This confirmation program, developed with the help of Episcopal educators, clergy and theologians across the country, encourages youth and adults to enter into a uniquely Episcopal yet profoundly Christian faith journey. The easily-adapted format works for a traditional six- to twelve-week program, at a contemporary Confirmation retreat or conference, or as a sacramental supplement to other two- to three-year programs. I Will, with God s help, built entirely on the Baptismal Covenant from "The Book of Common Prayer," offers seekers a solid reflection on Episcopal heritage and belief, together with the riches of Episcopal liturgy and prayer. Intended for Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation of Baptismal vows Suitable for youth, adult or intergenerational programs Includes creative suggestions for parish involvement "

This completely new work replaces the best-selling but woefully outdated Morehouse classic by the same name. This fresh work explains the liturgy in all its aspects for the uninitiated and is written by a respected liturgics scholar in the Episcopal Church.

A desire and demand to know more about the Jewish legacy of Christian identity is growing among laity. A similar desire to foster interfaith understanding and dialogue is growing among leaders of local churches. Why Is There a Menorah on the Altar? seeks to meet these demands by providing information and insight about Judaism s legacy as it is revealed in Christian rites, rituals, and traditions. Drawing upon scripture and historical sources, this book explains how Judaism has influenced the structure of liturgical worship; the design and decor of church sanctuaries; and how Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation find their roots in Judaism. This book invites readers to develop a deeper understanding of Judaism, one that will enrich their Christianity and appreciation for their enduring Jewish heritage. Includes: questions for reflection; activities for individuals or groups; and easy-to-follow timelines."

2015 marks the 30th anniversary of Lee Mitchell's great standard work on the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. As his student, protegee, and colleague, Ruth Meyers takes this classic work and updates it for the Church in its current era and for the future.

Meditations for each day of Advent We don't like to wait, but the season of Advent is all about waiting--a time of expectation, when Christians have traditionally devoted themselves to practices of prayer and study. This book offers a short meditation for each of the thirty days of the season, from the First Sun-day of Advent through Christmas Day. In the spirit of expectancy, each meditation focuses on seeking and seeing God in the everyday of our ordinary lives, based on a psalm that corresponds to the daily office for the season of Advent. Expectant: Advent Meditations is the perfect seasonal practice companion for spiritual seekers as well as devoted Christians, and ideal for church groups and congregations wishing to hand out a fresh and contemporary Advent resource to members.

A concise book to help those who are licensed to be responsible for worship in a congregation that does not have the services of ordained clergy on a regular basis, as well as for all laity--licensed or otherwise--who have responsibility for some aspect of worship. Examines lay participation in the Ministry of the Word, in the Eucharist, and in the Daily Offices.

The third edition is updated to the Revised Common Lectionary

Many of us have difficulty hearing the Bible as it is read to us in church Sunday after Sunday through the year. Even with the best intentions we come to the Word of God cold because we have not been given the skills and the preparation to hear and understand the content of Scripture.

These brief and insightful introductions to all the readings of the church s three-year lectionary cycle are designed to sharpen our listening and increase comprehension of Scripture by summarizing each passage, setting it in a liturgical and historical context, connecting it to the season, and drawing out its relevance to our lives and faith, week by week.

This is an ideal tool for Christian formation as well as homiletical preparation. The style is clear, straightforward, well grounded in biblical scholarship, and Anglican in its theological approach. Extra features include an essay on the Bible and Christian formation, five brief use guides, an index to the biblical readings, and a summary of the seven most common Bible translations used in church services. "

A rich collection of hymns and spiritual songs by, for, and about women. The music in Voices Found: Women in the Church's Song is written in congregational hymn style and is intended for normal parish use. Some music is arranged for women's voices and is useful for women's groups or small choirs of treble voices. The book is a unique compilation of contemporary and historical materials that crosses boundaries of geography, time, and culture as it represents the diversity of the gifts of women and seeks to affirm and expand the spirituality of all women and men as they find new voices in the church's song.

This newly revised edition of Betty Wolfe's classic manual covers all the essential steps and information needed for quick-and-easy church banner construction, including 49 patterns, complete instructions, and tips for designing your own patterns.

Worship spaces can be enlivened by the use of colorful banners that anyone can construct. This colorful and clear introduction to making banners provides advice on fabrics, design, colors, and construction for banners of all types and sizes. Determining banner size and shape, creating and placing letters and symbols, using color and contrast effectively, and picking fabrics and stitching options, and more are all included in this comprehensive volume.

Regardless of their skill level, readers can learn how and where to place words and use symbols, choose colors, and make basic arrangements. The book includes idea starters, helpful design solutions, and easy reference sections on appliques, stitchery and gluing, fabrics, tassels, tabs, bells, finishings, and mountings. It also lists information on tools and materials, and how to enlarge or adapt patterns.

Patterns for seasonal, special event, and regular use can keep the church freshly decorated all year round.

Betty Wolfe has been making banners and teaching banner construction for more than twenty years. She lives in Winter Park, Florida.

More banners can be found in the Banners for All Seasons.

Check out these wall hangings you can make yourself, click here. To learn more about Special Days in the Christian Year get this book"

Describes the responsibilities and duties of the server at the Holy Eucharist and other services, as governed by the rubrics of "The Book of Common Prayer" and by tradition. Includes a glossary.

From birthday cakes and anniversary dinners to summer vacations at the beach, each family has its own ways of marking the days and seasons of its life. For the Christian family especially Episcopalians it s no different. With an array of colors and an assortment of rich traditions, Episcopalians move through the Church year, marking the days and seasons that tell the story of Christ in our lives in history and today.

