Eric Milner-White and G.W.Briggs: Daily Prayer, first published in 1941, was the classic prayer anthology for a whole generation of Christians. Using that book as his framework, Frank Topping has created a new anthology which reflects the concerns and the spirituality of Christians in the twenty-first century. It is a superb resource which will enrich both in public worship and private devotion.

Daily Prayer is structured round the days of the week, and the church's year. It includes familiar and new prayers, meditations, prayers from scripture, collects from the lectionaries of different denominations, and extracts from spiritual classics. The language throughout is in line with the best modern liturgy.

It is here at last, the deliverance manual for addressing dream battles and nightmares. By the time a person is 60 years old, he would have spent 20 years sleeping and dreaming. Your dreams are your spiritual monitoring system. Many do not know what is happening to their lives because, they do not understand their dreams. The land of slumber is as important as life itself. Dreams from God are to: assure, encourage, comfort, direct, instruct, guide, exhort, correct, warn or reveal the plan and purposes of God. Satanic dreams are noted for their absurdity, emptiness, harassment and punishment by dream criminals. This book teaches you how to understand your dreams and how to deal with your dream battles. This book is a must for every serious Christian home. Read it and pray the prayer points therein and your life will no longer remain the same.

The sanctus (the "thrice holy" of Isaiah 6.3) is found in almost all eucharistic prayer, ancient and modern, and comprises the prayer recited over the bread and wine at the communion service. The origin of the sanctus as a constituent element in the eucharistic prayer is one of the unsolved mysteries of Christian liturgy, and the author of this study makes a careful investigation into its background and the instances of its occurrence in early Christian literature.

"I would like to write a beautiful prayer," writes the young Flannery O'Connor in this deeply spiritual journal, recently discovered among her papers in Georgia. "There is a whole sensible world around me that I should be able to turn to Your praise." Written between 1946 and 1947 while O'Connor was a student far from home at the University of Iowa, "A Prayer Journal "is a rare portal into the interior life of the great writer. Not only does it map O'Connor's singular relationship with the divine, but it shows how entwined her literary desire was with her yearning for God. "I must write down that I am to be an artist. Not in the sense of aesthetic frippery but in the sense of aesthetic craftsmanship; otherwise I will feel my loneliness continually . . . I do not want to be lonely all my life but people only make us lonelier by reminding us of God. Dear God please help me to be an artist, please let it lead to You."

O'Connor could not be more plain about her literary ambition: "Please help me dear God to be a good writer and to get something else accepted," she writes. Yet she struggles with any trace of self-regard: "Don't let me ever think, dear God, that I was anything but the instrument for Your story."

As W. A. Sessions, who knew O'Connor, writes in his introduction, it was no coincidence that she began writing the stories that would become her first novel, "Wise Blood," during the years when she wrote these singularly imaginative meditations. Including a facsimile of the entire journal in O'Connor's own hand, "A Prayer""Journal "is the record of a brilliant young woman's coming-of-age, a cry from the heart for love, grace, and art.

This Homiliary provides a comprehensive guide to doctrinally based preaching for the entire Church year, presented in the Dominican tradition: a preaching of Scripture which takes doctrine as guide to the clarification of the Bible's main themes. Doctrine is necessary to preachers because in its absence the Scriptural claims and themes do not easily hang together. The grace the Word imparts always has a reference to the Mystical Body which mediates all the grace that is given by Christ as the Head. So, precisely as a fruit of grace, preaching is necessarily related to ecclesial awareness. Doctrine ensures that preaching does not fall short of its true dimensions - expressing the biblical revelation, the faith of the Church. The second, third, and fourth volumes of Year of the Lord's Favour cover between them the Temporal Cycle of the Church of the Roman rite: this third volume furnishes texts for Sundays through the Year; the second for the Privileged Seasons - Advent, Christmastide, Lent and Eastertide; the fourth for Weekdays through the Year. Preaching about the lives of the saints provides the subject matter of the first volume of the Homiliary.

If the future is creative, is it any wonder that sometimes the church seems stuck in the past? Now is the time for the church to reclaim its role as a center of creativity. Among your members are artists, musicians and other creatives whose gifts can enhance your worship, inform your theology and impact your community. Christian arts advocate J. Scott McElroy gives a comprehensive vision and manual for unleashing creativity in your congregation so you can connect with the more visual, aural, participatory and expressive generation that is rising up within the church today. In this handbook you'll find clear direction for: Mobilizing and managing artists and other creatives in your congregation Establishing structures and parameters for arts ministry Leading and supporting staff and church members in creative changes Enhancing the worship service Adding creative elements to your sermons Engaging the broader community Activate your church in every avenue of worship with this practical guide for arts ministry.

