Advent
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Unearthly Beauty : Through Advent With The Saints
$13.99“Saints are people of unearthly beauty who show us a deep understanding of the fluid nature of divine grace.’ This warm-hearted book is for those of us who enter Advent longing for spiritual sustenance to balance the worldly charms of the Christmas season. Jesus’ arrival in poverty and vulnerability provoked feelings of unease as well as expectation and hope . . . How will we keep the faith as Christians called to live distinctively in an age of anxiety? Magdalen Smith believes we can be inspired by people from the past – those whose names are familiar or less so – whom the Church calls “saints’. In these wide-ranging devotions, full of contemporary stories and enjoyable cultural allusions, she introduces 24 characters who manifest a mysterious dynamic . . . and enable us to glimpse holiness in a new way. “With heartfelt honesty, clarity and humanity, Magdalen Smith challenges the Church to see the journey ahead with new eyes. This book is a timely prophetic call to be refreshed by our inheritance in ways that renew integrity and hope.’ Libby Lane, Bishop of Stockport “A treasure chest of gems.’ Jill Duff, Director of St Mellitus North West training course
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Advent For Everyone
$18.00Advent for Everyone: A Journey with the Apostles provides readers with an inspirational guide through the Advent season, from the first Sunday in Advent through the Saturday after the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Popular biblical scholar and author N. T. Wright provides his own Scripture translation and brief reflection, helping readers understand Advent in the wider context of God’s love.
Wright’s engaging and accessible writing and imagery help us see Advent both in relation to the Bible’s message and in our own lives today. Each week discusses key themes for the season: thanksgiving, patience, humility, and joy. This book is suitable for both individual and group study and reflection.
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1 True Gift
$14.99Christmas is meant to be full of joy and light; but all too often it is spoiled by grumbling and arguing.
The 24 concise daily readings in this advent book share Paul’s answer to this problem from Philippians chapter 2 -and many many more: the big story of how and why Jesus came into the world. Each day includes ideas for reflection, prayer and application, designed to excite you about the gospel message in the run-up to Christmas Day.
If we see ourselves as part of that big story, then we will all shine like stars…
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Barefoot Ways : Praying Through Advent Christmas And Epiphany
$14.99Barefoot Ways offers the reader a poetic, prayerful meditation for every day of December and January. It connects with the spiritual themes of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany and takes the reader from the first days of a new Christian year to the feast of Candlemas on February 2nd. These three great Christian seasons are divided into thematic areas, each of which is given a brief introduction. . . The distance from Advent to Candlemas is considerable, and there are many ways across its fearful and fascinating terrain. I offer here some “barefoot’ ways – by which I mean ways that are both down to earth and yet full of spiritual aspiration and hope. . .
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Come Let Us Adore Him
$19.99Every time the Christmas season comes around, we look forward to putting up a tree, giving and receiving gifts, and participating in other traditions that make this wonderful time of year so special. But sometimes the most significant aspect of the season-remembering and focusing on the coming of Jesus-grows old and familiar. In Come Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional, Paul Tripp seeks to recapture our attention and reactivate our awe during Christmastime. Each day is structured like Tripp’s best-selling devotional, New Morning Mercies‚ with a compelling, gospel-centered thought followed by an extended meditation for the day. Each of the thirty-one readings also includes a Scripture reading and notes for parents and children, equipping us to do the one thing that matters each December-celebrating the glory of the incarnation of God’s Son.
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Celebrating Abundance : Devotions For Advent
$16.00To “prepare for Christmas” in our society is to be sucked into a vortex of indulgence, from decor to gifts to calorie-rich foods. Layer upon layer of tinsel, lights, chocolate drizzle, and wrapping paper create the illusion of abundance, disguising the feeling of emptiness in our souls. The arrival of the Messiah, by contrast, is true abundance disguised by the impression of scarcity. Training our eyes to see through the rough stable, the adolescent mother, and the anxious escape to Egypt, we can see in that poverty and powerlessness the wonder of God’s abundant life and grace coming down to dwell among us.
This powerful devotional by best- selling author Walter Brueggemann includes daily reflections on the Scriptures and stories of Advent in order to invite us to see beyond the world’s faux extravagance and realize the true feast laid out before us. Twelve prayers are also included for the twelve days of Christmas.
