The New Testament tells us very little about Lydia, a seller of purple cloth who was living in Philippi when she met the apostle Paul on his second missionary journey. And yet she is considered the first recorded convert to Christianity in Europe. Written in the gripping style of Gerd Theissen's The Shadow of the Galilean, and similarly rigorously researched, this is a book for everyone and anyone who wants to engage more deeply and imaginatively with Paul's theology.
Now more than ever, we're all weary from the loads we carry and the challenges we face. We have questions we cannot answer and problems we cannot solve. We'd hoped that life would be an invigorating adventure or an inspiring journey. We never expected to grow so tired so quickly. But Max teaches us that we can find fresh strength and purpose in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In If These Stones Could Talk Peter Stanford journeys through England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to churches, abbeys, chapels and cathedrals, grand and humble, ruined and thriving, ancient and modern, to chronicle how a religion that began in the Middle East came to define our past and shape our present by exploring the stories of these buildings that are still so much a part of the landscape.
The Book of Psalms offers readers ways to rejoice in prayer, to bow in worship, and to exalt God for all he does and for all his blessings to us, and at the heart of Psalms, there is a deep trust in God. When you spend time with God-reading His Word, listening, and praying for His direction-God will strengthen and enable you to handle life peacefully and wisely instead of merely trying to get through the day.
The Being With course is an introduction to Christianity with a difference. Rather than being a Bible study or a series of arguments to try to convince you that God exists, it starts with the conviction that you already have a wealth of understanding of truth, beauty and goodness that will help you, in the company of others, to recognise God’s presence in your life and your everyday experiences. At its heart is the idea that God’s greatest desire is to be with us in Jesus.
Drawing on the practices of Godly Play, the course uses storytelling, wondering and reflection to encourage and welcome the insights that each person brings. The Being With course was devised and created by Samuel Wells and Sally Hitchiner. It is one of many initiatives of St Martin-in-the-Fields, alongside HeartEdge, the Nazareth Community, the classical music and arts programmes and work with those experiencing homelessness.
Act Justly is the final book in the trilogy begun by Walk Humbly and Love Mercy, together forming an introduction to Christian faith & life. Taking their inspiration from a question posed in the Old Testament, 'What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God', each book in the series offers a practical ethic for living that is rooted in timeless wisdom. Focusing on two of the most outstanding justice issues of our day racial & climate injustice
Many Christians today lack confidence in the gospel message and how they share it with their friends. We often feel that what we believe has little relevance for those around us. The guilt that we felt and responded to as we became Christians in our teens and early twenties no longer resonates in the twenty first century. Shame and The Gospel looks at how the cross addresses shame, and what this means for the way we articulate the gospel message in our culture.
As you wrap, give and receive gifts over Advent and Christmas, use this devotional to focus your whole family on the reason behind it all—the generous and gracious character of God and the goodness of his greatest gift, Jesus. These 25 devotions use Scripture to explore the other amazing gifts we receive through faith in Jesus and how we can be generous too. This step-by-step guide is perfect for families who want to dig deeper into the Bible this Advent.
Every person's skin has a particular shade or hue that we can appreciate. Children naturally wonder: Why are there so many skin colours? Why do I look a lot like some people and different from others? Which words best describe my skin colour? But sometimes we feel uncomfortable talking about skin tone, ethnicity, & race. Inside these pages, kids will get to explore the ways each of us is uniquely designed and discover positive, creative ways to think & talk about the wonderful diversity of hues.
In response to the devastating loss the world faced during the pandemic, Pope Francis was inspired to write a book to help people find hope and meaning. From the anxieties of the age to the importance of nature, A Gift of Joy and Hope encourages readers to look outside themselves to embrace authentic beauty, change attitudes that exclude others, overcome life's challenges with courage and, trust that joy and hope are still possible, even in challenging times; for joy has the last word - always.
Just as with opening the doors of an Advent calendar day by day, this Advent devotional will build your anticipation for Christmas so that you can fully absorb and enjoy its central gift—Jesus Christ. Reflecting on a few short verses each day, this devotional examines the wonderful gifts of grace that we receive through the coming of Christ and belief in his gospel.
