An all-round companion for everyone involved in the ministry of serving. Servers play a key part in the celebration of the Eucharist and knowing what to do is only half the story, - how to serve in a dignified way that adds to worship and doesn't detract from is equally important. This guide includes instruction on: relating to the clergy and the congregation, and working as a team; how to cultivate one's own spiritual space; knowing your way round the sanctuary;tools of the trade; movement, posture and processions, the Eucharist step-by-step;the liturgical year, and prayers and personal preparation for serving.

This colourful and wide-ranging worship anthology brings together material from writers around the world. Celebratory, reflective, challenging and at times humbling, it affirms the goodness of creation, marvels at the miracle of growth and encourages us all to work for a fairer distribution of the fruits and gifts of the earth. Harvest for the World is a versatile resource that can be used throughout the year, wherever the themes of creation, harvest, fair trading, relief work, international debt and poverty, development, the politics of land ownership or food production are the focus of worship, prayer and work. A selection of simple recipes is included for those who wish to produce a harvest supper with a difference.

A complete prayer book in the Slavonic language printed with the Cyrillic (old orthography) alphabet. Includes morning and evening prayers, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, various Akathists and Canons annd much more besides.

Origins of the Eucharist explored in a new way which questions traditional opinion A different picture of the origins of the eucharist from the traditionally received one. The author argues that the Last Supper did not play as important a part in the formulation of the Eucharist as is popularly thought. The book will cover topics including: the last supper and New Testament narratives; the Didache and early Christian ritual meals; Justin Martyr; Irenaeus; Cyprian; the emergence of the eucharistic prayers and the transformation of the eucharist in the fourth century.

Most ecumenical work on worship has been greatly influenced by those traditions which use written liturgical texts and who give a normative place to the Eucharist. Here Free Church worship however is studied on its own terms allowing its ecumenical contribution to be fully appreciaed. Using a study of Baptist worship, Gathering explores the spirituality implicit in a worship tradition which to dated has received little theological or historical attention. "What makes this book refreshing is that Ellis] is not a prisoner to the view that the job of the liturgical movement is really to formalize "free" worship in some way, and introduce a weekly eucharist.(...)Ellis's source-use, together with his sensitivity to context, architecture and hymnody included, provides a rich picture of an evolving tradition, with its own theological emphases and its own way of doing the liturgy.(...)He is to be congratulated not only on the account he has given of a story that many of us have only known in shreds and snatches, but in the ambitious way in which he has provided a truly ecumenical underpinning." Kenneth Stevenson, Anglican bishop of Portsmouth, England, The Ecumenical Review. April 2005. "There is no doubt that Ellis has done us a service in providing us with a magisterial study of Free Church worship that will probably become a standard work for some time to come. The production of the book is exemplary. The bibliography is extensive and impressive, and the notes (...) are also full. It is pleasing that there are separate indices for names and subjects and for biblical references.(...) I do warmly commend this book to readers of Ministry Today. Philip Clements-Jewery, Ministry Today, Summer 2005. "This stimulating, well-documented study will doubtless capture the attention of liturgical scholars in various traditions, but it especially merits careful reading by Baptists and others in the Free Church tradition who would like to gain new insight into their own gathering. Although focused on English Baptists, it contains critical insights for Baptists everywhere." Glenn Hinson, Baptist Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia, Worship July 2005. "This is a signifiacnt study of Free Church Worship, combining detailed historical analysis with rich theological reflection. (...)Chris Ellis'scholarly yet accessible book is essential reading." Ian Randall, Spurgeon's College, London, The Expository Times, vol 117, n 3. Dec.2005 "This is an excellent study, combining historical detail bith current theological reflection." Bryan Spinks, Institute of Sacred Music, New Haven, Ecclesiastical History, Vol.57/2, April 2006. "Ellis is a fine scholar whose rigorous and often groundbreaking work deserves careful attention. (...) The benefit of being the first to do scholarly work in an area is in knowing that your work will spur on further work. In this respect Ellis has laid out a solid and sizable foundation for further work to be built upon. His historical work in particular is worthy of much study and expansion. (...) Ellis has made a significant contribution to both the free church tradition and to liturgical theology. In my own teaching, his book was the cornerstone for our conversation in a recent doctoral seminar in liturgical theology, and excerpts of his work have been helpful introductory pieces in master's level courses. Ellis work deserves a wide and frequent reading, but even more deserves a lively idscussion and thoughtful scholarly reflection." Todd Johnson, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, Doxology 2006.

This is one of a series of handbooks designed to help lay people play a greater part in the life of the Church. In many parishes it Is usual to find men and women reading at Mass, administering Communion, organizing the children's liturgy, even leading services in the absence of a priest, For all these tasks and other roles that the laity now plays, the Serving the Church series offers not only practical advice, but in-depth teaching that aims to create a deeper, more spiritual understanding of the Catholic faith. A Handbook for Children's Liturgy offers a complete guide on how to make the ministry of the Word meaningful, memorable and enjoyable for children of all ages. Whether there are a large number of children in your parish or only a very few, its down-to-earth advice and ready-to-go ideas are applicable whatever the local circumstances. Help Is given on all practical aspects of this vital ministry: what kind of person makes a good minister of the Word, how to build a team to work with children, how to plan a children's liturgy, ideas for Masses where children remain present throughout. Sample liturgies complete with photocopiable artwork are also included. The nurture of children in the Christian faith is one of the greatest responsibilities and for all.

