Book: Inspired by the Holy Spirit - 4 habits of faithful living

 The world is bustling with consumerism and digital connection. Yet, there's still a bone-deep longing for something personal. In a world that has given you distraction and impersonal modes of communication, reach out to the Holy Spirit to guide you toward the most personal connection of all: one with God. 

Christina Hergenrader invites you to travel with her and the Holy Spirit in four weeks to re-evalute your spiritual habits. Read personal annecdotes from Christina's journey on the same path and find yourself in her stories. Focused on four cornerstones of healthy spiritual habits—word, prayer, praise, and reflection—you can find fulfillment of that soul-deep want for connection with guidance from the Holy Spirit. 

4 main sections

• Word
• Prayer
• Praise
• Reflection

This Bible study is perfect for individual study, groups of all sizes, or as an event kick-off. Each day ends with Bible verses to read or challenges to take your journey into your life and off the page. Pray at the end of each session to connect with God and the Holy Spirit as you go forward and reconnect, personally, with Him. 

Book: Spirit filled: Normal Christian Living

Being filled with God’s Spirit is not a special blessing locked up for the select few, but the normal experience God has planned for all Christians.

Spirit Filled is written in plain language for ordinary Christians. While it is perfectly designed for group use, it can be equally enjoyed as a book in its own right.

The authors Steen Olsen and Noel Due are experienced Lutheran pastors and church leaders who know the difficulties and demands of everyday life. Every chapter is filled with encouragement, and the whole book is a breath of fresh air to weary hearts.

Chapters
Meeting the Holy Spirit in the Bible
Meeting the Holy Spirit in person
Meeting the Holy Spirit as the people of faith
Meeting the Holy Spirit:  God's ultimate gift
Being filled with the Spirit
The Holy Spirit:  the giving gift
Participating in the Spirit's gifts
Enjoying the fruit of the Spirit
The Spirit teaches us to cry 'Jesus is Lord'
The Spirit teaches us to cry 'Come'
The Spirit and your future.

Endorsements:
If you are worried whether the Holy Spirit is active in your life, if your Christian faith is a bit wobbly, your love has cooled, and your hope become uncertain, this is just the book for you – and anyone you know who is in the same situation. This wonderful study doesn’t tell you what you have to do to get back on track in your spiritual life, but what God has done for you and is still doing. Here is the gospel of the Holy Spirit who implants us into Christ who leads us to the heavenly Father.
Noel Due and Steen Olsen present profound theology in simple, non-technical language.
What I love most is the way in which they don’t refer to the scriptures in order to find proof texts, but let the Spirit-inspired Word be the first and most important voice. Communal listening to the sacred text and sacramental celebration have priority over individual experience. The twelve chapters reflect familiarity with debate on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, but without being confrontational or argumentative.
That being Spirit-filled is the normal thing in being a believer is a breath of fresh air. If you sense that I’m excited about this book you are not wrong. Please read and share it.
Revd Dr Vic Pfitzner emeritus Lecturer and former Principal of Luther Seminary/Australian Lutheran College, Adelaide South Australia

A strong, loving, and wise book designed for use in ordinary local churches and small groups within the church community. Strong theology, indeed, very strong theology that is well exposited for a lay audience. Loving, the authors clearly love their Lord, His Church, and the life of the Holy Spirit in everyday life. Wise, they have lived with these sentences and state their lessons from experience with careful, reflective, responsible clear thoughts and proposed actions.
Revd Dr Patrick Keifert Professor emeritus of Systematic Theology, Luther Seminary, St Paul MN, USA

Children's Book: The Day when God made the church

Children love birthday parties. This is a book – a first if its kind – to help kids understand and celebrate the birthday of the Church. The Day When God Made the Church is the story of Pentecost and how the Holy Spirit shaped, and continues to shape, who we are as God’s Church. Children will learn the story of Pentecost: the sights, sounds, and events of that miraculous day described in the Book of Acts. They will also discover who the Holy Spirit is and how God calls each of us to follow Jesus. At the end, parents, educators, ministers will discover fresh ways to celebrate Pentecost with children in their own churches and families.

