The Alley of Angels takes readers on a dark journey to El Salvador during the waning days of that countrys bloody civil war. Chicago writer Henry Reed and his friend and colleague photographer Jean-Michel Beaulieu are assigned to discover the fate of Robert Zorn, a high-profile pastor and celebrity rabble-rouser, whose unwelcome involvement in the war may have led to his disappearance, and possibly, his death. Reed and Beaulieus investigation finds them crossing paths with a dangerous asso...

Problems in Lexicography is an essential, classic work of practical lexicography (the practice of writing dictionaries) and meta-lexicography. Originally published over sixty years ago, it was based on the proceedings of the Indiana University Conference on Lexicography, held November 11–12, 1960. It set a standard that still holds today, three generations later.This critical and historical edition, brilliantly researched and presented by Michael Adams, explores the enduri...

Charles Monroe survived the disappearance of his parents, did his best to hold things together for himself and his sister. He survived when she, too, vanished, leaving behind nothing but a cryptic note.After suffering through several rounds of chemotherapy, Charles Monroe thought that things might finally be looking up. That is, until a virulent strain of ebola swept through the city. With his immune system strained as it is, the odds don't look good for Charles.Now, on the...

We have never been more connected—yet we have never felt more alone.Isolation is the great soul wound of our time. As Christians, we know that the church has a unique gift to offer a hurting world: communal life in Jesus. This gift has the power to heal our loneliness and isolation. It is good news for the lonely, the isolated, the struggling. So why does it often sound like bad news to those who need it most?Perhaps because we have misunderstood what the g...

Many church people and leaders feel like exiles in their own land. We are facing tremendous challenges. And, just as for those who came before us, the challenges are also opportunities. If we adapt to our new environment, as people and as the body of Christ.Gardens in the Desert offers local and denominational church leaders a practical, inspired, scripture-rooted vision for how we can do this—how we can become God's church now for God's intended future. Michael Adam Beck ...

Learn the essentials of fresh expressions for your church.An Ecumenical Field Guide for Fresh Expressions is a practical manual for understanding and implementing Fresh Expressions for a church in any denominational setting.The Fresh Expressions movement is a new way of thinking about the local church and a new way of doing church as a congregation. It refers to new (fresh) iterations or types (expressions) of ministry, usually outside the confines...

This raw and powerful story is for anyone who has felt unworthy, who has hit rock bottom, who has been hurt by the church, or who has felt like an outcast. From drug dealer to pastor on a mission to bring church "to the wild," Michael Beck invites you into a journey of healing where all are met with compassion and where transformation happens as we make space for each other's wounds. Discover how God can bring forth beauty from ashes by getting down in the gray soot of our wounds to paint ...

Discover the blended ecology model for modern churches.How can the church adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing culture while staying true to its roots? With churches facing declining attendance and outreach struggles, Rooted in the Wild offers a timely and inspiring solution.Author Michael Adam Beck introduces the concept of a “blended ecology” of the church. This groundbreaking approach combines the “deep roots” of traditional practices with the...

How are languages invented? Why are they invented? Who uses them? What are the cultural effects of invented languages? This fascinating book looks at all manner of invented languages and explores the origins, purpose, and usage of these curious artefacts of culture. Written by experts in the field, chapters discuss languages from Esperanto to Klingon and uncover the motives behind their creation, and the outcomes of their existence. Introduction by Michael Adams Linking all invent...

It isn't you. Employers mostly stopped cutting jobs — and mostly stopped adding them. Applications per opening have doubled while recruiting teams were cut in half. The person deciding your future has a fraction of the time and triple the applicants. And in a market where anyone can generate a polished résumé in seconds, the only thing that still moves a hiring manager is proof.The 30-Day Job Offer is a stage-by-stage system for building a job search that ...

The arts originated in the day-to-day activities of human communities. But through the confluence of the culture industry and status-driven high art, the products of artistic activities have become mere commodities and specimens of culture rather than integral elements in the fabric of our everyday life. Art has become disconnected from life.What are the ways in which we can reverse this process? How can we make the arts a powerful force in healthy and vibrant communities? Taking h...

The Importunate Friend contains three meditations. The first, from which the book receives its title, is based on the Parable of The Importunate Friend. Fr. Galvez interprets it as a story of prayer that teaches man how to talk to God. He centers on the sense of insistency portrayed in the text that reflects the audacity necessary in true prayer, for God has chosen to desire to speak with him but requires a true will to communicate on man s part. The other two meditations are a protest aga...