Since the Common Worship Lectionary first came into use, many short preaching aids have been published. They have ranged from brief notes to almost complete sermons. This new companion offers an understanding of some points of significance in each lection for every Sunday and for other major days. It combines the latest scholarship with the conviction that the text should address today's world, squarely facing up to the difficulties that some passages may present to modern congregations. It does not aim to provide a substitute for sermon preparation, but to stimulate reflection among those engaged in this work. This is a serious academic commentary on the readings, by scholars who are also aware of the demands and purposes of preaching. The book - provides the academic background knowledge essential for interpreting the texts; does not shirk difficult questions; stimulates the prospective preacher to see new ways of reading the text; covers the Anglican variations not dealt with in American commentaries. "Real scholarship and valuable resources are] to be found in this volume..." John McCourt, Church Times on previous volume

This book presents three liturgical rights within an Afro-Baptist oral tradition of worship: the Wednesday night prayer meeting, the Deacon's devotion, and the Congregational worship. This examination provides one foundational study necessary to the creation of a liturgical theology of African American Christianity, through the study of sacred ritual within the lived experience of members of a community of traditional orallity and contemporary literacy, which together create a unique collective encounter of the Holy.

The ancient Dormition and Assumption traditions are the earliest accounts of the Virgin Mary's departure from this life. They first developed in the eastern Mediterranean during the early Christian period. This book presents the first systematic study of these traditions in the English language, and it is intended as an introduction to the earliest traditions. Significant appendices include the first English translations of several of the most important narratives. The book will be of interest to all scholars of early Christian literature.

This work provides about one page of commentary per reading. It is designed to give students and preachers a deeper understanding of the Biblical background, rather than giving preaching tips.

A resource to deepen the understanding of the Eucharist, this companion contains the full text of "Common Worship" Order One and the different eucharistic prayers with explanatory notes throughout. Fuller explanations of key biblical and theological subjects are included.

An essential handbook for preachers and a lively, informed devotional companion for those who prepare for worship by reading the Scriptures, this commentary on the Principal Service readings for Year A offers: * Variations in interpretation * Background history * Links between passages * Theological significance * Language sources * Illustrative quotes

Since the Common Worship Lectionary first came into use, many short preaching aids have been published. They have ranged from brief notes to almost complete sermons. This new companion offers an understanding of some points of significance in each lection for every Sunday and for other major days. It combines the latest scholarship with the conviction that the text should address today's world, squarely facing up to the difficulties that some passages may present to modern congregations. It does not aim to provide a substitute for sermon preparation, but to stimulate reflection among those engaged in this work. This is a serious academic commentary on the readings, by scholars who are also aware of the demands and purposes of preaching. The book provides the academic background knowledge essential for interpreting the texts; does not shirk difficult questions; stimulates the prospective preacher to see new ways of reading the text; covers the Anglican variations not dealt with in American commentaries.

Delves into the biblical origin for each of these masterpieces of God's love.Gray guides readers through the Gospels, showing Christ's deliberate acts to inaugurate these sacred signs as the foundation of the New Covenant.

Before the advent of printing, the preaching of the friars was the mass medium of the middle ages. This edition of marriage sermons reveals what a number of famous preachers actually taught about marriage. David D'Avray teases out the close connection between marriage symbolism and social, cultural, and legal realities in the thirteenth century; and assesses the impact of this preaching.

A resource to inform, inspire and challenge, Word in Our Time is written for all who take part in worship to help them engage more deeply with the Scripture readings of the day. Preachers will find it an invaluable resource which enables them to make links between the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel texts, bring out their essential message and relate them to the experience and needs of the congregation. In addition to pithy and informed commentary on the principal service readings for each Sunday and major holy day in Year C, the year of Luke, many practical preaching' helps are also included: information on biblical or historical background, variations in interpretation, illustrative quotes and points for application. Those who read in church will be helped by a better understanding what the biblical writers were saying, and for all who prepare for worship by prayerful reading of the lessons for the day, Word in Our Time provides many thoughtful and stimulating insights which will encourage fuller integration between our worship, celebration, learning, spiritual formation and daily living.

Patricia Wilson-Kastner's wonderfully crafted work views the liturgy as a cosmic drama, enacting a sacred meal that grounds us in the universe, draws us into God's creation and redemption, and poses stiff ethical challenges "deep in our bones" to Christians in community. "Liturgy reconnects us with God and with all creation, rekindles in us the vision of the restoration of all in God, and clarifies and nourishes again in us the hope in which we can live now in justice, peace, and love with each other," she says. Though we don't have all the details of this script, we are deeply implicated in the plot. A gifted preacher and writer, and no stranger to church battles, Wilson-Kastner brings a confident faith in the transforming power of worship. Her rich, ecumenically oriented introduction to the liturgy leverages people's great hunger for spirituality and community into deep commitment to justice within church and society.

