There are stories that matter. There are stories that shape the world. There are writers who long to tell them. And there is a place where some, disillusioned and bereft, go to write them. But the Library Beneath the Streets will not allow just anyone to enter its doors, and those who do so unauthorized or with plagiarism in mind may find more than they expect. Come in, Reader, and wander the stacks, where many tales of imagination await you. Just be sure your Library card is up to date; you really won’t like the penalties.
The wisdom found in God’s Word is timeless, as relevant today as when it was first written. And the challenge for believers remains unchanged: how do we apply these truths to our everyday world? The Applied Commentary series is a fresh approach to Bible study, connecting great wisdom with your life today. Each Scripture passage is enhanced with insights on key themes and ideas. Featured articles provide a deeper look at essential concepts, while the contemporary language allows for easy reading. And because some subjects are open to interpretation for discussion, we’ve included perspectives from leading theologians from all backgrounds and denominations. The result? An interactive approach to Scripture that will challenge your ideas and build your faith—which is what reading the Bible is all about.
Floyd Hale's answers to Bible questions are not only edifying but delightful. Hale has a common touch that communicates easily with his audience. I also appreciate his including the occasional letter to the editor which lambastes him for some point of view. I think this book makes a real contribution to the understanding of our Holy Scriptures. John S. Spong, retired Bishop, Episcopal Church Floyd Hale's thorough and competent use of contemporary biblical studies and historical criticism has often landed him in hot water with readers of a more conservative and fundamentalist persuasion here in America's Bible belt. The combination of unorthodox theology and folksy style is provocative and insightful. In the emotional heat of reaction, some of his readers miss the subtle humor enjoyed by others. The wit and wisdom of these articles are mixed with uncommon courage. Not many pastors with Floyd's knowledge of the Bible are willing to risk the pain associated with sharing it in a public forum. William B. Lewis, retired Bishop, United Methodist Church This collection of Floyd Hale's newspaper columns - 'The Bible Says' - should prove refreshing and stimulating, not to mention informative, to just about everybody. John Killinger, former President of the Mission for Biblical Literacy
In Canton, Texas, seventeen-year-old Mercy's dreams of a different life than her mother's are postponed by harsh circumstances, including the influenza epidemic of 1918-19, which forces her into doing domestic work for a loving, if troubled, family.
The long "Quest of the Historical Jesus" has come to an end--according to Floyd Hale, the author of HOW JESUS WAS LOST IN THE BIBLE ... AND FOUND. This is a brief review in his own words. Jesus was the "first Gandhi" (to sum it up in one statement). To make this obvious I first show--"by the Scriptures"--that all the other images and titles laid on Jesus after his death by the Church are false. That takes a few pages of what may be considered boring by some--even heresy by others. The real Jesus' primary task was to pick and train dedicated followers who would conduct nothing short of a revolution--"nonviolently." Needless to say this would cause enemies, whom they were to "love"--while "hating" their own families. Words like these have caused Bible scholars to miss seeing Jesus applied this kind of teaching to those whom he would "send out," and not to "all believers." Jesus's execution as a seditionist by the Romans stopped the "revolution" before it started. No "sender-outer," no revolution. But the "edited"plans were well remembered and can be gleaned from the Gospels. This reveals the image the "planner." Jesus was a Humanist and needs to be rescued from the Bible and let stand in History on his own, no longer shackled by religion. One of the purposes of this book is an effort to do just that. A full Review of "How Jesus Was Lost ... And Found," is Mike Travelstead's Review which follows: ___________________________________________ How Jesus Was Lost in the Bible and Found by Floyd Hale Reviewed by Mike Travelstead, Macedonia, IL In his latest of several self-published books, The Reverend Floyd Hale has taken on the Herculean task of redefining Jesus the Christ. Having read all of the previous books, which were thought-provoking for truth-seekers, I found this latest volume most compelling, following a consistent logic, using much illustration, explanation, and scriptural reference. If readers approach the text with an open mind and critical attitude, they will be rewarded with a cogent argument worthy of reflection, one that re-shapes the image of Jesus, who has had a profound and far-reaching effect on the history of our world. The thesis of How Jesus Was Lost in the Bible and Found claims that the traditional titles applied to JesusChrist, Messiah, Savior, Son of God, Son of Manby the church are false because the Old Testament prophecies did not apply to him nor foretell him. Some liberal Biblical scholars have denied the divinity of Jesus, but maintain that he was a wise teacher. The Reverend Hale goes further by insisting that Jesus commanded his followers not just to believe, but to act. He trained them to conduct a non-violent revolution designed to change the system, a system which oppressed the poor and suffering. Later leaders, like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., adopted this sacrificial but effective technique. However, Jesus plan was aborted by his premature execution. Hales style is conversational, infused