What is scriptural imagination? The word imagination does not mean the Bible is fantasy or untrue. A scriptural imagination allows us to look at the world through the stories and images of the Bible. As we view our world with scriptural imagination, we enter a continuous process of becoming more Christlike. In A Beginner's Guide to Practicing Scriptural Imagination, Kenneth Carter focuses on four scripture passages to give readers an easy entry into the practice of scriptural imagination. Car...

"Pray for me," someone says to you. How seriously do you take such a request? Ken Carter, a pastor for nearly 30 years, says he has learned to honor the request "Pray for me" as a cry for help. "It is an acknowledgment that we are limited and finite creatures. It is a trust placed in a higher power," he comments. "It is always prompted by a situation that would not be desired, yet it is always an occasion for the grace of God." Carter compares a person in need—whether it's because of illness,...