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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Christian liturgy, prayerbooks & hymnals > General
Resurrection Power is a devotional book that deeply examines the
events and conversations surrounding Jesus from Resurrection until
Pentecost. Each chapter opens with a beautiful photograph of the
morning sunrise, then delves into the narratives that transformed
the history of the world. Music producer-turned-worship pastor Rob
Still shares a down-to-earth perspective converging divergent
sources of inspiration, from theological commentaries to modern
song lyrics. Anyone desiring a fresh viewpoint to grow deeper in
their faith will benefit from this book.
Cantors throughout the United States and elsewhere have long known
Kathleen Harmon, SNDdeN, as a reliable teacher and mentor in how
they understand and practice their important ministry. In Becoming
the Psalms, she explores the spirituality of the psalms, a
spirituality that shaped God's people in the past, forms the church
today, and leads us into the future. Each chapter offers cantors
who pray and sing the psalms a better understanding of the role of
the psalms in shaping faith. Kathleen Harmon is known as the author
of Music Notes, a popular column in the journal Liturgical
Ministry. Becoming the Psalms showcases some of her finest entries
as well as new material exploring the relationship between praying
the psalms privately and praying them liturgically, as well as the
function of the responsorial psalm as proclamation.
Accelerating diversity of lifestyles has created a crisis for
worship designers. One size does not fit all. No worship service
can be "blended" to address the complete needs of a congregation.
Moreover, church "shopping" is ending as people are choosing a
worship service that directly meets their fundamental anxieties
about life (regardless of style). Learn to use lifestyle
information in worship planning to design a service that truly
reaches the people in your community. This book explains why people
worship and guides leaders to design relevant worship services that
address people's sense of urgency. It is both practical and
theological. The decline of worship attendance in all
denominations, and across all "traditional" or "contemporary"
styles, is reshaping the quest for relevance. Church leaders are
turning away from methods to outcomes. People will only participate
in worship if it really matters to the fundamental issues that they
face.
This anonymous Commentary is printed from Troyes, Bibl. munic. 658,
a manuscript written at Clairvaux in the late 12th century.It is
well known that St Bernard in 1147 revised the monastic hymnal for
the use of his Cistercian monks; the anonymous Explanatio is
primary evidence for the content of Bernard's hymnal. It is also an
invaluable index of Cistercian spirituality in the late 12th
century, and provides an index of the range of reading of a
Cistercian scholar of that time.
It is the not-too-distant future, and the rapture has occurred.
Every born-again Christian on the planet has, without prior
warning, been snatched from the earth to meet Christ in the
heavens, while all those without the requisite faith have been left
behind to suffer the wrath of the Antichrist as the earth enters
into its final days.
This is the premise that animates the enormously popular
cultural phenomenon that is the Left Behind series of prophecy
novels, co-written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins and published
between 1995 and 2007. But these books are more than fiction: it is
the sincere belief of many evangelicals that these events actually
will occur--soon. "Plotting Apocalypse" delves into the world of
rapture, prophecy, and tribulation in order to account for the
extraordinary cultural salience of these books and the impact of
the world they project. Through penetrating readings of the novels,
Chapman shows how the series offers a new model of evangelical
agency for its readership. The novels teach that although believers
are incapable of changing the course of a future that has been
preordained by God, they "can" become empowered by learning to read
the prophetic books of the Bible--and the signs of the
times--correctly. Reading and interpretation become key indices of
agency in the world that Left Behind limns.
"Plotting Apocalypse" reveals the significant cultural work that
Left Behind performs in developing a counter-narrative to the
passivity and fatalism that can characterize evangelical prophecy
belief. Chapman's arguments may bear profound implications for the
future of American evangelicalism and its interactions with
culture, society, and politics.
Why do parish First Communion Masses so often neglect good
liturgical principles? Should these celebrations resemble something
analogous to a recital? Or, should they be celebrations worthy of
the praise and glory of God? "First Communion Liturgies" explores
the purpose and practice of First Communion in our time, uncovers
the pitfalls associated with it, and offers a guide for preparing
celebrations that will enrich the lives of children and families,
bringing them into a deeper relationship with God and the church.
How would the history of Roman Catholic worship look if it were
viewed first from the perspective of the "people in the pews"
rather than through the deliberations of popes and church councils
or the writings of theologians? How did the "common people" down
through the ages understand what they were doing when they came
together in worship--and was this understanding always the same as
the "official" interpretation of the church authorities? In Local
Worship, Global Church, Mark Francis explores the history of the
liturgy from "the bottom up" rather than from "the top down" and
comes to conclusions that complement our understanding of the
history of the liturgy and its relationship to faithful Christians
from the first century CE to our own time.
What are Vespers? Where have the consecration bells gone? Why do
some liturgical ministers vest and others don't? Blinking sneakers
on altar servers, Christmas trees in January . . . what is that all
about? These are some of the candid questions that Catholics and
others often wonder about the liturgy. In "What's the Smoke For?"
expert liturgist Johan van Parys offers helpful and engaging
answers. Based on church teaching and rooted in sound theology,
Johan's responses invite inquiring minds to continue to think about
what is happening in the church and to be engaged in learning more
about liturgy and the arts.
