The Christmas story we all know doesn't begin in the barn. It's the culmination of centuries of waiting, and the various journeys of some very ordinary but remarkable people towards the most significant moment in human history.This December, our own journey to Christmas isn't so much a physical journey as a travelling of the heart, mind and soul closer to hope, closer to gratitude, and closer to Jesus. Join the 24-7 Prayer team as they lead you through a special month of Scripture-led meditation, reflecting on this ancient but timeless story of wonder, redemption and hope. Beginning on Advent Sunday, journey with Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and then the shepherds and the Madi as you P.R.A.Y. your way through December: Pause - remove all distractions, be still and make room to connect with God Rejoice and Reflect - give thanks, before engaging with a short passage of Scripture Ask - bring your questions to God Yield - surrender to God's will for your life As a contemporary take on an ancient practice, the prayers written have been inspired by Christian heroes and traditions throughout the centuries and designed to be returned to daily, making space for Selah (opportunities to pause, wait and respond) to encounter Jesus every step of the journey. Group discussion notes are also included, should you want to go on this Advent journey with others. Written by Pete Greig, Carla Harding, Phil Togwell and Jill Weber

Too often worship is seen as just the music, an onstage performance that puts the spotlight on the worship leader. But worship is fundamentally an others-centered, self-giving act of service. Worship properly directed to God for his glory also results in the Christlike formation and transformation of both worship leaders and congregants. Worship leader and biblical scholar John Frederick unpacks the shape of worship in the way of the cross, where leaders act not as lords but as servants. With a mix of biblical exposition and practical insights, he explores a cruciform theology of worship: as the cross demonstrates the nature of God, worship in the way of the cross transforms us into the image of God who is love. Thus worshipers and worship leaders alike can come to embody the other-centered humility of Christ. This paradigm has implications for how worship leaders and pastoral staff relate to one another, and for renewing the artistic output of the church. In cruciform worship, we encounter the Son of God and embody the love of God. Discover how in worship we can empty ourselves for the transformation of others.

Offers the opportunity to spend a month with Teresa of Avila, with readings for both morning and evening

Daily Inspirational Prayers and Meditations for Self-Reflection and Gratitude New Beginnings is a spiritual guidebook for changing your life featuring meditations, affirmations, prayers, and blessings for each day of the year. Pray every day. In her latest gem, bestselling author Becca Anderson offers inspirational words for each day of the year to those exploring new horizons or rebooting their directions in life. New Beginnings is a must-have for those seeking both guidance and companionship as they move in new, positive directions. Find a new spiritual way. Having the ability to draw inward and speculate is a fundamental skill if one wishes to grow and achieve an unlimited number of goals. If you are looking for a change in your life or seeking a new path with a vision of starting afresh, New Beginnings just might be the perfect book for you. Join Becca Anderson, a woman's studies scholar, and the author of the bestselling The Book of Awesome Women, as she shares daily meditations, affirmations, prayers, and blessings. Anderson draws from a diverse pool of religions, practices, and spiritualties to bring you the perfect message for each day of the year. Use New Beginnings as a powerful instrument for self-reflection and gratitude: Gain clarity into your purpose in life Maintain hope about the future Develop a better sense of self Build mental energy and momentum Improve your attitude and mindset If you enjoyed spiritual guidebooks like Live in Grace, Walk in Love, Unshakeable, or Prayers for Difficult Times Women's Edition, then New Beginnings will help bring a greater sense of peace, inner peace, and peace of mind.

Delight in a stunning celebration of the classic prayer Jesus taught to his disciples with this beautifully illustrated edition of The Lord's Prayer. Gorgeous images of the natural world accompany these traditional words - it's the perfect gift that will be cherished forever.

Most Christians know this beautiful prayer by heart and it is the first prayer a child learns when introduced to Jesus and God. Prayer is something anyone can do and you don't have to use complicated or flowery language, this prayer is simple and is easily memorised by children who will carry it forever throughout life.

With beautifully delicate illustrations by the fantastic Julianna Swaney, this is the perfect gift book for all Christian occasions, including christenings, first communions and confirmations.