The ultimate goal of any prayer is God will hear us and answer the requests we have made. This collection of prayers is like priming the pump to get the Word of God stored within you to flow so that in those times "When You Can't Find the Words to Pray" you can turn the page, prime the pump, "Pray the Word" and let the rivers of living water flow.

For those suffering and for caregivers, With Healing Wings gives voice to the anguish of illness, affliction, and heartache-and offers God's own words of comfort, hope, and healing. Here are conversations with God to restore the health of body, mind, and spirit.

An edition of two unprinted Wycliffite texts, together with parallel text version of the first, composed between c. 1400-1414. This volume also includes a full discussion of the historical context and authorship.

The world's most famous hymn book has undergone a complete revision and now offers the broadest ever range of traditional hymns and the best from today's composers and hymn/song writers. 150 years since its first publication and after sales of 170 million copies, this brand new edition contains over 840 items, ranging from the Psalms to John Bell, Bernadette Farrell and Stuart Townend. The guiding principles behind this collection are: * congregational singability * biblical and theological richness * musical excellence * liturgical versatility * relevance to today's worship styles and to today's concerns New features include added provision for all the seasons of the Church year, new items for carol services and other popular occasions where the repertoire is in need of refreshing, more choices for all-age worship, fresh translations of some ancient hymnody, beautiful new tunes, short songs and chants - alleluias, kyries, blessings etc. and music from the world church. A full range of indexes (including biblical and thematic) and a helpful guide to choosing hymns for every occasion will help to make Ancient & Modern the premier hymn collection of choice. This is the Melody edition.

Many in the church see worship leading and theological processing at opposite ends of a big room. Theology is considered the business of pastors and professors, while worship is the business of musicians and rock stars.
But a new wave of young worship leaders is hungry for something different, the desire to think not just pragmatically (sound, charts, guitars) but theologically (the gospel, justice, pastoral ministry) about worship. Likewise, pastors and churches increasingly desire to be led by thoughtful worship leaders who combine doxology and theology.
"Doxology and Theology" is a resource by worship leaders for worship leaders that clearly articulates how these two pieces join together. Contributions from eleven respected worship leaders around the country including Matt Papa (Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham), Aaron Keyes (Grace Church, Atlanta), Michael Bleecker (The Village Church, Dallas), and Zac Hicks (Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, Denver) unite worship with themes of mission, disciple-making, the Word of God, the Trinity, family, and more.

One of the most common tasks undertaken by all clergy is ministry to the sick and to the bereaved. Containing the essentials for pastoral ministry in the community, Common Worship: A Pastoral Ministry Companion brings together services, prayers and readings for the most frequently encountered pastoral occasions in a portable, easy-reference volume. It includes liturgies, prayers and readings for: Emergency baptism Prayers for the sick and their families Holy Communion at home or in hospital Reconciliation services (not present in previous Pastoral Services or Ministry to the Sick volumes) Prayers with the dying and at the time of a death Prayers for use at home before and after a funeral Passages of Scripture and Psalms in both modern and Prayer Book versions This elegant and discreet volume - bound in soft-touch imitation leather with two ribbons - is the ideal size for keeping to hand in your pocket, bag or car glove compartment.

The eucharist is one of the central acts of worship for Christians - some would say the most important. Yet within the many traditions of Christianity, there appears to be no united voice -even in an age like ours in which ecumenical agreements unthinkable until recently have sought convergence and achieved it. Anglicans have often been described as occupying a 'middle ground' between Catholics and Protestants. They have even been criticised for being woolly! In this well-presented and readable book, two scholars have set out to chart an Anglican course through the key-areas of eucharistic presence and sacrifice - how Jesus is present at the Supper and how the celebration relates to the self-offering of Christ. They quote many authors from different viewpoints over the past four hundred years - including poets. They tell a story that is rich and varied. And they make accessible to a fresh generation what it means to define, sift, probe and discuss the meaning of the Holy Communion, yet still hold on to that vital aspect of all Christian belonging and living - the mystery of Christ Himself.

Seventy intercessory prayers for worship, and one hundred twenty meditations that are ideal for either reading aloud or for quiet reflection. Themes include: our world with its beauty and mystery; our relationships; work and recreation; our joys, sorrows, and concerns; our worship; our beliefs and questions; and special occasions that mark the passage of the year and of our lives. This is the Second Edition under the same title.The First Edition had 60 meditations. This one has 120.

