Many people want to "take on" a discipline for Lent rather than "give up" something. One of the disciplines that many Episcopalians--and other Christians--wistfully think about taking on is the regimen of structured daily prayer that includes the course-reading of Scripture. "Forty Days: The Daily Office for Lent" offers an accessible, doable, toe-in-the-water introduction to the private recitation of Morning and/or Evening Prayer . CONTENTS Rite two morning and evening prayer the Book of Common Prayer The collects, and all Bible readings for both lectionary years, from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday The Psalter as prescribed and edited for each day in Lent An office proper for St. Joseph March 19] and the Annunciation March 25]

Perhaps nothing expresses the mystery of our search for the divine as well as the labyrinth. A circular pathway based on spirals found in nature, the labyrinth is a time-honored spiritual tool in faith traditions as varied as Native American, Jewish, and Celtic. As seekers walk to the center of the labyrinth, their minds quiet and turn to God. Walking out again, they bring into the world the spiritual gifts they've received.
In A Labyrinth Year, Kautz guides readers on a labyrinth pilgrimage that winds through the seasons of the liturgical year with devotions (to be used while walking the labyrinth) based on the thoughts and emotions of biblical characters whose stories are recalled in the seasonal scripture readings. As readers explore the journeys of these people of faith, they connect with the deeper meaning of the stories and learn to live them out in their own experience.

Drawing upon her rich Jewish heritage, Michele integrates sacred and secular using pilgrim festivals and symbol, ritual and liturgy. She explains what true celebration is, with ideas and resources for celebration at home or in the wider community. Christians should have the best parties! Part One: Explores what true celebration is and looks at how Jesus loved to party. Part Two: Festival parties, including anniversaries, a weekly Sabbath, events in the church calendar. Includes suggestions for rituals, prayers, liturgies. Part Three: General ideas for celebration. Includes suggestions on how to organise the celebration event. Part Four: 50 best celebration recipes. Adapted from author's monthly cookery column in Woman Alive.

I believe. These two words are among the most explosive words any human can utter. The Apostles' Creed has shaped and guided Christian faith for almost two thousand years. Shared by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions, it is perhaps the most compelling statement of Christian doctrine the world has ever known. But do we know what it really means-and how it applies to us today? In The Apostles' Creed, renowned theologian and pastor R. Albert Mohler Jr. works line-by-line and phrase-by-phrase through each section of the Creed, revealing the rich truths it contains, including: the profound mystery of the Trinity the miracle of the Incarnation the world-shaking truth of the resurrection the hope of Christ's return the theological heritage contained in this ancient statement The Apostles' Creed is an often-overlooked treasure that contains the power to shape us for vibrant and steadfast living today, equipping believers to live faithfully in a post-Christian culture.

Winner of a 2013 Leadership Journal Book Award ("Best of the Best" in "The Leader's Inner Life" category) Why bother with the Christian faith? In the post-Christian world, doubt and skepticism come naturally to us. Many have given up on faith of any kind, finding it shallow and unsatisfying. But still we yearn for more. We hope for our children's futures. We long for lives that are meaningful, even eternal. Grappling with his own questions, Jim Belcher set out on a quest to see how the Christian faith faces the challenges of the modern world and answers the cries of the human soul. Seeking renewal after a draining season of life, he and his family spent a year traveling through Europe, exploring the faith that has shaped civilizations throughout the centuries. They rediscovered key figures, places and events in the history of Christianity, from C. S. Lewis's life at Oxford to Dietrich Bonhoeffer's death in a concentration camp. Through the experiences of William Wilberforce, Vincent Van Gogh, Corrie ten Boom and others, Belcher saw glimpses of insight, beauty and courage that transcended human limitations. He found himself surprised by joy and compelled by faith. Whether you are giving up on Christianity or encountering it for the first time, you are invited to come along on this pilgrimage. Even if you are unsure of the destination, the journey itself may take you far deeper than you could ever imagine. FROM THE AUTHOR The story of In Search of Deep Faith by Jim Belcher After almost 20 years pastoring two congregations, raising four children and finishing my first book, I was tired and worn down?out of gas. I needed to make a change, to find a way to regain my passion for my calling. While I was exhausted, my wife and I were also worried about our four children and whether they were developing a strong enough faith to last a lifetime. Were they being more influenced by the culture around them?the media, materialism and friends?than by the story of Christianity and its reality in their lives? Then we hit on an idea. What if we traveled on a pilgrimage for a year to England and Europe, and studied and experienced the biographies and places of some of the great heroes of the faith?people like C.S Lewis, Sheldon Vanauken, William Wilberforce, Corrie ten Boom, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Maria Von Trapp. Maybe this could get my passion back for my calling and at the same time help my children develop a deeper faith?a faith that shaped their imaginations and identities and futures. So we left the comforts of Orange County, Ca and moved to Oxford, England. We didn't have any definite plans but upon arriving we discovered that a pilgrimage has three components: to rediscover our roots, to understand that life is a journey and to know our ultimate destination. These three ideas became our inspiration, shaping the themes we pursued, revealing the heroes we studied, and steering us across time and place. And as the pilgrimage unfolded, day by day, month by month, what we learned and experienced over the year would startle us and surprise us and change us forever. In Search of Deep Faith is the record of this pilgrimage, an unfolding drama marked by suspense and intrigue. I hope you will take the journey with us and go deeper into the faith than you could ever imagine.

