Personlige religiøse vidnesbyrd og opbyggelige tekster

Thomasevangeliet – der er et af de apokryfe eller hemmelige evangelier, der ikke kom med i Det Ny Testamente – blev fundet i Egypten i 1945 som en del af et større håndskriftsfund. Evangeliet foreligger her i en nyoversat, kommenteret oversættelse. Skriftets betydning er uomtvistelig, for i det videreføres motiver og tankeforestillinger fra den ældste kristendom, som uden vores kendskab til denne tradition ville være gået tabt. Hvor evangelierne i Det Nye Testamente fremstår som egentlige fortællinger om Jesus fra Nazareth, om hans liv, gerning, død og opstandelse, udgør Thomasevangeliet snarere en slags Jesusantologi; et kort og enestående ordsprogsevangelium, der giver sin fortolkning af traditionen om Jesus. I Thomasevangeliet gives der ingen fortolkning af ordene. Det er op til læseren selv at udlægge dem. Både i form og indhold minder mange af ordene om dem, vi kender fra Det Nye Testamentes evangelier, men der indgår også ord og lignelser som ikke tidligere har været kendt. I Thomasevangeliet optræder de kvindelige disciple, Maria Magdalene og Salome, på lige fod med de mandlige og stiller spørgsmål til Jesus. Og da Peter angriber Maria, fordi hun er kvinde og dermed ikke har samme ret som mændene, tages hun i forsvar af Jesus.

Maria Magdalene er en af Jesu trofaste disciple og ifølge Det nye Testamente den første, som den opstandne Jesus viser sig for. I Mariaevangeliet fremstår hun som en ledende discipel, der fortæller om den åbenbaring, hun har fra Jesus selv. Mariaevangeliet er ikke bevaret i sin helhed, men giver alligevel et indblik i kirkens ældste historie. En tid præget af konflikter om den sande og rette lære og om hvem, der havde autoritet til at bringe den videre ud i verden. Mariaevangeliet blev fundet i 1896 og udgivet første gang i 1955. Det er nyoversat fra koptisk af Marianne Aagaard Skovmand, som skriver en grundig introduktion til skriftet og reflekterer over dets betydning.

Der findes privilegerede øjeblikke i livet, hvor vi på en ganske særlig måde indbydes til at begynde forfra. Livet kan uophørligt fornys. Om og om igen. Det begynder her.Wilfrid Stinissen formidler en spiritualitet, der er let at identificere sig med. Han er i stand til at skrive om det hellige på en enkel og letforståelig måde.365 korte, daglige læsninger. Forord af Grethe Livbjerg.

Nedenom og hjem handler om det livsvilkår, som vi alle deler; at sygdom og død er en realitet. Den handler om og sætter ord på, hvad det vil sige at miste kontrollen med tilværelsen, fordi sygdom og tab pludselig overtager dagsordenen og erstatter den velkendte hverdag med frygt, ængstelig ventetid, mismod og sorg.Og den handler om at finde mod og håb midt i det hele. Bogen henvender sig til mennesker, der er ramt af livstruende sygdom, som f.eks. kræft, deres pårørende og andre, der står eller har stået ved livets yderpunkter.Bogen er illustreret med billeder fra både klassisk og moderne kunst og rummer adskilte afsnit med oplæg til meditation."Sognepræst Lone Vesterdal har skrevet en rørende og opbyggelig bog om tab og tro."Doris Ottesen, Kristeligt Dagblad"Bogen er værdiladet for den troende, lindrende for den bange, trøst for den søgende og vejledning for den usikre."Bertel Thomsen, Bornholms Tidende

This bestselling book that birthed the Divine Mercy movement, one of the fastest growing movements in world today. This amazing narrrative will stir your heart and soul while it chronicles the experience of a simple Polish nun.

Hvilke historier skal være de bestemmende for vores liv?Med udgangspunkt i dagligdagsudtryk som ”skriften på væggen” og ”det store Dyr i Åbenbaringen” genfortæller forfatteren de bibelhistorier, udtrykkene kommer fra, og udlægger på personlig vis, hvordan disse årtusind gamle fortællinger taler ind i hans liv i dag.Præcis 42 kapitler er det blevet til, fordi forfatteren er maratonløber og trænede til New York maraton i tiden, hvor bogen er skrevet.