Preaching and music are both regular elements of Christian worship across the theological spectrum. But they often don't interact or inform each other in meaningful ways. In this Dynamics of Christian Worship volume, theologian, pastor, and musician Noel A. Snyder considers how the church's preaching might be helpfully informed by musical theory. Just as a good musical composition employs technical elements like synchrony, repetition, and meter, the same should be said for good preaching that seeks to engage hearts and minds with the good news of Jesus Christ. By drawing upon music that lifts the soul, preachers might craft sermons that sing. The Dynamics of Christian Worship series draws from a wide range of worshiping contexts and denominational backgrounds to unpack the many dynamics of Christian worship-including prayer, reading the Bible, preaching, baptism, the Lord's Supper, music, visual art, architecture, and more-to deepen both the theology and practice of Christian worship for the life of the church.

The hunger for modern, relevant resources for the Christian seasons and celebrations is deep. Here is a book that will help to fill this need. Suitable for group worship or personal reflection, and with material for Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week, it is a collection to accompany readers through Lent and Easter for many years. Eggs and Ashes includes a Lent discipline for those who care about the environment, liturgies, responses, prayers, poems, reflections, meditations, stories, stations of the cross, sermons, monologues and songs, with some all-age resources - written by Iona Community members, associates, friends and others. Ruth Burgess is the author of A Book of Blessings and Friends and Enemies, both published by Wild Goose Publications. Chris Polhill is a frequent contributor to Wild Goose books.

The modern chasm between "secular" work and "sacred" worship has had a devastating impact on Western Christianity. Drawing on years of research, ministry, and leadership experience, Kaemingk and Willson explain why Sunday morning worship and Monday morning work desperately need to inform and impact one another. Together they engage in a rich biblical, theological, and historical exploration of the deep and life-giving connections between labor and liturgy. In so doing, Kaemingk and Willson offer new ways in which Christian communities can live seamless lives of work and worship.

Experience a deeper, more passionate, and intimate prayer life. If you press into God's presence like never before, you will experience God like never before. Drawn from bestselling books The Circle Maker and Draw the Circle by pastor Mark Batterson, this bullet journal will guide you into more intentional prayers with writing prompts for 40 days. Each day includes a scripture quote, a passage to inspire and guide your prayer experiment, and beautifully designed spreads for journaling. This book is for the reflective writers, the scripture sketchers, the proverb doodlers, the prayer list makers. For those who like to venture outside the lines, the dotted pages can be customized to your unique prayer style. Discover the power of bold prayer as you witness how prayer strengthens your faith and encourages those around you. As you journal through this prayer experiment, you will be challenged, strengthened, and encouraged as you draw closer to the living, ever-near, and unbelievably good God.

Pilgrim shrines were places of healing, holiness, and truth in early modern France. By analyzing the creation of these pilgrim shrines as natural, legendary, and historic places whose authority provided a new foundation for post-Reformation Catholic life, Virginia Reinburg examines the impact of the Reformation and religious wars on French society and the French landscape. Divided into two parts, Part I offers detailed studies of the shrines of Sainte-Reine, Notre-Dame du Puy, Notre-Dame de Garaison, and Notre-Dame de Betharram, showing how nature, antiquity, and images inspired enthusiasm among pilgrims. These chapters also show that the category of 'pilgrim' included a wide variety of motivations, beliefs, and acts. Part II recounts how shrine chaplains authored books employing history, myth, and archives in an attempt to prove that the shrines were authentic, and to show that the truths they exemplified were beyond dispute.

The rhythms of the earth can be seen in, for example, the daily cycle of day and night, or in the changing seasons. Rudolf Steiner spoke about how Christian festivals such as Easter, Whitsun and Christmas fitted not just into these patterns, but also into larger cosmic rhythms and, on a smaller scale, human rhythms. In this concise, readable book Charles Kovacs explores the structure of our calendar year and looks in detail at the background to each Christian festival, including lesser-known ones such as St John's Tide and Michaelmas. This book is based on lectures Charles Kovacs originally gave at the Rudolf Steiner School in Edinburgh. Kovacs strove to develop in the children a love and understanding of the seasons in the cycle of the year; parents were keen to be involved too, and asked Kovacs to give a series of lectures on the subject to deepen their own understanding.

Takes the reader on an inspirational tour and encourages us to undertake pilgrimages of our own

Reflections on searching and longing on the journey through life In his 13 years as Vicar, David Adam welcomed over 1 million people to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. These pilgrims reflected every mood and attitude to life. Some radiated a presence, others were too busy to stop. Many were collectors of holy places as some would collect stamps! Some were awestruck at what was around them, others closeted themselves in and never saw the Island. All had something to teach. As David Adam tells their stories, he reveals the inner searching and longing common to us all, and helps us reflect on how we personally are dealing with our journey through life.

