Bøger udgivet af Parson's Porch Books

Kenneth G. Phifer knew that for many of us prayer gets crowded out to the edges of life. But in A Book of Common Prayer, Phifer has offered prayers that speak to people's ordinary, daily needs. Here you will find prayers that are personal, immediate, and touched with grace. In free verse, Kenneth wrote spirited petitions and confession-he wrote of feeling impatient, bored, irritable, discouraged.He wrote about needing a miracle, needing to feel whole, and needing to start over. His prayers are for individual use and for public worship. They include special "Prayers for Uncommon Days," among which are a Sunday in Advent and a Day of Public Calamity.Kenneth Phifer was senior minister of the St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church in New Orleans for almost twenty years. Prior to that he was Professor of Homiletics at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kentucky. During his long ministry he served churches in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Virginia and was author of numerous books.

Humor, the Horror, and the Heart of the Badge is a must read for all who are interested in gaining an inside look at the world, the life, and the mind of cops. Virtually anyone will find this memoir engaging, sometimes shocking and sad, and always informative. It provides persons who are not in the law enforcement profession a glance into the everyday realities of those whose calling is to be a police officer. Those who belong to the profession, including myself with over forty-two years behind the badge, will discover that Chris Schultz's story triggers a myriad of vivid memories that are happy and even funny, yet at other times horrific and tearful. Chris opens himself up to you, the reader, as he paints the mural of his life as a cop. He gives you glimpses into events that made national news, and you will meet officers he knew who were at their epicenter. Through it all he shows that cops are people like everyone else, yet with a high calling that assumes far higher risk than many occupations.~From the ForewordC. C. Ibsen ~From the ForewordC. C. Ibsen

"Only a writer as sensitive to the power of words could give us a book like this that touches the heart. Priest of the word, Charles Davidson bids us to 'Lift up your hearts.' Read the book. It will lift you." -Ross Mackenzie, Historian Emeritus, Department of Religion, Chautauqua Institute, NY"It is one thing to know that our lived worlds are constructed by narratives, as I know. It is quite another matter to have a fund of good stories, know how to tell them, and evoke our interest via image, character, memory, and quick riffs that surprised. This is what Charles Davidson does in singular compelling ways. He invites us into a world-the world of his imaginative making-that is richly peopled by great poets, struggling animals, caring folk, indolent neighbors, and a whole company of saints. Religion (and therefore biblical texts) comes easily in this world as a part of normal thinking. This wondrous collection bears witness to those who do not want to miss out on the gifts that are stunningly given among us. These stories, in the skilled artistry of Davidson, keep giving us gifts in illuminating, transformative, and summoning ways." -Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

Both the authors of this book, Mike and Rena Mortenson, who have been married for over 40 years, are on the autistic spectrum and although they are considered high functioning, their day-to-day survival can often be extremely hard and draining just to get by. One of their most favorite things to do is taking in abused, abandoned, and rejected dogs and cats to give them a safe and wonderful place to live. Mike and Rena are extremely gifted in writing poetry about their day-to-day trials and tribulations. The poems contained in this book come from actual experiences and thoughts they have had over the span of their lives. This collection of the poems tells stories of their life challenges, hardships, and missteps. These poems come directly from their hearts and shows the wisdom they have learned over their lifetimes. Some poems are funny, some sad, some crazy, but yet all contain lessons that are designed to improve the lives of other autistics as well as provide great narrative for teachers, therapists, parents, as well as other people who may be close to the life of an autistic. Enjoy. - Mike Green, Editor & Project Manager

This book Palms, Passion, and Resurrection: Holy Week According to Mark's Gospel, is designed to be a devotional resource for those seeking a deeper connection to God in the Lenten season. In each chapter, we journey with Jesus through the events of Holy Week according to the Gospel of Mark. There are many reasons for using the Gospel of Mark as the primary source for this study. It is the earliest and shortest of the four Gospels and is believed to be a source used by both Matthew and Luke. Mark's Gospel is set apart due to its portrayal of Christ as a suffering servant. Furthermore, the crucifixion is described in bloody and brutal detail.[i] Mark's Gospel moves rapidly, but then slows down during the Passion narrative, devoting six chapters to the last week of Jesus. Mark's account also chronicles Jesus' last week in the greatest detail, giving a day-by-day account.As we walk alongside Jesus during Holy Week, we bear witness to the passion story. We join the crowd's praises during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We witness Jesus cleansing the Temple, overturning the tables, and driving out the money changers. We listen to Jesus' teachings in the Temple as he addresses some of the religious leader's questions. We smell the oil that is poured on Jesus' head during his anointing. We sit with Jesus at the table, alongside the disciples, in the Upper Room during the Last Supper. We pray with Jesus as he agonizes in the Garden of Gethsemane where he is betrayed and arrested. We watch helplessly during Jesus' trial, crucifixion, and death on the cross. Ultimately, we celebrate Jesus' victory over death through the resurrection.

