It has been said that the day of the sermon is over. Kate Bruce argues that the day of the poorly conceived, ill prepared, dull, disconnected, boring, irrelevant, authoritarian, yawn-inducing, patronizing, pontificating, pointless and badly delivered sermon, is indeed over. Imagination can help to engage the hearer in a sermon which seeks to evoke rather than to inform. Imagination frames how we see the world and ourselves in it. As such it has a vital role in how preachers see the preaching task itself, which in turn affects how we go about the task. A theology of imagination is presented to demonstrate the central importance of imagination in the life of faith. Allied to this is an analysis of the sacramental nature of preaching and the role of imagination in enabling the 'aha, now I get it' moment of sacramental 'seeing-as'. Connected to enabling new seeing, preaching in the lyrical voice is defined and discussed along with the importance of preachers shaping sermons for the ear.

Outstanding contributors: John Bell, Richard Briggs, Kate Bruce, David Day, James Dunn, Ruth Etchells, Lis Goddard, Lindsey Goodhew, Jamie Harrison, Jolyon Mitchell, Walter Moberly, John Pritchard, Roy Searle, Magdalen Smith, Geoffrey Stevenson, Miriam Swaffield, Mark Tanner, Justin Welby, Alison Wilkinson, David Wilkinson

Some people think that vocation is just for special people... but God calls us all to live our lives shaped and directed by his call. This course for small groups explores the meaning of vocation for everyone. It offers five interactive sessions: Called by God: The shape of God's call in Scripture Called from within: Drawing out the call and gifts that God has planted in us Called out: How God sets us free from everything that stops us responding to God's call. Called up: Understanding how God calls us to join in with his loving care of the world. Called on: how we can grow in our sense of calling beyond the end of the course. This course helps people to embark on an adventure with God - a journey through life in which we make a contribution to the world around us. Each session contains enough material for a 90-minute session and includes: Guidelines and full background notes for leaders Interactive activities Discussion starters Multi-media ideas e.g. film and music Resources for worship Each group member will need a copy of the book.

At times prayer can seem like hard work or a bit of a mystery. At other times, it's an encounter with the Living God. Wherever you are on the journey of faith, Life Source will encourage a discovery of new-found joy and delight in prayer for novices and old hands alike. Ideal for Lent, cell or house groups, the course combines Bible study and discussion with a creative, hands-on exploration of five prayer patterns drawn from Christianity's rich heritage. The interactive sessions explore: Source of life - prayer as relationship Source of joy - prayer as enjoying God Source of light - prayer as listening Source of wholeness - prayer as honesty Source of love - prayer as care Each session contains enough material for 90 minutes and includes: Guidelines for group study, with full background notes for leaders Interactive activities Questions for discussion Multi-media ideas e.g. film and music Resources for worship Each group member will need a copy of the book.