Practical Inspiration in Trying Times

Church Publishing Incorporated
Posted Oct 13, 2020

Walking the Way of Love, Edited by Courtney Cowart, Foreword by Michael B. Curry

In these turbulent times, having a step-by-step guide to Christian practice can be a godsend.

Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry has contributed the Foreword to Walking the Way of Love, a collection of reflections and instructions for deepening one’s relationship to Christ.  Knowing that the life of the Episcopal Church—and the individual lives of the faithful—are affected by world events, the Presiding Bishop and a group of leaders  gathered to strategize ways to embody love rather than just talk about it.

Writes Curry, “Together we wondered: how can we practically help each other, as twenty-first-century followers of Jesus, to . . . recapture the vitality of the first-century Jesus Movement that changed lives and their known world? I am convinced that the Spirit led us to a clear answer: follow Jesus and his way of love. It was the key in the first century, and it is the key in our time.”

Contributors share stories and wisdom organized around the seven Way of Love practices: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, and Rest. Chapters were contributed by a number of well-known Episcopalians: Megan Castellan, Peter Elliott, Frank Logue, William Lupfer, Catherine Meeks, Jesus Reyes, Stephanie Spellers, David Vryhof, Robert C. Wright, and Dwight Zscheile, and the volume was edited by Courtney Cowart. As they articulate why the Way of Love practices matter to the larger community, they explore the ways those methods can be embodied in daily life by both tentative and passionate seekers. The writers also share their personal stories of transformation.

For leaders or lay Christians struggling to feel connected and faithful in our time of upheaval, Bishop Robert Wright’s words offer hope. “God has actually paid us a great compliment by putting us here at this great transitional moment in the life of faith. Somehow in deep collusion with all that is wrong with our present age, we are also the people suited to help God turn the world right-side-up by following Jesus now.”

Proceeds from the purchase of Walking the Way of Love support the Way of Love scholarship fund, supporting lay and ordained leaders.

Walking the Way of Love can be ordered through Church Publishing Incorporated, at any Episcopal, religious, or secular bookstore, or through any online bookseller.

Courtney Cowart is a scholar in the field of Spiritual Formation and American Church History. She currently serves as Strategic Director of the Office of Disaster Response for the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. Previously, Cowart worked in the field of philanthropy for Trinity Church Wall Street. She is a frequent speaker on the subject of sacred activism and lives in New Orleans.

Founded in 1918 and headquartered in New York City, Church Publishing Incorporated is the publisher of official worship materials, books, music, and digital ministry resources for the Episcopal Church, in addition to being a multifaceted publisher and supplier to the broader ecumenical marketplace.


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