What happens when people begin to practice love? This collection of stories explores a remarkably simple idea. What would it look like to practice love? What would happen if we actively chose to engage a deep sense of love even in hard places? The possibilities include a love for God, a love for the self, a love for a neighbor, and even a love for an enemy. What emerges will inspire and challenge the reader to reconsider what it means to live out the practice of love in our lives. Jesus invited people to engage love as a way of living. It was the defining act of what it meant to live. And in doing so, he opened up a world that revealed something extraordinary: the Kingdom of God. To live a life based on the practice of love requires courage and conviction. It often means facing fears that are not easily overcome. But in the end, the practice of love invites us to discover something deeper about what it means to be human.
The Practice of Love
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Jonathan Brink is an author of Discovering The God Imagination, Reconstructing A Whole, New Christianity. He is the Senior Editor and Publisher at Civitas Press. Contact: www.jonathanbrink.com
List of Contributors: Lori Wilson, Jason Coker, Alise Wright, Anna Snoeyenbos, Phil Shepherd, Raelene Roth, Kathy Escobar, Marian Struble, Kara Maddox, Arthur Dimmesdale, Idelette McVicker, Mihee Kim-Kort, Todd Hiestand, Rhonda delaMoriniere, Trygve Bundgaard, Neal Hager, Jennifer Luitwieler, Amy Moffitt, Dave Everly, Skyler Dresdin, Neil Christopher, Kristine Socall, Carol Howard Merritt, Cheryl Dack, Beth A. Orchard, Zihna Gordon, Nathan Colquhoun, Martin Turnidge, Annie Bullock, John Martinez, Alan Knox, Trevar J Simmons, Jarrod McKenna, Jamie, Arpin-Ricci, Brian Ammons, Mike Stavlund, Ron Cole, Naomi King, Jake Kampe, Jeremy Myers, Hugh Hollowell, Melissa Cooper, and Bradley Jenkins.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By kim
Format:Paperback
This wonderful book edited by Jonathon Brink is like a guidebook to "soulful" living. There are 45 stories written by contributors of various social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds who tackle the important question of "how do we love and be loved." The honest, raw, and humbling stories provide a doorway to love our friends, our enemies and ourselves as we try our best to live in a love -deprived world of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, sexism and the many other ways we separate ourselves from others.
Each contributor writes from personal life experiences which not only challenge us to rethink what love is but also encourage us to live a life of fullness, joy and love. The stories range from domestic abuse survival to enduring the pain of adultery. As many of us experience pain, loss, and abuse, we need to be reminded that God is always present in our lives. Especially in the midst of turmoil, guilt, sin and self-loathing, we too can find redemption and grace which can only come from God.
This collection is empowering as it reflects on real life situations, experiences and contexts. Every reader will find some connection within the wealth of stories searching for love in this empty loveless world. The end of the journey will be both surprising and joyful.
Each contributor writes from personal life experiences which not only challenge us to rethink what love is but also encourage us to live a life of fullness, joy and love. The stories range from domestic abuse survival to enduring the pain of adultery. As many of us experience pain, loss, and abuse, we need to be reminded that God is always present in our lives. Especially in the midst of turmoil, guilt, sin and self-loathing, we too can find redemption and grace which can only come from God.
This collection is empowering as it reflects on real life situations, experiences and contexts. Every reader will find some connection within the wealth of stories searching for love in this empty loveless world. The end of the journey will be both surprising and joyful.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The Practice of Love" explores the real-life implications of following Jesus
June 1, 2011
Format:Paperback
The rabbi Jesus had little time or patience for theological abstractions and debates over fine points of the moral law. What mattered most to Jesus was the practical, on-the-ground, day-to-day living out of the two greatest commandments: to love God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
The contributors to The Practice of Love come from a variety of Christian backgrounds, from progressive to conservative. But their church affiliations are only incidental to the stories they have to tell. Differences in theology fade into the background where they belong, subsumed by the power of the book's central theme.