In this year's BRF Advent book Sally Welch explores two questions: What is the Christmas story really about, and how do we share it? Through each week of Advent, a different aspect of the Christmas story is examined: light, promise, mystery, love, peace and hope. Within each week, the days are focused on the ways in which the Christmas story is shared: prophecies, journeys, new life, signs, poems, stories and conversations. Suggestions for group study and group study questions are also included.
In Sleepers Wake, the Archbishop of York’s Advent Book for 2022, Nicholas Holtam explores how we can combat the obstacles to tackling the reality of climate change. With exhilaration and passion, he draws on his experience as former Church of England lead Bishop for the environment to urge us to transform ourselves, spiritually and culturally, so we can all do our part to preserve our world for future generations.
No conventional clergyman, Pastor Mick led a life of crime and addiction before being called by God to become a Christian minister. Brutally raped as a child, he was about to confide in his parents when the dreadful news came that his sister had died of a sudden heart-attack. Mick didn’t cry again for 30 years, masking his pain with drink and drugs and working as notorious underworld fixer - until the day a revelation of faith unravelled his world, and he found himself utterly ‘blown away’.
Encounter Scripture afresh through twelve biblical words, specially chosen and illustrated by Jacqui Grace in this beautiful and inspiring NIV Bible for Journalling and Creative Contemplation. With verses to colour, suggestions for creative activities and space for artistic reflection through doodling, collage or journalling prayerful responses - this Bible will deepen and enrich your quiet times with Creator God. Jacqui Grace is a Christian artist and illustrator from Loughborough in England.
At a time when loneliness and isolation have reached unprecedented levels, it has never been more important for Christians to embrace the practice of hospitality. For many, it is a lost art - a practice we have forgotten, neglected or distorted beyond all recognition. Amid material comforts and rife individualism, practising hospitality can often hold unrealistic expectations and insurmountable pressure. But what if the practice of hospitality was simpler and yet more profound than we imagined?
In DO IT AFRAID, Joyce Meyer explains that fear is everywhere and affects everyone. It rules many people, but it doesn't have to be that way. The first portion of this book will help you understand fear and recognize how it works in your life, and the second will help you confront fear. In the third section, you will learn about mindsets that will position you for freedom from some of the most common fears people face.
'This journey, of course, is not without its challenges. And yet facing those challenges also lends enchantment to the journey.' Strange presents the core doctrine of the Catholic faith in a warm and accessible way. Using the liturgical calendar as a roadmap for the journey, Roderick invites us to follow Jesus of Nazareth from Advent through the Church's festivals to Pentecost. Through meditative reflection and powerful personal anecdotes, this is the perfect introduction to the Catholic faith.
When Jesus Calls considers the new approach to vocation in the Church of England and offers a guide for those who are exploring a call to licensed ministry, lay and ordained, and for those with responsibility for encouraging and discerning vocations. It introduces the categories of the Church’s new discernment framework, and brings them into conversation with the historic Anglican understanding of priestly vocation (the Ordinal) and the wider missional ‘manifesto’ of the Anglican Communion.
Franciscan spirituality, with its characteristic simplicity, joy, openness and welcome to all, compassionate action and love for creation - all undergirded by prayer and study, offers as compelling a vision for today’s world as when Francis of Assisi first responded to God’s call over 800 years ago. For all seeking inspiration for living the Franciscan charism today, this lively and informed guide introduces its key figures and essential writings.
The Society of Jesus - the Jesuits - is the largest religious order in the Roman Catholic Church. Distinguished by their obedience and their loyalty to the Holy See, they have never, during nearly five hundred years' history, produced a pope until now: Pope Francis is the first Jesuit Pope. Michael Walsh tells the story of the Society through the stories and exploits of its members over five hundred years, from Ignatius of Loyola to Pope Francis himself.
