach. The interest of the author is not the parables in their literary contexts, but rather the parables as Jesus told them in a first-century Jewish Galilean sociopolitical, religious, and economic setting. Therefore, this volume is part of the material turn in parable research and offers a reading of the parables that pays special attention to Mediterranean anthropology by stressing key first-century Mediterranean values. Where applicable, available papyri that may be relevant in understanding the parables of Jesus from a fresh perspective are used to assemble solid ancient comparanda for the practices and social realities that the parables presuppose. The picture of Jesus that emerges from these readings is that of a social prophet. The parables of Jesus, as symbols of social transformation, envisioned a transformed and alternative world. This world, for Jesus, was the kingdom of God.
Download or read book Tilling God s Land written by Scott Skelly and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What would the Bible be without farmers? Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Job were all farmers. Shepherds came to find Jesus in the manger. Farmers and farming practices were at the center of many of Jesus' parables. And, even though he was the son of a carpenter, Jesus is called the Good Shepherd. Despite a gap of thousands of years, today's farmers face many of the same challenges as farmers in the Bible. Granted, Noah did not have a skid steer to shovel manure off the ark, and Abraham did not have GPS guidance on his oxen. However, those farmers experienced weather problems and crop failures, and also enjoyed successful seasons. Like us, they farmed and lived by faith. The stories of the biblical farmers still have special significance today. The devotions in this book explore the living farmers of the Bible, as well as those who feature in so many of Jesus' parables. They also look at other scriptures and see how farmers of the twenty-first century can apply them to daily life. Author Scott Skelly shares his lifetime of experience as a farmer in this unique devotional collection.
Download or read book Puzzling the Parables of Jesus written by Ruban Zimmermann and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2015-11-02 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern scholarship on the parables has long been preoccupied with asking what Jesus himself said and what he intended to accomplish with his parables. Ruben Zimmermann moves beyond that agenda to explore the dynamics of parabolic speech in all its rich complexity. Introductory chapters address the history of research and distinguish historical from literary and reader-oriented approaches, then set out a postmodern hermeneutic that analyzes narrative elements and context, maps the sociohistorical background, explores stock metaphors and symbols, and opens up contemporary horizons of interpretation. Subsequent chapters then focus on one parable from early Christian sources (Q, Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, and the Gospel of Thomas) to explore how parables function in each literary context. Over all reigns the principle that the meaning or theological "message" of a parable cannot be extracted from the parabolic form; thus the parables continue to invite hearers' and readers' involvement to the present day.
Download or read book Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus written by Matthew E. Gordley and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2024-03-11 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Invites a new generation of readers to apply ethical reasoning to social justice challenges, accessible to people of faith from a broad range of backgrounds Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus introduces readers to the parables of the New Testament while exploring how they relate to social justice, ethics, and key issues of modern society. Centering on themes of mercy, justice, and human dignity, this unique volume invites readers to reflect on the meaning of Jesus's parables both in their original setting and in the context of present-day moral and ethical challenges. The author discusses social justice concepts from various traditions to enable readers to engage with the ethical implications of the parables in a range of different contexts. Each chapter focuses on one parable or set of parables, such as the parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, and includes historical background information and an analysis and interpretation of the parable. Throughout the text, the author highlights the connections between Jesus's parables and racism, violence, poverty, the environment, our obligations to one another, and other timely social justice issues. Blends an accessible overview of the parables of Jesus with an introduction to social justice and ethics Explores New Testament parables as viewed through the lens of contemporary writers, ethicists, and activists Emphasizes the Jewish roots of the parables and the need to guard against anti-Jewish readings of the parables Highlights the ways that Jesus’s parables challenged his first-century listeners to see their world in new ways and recognize the dignity of every person Engages with seminal thinkers in contemporary social justice, such as James Cone, Howard Thurman, Emilie Townes, Bishop Michael Curry, and Pope Francis Includes study and discussion questions for personal and group use Requiring no prior knowledge of the subject, Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus: The Ethical Challenge of the Parables is an ideal textbook for introductory courses on the Bible and New Testament, faith-based courses on ethics, and general Christian readers looking for an excellent resource for personal or congregational study.
Download or read book Parables for the 21st Century written by John Rommel and published by Publishamerica Incorporated. This book was released on 2002-04 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When reading the parables we often lose much of the meaning that Jesus intended because we are unfamiliar with the people and society he spoke of. This book re-tells the parables as short stories using modern characters and situations to help us better grasp their message.
