Listen to the Heartbeat of the Church resurrects the concept of episcopal visitation, an age-old and rarely used practice in Catholic parishes and dioceses. Using information gleaned from a survey of 100 Benedictine monasteries along with a nine-month experience of facilitating a parish goal-setting process, Baroch describes how visitation can strengthen parishes and dioceses by closing the communication gap that sometimes exists between the laity and the hierarchy. Her fictional account of St. Anonymous Catholic Church, the heart of the book, shows how a struggling congregation can accomplish its goals when parishioners, the pastor, and their bishop engage in shared ministry. It can happen--one parish, one diocese, at a time.

An overview of Celtic spirituality and its implications for us today.

"Resurrects the concept of episcopal visitation, an age-old and rarely used practice in Catholic parishes and dioceses. Using information gleaned from a survey of 100 Benedictine monasteries along with a nine-month experience of facilitating a parish goal-setting process, Baroch describes how visitation can strengthen parishes and dioceses by closing the communication gap that sometimes exists between the laity and the hierarchy. Her fictional account of St. Anonymous Catholic Church, the heart of the book, shows how a struggling congregation can accomplish its goals when parishioners, the pastor, and their bishop engage in shared ministry. It can happen- one parish, one diocese, at a time."--p.[4] of cover.

By creatively using humor and life experiences, this book will exhort and encourage you to spend time with the Lord and listen to His voice (heartbeat). After 36 years of teaching, playing sports and several pets, Linda uses powerful examples of God teaching her His Word and conversations they shared. Chapter titles like, "World's Fastest Brake Foot", God's One-Liners", "You Can't Pull A Goat", and "God Uses Sump Pumps and Burning Bushes" will peak your curiosity. It is important to know what the Bible says and so scripture is used throughout. This book not only entertains but is a teaching tool. Linda grew up in Michigan where she enjoyed church activities and sports. In high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated in the Top Ten of her class. She graduated from Huntington College in Huntington Indiana in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education. Before retiring in 2010, she taught school for 36 years with the last 13 being in juvenile corrections. In 2005 she finished her Master of Arts in Biblical Studies. The Lord has used Linda as an educator, exhorter, and encourager while ministering in church services, Sunday school, and women's ministries.

What makes God smile? What makes God angry? What makes God's heart beat? Have you ever wanted to know the answers to these questions about God? Do you want to find out if what youve always thought about God is really true? You can get answers to these questions by looking at what the Bible says about the heart of God. In this stimulating and heartfelt book, Dr. Harold Shank leads us through an in-depth study of scripture that will help us find out what makes Gods heart beat. Dr. Shank also explores how to reconcile some of the difficult-to-comprehend aspects of Gods heart. How can His goodness and love be reconciled with His command to utterly destroy a certain group of people? or If God cares about brokenhearted people, why are there so many of them in our world?

Many of us are fast approaching the "golden years" of retirement, wondering with fear — and hope — what the future holds for us. And you won't find a better companion for the journey of aging than Jane Sigloh. She's witty, perceptive, and wise. A retired Episcopal priest, she is possessed of both reverent awe and irreverent honesty about the facts and fantasies of growing old. She interweaves the insights of Scripture, poetry, fiction, and philosophy into her memories and reflections on the challenges and opportunities that maturity brings. Dip into any of these chapters and find a refreshing perspective, a humorous anecdote, or an intimate confession that will ring true to your own experience.

In a time when organized religion is suffering an identity crisis, the author of The Last Presbyterian? examines the faith culture that shaped him and his family over the last half millennium. Filled with historical, theological, and spiritual reflections and set in the context of both old family stories and current trends, Cuthbertson's book addresses such timely issues as practicing faith within families, setting aside time for God, and the changing facets of leadership and discipleship within the Presbyterian tradition. Starting with the "Psalm-singing, Sabbath-keeping, Shorter-Catechism-memorizing" branches of Scots-American Presbyterianism, this book offers an affectionate look back, and a hopeful look ahead, to an emergent Presbyterianism coming to terms with issues such as LGBT ordination and same-gender marriage, interfaith relations, and care for the earth.

Its 1976, and Janet Tanhurst is a teenager who feels stifled by life with her strict mother, and the authoritarian church she must attend. Once out of high school, however, Janet is initiated into a fascinating new world of Astrology, Tarot cards, and Spirit Mediums. Next, she encounters the mysterious world of UFOs?a bewildering and sometimes frightening realm encompassing ancient astronauts, alien abductions, and shadowy government conspiracies. As the 1980s arrive, the Christian-dominated Piscean Age seems to be giving way to a long-anticipated Aquarian Age, with its hope for a coming revolution in higher consciousness. There are new paradigms in philosophy and science?promoting a holographic conception of the universe as engaged in a Cosmic Dance?along with the emergence of an introspective type of instrumental music known as New Age. With the help of bookstore owner Whisper Wynn, Janet investigates subjects such as reincarnation, quartz crystals, chakras and the human aura, in addition to an exciting new form of spiritual teaching called channeling. Following movement leaders including Shirley MacLaine and Marianne Williamson, studying enigmatic teachers like G.I. Gurdjieff and Carlos Castaneda, and inspired by medical doctors such as Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil, she learns about Alternative Medicine and Holistic Health, as well as traditional health practices from China, Japan, and India. She assimilates wisdom from the ancient Celts along with rituals from contemporary Goddess worshippers, in formulating her own unique concept of the Divine that is within us all.

The story of the pandemic is the story of women. This riveting narrative offers an account of COVID-19, reminding us of women's leadership and resilience, reflecting back hope and humanity as we all figure out a new normal, together. Throughout history, men have fought, lost, and led us through the world's defining crises. That all changed with COVID-19. In Canada, women's presence in the response to the pandemic has been notable. Women are our nurses, doctors, PSWs. Our cashiers, long-haulers, cooks. In Canada, women are leading the fast-paced search for a vaccine. They are leading our provinces and territories. At home, they are leading families through self-isolation, often bearing the responsibility for their physical and emotional health. They are figuring out what working from home looks like, and many of them are doing it while homeschooling their kids. Women crafted the blueprint for kindness during the pandemic, from sewing masks to kicking off international mutual-aid networks. And, perhaps not surprisingly, women have also suffered some of the biggest losses, bearing the brunt of our economic skydive. Through intimate portraits of Canadian women in diverse situations and fields, Women of the Pandemic is a gripping narrative record of the early months of COVID-19, a clear-eyed look at women's struggles, which highlights their creativity, perseverance, and resilience as they charted a new path forward during impossible times.