The Triumph of Eve

The Triumph of Eve PDF

Author: Matt Biers-Ariel

Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 191

ISBN-13: 1594731764

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Take a new journey through the Bible you thought you knew. They may not be quite as you remember them, but each story in this ingenious collection--some whimsical, some serious--finds its roots in a close reading of the Bible and interpretations of it that originated centuries ago. Take a look through God's telescope and see how it all really happened: What was it like to be in Joseph's sandals as his brothers sold him into Egyptian slavery? How did Esther use her pretty face as a tool to save the Hebrew people? And what in the name of ... well, you know who ... happened to the unicorns included on the ark's original passenger manifest? Your guide will be a sassy angel named Gabriella. The territory you cover will be familiar. But the questions and insights that these clever, profound stories will prompt you to grapple with--may surprise you. Biblical characters explored include: Adam * Eve * Cain * Abel * Noah * Sarah * Abraham * Isaac Jacob * Esau * Joseph * Moses * Jonah * Mordechai * Haman * Esther Ahasuerus * Naomi * Ruth *Samson * Delilah * David

The Triumph of Eve & Other Subversive Bible Tales

The Triumph of Eve & Other Subversive Bible Tales PDF

Author: Matt Biers-Ariel

Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 191

ISBN-13: 1594730407

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"They may not be quite as you remember them, but each story in this collection - some whimsical, some serious - finds its roots in a close reading of the Bible and interpretations of it that originated centuries ago."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Like a Child

Like a Child PDF

Author: Rev. Timothy J. Mooney

Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing

Published: 2014-05-30

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1594735433

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By breaking free from our misperceptions about what it means to be an adult, we can reshape our world and become harbingers of grace. “In our desire to grow up, mature, become adults, we become enamored with who we are supposed to be. When we have finally ‘grown up’ we realize much of who we really are has been left behind or buried under various masks and roles we play. But the knowledge of who we truly are never leaves us. To reclaim our selfhood, we must grow up again and consciously embrace all that it means to be childlike.” —from Chapter 12, “It Takes a Long Time to Become Young” By restoring the childlike ways of humility, trust, awe, wonder, playfulness and more, we can recover a fuller picture of what it means to be human. This unique spiritual resource explores what Jesus may have meant when he said, “Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” It addresses our modern misperceptions regarding the nature of maturity and the common coping mechanisms—distrust, guardedness, insecurity, judgmental thinking—we acquire, and feel we require, in adulthood. Along with the wisdom of ancient and modern spiritual luminaries, this book provides over twenty-five spiritual practices to help us cultivate the childlike ways of attention, self-awareness, joy and resilience in our inner lives as well as in our relationships with others.

Dreaming—The Sacred Art

Dreaming—The Sacred Art PDF

Author: Lori Joan Swick, PhD

Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing

Published: 2014-05-05

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1594735441

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Awaken to the wonders of your dreamself, and energize your spiritual potential for self-understanding and self-healing. “Without a doubt, people of all times and places have had the capacity to dream the sacred. I write this book in a sincere effort to create space for us to share these dreams and to provide a practical guide to nurturing sacred dreaming as an art.” —from the Introduction Sacred dreams—those in which the dreamer experiences the immediate presence of or communication with the Divine——have shaped the spiritual history of humankind. Jacob’s ladder dream, Joseph’s dream verifying Mary’s virgin pregnancy and Herod’s plans to destroy the child, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha’s auspicious dreams on his journey to enlightenment, Muhammad’s night journey dream—the pervasive power of the sacred dream is part of the scripture and lore of virtually all the world’s religions. This fascinating introduction to sacred dreaming celebrates the dream experience as a way to deepen spiritual awareness and as a source of self-healing for people of all faith traditions—or none. Includes practical, step-by-step exercises in every chapter.

The Book of Common Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer PDF

Author: Katharine Jefferts Schori

Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1594735247

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For centuries, Christians of different traditions and seekers from various backgrounds have found strength for their spiritual journey in The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). First composed in 1549 by Thomas Cranmer, Henry VIII's Archbishop of Canterbury, the BCP, alongside Shakespeare's works and the King James Bible, helped shape the English language. Today over seventy-five million Anglican Christians throughout the world use the BCP in public worship, and countless people Anglican and otherwise use it in their private devotional life. In this unique presentation of selections organized by themes such as "Belonging in God's Family," "Blessing in Times of Joy and Pain" and "Learning from Our Past" with facing-page commentary, C. K. Robertson offers fascinating insights into the history and heritage of the BCP. He also makes available the riches of this spiritual treasure chest for all who are interested in deepening their life of prayer, building stronger relationsh

The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness

The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness PDF

Author: Rabbi Rami Shapiro

Publisher: Turner Publishing Company

Published: 2012-12-14

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 1594733465

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Open your heart and mind and discover—through the sacred art of lovingkindness—the image and likeness of God in yourself and others. "The question at the heart of this book is this: Will you engage this moment with kindness or with cruelty, with love or with fear, with generosity or scarcity, with a joyous heart or an embittered one? This is your choice and no one can make it for you.... Heaven and hell are both inside of you. It is your choice that determines just where you reside.” —from the Introduction We are all born in the image of God, but living out the likeness of God is a choice. This inspiring, practical guidebook provides you with the tools you need to realize the divinity within yourself, recognize the divinity within others, and act on the obligation to manifest God’s infinite compassion in your own life. Guided by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, you will explore Judaism’s Thirteen Attributes of Lovingkindness as the framework for cultivating a life of goodness. Shapiro translates these attributes into practices—drawn from the teachings of a variety of faith traditions—that allow you to actualize God’s glory through personal deeds of lovingkindness. You will enrich your own capacity for lovingkindness as you: Harvest kindness through compassionate honesty Make room in your heart for reality Recognize the manifestations of God Embrace the paradoxical truth of not-knowing Be present in the moment Do right by others With candor, wit, and honesty, Shapiro shows you that by choosing to act out of love rather than fear, with kindness rather than anger, you can transform how you perceive the world and ultimately lead a more complete spiritual life.