Preben Kok er sygehuspræst og opererer i grænselandet mellem liv og død. I SKÆLD UD PÅ GUD fortæller han om sit arbejde og sin tro. Med troen som udgangspunkt går Preben Kok i clinch med parforhold, skyld, magtesløshed, stress og illusionen om det perfekte menneske. Han giver mennesker i krise mulighed for at dele ansvaret og sorgen med Gud, når livet gør ondt, og meningen hører op.Preben Kok superviserer også præster, læger og sygeplejersker – ikke for at gøre dem bedre til deres arbejde, men for at give dem kræfter til at leve med de ofte vanskelige udfordringer og uundgåelige nederlag, de møder i deres arbejdsliv. Her er en lektie, der er værd at lære.

"The New York Times bestselling author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and Live No Lies reveals the obstacles holding us back from authentically following Jesus and presents countercultural practices to connect us with a vibrant, lifelong faith"--

Selv mennesker, der ikke står i nogen relation til kirken, kan i en vis forstand hævdes at være gennem-lutherske. Men på hvilken måde befinder vi os i arven fra Luther, og hvilke spørgsmål stiller hans tanker os over for i dag? Med afsæt i fem temaer lægger Frihed – Martin Luther i kortform op til en refleksion over Luthers betydning – i sin samtid og i dag. Egnet til studiekredsmateriale. Martin Luther gjorde oprør mod kirkens magt. I vore dage (i DK) opfattes kirken i meget lille grad som en magtfaktor – hverken politisk, samfundsmæssigt eller i forhold til den enkeltes liv. Så hvorfor beskæftige sig med Luther? Har hans betydning ikke sejret sig selv ihjel?Fordi hans opgør viser sig indirekte, ikke bare inden for kirken og teologien, men i hele samfundet og i den måde, hvorpå vi tænker om os selv. Selv mennesker, der ikke står i nogen relation til kirken, kan i en vis forstand hævdes at være gennem-lutherske.Med afsæt i fem temaer, der hver præsenteres med eksempler fra Luthers egne skrifter, lægger bogen op til en refleksion over Luthers betydning – i sin samtid og i dag. Bogen egner sig til studiekreds-materiale eller til den læser, der på egen hånd vil kaste sig ud i Martin Luthers tænkning og dens 500-årige indvirkning på vores liv, tro og samfund.De fem temaer har overskrifterne: Befrielse – Den store forudsætning – Ordet og sværdet – Hverdagen – Forandring kommer udefra.

"Are you sick of waiting for your "real" life to begin? This joy-filled daily devotional offers the abundant peace that comes when you place your trust in God's plan and start living today-from the founder of The Honey Scoop"--

Living from a promise to its fulfillment means going through hardships from time to time. In Your Life is God's Story, Pastor Tim Dilena uses biblical stories and powerful testimonies to encourage believers to trust in God's plan for their lives, even when that plan includes unexpected twists and turns.

The teachings contained in this book are the profound revelations of the Truth of the Self and how to realize it from Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. The book is the original version of the English translation of Sri Ramana Maharshi's "Upadesa Manjari," which was long out of print. SAT has republished it in its entirety in the form of this book. The actual text is considerably different in expression and the details of the teachings from the more commonly known version of this work published as "Spiritual Instruction." Includes all of the original notes and explanations.

"Discover the peace and joy that come when you dwell in the active presence of God, as the beloved author of Joni weaves contemporary insights with the timeless wisdom of seventeenth-century monk Brother Lawrence"--

"Firm footing for a life of holy trouble." - Shane ClaiborneThe Christian faith has a rich tradition of civil disobedience. Old Testament stories of noncooperation with evil, or prophets standing up to Kings at great cost. Jesus, the nonviolent revolutionary, peacemaker, risk-taker. The early Christian communities, repeatedly imprisoned for speaking truth to power-like Dorothy Day or Martin Luther King Jr., centuries later.Nonviolent civil disobedience, when rooted in faith, is not only a way to protest unjust laws; it can be an experience of the sacred. It can be both a symbol and the reality of Christ's love, overcoming the violence that surrounds us. Within this book you'll find a civil resister's field guide to that tradition, and best practices for discernment, court appearances, even jail time. And if there comes a time to cross the line, you'll find yourself in good company.

