Robert W Lee

For all of history, humankind has both loved and feared nighttime. Night Owl Prayers offers a vocabulary for your nighttime prayer life that embraces the night's mystery and promise while immersing you in the love of God. Prayers in this book will guide and sustain you with themes such as: Prayers for All Nighttime HoursPrayers for Peace & SafetyPrayers for Difficult NightsPrayers for Special NightsPrayers for OthersPrayers Inspired by Hymns & ScriptureRobert W. Lee is a pastor and the author of five books. He has preached across the world and regularly appears on television. He was raised in Statesville, North Carolina, and lives there with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. You can find him online at www.roblee4.com.

In a thoughtful examination of the legacy of the Civil War, Robert W. Lee IV asks how we got here and where we’re going next. The romanticized “Lost Cause” of the Confederacy continues to impact American culture today, more than 150 years after its inception, to justify white supremacy. In an unflinching exploration of this legacy, Lee discusses how the church was culpable then, and how Christians today can participate wholeheartedly in racial justice work. Speaking specifically about Confederate statues and other monuments, he invites readers to see things differently and become part of the solution. Sharing stories from his own experience along with historical and theological perspectives, Lee contends that God is present in this historic moment and is, in fact, leading the way. This timely book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the South, anti-racism, American history, or our country’s future.

In 2012, Steve Austin, then a pastor, nearly died by suicide. His experience launched him on a journey that opened his eyes to the widespread problem of mental illness and how those who live with it are often treated in congregations. He began to wonder: if church folks had talked openly about mental health, therapy, suicide prevention, recovery from abuse, and other difficult issues, would that have changed his story? In Hiding in the Pews, people with mental illness--some of whom might be pastors themselves--will find comfort as they learn they are not alone. Those who know someone with mental illness will gain wisdom about how to be a safe presence. Those who hold the most power in church communities--pastors, board members, and lay leaders--will be challenged and equipped to transform their congregations into places of healing, where it is safe for people to be vulnerable about their suffering. Austin draws on his own experience, as well as on interviews with eighty current and former church leaders and members. Each chapter covers a topic or theme about mental illness and the church and includes practical applications to guide leaders on a journey toward transforming church culture. When a church champions vulnerability and establishes safety within its walls, especially for those who are suffering, the healing power of God can set the captives free. Austin offers hope that faith communities will be the first places people think of when they need a sense of safety and belonging.

The co-founder of the International Boxing Federation, Robert W. Lee, finally breaks his silence on being blackballed from boxing after refusing to testify against controversial boxing promoter Don King. Lee takes you on a journey through his highs and lows. From being the first African American police officer in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, and President of the IBF to being an inmate at a correctional facility and suffering from an illness that has resulted in him being legally blind. The Final Round - Round 16 will highlight the challenges of Robert W. Lee, an African American man, surviving at the helm of one of the top boxing organizations.

It is rare to read a walk through someone's life as their heart and conscience develops. Yet that is exactly what this book is. It's not a memoir or autobiography; there is no overarching narrative. Instead, it is a series of meditations on what was on Rob's mind and in his heart at various moments, some reacting to events of his day or "the day" and others the result of long-ruminated-on questions. Rob became a columnist for his local paper in 2011, when he was a senior in high school, and vaulted onto the national stage at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, speaking with the mother of Heather Heyer, a woman murdered at a counter-protest to the Confederate-loving neo-Nazi-embracing hate rally in Charlottesville earlier that month. This is a serious book but not one that is burdened by being serious. It is full of joy and possibility and calls us all to believe in our tomorrows.-from the Introduction by Chelsea Clinton Praise for The Pulpit and the Paper "As I read The Pulpit and the Paper, I kept wondering 'How did Rob Lee write so much, and so well, and so insightfully, at such a young age' I especially value this collection right now-when many of us are deeply disappointed in so many of the well-known religious leaders of the older generation. Thank God for Rob Lee, a preacher who doesn't just preach the Good News, but also makes news with his penetrating and heartfelt message of justice, joy, and peace." -Brian McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt "I try to listen to every sermon Rev. Rob Lee preaches, and I try to read everything he writes. Now that just got easier. This book is like a 'Best Hits' album of one of America's great prophetic voices. As a descendant of General Robert E. Lee, Rob's life is helping heal the wounds of history. His message is a balm to the festering, untreated wound of American racism and hatred." -Shane Claiborne, co-founder of Red Letter Christians "Journalism and preaching share a singular mission: to tell the truth. Rev. Rob Lee was born with a burdensome legacy, and much like many of our heroes, Rob chose to bear this burden in the most complex of ways. He chose not to bury the lede, but to run his ancestry as the front page headline above the fold. As a result, Rob has earned my trust. I believe him because his words are brave and courageous enough to bear the weight of truth. In this book, we have the benefit of hindsight. This anthology contains columns published years prior to Rob's invitation to address the nation in the wake of the Charlottesville riots. No prophet asks for the job, but it is clear that God was making a path for Rob's life and witness. This book holds tender, delightful, and profound stories that are as inspirational as they are true. The singular mission of the journalist and preacher is beautifully accomplished in this work." -Rev. Mandy Sloan McDow, Senior Minister, Los Angeles First United Methodist Church "Faith manifests in numerous ways, but, to the Rev. Rob Lee, his calling is to live his devotion publicly. My audience is always richer for hearing his unique perspective on the critical intersection of religion and social justice. This book is the evolution of a public figure who is willing to bare his wounds and to be honest about his struggle. Lee's journey from a hometown newspaper columnist to a pastor is deeply personal, yet familiar." -Ali Velshi, Host of MSNBC's Velshi

America’s unique and often fractious relationship between church and state is, if anything, more relevant to who we are as a nation than when Diana Butler Bass’ examination of it in Broken We Kneelwas first published 16 years ago. This second edition contains a new foreword and introduction, as well as a new conclusion outlining her vision for the future. Born in the tumultuous aftermath of 9/11 and now a spiritual classic, the book draws on both her personal experience and her knowledge of religious history. Bass looks at Christian identity, patriotism, citizenship, and congregational life in an attempt to answer the central question that so many are struggling with today: “To whom do Christians owe deepest allegiance? God or country?” In writing both impassioned and historically informed, Bass reflects on current events, personal experiences, and political questions that have sharpened the tensions between serious faith and national imperatives. The book incorporates the author’s own experience of faith, as writer, teacher, wife, mother, and churchgoer into a larger conversation about Christian practice and contemporary political issues. Broken We Kneel is a call to remember that the core of Christian identity is not always compatible with national political policies.