We're never going to be able to prevent people from saying or doing things that hurt our feelings. We will always have opportunities to get offended. But if we do things God's way, we can choose to save ourselves a lot of misery and hardship. This doesn't mean we allow people to abuse us. No, there is a time for confronting people and dealing with situations. However, the Bible commands us to love our enemies and forgive those who have wronged us, even when it feels impossible.
The question has assailed people across cultures at least as far back as the biblical Book of Job. To sceptics, it forms clinching evidence that all talk of providence is childish -- or even a dangerous delusion. Writing clearly and concisely but avoiding simplistic answers, Rupert Shortt argues that belief in a divine Creator is intellectually robust, despite apparent signs to the contrary.
From the challenges of growing old (un)gracefully to reflections on the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, this is a wide-ranging collection with lashings of Adrian's trademark humour. Whether considering the paradoxes and contradictions of faith and the church, or the unexpected blessings encountered along the way, this collection is thought-provoking and encouraging in equal measure.
Finding the Language of Grace: Rediscovering Transcendence focuses on the transcendent experiences of grace that we struggle to talk about in today's very business-like culture. Abbot Christopher shows how the ways we listen and speak, read and write can all be channels of grace. This is illustrated through books as diverse as the medieval legend of the Holy Grail, Silence by Japanese writer Shusaku Endo, the writings of Spanish mystics and the novels of Pulitzer Prize winner Marilynne Robinson.
31–days of Advent devotions built around well–loved carols. The purpose of each devotion is to stir up hope and faith, and praise for Jesus, as well as to encourage readers to think biblically and deeply about the carols we sing each year. Each devotion includes • a passage of Scripture to ponder • a short, encouraging reading • the lyrics of a popular Christmas carol Part 1 is focused on Christmas, and all that it means that Jesus has come. Part 2 covers the days leading up to New Year.
The GRAMMY, Billboard, and Dove Award winner returns (after his #1 album, Chris Tomlin & Friends) with fresh songs including "Always, " and "Holy Forever." Featuring special guests Elevation Worship, Steffany Gretzinger, and Brandon Lake.
Whether you keep it on the coffee table or the bedside table, “The Friendship Book” will be a welcome companion throughout the year. With a poem or anecdote and an upbeat thought for every day, it will cheer, encourage and uplift you whatever else is going on in the world around us. Is there a better way to show someone you care than to send them a postive thought every single day?
When life is tough and we seem to have reached a dead end, it's easy to feel as if God has given up on us. We're not alone in feeling like this. Catherine Campbell vividly retells the stories of real people from the Bible with difficult and sometimes painful lives, who struggled to see God's path for them.
The Gospel of Mark doesn't have a nativity story-so where's the Advent message? It's in every aspect of Jesus' life, to his death and beyond. Holy Disruption presents a fresh understanding of the holiness of Christmas grounded, not in a conventional cozy Christmas message, but through Mark's disquieting gospel which invites its readers to experience God's disruptive but transformative love for us and our world.
All good poetry has the power to transport and transform us, to inspire and challenge us, to comfort and heal us, and to hold up a mirror to the world around us. In A Century of Poetry, Rowan Williams invites you to reflect with him on 100 poems from the past 100 years – poems with an originality and depth that can impel you to search your heart, and to explore your own experience and emotions at a deeper level. Featuring the work of both famous and lesser-known poets, from different faiths
If you've ever been surprised or stumped by honest questions about what Christians believe, this book can help. Basics of the Christian Faith Made Easy outlines key Christian beliefs and practices and explains the Christian understanding of who God is. It details what we can do to have a real relationship with God, and describes practices that assist our growth in faith. Excellent introduction for new believers or refresher for mature believers.
Christians who feel called to remain unmarried but not to life in a religious order often face the challenge of identifying, naming and responding to their vocation, both within and outside traditional church life. Christine Barnabas takes a fresh look at consecrated celibacy, a calling she believes experiences a new lease of life on the edges of the institutional church. Reflecting on her own journey and encounters with others, she explores the biblical affirmation of the single life
Prepare for the coming of Christ with this popular and inviting annual guide. During the especially busy Advent and Christmas seasons, this book offers brief, down-to-earth reflections that bring prayer and Scripture into everyday life in a thought-provoking and lasting way. Through Mary DeTurris Poust’s reflections on lectionary readings from the weekday and Sunday Masses, readers will grow in their understanding of the word of God.