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1 True Story
$14.99Everyone loves the Christmas story. But the story of the baby in the manger is the culmination of a thousand other stories. It is the focus of the story of the Bible and the story of human history. The book has 24 short meditative readings working through Bible stories from Genesis to Jesus. Each day ideas for reflection, prayer and application, designed to excite you about the Gospel message in the run up to Christmas Day. As you prepare for Christmas, get a fresh insight into the full script of the nativity, the story of our world, and the plotline for the rest of your life…
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Names For The Messiah
$16.00In Isaiah 9:6, a divine utterance is given to us using four royal titles–Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Names for the Messiah ponders each title and how the people understood it then, how Jesus did or did not fulfill the title, and how Christians interpret Jesus as representative of that title.
Christians have claimed from the beginning that Jesus was the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. In this study, best-selling author Walter Brueggemann tackles the questions: “What were these expectations?” and “Did Jesus fulfill them?”
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Advent In Narnia
$18.82“Walking into Advent can be like walking through the wardrobe.”
With its enchanting themes of snow and cold, light and darkness, meals and gifts, temptation and sin, forgiveness and hope–and even an appearance by Father Christmas–C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe fits naturally into the Advent season. As the reader seeks a storied king and anticipates the glorious coming of Christmas, these twenty-eight devotions alternate between Scripture and passages from the novel to prompt meditation on Advent themes. Each devotion also includes questions for reflection. The book also provides several resources for churches, including four sessions for small group discussion and ideas for creating a “Narnia Night” for families. Readers will ultimately come to know God better while journeying through Narnia.
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Advent In Narnia
$17.00Walking into Advent can be like walking through the wardrobe.
With its enchanting themes of snow and cold, light and darkness, meals and gifts, temptation and sin, forgiveness and hope and even an appearance by Father Christmas C. S. Lewis s “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” fits naturally into the Advent season. As the reader seeks a storied king and anticipates the glorious coming of Christmas, these twenty-eight devotions alternate between Scripture and passages from the novel to prompt meditation on Advent themes. Each devotion also includes questions for reflection. The book also provides several resources for churches, including four sessions for small group discussion and ideas for creating a Narnia Night for families. Readers will ultimately come to know God better while journeying through Narnia.”
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Feasting On The Word Advent Companion
$34.00This new volume in the Feasting on the Word series provides an all-in-one pastor’s companion for Advent, including worship materials as well as sermon preparation tools. A complete order of service is provided for each of the four Sundays in Advent, plus Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hymn suggestions, sermon illustrations, and children’s sermon suggestions make this an invaluable resource for the Advent season.
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Every Valley : Advent With The Scriptures Of Handel’s Messiah
$18.00Unlock the spiritual magic of Handel’s Messiah this Advent season!
Delve into the hidden treasures of Scripture that inspired Handel’s timeless masterpiece. This elegant volume offers forty captivating reflections that harmoniously blend the libretto from Handel’s Messiah with corresponding passages from the NRSV, accompanied by insightful commentary from respected scholars and pastors. Whether you savor it at your own pace or follow one reflection per day during Advent and Christmas, this transformative journey will enrich, challenge, and inspire your spirit.
This devotional balances the musical and biblical aspects of Handel’s masterpiece, inviting you to explore its profound story and its impact on your daily life. It’s a perfect companion for the Advent season, offering deep biblical scholarship that challenges you to re-think, work for justice, and embrace the marginalized. Every Valley is a must-have for classical music enthusiasts and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Scriptures that inspired Handel’s magnificent opus. Share this book with friends, family, or church leaders, and embark on a shared journey of spiritual growth and reflection this Advent season.
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Mission Possible
$24.93Throughout the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, we are often reminded of the importance of drawing near to God. But as the busyness of life absorbs into our homes, our relationships, and our spirits, it can be difficult to rely upon the grace of God and hear the voice of his Spirit. The promise of the season, though, is that through God’s revelation to us in Christ, we can discover a hope that empowers a broken world.
In nineteen sermons, Charley Reeb sets out to remind us that God’s mysterious ways are limitless in power. It is impossible to truly comprehend the possibilities of an immaculate conception or of God in the flesh, but when the church proclaims the message of redemption and displays God’s unmatchable love, it exposes a truth that begins to transform the heart of the world. This is the greatest calling of any believer — living a life that serves as light and hope.
Whether used as a sermon resource, a personal study and reflection guide, or as a curriculum for group and Sunday school study, Mission Possible! calls us into thoughtful discussion and seeks to move us deeper into the realm of the kingdom with a hopeful urgency that inspires us to breathe in God’s word and exhale his grace to a world in need.