Plastic Madonnas, packaged holy tours, and biblical theme parks can arouse discomfort, laughter, and even revulsion in religious believers and nonbelievers alike. Scholars, too, often see the intermingling of religion and commerce as a corruption of true spirituality. Suzanne K. Kaufman challenges these assumptions in her examination of the Lourdes pilgrimage in late nineteenth-century France.Consuming Visions offers new ways to interpret material forms of worship, female piety, and modern commercial culture. Kaufman argues that the melding of traditional pilgrimage activities with a newly developing mass culture produced fresh expressions of popular faith. For the devout women of humble origins who flocked to the shrine, this intensely exciting commercialized worship offered unprecedented opportunities to connect with the sacred and express their faith in God.New devotional activities at Lourdes transformed the act of pilgrimage: the train became a moving chapel, and popular entertainments such as wax museums offered vivid recreations of visionary events. Using the press and the strategies of a new advertising industry to bring a mass audience to Lourdes, Church authorities remade centuries-old practices of miraculous healing into a modern public spectacle. These innovations made Lourdes one of the most visited holy sites in Catholic Europe.Yet mass pilgrimage also created problems. The development of Lourdes, while making religious practice more democratically accessible, touched off fierce conflicts over the rituals and entertainments provided by the shrine. These conflicts between believers and secularists played out in press scandals across the European continent. By taking the shrine seriously as a site of mass culture, Kaufman not only breaks down the opposition between sacred and profane but also deepens our understanding of commercialized religion as a fundamental feature of modernity itself.

Leonard Ravenhill presents prayer as faith in action in this fast-paced presentation of this crucial subject. He called prayer the most essential ingredient in producing revival. Filled with exhortations and illustrations, it teaches the art of effective praying--which will result in revival. Moody Monthly said, "This is a plea for praying that will melt the preacher's heart, move the people, and magnify the Lord Jesus."

Bread of Life, Cup of Salvation is an invitation to a deeper appreciation for the celebration of the Mass and a greater conviction of its importance for our ordinary living-out of Christian faith in daily life. Taking into account the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the new edition of the General Instruction on the Roman Missal, Fr. John Baldovin, S.J., centers his lucid commentary on the Mass around the most recent official documents and provides an up-to-date survey of the historical development of the Mass from the New Testament to the present. Clear, concise, and accessible, Bread of Life, Cup of Salvation is an informative and powerful reflection on the meaning of the Eucharist for us today. This book responds to questions such as What are the orgins of the Mass? How did the Mass develop into what we know today? Why do we have several readings from Scripture at every Mass? Why do we always read a passage from the Gospels last? Why is the Eucharistic Prayer called the center and highpoint of the celebration of the Eucharist? What difference does it make if communion is distributed from the tabernacle or consecrated at the Mass at which people are receiving? Why do we have more than one Eucharistic Prayer? Is it important that people are offered communion in both kinds-the Body and the Blood of Christ? Why did the Mass get its popular name from the dismissal (missa)? Why was it important to recover the exchange of peace?

There is a verifiable Christian labyrinth tradition dating back to the fourth century. It reached its height at Chartres Cathedral in France during the Middle Ages and then went dormant. For the past two decades churches have been rediscovering the labyrinth as an effective spiritual tool and reawakening this ancient tradition. This book was written in 2001 and recently updated. It contains five sections. The first is a series of questions and answers about church labyrinths, in the style of an interview. The second section is a collection of quotations from a variety of labyrinth books. Third is an annotated bibliography about Chartres Cathedral. Fourth is the reprint of an article by Robert D. Ferre entitled "Twelve Reasons Your Church Should Have a Labyrinth." Fifth is a resource section with websites for additional information, including labyrinth builders. This book is one of five volumes in the Labyrinth Archive Series.

