Prayer. And he leads us to discover, as he did himself, that learning to speak with God is a long journey, one undertaken in a million different ways: in quiet meditation, in church, in the middle of frantic days - even on the subway headed downtown, God's quiet voice is speaking to us.

A fresh new voice on the Christian writing scene offers the candid story of his search for an authentic spirituality. In this eloquent and moving portrait of prayer, every reader seeking genuine spiritual connection will find gentle lessons about how to pray and a glimpse of the blessings that prayer bestows, even in the midst of life's daily rush.

Finding God in the Graffiti encourages church educators, youth ministers, and students of ministry to connect the living reality of God through the use of powerful stories and narratives that will engage the youth in their church or Christian organization. It will inspire readers with many ways in which stories can engage youth educationally; provides a conceptual map of discipline for teaching and learning purposes; equips youth workers to practice a repertoire of narrative methods with young people; and gives practitioners conceptual tools to reflect on their practice with insight and precision.

“This is beautiful and brilliant stuff, profound and plain, incredibly human, wise and charming. I trusted and enjoyed every word.” –Anne Lamott, New York Times bestselling author about Looking for God in Messy Places For any who feel frustrated and world-weary, and who want more than just wishful thinking or superficial spirituality, this book is for you! In these pages, my friend Jake Owensby poignantly shows how LOVE is what can truly give us hope to carry on: real love, God's love for us, our love for each other, right here, right now in all the struggles of this messy life. And God knows, we need this book NOW! —Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and author of Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times Life is messy. We can get discouraged by setbacks, overwhelmed by busyness, and shaken by worry. Hope is the power that gets us out of bed in the morning and gives us the courage to face adversity. Looking for God in Messy Places by Jake Owensby is a book about how love gives us an inextinguishable hope. This book is for anyone who has ever been frozen in place by loss or regret, anyone who has endured suffering, cruelty, or rejection. From word to word and page to page, readers will experience themselves as God’s beloved—so that they can be hopeful. From the introduction [This book is] For those whose struggles have been long and for those who are growing weary from heavy burdens. For those facing an unforeseen crisis or for those enduring a slow personal train wreck. For those whose throats have grown raw from crying for justice and for those whose wounds have gone unhealed. This is a book about hope, and I have written it especially for those who refuse to yield to discouragement and despair. Topics include: - The power of love to give us hope - The ways that God shows up in our daily lives - Recognizing God’s call in our lives - Becoming your true self - Having a sense of belonging - Forming a friendship with Christ - Contemplative faith

Addresses the underlying Christian themes that run throughout C.S. Lewis's seven fantasies about Narnia and describes how Lewis's beliefs influenced his writing.

A sociologist and pop-culture expert offers a balanced engagement of hip-hop and rap music, showing God's presence in the music and the message.

The search for God is a staple of human history. Finding God records sixty first-person accounts of Christians who found God in different ways and the impact this discovery made on their lives and on the world in which they lived. Ranging from the first century to the present, Finding God is a fascinating digest of conversion stories from a wide variety of people -- from the apostle Paul to the rock musician Bono. These narratives together demonstrate the remarkable diversity of spiritual journeys and the dramatic changes that can result from encounters with God. Both instructive and inspirational, Finding God will expand horizons and deepen the faith of those who seek insight into the age-old spiritual quest to find God.