The titles included in this book are:
Three Things You Can Count On (Mark 13:24-37)
While You Wait (Mark 1:1-8)
A Light in the Darkness (Newtown, CT, school shooting) (John 1:6-8, 19-28)
Nothing Is Impossible with God! (Luke 1:26-38)
The Joy of Christmas (Luke 2:1-14 [15-20])
The Power of Patience (Luke 2:22-40)
Addicted to Hurry (Matthew 25:31-46)
Less Is More (John 1:[1-9] 10-18)
The Power of Appreciation (Matthew 2:1-12)
The Wind (Mark 1:4-11)
Mission Possible! (John 1:43-51)
The Great Omission (Mark 1:14-20)
Defeating Discouragement (Mark 1:21-28)
Does Prayer Make Any Different? (Mark 1:29-39)
Unstoppable Love (Mark 1:40-45)
Prayer Changes Things (Mark 2:1-12)
Learn to Play Again (Mark 2:13-22)
True North (Mark 2:23–3:6)
The Cost of Discipleship (Mark 9:2-9)Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Women Of Christmas
$16.00This giftable and appealing Advent-oriented book explores the stories of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna from the book of Luke, unpacking each verse to introduce readers anew to the women who played key roles related to the birth of Jesus.
When it comes to Christmas, the stories of shepherds, wise men, and other male figures often dominate our thinking. But right from the start, women played vital roles in God’s beautiful plan to redeem His world through Jesus. In this Christ-centered, Christmas-themed Bible study-perfect for holiday gift giving, for personal use, and for group studies-best-selling author Liz Curtis Higgs helps modern women connect personally to powerful truths revealed in the lives of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist; Mary, the mother of Jesus; and Anna, the faithful prophetess.
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Haphazard By Starlight
$15.99Unlike Lent, Advent is celebrated when the year is becoming darker and colder, moving into the death and dormancy of winter. Before we can greet the coming of the light, we need to engage with some themes that are challenging and occasionally fearful. Like the magi who travelled a long distance to search out and adore the infant Jesus, and who took some wrong turnings on the way, we too have a journey to undertake.
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Gods New Possibility Cycle A
$18.68God’s New Possibility reflects upon the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, unpacking the truths of a divine hope ushered into the world through the infant Christ. In seventeen sermons, James L. Killen Jr. reminds us that we serve a living and breathing God, one who became visible through Jesus and remains tangible through His Church. This is the evidence of a heavenly kingdom manifested through God’s all-consuming presence and redemptive call — a kingdom that offers a “new possibility here for us in each present moment of our lives.”
The rich narratives of holy love found within the pages of Killen’s sermons remain emphatic: God’s love is not waiting for us at the borders of heaven; rather, He has already unleashed his redeeming love upon His world, and it is a love that calls all who proclaim His son as Lord and Savior to take an active role in spreading the good news of salvation.
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Christmas Grace Cycle A
$18.68In each of Sunday’s assigned lectionary readings — the First, Second, and Gospel lessons — we are invited to view the glorious narrative of scripture through three different, yet harmonious, perspectives. In the second lesson, we become witnesses to the growth and development of the early church as described in the epistles of Paul and the other apostles. As the early Christians take their first steps in their faith, we too learn how to travel on our own journey with Christ.
Christmas Grace kicks off the lectionary year in the celebrations of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. Smith journeys through the New Testament lessons, offering fresh insight for the twenty-first-century church as they celebrate this time of new beginnings.
This collection of sermons is a valuable resource for:
Sermon starters and illuminating illustrations
Gaining a new homiletical perspective to the lectionary
Offering a newer, deeper understanding and appreciation of Scripture
Using as a starter for adult Bible study groups or personal devotionsThis insightful collection of sermons includes:
Wake Up Call
The Gift that Matters!
Divided We Fall
… and many more!Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Christmas : The Good The Bad And The Ugly An Advent Study For Adults
$13.99Focuses on many characters from the story of Christ’s birth
Four sessions, one for each Sunday of Advent
Each session features a Scripture reference, a personal reading, questions for personal reflection or group study, a closing prayer, and a focus for the coming week.
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Blueprints For Advent And Christmas
$36.18Using the timeless scene of the Bethlehem stable as a visualbackdrop, Blueprints for Advent and Christmas provides dynamic resources for creating a memorable andinspiring worship experience that will be remembered for years to come. Thereare detailed instructions for replicating the nativity setting, includingblueprints showing exact specifications for constructing scenery – enablingparish craftsmen and artists to use their gifts for a unique public witness.The scene is completed with a live tableau of actors.
