'the highest matter in the noblest form' John Donne's description of the Psalms celebrates not only the perfection of the biblical psalms but their translation into poetic form by the Sidneys, who turned them into some of the most accomplished lyric poems of the English Renaissance. Although it was not printed until the nineteenth century, the Sidney Psalter was widely read in manuscript and influenced poets from Donne and Herbert to Milton and beyond. It turned these well-known and well-loved Psalms into sophisticated verse, selecting or inventing a different stanza form for each one. This variety of forms matches the appeal of their content: there are Psalms of praise and blame, Psalms of cursing and lamentation, Psalms of joy and exaltation, Psalms that recount history, and Psalms that describe Creation or divine law. This is the first complete edition of the Psalter for over forty years. The Psalms are provided in an authoritative modernized text, with helpful glosses and notes illuminating points of interpretation, and an introduction setting the Psalms in their literary and cultural contexts. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The Armenian Church Synaxarion is a collection of saints' lives according to the day of the year on which each saint is celebrated. Part of the great and varied Armenian liturgical tradition from the turn of the first millennium, the first Armenian Church Synaxarion represented the logical culmination of a long and steady development of what is today called the cult of the saints. This book is the second in a twelve-volume series-one for each month of the year-and is ideal for personal devotional use or as a valuable resource for anyone interested in saints.

This book is in commemoration of my father who died in February this year. It is a hymn-book and I have entitled it Arthurs Favourite Hymns. Easy to play versions of favourite hymns including spirituals, carols, sacred songs and well-known hymns. Arranged for piano and guitar with full words and Thoughts for the Day by Arthur Goddard, edited and arranged by Paul R Goddard with a foreword by Revd Rod Symmons, vicar of Redland Parish Church. 35 hymns and sacred songs

Art is an outworking of God's creative process, a tangible participation in the shaping of the world. Through our artistic endeavors, we both express our understanding of creation and imbue that creation with new meaning. Four artists in particular-the poet Czeslaw Milosz, filmmaker Terrence Malick, novelist Marilynne Robinson, and lyric essayist Annie Dillard-actively wrestle with a world that reflects God's glory while remaining at times deeply and troublingly obscure. In Lyric Theology, Thomas Gardner unfolds the ways these four important contemporary figures, drawing on modes of thinking rooted in lyric poetry, explore what the world looks like when seen as created and received as a gift. Lyric thinking, he argues, dramatizes a mind and spirit reaching toward a beauty and complexity that can never be fully grasped but yet can be lifted up in praise and wonder, bafflement and song. The specific lyric responses on display here- resisting meaninglessness, wrestling with contrary impulses to both celebrate and turn away, embracing as revelatory the failure to see fully, and redeeming the world by lifting its particulars into song-can be seen as acts of theological thinking, deepening and extending the doctrine of creation by living out its implications in the world. If the world were created out of nothing save the desire to extend the love expressed within the Trinity to creatures who might reflect it back in wonder and praise, lyric ways of making sense of the world-breaking free of straightforward conceptualization and argument and exploring inward, nuanced, and continually made and remade responses to the world's particulars-bring this idea forward as a living thing. Drawing on his own work as a literary scholar and a lyric essayist, Gardner here gives us the tools to both understand and join in performing creative theological explorations of great subtlety, beauty, and originality.

The majority of full-time Christian workers are not missionaries or pastors. They are in the so-called secular workplace. They are teachers, accountants, farmers, factory workers, and store clerks. They are no less called to ministry than their pastors, deacons, or elders, but carrying out that ministry is not easy.

With 31 short, easy-to-digest chapters, R. Larry Moyer provides encouragement and inspiration for living out your faith, regardless of where you work. With real-life examples, suggestions for how to pray, and Scripture passages to study, this book will equip any Christian to spread the good news every day.

