Sin Boldly

by Christopher Levan

Overview

Sin Boldly--a manual for fallen angels--is a guide to spiritual issues facing the secular world. Chris Levan, author of The Dancing Steward and God Hates Religion, has a gift for translating theological concepts into contemporary and comprehensible terms. This collection of his columns is like a conversation over coffee with a close friend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781532641312
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	01/04/2018
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Christopher Levan is a pastor, professor, and parent, and has spent his life working with words. His day job is in a church, and his life's vocation is as a "repairer of dreams," helping others to achieve their goals and ambitions. Whether in a university classroom or Cuban village, his gifts of enthusiasm and energy are conveyed by vibrant words that move hearts and turn heads. Christopher is a baker, biker, and tour guide when he's not writing or helping others, and he dreams of crafting the right turn of phrase to change the world. He resides in Toronto with his wife Ellen.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Hints for the Healthy Soul

The Pain of Loving 9

Does My Dog Have a Soul? 11

The Dance of Unbelieving 14

Slaying in Touch Without Offense 17

Regret and How We Don't Deal with It 21

National Foot-Washing Week 24

Forgiveness is God's Work 27

The One Thing I Forgot 30

The Blessings and Curses of Growing Old 33

Can You Buy Reality? 36

Don't Wait for the Right Time 39

Having Enough - The Daily Bread Solution 41

2 The Bible Tells Me So

You Can't Use the Bible as a Rule Book 47

Fact or Truth: Who is Jesus? 51

Honour Thy Father and Thy Mother 54

Are There Traditional Family Values in the Bible? 57

Abortion and the Bible 60

Who Really Killed Jesus? 64

A Day of Rest 66

Does the Bible Condemn Homosexuality? 69

Divorce, Biblical Style 73

Who's the Bad Guy? 76

3 Out of the Mouths of Babes

Lets Dance 81

Head to Heart: The Primal Position of Loving 84

The Great Lie 86

Forever Young: The Virtue of Play 90

Salvation is a Dirty Word 93

The Fundamentals of Faith 96

4 Sin Boldly 101

Life is a Gift to be Tested 103

The Masks We Wear 106

For Jamie 109

I Build Boats for People to Use 111

When the Wind Blows Who Stands Firm? 114

5 The Questions You've Always Wanted to Ask

Does God Exist? Proof #1 121

Guilt: Handle with Care 124

Stamp out "Worm" Theology 126

In Praise of Wisdom 129

The Big But 132

Does God Really Exist? Proof #2 134

When Life Ends 138

God's Silence over Human Suffering 140

What if I Never Go to Church? 143

The Ten-Step Program to Praying 146

When I Die 149

Does God Really, Really Exist? Proof #3 151

Beware of Virtue 154

The Hidden God 157

I Believe 159

6 God Loves a Good Story

Make Room for Myth 165

Dandelions and Daily Life 167

Forgiveness Hurts 170

A Random Act of Kindness 174

Remembering and Compassion 176

Sometimes Love is Too Much 179

That's Not What I Said 183

Will Your Anchor Hold in the Storms of Life? 186

7 Religion and Politics

It's Our Turn to Talk about Love 193

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time 195

The Pains of Charity 198

Why do We Gamble When We Know We'll Lose? 201

Lament for a Nation 204

Waltzing Matilda 207

Spirituality: True or False 210

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Sin Boldly was a breath of theological fresh air when it was first published in 1997. It still breathes life into old conversation, with a vigorous faithfulness and a deep passion for the kairos…the holy now. Chris is a bold disciple of Christianity’s minority positions and I am grateful for his ability to celebrate the theological energy hidden in the stories of our lives.”



-Peter Woods, Minister at MacKay United Church in Ontario

Editorial Reviews

Sin Boldly was a breath of theological fresh air when it was first published in 1997. It still breathes life into old conversation, with a vigorous faithfulness and a deep passion for the kairos…the holy now. Chris is a bold disciple of Christianity’s minority positions and I am grateful for his ability to celebrate the theological energy hidden in the stories of our lives.”



-Peter Woods, Minister at MacKay United Church in Ontario

From the Publisher