In addition to the stable backdrop, Blueprints for Advent and Christmasoffers a smorgasbord of scenes, activities, and tools that promise to engagethe visual and dramatic imaginations of youth and adults. One set of resources,titled Advent Songs for the Season,is comprised of Advent sketches and homilies that promise toattract and inspire worshipers. The four themes are:
* When Israel Sang the Blues
* When Maiden Mary Sang the Magnificat
* When Teddy Roosevelt Sang Bass
* When The Angels and All Creation Sang Gloria in ExcelsisIn addition, sets of Advent mini-dramas designed for use withlectionary cycles A and B are also included.
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Advent Services
$15.991. 1st Sunday Of Advent – Emmanuel
2. 2nd Sunday Of Advent – Son Of Man
3. 3rd Sunday Of Advent – Example
4. 4th Sunday Of Advent – Lord
5. Christmas Eve – Son Of God
6. Christmas Day – Word Of GodAdditional Info
Includes biblically based sermons, suggested Scriptures, hymns, and prayers as well as litanies for lighting the Advent wreath. These services offer a compelling message of hope during this important church season, when people often visit a church for the first time. Each service focuses on a different aspect of the theme “The Ways We Know Jesus”Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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More Services For The Advent Wreath Cycle A
$22.43The Advent wreath is a powerful symbol that focuses attention on the coming of Christ — past, present, and future. Yet the connection between this traditional element of Advent worship and the rest of the service is not always explicit, especially for those churches who follow the lectionary. Building on his previous best-selling volumes of Services for the Advent Wreath, Robert Jarboe offers a wide selection of flexible worship resources that put the Advent candles firmly in the context of the day’s scripture readings. There are complete orders of service based on each Cycle A lectionary text for every Sunday in Advent, as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Each service is conveniently formatted, and includes reproducible sheets that can be given to participants as well as bulletin inserts with congregational readings. Everything you need to make lighting the Advent wreath a symbolic centerpiece of the worship celebration is here — all in one place!
Each service includes:
* litanies
* scripture readings
* prayers
* an original musical introitAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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More Services For The Advent Wreath Cycle C
$22.43The Advent wreath is a powerful symbol that draws our attention to the coming of Christ — past, present, and future. But while it’s a traditional element of Advent worship, the Advent wreath is often vaguely linked to the rest of the service, especially for those who follow the lectionary. Building on his successful volume Services For The Advent Wreath, Robert Jarboe offers a wide selection of adaptable resources that firmly place the Advent candles in the context of the day’s scripture readings. There are complete orders of service based on each Cycle C lectionary text for every Sunday in Advent, as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Each service is conveniently formatted, with reproducible sheets that can be given to participants as well as bulletin inserts with congregational readings. It’s everything you need to make this important symbol a centerpiece of the worship celebration — all in one place!
Each service includes:
* litanies
* scripture readings
* prayers
* an original musical introitAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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6 Advent Plays For Children
$17.43So you’ve just been asked to put together your church’s Christmas pageant — are you feeling overwhelmed yet? Don’t worry… Six Advent Plays For Children provides you with all the tools you need to make this ministry an enjoyable and fulfilling experience for everyone. In addition to six delightful programs designed for children of preschool age through sixth grade (including a synopsis and stage directions), this book provides comprehensive, easy-to-follow guidelines that walk you through the entire process of planning, rehearsing, and presenting your holiday production. There’s even a step-by-step worksheet to keep you organized and on top of all the details. The material is suitable for congregations of any size: props, sets, and costumes are kept simple for maximum flexibility, and most of the programs require no more than a dozen participants. With all these practical resources, your children’s Christmas program this year is bound to be successful — Six Advent Plays For Children has all the help you need in one convenient volume. Copying privileges are included.
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Gabriels Horn : Readers Theater For Advent
$9.93Looking for something fresh and creative for the Advent season? Here’s a charming set of five lighthearted plays that’s sure to engage audiences and set the holiday spirit while remaining focused on the scriptural message. Written in whimsical rhyming verse, the scenes detail the prophecies of the Messiah and the story of the Incarnation through the interaction of three angels (Gabriel, Wonderful, and, Marvelous) with several biblical characters.
Congregations of any size will find these sketches easy to use — only a small cast is needed, and the readers’ theater format means no extensive costuming or staging is required.
