This illustrated workbook arises out of many years of leading retreats, study and quiet days on the theme of the cross in many contexts from an English Cathedral city to a South African township. The symbol of suffering and sacrifice, the cross also stands for the triumph of love over hate, life over death, hope over despair.
This includes complete outlines with prayers, readings, guided meditations and instructions for making crosses on the following themes: Crosses from around the world, Holy People, Holy Places & Crosses: Bridget, Francis, Andrew and others, Good Friday Pilgrims: living the cross, Making Crosses: yours and mine, Meditating with Crosses, and Following The Way of the Cross.

While decorating a Christmas tree, Bip drops a bulb which mysteriously comes to life. Through a cat and mouse chase Bip finds that he can find friends in the most unlikely places. .

This comprehensive library of creative liturgical material helps you design worship that transforms Sunday services from empty ritual into an individual, collective experience with the Holy. Julia Ross Strope takes worshipers on a journey to the sacred dimension with words and images that highlight the connection of our souls to God's heart. For every Sunday and other major occasion throughout the church year, this volume provides inclusive and affirming resources - calls to worship, a wide variety of prayers, hymn suggestions, and brief sermon ideas - all specifically based on the day's readings and using contemporary language that connects with the people in your pews. This innovative workbook is a rich source of thought-provoking material that can be used as written or easily adapted to fit your individual circumstances - you'll use it again and again to keep your worship services fresh, passionate, and stimulating. Strope divides the church year into seven "motions" of spiritual journey corresponding to the seasons: [ In Motion (Advent) - The calendar cycle begins again, and we are busy enjoying family and friends while anticipating the birth of God's Child. [ Commotion (Christmas) - When the incarnation is realized, commotion erupts; food and stories, gifts and memories are integral to the celebration. [ Locomotion (Epiphany) - As the commotion subsides, people integrate gifts into their closets and lifestyles as they move about and seek the Light of the World. [No Motion (Lent) - After the flurry of activity of the preceding seasons, we look inward and reflect on what the Divine is challenging us to be and to do. [ Emotion (Easter) - The time of reflection erupts into new options as the reality of the resurrection transforms life in nature and the human soul. [ Promotion (early Pentecost) - The period of activity and inner empowerment is projected to the outer world, with a passion to promote justice and tell others about God. [ Slow Motion (late Pentecost) - Like an agricultural cycle, rest takes over as passion turns into the wisdom gleaned from experience ... and the cycle ends so that a new generative period can begin. Julia Ross Strope serves on the ministry staff of Church of the Covenant (Presbyterian) in Greensboro, North Carolina. She previously served Abington Presbyterian Church in Abington, Pennsylvania, St. John's Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina, and Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition to her pastoral work, Strope is an educator and counselor. She is a graduate of Houghton College (B.A.), Duke University Divinity School (M.Div.), and Union Theological Seminary at Richmond (D.Min.), where her doctoral thesis (Sacrotherapy: Healing Through the Visual and Tactual Arts) explored using the arts as ways to experience and articulate adventure with the Holy. Leandra Merea Strope, who provided the hymn suggestions and drew the Celtic knot, is the minister of music at Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has earned degrees in Flute Performance from Meredith College (B.M.), in Choral Conducting from the Yale School of Music (M.M.), and has done doctoral work in Choral Conducting and Literature at Indiana University. She has directed ensembles at Meredith, Yale, and IU as well as at numerous churches, and for five years she directed the choral program at Abington Friends School in Abington, Pennsylvania. Leandra also served as the lead teacher of choral music at the Governor's School of North Carolina in Winston-Salem from 1996 until 2005. Melanie Bassett, who contributed the hand drawings on the section heading pages, is an artist and art teacher who lives and works in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The process of living is a journey, and this book is a vehicle that evokes the inner life. Boldly step into the life of the Spirit through this journal workbook.

Of the many works he wrote during 1848, his "richest and most fruitful year," Kierkegaard specified "Practice in Christianity" as "the most perfect and truest thing." In his reflections on such topics as Christ's invitation to the burdened, the imitatio Christi, the possibility of offense, and the exalted Christ, he takes as his theme the requirement of Christian ideality in the context of divine grace. Addressing clergy and laity alike, Kierkegaard asserts the need for institutional and personal admission of the accommodation of Christianity to the culture and to the individual misuse of grace. As a corrective defense, the book is an attempt to find, ideally, a basis for the established order, which would involve the order's ability to acknowledge the Christian requirement, confess its own distance from it, and resort to grace for support in its continued existence. At the same time the book can be read as the beginning of Kierkegaard's attack on Christendom. Because of the high ideality of the contents and in order to prevent the misunderstanding that he himself represented that ideality, Kierkegaard writes under a new pseudonym, Anti-Climacus.

A collection of over forty new hymns and songs by Rusty Edwards, author of We all are one in mission. The publication also includes detailed topical/thematic, scriptural and metrical indexes.

A Pilgrim's Jounral is a spiritual travelogue in which the author tells us much about the union between Christian faith and living in the word, the union between grace and nature. This book helps us to understand that the story of each of us is a journey in faith.