Check out Dr. Moyer's and EvanTell's latest project act111.org

Jesus is our source for everything. When we rely on him alone, our satisfaction in life increases and anxiety begins to subside. Comparisons cease. Unnecessary pursuits pause. And we begin to notice the little things. The things that matter. Life. Breath. Kindness. Stillness. Beauty. This is where we find deep connection with our loving Savior. As you quiet yourself before him and meditate on these Scriptures, devotions, and prayers, experience the goodness of his presence, and be refreshed with his perfect peace. When you recognize that Jesus really is all you need, other concerns fade. Hope dawns with the sunrise. Tender mercies fall fresh. Boundless joy springs up from a well within. And you find the strength to walk through each day with grace. Features: - High-grade faux leather provides durability and exquisite tactile appeal. - Heat debossing on faux leather darkens its color, giving the cover a two-tone appearance and creating indentation which shows off the intricate design and varied texture. - Metallic and matte foil finishing touches are elegantly placed to enhance certain features, capturing attention and adding class for an aesthetic appeal. - This high-quality sturdy Smyth-sewn binding stitches book signatures together creating durability and allowing pages to lay flat when open. Decorative head and foot bands are also added to further complement the overall design. - This matte art high quality paper with a smooth satin touch provides long-lasting vivid coloration and durability. - A beautiful satin ribbon marker conveniently keeps your place so you can quickly pick up where you left off.

Phyllis Tickle's inspirational trilogy The Divine Hours (TM) was the first major literary and liturgical reworking of the sixth-century Benedictine Rule of fixed-hour prayer-an age-old discipline of saying prayers at certain times of the day. This highly regarded trilogy has become one of America's best-loved and most frequently consulted manuals for observing this ancient form of Christian worship. Now, in The Night Offices, Tickle offers the perfect complement to The Divine Hours (TM), bringing together prayers, psalms, hymn texts, religious poetry and other readings not included in the original trilogy, covering the offices for the hours from late evening (Compline) to early morning (Prime). Fans of the Divine Hours (TM) will recognize Tickle's simple, elegant format, her use of a modern calendar rather than a liturgical one, and the single ribbon in the binding, to track one's progress through the year. As in the trilogy, Tickle makes primary use of the Book of Common Prayer and the writings of the Church Fathers, and she draws all the scriptural readings from the Revised Standard Version. The book includes a set of Matins, Lauds, and Prime specific to each day of the week and varied only by month. Thus, the Monday reading for January would be used every Monday in January, but Monday in February would have new offices for it. The cumulative total, being 84 Matins, 84 Lauds, and 84 Prime (252 offices), fits neatly into a single, nightstand edition, a small, compact book that can be comfortably held in the hand. Easy to use, poetically rich, with a superb sampling of devotional works, The Night Offices will be welcomed by a broad readership, Christian and non-Christian alike.

This delightful set of practical miniature arrangements of hymn tunes for organ is useful throughout the church year and is accessible to the average church organist. These short pieces not only enhance church services, but also prove invaluable to the church musician looking for something fresh to use during services. The styles of miniatures, which last anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute in duration, are sufficiently varied to maintain interest: some settings are meditative, while others are fanfares, and they can be used during various parts of the service. The book includes a preface that discusses practical usage of the miniatures, citing some examples from te Velde's own experience. It also includes a liturgical index and an index of first lines for the convenience of the organist.

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.

The sacred Spanish-language hymns known as alabados originated in colonial New Spain in the eighteenth century. The Alabados of New Mexico includes a selection of the most beloved and most often sung hymns, in English and Spanish, as well as a basic explanation of the alabado. Introductory material discusses the sources of alabados and the form's origin in late medieval spirituality. Thomas Steele defines terms and discusses the alabado as poetry, music, and oral tradition. The 126 bilingual alabados are organized by theme, including the Christ child and holy family, passion narratives, sacraments, and prayers, etc. Steele includes complete texts and extensive commentaries. He has devoted decades to collecting and studying New Mexico's alabados and his annotations are enriched by his access to many versions of each hymn.

