James C. Howell

What does it look and feel like to be worshipful? Can we find a way to worship in such a robust, thoughtful way that when we aren't in worship, the worship might linger and invigorate us? Is it possible to live in the world--doing the dishes, listening to music, being stuck in traffic, enmeshed in a thicket of meetings at work--with a serene, abiding sense of God's presence despite all the racket, that we might do whatever we do for God, and sense God's presence? And maybe more importantly: could all we do between Sundays--grocery shopping, paying bills, listening to music, taking a walk, visiting aging parents--actually enrich and inform what we do on Sunday morning, making worship itself more vigorous, profound, just plain real, and memorable, and thus heightening the likelihood that the worship will linger through the rest of the week? This book is about living a worshipful life: understanding why we do what we do in Sunday morning worship, and then re-enacting those moods and actions all week long.

Living Sunday Morning All Week

Worshipful

Jason Byassee

Craig Thomas Kocher

The art of mentoring, like all great arts, is a grace to be received, a gift to be given, and a skill that can be learned and practiced. This book explores the practice and grace of that art. The pastors in these pages share their hard-won experience of mentoring and being mentored, their wobbles and successes, insights and wisdom harvested from years in the vineyard.

The Grace of Growing Pastors

Mentoring for Ministry

Take spirituality into the real world. Jesus didn't "become flesh" so we could feel different. He came to this world so we will be different. Often our spirituality seems invisible and mute to a hurting world. Many of us simply internalize faith out of fear, feelings of inadequacy, or choice. A faithful response to discipleship's call, however, is both inward and outward. Through Howell's study, you'll find ways to apply faith to your daily life and make evident your commitment to Christ. By considering all that Jesus did with his hands as a teacher, a healer, and a compassionate servant, Howell challenges readers to be the hands and feet and love of Christ in the world. "Christianity must become something real, tangible, something that pervades all that we are," writes Howell. "It must become something we do. In our culture, for Christianity to have any meaningful future, we must get serious about a genuine lifestyle that is holy without being elitist, engaged with the world without being jaded or self-righteous, active and busy yet prepared to cope with failure." Howell's inspiration for this work comes from a poetic meditation written by Teresa of Avila, a Spanish nun who lived in the 16th century. The poem begins: "Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours." Howell connects these words with the apostle Paul, who wrote in 1 Corinthians 12: "Now you are the body of Christ." Express your faith through action. Be the hands of Christ today to a hurting world.

The Practice of Faith

Yours are the Hands of Christ

Summary

Youth Gang Programs and Strategies

Struck from Behind is a memoir--but not the usual narrative of events. James Howell tells intriguing stories from childhood, romantic life, travel, friendships, tragedies, and wonders, and how God was there, although unnoticed or uninvited at the time. By sharing in retrospect how he now understands God's presence in seemingly mundane moments, we begin to sense something of God's way in the world, and in our own lives. Howell has been a successful pastor and published theologian. In Struck from Behind he opens up his own private life as a window into God's hidden activity. When he remembers, then we too remember God, and begin to notice, and become grateful.

My Memories of God

Struck from Behind

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date, and theoretically-grounded approach to gangs and youth violence. It covers significant topics of interest to gang scholars and practitioners and, in doing so, serves to prepare students to work with gang members, develop and manage anti-gang programs, or engage in scholarly endeavors. The book introduces readers to the foundations of gang studies through the origins of gangs, definitions and categories of youth/street gangs (and the distinctions between these arguably different types), national and international trends, distinguishing features of serious street gangs, what works with gangs and what doesn’t, and myths and realities. James Howell’s extensive experience in this area allows access to the most authoritative national survey data on gang trends, providing insight into topics such as female gangs, migration of gang members, small-town gangs versus the major adult gangs in large cities, gang homicides and drug trafficking.

Gangs in America's Communities

There is no doubt that the task of preaching can sometimes be overwhelming. Combining veteran wisdom, practicality, and a contagious reverence for the beauty of God's Word, veteran pastor James C. Howell leads pastors and teachers through the joyful and perplexing craft and practice of preaching. Drawing on a wide range of resources, Howell provides discussions on the "Subject Matters of Preaching," "Where Sermons Happen," "When Sermons Happen," and the "Life of the Body." The conclusion on "The Preaching Self" considers the person of the preacher. These seasoned reflections will be of great help for all who preach.

The Challenge and Wonder of Preaching

The Beauty of the Word

A seasoned pastor explores the connections between our own birth, the experience of having children, and the new birth of Christian conversion.

