When one asks me if I believe in angels, I always answer yes! I cannot prove there are any otherworldly/spiritual beings “out there”; the angels in which I believe are those who have graced my life—some for long periods of time, others for but moments. Whichever, at the time, each was crucial to my emotional survival. Most of these I list in categories, as to name them individually would fill another book. First, I list my parents, Herman and Bertha McCullough, and siblings (Lee, Al, Eileen, Paul, and Doyle) who, though at times mystified by my struggles for faith, have loved me no less. Next, I mention the members of the church congregations I served (all United Methodists): Camp Creek Emmanuel and Manhattan College Avenue in Kansas and Rivera, Mission First, Oxford, and Helotes Hills in Texas. Others who hold a special place in my soul, listed from my youth forward, are Bob and Marie Gaither, Bill Gaither, J. T. Truax, Uncle Floyd Goins, cousin Howard Goins, Leo Slagg, Walter and Naomi Larsen, A. Bond Woodruff, Elmore E. Vail, Dick Neiderhiser, Jim Mitchell, Wendy Parsons, Delbert Gish, Joe Grider, Cecil Findley, Larry Guillot, Clyde Miller, Bob Winkler, Byron Hollinger, Muriel Hunkins, John Lewis, Mel Witmer, Bryce Kramer, Martin Pike, Jay Brown, Patty Johnson, Don Carper, Jerry J. Smith, Homer Bain, and my canasta-playing friends, who have endured twelve years of listening to my angry complaints against what I consider to be the madness of the status quo. My daughters, Kira and Dana, somehow survived despite my, at times, being adrift in near mental illness. Thus I am deeply indebted to their patience and love. And finally, I make tribute to my wife, Jean, who, though not religious, is the most nurturing—and, thus, spiritual—person I have ever known. - Xlibris Podcast Part 1: http://www.xlibrispodcasts.com/gaithers-corner-1/ - Xlibris Podcast Part 2: http://www.xlibrispodcasts.com/gaithers-corner-2/ - Xlibris Podcast Part 3: http://www.xlibrispodcasts.com/gaithers-corner-3/ - Xlibris Podcast Part 4: http://www.xlibrispodcasts.com/gaithers-corner-4/ - Xlibris Podcast Part 5: http://www.xlibrispodcasts.com/gaithers-corner-5/

"Most contemporary young people operate far enough from Moses’ moral compass that it never occurs to them that “OMG” (“oh my God,” in teenspeak) has anything to do with the Ten Commandments, much less that it breaks one of them. After all, the phrase is a nearly ubiquitous adolescent throw-away line...Yet Christians should hear the phrase “oh my God” differently. Youth ministers, parents, teachers—anyone who has ever loved an adolescent—know that “OMG” can be a prayer, a plea, a petition, a note of praise, or an unbidden entreaty that escapes our lips as we seek Christ for the young people we love." from the book Using six lens the authors detail current practices and tease out underlying questions as youth ministry becomes more self-consciously aligned with practical theology. Contributors include: Kenda Creasy Dean, Mike Carotta, Roland Martinson, Rodger Nishioka, Don Richter, Dayle Gillespie Rounds, and Amy Scott Vaughn.

Christianity Today 2023 Book Award Finalist (History & Biography) New forms of worship have transformed the face of the American church over the past fifty years. Drawing on a wide range of primary sources, including interviews with dozens of important stakeholders and key players, this volume by two worship experts offers the first comprehensive history of Contemporary Praise & Worship. The authors provide insight into where this phenomenon began and how it reshaped the Protestant church. They also emphasize the span of denominational, regional, and ethnic expressions of contemporary worship.