In contemporary Western society the church has been pushed to the margins, leading experts to describe the current era as a time 'after Christendom'. Many traditional churches and congregations are struggling, a condition worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic regulations. As the practice of churchgoing wanes, the performance of the sacrament is called into question. How can we bring the traditional, communal experience of sacrament into the modern world? In Sacraments after Christendom, Andrew Francis and Janet Sutton tackle this question head-on, exploring and discussing the enactment of the sacrament in the context of church decline and an increasingly isolated world. In doing so, they deconstruct traditional perceptions and broaden our understanding of ritual and community in order to rediscover the truth of the sacrament.

Nine new studies address the phenomenon of the medieval pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, the legendary burying place of St. James.

An inspirational source of encouragement for Lent. 'The Little Book of Lent' is a powerful anthology of readings from spiritual writers for each day of Lent, with accompanying scripture and prayers to help guide daily reflections. With extracts from a range of inspirational writers and theologians, including Desmond Tutu, Sheila Cassidy and Rowan Williams, 'The Little Book of Lent' guides you to deepen your prayer life in anticipation of Easter. This book can be read on your own or with others, used either for self-reflection or to spark discussion and share insights on God's truths. This edition would be perfect on which to base a Lent course or to use as a talking point for home groups. Whether or not you choose to read the extracts multiple times or once straight through, Howells' latest work will lead you to new heights in your Christian journey and personal walk with God. It is the ideal gift for friends, family or anyone else preparing themselves for the sacrifices of Lent.

Featuring large clear print, the "Song Book" contains the words to 100 popular songs that are ideal for group sing-along sessions. The book is divided into six sections: traditional folk songs, choruses from old time variety, songs from World War II, post-war evergreens, hymns, and Christmas songs.

Scholars across many fields have come to realize that ritual is an integral element of human life and a vital aspect of all human societies. Yet, this realization has been slow to develop among scholars of early Christianity. Early Christian Ritual Life attempts to counteract the undervaluing of ritual by placing it at the forefront of early Christian life. Rather than treating ritual in isolation or in a fragmentary way, this book examines early Christian ritual life as a whole. The authors explore an array of Christian ritual activity, employing theory critically and explicitly to make sense of various ritual behaviors and their interconnections. Written by leading experts in their fields, this collection is divided into three parts: * Interacting with the Divine * Group Interactions * Contesting and Creating Ritual Protocols. This book is ideal for religious studies students seeking an introduction to the dynamic research areas of ritual studies and early Christian practice.

This book presents a unique effort to create a new understanding of the Christian sign of the cross. At its core, it traces the conscious and unconscious influence of this visual symbol through time. What began as the crucifixion of a Jewish troublemaker in Roman-occupied Judea in the first century eventually gave rise to a broad spectrum of readings of the instrument used to accomplish such a punishment, a cross. The author argues that Jesus was a provocative, grandiose masochist whose suffering and death initially signified redemption for believers. This idea gradually morphed into a Christian sense of freedom to persecute and wage war against non-believers, however, as can be seen in the Crusades ("wars of the cross"). Many believers even construed the murder of their savior as a crime perpetrated by "the Jews," and this paranoid notion culminated in the mass murder of European Jews under the sign of the Nazi hooked cross (Hakenkreuz). Rancour-Laferriere's book is expertly written and argued; it will be readable to a large audience because it touches on many areas of controversy, interest, and scholarship. The work is critical, but not unfair; it employs psychoanalysis, art history (the study of the symbol of the cross in works of art), religion and religious texts, and world history generally. The interweaving of these various themes is what gives this work its ability to draw in readers and will ultimately be what keeps the reader interested through the conclusion.

Prayers for mid-morning, midday, and midafternoon.

Advent is celebrated when the year is becoming darker and colder, moving into the death and dormancy of winter. Before we can greet the coming of the light, we need to engage with some themes that are challenging and occasionally fearful. Like the Magi who travelled a long distance to search out and adore the infant Jesus, and who took some wrong turns on the way, we too have a journey to undertake before we find that we have 'Walked haphazard by starlight straight Into the kingdom of heaven.' U. A. Fanthorpe, BC:AD Haphazard by Starlight is a companion volume to Janet Morley's bestselling Lent book, The Heart's Time (SPCK, 2011), which delighted readers with its thoughtfully chosen selection of poems and its biblically sensitive commentaries. Here, the reader is given an opportunity to engage in a pilgrimage of the heart, through Advent and Christmas to the feast of the Epiphany. Each day - from 1 December to 6 January - offers a poem (sometimes explicitly Christian, often not) and an accessible commentary that is both critically informed and devotional in intent. The poets represented include Rowan Williams, Elizabeth Jennings, Edwin Muir, Philip Larkin, Jane Kenyon, Gillian Clarke, George Herbert, T. S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson, Waldo Williams, P. J. Kavanagh, Ruth Fainlight, William Blake and many more.