Reviews
A great addition to your Pentecost shelves: This book is a wonderful telling of the story of Pentecost: the sights, the sounds and the people that began the community of the Church. We recommend placing this book on the bottom shelf of your Pentecost shelves.
—The Rev. Cheryl V. Minor, Ph.D.
Co-Rector, All Saints' Church, Belmont, MA
Director of the Center for the Theology of Childhood
The Godly Play Foundation

"Readers and listeners of all ages will discover much to stimulate their understanding of Pentecost through this theologically grounded book. Its engaging qualities and vivid images rhythmically connects children to the movement of The Holy Spirit, and the birth of the Church. Rebekah seamlessly helps children understand this sometimes difficult celebration in the liturgical year." —Melanie C. Gordon, Director of Ministry with Children, Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church

“This is a delightful and powerful telling of the birth of the church. Your child will love this book. The Day When God Made Church invites the parent, teacher, and child to engage in conversation about God, love, and the church. This is the book we have been waiting for….”
—The Rev. Mark Bozzuti-Jones award winning author of God Created and Jesus, the Word

Good children’s storybooks about Pentecost are few and far between. So when a new one appears it is worth sharing. "The Day When God Made Church: A Child’s First Book about Pentecost," by Rebekah McLeod Hutto, is a good addition to a church’s resources for children’s classes and libraries. Though it is rather long (5 minutes to read aloud), it could also be read in worship. Read it just before or after reading the biblical text to add color and detail to the story. If you are lucky enough to have a small number of children, read it with them seated around you so they can follow the wonderful illustrations. Savor the TALL words in the text and pause to reflect on the details in the pictures.
If you observe Ascension of the Lord on the Sunday before Pentecost, read only the first three pages about WAITING just before the benediction of that service and invite worshipers back the following week for the story and party that come next.
I mention this book now so that you have time to order it as you plan for Pentecost on May 15.—Carolyn C. Brown, author of Forbid Them Not, and Gateways to Heaven, worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com

The Day When God Made Church immediately draws readers of all ages into the Acts 2 story of Pentecost. Haig’s illustrations give deep meaning to Hutto’s child-like words that tell how the disciples wait…wait…WAIT in the Upper Room. At first, the reader sees men, women, children, and animals portrayed plainly in solid colors. The first inkling of the Holy Spirit comes visually with a bright blue spark, and the patterned orange flame of an ancient lamp. One turn of the page makes the reader gasp in awe at the Holy Spirit’s presence: joyful patterns of bright colors fill the pages, swirling around the people, dog, cow, and dove!
The story continues as colors visually represent the Holy Spirit’s wind and fire, warming the disciples’ hearts. Blue swirls turn into drops of rain filled with words from a host of different languages, eliciting sounds like drumbeats and whispers. Young readers will love to interact with these pages as their imaginations, curiosity, and enthusiasm are engaged by a sense of wonder.
The story draws readers into the disciples’ questions: Who is the Holy Spirit? …  What is happening? … Why do we feel so different? … Why do we hear so many languages?
These questions beautifully set the scene for remembering Jesus, as well as for Peter’s definition of the church: We are a family that shares, eats, and worships together. The story ends with a jubilant “Alleluia!” and a visual invitation to the Lord’s table, evoking the famous Holy Trinity icon.—Alexis Kruza, Building Faith

The story of Pentecost is so familiar that a summary is not necessary.  This, however, is a first person narrative which invites us to be participants.  This is a more comprehensive telling of Acts 2 than is usual for children.  It includes Joel’s prophesy, (without identifying it), Peter’s sermon, a reference to baptism, and the shared life of the new community as well as the gift of the Spirit and varied languages.  Some of the story is omitted but the essential outline of Pentecost is here, enriched by metaphors and highlighted by feelings. The story is told in simple, direct sentences with print variation and color contributing to the excitement.  But without pictures or print, it’s easy to hear this story as an aural experience.  The art adds details about this being an intergenerational group and animals are present. The author makes a number of suggestions about how to celebrate Pentecost on the concluding page. Pentecost is relatively free from the cultural takeover of Christmas and Easter.
“Finally a story for young children about Pentecost! … Children will enjoy reading about the birthday of their church, and they—along with the adults who love them—will be better able to wrap their hearts and minds around this curious celebration called Pentecost. Alleluia!”
 —Rev. Matt Matthews, author of the novel Mercy Creek and Pastor, St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC.

E Book: What happened to our churches? - Regaining Spiritual energy

“What Happened to Our Churches?” is a free eBook from David S. Luecke.

