Education & Discipleship


Resources
	Below are bibles, magazines, websites and books recommended by Pastor Eric to help stretch and shape your faith into a meaningful, life transforming understanding of God that is truly lived daily. Some of the resources listed here are challenging. Some you may disagree with or dislike (disclaimer: the views expressed in these resources are not necessarily shared by Pastor Eric or those within the First United Church faith community), but they are listed here because of their thought-provoking nature. Happy reading! Bibles Current Events (Magazines & Websites) Biblical Studies Spirituality Theology - Social Issues Theology - Postmodern Christianity Theology - General Church History We strongly encourage the use of the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) for its accuracy in both translating and interpreting the original Hebrew and Greek of the scriptures. An excellent second choice is the widely distributed New International Version (NIV). We also recommend The Message by Eugene Peterson, a great modern interpretation of scripture - great for reading alongside your regular study bible. The following are suggestions for good study bibles. *New Interpreter's Study Bible* (NRSV) (Abingdon Press, 2003) The New Interpreter's Study Bible (NISB) is a new study Bible that offers the full text of the NRSV translation (a wonderful literal translation of the original Hebrew and Greek) coupled with fascinating and informative notes by ninety leading theologians. Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. *The Message Remix* (The Message) Translated by Rev. Dr. Eugene H. Peterson (NavPress, 2003) From Amazon.com: "Readers who have either found the Bible to be an intimidating proposition or who are so familiar with it that the words have lost their meaning will discover that Eugene Peterson's The Message is a welcome way to read and reread one of the best-loved books of all time. It's directly translated from the Greek and Hebrew texts and is intentionally designed to be a reading Bible rather than a study Bible. Each of the 66 books has an introduction by Peterson, and there are no verse numbers to interrupt the flow of the passages." The Remix edition has added verse numbers to aid in bible study, but they are placed in the margins so as not to disrupt the flow of the reading. The Message is highly recommended for reading alongside your regular scriptural text to aid in understanding and exploration. Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Return to Table of Contents Magazine: The Christian Century A biweekly magazine aimed at providing commentary and theological reflection on current events around the world. It is a wonderful source of church and world news. Subscriptions available at $49 per year. More information is available on their website: www.christiancentury.org or by e-mailing main@christiancentury.org. Magazine: Presbyterians Today A monthly magazine published by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Presbyterians Today has won numerous journalism and magazine awards and provides current information on the mission and ministry of our denomination and the Christian church. Subscriptions are available at $19.95 for one year, $29.00 for two years or $35.00 for three years. Group plans are also available. More information is available by visiting www.pcusa.org/today or contacting subscription services at (800) 558-1669. Magazine: The Presbyterian Outlook An independent weekly magazine serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is published by the Presbyterian Outlook Foundation. It offers news and discussion of current issues facing the denomination. Subscriptions are available at $39.95 for one year, $71.95 for two years, and $101.95 for three years. Group rates are also available. More information is available by visiting www.pres-outlook.com or contacting customer service at (800) 446-6008. Website: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) For more information about our denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), check out the denomination's website at www.pcusa.org. It has tons of information and resources regarding the ongoing ministries and missions of the PC(USA). From the website you can view news from foreign and local missions, order books and resources for further study, and even find out national and international news items of interest to Presbyterians. Return to Table of Contents Book: Halley's Bible Handbook A great companion while you read scriptures. Halley's Bible Handbook, the classic layperson's companion text, includes a concise Bible commentary, important discoveries in archaeology, related historical data, church history, maps, and more.Dr. Henry H. Halley was a well-respected author, minister, and Bible lecturer, dedicating his life to spreading his passion for Bible study and memorization. Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Return to Table of Contents Book: Practicing Our Faith (Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997) Dorothy Bass, editor From the back cover: "Many people are looking for ways to deepen their relationship with God by practicing their faith in everyday life. Some go on retreats but are often disappointed. Many thoughtful, educated people search for spiritual guidance in Eastern religious traditions, unaware of the great riches within their own heritage. Dorothy Bass and the other contributors to this multi-denominational collection show how they can shape a faithful way of life during challenging times at work, at home, and in the community. This book explores the stuff of everyday life, placing ordinary activities in a biblical and historical context, and discovering in them opportunities to realize God's active presence in life." Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Book: The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith (HarperSanFrancisco, 2003) by Marcus Borg From the dust cover: "Marcus Borg is Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University and author of several the bestselling Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, and The God We Never Knew. ... "World-renowned Jesus scholar Marcus J. Borg shows how we can live passionately as Christians in today's world by practicing the vital elements of Christian faith. . . . Borg reclaims terms and ideas once thought to be the sole province of evangelicals and fundamentalists: he shows that terms such as "born again" have real meaning for all Christians; that the "Kingdom of God" is not a bulwark against secularism but is a means of transforming society into a world that values justice and love; and that the Christian life is essentially about opening one's heart to God and to others." This is a moving book about lived faith and connecting once again in a real relationship with God. Truly a life-giving read. Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Return to Table of Contents Book: God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It (HarperSanFrancisco, 2005) by Jim Wallis Jim Wallis is the convener of Call to Renewal, a national federation of churches and faith-based organizations working together to overcome poverty by changing the direction of public policy. From the dust jacket: "God's Politics offers a call to make our religious communities and our government more accountable to key values of the prophetic religious tradition--that is to make them pro-justice, pro-peace, pro-environment, pro-equality, pro-consistent ethic of life (beyond single-issue voting), and pro-family (without making scapegoats of single mothers or gays or lesbians)." Though Wallis' book is quite repetitive (something that could have been helped by a good editor), the principles of faith and responsibility he offers are deeply prophetic and worth the read! Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Return to Table of Contents Book: Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Zondervan, 2005) by Rob Bell From Publishers Weekly: "Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., offers an innovative and intriguing, if uneven, first book. This introduction to the Christian faith is definitely outside the usual evangelical box. Bell wants to offer "a fresh take on Jesus"—a riff that begins with the assertion that Jesus wanted to "call people to live in tune with reality" and that he "had no use for religion." Bell invites seekers into a Christianity that has room for doubts (his church recently hosted an evening where doubters were invited to ask their hardest, most challenging questions)." A must read! Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Book: If God is Love: Rediscovering Grace in an Ungracious World by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland From the dust cover: If God is love . . . why are so many Christians fearful? Why do so many Church leaders sound hateful? Why does religion often create more pain than healing? What would it take for our world to become more gracious? In If Grace Is True, pastors Philip Gulley and James Mullholand revealed their belief that God will save every person. They now explore the implications of this belief and its power to change every area of our lives. They attempt to answer one question: If we took God's love seriously, what would our world look like? Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Book: Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus & The Heart of Contemporary Faith (HarperSanFrancisco, 1994) by Marcus Borg From cokesbury.com: Of the many recent books on the historical Jesus, none has explored what the latest biblical scholarship means for personal faith. Now, in "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, " Marcus Borg addresses the yearnings of those who want a fully contemporary faith that welcomes rather than oppresses our critical intelligence and openness to the best of historical scholarship. Borg shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and, at the same time, sustaining. "'Believing in Jesus does not mean believing doctrines about him,' Borg writes. 'Rather, it means to give one's heart, one's self at its deepest level, to . . . the living Lord.'" Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Book: A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey (2001) by Brian D. McLaren Brian McLaren is the founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in teh Washington-Baltimore area and the author of two previous books on contemporary Christianity, including The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in the Postmodern Matrix. From the inside cover: A New Kind of Christian, recounts a lively and intimate conversation between a pastor and his daughter's high school science teacher, in which they reflect together about faith, doubt, reason, mission, leadership, and spiritual practice in the emerging postmodern world. The pastor is forced to grapple with the deeper source of his dissatisfaction with Christianity as he has understood, practiced, and taught it--his reluctance to let go of the "modern model" of Christianity. Ultimately, he comes to understand that beyond the constricted categories, cliched rhetoric, and rigid mechanisms of modern Christianity lies a new possibility: a revitalized and vibrant faith that explores and expresses the teachings and mission of Jesus in a fresh, engaging way for third-millennium people. Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Return to Table of Contents Book: Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology by Deniel Migliore Rev. Dr. Deniel L. Migliore is the Charles Hodge Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. He has taught at Princeton since 1962. He is an ordained minister in the PC(USA), frequent preacher and teacher in congregations and presbyteries throughout the country. Faith Seeking Understanding is an introduction to Christian theology, primarily from a Reformed perspective, that has been used seminaries throughout the United States. It is accessible, challenging, and wonderfully reflective. Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Book: Christian Doctrine (Revised edition, 1994) by Shirley Guthrie Dr. Shirley Guthrie is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He is author of numerous books including Always Being Reformed: Faith for a Fragmented World, and Diversity in Faith - Unity in Christ. From the back cover: "A best-seller for more than twenty-five years, Christian Doctrine has introduced thousands of laity, students, and theologians to the tenets of the Christian faith. This newly revised edition reflects changes in the church and society and takes into account new works in Reformed theology, gender references in the Bible, racism, pluralism, ecological developments, and liberation theologies." This book is a wonderful introduction to specific doctrines within the Reformed church of which the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is a part. Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Website: Statement on Inclusive Language in the Church by the PC(USA) Statement by the Presbyterian Church (USA) from the 1984 General Assembly about the use of "inclusive language" within the church. Click here for full text of statement. Return to Table of Contents Book: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2nd edition) edited by Elizabeth A. Livingstone Oxford University Press, 2000 An affordable alternative to the pricier Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church ($125), this volume offers over 1,000 entries in 643 pages on all aspects of both western and eastern Christianity. An indispensable book for the serious student of church history - hundreds of people, places, events, theological doctrines, and much more that have shaped the modern Christian church. Available on our Virtual Bookstore with cokesbury.com. Click here. Return to Table of Contents	218th General Assembly (San Jose, June 21-28, 2008) PC(USA) Website Presbyterian News Service PC(USA) Washington Office Presbytery of WNY Visit our Virtual Bookstore on cokesbury.com for suggested readings and help First United earn cash back. Click on the link below. Virtual Bookstore