2023 Credo Magazine Book Awards Winner, Theological RetrievalHoly Scripture requires holy reading. Encounter an ancient but fresh way of reading the Bible.Learn from Augustine, Anselm of Canterbury, Bernard of Clairvaux, and others.Experience a structured and attentive way to focus on Christ, listen to the Spirit, and rest in God's love.Christians read Scripture to encounter Christ and be conformed to his image. Jesus is the point of reading the Bible. But Scripture is no mere human text; it is God's living word. So how should we read it?For Christians throughout the centuries, the answer has been lectio divina--"divine reading." Lectio divina is a sacramental reading. It aims to take us more deeply into the life of God. Through practicing the four movements of lectio divina--attentive reading, extended meditation, prayerful reflection, and silent resting--we focus on Christ, listen to the Spirit, and rest in God's love. We no longer simply read the words of Scripture; instead, we read the face of God in the eternal Word.

R.T. Kendall has given us a treasure...the hope and possibility of experiencing incredible freedom and peace that can only come when we walk in total forgiveness. One of the core messages of the gospel is that of total forgiveness...not only that we can be totally forgiven by God, but also that we must, in turn, totally forgive others. Our culture is bound up in bitterness, resentment, and wallowing in wounds inflicted upon us by others, wounds that we all too easily accept and even cling to! This revised and updated best seller lovingly challenges believers to look within and root out those hidden and hardened places where subtle resentments and areas of un-forgiveness have been allowed to remain.

ECPA BESTSELLER • Good news—God’s not done with you yet. This companion resource to Damaged but Not Destroyed by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Relationship Goals will show you how to step into God’s bold future for your life.Life has knocked you down—more than once. Your own mistakes have taken you down too, or at least made it harder to get up. But there’s good news: God is not done with you yet. As someone who’s experienced significant challenges himself, Pastor Michael Todd understands that painful things done to us and stupid things we’ve done to ourselves can make us feel worthless. And he’s here to tell you that it’s time to stop letting your pain, fear, and regret define you. With candid teaching and in-depth Bible study, this chapter-by-chapter companion guide to Damaged but Not Destroyed offers insightful questions, powerful exercises, and thoughtful reflections to help you see just how valuable you are. Whether you are recovering from trauma, reeling from your own mistakes, or wondering how to reclaim your identity in the midst of current challenges, you can start your journey toward healing right here.

"Love is a transformative aspect of the spiritual path-and in fact, it is our very nature. A. H. Almaas takes us on a journey beyond a narrow, individual understanding of love to an exploration of what he calls the boundless dimension of divine love. This divine love is not the kind of love that we feel toward somebody else; it is nondual, a love without boundaries. Or put another way, it is nondual true nature experienced as love. By shifting our focus beyond the individual human experience to the experience of the wholeness of existence, we are able to see the true richness of the universe. When we are open to the dimension of divine love, we begin to experience our true nature, free from limitations-a sense of complete release, freedom, and delight, free of conflict, fear, insecurity, and worry. Almaas discusses the obstacles and obscurations that make it difficult to awaken to true nature in this way, such as our belief in a separate self and our past condition. Each chapter includes an inquiry or practice to explore the themes further"--

'This is a handbook on spiritual obstetrics, written out of deep concern that so many Christians have been badly 'delivered'. So often, later spiritual disease can be traced back to an inadequate initiation into the Kingdom. A better birth means greater growth in a healthy Christian life.'Basing his study on the New Testament, David Pawson advocates a synthesis of the 'liberal' emphasis on repentance, the 'evangelical' on faith, the 'sacramental' on baptism and the 'pentecostal' on the Spirit. He then relates these 'spiritual doors' to the concepts of conversion and regeneration.THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN BIRTH looks at crucial and controversial texts, challenging traditional interpretations. The ¿nal section on evangelistic counselling questions the adequacy of the typical 'sinner's prayer' approach. Drawing from scripture and experience, David Pawson gives many practical tips on helping potential disciples to repent, believe, be baptised and receive the Spirit.David Pawson has a worldwide teaching ministry, particularly for church leaders. He is known to many through Christian broadcasting and is the author of numerous books.