Scenes include:
* Gabriel’s Horn (Last Sunday of Pentecost)
* The Honeymooners (Advent 1)
* The Cleanup Crew (Advent 2)
* The Reading Club (Advent 3)
* Step Up To The Plate (Advent 4)Two of the angel characters reappear after a 33-year “vacation” in “M.I.H. — Missing In Heaven,” an Easter verse drama (also written by Frank Ramirez) included in the CSS anthology Roll Back The Stone.
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More Services For The Advent Wreath Cycle B
$18.68The Advent wreath is a powerful symbol that draws the attention of worshipers to the coming of Christ — past, present, and future. But it can be a challenge to link this traditional element of Advent worship to the rest of the service, especially for those who follow the lectionary. Building on his successful volume Services For The Advent Wreath, Robert Jarboe offers a wide selection of adaptable resources for any size congregation that firmly place the Advent candles in the context of the day’s scripture readings. There are complete orders of service based on each Cycle B lectionary text for every Sunday in Advent, as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Each service is conveniently formatted, with reproducible sheets that can be given to participants as well as bulletin inserts with congregational readings. It’s everything you need to make this important symbol a centerpiece of the worship celebration — all in one place!
Each service includes:
* litanies
* scripture readings
* prayers
* an original musical introitAdd to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Living Between The Advents
$12.95As we prepare each year to celebrate the Incarnation, the Advent season reminds us that we live in an interim period between the First and Second Comings of Jesus Christ. In this book of twelve riveting sermons on a variety of Advent themes (all based on texts from Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary), Michael Ruffin explores the challenges of Christian living in this time between the First and Second Advents — particularly the tension between the modes of patience and action. Though we await Jesus’ return with hopeful anticipation, Advent waiting is active waiting. Ruffin’s messages invite readers to share in the richly rewarding life of faith, while providing abundant comfort and inspiration for those who endeavor to live as disciples of Jesus in the modern world.
Preachers looking for an imaginative illustration or observation to stimulate their sermons will find ample material in this book. But this is much more than just a reference for ministers preparing to preach during Advent — it’s also an excellent resource for spiritual reflections reminding us that the good news in these days between the Advents is that Jesus Christ is Immanuel, God with us.
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Faces At The Manger
$19.00In this Christmas classic Barrie Shepherd describes the thoughts, feelings, questions, and dreams of those who gathered around that manger of long ago, as well as the faces that have been there in the centuries since. Through poems, stories and prayers, Shepherd leads the reader to be one of the many who have knelt in worship beside the manger of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Thespian Theology Cycle C
$17.43Stimulate audiences to see the scriptural message in a new and refreshing light with these inspiring sketches based on Cycle C lectionary readings for the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons. Originally developed for presentation by a high school-age youth group, the enjoyable scenes in this latest installment of John TenBrook’s popular Thespian Theology series are an excellent tool for sharing the Gospel with unchurched people and getting them excited about Jesus Christ. Each simple, easy-to-perform skit comes with brief “Thespian Theological Thoughts” that explore the connection between the drama and the scripture text. These versatile pieces can be used in place of the Sunday sermon or for youth programs and other fellowship settings — they’re sure to amuse and enlighten audiences of all ages.
Some of the intriguing titles include:
* Watch For The Signs! … Yo, What Signs? (Advent 1)
* Whose Gift Is It, Anyway? (Epiphany 2)
* So, You Wanta To Be A Prophet, Huh? (Epiphany 4)
* The Church Of The Twinkling Of An Eye (Epiphany 8)Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Christmastide : Prayers For Advent Through Epiphany From The Divine Hours
$18.00“A welcome remedy for the increasing number of lay Christians who have rediscovered the daily offices. Tickle puts each day’s prayers, psalms, readings, and refrains-everything you need-in one place. The rhythm that Tickle’s book establishes gives one a stronger sense of participating in an ancient, worldwide but very personal liturgy.”
-Nora Gallagher, beliefnet.com, and author of Things Seen and Unseen: A Year Lived in FaithThe third and final volume in a trilogy of prayer manuals compiled by Publishers Weekly religion editor Phyllis Tickle as a contemporary Book of Hours to guide Christians gently yet authoritatively through the daily offices.