The Mystery of Being Born

Birth

Prayer is not easy, yet learning to pray can be learned. The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray is a brief but probing guide into the life of prayer. James Howell examines the many barriers to prayer (such as our busyness, how uncomfortable with silence we are, our doubts and fears) and invites the reader to take a fresh approach to the devotional life. Each lesson begins with a scripture passage and the author draws comfortably and appropriately from a rich array of other sources (Annie Dillard, St. Augustine, Henri Nowen, Kathy Mattea, Madeleine L'Engle, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, St. Francis, Oscar Romero, and the movie Good Will Hunting are a sampling.) The author's own engaging writing style, including his ability to illumine his ideas with the shared wisdom of others, is a major strength of this book. While each “lesson” is only two book pages long, the author draws from a deep well of wisdom about prayer. Howell leads the reader through the “subjects” of prayer (e.g. praise, confession, giving thanks), and digs deeply into theological issues such as whether prayer works, prayer and suffering, and forgiveness. According to the author, “In the end, prayer draws us into community with others-- out of our “curved in” lives and into the world in service.” The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray will be helpful to the novice in spiritual life as well as long-time Christians who are striving for a more profound relationship with God. Includes Study Guide, List of Sources, and Scripture Index.

31 Lessons

The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray

Prayer is not easy, yet learning to pray can be learned. The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray is a brief but probing guide into the life of prayer. James Howell examines the many barriers to prayer (such as our busyness, how uncomfortable with silence we are, our doubts and fears) and invites the reader to take a fresh approach to the devotional life. Each lesson begins with a scripture passage and the author draws comfortably and appropriately from a rich array of other sources (Annie Dillard, St. Augustine, Henri Nowen, Kathy Mattea, Madeleine L’Engle, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, St. Francis, Oscar Romero, and the movie Good Will Hunting are a sampling.) The author’s own engaging writing style, including his ability to illumine his ideas with the shared wisdom of others, is a major strength of this book. While each “lesson” is only two book pages long, the author draws from a deep well of wisdom about prayer. Howell leads the reader through the “subjects” of prayer (e.g. praise, confession, giving thanks), and digs deeply into theological issues such as whether prayer works, prayer and suffering, and forgiveness. According to the author, “In the end, prayer draws us into community with others-- out of our “curved in” lives and into the world in service.” The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray will be helpful to the novice in spiritual life as well as long-time Christians who are striving for a more profound relationship with God. Includes Study Guide, List of Sources, and Scripture Index.

Howell provides contexts for the selected verses and draws from a wide range of sources to illuminate their meaning for Christian faith and life today. He encourages, inspires, and motivates others to understand the biblical verses in relation to faithful Christian discipleship.

A Devotional

40 Treasured Bible Verses

Elizabeth Griffiths

Gangs in America's Communities offers a comprehensive, up-to-date, and theoretically grounded approach to gangs and associated youth violence. Authors Dr. James C. Howell and Dr. Elizabeth Griffiths introduce readers to the foundations of gang studies through the origins of gangs, definitions and categories of youth/street gangs, transnational as well as prison gangs (and the distinctions between these arguably different types), national trends in gang presence and gang-related violence across American cities, distinguishing attributes of serious street gangs, and myths and realities. Students and instructors will benefit from the Second Edition’s comprehensive treatment of the state of the literature on individual-level causes and consequences of gang membership. Going beyond the traditional topics covered in most texts in the market, this book uniquely describes specific gang patterns, trends, and cultures within a group-based structure while illuminating the most promising avenues for reducing the presence and seriousness of gangs in American communities.

Using the Apostles' Creed as the "primary text" this book explores what we believe as Christians and how those beliefs are relevant today. The author's goal is to help pastors educate and transform members of their congregations. He examines the Creed phrase by phrase in brief sections suitable for congregational study or for emailing to the congregation. For each phrase in the Creed, a "deeper reflection" provides material for preaching a 13-sermon series or for further congregatonal study. A detailed appendix includes recommendations of hymns and songs related to each phrase in the Creed; the suggestions are keyed to several hymnals and songbooks.

The Apostles' Creed for Preaching, Teaching, and Worship

The Life We Claim

In 27 brief lessons on the Holy Spirit, James Howell introduces us to the third person of the Trinity, "this personal, elusive, invisible, powerful Spirit." Who is the Holy Spirit? What is the work of the Spirit? How can I connect with the Holy Spirit in my life? What would that look like? These are just a few of the questions believers may struggle with as they attempt to come to a fuller understanding of the Holy Spirit. Drawing on his own experience as well as the wisdom of other writers, Howell invites readers to know and experience God the Spirit. The title of the book comes from a quotation by Bernard of Clairvaux that it is appropriate to think of the Holy Spirit as a kiss. The author explains that Clairvaux "is imagining God the Father loving his son Jesus so tenderly that God would kiss the son, and the Spirit then would be that kiss." Some of the lessons are: The Spirit in the Trinity, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, The Spirit and Creation, The Spirit in Us, Culture and the Spirit, The Spirit in the Church, Sending the Comforter, The Spirit and Freedom, and The Spirit and the Future. Each lesson begins with a prayer written by the author. A study guide is included to assist small group leaders.

27 Lessons on the Holy Spirit

The Kiss of God

Discover a world of saints whose faith, hope, and action will inspire and encourage you. This fascinating volume includes saints you know, saints you don't, and a few saints you might not recognize as saints. From Francis of Assisi to Sojourner Truth, meet those who sang, prayed, taught, were imprisoned, and died for their beliefs.

James C. Howell

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