Stories in the Books of Genesis and Exodus tell of fathers whose sons are 'lost' to them through 'deaths' of various kinds. One is murdered. Another is abandoned. A third is supplanted. A fourth is betrayed. A fifth is taken for sacrifice. A sixth is forgotten about. A seventh is secreted away. Only one of these is lost through physical death; the others 'die' symbolically. But in their different ways all these sons are lost to their fathers, some for a time, some forever. And all of them develop the theme with which the biblical narrative begins: God's first son Adam who, by becoming 'lost' to his Creator, sets in train God's long search for humanity . . . The book culminates with a chapter on Jesus: God's son lost and found.

DURHAM CATHEDRAL is regarded as the finest Romanesque building in Europe. Along with the neighbouring castle it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 - one of only two English cathedrals to hold such an honour. In an online poll held by the Guardian in 2011 to find Britain's favourite building, Durham Cathedral enjoyed a runaway victory. Many superlatives have been heaped on this magnificent church, standing high above the ancient medieval city, on its protective peninsula formed by the River Wear. It is at once spiritual, powerful and poetic, the mystic heart of the North East. Built by the Normans to house the shrine of St Cuthbert, and also containing the shrine of St Bede, the Father of English History, its inward beauty matches its exterior. The first impression of the nave, on entering at the west end, is both incomparable and unforgettable. This book is a journey in words and images through this wonderful building. It seeks to present the Cathedral's many facets: architectural, historical, artistic, spiritual and humane. Its authors have come to admire and love this building over two lifetimes, and offer their personal interpretation of it as an invitation to a pilgrimage. They hope that this is a book to remember the Cathedral by. Perhaps it can be more than a souvenir: rather, a book that captures the spirit of the place and keeps it alive for all who have come to cherish it as the authors do.

Foreword by Michael Sadgrove, Dean of Durham Cathedral 2003-2015 "Generations of painters have sought new pictorial songs to sing in depicting Durham and its great Cathedral. I was no different in this respect, until I became aware of the infinite variations endowed upon these historic structures by the ever-changing world they inhabit. This book contains some of my songs, but there are many more yet to sing." Award-winning artist Stuart Fisher is considered to be one of the most talented painters of architectural landscapes in Northern England. Mostly Durham contains 75 of his beautiful watercolour paintings and drawings from around the historic city of Durham and beyond.

"Michael's sermons are both beautiful and inspiring. They draw the reader face to face with God in surprising ways, always feeding the spiritual appetite-yet leaving me thirsty for more of what we have just tasted. They are beautifully crafted, and admirably concise. The use of English is impeccable and the scholarship profound. The eclectic references to art and literature demonstrate an aesthetic talent and theological versatility that is exceptional." from the Foreword by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Sadgrove was Dean at Durham Cathedral between 2003 and 2015. During that time he preached many well-crafted sermons on a wide variety of topics, from the Iraq invasions to "digital lambs." This volume contains an edited collection of some of his finest and most thought-provoking sermons from his time in Durham.