What happened to our churches is a Collection of 52 blogs About Regaining Spiritual Energy.

The Apostle Paul was an organizational genius and a world-class entrepreneur. He was also a high-level analyst who could spot what wasn’t working in churches he oversaw and figure out what to do about it. His letters to churches were his report along with an explanation for God’s empowering presence that would bring the intended results.

How would the Apostle Paul assess what is happening with the current steep decline of mainline Protestant churches in America, after serving so well and faithfully for centuries?

With a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior, Dr. David Luecke fills the role of Analyst in his latest book release. This collection of blogs is Dr. Luecke’s analysis of what’s happening in mainline churches that are in steep decline. They are losing their spiritual energy and the only way to regain it is to take the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence more seriously in church life and ministries.

Contents
Chapter 1: Six Perspectives on Regaining Spiritual Energy
Chapter 2: Motivated by the Spirit
Chapter 3: Recognizing the Spirit
Chapter 4: Discipled by the Spirit
Chapter 5: Waiting on the Spirit
Chapter 6: Culturally Shaped Experiences of the Spirit
Chapter 7: Organizing the Spirit’s Fellowships

About the Dr Luecke
There was a time in Dr. Luecke’s professional career when he had the title “Analyst.” His Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior was great preparation for a consultant as well as a professor. For six years, Dr. Luecke taught the M.B.A. Organizational Behavior course at Washington University in St. Louis. For ten years he taught the Doctor of Ministry course on Church Management at Fuller Seminary, where he was an administrator and associate professor. He also taught Strategic Management as a professor at Valparaiso University.
These 52 blogs address what Dr. Luecke sees has gone wrong with traditional mainline churches that, fifty years ago, were healthy but are now in steep decline. Luecke thinks Lutheran, as well as Presbyterian, Reformed, Episcopalian, Methodist, and United Church of Christ churches, have lost their basic spiritual energy. The only way to regain it back is to pay much more attention to who the Holy Spirit is and how he works today — that is, to recover the emphasis in Paul’s theology that Dr. Luecke gained from Gordon Fee’s detailed exegetical study God’s Empowering Presence (1994).
In 1990, Dr. Luecke received a call to plant a new Lutheran church in a suburb of his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. He saw it as a great opportunity to practice what he had been teaching. That church just moved into its large new sanctuary in a choice location in Broadview Heights. From their, Dr. Luecke moved on to become the Administrative Pastor at Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church in the neighboring suburb of North Royalton, where he still serves as a semi-retired Missions Pastor. Dr. Luecke was ordained 50 years ago and has a multitude of experience with what works and what doesn’t in congregations.

You can download the book here

Book: Sculptor Spirit - Models of Sanctification from Spirit Christology

The Holy Spirit is sculpting you.

Like the work of an artist who molds a lump of clay into its intended shape, the Spirit's sanctifying work lies in shaping people into the image of Christ.

Avoiding either a "Spirit-only" or a "Spirit-void" theology, Leopoldo Sánchez carefully crafts a Spirit Christology, which considers the role of God's Spirit in the life and mission of Jesus. This understanding then serves as the foundation to articulate five distinct models of sanctification that can help Christians discern how the Spirit is at work in our lives.

CONTENTS
Introduction
1. Sculptor Spirit: Spirit Christology and the Sanctified Life
2. Voices from the Past: Patristic Images of the Sanctifying Spirit
3. Baptized into Death and Life: The Renewal Model
4. Facing Demons Through Prayer and Meditation: The Dramatic Model
5. Sharing Life Together: The Sacrificial Model
6. Welcoming the Stranger: The Hospitality Model
7. Work, Pray, and Rest: The Devotional Model
8. I Want to Tell the Story: North American Spirituality and the Models

Conclusion

REVIEWS
"This is a book I didn't know we needed; but after reading it, I now see how much we did! Leo Sánchez provides a fresh mixture of historical summaries and constructive contributions that will prove helpful to our trinitarian discussions. A somewhat neglected focus for many, Sánchez gives particular attention to the relationship between the Spirit's work in the incarnate Christ and the Spirit's presence in our lives. Ably drawing from the patristics (especially Irenaeus) as well as leaning heavily on Luther, Sánchez seeks to outline five models for understanding life in the Spirit. Rather than imagining these in unavoidable tension, he creatively points out strengths in each, especially looking at them in light of pastoral concerns. Much in this volume can help clarify our thinking and stimulate our Spirit dependent lives."   Kelly M. Kapic, Covenant College

