- Hearts Minds Bookstore's Best Books of 2015, Memoir

Steve Hayner was serving as president of Columbia Seminary and was healthy and fit when he found out he had terminal pancreatic cancer. He and his wife Sharolembarked on a journey together with their children that soon included tens of thousands of visits from friends and acquaintances via the CaringBridge website. The overwhelming response to their posts on this website attested to the surprising and engaging way that they chose to live in the face of death. As a result they uncovered the remarkable truth that God, our good Shepherd, provides a feast for us when we are in the valley of the shadow of death as well as in the green pastures. Steve was always known for signing letters and emails, "joyfully." These pages, including reflections from some of those closest to Steve and Sharol, offer us a hope-filled glimpse into what it means to walk with God in honesty, with joy, even through great pain.



Mark Labberton is the former president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He previously served as Lloyd John Ogilvie chair for preaching and director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute for Preaching. Prior to that, Labbertonwas senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, California. He has also served as chair of John Stott Ministries. Today he continues to contribute to the mission of the global church as a senior fellow of the International Justice Mission. He is the author of The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor and The Dangerous Act of Worship.







Steve Hayner was the president emeritus of Columbia Theological Seminary and an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church USA, as well as a professor, author and the former president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He held a PhD in Hebrewand Semitic Studies from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He served on the boards of World Vision and IJM, among others. [use photo of Steve and Sharol together]







Sharol Hayner has been serving in ministry for over forty years with her husband Steve. She served as children?s music director at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle and as children?s music director and worship coordinator at Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison, Wisconsin. At age forty-eight, she began seminary and ultimately graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. Ordained in the PCUSA, she served as associate pastor for discipleship at Peachtree Presbyterian Church and now serves as parish associate at Kairos Church, both in Atlanta. Sharol and Steve have three children and five grandchildren, all of whom live in the South.







Alex Gee is pastor of Fountain of Life Family Worship Center and president of the Nehemiah Community Development Corporation, both in Madison, Wisconsin. He also serves as an adjunct professor, lecturer and diversity consultant atSeattle Pacific University. Along with John Teter he authored Jesus the Hip-Hop Prophets.



Foreword by Mark Labberton

Foreword by Alex Gee

Daily Reflections

Epilogue: Journeying to Final Joy

God with Us: A Confession of Faith

Acknowledgments

Notes

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