Prayers of a Life in Tension

by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Overview

In the fall of 2014, I was invited to speak at a local mosque about my book, A Christian Guide to Spirituality. Speaking at a mosque was new to me and anticipating this visit I spent three days fasting and praying for guidance. Instead of guidance on the mosque visit, God inspired me to write Life in Tension: Reflections on the Beatitudes from which this prayer book is taken.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781942199168
Publisher:	T2Pneuma Publishers LLC
Publication date:	09/28/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	83
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Author Stephen W. Hiemstra (MDiv, PhD) is a slave of Christ, husband, father, tentmaker, writer, speaker . . . He lives in Centreville, VA with Maryam, his wife of more than thirty years. Together, they have three grown children. Stephen has been an active writer throughout his career; both as an economist and as a pastor. As an economist of 27 years working in more than 5 federal agencies, he published numerous government studies, magazine articles, and book reviews. A Christian Guide to Spirituality (July 2014) was, however, his first published book. A Spanish edition, Unia Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad, was published in September 2015. Life in Tension (August 2016) is his latest published work. Read more about Stephen's publications at T2Pneuma.com or purchase them on Amazon.com. Stephen is a second career tentmaker who divides his time between Hispanic ministry, blogging with an online pastor theme, and occasional consulting in financial engineering. This online ministry includes Bible studies, book reviews, guest posts, and spiritual reflections. As a hospital chaplain intern, he worked in the emergency department, a psychiatric unit, and an Alzheimer's unit. He is an elder in Centreville Presbyterian Church. He has a masters of divinity (MDiv, 2013) from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. His doctorate (PhD, 1985) is in agricultural economics from Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI. Although a U.S. citizen, Stephen studied in Puerto Rico and Germany, and speaks Spanish and German. Correspond with Stephen at [e-mail] or follow him on T2Pneuma.net and @T2Pneuma. His author website is: StephenWHiemstra.net.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION Gospel as Divine Template Tension with Ourselves Tension with God Tension with Others The Beatitudes PART A: TENSION WITH OURSELVES 1. HONORED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT 1.1: Honored are the Poor in Spirit 1.2: Jesus' Mission Statement Gives Us Hope 1.3: Be Humble, Be Salt and Light 1:4: Living Out Poor in Spirit 2. HONORED ARE THOSE THAT MOURN 2.1: Joy in Sorrow 2.2: Lament over Sin 2.3: Death Means Resurrection 2.4: Grief Builds Character, Defines Identity 3. HONORED ARE THE MEEK 3.1: Resolve Tension into Identity 3.2: Meekness Speaks Volumes 3.3: Meek is the Pastoral Gene 3.4: Lead Out of Meekness PART B: TENSION WITH GOD 4. HONORED ARE THOSE THAT HUNGER AND THIRST 4.1: Jesus: Passionately Seek the Kingdom of God 4.2: Hunger and Thirst for God 4.3: Fools for Christ 4.4: In Jesus Completeness is Restored 5. HONORED ARE THE MERCIFUL 5.1: Show Mercy, Receive Mercy 5.2: God's Core Values 5.3: Mercy as a Path to Salvation 5.4: Jesus Models Image Ethics 6. HONORED ARE THE PURE IN HEART 6.1: Be Holy For I am Holy 6.2: A Right Spirit and Clean Heart 6.3: Prune, Intensify, and Apply 6.4: Living into Our Call PART C: TENSION WITH OTHERS 7. HONORED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS 7.1: Make Peace-Embody Shalom 7.2: Prince of Peace 7.3: Trinity of Peace 7.4: Peace on God's Terms 8. HONORED ARE THE PERSECUTED 8.1: Promote Righteousness 8.2: Righteous Suffering 8.3: Christian Paradox 8.4: Bless Those that Persecute 9. HONORED ARE THE REVILED 9.1: Persecution Gets Personal 9.2: Suffering Often Predates Salvation 9.3: Persecution Can Be Transformative 9.4: Persecution and Lethargy CONCLUSIONS Surprising Priorities Spiritual Links and Tensions The Road Ahead About the Author