The contributors to The Practice of Love come from a variety of Christian backgrounds, from progressive to conservative. But their church affiliations are only incidental to the stories they have to tell. Differences in theology fade into the background where they belong, subsumed by the power of the book's central theme.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Jeremy Myers
Format:Kindle Edition
While Christians love to learn about loving others, we often struggle with knowing what it actually looks like. Oh sure, we have the example of Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of the whole world, but how are we really supposed to follow that example?
I don't know about you, but I'm not planning on going to Jerusalem to get crucified.
So how can we follow the example of Jesus and love others?
The Practice of Love provides some suggestions. It contains 45 stories from numerous authors about how they learned to love God, love themselves, love others, and love their enemies. Since these authors come from all different walks of life and numerous different theological persuasions, there is something in here for everyone. Not every story will speak to you, but several will bring you to tears, show you what true love looks like, or challenge you to lovingly act in ways you never thought possible.
Some of us feel let down, ignored, forgotten, or abandoned by God. The chapters on loving God will help show you how to love Him as never before. Others of us hate ourselves. We feel ugly, insignificant, or unable to measure up. In these cases, the chapters on loving ourselves will prove helpful. Most commonly when we think of love, we think of directing it toward others. But the chapters in this book on loving others are anything but common. Finally, few of us really want to learn to love our enemies, but it is this that truly causes the follower of Jesus to stand out within the world. The chapters in this section will provide some direction on what this looks like.
So are you looking for some suggestions on how to practice love? Get this book.
I don't know about you, but I'm not planning on going to Jerusalem to get crucified.
So how can we follow the example of Jesus and love others?
The Practice of Love provides some suggestions. It contains 45 stories from numerous authors about how they learned to love God, love themselves, love others, and love their enemies. Since these authors come from all different walks of life and numerous different theological persuasions, there is something in here for everyone. Not every story will speak to you, but several will bring you to tears, show you what true love looks like, or challenge you to lovingly act in ways you never thought possible.
Some of us feel let down, ignored, forgotten, or abandoned by God. The chapters on loving God will help show you how to love Him as never before. Others of us hate ourselves. We feel ugly, insignificant, or unable to measure up. In these cases, the chapters on loving ourselves will prove helpful. Most commonly when we think of love, we think of directing it toward others. But the chapters in this book on loving others are anything but common. Finally, few of us really want to learn to love our enemies, but it is this that truly causes the follower of Jesus to stand out within the world. The chapters in this section will provide some direction on what this looks like.
So are you looking for some suggestions on how to practice love? Get this book.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Susan
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The stories in this book may be good ones, but I threw it in the trash at Starbucks because it's filled with typos, misspelled words, and punctuation errors. If that kind of thing doesn't bother you, you might like it.
By Weave
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Fantastic collection. Particularly enjoyed the pieces by Amy Moffit and Mike Stavlund. Moffitt's piece was incredibly courageous, yet uplifting. Stavlund's raises tough questions about what it means to truly love the outsider, minister to God's outcasts. I'm giving a copy as a Christmas present.
By Jenn
Format:Paperback
There is so much to this book I'm sure I will read it again, and it is a book that is easily given. It sets up no theological camps, it is just the voice of love, taking many forms, so that it may be heard by as many possible. It was challenging yet encouraging. A story a day is the perfect way to start or end a day, yet when I started reading I often couldn't put it down. It carried laughter to tears and back. It was a; this is how Jesus loves you, and how to book.
I highly recommend it, and just as I am encouraged, I would encourage anyone who reads it to go beyond the book and find these stories in everyday life. Yours, and others.
To see the rest of my review:[...]
I highly recommend it, and just as I am encouraged, I would encourage anyone who reads it to go beyond the book and find these stories in everyday life. Yours, and others.
To see the rest of my review:[...]
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is very interesting and has opened my mind (not easy for a 68 year old!). Over 20 different authors write on how love has played a role in their lives. It might be love of another person (even an enemy), it might be love of yourself ( which is hard for most of us to write about but easy for some with big egos - not in this book), or it might be love for God. Each writer has had a unique insight into the love they write about. They all use very distinct styles, but are very engaging. If you do not feel love of God and love of others needs to be a key part of your life, then either you wont enjoy this book -- or it may open your eyes. Loving God and others was already vital in my life, but I really enjoyed looking through the eyes of these writers. Enjoy !!