Practical help for people whose pet has died.

Mossy Creek Press is proud to present this resource for studying scripture and a companion for traveling. The Lands of the Bible will help first-time visitors to the Middle East as well as seasoned travelers. Filled with personal experiences, sound scholarship, detailed maps, and thirty-three black and white photographs, this books is sure to enhance readers' perceptions of what is often designated the "Holy Land."Dr. Borchert is currently Senior Professor at Carson-Newman College and also serves as Thesis Director for the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.

With American education facing an ever-widening gap between academic research and entrepreneurial self-help-let alone indifference-Jeffry Smith provides a practical way to bridge the gap in The Lost Tools of Learning. Coaching for standardized testing, especially the SAT, has given rise to a new "industry" in American education for entrance into college. The Lost Tools of Learning describes an "old-new" alternative that can provide a better way. Dr. Smith demonstrates that the learning of so-called "dead" languages, especially Latin, teaches kids a disciplined way to learn which carries over into other subjects, as well as improves test performance. This well-documented book reminds both parents and educators that the retrieval of wisdom from past educational practices offers one way to negotiate the challenges of the wisdom of future.

In the year 2050, Nayhoom Waddell and Naomi Pendergrass are confronted with end of life issues, meaning the possible, absolute end of human life, maybe even all of life. But their main concerns are with themselves and their unborn child and staying alive. Global warming has become more than a possibility, it is taking place worldwide and people are struggling to survive. The insane climate is not as much an issue as the fact that in the United States the population is dividing into two predominant groups, known widely as The Haves and The Have-Nots. The have-nots have come to be called hooligans. The Haves are in general, people who are not hooligans. Strife is common, and the acknowledged way of life for everyone. Nayhoom and Naomi, after being married, eventually have to run for their lives and find a place to hide and birth their baby away from the anarchy and human turmoil taking place all around them. How and where they go, what they think, and what transpires there, indicates clearly the need of a new paradigm understanding of reality for humankind.

What was anticipated to be "the Christian Century"certainly did not live up to that lofty expectation. To thecontrary, it has led us into a new century with moreuncertainties, questions, doubts, and anxieties than we evercould have imagined. Whatever happened to "Don'tworry, be happy"? Simply put: there are now many morereasons to worry than to be happy (however one defineshappiness). Stress, anxiety, apprehension, worry, fear -whatever else you want to add to the list - appear to bemajor ingredients in a life gone global. Our concerns are nolonger local, regional, or even national. The flutteringwings of a butterfly any place in the world can cause apowerful wind of destruction right in our ownneighborhood.

An encounter with God in a flaming azalea bush brings about humorous and insight-filled presentations on the Ten Commandments. Here is the fascinating wisdom of a retired schoolteacher unpacking the misrepresentations, misunderstandings, and-need we say-neglected aspects of God's Commandments in a way few books on the Ten Commandments can. Everybody will love this book!

This second volume of poetry from one of America's critically acclaimed poets, Charlotte Barr, focuses on transitions in both the life and work of the poet. These poems will hold, bathe, and release you and fill you with their recreating power. Reading them, you might just discover your place and re-search the journey to the center of your soul. Parson's Porch Books is proud to reissue The Bell Buckle Years.

What exactly is this bizarre thing called Forgiveness? Why should we want to forgive? How does one do it? How do I? How could I? Forgiveness is probably difficult for most of us. We hurt others. We are hurt by others. We need to be forgiven. We need to forgive. Neither seeking nor granting pardon seems natural. Yet if we are to enjoy lives of harmony, peace, and joy, forgiveness alone provides the way. The ugly option is enslavement to a painful past. Author J. Randall O'Brien, the president of Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee, reminds us through stories and personal experience that having a heart for forgiveness is not the best way to enjoy life-it is the only way. Nothing else works. O'Brien invites us to discover the way to peace and healing through being set free by forgiveness.

As the years increase, so does my gratitude and appreciation for the many congregations where I have been privileged to pitch my tent on my sojourn of faith and ministry. I only wish that the resources I have found through family systems, the Center for Congregational Health, and the Alban Institute had been mine to share with the earlier congregations. I am not the same person or minister I was when I first assumed pastoral responsibilities. However, this is always the way life - even the life of faith - works. We can only be who we are and where we are. I'm grateful I'm not still there. Colleagues and friends continue to enrich my life and contribute greatly to my ongoing development both personally and professionally. Their encouragement and support have led to this second publishing endeavor. This book is dedicated to my two sons, Mark and Michael. They have continued to exhibit the qualities of integrity and hard work, doing what they believe they are called to do regardless of how it turns out. Their high principles and ethical behavior continue to convince me that my wife and I must have done something right! We certainly don't take credit for their achievements but recognize they have come a long way in mastering the art of letting go as I have tried to describe it in this book.