with Southern Illinois humor, some references which may not be readily apparent to younger readers. Some analogies, too, are quite instructive. I like especially the football analogy he uses at the end. Hale speculates that Jesus has a dream," in which he forms a team that will carry the ball, but he dies a moment before kick-off. The game is called for a memorial service. But instead of going back to the field, they continue conducting memorial services. That is powerful. This plan never came to fruition because, as Hale claims, Jesus followers misinterpreted his idea of the Kingdom. As the early church was being established, many different beliefs contended for precedence. The historical figure who virtually single-handedly created the Christian Church as it is known was St. Paul. Completely ignoring the stories of Jesus miraculous birth, Paul emphasizes the resurrection as the basis of his faith, hoping for eternal salvation sometime in the future. Hale maintains that Jesus preaching of the Kingdom defines eternal as nowthe Kingdom of God is here right now. This definition of eternal may not be the common perception, but Joseph Campbell, the late world renowned expert on world mythology and important influence on George Lucas Star Wars, also defines eternal as the here and now. Floyd Hale is no stranger to controbersy. His writing and preaching over the years have created no small amount of unrest, readers and listeners experiencing bewielderment, disbelief, and even anger. But he has kindly and courageously held the line. His background is much like many of us who grew up in the traditional church environment, a literal reading of the Bible, with apparent contradictions which were not allowed to be questioned, fear instilled by a wrathful God who punishes and rewards. Hale entered seminary with a desire to "preach the word" and perpetuate the system, but his God-given intellect forced him to reconsider the orthodoxy. This has led him on a lifelong quest for truth, but it is a difficult and sometimes lonely road, "the road not taken" as Robert Frost would have it. Others have written on similar topics. One especially like it is Why Christianity Must Change or Die by John Shelby Spong, retired dishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. Spong maintains that in light of scientific advancement and modern biblical criticism, the church must implement this knowledge or become irrelevant, or even extinct. Floyd Hale may have the idea that could solve this problem.
The wisdom found in God's Word is timeless, as relevant today as when it was first written. And the challenge for believers remains unchanged: how do we apply these truths to our everyday world? The Applied Commentary series is a fresh approach to Bible study, connecting great wisdom with your life today. Each Scripture passage is enhanced with insights on key themes and ideas. Featured articles provide a deeper look at essential concepts, while the contemporary language allows for easy reading. And because some subjects are open to interpretation for discussion, we've included perspectives from leading theologians from all backgrounds and denominations. The result? An interactive approach to Scripture that will challenge your ideas and build your faith—which is what reading the Bible is all about.
When the Thomson family move into their dream home they quickly begin to live their worst nightmare. Death, Insanity and Craziness follows as the Thomson's find out what happens when you mix hallucinogenic drugs, the occult, murder, revenge and greed. The results are shocking
Divined Intervention provides an innovative institutionalist account for why religion enables political activism in some settings, but not others. Christopher W. Hale argues that decentralized religious institutions facilitate grassroots collective action, and he uses a multimethod approach to test this explanation against several theoretical alternatives. Utilizing nationally representative Mexican survey data, the book’s statistical analyses demonstrate that decentralization by the Catholic Church is positively associated with greater individual political activism across the country. Using case studies centered in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Yucatán, and Morelos, the author shows that religious decentralization encourages reciprocal cooperative interactions at a local level. This then increases the ability of religion to provide goods and services to its local adherents. These processes then prompt the growth of organizational capacities at the grassroots, enabling secular political activism. Because this theoretical framework is grounded in human behavior, it shows how local institutions politically organize at the grassroots level. Divined Intervention also offers an improved understanding of religion’s relationship with political activism, a topic of ever-increasing significance as religion fuels political engagement across the globe. The book further synthesizes seemingly disparate approaches to the study of collective action into a cohesive framework. Finally, there is some debate as to the impact of ethnic diversity on the provision of public goods, and this study helps us understand how local institutional configurations can enable collective action across ethnic boundaries.
A little mistake turns a manager into a slave. Will she escape and start a new life? Will she get revenge on the family that enslaved her? Join her on her journey and see the horrors that she went through.
The Long Trek North is the introduction to the Clark family whose lives will be traced from George and Lydia's decision in 1801 to leave behind all that they had known in the Berkshires and strike out for parts north to begin a new life in New York's Champlain Valley, much of which was little more than wilderness.