The Divine Office--or, the cycle of daily worship services other than the Mass--constitutes the most important body of liturgical texts and music for medieval studies. It is a collection of spiritual works that is central to the culture of the Middle Ages. This volume addresses the Office from a variety of points of view, allowing the reader to grasp the current state of research and to make connections.

A knowledgeable liturgical theologian and historian proposes the lines of a Christian worldview that can inform liturgical renewal.

Some early Christians used water, not wine, in the cup of their Eucharist, and avoided eating meat. This kind of avoidance, more common than previously imagined, reflected a more radical stance towards the wider society than that taken by the Christian mainstream. The discussion here throws new light on early Christianity and the ways eating and drinking have often reflected deeply-held beliefs and values.

What Roger Ferlo did for the Bible in Opening the Bible, volume 2 of The New Church s Teaching Series, Jeffrey Lee now does for the prayer book in volume 7 of the series. Opening the Prayer Book introduces us to the history and liturgies of The Book of Common Prayer, and helps us understand why the prayer book is such an important aspect of Anglican self-understanding. Lee begins with the fundamental question, What is common prayer? He explores some of the ways in which our worship according to The Book of Common Prayer affects who we are as a church, and the way it shapes our lives of faith. In chapter 2 Lee turns to the development of patterns of liturgy from the time of Jesus to the Reformation, tracing changes in the primary liturgies of baptism, eucharist, and daily prayer. The American prayer book is the focus of chapter 3, from the earliest revisions in the new nation through the liturgical scholarship that led to the substantial theological and liturgical changes in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Chapter 4 begins a survey of the pages of the prayer book itself. Lee examines in particular the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter, baptism and eucharist, and the daily office, with a view to understanding the way the parts of the services are rooted in the historical prayers of the church and at the same time reflect the living tradition of Christians today. This theme is further developed in chapter 5, which focuses on the prayer book and our common life. Here Lee discusses questions of how a common prayer book can be responsive to a growing variety of pastoral situations and diverse cultures in a fast-changing world. The final chapter addresses the future of the prayer book within the Anglican Communion, in light of demands for further revision and for greater freedom to adapt the prayer book to local needs and beliefs. As with each book in The New Church s Teaching Series, recommended resources for further reading and questions for discussion are included.

This, the first edition of the devotionary composed by Constanza de Castilla, granddaughter of Pedro I and prioress of the monastery of Santa Domingo el Real Madrid from approximately 1416 to 1465, is an important contribution to the small body of writing by medieval Spanish women available today.

Comprising a variety of prayers and liturgy offices in Spanish and Latin, the book provides moving evidence of the beliefs, experience, and expression of religious women in Spain of the later Middle Ages.

In this third and final volume in a series of ceremonial guides to worship in the Episcopal Church according to "The Book of Common Prayer," Leonel L. Mitchell focuses on the pastoral and occasional liturgies. Beginning with the celebration of the Daily Office, he goes on to discuss the seasonal liturgies beyond the Lent-Easter cycle, including Advent Lessons and Carols, Candlemas, and Rogation processions. The pastoral offices include baptism, marriage, the blessing of homes, reconciliation, ministry to the sick, and burial.Finally, Mitchell concludes with the services involving bishops, including celebrations of new ministries, consecrations of churches, and ordination rites.Like its two companion volumes, Howard E. Galley s "The Ceremonies of the Eucharist" and Mitchell s "Lent, Holy Week, Easter," and "the Great Fifty Days," this new guide offers clear descriptions of ways of celebrating the rites as well as the theological and historical reasons behind them. The book is designed to be useful in churches of all sizes, small and large.

In these meditations on the lesser feasts and fasts of the church calendar Sam Portaro asks the question, "What do these saints and commemorations have to say to Christians today?" His answers are often surprising and always thought-provoking, with fresh insights into the lives and teachings of those who have gone before us in the Christian faith. The cycle of the year begins in Advent with St. Andrew and ends in late November with Kamehaneha and Emma of Hawaii. Each reflection looks at the scripture readings for the day and focuses on a distinctive attribute of the saint or feast in the light of contemporary questions of faith, mission, and community. Saints of the distant past such as Columba and Agnes, Cyprian and Augustine, Thomas Becket and Catherine of Siena are included, as well as those closer to our own day-Charles Wesley and Julia Emery, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Evelyn Underhill and Jonathan Daniels. Following the calendar provided in Lesser Feasts and Fasts, meditations on the holy days of the church seasons are also included, such as All Saints and the Epiphany." Brightest and Best is designed for a variety of Christian education purposes, including adult forums, confirmation classes, seasonal presentations, clergy groups, and groups of students and young adults. It is equally useful for individuals seeking varied and interesting devotional reading. Although based on the church year, each chapter is discrete and readers can focus on any event or person and begin at any season. Since these pieces began as homilies in a college setting, they are useful as a preaching aid and could be the basis of a homily at a midweek service.

Links church liturgy to everyday activities, using illustrations with brief text and scriptural passages.