Owen Cummings insightfully reflects this awareness through his
intuitive, right-brain approach to liturgical theology, as he
offers us a kaleidoscope of snapshots viewed through the lenses of
a great cloud of witnesses that includes but is not limited to
poets, novelists, and preachers.
Using Coverdale's translation of the Psalms from the Book of Common
Prayer, the very best of Anglican chant is married to texts that
have been used to sing the transcendent glory of God for three
thousand years. The Psalms are ruthlessly honest in their portrayal
of conflicting human emotions, and many psalters have excised the
verses that speak of vengeance, hatred and anger. Acknowledging
that these emotions are also part of human experience, the Anglican
Psalter retains this material, to be included or omitted as local
preference or the occasion dictates. Includes work by renowned
composers past and present including Elgar, Parry, Stanford,
Stainer, Wesley, Malcolm Archer, David Willcocks, John Barnard, and
many more.
Who is it that can make life better, circumstances turn around,
make all things good and bring healing? It is our Mighty Father,
our Jehovah God, our Strong Tower. So when we recognize where this
power comes from we give glory to Him who is above all. Who sits
high and looks down at us? It is our Father. Not only is He able to
look down but He is able to be around us, looking at us face to
face in the Spirit, in discernment, in those small nudges in our
soul, in love, in intervening for us. He stops stuff from happening
to us, He takes the wheel of our vehicle, He stirs us in the right
direction when we pray.
As campus designer for Ginghamsburg Church, in Tipp City, Ohio, Kim
Miller has observed that when a church gets serious about Jesus'
call, there is always a design element to be addressed. Kim asserts
that physical space transformation is simply a backdrop for
authentic people transformation. Change the space and the
opportunity and environment to change the world emerges. This comes
as a fresh challenge for churches and ministries struggling to
present a new look to match their relevant message. An emphasis on
spatial design is an incarnation of Jesus call for new wineskins
and is emerging as a key means to create community and the
opportunity for transformation for a creative generation. This book
is a practical guide for church leaders to transform their physical
space into a ministry asset. Filled with pictures, tutorials and
stories of spaces and lives transformed, REdesigning Churches
offers close-up snapshots of design-on-a-dime style looks,
providing readers with usable ideas and how-tos that are supported
by stories of real-life change from Ginghamsburg s diverse
community and the many congregations with which Kim consults."
In late 2011 the Catholic Church changed the Mass from the clear
modern English of the Novus Ordo Mass to an obtuse literal
translation from the Latin. By a long established theological
principle known as "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi" (As we pray so we
believe) this change in the prayer of the Church also brought with
it a change in the belief of the Church. Here in a series of "Faith
and Reason" blogs author John C. Wilhelmsson, through the filter of
his study of both theology and philosophy, shares his thoughts on
the translation change and the effect it is having on Catholic
belief. He also details the little known backstory of the new Mass.
The strange combination of forces that brought it all about and
just what their agenda might really have been. If you are wondering
why the Mass has changed, or just wish to further reflect upon what
that change means, "Faith, Reason, and the New Mass Translation"
will be of great interest to you (Chaos To Order Publishing books
are in easy to read large print).
The Christian's worship, praise, and adoration of God transcend the
gathering together in churches. It extends into everyday life. The
call to worship, praise, and adoration is not only for religious
ceremonies and for assemblies, but it also has to characterize the
believer's lifestyle and existence. In this book, we will discuss
the various dimensions of worship. Through the examination of
biblical and religious terminology, a proper understanding of the
believer's Call to Worship is established.
In Liturgy and the New Evangelization, Timothy O'Malley provides a
liturgical foundation to the church's New Evangelization. He
examines questions pastoral ministers must treat in order to foster
the renewal of humanity that the New Evangelization seeks to
promote. Drawing on narrative, as well as theological concepts in
biblical, patristic, and systematic theology, O'Malley invites
readers into a renewed experience of the liturgical life of the
church, learning to practice the art of self-giving love for the
renewal of the world.
The introduction of Common Worship services in the Church of
England has gone remarkably smoothly, considering the immensity of
the task. But despite its overall success, the sheer variety of
material, coupled with the complex rules about what is and is not
allowed, have left some parishes, clergy and Readers wondering if
this is really the best way to produce good worship. A question
such as, 'How do we use Common Worship for a Messy Church service
of Holy Communion?' focuses the issue - but it is a question being
asked in different ways in lots of different places. In this book,
Mark Earey turns to the future, asking whether the framework of
canon law, notes and rubrics within which Common Worship operates
is any longer fit for purpose. In a mixed economy Church in which
fresh expressions of church, alt.worship and new monasticism all
sit alongside traditional parish churches, he asks whether it is
time for the current rules-based approach to Church of England
liturgy to make way for an approach based on trust and
accountability. Such an approach would allow for more local
flexibility and creativity, but raises big questions about how such
worship can be truly indigenous yet authentically Anglican.
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