Is there one correct way for the people of God to worship him? It turns out that Scripture offers many models and forms for worship, all of which are acceptable but not necessarily appropriate or functional in a particular setting. Barry Liesch, a professor of music at Biola University, helps his readers to grasp that fact and it's implications for worship in the church today. This is a one-of-a-kind book for many kinds of readers in all kinds of churches. It offers biblical perspective, historical awareness, musical and artistic sensitivity, authentic reverence, and creative stimulation for worship leaders, church musicians, study groups, pastors, worship committees, and a host of others who are interested in appreciating and renewing worship according to biblical models. Within each of the twenty chapters the author shares many suggestions for enhancing and transforming worship in the church today. Not only does he present the various biblical models and offer a wealth of suggestions, he takes up some of the major concerns of worship leaders, planners, and participants -- concerns such as the role of music, uses of symbolism, the appropriateness of dance, modes of celebration, expressions of reverence, and many others.

This Bible study for the Lenten season, modeled on the author's successful book The Women of Christmas, explores the stories of three women who played a vital role in the life and ministry of Jesus, as well as in the events of Holy Week that first Easter. With unforgettable insights and powerful life application for today's women, Liz Curtis Higgs delves into the biblical text to help us view Easter through the eyes of Mary of Bethany, who prepared the way before the cross; Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was addressed from the cross; and Mary Magdalene, who proclaimed Christ's resurrection after the cross.

In the Beginning Was the Word provides a powerful tool for encouraging more people to play a role in weekly services. For each Sunday and major celebration in the church year, Dallas Brauninger takes one assigned scripture passage from Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary and turns it into a dramatic choral reading -- allowing anyone (of whatever age) who can read and speak to become a leader in worship. The texts are drawn from the New Revised Standard Version, and also included are practical tips for effective performance, as well as a handy pronunciation guide, scripture index, and listing of the required number of participants for each week's reading.

Uniquely authoritative and wide-ranging in its scope, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church is the indispensable reference work on all aspects of the Christian Church. It contains over 6,500 cross-referenced A-Z entries, and offers unrivalled coverage of all aspects of this vast and often complex subject, from theology; churches and denominations; patristic scholarship; and the bible; to the church calendar and its organization; popes; archbishops; other church leaders; saints; and mystics. In this new edition, great efforts have been made to increase and strengthen coverage of non-Anglican denominations (for example non-Western European Christianity), as well as broadening the focus on Christianity and the history of churches in areas beyond Western Europe. In particular, there have been extensive additions with regards to the Christian Church in Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, and Australasia. Significant updates have also been included on topics such as liturgy, Canon Law, recent international developments, non-Anglican missionary activity, and the increasingly important area of moral and pastoral theology, among many others. Since its first appearance in 1957, the ODCC has established itself as an essential resource for ordinands, clergy, and members of religious orders, and an invaluable tool for academics, teachers, and students of church history and theology, as well as for the general reader.

The reform of liturgical rites ordered by the Second Vatican Council necessitated a revision of the "Caeremoniale Episcoporum," published in 1886. The objective of this ceremonial is to provide a liturgy for bishops that will stand as a model for all other celebrations.

The eight divisions of the book cover everything from the Mass through liturgical celebrations in connection with the government of a diocese. This is a valued reference for bishops, masters of ceremonies, diocesan liturgical offices, seminary libraries, etc. Two-color printing to separate text from rubrics.

In an age when religious radicalism was regarded as socially subversive, Bunyan's Grace Abounding describes the spiritual regeneration of one who came from 'that rank that is meanest and most despised'. God and Satan are the chief protagonists in Bunyan's drama: they exist not as theological concepts but as terrifyingly immediate adversaries in the competition for Bunyan's soul. 'What care I,' says Satan to Bunyan, 'though I be seven years in chilling your heart, if I can do it at last?' Bunyan finds his spiritual defences not so much in God as in the Bible, and Grace Abounding charts his passionate and imaginative involvement with this ultimate source of spiritual wisdom.

A wide-ranging collection of resources for Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Transfiguration, Harvest, Holocaust Memorial Day, Mothering Sunday, and other special days, and on areas of concern, like refugees and peacemaking. Worship rooted in city and country, in work and in schools, in peacemaking and the eradication of poverty, in churches and the Iona Community resident group ... So - as always with the Iona Community - worship which is contextual, prophetic, with a strong justice and peace edge.

The word liturgy is packed with power. For some, it evokes the grandeur and mystery of the church's rich tradition. For others it evokes a rigid and confusing form of obsolete practice. Dan Benedict provides us with a deeper and more satisfying way to understand liturgy and to discuss issues related to worship. In his understanding, readers come to see liturgy as God's means of uniting with the heart, mind, and work of Christ. Liturgy, Benedict says, carries us into the presence of the holy in the same way that those friends in the Gospel story carried their paralyzed friend into the presence of Christ. When our spiritual life is dry and we have difficulty experiencing that presence, liturgy holds that meaning for us until we are ready to return. Liturgy connects us with the communion of the saints and allows us to worship with other believers across time and place. Over time, given faithful participation, the liturgy works to shape our perceptions and create more space for God's grace to find expression. This volume, with original prayers and reflection questions, is an excellent text for a new members' studying worship, or for a congregation's worship committee to read as a preparation for its work. Topics include corporate liturgical practices like Baptism, Communion, and the Christian year, as well as personal practices of daily prayer and scriptural reading.