The Divine Hours is the first major literary and liturgical reworking of the sixth-century Benedictine Rule of fixed-hour prayer. This beautifully conceived and thoroughly modern three-volume guide will appeal to the theological novice as well as to the ecclesiastical sophisticate. Making primary use of the Book of Common Prayer and the writings of the Church Fathers, The Divine Hours is also a companion to the New Jerusalem Bible, from which it draws its Scripture readings. The trilogy blends prayer and praise in a way that, while extraordinarily fresh, respects and builds upon the ancient wisdom of Christianity.
The third and final book in the set, Prayers for Springtime, provides prayers, psalms, and readings for this season associated with rebirth. Compact, with deluxe endpapers, it is perfect for those seeking greater spiritual depth. As a contemporary Book of Hours, The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime heralds a renewal of the tradition of disciplined daily prayer, and gives those already using the first two volumes the completion they are seeking. With this volume, the series culminates with three prayer manuals encompassing the liturgical and calendar year with the offices for every day.
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Living With Hope
$23.00Advent is a time for deepening encounter with reality, including the ultimate reality made manifest in human form at Christmas and Epiphany. This thought-provoking book illuminates biblical thinking with striking new insights from the author’s twin disciplines of theology and science at the cutting edge of physics.
Though daily readings for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany Polkinghorne explores such themes as the end of the world, individual destiny, unseen realities, heaven, hell, and suffering; this is not a book that hides behind platitudes or easy solutions, yet the author offers profound insight into his deep reflections on the nature, meaning, and purpose of creation.
Suitable for individual study, as a guide to prayer during Advent and beyond, or as the basis of small group discussion, Living With Hope offers a unique and inspiring pathway into the coming of Christ in history, in our lives, and in what we shall be.
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7 Advent Programs For Children
$22.43In addition to seven delightful programs designed for children of preschool age through sixth grade, this book provides comprehensive, easy-to-follw guidelines that walk you through the entire process of planning, rehearsing, and presenting a holiday production. There’s even a step-by-step worksheet to help you keep organized and stay on top of all the details. Each complete script comes with a synopsis and stage directions, as well as an attractive cover that can be reproduced for your program. You’ll find material suitable for congregations of any size; most require no more than a dozen participants. And props, sets, and costumes are kept simple for maximum flexibility. With these practical resources, your children’s Christmas program this year is bound to be successful.
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Virtual Incarnation
$16.18In a time when spiritual hype is rampant and modern Pharisees sometimes seen to drown out all other voices, the quiet, reflective messages of William Kincaid offer a refreshing journey for the soul. His relaxed, conversational style will engage readers, and the insights of this master preacher into both scripture and modern life will leave them thirsting for more. Virtual Incarnation? is a superlative collection of sermons-it is don’t-miss reading not only for ministers and teachers, but also for personal worship and devotions.
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Thespian Theology Cycle A
$17.43The author of Thespian Theology: The Parables Of Jesus As One-Act Plays follows up that popular CSS title with an all-new collection of fun and enlightening sketches based on Cycle A lectionary readings for the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons. The offbeat humor of TenBrook’s scenes is a great way to share the Gospel — audiences will laugh while they are stimulated to look at the scriptural message in a new light. Originally developed for presentation by a high school-age youth group, these versatile pieces can be used in place of the Sunday sermon or for youth programs and other fellowship settings — and these simple, easy-to-perform sketches are an excellent tool for reaching out to unchurched people and getting them excited about Jesus Christ. Each skit is accompanied by a page of “Thespian Theological Thoughts” that briefly makes an explicit connection between the drama and the scripture passage. It’s just what you need to inject a healthy dose of fun into the serious business of speaking and hearing the Word of God.
Some of the amusing titles include:
* N-o-o-o-t Exactly (Advent 1)
* What’s The Word? (Christmas)
* Unfathomable Riches! No Assembly Required, Gentiles Included (Epiphany)
* The Foolishness Of God (Epiphany 4)Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Angel At McDonalds
$9.93Angel At McDonald’s is a provocative drama that is a striking parable about belief in something that seems impossible and the courage to do what God commands. Two young women who are decorating a community center in an underprivileged neighborhood encounter three angry toughs who resent the girls’ “kindness.” With the gentle insistence of an angel who gives them an unusual assignment, the girls confront their fear and tell the skeptical ghetto kids about Jesus. And despite initial wariness, the message finds a home in some of their hearts.
This play can be presented as part of a worship service or as the entertainment at a church dinner or other gathering. It can be staged as elaborately or as simply as you wish, and lends itself to a readers’ theater format. Angel At McDonald’s is an excellent discussion starter that is sure to generate many viewpoints about our preconceived ideas of what constitutes “missions.” And it connects the occasion of Christ’s birth to the birth of new spiritual life. With realistic dialogue and situations, it’s perfect for use with teenagers.