"In the winsome spirit we have come to expect from Sánchez, Sculptor Spirit is a gentle and timely corrective to a lot of anemic spirituality found on the market today. Using Spirit Christology as the lens through which to examine the sanctifying work of the Spirit, Sánchez puts holiness back on the agenda as he recommends five models of sanctification for Spirit-filled believers today. Listening to voices from the past, Sánchez places before the reader various complementary models on what the Christian life looks like and how we can be further conformed to the image of Christ. It wasn't too long ago that Spirit Christology was a promising area to explore; with Sculptor Spirit we have another example of how Spirit Christology is delivering on its early promises. The Spirit gives life and in this work Sánchez clearly shows how the Spirit is at work conforming people to Christ's image for the glory of God."  Myk Habets, dean of faculty and professor of theology, Carey Baptist College and Graduate School, Auckland, New Zealand

"One of the theological dangers facing the English-speaking church is its over reliance on Christology, what can be called hyperchristocentrism, which means that Christ is emphasized to such a degree that Christian trinitarianism breaks down. What is needed in response to this situation are ways to make Christology more trinitarian, and this is what Sánchez helps achieve in this work. Sculptor Spirit emphasizes a Spirit Christology for its implications related to sanctification, spirituality, and the Christian life overall. Through its models and various examples from antiquity to the present, it is a reliable guide that I hope finds resonance with students, preachers, and teachers who are passionate to offer something substantive to a hungry church."  Daniel Castelo, professor of dogmatic and constructive theology, Seattle Pacific University and Seminary

"Sánchez's past work on the relationship of the Holy Spirit to Christ provides an effective foundation for this exploration of several views of the ways in which the Holy Spirit creates and forms the holy life of faith in those who trust in Christ. This work draws readers into a world- and church-wide conversation on how the Spirit goes about sanctifying sinners and leading them into a life of faith and obedience that exercises true humanity in the midst of our faltering world. This skillfully-constructed, aptly delivered assessment of various models for interpreting the presence and working of the Spirit in believers' lives will stimulate and guide pastors and laity into new perspectives on how to understand and practice the faith."  Robert Kolb, professor of systematic theology emeritus, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis

"In this impressive volume, Leopoldo Sánchez provides a comprehensive and detailed account of Spirit Christology, tracing its development through the ages to offer a robust trinitarian account of Christ as one filled with the power of the Spirit. Having laid the foundation for Christ as the pattern for the Spirit-filled life, he then applies this to a practical, generative, and thought-provoking, models-based approach to sanctification, making the much-needed link between orthodox dogmatic theology and everyday life. Thus this book is a valuable contribution both to the academy and the church."  Lucy Peppiatt, principal, Westminster Theological Centre, UK

"A singular book on the Spirit combining an excellent knowledge of tradition and contemporary literature with imagination and theological creativity. It leads to a suggestive but open-ended exploration of various models for experiencing and understanding the work of the Spirit."  Justo L. González, author of The Mestizo Augustine

"With fourth-century church fathers and Luther as foundational resources, in interaction with current scholarship, Sánchez explores five models of sanctification that illumine the ministry of the Spirit of Christ in believers. This creative Latino-Lutheran scholar continues his fruitful work in Christology and pneumatology with a volume that will benefit the broader church in North America. A stellar contribution from a fresh voice, forged as a Latino within a historic tradition. Un aporte singular."  M. Daniel Carroll R., Blanchard Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College and Graduate School

"Everyone these days wants to be spiritual. They just don't know how or what it really means to be spiritual. Leo Sánchez charts a course that anchors that yearning for spirituality on solid ground. He presents an experience of the Spirit grounded firmly in the theology and practice of the church through the centuries as he provides various models of what it means to be 'in the Spirit.' Spirituality is not so much a feeling or a yearning as it is a way of life worked out in the person of Christ and his work through and in the Spirit in and for us. Sánchez reminds us that the Spirit blows where it wills, but it never blows apart from the will of Christ and the Father. If you're looking for a theological yet pastoral approach to reach those who want to be spiritual but don't know how, this book is a great resource."  Joel C. Elowsky, professor of historical theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

