In this book the 2000 year history of Christian worship is viewed from a sociological perspective. Martin Stringer develops the idea of discourse as a way of understanding the place of Christian worship within its many and diverse social contexts. Beginning with the Biblical material the author provides a broad survey of changes over 2000 years of the Christian church, together with a series of case studies that highlight particular elements of the worship, or specific theoretical applications. Stringer does not simply examine the mainstream traditions of Christian worship in Europe and Byzantium, but also gives space to lesser-known traditions in Armenia, India, Ethiopia and elsewhere. Offering a contribution to the ongoing debate that breaks away from a purely textual or theological study of Christian worship, this book provides a greater understanding of the place of worship in its social and cultural context.

What do you do when your whole spiritual life falls apart? It is in these heart-hungry moments--when we feel overwhelmed or alone, struggle with unanswered prayers, aren't sure what to do, or are crying out for God's help--that we are surprisingly poised to pray the most effective kinds of prayers possible. "Extreme Prayer" taps into that longing for connection with God when we need it most by teaching us to pray the kinds of prayers Jesus promised to answer with unlimited power. It's not about how to pray "more" . . . it's about praying "differently," and intentionally tapping into all of Jesus's open-ended promises in a way that achieves maximum Kingdom impact. In "Extreme Prayer," Greg Pruett searches the Scriptures to discover the kinds of prayers that God has promised to answer, challenging you to access their power and see His immeasurable glory unleashed in your prayer life.

The Westminster Confession is a foundational document for countless churches worldwide. Churches of all sizes claim it as their confession and hold to it with varying degrees of closeness. However how many people actually have any real knowledge of the Confession or feel it is only of relevance to their church leaders Joey Pipa's study book is the ideal tool for all Christians who seek to gain a better understanding of their faith through exploring an integral cornerstone of Reformed Christianity. Pipa has produced an accessible user friendly study aid which illuminates the Westminster Confession for all Christians showing it is not just a document for intellectual theologians but is as relevant in our own lives today as when it was written. Also includes The Westminster Confession of Faith The Larger Catechism The Shorter Catechism The Belgic Confession The Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dordt

The Church of Jerusalem, the 'mother of the churches of God', influenced all of Christendom before it underwent multiple captivities between the eighth and thirteenth centuries: first, political subjugation to Arab Islamic forces, then displacement of Greek-praying Christians by Crusaders, and finally ritual assimilation to fellow Orthodox Byzantines in Constantinople. All three contributed to the phenomenon of the Byzantinization of Jerusalem's liturgy, but only the last explains how it was completely lost and replaced by the liturgy of the imperial capital, Constantinople. The sources for this study are rediscovered manuscripts of Jerusalem's liturgical calendar and lectionary. When examined in context, they reveal that the devastating events of the Arab conquest in 638 and the destruction of the Holy Sepulchre in 1009 did not have as detrimental an effect on liturgy as previously held. Instead, they confirm that the process of Byzantinization was gradual and locally-effected, rather than an imposed element of Byzantine imperial policy or ideology of the Church of Constantinople. Originally, the city's worship consisted of reading scripture and singing hymns at places connected with the life of Christ, so that the link between holy sites and liturgy became a hallmark of Jerusalem's worship, but the changing sacred topography led to changes in the local liturgical tradition. Liturgy and Byzantinization in Jerusalem is the first study dedicated to the question of the Byzantinization of Jerusalem's liturgy, providing English translations of many liturgical texts and hymns here for the first time and offering a glimpse of Jerusalem's lost liturgical and theological tradition.

Includes hymnody from medieval plain chant to the early twentieth-century classics. This work includes hymns that are grouped according to theme and contains material suitable for any festival or occasion in the life of a church.