The Anastenaria are Orthodox Christians in Northern Greece who observe a unique annual ritual cycle focused on two festivals, dedicated to Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. The festivals involve processions, music, dancing, animal sacrifices, and culminate in an electrifying fire-walking ritual. Carrying the sacred icons of the saints, participants dance over hot coals as the saint moves them. 'The Burning Saints' presents an analysis of these rituals and the psychology behind them. Based on long-term fieldwork, 'The Burning Saints' traces the historical development and sociocultural context of the Greek fire-walking rituals. As a cognitive ethnography, the book aims to identify the social, psychological and neurobiological factors which may be involved and to explore the role of emotional and physiological arousal in the performance of such ritual. A study of participation, experience and meaning, 'The Burning Saints' presents a highly original analysis of how mental processes can shape social and religious behaviour.

Natural Materials of the Holy Land and the Visual Translation of Place, 500-1500, focuses on the unique ways that natural materials carry the spirit of place. Since early Christianity, wood, earth, water and stone were taken from loca sancta to signify them elsewhere. Academic discourse has indiscriminately grouped material tokens from holy places and their containers with architectural and topographical emulations, two-dimensional images and bodily relics. However, unlike textual or visual representations, natural materials do not describe or interpret the Holy Land; they are part of it. Tangible and timeless, they realize the meaning of their place of origin in new locations. What makes earth, stones or bottled water transported from holy sites sacred? How do they become pars pro toto, signifying the whole from which they were taken? This book will examine natural media used for translating loca sancta, the processes of their sanctification and how, although inherently abstract, they become charged with meaning. It will address their metamorphosis, natural or induced; how they change the environment to which they are transported; their capacity to translate a static and distant site elsewhere; the effect of their relocation on users/viewers; and how their containers and staging are used to communicate their substance.

Through his work as a physician, Karl Koenig explored the relationship between the rhythm of the seasons, the Christian festivals, thinking in particular about their effect on human beings and communities. This fascinating collection of Koenig's essays, lectures and notes looks at the cycle of the year and the different aspects of all the Christian festivals, from Easter to the Twelve Holy Days of Christmas. Koenig discusses the idea that human beings can derive inner strength from festival celebrations through an active social life and participation in community, and also that a strong, healthy community life relies on the celebration of festivals.

Whilst Contemporary Worship Music arose out of a desire to relate the music of the church to the music of everyday life, this function can quickly be called into question by the diversity of musical lives present in contemporary society. Mark Porter examines the relationship between individuals' musical lives away from a Contemporary Worship Music environment and their diverse experiences of music within it, presenting important insights into the complex and sometimes contradictory relationships between congregants' musical lives within and outside of religious worship. Through detailed ethnographic investigation Porter challenges common evangelical ideals of musical neutrality, suggesting the importance of considering musical tastes and preferences through an ethical lens. He employs cosmopolitanism as an interpretative framework for understanding the dynamics of diverse musical communities, positioning it as a stronger alternative to common assimilationist and multiculturalist models.

Struggle well. Fight for progress. Know the One who has fought for you. The writer of Hebrews says that we are to "throw off everything that hinders" and run "the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1). We are called to action and empowered to struggle well. And yet, as we navigate life, we realize there are difficulties without and discouragements within. Not only do we feel ill equipped to thrive . . . we don't even know how to survive. In this six-session study, Ben Stuart will give you practical strategies to help you war against the enemy of your soul and find the rest that God has promised for you. You will discover how to overcome deceptive strategies the enemy aims at you. How to move away from aimless affections and toward things that develop intimacy with God. How to make a place, a time, and a plan for communicating with God each day. And how to keep in step with the Spirit. Life is hard, but there are promises to grip. Strategies and tactics to employ. Progress to be made. Are you ready? This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including: The study guide itself-with video notes, personal study and group discussion sections, and a guide to best practices for leading a group. An individual access code to stream all five video sessions online (you don't need to buy a DVD!). Sessions and video run times include: FREED TO FIGHT (20:30) AWAY AND TOWARD (17:30) DOWNSTREAM AND UPSTREAM (21:00) CONSISTENCY AND CREATIVITY (19:30) FOCUS AND UNITY (20:30) KEEP IN STEP (20:30) Watch on any device! Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2027. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.

