Sharing Visions

The Bible is filled with many familiar stories of mystical experiences -- Moses and the burning bush, Samuel in the temple, the angel's visit to Mary, and Paul's Damascus road experience are just a few examples -- and many modern Christians have equally powerful experiences of the Lord's life-changing power and presence. In this follow-up volume to Vision Stories, 84 contributors share their authentic, intensely personal accounts of encountering the divine, including visions, healing miracles, and answers to prayer. Each vignette manifests the indescribable joy, comfort, and peace we experience in God's presence. And because each personal story also illustrates a scripture passage from Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary, Sharing Visions is an especially valuable resource for lectionary preaching. But even more, it's inspiring reading for personal devotion and spiritual growth. Praise for Vision Stories and Sharing Visions: I am rejoicing as I read the testimonies in Sharing Visions and Vision Stories. What an inspiration! Richard B. Wilke Author of the Disciple Bible Study series Storytelling has long been a deep, rich resource for sharing our faith with one another. In Sharing Visions, John Sumwalt connects readers with the power of stories for recognizing and celebrating God's presence in the midst of our daily lives. Through reading and reflecting on these stories, readers are invited into God's ongoing story of creation, redemption, and empowerment. Carol F. Krau Director of Christian Formation and Spiritual Leadership General Board of Discipleship, United Methodist Church This dynamic, moving, and deeply authentic collection of true stories will carry readers on a powerful journey of healing and inspiration. Sharing Visions will appeal to Catholic and Protestant alike. Deacon Eddie Ensley Author of Visions: The Soul's Path To The Sacred At long last someone has demonstrated the courage to lift the veil of silence that so often covers the mystical experiences of ordinary people. By denying the reality of these experiences we have denied spiritual sustenance and growth to many. Vision Stories is a forerunner of the feast that is to come for all who earnestly seek to walk with God. Reuben P. Job Author of A Guide to Spiritual Discernment This wonderful collection of stories reminds us of a fact our world desperately needs to know -- that God is alive and well and ready to be at work in our daily lives. J. Ellsworth Kalas Author of New Testament Stories from the Back Side A noted storyteller, John E. Sumwalt is the pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The author of CSS' acclaimed Lectionary Stories series, Sumwalt leads seminars and retreats on sharing and understanding visions. He and his wife Jo Perry-Sumwalt also are the editors of the online service StoryShare.