Review: Ragged Hope:Surviving the Fallout of Other People's Choices by Cynthia Ruchti

Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People's Choices

Released July 1st by Abingdon Press:

In the words of author Cynthia Ruchti, 
Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People's Choices, is "a celebration of the resiliency of the human spirit, the courageous resolve of those determined to survive despite the fallout of other people's choices, and the exquisite redemptive power of the God who can wring beauty from ashes."

Filled with story after story of western society's realities, it would be hard not to be aware of or personally affected by situations depicted in Ragged Hope.  Job loss, lack of life insurance, HIV Aids from a loved one, pre-retirement redundancy, raising grandchildren, infidelity, post natal depression, only a shortlist.  A practical book, providing thoughtful responses the reader can employ when confronted with just such situations and those personally affronted, challenges to complacency, and scriptures to guide our responses. 

Examples cover a wide range of losses experienced by so many in the world of our day. In mentioning the few I risk missing the one that may benefit your issue or area of struggle. I was impacted throughout the book's many examples, both personally and responsively. The overarching theme that God carries all such damaged and wounded people dear and near His heart, offering the only Hope that provides strength and inspirits with anticipation. "It's an expectation based on the belief that God cares and that He can reach through the fallout to redeem, revive, refresh, restore..." rather than living stymied by recycling regrets, resentment, and retribution.

Psalm 107 is the template to which Ms Ruchti refers us.  Whatever the life distress, "In their trouble they cried to ADONAI, and He rescued them from their distress..." with the expected response being, "Let them give thanks to ADONAI for His grace, for His wonders bestowed on humanity!"  The conclusion?  "Let whoever is wise observe these things and consider ADONAI's loving deeds." [CJB]

A book of Hope, courage and encouragement for the recipients of injustices and those who care.  
An eye opening call to compassion.  
A recommended reading resource.




*Appreciation to Abingdon Press for an ecopy to read and review without obligation.







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Free Audiobook: The Awakening of Hope - Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

The Awakening of Hope: Why We Practice a Common Faith
by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

According to Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, faithful action is always inspired and sustained by common convictions---the basic truths that have sustained God's people throughout every generation. The Awakening of Hope represents Christian faith by beginning with stories of faithful witness and asking, Why? Why do Christians eat together? Why do we fast? Why would we rather die than kill? These are the questions that help us see why creation and the fall, covenant and community, ethics and evangelism, matter. This book is a contemporary catechism, celebrating lives and stories that wouldn't make sense if the gospel were not true.

Going one step further, this project shares the good news of Jesus and the way of life that he makes possible. - GoBible

"In his latest book, The Awakening of Hope, Hartgrove doesn’t get bogged down in ... statements about what Christians should avoid. In fact, he does just the opposite. Jonathan outlines a beautiful manifesto of what Christians are for and dusts off the spiritual practices that have distinguished Christians for centuries. But he doesn’t just dust them off. He digs deep into practices – from fasting to promises to intentional living. Jonathan even goes so far as to live these practices out and comes back to tell us how it went!" - RLC editor



“This book is good news…a magnificent report on lived theology, not just theological ideas and truths, but storied theology, the kind that we find in our Scriptures.” – Eugene Peterson, translator of The Message

Audio Book available FREE during June 2013

via GoBible  Click here to DOWNLOAD NOW!

Author: Jonathan Wilson-HartgroveOriginally Published: 2012Format: Unabridged Normal Price: $14.99 FREE thru June 30th

Connect with Jonathan online
Follow @wilsonhartgrove 
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Review: Stumbling into Mystery author Dan Wilt

Stumbling Into Mystery eBook
author Dan Wilt
Worship Training.com

I am seriously loving my Theology of Worship course.  So much so, I'm sharing a bit of it with you today. Brief excerpts from the text written by Dan Wilt, "Stumbing into Mystery."

"Shalom is entering the world through the Spirit of God, through the way opened by Christ, and we as his followers are participating in that bringing of wholeness to the world. Empowered by the Spirit of God, we bring peace to the situations that God has given us to influence. Peace of mind, peace of heart, peace of circumstance, peace of government, peace of society, peace of relationships – in all of these arenas we are Christ’s ambassadors." 

An awesome line of thinking to follow.

"As Christ’s ambassadors, every act of forgiveness, reconciliation and hope-giving is now a new creation act – an act of shalom-making, or peace-making. We anticipate the age to come every time we make a choice to act in love, in shalom peace, and not in hatred or bitterness. We welcome and exemplify the age to come every time we as a community gather around one of us who is weak and broken. We bear the age to come every time we participate in bringing beauty into the world, whether it be in a church building or on a pub stage. We participate in acts of the new creation to come when we pray for the sick, care for the poor, pick up the fallen, confront social powers that dehumanize people, and on and on and on." 

What amazing opportunities we have all around us to be bearer's of shalom - God's shalom.  Bringers of hope - the hope with roots.  Roots that go down deep into the soil of God's love.   Hope that inspirits. 

Practical encouragement to be more than audience.  Let's take every opportunity available to us today to BE who we're called and created to be. 

Blessings on your BEING and the DOING that will result...