Though proportionally small, India's Christians are a populous and significant minority. Focussing on various Roman Catholic churches and shrines located in Chennai, a large city in South India where activities concerning saintal revival and shrinal development have taken place in the recent past, this book investigates the phenomenon of Catholic renewal in India. The author tracks the changing local significance of St. Thomas the Apostle, who according to local legend, was martyred and buried in Chennai and details the efforts of the Church hierarchy in Chennai to bring about a revival of devotion to St. Thomas. Insodoing, the book considers Indian Catholic identity, Indian Christian indigeneity and Hindu nationalism, as well as the marketing of St. Thomas and Catholicism within South India.

The NASB Pew and Worship Bible is perfect for any church pew or classroom and matches page-for-page with the NASB Preacher's Bible. While both Bibles retain their own distinct page layout and font size, they were skillfully designed so that the pages of these two different Bibles begin and end with the same word. This will allow pastors and congregations to literally be on the same page during sermons. Universally recognized as the gold standard among word-for-word translations, the beloved New American Standard Bible, 1995 Edition, is now easier to read with Zondervan's exclusive NASB Comfort Print (R) typeface. Features The full text of the New American Standard Bible, 1995 Edition Matches page-for-page with the NASB Preacher's Bible Premium, durable hardcover binding High-quality paper Double-column, verse-by-verse format Exclusive Zondervan NASB Comfort Print typeface 9-point print size

2013 Catholic Press Award Winner What can we learn from early Christian imagery about the theological meaning of baptism? Robin Jensen, a leading scholar of early Christian art and worship, examines multiple dimensions of the early Christian baptismal rite. She explores five models for understanding baptism--as cleansing from sin, sickness, and Satan; as incorporation into the community; as sanctifying and illuminative; as death and regeneration; and as the beginning of the new creation--showing how visual images, poetic language, architectural space, and symbolic actions signify and convey the theological meaning of this ritual practice. Considering image and action together, Jensen offers a holistic and integrated understanding of the power of baptism. The book is illustrated with photos.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION With more than 3 million copies in print, Germaine Copeland's bestselling volumes of Prayers That Avail Much(R) have helped believers learn how to pray, know what to pray, and confidently claim answers to prayer. As readers put these scriptural prayers to work for them, they will see God moving to perform His Word. Readers no longer need to feel helpless in the face of difficult or painful situations.

Dr. Larry Dossey, the nation’s foremost authority on prayer in medicine, warns that just as prayer can be used to positively affect health and healing, it can also be used for negative and destructive means. Through remarkable true stories, case histories, and scientific analysis, Dossey explores the nature of ‘toxic’ prayer and teaches us how we can protect ourselves from its threatening influence.

Hallelujah! Finally the book you've been waiting for! Sound, Lighting & Video: A Resource for Worship is the only book that tackles the integration and use of light, sound and video for houses or worship. Connect with more people in ways you never thought possible. Written by the managing editor of "Worship Arts & Technology Magazine" you'll learn how to: * Integrate sound, lighting and video together from the ground up for easy application * Connect with more people in ways you've never imagined * Re-examine and re-incorporate your current media systems * Be up and running like the pros with this beginner-friendly guide * Solve your greatest technical problems efficiently, without the information overload * Better communicate your message using media solutions

This is not simply a book about having more discipline so you can live your dreams.

Rest & War is about pushing back the chaos and bringing about order to your life. It is about driving the evil dictator out of your heart and establishing the true King so you can:

• Overcome the deceptive strategies of sin aimed specifically at your weaknesses that bend your behaviors to broken ends
• Stop giving your heart to aimless affections and learn how to intentionally orient your life and loves around a God who cares for you
• Recognize that under your misdirected affections and motivations is a deep and good longing for God
• Discover methods of overcoming personal shortcomings that do not rely on shame-based motivation

The writer of Hebrews declares we are called to “cast off all that hinders” and “run the race marked out for us.” We are called into the action! In our race we must both flee some things and pursue others. It’s not about being free of all struggles. Rather, we have been empowered to struggle well.

The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the fourth and fifteenth centuries by spiritual master of the Orthodox Christian tradition. First published in Greek in 1782, translated into Salvonic and later into Russian, The Philokalia has exercised an influence far greater than that of any book other than the Bible in the recent history of the Orthodox Church.