John Van Sloten's The Day Metallica Came To Church

Puritans and reformers of seventeenth century England have been given a bad name for their part in history. This is primarily because they were working against the grain and trying to create change in world that saw change as a threat. The time period was turbulent and there was bound to be resistance in a world that was dominated by Catholics and those that had reformed to abide by their King’s law. The puritans of the time were considered extreme and rubbed people the wrong way because they wanted a world that abided by their morals and ethical codes. For this, they took the blame for the misery that many suffered during this age, but as we see in Fire from Heaven, this is not a fair assessment. The Puritans of this time wanted to improve the lives of the people and society as a whole through morality and purity.

“Atonement” by Bret Lott is an essay based on a father struggling with his children. Bret clashes with his children all morning long about dishes and combing of the hair. The last straw was when Zeb didn’t put his shoes on for karate practice. Once Zeb got into the car Bret was anything but solicitous. Due to a morning full of chaos, Bret was easy to snap at Zeb for a tiny disagreement. After sitting in silence, Bret realized what he did was boorish. Before Zeb went in for karate practice, Bret apologized for yelling. Jacob chimed in from the backseat asking for Wendy’s. That day Bret learned what atonement meant. Bret Lott was able to reach out and relate to everyone including: children, parents, and society.

Based on a series of written lectures, Richard Mouw published the book When Kings Come Marching In in 1983. A revised edition came out 19 years later, where some examples were adjusted, but the main premise stayed the same. The lectures were on Christians in culture, where Christians are called to be “actively waiting”, and what the Biblical chapters of Isaiah 60 and Revelations 21-22 say about this calling. Mouw showed his view through four different actions that have occurred in the visions of Heaven given to Isaiah and John as written in the books of Isaiah and Revelations. Those activities are argued to be emulated by Christians who are “actively waiting”, influencing how to look at the salvation and redemption from Jesus Christ, and spawning other activities that the “actively waiting” Christian should be partaking in.

As Alex Horton described the encounters with the TSA agents while passing through airport security, the reader may have thought he or she understood why Mr. Horton didn't want to remove the memorial bracelet from his wrist. However, it's not until reaching the end of the fourth paragraph that the reader begins to understand just how deep are the scars of the date that is etched on his “Metal Memorial”. Metal bracelets are limited to names and dates. The hearts of men, on the other hand, bleed memories of the valiant brothers lost forever on those dates. These are detailed memories that even time (the supposed healer of all wounds) could never erase. Memorial day has been set-aside on the calendar to ensure civilians never forget the men and

The novel, “Afterlife” by Gary Soto was mostly about how this guy named Chuy who was killed in a Club, Club Estrella to be specific. He was killed in the men’s bathroom for complimenting someone else’s shoes, which were yellow. He got stabbed 3 times, and was left there till dying. He then became a ghost, a ghost who couldn’t be heard, seen or touched. He could see everything that was going on, but couldn’t do anything about it. After the ambulance had taken him away, he was already dead, or i mean the body was already dead. When his parents got the news Chuy went to visit them to say one last goodbye, he also visited his school, and the girl he used to like for a long time. He then found this girl named Crystal, who had killed herself taking

In Tony Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” it explores the discovery of ethnic identities. It depicts the life of Macon Milkman Dead, a withdrawn loner who doesn’t feel accepted by others and is disconnected with his family and heritage. With help from others in his community Milkman takes a trip to discover himself and his roots bringing him closer to the true meaning of his purpose. Milkman in turn realizes that flight represents liberation from a life of restrictions, set in an era of racism and separation. Flight may seem as a positive solution to such a life of problems and discrimination, however, holds very negative aspects in family settings. Abandoning your own and severing those mutual bonds plays a significant role in the life of the loved ones left behind. Most are left recovering from their loss, or completely lose hope such as Hagar. Solomon leaving his wife Ryna and children behind was necessary sacrifice he had to make in order to be free. Solomon is never punished or looked down for his decision; in his song it acknowledges his accomplishment as a great achievement. In “Song of Solomon”, the ability of flight symbolizes the escape from oppression while searching for freedom.

Are all the riches of the world worth a poor heart? In his book, “Born Again”, Charles Colson dealt with this very question.