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Advent Conversations
$9.93If you’re looking for a fresh way to make lighting the Advent wreath a meaningful and relevant part of the worship service, this is just what you need. Richard Hull has written brief conversational dialogues that relate the wisdom of the prophets found in the Advent lectionary readings to modern life. In each “conversation” two people reflect on the assigned reading and talk about life and faith, leading to the lighting of the candles. The presentations are accompanied by an informative essay explaining the background and history of the Advent wreath. Covering all three lectionary cycles, this is an excellent resource for any size congregation — and they’re also great for devotional use by families in the home. Best of all, the informal tone of the writing will make worshipers feel like participants instead of observers. Use these dialogues to discover ancient truth in a contemporary setting.
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Dont Forget The Child
$17.43Alex Gondola says that in our modern culture we sometimes “experience Christmas at its worst: overcommercialized, expensive, exhausting, nearly devoid of spiritual significance.” In this collection of twenty cogent and inspiring sermons for Advent and Christmas, he reminds us of the key to putting the season in its proper perspective — “Don’t forget the child!” For it is only when we are drawn nearer to the child of Bethlehem, celebrating the simple beauties of the stable, that we can escape from the rush of the season into the divine light of saving grace heralded by the birth of God’s Son. This volume is an exceptional source of inspiration for sermon preparation, but it’s also excellent for personal devotions exploring the meaning of Advent and Christmas. It’s a great Christmas gift!
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Lite Worship Services For Advent And Christmas
$11.18Popular CSS author Cynthia Cowen returns with three more imaginative programs that will spice up the Advent/Christmas season for any size congregation. Prepare Your Heart For Christmas is a service of carols and reflections that’s perfect for a midweek Advent program. Designed as a youth program, Advent Bells includes a brief skit with bell ringers and unique chorus songs. We Welcome The Light Of Christmas is a memorable family service for Christmas Eve with a humorous sketch about the Good News and a lost Frisbee which has turned into the Christmas star.
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Through The Eyes Of A Child
$16.18The dialogues in this resource are designed for use between a youth and an adult (pastor, parent, or youth leader). Six bulletin formats are included with dialogue scripts.
Worship themes are:
Advent Past, Present, and Future
Jesus Came To Earth
Jesus Will Come Again
Lord Jesus, Quickly Come
Through The Eyes Of A Child (Christmas dialogue)
Through The Eyes Of A Child (Epiphany dialogue)Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Services For The Advent Wreath
$22.43How does a pastor who follows the lectionary make the Advent wreath relevant to the rest of the service? Here is a very easy-to-use resource which includes every Sunday in Advent, as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It provides bulletin inserts, litanies, prayers, scripture readings, and flexible and easy-to-use original choral introits, which can be sung by a choir, ensemble duet, or as a solo.
This resource covers all three years of the lectionary cycle. It is adaptable for any size congregation, large or small.
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Something Is About To Happen
$12.43Previously published under the title Shepherds and Bathrobes, this series of model sermons for Advent/Christmas includes such topics as John the Baptist’s preaching in the wilderness, the Word made flesh, and a sound and light show on the mountaintop.
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Advent Worship Service
$9.93Begin your celebration of the Advent season with this meaningful program that weaves together informative readings, scripture, and familiar hymns with the lighting of the Advent wreath and the “hanging of the greens.” It’s a wonderfully creative way to have members of the congregation participate in decorating the sanctuary while at the same time learning about the symbols of the season. A particularly special touch is the interpretive movement provided for “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” The service requires four readers as well as individuals or groups to place the various items.
While it is most appropriate for use in its entirety early in the season, An Advent Worship Service may also be excerpted for use throughout Advent building up to the Christmas Eve service. Worship leaders will find this special program to be a valuable resource in planning services to celebrate the coming of our Savior.
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Holy E Mail Cycle A
$16.18Many modern Christians yearn for a deeper spiritual life, a relevant relationship with a God who still matters and who thinks we still matter. However, Dallas Brauninger tells us, we are not good at listening and talking with God. What we are good at is hurling questions at the Almighty — and Brauninger says that questions are what we are all about if we are to continue to grow spiritually. And so is confession. We doubt. We fear. We stretch to the limits of our patience. We wonder if tenacity will prevail or if we will sink. We have moments of bliss and ponder anew the mystery of God. We wonder and grieve about the world.