Missal text with notes and commentary: a fundamental tool for the study of both insular and continental medieval mass-books. The manuscript edited in these volumes is a fine and elaborate missal of Westminster Abbey, given by Nicholas Lytlington (abbot 1362-1386) and often referred to by his name. As well as its importance as a particularly full missaltext from a royal abbey (it includes an extensive coronation ritual), it is also the only monastic representative of a `Sarum' type of sacramentary to have received a modern edition. John Wickham Legg's publication of this manuscript was an early milestone in the Henry Bradshaw Society programme, and is particularly notable for its extensive critical notes: employing over fifty other manuscripts, as well as printed sources, Legg provided a commentary whichgives an extraordinarily comprehensive view of texts for the celebration of mass in the middle ages. His work remains, over a century after its publication, a fundamental and indispensible tool for the study of medieval mass-books, both insular and continental. Reissue; First published 1891, 1895 and 1897 in three separate volumes.

This concise, easy-to-use resource from a team of fresh new voices provides spiritual nourishment and encouragement to help extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion prepare for their role during liturgy or visits to the sick and homebound. By focusing on the Sunday gospels and the Communion minister's own personal reflection, this indispensable aid helps those involved to reverently and prayerfully prepare and carry out their ministry. Living Liturgy (TM) for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion begins with the First Sunday of Advent 2019 and includes the following: Sunday-by-Sunday gospels Personal reflections for Communion ministers A brief theology of the ministry A separate insert card with the rite for Administration of Communion to the Sick by an Extraordinary Minister A page for inscription of the minister's name and church

This imaginative and comprehensive book offers an abundance of resources and guidelines for one of the most important and difficult things any church can do: running a family service. Drawing on her extensive work in the theatre and church, Sarah Lenton shares with infectious enthusiasm her tried and tested ideas for conducting eucharistic celebrations for all ages with confidence and joy. At the heart of the book is a series of ready-to-use sermons for the feasts and seasons of the Christian year. These include dialogue, props, jokes, and ideas for engaging every member of the congregation. In addition, it provides practical guidance for: * Creating a welcoming, worshipful space for all * Developing rapport with children and holding their attention * Channelling children's natural energy into learning and worship * Using music and props creatively * Interacting with adults and children simultaneously * Managing noise * Making the most of the resources you have. Complete outlines for a children's mass, a children's liturgy for Good Friday and an illustrated Stations of the Cross are also included.

In a rich survey encompassing music, art, literature, and architecture, Professor Davies studies the revolution in religious thought and worship in England during the Victorian era. One main trend, the return to conservatism, is revealed in the renascence of Roman Catholic worship, the Oxford Movement, and the search for traditional architecture and liturgy. This impetus was balanced by the drive toward innovation, through the Social Gospel, the Church's confrontation with science, and the new forms of worship sought by the Baptists, Congregationalists, and others. This is the fourth in a five-volume series. Originally published in 1962. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

In a rich survey encompassing music, art, literature, and architecture, Professor Davies studies the revolution in religious thought and worship in England during the Victorian era. One main trend, the return to conservatism, is revealed in the renascence of Roman Catholic worship, the Oxford Movement, and the search for traditional architecture and liturgy. This impetus was balanced by the drive toward innovation, through the Social Gospel, the Church's confrontation with science, and the new forms of worship sought by the Baptists, Congregationalists, and others. This is the fourth in a five-volume series. Originally published in 1962. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

In this book John Henson suggests that by basing our practice and understanding of "communion" on the event of the Last Supper we have ignored those other occasions when Jesus ate and drank with the people of his day, with the result that we have reversed the intentions of Jesus. Instead of the meal being an invitation to inclusion, the churches have used it as a means of exclusion; instead of the "beanfeast of the Kingdom" it has become a gathering around the cenotaph. In these studies Christians are challenged to return to the mind of Jesus by allowing all the evidence of the gospels to be put into the balance. Although the author's prime purpose is devotional, there are revolutionary implications. Should the churches take the contents of this book seriously, communion will never be the same again.