You can purchase Spirit Sculptor here

Pentecost Worship and Study Resources

Pentecost Sunday is a major celebration of the Christian Church, occuring 50 days after Easter.
In 2017 we celebrate Pentecost on Sunday 4th June 2017

Some background and explanations
International Standard Bible -  Pentecost
Bible Study tools - Pentecost
Churchyear.net-Pentecost
Wikipedia - Pentecost
Catholic Encyclopdia - Pentecost
Russian Orthodox - Pentecost

Videos Pentecost in 2 minutes- Lutheran video
What is Pentecost - CPH 
Greek Orthodox - Pentecost video
Visual Bible - day of Pentecost
Pentecost - the church is born
Pentecost - the skit guys
Pentecost - a reflective retelling of Acts 2:1-4
The Story of Pentecost - Dan Stevers
What's in the bible?  - Pentecost
Pentecost kids story

Worship Resources
Textweek 
Lutheran Church of Australia - Worship Planning
All age worship from Barnabas in churches
The Billabong
Calvin Worship Institute
Engage Worship ideas- Pentecost
Kids Friendly Church - New Zealand 
Kir-Shalom resources
Ministry Matters - various resources
Presbyterian Church USA 
The Worship Closet
United Method church resources
Reformed Worship - Pentecost 2017
Rethink worship 
re: worship
Uniting Church of Australia all age worship
25 contemporary songs for Pentecost Sunday- Praise Charts
List of Pentecost contemporary songs and traditional hymns includes CCLI songs, Alltogether Songs, LCA hymnal with supplement, Lutheran Service Book, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, This far by faith hymnal and Together in Song

Bible Studies
The meaning of Pentecost - bible.org
The Pentecostal experience - bible.org
Be open to the Spirit - ELCA
A longer look at the lessons (fee based) - CPH
Answers for a study of the Epistle of Pentecost - Trinity Lutheran

Articles
Pentecost Paradoxes - Working Preacher
Preaching a present day Pentecost - Working Preacher
Let the Pentecostal fires and the winds of the Spirit transform your congregation into a force that takes action on behalf of God’s ailing creation.  - Lutherans restoring creation
What is Pentecost and why does it matter - Patheos
Pentecost: the day of the Lord  - Word and World
The gift of the Holy Spirit - Lutheran Witness

Visuals and images
Pintrest images, art, displays, craft, ideas
Google images
Bing images
Goodsalt 
CanStock

Lutheran Renewal Australia Conference

Lutheran Renewal Australia is hosting a conference on November 20-22 2015 in Toowoomba
Speakers will be Rev Clark Taylor and Rev Dr Edgar Mayer.

Conference is free

Discussion on the Holy Spirit in the Book of Concord

The Holy Spirit is mentioned 385 times in 82 different articles in the documents that make up the Book of Concord.
The Discussion on the Holy Spirit in the Book of Concord  is a good reference guide for anyone who wishes to discover quickly and read what the Lutheran Confessions say about the Holy Spirit.  

Book: Surprised by the Holy Spirit

Surprised by the Holy Spirit—There Is More for You Than You Think is authored by Pastor Dr Edgar Mayer, a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia, serving Living Grace Lutheran Church in Toowoomba.
Surprised by the Holy Spirit provides eye-opening and soul-stirring biblical truths illustrated with real-life experiences that reveal the Holy Spirit’s role in every believer’s life. 
After His resurrection, Jesus promised His disciples that they would be “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). What was Jesus promising the disciples—and you? He promised that the Comforter, the Joygiver, the Advocate, the Encourager, and the Spirit of Truth would infuse you with power to boldly and victoriously live a more abundant life. 
Surprised by the Holy Spirit is for everyone who is: 
• Eager to learn more about the Holy Spirit. 
• Battling for victory in spiritual warfare. 
• Curious about speaking in tongues. 
• Hungry for the benefits of the Spirit baptism. 
• Skeptical about Holy Spirit manifestations. 
The interactive study guide in the back of the book is an empowering, personal or small group tool designed to strengthen your spiritual life and reveal the depth of God’s love for you.


Chapters are:

• The Word alone is not enough
• The Bible describes the Spirit baptism
• Receiving the Holy Spirit is for everyone
• Will you still serve Him
• The foolishness continues 
• The battle is on
• Speaking in tongues is a gift
• Practical encouragement
• Plus a study guide