Download or read book Preaching in Place written by Mark R. Rigg and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2022-06-29 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is preaching so often bad? Why is worship so often dull? Why do Sunday mornings so often fail to help the folks in the pews live a faithful life from week to week? And what can be done about it? Many will tell us that there are easy and purchasable fixes. More technology. Less tradition. Virtual worship. Thinking big. The land and the farm model for us a different path. As Mark Rigg shows in this concise introduction to Wendell Berry, the themes that have illuminated the Kentucky farmer’s essays, fiction, and poetry for fifty years have a great deal to say to the church. They offer an agrarian model of church where the focus is on the local, the tangible, and the communal. Out of such a model emerges a new approach to preaching. Both congregation members and preachers themselves will find themselves called to turn away from sermons that echo the promises of an individualistic consumer culture and to proclaim instead Jesus Christ in the midst of the local community.
Download or read book Reading the New Testament in the Manifold Contexts of a Globalized World written by Eve-Marie Becker and published by Narr Francke Attempto Verlag. This book was released on 2022-12-12 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume gathers the perspectives of teachers in higher education from all over the world on the topic of New Testament scholarship. The goal is to understand and describe the contexts and conditions under which New Testament research is carried out throughout the world. This endeavor should serve as a catalyst for new initiatives and the development of questions that determine the future directions of New Testament scholarship. At the same time, it is intended to raise awareness of the global dimensions of New Testament scholarship, especially in relation to its impact on socio-political debates. The occasion for these reflections are not least the present questions that have been posed with the corona pandemic and have received a focus on the "system relevance" of churches, which is openly questioned by the media. The church and theology must face this challenge. Towards that end, it is important to gather impulses and suggestions for the discipline from a variety of contexts in which different dimensions of context-related New Testament research come to the fore.
Download or read book The Shepherd of Hermas written by James Donaldson and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-09-07 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Shepherd of Hermas is a Christian literary work of the 2nd century, considered a valuable book by many Christians, and considered canonical scripture by some of the early Church fathers such as Irenaeus. The Shepherd had great authority in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. It was bound as part of the New Testament in the Codex Sinaiticus, and it was listed between the Acts of the Apostles and the Acts of Paul in the stichometrical list of the Codex Claromontanus. The work comprises five visions, twelve mandates, and ten parables. It relies on allegory and pays special attention to the Church, calling the faithful to repent of the sins that have harmed it. The book was originally written in Rome, in the Greek language, but a Latin translation was made very shortly afterwards. Only the Latin version has been preserved in full; of the Greek, the last fifth or so is missing. The shepherd is one of the meanings that was probably attached to some figurines of the Good Shepherd as well as a symbol for Christ, or a traditional pagan kriophoros. The book consists of five visions granted to Hermas, a former slave. This is followed by twelve mandates or commandments, and ten similitudes, or parables. It commences abruptly in the first person: "He who brought me up sold me to a certain Rhoda, who was at Rome. After many years I met her again, and began to love her as a sister." As Hermas was on the road to Cumae, he had a vision of Rhoda. She told him that she was his accuser in heaven, on account of an unchaste thought the (married) narrator had once had concerning her, though only in passing. He was to pray for forgiveness for himself and all his house. He is consoled by a vision of the Church in the form of an aged woman, weak and helpless from the sins of the faithful, who tells him to do penance and to correct the sins of his children. Subsequently he sees her made younger through penance, yet wrinkled and with white hair; then again, as quite young but still with white hair; and lastly, she shows herself as glorious as a Bride. This allegorical language continues through the other parts of the work. In the second vision she gives Hermas a book, which she afterwards takes back in order to add to it. The fifth vision, which is represented as taking place 20 days after the fourth, introduces "the Angel of repentance" in the guise of a shepherd, from whom the whole work takes its name. He delivers to Hermas a series of precepts (mandata, entolai), which form an interesting development of early Christian ethics. One point which deserves special mention is the assertion of a husband's obligation to take back an adulterous wife on her repentance. The eleventh mandate, on humility, is concerned with false prophets who desire to occupy the first seats (that is to say, among the presbyters). Some have seen here a reference to Marcion, who came to Rome c. 140 and desired to be admitted among the priests (or possibly even to become bishop of Rome). After the mandates come ten similitudes (parabolai) in the form of visions, which are explained by the angel. The longest of these (Similitude 9) is an elaboration of the parable of the building of a tower, which had formed the matter of the third vision. The tower is the Church, and the stones of which it is built are the faithful. But in the third vision it looked as though only the holy are a part of the Church; in Similitude 9 it is clearly pointed out that all the baptized are included, though they may be cast out for grave sins, and can be readmitted only after penance. In spite of the grave subjects, the book is written in a very optimistic and hopeful tone, like most early Christian works.
Download or read book The Parables of Jesus written by Arland J. Hultgren and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2000-06-22 with total page 556 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Outlines the parables of Jesus and discusses how each of the parables can be taught and preached.
