Living Symbols, Living Faith is an overview of the meaning and importance of sacramentality as it is understood in the context of Christian religion. The primary focus is a discussion of the history, theology and practice of the traditional seven Catholic sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. The development of each sacrament, including its applicability in various Christian denominations, is treated separately. Recognizing the centrality of ministry to the practice of the sacraments, Living Symbols also includes a comprehensive review of various forms of church ministry. This book along with the other books in the Left Coast(r) Monograph series is designed for shared group discussion, as well as for personal reading and reference.
William Frank (Bill) Smith has been a volunteer adult education leader and lay minister in various Roman Catholic parishes in both California and Oregon for over thirty years. After a long career in business he retired in 2007 and with his wife, Barbara, moved from Southern California to Oregon. Bill and Barbara enjoy traveling, reading and spending time with their four children and five grandchildren. Now that he has more leisure time, Bill is creating a series of monographs reflecting many of the insights he has garnered in his ministerial work. Both Barbara and Bill remain active in their parish in Beaverton, Oregon Mission of the Atonement a unique parish that joins two Christian traditions, Roman Catholic and Lutheran, working side-by-side to make the Kingdom of God present in today's world.