This book written for newcomers to the Episcopal Church as well as lifelong members takes readers by the hand and leads them through the Church year, from the first Sunday of Advent through the last Sunday of Pentecost, answering questions like Why do we use purple in Lent? and What does Maundy Thursday mean? In an easy-to-read conversational style, Welcome to the Church Year introduces readers to the traditions of the Church seasons and explains why we do what we do. But it does more than offer interesting trivia about church vestments and pageantry. Its insights can help readers participate in the liturgies of the Church year in a deeper, more meaningful way."

'Doing December Differently' explores how people of faith and goodwill might mark the midwinter season and the Christmas festival with integrity and simplicity. Drawing on both ancient roots and contemporary influences, it defines meaningful rites, rituals and ceremonies which are life-giving and joyful.

Series Information:
Radical Orthodoxy

What has theology to do with economics? They are both sciences of human action, but have traditionally been treated as very separate disciplines. Divine Economy is the first book to address the need for an active dialogue between the two.
D. Stephen Long traces three strategies which have been used to bring theology to bear on economic questions: the dominant twentieth-century tradition, of Weber's fact-value distinction; an emergent tradition based on Marxist social analysis; and a residual tradition that draws on an ancient understanding of a functional economy. He concludes that the latter approach shows the greatest promise because it refuses to subordinate theological knowledge to autonomous social-scientific research.
Divine Economy will be welcomed by those with an interest in how theology can inform economic debate.

In this fresh approach to Christian spirituality, John Driver shows that the spirituality of the disciples and the early Christian church included every dimension of life. Grounded in the example of Jesus himself, this holistic approach to spirituality finds expression in the visible witness of the Christian community, and in the daily lives of faithful Christians who seek to embody Christ's presence in the world in service to others. This approach to Christian spirituality was recovered in a remarkable way by the radical reformers of the sixteenth century - the Anabaptists - and it continues to find expression among a wide variety of Christian groups around the world today. Life Together in the Spirit will inspire, challenge, and encourage you to experience the presence of the Spirit in all of its dimensions. This edition, revised and expanded with responses and reflections from church leaders and scholars around the world, is the seventh publication in the "Global Anabaptist-Mennonite Shelf of Literature," an initiative of Mennonite World Conference. Contributors include Mvwala C. Katshinga (Democratic Republic of Congo), Christina Asheervadam (India), Rafael Zaracho (Paraguay), Hermann Woelke (Uruguay), Paulus Pan (Taiwan), Patricia Uruena (Colombia), and Nellie Mlotshwa (Zimbabwe).

Stirring morning and evening reflections for every day of the Lenten season. Handed down for generations, these stirring readings for every day of the Lenten season spring from a pastor's heart. Expanding on the Gospel accounts, they draw the reader into deep contemplation of Christ's suffering, accompanying him in vivid detail on his last journey from Bethany to Golgotha. At every step, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his last supper with his disciples to his betrayal and crucifixion, they reveal the depth of Christ's love for those he came to save - and the hope this holds for each of us and for the world.

Discusses historical and contemporary aspects of pilgrimage within the Tibetan cultural world. Examines myths and legends, material conditions, textual sources, a modern pilgrim's impressions, political and economic influences, biographies and contemporary developments.

Offers a study of the Japanese "hidden" Christians and the development of their faith and rituals from the 16th century to the present day. The Kakure Kirishitan are the descendants of the communities who maintained the Christian faith in Japan as an underground church during the time of persecution, and then chose to remain separate from the Catholic Church when religious toleration was granted in 1873. The island of Ikitsuku, where the most active Kakure are to be found, was an important centre of early Christianity, and its Kakure communities came into being when differences were perceived between the beliefs and practices they had preserved and orthodox Catholic teaching. Kakure worship consists of prayer and the eating of a communal meal. The prayers tend to be offered for worldly benefits, while the communal meal has close links to the Catholic Mass, but has also absorbed Shinto ceremonies involving feasting that were originally added as camouflage for Christian gatherings. The Kakure faith shares with Japanese religion a polytheistic and pluralistic nature, yet maintains a unique identity in which recognizable Christian elements are to be found. This study should have wide i

Landmarks help us to find ourselves when we think we are lost. When we don't know where to begin, they give us a starting point. When we think we know where we are, they give us the confidence to keep going. And if we think we have arrived, they remind us that there is always something more, somewhere beyond ... This is a book of Landmarks for the heart's journey. Written out of the author's own prayer and lived experience, and inspired by her practical explorations of the insights of St Ignatius Loyola, it opens up questions which concern us all: - How can we recognise God's ceaseless action in our lives and begin to discern his will? - What does 'fallenness' mean for us today? - How can we live true to ourselves and make decisions in freedom? - How do we penetrate our deepest desires and become free of the lesser attachments that obstruct them? Big questions - but as Margaret Silf shows, there are clues to be discovered in every moment and situation: at home, at work, in the garden, in the market, in the bath! Landmarks will help us discover and deepen our individual journeys. Written for both groups and individuals, it is illustrated with drawings and diagrams, and contains exercises and suggestions for prayer and reflection. Be warned, however. Landmarks are not for armchair pilgrims. They are for People of the Way.

This study discusses early Christian texts dealing with food, eating and fasting. Modern day eating disorders often equate food with sin and see fasting as an attempt to regain purity, an attitude which can also be observed in early Chritian beliefs in the mortification of the flesh. Describing first the historical and social context of Judaism and the Graeco-Roman world, the author then proceeds to analyze Christian attitudes towards food. Thus, a particular Christian mode of fasting is elaborated which influences us to the present day: ascetic fasting for the suppression of the sexual urges of the body. The book should be of use to those interested in early Christianity, and to those searching for historical roots of modern attitudes.

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.