A book of Eastertide resources covering the period from Easter Sunday to Trinity Sunday, it offers prayers, responses, liturgies, songs, poems, reflections, meditations, sermons and stories for a period of nearly two months, including Easter Day, Ascension Day, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Saints' days and Rogation days.

The men and women who gathered at the Tabard Inn in Southwark in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" are only the most famous of the tens of thousands of English pilgrims, from kings to peasants, who set off to the shrines of saints and the sites of miracles in the middle ages. As they travelled along well-established routes in the hope of a cure or a blessing, to fulfil a vow or to see new places, the pilgrims left records that let us see medieval people and their concerns and beliefs from a unique and intimate angle. As well as the most famous shrines, notably that of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury, Diana Webb also describes the many local pilgrimages and cults, and their rise and fall, over the English middle ages as a whole.

Revised and updated, this popular book shows pastors and worship leaders the basics of United Methodist worship.

In this straightforward and updated commentary, Hoyt Hickman explains the basic pattern of United Methodist worship within the broader context of Christian worship. Drawing upon five basic principles, the author explains the formative nature of worship and how it can revitalize persons' lives. These principles are: God's Word is primary; active congregational participation is crucial; spontaneity and order are both important; worship should be relevant and inclusive; and worship is communion. This revision will highlight the African-American contribution to UM worship, discuss at greater length what the various worship styles mean for us today, say more about the formative nature of worship, and include updated resources including the Abingdon Worship Annual, the Abingdon Preaching Annual, and WorshipConnection.

Explains basic resources for planning and leading worship. Gives the basic pattern of UM worship and its origins. Gives practical suggestions how to renew and revitalize worship. Helps pastors be effective leaders in planning and revitalizing worship. Helps pastors understand and communicate the uniqueness of UM worship. Helps pastors lead their congregation into a deeper and richer experience of God through worship.

Good News of Great Joy by John Piper invites Christians to make Jesus the center of the Advent season through 25 devotional readings.

'Children are equal members of the Church by virtue of their baptism', writes Stephen Lake 'and therefore should have full access to the sacraments, the signs of God's love, and most especially to the bread and wine of the Eucharist.' This valuable resource book will assist all parishes in welcoming children to communion now that the Church of England has approved new Regulations. Let the Children Come to Communion: encourages the admission of baptized children to communion; summarizes in one place relevant practice, information and theology; shares the experience of those who have already taken this step; aims to help move the debate on, encouraging the Church into full participation. The author's fervent hope is to stir the Church into action on an important issue and to stimulate decision-making about introducing and developing this ministry with children. There are extended interviews with leading practitioners including: David Stancliffe, Stephen Venner, Diana Murrie, Margaret Withers and Mark Russell. Stephen Lake is Sub Dean and Canon Residentiary of St. Albans Cathedral. Stephen served his curacy at Sherborne Abbey before becoming Vicar of Branksome St. Aldhelm, an urban parish in Poole. He was also Rural Dean. After nine years in Branksome he moved to St. Albans in 2001. He is married to Carol and they have three children, all of whom receive Holy Communion. He is the author of the hugely successful Confirmation Prayer Book (SPCK), and also of Using Common Worship: Marriage (Church House Publishing). "Stephen Lake has written a fine, timely guide to the current discussion. I hope his vision will invite and persuade, and that we shall as a Church continue to discover the riches that await us as we listen more thoughtfully and generously to Christ's youngest friends" Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

Bryan Spinks is one of the world's leading scholars in the field of liturgy and to have a comprehensive work by him on the Eucharist is a major catch for SCM. Like the author's previous work on Baptism, this will become a standard work about the Eucharist and Eucharistic theology worldwide. The book, a study of the history and theology of the Eucharist, is the fifth volume in the SCM Studies in Worship and Liturgy series and will help to establish the series as a place for landmark books of liturgical scholarship. This book will be aimed at undergraduate and graduate theology students, clergy and theologically literate laity. It will assume some technical knowledge (i. e. it is not an introduction to liturgy or introduction to sacraments), but will attempt to outline what the evidence is, and what current scholars think. On occasions it will advance or argue for why one interpretation is preferable to another.

Money, power, marriage, friendship, health, sleep, jealousy, war, peace, eternity: the ancient wisdom of Solomon in the 21st-century language of the Scottish patter. Full-to-the-brim of pithy wisdom, this expressive book will appeal to all who enjoy the richness of the Scots tongue. Injecting life into these ancient wise words, Jamie Stuart's language of the people connects the down-to-earth Scots character with the practical relevance today of the wisdom of Solomon.