2012 Reprint of Original 1898 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This might be considered a companion volume to "With Christ in the School of Prayer," and a further elaboration of the same great theme, that is, the importance and power of prayer in the Christian life. A valuable appendix, entitled "Pray Without Ceasing," contains prayers for a month. Also includes other aids and guides to the life of Prayer.

Why is prayer so hard? Many of us have asked that question. We want to pray. We intend to pray. But, as spiritual director and professor MaryKate Morse notes, "We don't pray as consistently or as meaningfully as we might like." And yet prayer offers us such spiritual riches. Prayer draws us to experience love and to be love increases our faith expands our vision of God helps us grow in self-understanding gives us perspective on life and death Morse continues: "Through prayer, we experience forgiveness, guidance and peace. We are healed physically and emotionally. We experience the mystery of God, see truth and receive spiritual gifts. We receive vision and courage for God's mission. Faith becomes more beautiful, more real." This guidebook is designed to move you from lamenting over prayerlessness to the joy of praying. Whether you are a beginner or a lifetime person of faith, you will find a treasure trove of riches here to guide you into a deeper experience of prayer. Each chapter explores a different angle of prayer with sections focusing on each of the persons of the Trinity--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And each chapter offers specific ways to pray both on your own, with a partner or in a group. Sprinkled throughout are reflections from the author's former students describing on their own experience with these practices. A treasure trove of both resources and encouragement, you will find this book to be an indispensable guide to your life of prayer.

"'I love the Lord, He heard my cry, ' Deacon cries out as the newly gathered congregation, now seated in their pews, echoes his words in a plaintive tune". Thus begins the Devotional at St. John Progressive Baptist Church, one of many Afro-Baptist services that Walter Pitts observed in the dual role of anthropologist and church pianist. Based on extensive fieldwork in black Baptist churches in rural Texas, this is a major new study of the African origins of African-American forms of worship. Over a period of five years, Pitts, a scholar of anthropology and linguistics, played the piano at and recorded numerous worship services. Offering an extensive history of Afro-Baptist religion in the American South, he compares the ritual structures he observed with those of traditional African worship and other religious rituals of African origin in the New World. Through these historical comparisons, coupled with sociolinguistic analysis, Pitts uncovers striking parallels between Afro-Baptist services and the rituals of Western and Central Africa, as well as African-derived rituals in the United States Sea Islands, the Caribbean, and Brazil. Pitts demonstrates that African and African-American worship share an underlying binary structure: the somber melancholy of the first ritual frame and the joyful, ecstatic trance of the second frame, both essential to the fulfillment of that structure. Of particular interest is his discovery of the way in which the deliberate heightening and strategic suppression of "black English" contribute to this binary structure of worship. This highly original study, with a foreword by Vincent Wimbush, creates a memorable portrait of this vital, yet misunderstood aspectof African-American culture. A model for the investigation of African retentions in the diaspora, Old Ship of Zion will be of keen interest to students and scholars of cultural anthropology, religious studies, and African-American studies, as well as those concerned with the culture of the diaspora, the investigation of syncretism, folklore, and ethnomusicology.

This 1996 book provides a study and critical edition of the corpus of hymns sung by monks and canons in their services in England before the Norman Conquest. It assembles textual evidence, some of it hitherto unpublished, based on all extant manuscripts. Of these, an eleventh-century Latin manuscript known as the 'Durham Hymnal', with its accompanying Old English interlinear gloss, provides the core of the edition and its base manuscript. An introduction and commentary include descriptions of the manuscripts concerned and discussions of the sources, liturgical use, and music of the hymns, as well as the phonology and vocabulary of the Old English gloss. The text of the hymns is accompanied by a translation of the Latin into modern English prose.

This book, rather ironically, uses the written word to draw together threads from science, psychotherapy, scripture, and homiletics that can help us recognize and reclaim the power of oral-aural storying as a way of knowing. Story as a Way of Knowing will open your mind and imagination to new ways of thinking and knowing about yourself, others, your world, and your God.

Catechesis for Infant Baptism will help parishes design a catechetical process for the formation of a ministry team to share "our common treasure" of faith with parents preparing for their infant's baptism. This book is for pastors, pastoral staff, liturgists, DREs, and all those who prepare catechists to engage in this ministry. Ellen Marie Collins employs primary symbols, the Lectionary and prayer texts for infant baptism to offer a process for deepening the catechists' understanding of the Rite of Infant Baptism and to help them as they share their faith as a baptismal ministry team.