Brauninger believes that question and confession are two forms of our prayer — and for many of us, these conversations with God are as brief and instant as an e-mail. In Holy E-Mail, she inventively casts fourteen sermons based on Cycle A lectionary epistle texts in the form of extended e-mail messages to God. It’s as if congregations and pastors were privy to someone’s private ponderings that reflect our own spiritual roaming.
This volume is not only a creative resource for preachers; it’s also directed to the everyday person in the pew. Crafted to help hearers connect with God and each other, these sermons address universal queries of the human soul. By uniting sermon with prayer, they’re excellent for use as readings for personal meditation.
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Long Time Coming Cycle A
$16.18It is not God’s plan to take us by surprise. Throughout scripture there is the rolling thunder of the Deity’s voice resounds: “I’m going to do it! Get ready! Pay close attention! Here comes what I promised!” We call such predictions “prophecy,” history written before it happens. And about nothing is God more prophetic, more predictive, than Jesus Christ. (from the Foreword)
In Long Time Coming! Stephen Crotts proclaims the richness of Jesus’ birth. Noting that the Lord always tells us ahead of time what he is about to do, his 14 sermons based on Old Testament lectionary texts examine how God foretold in Isaiah’s prophetic ministry that he would save and redeem mankind.
Sermon titles include:
* Still Small Voice — Isaiah 11:1-10
* When A Halo Slips — Jeremiah 31:7-14
* What Does Your God Say About People Like Me? — Isaiah 42:1-9
* Let Sleeping Dogmas Awake! — Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Praying For A Whole New World Cycle C
$18.68A history professor told me that the earliest Protestants in America discouraged the celebration of Christmas. “It’s too much fun,” the Puritans reasoned, “and the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires our utmost seriousness.” (from the Introduction)
At a time of year which is often as stressful and exhausting as it is exhilarating, William Carter reminds us that while holiday celebrations will fade into winter gloom, Jesus Christ, the Light that casts no shadow, remains at the center of our faith and lives. This collection of 17 sermons based on the Revised Common Lectionary is for readers who wish to take the Gospel seriously during a season when commercialism and social activities can be overwhelming.
Carter’s messages provide a wonderful interplay between the biblical text and illustrations drawn from contemporary life. He brings the sensibilities of an accomplished jazz musician to the lectionary readings, creating new melodies that arise from the established material — some in counterpoint to the scripture, others elaborating upon the original tune. The sermons of this outstanding preacher are inspiring reading for both clergy and laypeople!
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Presence In The Promise Cycle C
$19.93If we want to know how God will treat the Christian Church, we must look at how God treated the ancient people of Israel. That’s the premise of Harry Huxhold’s 17 messages based on First Lesson texts from the Revised Common Lectionary, which demonstrate that the word and sacrament of Christian worship are as fresh as the promises of hope, providence, salvation, grace, and steadfast love that God first shared with humanity millennia ago.
Titles include:
Days Of Promise — Jeremiah 33:14-16
The Child Of Promise — Isaiah 9:2-7
The Promise Of Baptism — Isaiah 43:1-7
The Fruit Of Forgiveness — Genesis 45:3-11, 15
Keeping The Glow On — Exodus 34:29-35
… and more!Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
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Defining Moments Cycle B
$18.68The Old Testament readings in the lectionary are often neglected during the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons in favor of the more direct and easier-to-preach New Testament passages. William Self brings his creative imagination to these scriptural passages and gives them new life for the preacher.
The sermons of this veteran preacher are written with the pew in mind. They are for people who hurt, for people who wait, for people who face defining moments, and for churches that struggle to proclaim the Gospel. Amply illustrated from life and literature, these sermons can be read for inspiration by lay persons and clergy alike.
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Advent Worship And Activities For Families
$6.99Offers brief family worship services for each Sunday in Advent and Christmas Day. Each service centers around the use of the Advent wreath. Additional activites help families focus on the meaning of the season.
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These Are The Candles
$9.93Here is a resource that will dramatize the lighting of the Advent candles during your worship service. The lighting of each candle is proceeded by a statement, which the author suggests may be read from offstage.
The series of statements reveal the significance of the traditional Advent characters: the angel, the shepherds, the wisemen, Mary and the Christ child.
This simple but dramatic resource provides an explanation of the deeper meaning of the events preceding Jesus’ birth, as they spell out the relationship of these individuals to Christ, the Light of the World.
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