Oraciones para el bienestar, el favor y las bendiciones de Dios Se siente frustrado con su vida? Esta luchando por lograr un cambio y por dejar de sentirse que se ha quedado dando vueltas en el mismo sitio? La clave es simplemente pedir. Pidale a Dios que lo bendiga. el siempre escucha y responde Lleno de poderosas oraciones sobre abundancia, bienestar y favor, "Oraciones que activan las bendiciones" es definitivamente un recurso para... - Aprender a caminar en la bendicion del pacto y la bendicion de la obediencia- Escuchar la voz de Dios y ser bendecido- Acceder a las diferentes maneras de recibir la bendicion de Dios Orar y confesar las Escrituras son dos de las armas mas poderosas que tenemos en la vida. Rompa los poderes de la oscuridad, y desate las bendiciones y el favor de Dios en su vida hoy mismo

Thomas Izbicki presents a new examination of the relationship between the adoration of the sacrament and canon law from the twelfth to fifteenth centuries. The medieval Church believed Christ's glorified body was present in the Eucharist, the most central of the seven sacraments, and the Real Presence became explained as transubstantiation by university-trained theologians. Expressions of this belief included the drama of the elevated host and chalice, as well as processions with a host in an elaborate monstrance on the Feast of Corpus Christi. These affirmations of doctrine were governed by canon law, promulgated by popes and councils; and liturgical regulations were enforced by popes, bishops, archdeacons and inquisitors. Drawing on canon law collections and commentaries, synodal enactments, legal manuals and books about ecclesiastical offices, Izbicki presents the first systematic analysis of the Church's teaching about the regulation of the practice of the Eucharist.

Most Christians want to experience spiritual transformation. But many are frustrated by the limited progress of our spiritual self-improvement efforts. We find our praying burdened by a sense of obligation and failure. But prayer is not merely something we do; prayer is what God does in us. Prayer is not just communication with God-it is communion with God. As we open ourselves to him, God does the spiritual work of transformation in us. Spiritual director and psychologist David Benner invites us to discover openness to God as the essence of prayer, spirituality, and the Christian life. Prayer is far more than saying words to God; all of life can be prayer when offered to God in faith and with openness. Using the four movements of lectio divina, Benner explores prayer as attending, pondering, responding, and being. Along the way he opens us to a world of possibilities for communion with God: praying with our senses, with imagination, with music and creativity, in contemplation, in service, and much more. Learn how prayer can be a way of living. Move beyond words to become not merely someone who prays, but someone whose entire life is prayer in union with God. This expanded edition includes a new afterword and an experiential guide with questions for individual reflection or group discussion.

The Christian life, concerned with both spirituality and doctrine, aims not at rationally defensible truth but at life-transforming love. Greater understanding of the truth will not settle the restlessness in a human spirit; only the redemptive power of relationship with God can calm the soul. The crux of Kierkegaard's presentation of Christianity is not that doctrine is unimportant, but that it is ultimately insufficient for a life lived in relationship with God. In Contemporary with Christ ,Joshua Cockayne explores the Christian spiritual life with SA,ren Kierkegaard (in the guise of his various pseudonyms) as his guide and analytic theology as his key tool of engagement. Cockayne contends that the Christian life is second-personal : it seeks encounter with a personal God. As Kierkegaard describes, God invites us to "live on the most intimate terms with God." Cockayne argues that this vision of Christian spirituality is deeply practical because it advocates for a certain way of acting and existing. This approach to the Christian life moves from first-reflection, whereby one acquires objective knowledge, to second-reflection, whereby one attains deeper self-understanding, which fortifies one's relationship with God. Individuals encounter Christ through traditional practices: prayer, the Eucharist, and the reading of Scripture. However, experiences of suffering and mortality that mirror Christ's own passion also enliven this life of encounter. Spiritual progress comes through a reorientation of one's will, desire, and self-knowledge. Such progress must ultimately serve the goal of drawing close to God through Christ's presence. Engaging philosophy, theology, and psychology, Cockayne invites us to join in a conversation with Kierkegaard and explore how the spiritual disciplines provide opportunities for relationship with God by becoming contemporary with Christ.