How can Christianity continue to bring good news into the world?
In recommending the Rev. Dr. George A. Mason’s new book to readers, the best-selling Christian author and theologian Brian McLaren says, “In the struggle for the future of Christianity in America, George Mason embodies great courage and graciousness as he continues to preach that we must welcome the most vulnerable among us.”
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For three decades, Mason’s weekly messages have inspired those who attend Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, as well as George’s followers nationwide. Now, this unique multimedia book collects 80 of George’s most memorable and thought-provoking sermons along with links to videos of many of them. This collection covers timely themes ranging from the welcoming love of God and the basics of the Christian faith to such vital issues as the stewardship of our planet, the importance of interfaith relationships, the need to include the most vulnerable in our community life, and the importance of peacemaking.
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Greg Garrett, another best-selling Christian author, writes in his preface, “George Mason is one of the Christian world’s most accomplished preachers and pastors. A writer, teacher, activist, and media figure, during thirty-plus years as senior pastor at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, he modeled a Christian love of and advocacy for the marginalized, the disdained, the set aside, that feels absolutely like the Jesus I know, love, and serve.”
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In these pages “you’ll see a master at work, a preacher weaving together some teaching, some storytelling, some pushing the limits to make us think,” writes Amy Butler, founder of Invested Faith and author of Beautiful and Terrible Things.
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Half of the sermons in this collection include QR codes so readers can opt to view and listen to videos of Mason’s original delivery of these messages.
Readers and viewers will be glad they encountered Mason’s mastery, writes Allen Walworth, Teaching Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Bonita Springs, Florida. “George carefully selects words like jewels, and then polishes and sets them in sentences designed to reflect light into the secret places of the heart. Sometimes his words of invitation to faith are a warm embrace, and at other times they are a poke in the ribs.”
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“Week after week, year after year, George’s sermons proclaim our sacred interdependence,” writes Nancy Kasten, Reform rabbi and Jewish Mindfulness Meditation teacher.
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In his introduction, George asks readers the simple question that he asks himself as he approaches preaching: “Can you find the good news in each sermon?” His goal is to engage all of us in spreading hope throughout our communities. As you read these pages and watch these videos, please consider passing along that potent message of hope by recommending this book to friends.
That's the inspiring message readers will find in The Word Made Fresh.
Praise for The Word Made Fresh
Bill Leonard, Author and Founding Dean at The School of Divinity, Wake Forest University
“George’s affirmation of Baptist roots of religious liberty and uncoerced faith now seem strangely foreign to large numbers of (people) and stand in sharp contrast to what has evolved into the neo-establishmentarian efforts of the Christian Nationalist movement.”
Allen Walworth, Teaching Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Bonita Springs FL
“George is a pastor, a preacher, a prophet, a poet, and a wordsmith par excellence. George carefully selects words like jewels, and then polishes and sets them in sentences designed to reflect light into the secret places of the heart. Sometimes his words of invitation to faith are a warm embrace, and at other times they are a poke in the ribs.”
David P. King, associate professor at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
“George challenges us to take a step toward living lives of both generosity and gratitude. ... This journey toward practicing gratitude and generosity leads to a transformation not only of us as individuals but also of our institutions, as we work toward justice and wholeness in the communities to which we belong.”
AVAILABLE AT INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES EVERYWHERE
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Quantity purchases reach out to Read the Spirit Books/Front Edge Publishing at info@FrontEdgePublishing.com
Preparing the Pastors We Need
Amid the widespread discussion about 'the future of the church,' an important point is sometimes overlooked: tomorrow's church will depend to a great extent on the new pastors of today who will serve and guide our churches in the years ahead.
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George Mason's Preparing the Pastors We Need: Reclaiming the Congregation's Role in Training Clergy makes a timely intervention, asking us to redefine pastoral leadership by analyzing how, in fact, pastors are made in the first place. The book highlights an exciting development in the training of pastors: pastoral residency programs and mentoring. Mason demonstrates that these programs work best when the congregations themselves, not just leadership or staff, are an active participant in the training. In this way, churches begin to reclaim their rightful role in the formation of the ministers that will serve them. And, at the same time, they become healthier and more effective churches.