This book is written with no other agenda than to simply entertain the reader. In the truest definition of the word it is not an autobiography; it is a collection of short stories that have happened in the lives of Arnold & Joy Lastinger in over 50 years of ministry. You may laugh; you may cry. But, you will enjoy reading about how the marvelous grace of a loving Lord has carried this couple through 50 years of ministry together. Some of the stories are too fantastic to be believeable. But, every one of them is true. Brace yourself for an enjoyable read!

What could we accomplish if only we acted more wisely? Could we mitigate the effects of diseases; help the vulnerable feel safer; make progress on justice; cooperate on common problems? We don’t see enough wisdom, but neither did Woman Wisdom herself, who cried out in the streets wanting to gain attention. For every preacher who feels the urgency for more wisdom, this book has heard you. We know the urgency and we want to help. With contributions from: O. Wesley Allen Karoline M. Lewis John C. Holbert Ruthanna Hooke David Schnasa Jacobsen J. Dwayne Howell Margaret Wenig Luke Powery Eunjoo Kim

The humorous stories that Dr. White tells about in this book are all about people in and out of the church and the ups and downs of life in the parsonage. Funny things can happen at church, and the behavior of some religious people can make you laugh and laugh. Behind the humor in this book is often a spiritual truth. But this is more than a religious book. It is about changing times in North Carolina for three quarters of a century. Dr. White keeps telling about things he has learned during this time, or maybe he is subtly teaching his readers to learn with him what religion is really all about. The people in the stories may seem like someone you know in your own church or family. The comical stories will entertain you while you ponder their meaning. The more serious ones may touch you deeply.

In this series of messages based on scripture, the author demonstrates the vital applications of the Bible for our times, dealing first with the greater words of faith such as love, grace, and reconciliation. It then sheds light on various events in Jesus' life and beyond. A third group of messages shows the Bible addressing social issues such as sexuality and violence.

In Politics, Taxes, and the Pulpit, Nina J. Crimm and Laurence H. Winer examine the provocative mix of religion, politics, and taxes involved in the controversy over houses of worship engaging in electoral political speech. The authors analyze the dilemmas associated with federal tax subsidies benefiting nonprofit houses of worship conditioned on their refraining from political campaign speech. The Supreme Court's recent Citizens United decision invalidating federal campaign finance restrictions on corporations' political campaign speech makes the remaining, analogous restrictive tax laws constraining many nonprofit entities all the more singular and problematic, particularly for houses of worship. Crimm and Winer explore the multifaceted constitutional tensions arising from this legal structure and implicating all fundamental values embodied in the First Amendment: free speech and free press, the free exercise of religion, and the avoidance of government establishment of religion. They also examine the history and economics of taxation of houses of worship. The authors conclude that there exists no means of fully resolving the irreconcilable clashes in a constitutionally permissible and politically and socially palatable manner. Nonetheless, Crimm and Winer offer several feasible legislative proposals for reforming tax provisions that likely will generate considerable debate. If Congress adopts the proposed reforms, however, the revised system should substantially ameliorate the disquieting constitutional tensions induced by the current tax laws and curb the growing emotionally charged atmosphere about the role of religion in the public sphere.

Mary Dobbs was born on the same day as Peter Sutcliffe, the notorious serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper. Instead of murdering adversaries who cross her path, however, she resorts to more subtle acts of revenge. Even so, these actions do not always provide the expected results; hilarity occurs at least as often as vengeance. In her memoir, Mary shares her amusing coming-of-age journey to overcome religious dogma in post-war London during the ever-changing 1950s and 1960s. From an early age, Mary chronicles how she always fancied herself as a trailblazer who nurtured a strong desire to become the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. A self-proclaimed lover of words, Mary made up many of her own to overcome the boredom of her restricted life, in which she was expected to mimic the behavior of her namesake, the mother of Jesus. Determined to change her life, Mary waits until she is a teenager to dye her hair orange, attend a Beatles concert, discover Soho, and splash in the fountains in Trafalgar Square on New Year's Eve. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Inventing My Childhood offers a witty glimpse into one woman's entertaining journey as she fights to hold onto her identity, discover her passions in life, and ultimately achieve her true destiny.

Using the findings of historical Jesus studies, William Brosend asks, what is the rhetoric that characterized the preaching of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels, and how may today's preaching benefit from it? This book for preachers and students of preaching helps the reader see four distinct aspects of the rhetoric of Jesus: dialogical (preaching in response to challenges and questions); proclamatory (making bold and authoritative statements); occasionally self-referential (though less so than in the Fourth Gospel); and persistently figurative (illustrating his message through metaphor). Brosend spends one chapter on each of these methods, closing each chapter with a sermon that models that approach and his analysis of it. Sample sermons are by well-known preachers including Fred Craddock, Michael Curry, Tom Long, and Barbara Brown Taylor. Brosend concludes with the implications for modern preaching and a sermon of his own.

Ever been chased by a jealous husband swinging an axe? Or had your shoelaces and socks chewed by a cheetah while you couldn't move? What about having a doctor pass out beside you while he was delivering your child? If your answers are no, then you are lucky. If you want to find out how someone survived these wild and crazy adventures, read this book! The light-hearted autobiography of Hugh MacDonald recounts the laughable and unusual adventures and misadventures of a budding concert pianist, a minister of one of Canada’s largest churches, a college professor, a radio talk-show host, a Paris tour guide, and a civil marriage commissioner. MacDonald tells of being carried down a main street in Montreal completely naked; walking a marathon with raw eggs squishing in his boots; being forced to eat beef stew, well-flavoured with cat hair; inadvertently buying 3,125 condoms in preparation for his wedding; being marooned and coming close to death in a Northern Ontario blizzard; and so much more! MacDonald winds these yarns into an interesting account of his long and varied life. This book can be read in one sitting, or you can savour it as bedtime reading, enjoying one or two funny stories each night. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this humorous telling of MacDonald’s life.

This book profiles eighteen of our funniest elections, from 1828, the first election in which all states had electors, to the election from hell in 2000. The book also includes chapters on Watergate and impeachment, and a gallery of official photographs.

The Homiletical Question offers preachers, from beginning students to the most experienced, a concise introduction to lectionary-based preaching in liturgical contexts familiar to Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and others. The book demonstrates how, by answering a single, simple question each time a sermon is prepared, preachers can respond fully and faithfully to the biblical text, the needs and issues of the audience, and the challenges of a changing world. Chapters explore the practice of homiletical exegesis, creation and illustration of the moves that shape the sermon, crafting introductions and conclusions, and preaching baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other special occasions. As Thomas G. Long writes in the foreword, "That the homiletical question should yield answers that are beyond the reach of the preacher, answers that manifest preaching as an event of surplus and abundance, answers that point toward the mystery that is the Holy Spirit, answers that take us to our knees in prayer before they take us into the pulpit, would come as no surprise to Brosend. That very mystery, that very abundance, is at the heart of Brosend's theology of preaching, and, therefore, at the heart of this book."