Beginning with a ‘Street Nativity Play’ that didn’t end as planned, and finishing with an open-ended conversation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, "Being Interrupted" locates an institutionally-anxious Church of England within the wider contexts of divisions of race and class in ‘the ruins of empire’, alongside ongoing gender inequalities, the marginalization of children, and catastrophic ecological breakdown. In the midst of this bleak picture, Al Barrett and Ruth Harley open a door to a creative disruption of the status quo, ‘from the outside, in’: the in-breaking of the wild reality of the ‘Kin-dom’ of God. Through careful and unsettling readings in Mark’s gospel, alongside stories from a multicultural outer estate in east Birmingham, they paint a vivid picture of an 'alternative economy' for the Church's life and mission, which begins with transformative encounters with neighbours and strangers at the edges of our churches, our neighbourhoods and our imaginations, and offers new possibilities for repentance and resurrection.

From telemarketers to traffic jams to twenty-item shoppers in the ten-item line, our lives are full of interruptions. They're often aggravating, sometimes infuriating, and can make us want to tell people what we really think about them. But they also tell us something quite important about ourselves. The prophet Jonah's life was interrupted by a clear call of God that made him mad enough and scared enough to run in the completely opposite direction. Yet it wasn't really an interruption. It was an opportunity for Jonah to be involved in something the likes of which the Old Testament world had never seen: national revival in a Gentile country. What if Jonah had seen God's interruption for what it truly was—a divine intervention that held more adventure and possibility than any other thing he could have been doing at the time? What could have felt any better than being directly in the center of God's will? Yet we play it that same way—always running from major pains and minor problems that just don't seem to suit us at the time. Who knows what we're missing by being so interruption avoidant? In this very personal account of opportunities lost and lessons learned, popular conference speaker and author Priscilla Shirer shows how to embrace the amazing freedom and fulfillment that comes from going with God, even when He's going against your grain. .

It is not a how to bookit is a God can book. Those are the words Dr. Wilder heard in her spirit regarding the intended purpose for this book. She has endeavored to stay true to the assignment. Are you one of the many individuals that have had vivid spiritual dreams, been transported in visions to a place(s) yet to be visited, received glowing prophecies, been anointed with oil to perform mighty worksin ministry, business or otherwiseyet the time has grown long and the position you currently find yourself has no resemblance of any of those things? Interrupted to Be demonstrates that interrupted plans in life are not always meant for our demise. Often they are to make our calling and election sure. Dr. Wilder takes us on a twenty year journey through the early life of a lad by the name of David. He was the youngest of eight boys born to a sheepherder. Yet, at an early age he was chosen by God to mount the throne of a Kingdom that already had a reigning king. His story depicts that the unforeseen twists, turns and mysteries that occur in life have purpose. His journey offers evidence to the fact that God watches over His word to perform itIf He said it it will come to pass.

The nightmares of caring for a terminally-ill mother have taken their toll on fourteen-year-old Allie Everly, and being orphaned then adopted and sent across the country during the Great Depression have nurtured the seeds of bitterness in her heart. After blaming her best friend, Sam, for her mother’s death, she is suddenly confronted by a new mother, a new family, and new circumstances. Time after time she rejects those who try to reach out to her, caught up in her own self-pity and longings. But when Sam appears four years later, Allie must confront not only who she has become, but a host of confusing emotions. After years of pushing people out, can Allie finally find forgiveness and comfort in God, and open her heart to the healing powers of love and family?

A group of archaeology students in northern England scrape at the soil near Hadrian's Wall, once a barrier that divided Roman Britannia from wild Caledonian tribes.Twenty-year-old Noah makes an intriguing find, but hasn't anticipated becoming the object of desire in a developing love triangle in the isolated academic community at Vindolanda. He is living his best life, but must learn to prioritise in a race against time to solve an astounding 2,000-year-old riddle, and an artefact theft, as he comes to realise his future career prospects depend on it.In the same place, in the year 180 C.E., Centurion Gaius Atticianus, hungover and unaware of the bloody conflicts that will soon challenge him, is rattled by the hoot of an owl, a bad omen. These are the protagonists whose lives will brush together in the alternating strands of this dual timeline historical novel, one trying to get himself noticed and the other trying to stay intact as he approaches retirement.How will the breathless battles fought by a Roman officer influence the fortunes of a twenty-first century archaeology mud rat? Can naive Noah, distracted by the attentions of two very different women, work out who to trust?Find out in Tim Walker's thrilling historical dual timeline novel, Guardians at the Wall.

Foreword by Mandy Arioto, President of MOPS International Teresa Swanstrom Anderson is living the life she thought she never wanted. With an art history degree and dreams of living in Europe as a curator, Teresa had big plans for herself. She had no desire to have kids -- didn't even like them -- but after a decision to lay her exciting plans at the feet of Christ, God began changing her heart little by little. While dating the man who eventually became her husband, the two felt called to adopt from Africa. Now, Teresa's house is bursting at the seams with the loves of her life -- her husband, Ben, and their six children, four of whom were born in Ethiopia. She believes in celebrating the everyday and instilling the love of God and others in her children's hearts. She views her life as a series of redirected dreams, stumbling, falling, getting up, and wondering if she is investing her time where it matters most. Through it all, Teresa grasps joy tightly amid the craziness of everyday life. Go from dreaming about your life to living it fully with God in control. Pick up this book, grab a notebook, curl up on the couch, and open your heart to the potential of allowing your life to become beautifully interrupted. Includes reflection questions and Bible study prompts. Have you gotten so caught up in life and your well-intentioned plans that you may have accidentally planned God right out of it all? Teresa Swanstrom Anderson did just that. Her carefully laid out life changed course when she whispered to God, "Send me. Use me." Be inspired as you read Beautifully Interrupted and learn the importance of giving your plans back to God and allow Him to expand the borders of your life and heart. This book offers strategies and encouragement for living through the in-between times of waiting, as well as facing trials with grace and active faith. Become equipped to brave the storms and embrace the life-changing power of seeking God's plan first and sacrificing time and set plans in favor of something far greater.

Interrupted follows the author’s messy journey through life and church and into living on mission. Snatching Jen from the grip of her consumer life, God began asking her questions like, “What is really the point of My Church? What have I really asked of you?” She was far too busy doing church than being church, even as a pastor’s wife, an author of five Christian books, and a committed believer for 26 years. She discovered she had missed the point. Christ brought Jen and her family to a place of living on mission by asking them tough questions, leading them through Scripture, and walking together with them on the path. Interrupted invites readers to take a similar journey.