In this book the 2000 year history of Christian worship is viewed from a sociological perspective. Martin Stringer develops the idea of discourse as a way of understanding the place of Christian worship within its many and diverse social contexts. Beginning with the Biblical material the author provides a broad survey of changes over 2000 years of the Christian church, together with a series of case studies that highlight particular elements of the worship, or specific theoretical applications. Stringer does not simply examine the mainstream traditions of Christian worship in Europe and Byzantium, but also gives space to lesser-known traditions in Armenia, India, Ethiopia and elsewhere. Offering a contribution to the ongoing debate that breaks away from a purely textual or theological study of Christian worship, this book provides a greater understanding of the place of worship in its social and cultural context.

Christians are a tiny minority in Japan, less than one percent of the total population. Yet Christianity is ubiquitous in Japanese popular culture. From the giant mutant "angels" of the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise to the Jesus-themed cocktails enjoyed by customers in Tokyo's Christon cafe, Japanese popular culture appropriates Christianity in both humorous and unsettling ways. By treating the Western religion as an exotic cultural practice, Japanese demonstrate the reversibility of cultural stereotypes and force us to reconsider common views of global cultural flows and East-West relations. Of particular interest is the repeated reappearance in modern fiction of the so-called "Christian century" of Japan (1549-1638), the period between the arrival of the Jesuit missionaries and the last Christian revolt before the final ban on the foreign religion. Literary authors as different as Akutagawa Ryu-nosuke, Endo- Shu-saku, Yamada Fu-taro-, and Takemoto Novala, as well as film directors, manga and anime authors, and videogame producers have all expressed their fascination with the lives and works of Catholic missionaries and Japanese converts and produced imaginative reinterpretations of the period. In Holy Ghosts, Rebecca Suter explores the reasons behind the popularity of the Christian century in modern Japanese fiction and reflects on the role of cross-cultural representations in Japan. Since the opening of the ports in the Meiji period, Japan's relationship with Euro-American culture has oscillated between a drive towards Westernization and an antithetical urge to "return to Asia." Exploring the twentieth-century's fascination with the Christian Century enables Suter to reflect on modern Japan's complex combination of Orientalism, self-Orientalism, and Occidentalism. By looking back at a time when the Japanese interacted with Europeans in ways that were both similar to and different from modern dealings, fictional representations of the Christian century offer an opportunity to reflect critically not only on cross-cultural negotiation but also more broadly on both Japanese and Western social and political formations. The ghosts of the Christian century that haunt modern Japanese fiction thus prompt us to rethink conventional notions of East-West exchanges, mutual representations, and power relations, complicating our understanding of global modernity.

How does Christian ethics begin? This pioneering study explores the grammar of the Christian life as it is embodied and learned in worship as the formative experience of the 'fellow citizens of God's people'. The book presents the first in-depth theological investigation of the phenomenon of 'political worship' by exposing the political nature of worship and the worship dimension of politics. In a careful analysis of biblical and traditional conceptions of worship, Wannenwetsch demonstrates how the genuine political character of worship neutralizes attempts to politicize or de-politicize it. In the imprinting of the experience of divine reconciliation on the Christian body, worship challenges the deepest antagonisms of political theory and practice: antagonisms of 'private and public', 'freedom and necessity', and 'action and contemplation'. At the same time, the 'spill over' of worship into every sphere of life instils a healthy suspicion of post-liberal conceptualizations of role-mobility. In the experience of 'hearing in communion', an encounter with a word that does not deceive announces the end of the rule of the hermeneutics of suspicion. Further questions discussed include the conditions of true consensus, forgiveness as a political virtue, `political rhetoric' between accountability and self-justification, how 'reversible role-taking' can avoid losing the otherness of the other, and how the rhetoric of 'responsibility' can be saved from hubris or depression. Particular practices or dimensions of worship (confession, preaching, praising, intercession, observance of holy days) are examined and their heuristic and formative potentials explored in relation to these topics. A special feature of the study is a strong ecumenical and international focus. The book brings into conversation a variety of traditions (including Lutheran, Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox) and contemporary voices. An original contribution to Christian ethics, the book addresses systematic and practical theology as well as political theory, while indicating the essential interpenetration of these disciplines.