Embrace the power of ritual with simple yet “powerful” (Kim Chestney, author of Radical Intuition and founder of IntuitionLab) practices that slow us down to honor and mark the real moments in our lives—from the loss of a parent to the birth of a child, from grieving a pet to celebrating coming out of the closet.Life has many transitions: A baby is born. A child leaves for college. A marriage. A divorce. A death. We all experience moments of profound change, but what do we do to mark those moments? How do we become mindful of these events and imbue them with purpose and meaning? Could our lives be better, richer, and more resilient if we had more practical resources and rituals to honor, sanctify, and make sense of these transitions? Day Schildkret, artist and author behind the international Morning Altars movement, believes that what we need is ritual. Rituals are the rhythms and traditions that give us a sense of stability in the face of uncertainty by reminding us that there’s always something we can do, say or make that conjures awe, contentment, and gratitude. They give us a way to acknowledge through our actions that, as life changes, we too must change. Offering ways to make these moments special and sacred, Hello, Goodbye teaches you to not fear uncertainty, but instead participate fully and creatively in life’s inevitable changes, including: -Birth of a child -Moving and new homes -Divorce -Empty nesting -Retirement -Death anniversary -Health crises Containing over 75 hands-on ritual instructions, informed by hundreds of interviews, and filled with beautiful illustrations, inspirational story-telling, potent questions, and experienced wisdom, Hello, Goodbye is “certain to become a forever reference and treasured, faithful companion” (Kimbery Ann Johnson, author of Call of the Wild and The Fourth Trimester) for life’s many milestones, perfect for those looking to find meaning in change and embrace the transformative thresholds of our lives. Hello, Goodbye is a “direct and moving” (Rabbi Jill Jammer, PhD, author of The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons) guide we all need to navigate life’s uncertainties with grace, meaning, and intention, perfect for fans of Krista Tippet, Priya Parker, and Elena Brower.

One of the leading stars in the "positive thinking" movement, Zig Ziglar has made a career out of telling people how to have a positive attitude, no matter what their circumstances are. But when a fall down a stairway onto a marble floor leaves him with a head injury, he is challenged with how to put the principles he'd been speaking about into practice. Ziglar's willingness to be transparent has him back writing and speaking with renewed energy before audiences in the tens of thousands to show that life on life's terms is still well worth living. Embrace the Struggle affirms the validity of the principles Ziglar has held true his entire life and includes not only his account of living positively through difficult circumstances; it also includes heartwarming stories of real people who encouraged him with how they put into practice these vital principles.

Henri Nouwen, the world-renowned spiritual guide and counselor, understood the spiritual life as a journey of faith and transformation that is deepened by accountability, community, and relationships. Though he counseled many people during his lifetime, his principles of spiritual formation were never written down. Now, Michael Christensen, one of Nouwen's longtime students, and Rebecca Laird, one of Nouwen's editors, have taken his famous course in spiritual formation and supplemented it with his unpublished writings to create the definitive series on Nouwen's thoughts on the Christian life.The first book in the series, Spiritual Direction, introduced readers to Nouwen's core concepts and how to live the ques-tions of the spiritual life. Now Spiritual Formation reveals Nouwen's sage advice on how to live out the five classical stages of spiritual development. Featuring a unique visio divina, a visual meditation, to help guide and focus prayer, this volume reveals Nouwen's profound wisdom on how to move from sorrow to joy, resentment to gratitude, fear to love, and how to live there in the center?the place where God dwells.

"A 52-week interactive devotional that helps families and friends discover God enfleshed in the world. Seasons of Wonder is designed to allow you to gather together weekly with your loved ones and expand your understanding of divinity, specifically the radical but faithful idea that everything is sacred. This devotional is designed around weekly contemplative activities as well as interactive and transformative practices that connect us to surprise, awe, and wonder"--