Kategoria BISAC: Religion >> Christian Rituals & Practice - General

Writing from the perspective of the parish pastor, Presbyterian pastor J. Dudley Weaver Jr. presents a complete and accessible overview of Reformed worship. Weaver moves from the history and theology behind Reformed worship to practical information for clergy, including help for planning worship, celebrating the dates of the church year, and working with others in the congregation to plan the liturgy. This concise handbook is ideal for all clergy in Presbyterian and Reformed churches.

Movingly rendered, The Book of the Vision Quest is for all who long for renewal and personal transformation. In this revised edition--with two new chapters and added tales from vision questers--Steven Foster recounts his experiences guiding contemporary seekers. He recreates an ancient rite of passage--that of "dying," "passing through," and "being reborn"--known as a vision quest. A sacred ceremony that culminates in...

Sacrifice--ranging from the sacrifice of virgins to circumcision to giving up what is most valued--is essential to all religions. Could there be a natural, even biological, reason for these practices? Something that might explain why religions of so many different cultures share so many rituals and concepts? In this extraordinary book, one of the world's leading authorities on ancient religions explores the possibility of natural religion--a religious sense and practice naturally proceeding from biological imperatives.

Because they lack later refinements, the earliest religions from...

Henry H. Mitchell has completely revised and integrated his popular books The Recovery of Preaching and Black Preaching for seminarians and pastors--both Black and White--who are seeking to add power and vision to their sermons.

Mitchell persuasively demonstrates that Black culture and preaching style are vital for the empowerment of Black congregations and have much to offer the preaching method of all preachers. By focusing on the use of storytelling, imagination, and style of preaching rooted in African-American culture, Mitchell spotlights effective...

- The exercises highlight sensory sermons and give speakers a new method of connecting the children with the message

- Sermon/worship preparation is made easier

- Children are introduced to lectionary texts through language and activities they can easily understand

- A sermon for each Sunday in the lectionary year

Many preachers are aware of the presence of children in Sunday morning worship and wish to include them effectively in worship, but have a hard time figuring out how to do so. Preachers who are unhappy with children's sermons in general and all the books of printed children's sermons in particular are looking for a theologically and educationally sound approach to preaching to congregations that include children. This practical guide offers preachers a variety of ideas and helps for making any sermon one that is suitable for both children and adults.

The author includes an...

In the parable that begins this book, a large chunk has fallen out of the roof of a historic church, exactly where an imposing mosaic of God enthroned in heaven used to reside. The members of the church, unable to agree on how to repair the roof or what image to put there, now worship under a God-shaped hole, trying to come to grips with the loss of old certitudes and the new challenges they face.

The church today faces exactly the same problem, argues Thomas Troeger. We live in a fragmented society, and the church reflects that fragmentation. We, too, sit under the "God-shaped...

Ready or not, Christmas is coming

Where better to prepare the heart for this special season than around the family Advent wreath. Here, for the four Sundays of Advent and Christmas Day, we will discover what it means to be so loved that we received the gift of God's son.

Advent: Worship & Activities for Families is a 16-page booklet that includes...

Two complete sets of family Advent worship services (one especially for families with young children) Easy to follow scripts including the words to songs Instruction to the...

From Advent wreaths to Chrismon Trees, from Mistletoe to Luminarias, from Hanging of the Greens to Epiphany, Come to Christmas provides families, worship committee members, Christian educators, and clergy with a treasury of information and worship ideas for the season.

Learn about:

• The Season of Advent
• Advent Wreaths and the significance of the candles
Hanging of the Greens Chrismon Trees The Jesse Tree The origins of popular traditions such as Santa Claus, mistletoe, and poinsettias. and much, much...

For early American Methodists, quarterly meetings were great festivals at the heart of Methodism's liturgical life. The meetings lasted several days and could attract thousands. In this volume, Lester Ruth offers a revisionist description of worship at the quarterly meetings in early American Methodism (ca. 1772-1825). The author describes the quarterly meeting as the setting in which early Methodism most "dramatized" itself for public view as graced fellowship. He explores each of the liturgical dynamics of this experience, including the distinction between public and private worship, the...