This volume offers a complete collection of the authorised Common Worship baptism and confirmation services, including the Additional Baptism Texts in Accessible Language developed by the Liturgical Commission. Suitable for use at the altar and font, it is designed to be used as a service book for baptism and confirmation and reflects the variety of practices in parishes and cathedrals.
For fans of foot-stomping, folk-inspired worship, Rend Collective share upbeat songs that remind everyone of the Gospel message. You’ll discover songs that get you up on your feet and praising. This gospel is for WHOSOEVER. And that’s good news because it includes all the people we love. And, scandalously the ones we struggle to love. It even includes us.
These 10 Bible studies explore the book of Mark, encouraging us to turn our eyes fully on Jesus. Meyer unpacks this fast-paced Gospel section by section, helping us to see the structure of Mark and how the key themes fit together. As you study, let this stunning portrayal of Jesus challenge your perception of him and of yourself. Turn your eyes to Jesus, and be transformed. Thoughtful questions and a guide for those leading the studies make this a great resource for small-group Bible studies.
Patterns for Baptism brings together all of the authorized Common Worship baptismal material, with a rich provision of practical guidance and commentary, to offer a flexible and adaptable range of resources for services of Christian initiation in varying pastoral contexts. Comprehensive and easy to use, it will enable services appropriate to local needs and contexts to be created with confidence and celebrated with joy. Modelled on the widely-used companion volume New Patterns for Worship.
In February 2017, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York proposed the commissioning of 'a large-scale teaching document around the subject of human sexuality'. Listening with Love and Faith aims to gather what has emerged from this churchwide engagement regarding questions of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage. It seeks to offer a faithful, accurate and evidenced account of the responses to the LLF questionnaire, the focus groups and the creative responses submitted by participants
Friendship is the word we often use for close relationships. How might it apply in our situation as the Church of England when seeking to discern ways forward in times of disagreement and change? Friendship and the Body of Christ explores the legacy of Jesus' last speech to his disciples in which he calls them 'friends' and commands them to love one another, and to 'become completely one'. It asks, what does it mean to be church, and to be friends of Jesus?
Melissa had clung to the thin thread of hope given by the adoption agency that someday her newborn son might want to connect with her. When his eighteenth birthday arrived, she called the agency to simply update her contact information, not expecting a response. Until the call came to the Coltons from the adoption agency, and the first tentative bits of communication and connection set in motion a story that would change all their lives forever.
This 365-day devotional journal brings a unique combination of creativity, reflection and structure into your daily walk with God. Just like a bullet journal, it includes monthly, weekly and daily sections, creative prompts, space for sermon notes and doodling, habit trackers and blank dot pages for extra journaling, lists or notes. The first six months of Bible-based creative prompts cover Psalm 103, an amazing psalm full of imagery describing God’s vastness, character and loving care.
Bethlehem Bound is a daily spiritual travel companion for the season, beginning with the great Advent antiphons that herald the feast, and ending with the Presentation in the Temple. Each day it travels with a different character from scripture and the Christian. The journey had its challenges for the original characters and it will for us, but at its end is a wondrous gift from God - God's own self in a baby laid in a manger. Bethlehem Bound invites us to embrace that gift afresh.
In this timely, much-needed book, theologian, social psychologist, and activist Christena Cleveland recounts her personal journey to dismantle the cultural "whitemalegod" and uncover the Sacred Black Feminine, introducing a Black Female God who imbues us with hope, healing, and liberating presence.
Through his work with The Hearth nonprofit, Yaconelli has spent thousands of hours listening to people as they grieve loss, deepen friendships, strengthen families, shed light on injustice, and recover hope. In this moving exploration he shows us how individuals and communities can recover the practice of storytelling to address the despair of climate change, the trauma of school shootings, the tragedy of undocumented immigration, and the daily struggle for meaning.