Christian Spirituality Series

Spirituality is lived belief. When we pray, worship, or reach out to our neighbors, we live out our beliefs. Our beliefs structure our spirituality like skin stretched over the bones of our bodies. These beliefs start with faith in God the Father through Jesus Christ as revealed through the Holy Spirit in scripture, in the church, and in daily life. Our Trinitarian theology orders our beliefs. Without a coherent theology, we lose our identity in space and time having no map or compass to guide us on our way. In the end, we focus on ourselves, not God. Christian spirituality starts with God, not with us. A Christian Guide to Spirituality takes the form of 50 daily devotions. Each topic is treated with a scriptural reference, reflection, prayer, and questions for discussion. Occasionally, references are provided for further study. The first four chapters (Introduction, Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and Ten Commandments) cover 40 days making them suitable as a Lenten study. Ten additional days focus on the spiritual disciplines and a short conclusion. Reading A Christian Guide to Spirituality will help readers understand Christian spirituality better and nurture their faith. There is no such thing as quality time with the Lord; there is only time. The living God speaks to us in many ways, but especially through scripture. These three sources cited (Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and Ten Commandments) are commonly called the rule of faith (regula fidei) and were utilized for nearly two millennia as a means to apprentice the faith. These sources are the heart of the confessions of most Christian faith communities and denominations. Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy! Author Stephen W. Hiemstra (MDiv, PhD) is a slave of Christ, husband, father, tentmaker, economist, and writer. He lives with Maryam, his wife of 30 years, in Centreville, VA and they have three grown children. The foreword is written by Neal D. Presa. This book might be classified appropriately in spirituality, Christian living, devotion, faith, religion, and theology.

When God comes into our lives, we change. Our new identity in Christ comes into tension with our old identity in ourselves as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and minds. This tension arises between who we were and who God created us to be, between us and God, and between us and those around us. The Apostle Paul calls the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives sanctification. Life in Tension reflects on Jesus' Beatitudes in the context of scripture. The Beatitudes serve as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount and lay out Jesus' priorities in teaching his disciples. Because the sermon serves as a kind of ordination service for the Apostles, the importance of the Beatitudes for the early church, Christian spirituality, and discipleship today cannot be overstated. Life in Tension is organized as a devotional. Each chapter offers a reflection, a prayer, and discussion questions. Chapters are organized around the nine Beatitudes in Matthew. This revised edition facilitates ease of reading. It has an updated cover, fewer Greek and Hebrew references, and fewer footnotes than the original edition. Some editing to enhance clarity has also been done. Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy! Key words for this book include: Beatitudes, Christianity, spirituality, Jesus, Bible, devotion, faith. prayer, spiritual growth, discipling, Christian spirituality, devotional, sanctification, and faith. Author Stephen W. Hiemstra (MDiv, PhD) is a slave of Christ, husband, father, tentmaker, writer, and speaker. He lives with Maryam, his wife of 30+ years, in Centreville, VA and they have three grown children.

When did you first hear God’s call? Called Along the Way describes the author’s faith journey from unbeliever to believer, from cultural Christian to active disciple, from disciple to realization of call, and from seminary to early ministry. Unlike Adam and Eve, this story does not begin the Garden of Eden. If you too have struggled with your faith walk, then this story may offer solace. Even in our baby steps of faith, God promises to walk with us. Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy! The cover image comes from a woodcut called a Nauis Socialis Mechanicorum (Social Ship of Mechanics) attributed to the artist Albrecht Dürer. This woodcut is better known as the Ship of Fools. Author Stephen W. Hiemstra (MDiv, PhD) is a slave of Christ, husband, father, volunteer pastor, writer, and speaker. He lives with Maryam, his wife of 30+ years, in Centreville, VA and they have three grown children. Keywords include: Christian memoir, faith, discipleship, pastoral call, personal memoir, autobiography, memoir, federal service, education.  

Our journey in Christian ethics starts with God in whose image we are created. Creation begins with birth and continues as we mature. Our character matures, shaped by the example of Christ under the mentorship of the Holy Spirit through the family and the church. Christian leaders reach full maturity once they able to mentor others—we are blessed to be a blessing. Living in Christ focuses on explaining, not justifying, Christian ethics. At a time and in a place where people scoff at developing a theological understanding of their faith and refuse to teach Christian morality, ethics is almost a lost art. At the heart of the ethical dilemma is a tension between theological principles that can only be resolved the guidance of the Holy Spirit. How do you practice forgiveness for sinners who refuse to confess their sin and force you to bear its consequences? In this context, ethics is less a philosophical discipline that a recognition of our own limitations as Christians and the need for divine intervention. Ethical thought and action always involve interpretation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is thus ironic that a book on Christian living should have an outward focus on God rather than an inward focus on what to do and not do. This interpretative element colors how we view character formation, the community of faith, leadership, and the many special issues that arise in daily life. Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy!

What does it mean to be created in the image of God? This is the core question in Christian anthropology and it is surprisingly important in understanding everything else. Anthropology is the study of human beings, the who question of philosophy. As Christians, our identity is found in Jesus Christ, but exactly what does this imply? Because we are created in the image of God, he is familiar and we immediately recognize him (metaphysics). Because we worship the God who created the universe, we expect the universe to be orderly and worthy of scientific study (epistemology). Because God loves us, we can love those around us who make up God's family (ethics). Our anthropology is accordingly an interpretive key that colors how we see everything else. In exploring this question, Image and Illumination offers over forty devotions containing a reflection, prayer, and questions for discussion. These devotions are organized into these chapters: Introduction, Image, Fall from Grace, Illumination, and Restoration. Cover art is by James Tissot (1836-1902): Moses Adores God in the Burning Bush. French Jewish Museum, New York. Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy! What are people saying? Image and Illumination is a book you'll want to read and reread, a treasure trove of spiritual insight. Through thoughtful interpretation of Scripture, Stephen applies insight in a way to challenge the believer to a greater appreciation of their faith. Linda Wood Rondeau, Author Stephen as a way of writing that not only brings clarity to these complex theological topics but brings them home to the reader, so they connect with these truths on a personal level. Eric Teitelman, Pastor Stephen has written a series of brief textual expositions on a variety of interesting, important, and sometimes difficult theological issues. Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary Stephen tackles that most basic of human questions: What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Through modern-day examples and scripture, he draws the reader ever closer to the answer found in Christ. Sarah Hamaker, Author Many of us live with the sense that all is not as it should be in this world. That our world is both beautiful and somehow broken. In Image and Illumination Stephen Hiemstra peels back the layers of our modern world to reveal not just what things should be, but what they one day will be through God's work in our world. You will not regret your time immersed in this book. Aaron McMillan, Pastor