Christians and Jews in Dialogue

Christians and Jews in Dialogue PDF

Author: Mary C. Boys

Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing

Published: 2008-09

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 159473254X

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Discover the Power of Dialogue to Heal Religious Division How can members of different faith traditions approach each other with openness and respect? How can they confront the painful conflicts in their history and overcome theological misconceptions? For more than twenty years, Professors Mary C. Boys and Sara S. Lee have explored ways that Catholics and Jews might overcome mistrust and misunderstandings in order to promote commitment to religious pluralism. At its best, interreligious dialogue entails not simply learning about the other from the safety of one's own faith community, but rather engaging in specific learning activities with members of the other faith--learning in the presence of the other. Drawing upon examples from their own experience, Boys and Lee lay out a framework for engaging the religious other in depth. With vision and insight, they discuss ways of fostering relationships among participants and with key texts, beliefs and practices of the other's tradition. In this groundbreaking resource, they offer a guide for members of any faith tradition who want to move beyond the rhetoric of interfaith dialogue and into the demanding yet richly rewarding work of developing new understandings of the religious other--and of one's own tradition.

Spiritual Gems of Islam

Spiritual Gems of Islam PDF

Author: Jamal Rahman

Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1594734305

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Refine your heart and mind with the wisdom of Islamic spirituality "To live a meaningful life--one that brings us joy, contentment and fulfillment--we have to do the inner spiritual work of becoming a more complete human being." --from the Introduction Over the centuries, Islamic sages have gleaned timeless spiritual insights and practices from sacred texts, meditation and knowledge of the heart--gems that have been passed down from generation to generation. This book invites you--no matter what your practice may be--to access the treasure chest of Islamic spirituality, particularly Sufism, and use its wealth to strengthen your own journey. The riches include guidance drawn from the Qur'an, sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and Sufi poets such as the thirteenth-century Rumi on cultivating awareness, intentionality and compassion for self and others. This book also features entertaining wisdom teaching stories, especially those of Mulla Nasruddin, Islam's great comic foil, to expand the mind and heart. It breaks down barriers to accessing this ancient tradition for modern seekers by dispelling myths about the Muslim faith concerning gender bias, inclusivity and appreciation for diversity. Regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, you will find these gems worthy additions to your own treasure chest within.

Healing the Jewish-Christian Rift

Healing the Jewish-Christian Rift PDF

Author: Ron Miller

Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 159473139X

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How did a Jewish teacher, healer, sage and mystic become the vehicle for so much hatred and harm directed against his own people? Dialogue is demanding and difficult. It is often painful. It entails deep listening, letting others define themselves and being willing to confront and transform deep-rooted prejudices in ourselves. It requires the courage to re-envision absolutely everything we tend to cherish and protect, and to relinquish our entrenched vainglorious ego attachments, our inflated sense of I, me and mine. This challenge to grow beyond tribalism, to approach others in a fair and reasonable way, is an essential step in our human evolution. from the Invitation to the Reader Judaism and Christianity have had a volatile relationship in their two-thousand-year history. Anger, rivalry, insensitivity, bloodshed and murder have marred the special connection these two Abrahamic faiths share. In the last several decades, scholars, activists, laypeople and clergy have attempted to expose and eliminate the struggles between Jews and Christians. This collaborative effort brings together the voices of Christian scholar Ron Miller and Jewish scholar Laura Bernstein to further explore the roots of anti-Semitism in Christian faith and scripture. In a probing interfaith dialogue, Miller and Bernstein trace the Jewish-Christian schism to its very source in the first book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew. Illuminating the often misunderstood context of Matthew s gospel a persecuted Christian minority writing some sixty years after Jesus s death this examination of a foundational Christian text discerns the ways in which the Jewishness of Jesus was forgotten and Jews and Judaism became Christianity s foil. More important, it takes a renewed look at Matthew with contemporary retellings that present a new and better future of conciliation and compassion between the two faith traditions.

Spiritually Healthy Divorce

Spiritually Healthy Divorce PDF

Author: Carolyne Call

Publisher: Turner Publishing Company

Published: 2011-05-06

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 1594733341

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Chart a Course to Wholeness in the Aftermath of Divorce "Divorce tends to rip away your façade and defenses, and call into question what you know or believe. That vulnerability is painful, but ultimately can bring you to a place where your spiritual life can gain strength and insight if you are open to it. In the midst of feeling lost, you can find a new path forward, which brings you to a better place." —from the Introduction Divorce is never easy and almost always includes profound experiences of pain, isolation, anger, despair, and confusion. Here is a spiritual map for regaining your bearings, helping you move through the twists and turns of divorce in a spiritually healthy way. Drawing on her work as a pastor and counselor—and her personal experience with divorce—Carolyne Call proposes a three-prong approach to help you reset your compass on a new destination—wholeness. Supported by first-person accounts from men and women from a variety of faith traditions who have found their way through divorce, she helps you identify: Where you want to go—“I want to be true to who I am” Where you don't want to go—the “cul-de-sacs” of bitterness, resentment, victimization, and guilt What you can do to get there