Offers a lively blend of liturgical history, sacramental theology, and practical hints to help parish altar guilds carry out their ministry.

With the sensitivity born of time and experience, Charles Hoffacker presents an unusually warm and caring approach to preaching at a pivotal transition in human life, one which goes to the very heart of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Hoffacker teaches the reader, whether a seasoned preacher or a novice homilist, to find the key to unlocking the mystery of Jesus promise of eternal life in a mortal life now ended.

With this new lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. When complete, the twelve volumes of the series will cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints' Day. For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays--one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclaimation of the Word on any given occasion. The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series will follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume will contain an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.

Our culture has undergone a major shift: younger generations have less and less interest in the printed word as they become predominantly image oriented. In response, as congregations increasingly learn to be more sophisticated in using newer electronic technologies, they are finding themselves at different places in the quest to understand, acquire, manage, and benefit from the technology boom. Worship leaders in congregations already using some electronic media are realizing that they could be doing more with it, and are seeking new ideas. Congregational leaders scrambling to catch up with a worship committee that has decided it's time for a change aren't sure of the next steps. Or maybe there's been a gift to the congregation to be spent on electronics, and no one is quite sure how best to use the money. Michael Bausch's book grows out of several years' of conversation, personal experimentation, and experience with multimedia worship in one modest-sized, small-town church, while also drawing on the experiences and work of other churches learning to use electronic media in worship. Bausch balances concern for practical issues, such as finances and architecture, with attention to theological integrity and the challenges of sustaining media-enhanced worship. He skillfully shows how the artistic resources of the world around us can enhance our awareness of God's presence in worship.

With this new lectionary commentary series, Westminster John Knox offers the most extensive resource for preaching on the market today. When complete, the twelve volumes of the series will cover all the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with movable occasions, such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints' Day. For each lectionary text, preachers will find four brief essays--one each on the theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical challenges of the text. This gives preachers sixteen different approaches to the proclaimation of the Word on any given occasion. The editors and contributors to this series are world-class scholars, pastors, and writers representing a variety of denominations and traditions. And while the twelve volumes of the series will follow the pattern of the Revised Common Lectionary, each volume will contain an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers, as well as teachers and students, may make use of its contents.

One woman's personal account of Saint Ignatius' Spiritual Exercisesin her own prayer life. This book is the result of an improbable friendship, she admits from the outset, Mine with St. Ignatius Loyola.The book grew out of a 30-day retreat the author took away from her busy life as a wife, theology student in pastoral education, translator and mother of two little boys. Yet nothing had prepared me for the experience. I had thought this would be a nice project for Lent. Lent began and ended, but the project went on, and radically changed my way of seeing things. In a sense I never finished them. They have become a part of me, the meditations being a kind of horizon against which I can see and reflect upon the course of my life, and to which I return again and again

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.

Lectionary texts for reading the daily office using the Revised Standard Version translation of the Bible.

Based on Adam Hamilton s The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus and used in conjunction with the churchwide experience during Lent and Easter, children will explore the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Children will: - Explore the stories of Jesus - Learn about the places where Jesus ministry took place - Experience some of the culture of Bible times - Realize the significance of Jesus life on earth Contains everything needed to conduct a seven-week study complete with reproducible handouts."

This book is for anyone who has ever thought that God is too busy to concern Himself with the smallest matters in our lives. Follow a bus driver's journey of being reminded about the power of prayer, the importance of faith, and the great love of God

"Based on a true-story this enchanting tale, accompanied by whimsical illustrations, serves as a wonderful reminder that God cares about even our smallest concerns. Author, Lisa E. Williams, has done a fabulous job on this children's book. It's sure to become one of your child's favorites "--Michelle Medlock Adams, author of more than 50 books, including her award-winning children's title "My Big Book of Prayers" (Ideals Children's Books)

The Altar Call is a thorough examination of the public invitation practice within Christian evangelism. In addition to giving a comprehensive historical background that spans three continents, The Altar Call also poses the following question: If John Wesley, George Whitefield , and Jonathan Edwards are regarded as the great figures of modern evangelicalism, why did none of these important leaders practice the invitation system that became so important in so many later evangelical groups? This important study will be of interest to both religious scholars and lay people, who are curious about the antecedents, development, and current use of the altar call.