Download or read book Wendell Berry Essays 1993 2017 LOA 317 written by Wendell Berry and published by Library of America. This book was released on 2019-05-21 with total page 613 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second volume of the Library of America's definitive two-volume selection of the nonfiction writings of our greatest living advocate for sustainable culture. Writing with elegance and clarity, Wendell Berry is a compassionate and compelling voice for our time of political and cultural distrust and division, whether expounding the joys and wisdom of nonindustrial agriculture, relishing the pleasure of eating food produced locally by people you know, or giving voice to a righteous contempt for hollow innovation. He is our most important writer on the cultural crisis posed by industrialization and mass consumerism, and the vital role of rural, sustainable farming in preserving the planet as well as our national character. Now, in celebration of Berry's extraordinary six-decade-long career, Library of America presents a two-volume selection of his nonfiction writings prepared in close consultation with the author. In this second volume, forty-four essays from ten works turn to issues of political and social debate--big government, science and religion, and the meaning of citizenship following the tragedy of 9/11. Also included is his Jefferson Lecture to the National Endowment for the Humanities, "It All Turns on Affection" (2012). Berry's essays remain timely, even urgent today, and will resonate with anyone interested in our relationship to the natural world and especially with a younger, politically engaged generation invested in the future welfare of the planet. INCLUDES: Life is a Miracle AND SELECTIONS FROM Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community Another Turn of the Crank Citizenship Papers The Way of Ignorance What Matters? Imagination in Place It All Turns on Affection Our Only World The Art of Loading Brush LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.
Download or read book Parables written by Geoffrey Butcher and published by Rourke Publishing (FL). This book was released on 1983 with total page 31 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brief versions of several of the parables that Jesus told to clarify His lessons.
Download or read book Once Upon a Gospel written by William J. Bausch and published by Twenty-Third Publications. This book was released on 2008-04 with total page 628 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the words great homily come to mind, the name Bill Bausch inevitably pops up. Here he offers 100 new homilies, reflecting the liturgical year, holy days and holidays, and saying farewell to loved ones. All are shaped and finessed with stories. As Bausch himself says, We never exhaust the meaning of a good story. Truth wrapped in story is irresistibleand thats why I use stories. These homilies are irresistible as well!
Download or read book The World Ending Fire written by Wendell Berry and published by Catapult. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most comprehensive―and only author-authorized―Wendell Berry reader, "America's greatest philosopher on sustainable life and living" (Chicago Tribune). In a time when our relationship to the natural world is ruled by the violence and greed of unbridled consumerism, Wendell Berry speaks out in these prescient essays, drawn from his fifty-year campaign on behalf of American lands and communities. The writings gathered in The World-Ending Fire are the unique product of a life spent farming the fields of rural Kentucky with mules and horses, and of the rich, intimate knowledge of the land cultivated by this work. These are essays written in defiance of the false call to progress and in defense of local landscapes, essays that celebrate our cultural heritage, our history, and our home. With grace and conviction, Wendell Berry shows that we simply cannot afford to succumb to the mass-produced madness that drives our global economy―the natural world will not allow it. Yet he also shares with us a vision of consolation and of hope. We may be locked in an uneven struggle, but we can and must begin to treat our land, our neighbors, and ourselves with respect and care. As Berry urges, we must abandon arrogance and stand in awe.
Download or read book Echoes of a Prophet written by Gary T. Manning Jr. and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2004-12-01 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Echoes of a Prophet examines intertextual connections to Ezekiel found in John and in Second Temple literature. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain many allusions to a number of Ezekiel's oracles, while other Second Temple works refer to only a few of Ezekiel's oracles, and those only rarely. In each case, Manning examines the evidence for the presence of the allusions, studies the implied interpretational methods, and comments on the function of the allusion in advancing the author's ideas. He also analyzes John's allusions to Ezekiel: the good shepherd, the vine, the opened heavens, imagery from the "dry bones" vision, and water symbolism. He observes that John has a few unique tendencies: he alludes to all five of Ezekiel's "oracles of hope" and primarily uses that imagery to describe the giving of the Holy Spirit and new life through Jesus.
Download or read book The Gospel of John written by Judith Schubert and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2016-08-23 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Gospel of John: Question by Question provides useful material and a format that will enhance both introductory courses in the Gospel of John and adult study groups. Other publications on the topic offer comments on every chapter of the Gospel or topical explanations of the Gospel's subject matter. This book combines these two practices often in that it provides brief commentary on biblical texts and periodically provides background on a topic relative to the Gospel. The book consists of twenty chapters. Each chapter includes an Introduction of pertinent information that will be helpful before reading the biblical text. One of the main features of the book surfaces in the Questions that appear in each chapter, which help clarify the meaning and message of the text and its context. These questions intend to clarify the issues of each chapter by raising an inquiry into an unclear issue. Answers appear in the second section of the book so as to provide the opportunity for the reader to discover the answer before turning to responses that have been provided for each question. At the end of the Questions in each chapter, a Conclusion will summarize the chapter and advance the reader to the next chapter.