Music is an inseparable element of Black life and therefore Black worship. The Black Church understands worship to be a communal act of adoration towards God that may involve praise or petition via song, dance, music (use of instruments), recitation, meditation, chanting, and or prayer (Mason, 2016). According to James Cone, Black music is unity music because it unites…the hope and despair;…and it moves the people towards the direction of total liberation; and confronts the individual with the truth of black existence and affirms that black being is possible only in the communal context (p. 5). It is with this understanding that black people worship through music and without this understanding worship and music are diluted. J. Wendell Mapson articulated this idea in his book, The Ministry of Music in the Black Church, when he noted that purpose of worship is forfeited when singing music that has no relationship to everyday life, and the worshipper becomes disconnected from the way music and worship have historically served blacks (41). In this same vain, James Cone asserted that Black music is theological because it reveals how God moves people towards unity and self-determination.

Love and Death in Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie and Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilych

Activism, culture and value have always had a tremendous influence in society. When it comes to the Appalachian region of the United States, people tend to see our culture and values differently. The individuals of the Appalachian region have been stereotyped for far too long, people forget that West Virginia has played a huge role in building this country. Our coal miners have put their lives in danger time and time again, some losing them, for worker’s rights. The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest labor rebellion in the history of the United States. This was the foundation of the movement for eight hour work days and minimum wages. The novel Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina is a fictionalized tale of the conflict that took place in these coal fields of West Virginia. The novel brings to light the stereotypes, race and religion of the Appalachian people.

The happenings in World War II remain to this day some of the worst that the world has ever seen, and it has marred the past of Aryans and non-Aryans alike since the conclusion in 1945. One question has resonated throughout the decades as it does with any event with this great magnitude: why? How could justification be reached for the slaughter of millions of Jews, Poles, and other minorities? Oftentimes many people do not consider the prospect of being forced into a concentration camp or other such communal home.

Conventional wisdom has it that society has been taught to be accepting and kind to the people around them, kindness can vary among social groups due to different backgrounds, ethnicity, and learned prejudices. It can be trialing for someone experiencing hyper-diversity to be affable and work towards social justice for minority groups, while doing this, they in turn, express a sense of integrity. All throughout the book Outcast United written by Warren St. John, the author writes about and capitalises a few of Bethel College values such as diversity, community, and service. (Bethel)

Everyone comes into the world as sinners, and God only saves the elect, the predestined chosen ones. Defining who the elect and who the sinners are is unclear; thus, Puritans live a moral life, constantly practicing religion, in hopes of being an elect. In The Day of Doom, Wigglesworth depicts the feebleness of earthly relations when in the face of God. Judgment Day clarifies the once ambiguous distinction between the elect and sinners, harshly dividing family members from each other. Wigglesworth’s poem instills fear in Puritans to continue their religious practices (faith in Puritan beliefs, read scripture, pray, etc.) so as not to fall into temptations, which would rid them of any chance to be an elect. Wigglesworth utilizes meter, rhyme, and biblical allusions to connect his audience, the Puritan community, with his version of Judgment Day, painting a picture of destruction due to the division of the elect and sinners.

Live your life to its fullest, if I had to mention one thing I learned from Mary Oliver 's beautiful poem, "When Death Comes", that would be it. Specifically not letting time pass you by, or letting things like anxiety or anger control your life. The comparisons to death also help with understanding the magnitude of our mortality, and the importance of not taking each and every day for granted. With many fitting and unique metaphors I found it easy to be engaged with the poem. This leads also to a lot of relevant and surprising imagery, employing a more detailed vantage point for the reader. In "When Death Comes", Mary Oliver uses persona, metaphor, and imagery to speak not only of death, but more specifically living life to its fullest before death.

Randy Newman’s book, Questioning Evangelism, is a book about on how evangelizing is to ask questions, and therefore, letting people communicate with questions about their own truths about God. Newman writes this book hoping that anyone who reads it will gain a better understanding of what evangelism is. Newman’s book is divided into three parts: why questioning evangelism is needed, considering what questions non-believers are asking, and observing why asking questions and knowing answers doesn’t mean a Christian’s own problem like cold-heartedness or anger. Throughout the book Newman brings readers right back to bible scriptures. Even though he appeals to accounts of people like Paul in Acts preaching on Mars Hill, he also shows how the wisdom literature is applied to our evangelistic attempts.