Deus Misereatur

Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn't the American Dream by Brian Fikkert My rating: 5 of 5 stars Every Friday morning I dedicate about two hours of my time picking up nearly-expired produce, breads and meats from grocery stores to take to a local Christian food bank. Our church is invested with this service organization doing various drives through the year (collecting toiletries, toilet paper, etc.) and lending a hand at the facility on occasion. What draws us to sink our time and resources into this ministry's work is that they have a bigger aim than just feeding the bellies of their low-income "clients". They set up arrangements for medical care, teach folk how to budget, maintain a network of other resources to aid them, have a kitchen where they will begin conducting classes on cooking soon, and more. But the volunteers and staff also talk with the patrons-in-need about the Bible, their lives and loves, as well as provide biblical material and of...

Stories of Old-Time Oklahoma by David Dary My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's exactly what it says it is: Stories of Old-Time Oklahoma! This 271 page paperback is packed full of select episodes in the unfolding of what became known as Oklahoma. David Dary (deceased March 15, 2018) was a journalist, prolific author and emeritus professor of the University of Oklahoma School of Journalism. He compiled some fifty-five stories into this handy volume. Each narrative lasts between three to four pages, and gives the reader the pleasure of garnering anecdotes and accounts that are not often recollected. The subjects cover lawmen and outlaws, Native Americans and narratives of lost treasures, terrain and territory, as well as stars and garters. Some of the lore follows men like Bass Reeves, the African American lawman who arrested 3,000 outlaws in Indian Territory. Others dig up little known facts such as how Boise City, Oklahoma was the only town in the continental United States actually bomb...

{This congregational prayer is built on Psalm 87} On the holy mount stands the city he founded; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah . Sometimes, Lord, we forget that you love the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Sometimes we think you should cherish our country more than you do your Church. Sometimes our constitutional concerns become more important to us than the cares of your kingdom. So, remembering that you love the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob, we still pray for our country as you have bidden us to do. Tensions abound on the right hand and on the left. Violence raises its beastly head in brutal and bloody ways. The rhetoric of some seems to pour more petrol on the smoldering embers threatening to ignite into a bursting flame. There are places and spaces of injustice in our courts, on our streets, behind closed doors, and out i...

If you have teens and young adults in your church, or are involved at a campus ministry, you may well have looked high and low for solid, Biblical material on sexuality for students. Cooper Pinson, staff member of Harvest USA, has pulled together a small resource to give a hand. "Alive: Gospel Sexuality for Students" is a 136 page paperback that is meant for both young adults and their study leaders. It is likely the very material you're looking for. The front matter in "Alive" is the student guide; essentially a workbook for each young adult in your group. Pinson takes everyone through important subjects, such as God's perspective on sexuality, how things went askew, pornography, masturbation, homosexuality, transgender, dating, singleness and marriage. The back matter is a more in-depth leader's guide that gets further into the details (even mapping out how the roughly 45 minute session should proceed) and directs facilitators in the discussions, e...

Sexual Sanity for Women Healing from Sexual and Relational Brokenness by Ellen Mary Dykas My rating: 5 of 5 stars Frankly, most pastors and Christian leaders don't often think of women having sexual brokenness. Much of the news and material out there focuses on the failings of men. So it was with pleasure I took up "Sexual Sanity for Women: Healing from Sexual and Relational Brokenness" by Ellen Mary Dykas, Women's Ministry Coordinator at Harvest USA. Harvest USA seeks to bring the truth and mercy of Jesus Christ to individuals and families affected by sexual struggles. One way is by providing resources that address biblical sexuality to individuals and churches. And this book is an important piece to that sexual puzzle! This softbound workbook of 208 pages equips ministry leaders and Christian women with some much needed tools toward that end. "Sexual Sanity for Women" is a series of group sessions, supplemented by six appendices. The author uses an a...

Sexual Sanity For Men Re-Creating Your Mind In A Crazy Culture by David         White My rating: 5 of 5 stars Harvest USA seeks to bring the truth and mercy of Jesus Christ to individuals and families affected by sexual struggles. One way is by providing resources that address biblical sexuality to individuals and churches. Toward that end I was delighted to find their workbook, "Sexual Sanity for Men: Re-Creating Your Mind in a Crazy Culture" crafted by David White, Director of Discipleship at Harvest USA. It is written with busy men living crazy-busy lives in mind. "Sexual Sanity for Men" is a 288 page manual ideal for individual devotional work, as well as a small group resource. It covers five days of material each week, that lasts a total of 14 weeks. Each day is a short biblical study that is wedded to three or four reflection questions with loads of space to write down answers and prayers. White takes fellow-travelers from life in the wasteland and ...

For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy by Alexander Schmemann My rating: 5 of 5 stars In many ways, this little 151 page paperback is too big to rightly review. In a nutshell Fr. Alexander Schmemann, an Eastern Orthodox priest, writer and teacher, was gunning for secularism, which is both a Christian heresy - Christian truths that went mad (111) - and a negation of worship (118). Secularism has birthed a deep polarization, even spawning a disincarnate and dualistic spirituality (7-8). Schmemann has much to say and much to give that will help correct our myopic perspective, from an Eastern Orthodox position. Though the book was originally written in 1963, and then expanded and revised in 1973, it speaks into our moment with great clarity! Not only does Schmemann gun for secularism, he supplies us with the antidote: Christ has come "for the life of the world," both restoring and transforming nature. Now, those who believe the Gospel "live in the world se...