Debate about the authorship of the manuscript known to us as De Doctrina Christiana has bedevilled Milton studies over recent years. In this book four leading scholars give an account of the research project that demonstrated its Miltonic provenance beyond reasonable doubt. But the authors do much more besides, locating Milton's systematic theology in its broader European context, picking open the stages and processes of its composition, and analysing its Latinity.
Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title Land ownership was not the sole reason for conflict between Indians and English, Jenny Pulsipher writes in Subjects unto the Same King, a book that cogently redefines the relationship between Indians and colonists in seventeenth-century New England. Rather, the story is much more complicated—and much more interesting. It is a tale of two divided cultures, but also of a host of individuals, groups, colonies, and nations, all of whom used the struggle between and within Indian and English communities to promote their own authority. As power within New England shifted, Indians appealed outside the region—to other Indian nations, competing European colonies, and the English crown itself—for aid in resisting the overbearing authority of such rapidly expanding societies as the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Thus Indians were at the center—and not always on the losing end—of a contest for authority that spanned the Atlantic world. Beginning soon after the English settled in Plymouth, the power struggle would eventually spawn a devastating conflict—King Philip's War—and draw the intervention of the crown, resulting in a dramatic loss of authority for both Indians and colonists by century's end. Through exhaustive research, Jenny Hale Pulsipher has rewritten the accepted history of the Indian-English relationship in colonial New England, revealing it to be much more complex and nuanced than previously supposed.
The celebration of the Liturgy of the Word with children is a liturgical experience that opens young people to hear and respond to God’s Word in ways that enable them to be nurtured and challenged by its power, and to experience the grace of ongoing conversion to the vision and values of the Word of God. Children's Liturgy of the Word 2024–2025 enables prayer leaders to confidently lead children through the Liturgy of the Word. Each liturgy guide offers: An overview of the season. Weekly guides for leading and preparing the liturgy. Suggestions for the liturgical environment. Weekly Scripture citations and commentary on all three readings and the responsorial psalm. Weekly Scriptural connections to Church teaching and tradition. Weekly reflections for the children's Liturgy of the Word. The liturgy guides will enable prayer leaders to facilitate the Liturgy of the Word with children in a prayerful way, allowing each child to deepen and explore his or her relationship with God.
How do we teach elementary students to independently use the different elements of craft that are discussed and taught in lessons? We begin by honoring the reality that terms like voice, sentence fluency, and writing with detail are descriptions of where we want our students to be, not next steps on how to reach those goals. In Crafting Writers, K-6 Elizabeth Hale shows us how to identify specific elements of craft when assessing student work and planning instruction, and use them to teach students the specific craft techniques that will move them forward as writers. Liz offers practical information that teachers can use immediately in their classrooms. She also presents a concrete process for noticing craft in writing so teachers can develop and plan craft lessons based on their students' writing. Learning the techniques that make up good writing also allows teachers to see craft in many different levels of writing, a skill that is particularly powerful when conferring with below-grade-level writers. Additional chapters look closely at assessment and classroom management practices like group conferring. Most of us know good writing when we read it, but writing teachers need to know what makes it work. Filled with easy-to-use charts, and practical lessons, Crafting Writers, K-6 provides clear insight into identifying and teaching the small elements that make good writing successful.
The need for churches and other faith communities to reach out and care for those suffering with depression has never been greater. Depression is now recognized as one of our most serious public health concerns. Each year more than ten percent of American adults experience a major depressive episode, and more than twenty percent will experience at least one episode over their lifetime. Furthermore, we know that depression is the major risk factor for suicide, now the second leading cause of death in the 10 – 34 year old age group and the fourth leading cause of death among adults ages 35 – 54. We also know that depression is a significant risk factor for substance abuse, another of our most serious health concerns. While we might want to believe that our religious faith can protect us from depression and suicide, we know that’s not true. We have heard too many stories of religious leaders and members of deeply religious families who have suffered from depression and taken their own lives. We need to recognize that no group is exempt from this terrible illness. Depression is found among the young and old, the religious and nonreligious, and all ethnic and racial groups. In Depression - Out of the Darkness and Into the Light, Dan Hale, a psychologist and national leader in health ministries, draws on his own his own struggles with depression, his work as a psychotherapist, and his experiences as a father who lost a daughter to depression, to offer guidance for individuals and families impacted by depression and for congregations that recognize the importance of ministering to those suffering from this terrible illness.
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