In a world and nation marked by suffering and division, Marcus Halley invites readers to explore rituals of healing and reconciliation in parish practice.How is Christian community fostered when healing and reconciliation are prayerfully and actively sought? How do the ancient rituals of healing practiced among us today form a community committed to the Way of Love, the Way of Healing? And how does such practice lead the Christian community to seek peace?Th...

Flowing Water, Uncommon Birth explore a rich, ancient, multifaceted, deeply Christian baptismal practice and theology. This book invites us to ask important questions about the central mystery of Holy Baptism and the fullness of the baptized life. The Worship Matters Studies Series examines key worship issues through studies by pastors, musicians, and lay people from throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Features include the following: 1) Informal and insightful writing fo...

An invitation to a conversation about the direction of our worship life.The Anglican colloquium of the North American Academy of Liturgy acknowledged the need for a collection of insights to aid in the liturgical formation of the Episcopal Church as we move into liturgical revision. The volume's contributions have been shaped around the clauses of resolution A068, looking at the ways in which parishes and individuals can live into this time of revision and creativi...

Explore how the Revised Common Lectionary enriches worshipHow does this contemporary lectionary nourish Christian faith and life? Further, why does the lectionary employ metaphor, the richest form of language, in the midst of the worshiping assembly? How do the biblical readings prepare worshippers for the church’s mission? Well-known liturgist and author Gail Ramshaw opens up the logic and purpose of this widely used resource.The basics of Episcopal and Ang...

How do the core actions of worship nurture life with God?The ecumenical movement of the 20th century revealed a common pattern of worship among Christian communions, a pattern that bears the imprint of distinctive denominational emphases. In this exploration of that pattern, Samuel Torvend invites readers to delve into this flexible tradition that centers a parish in the life of God given for the life of the world.The basics of Episcopal and Anglican worshi...

Encounter enlightening and engaging views of monastic love for God’s creation.In Jesus in Nature, Samuel Torvend uncovers the hidden story of monastic reflection on the presence of Jesus Christ in creation. With frequent references to contemporary life, he offers a comprehensive view of Jesus in his natural world and the various ways in which early medieval monastics discerned the presence of the risen Christ in nature’s seasons, in flora and fauna, and in...

Can early medieval monasteries serve as a model of sustainable development and environmental conservation in today’s world? Inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Sí and Benedictine communities around the world whose shared monastic values inform ecological practice, Monastic Ecological Wisdom uncovers the hidden story of early Christian and monastic care for the earth.In Monastic Ecological Wisdom, Samuel Torvend shows how it is possible that medi...

Drawing on recent biblical and historical studies, this exploration of the eucharist asks the seeker in every Christian to consider the ecological, theological, communal, and ethical dimensions of the Lord's supper. The Worship Matters Studies Series examines key worship issues through studies by pastors, musicians, and laypeople from throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Features include the following: 1) Informal and insightful writing for all readers; 2) Study questions...

In Still Hungry at the Feast, Episcopal priest and professor Samuel Torvend invites readers to expand their experience and understanding of the Mass, the Holy Eucharist, as more than a personal encounter with the risen Christ. Drawing on recent Jesus research, the long history of eucharistic reflection among Christians, and contemporary commitments to economic justice, Still Hungry at the Feast invokes the integral relationship between eucharistic practice and eucharistic...

"McLaren is considered one of the country's most influential evangelicals, and his new book . . . takes aim at some core doctrinal beliefs." —NPR's Morning EditionA New Kind of Christianity is Brian D. McLaren's much anticipated follow-up to his breakthrough work of the emergent-church movement, A New Kind of Christian. Named by Time magazine as one of America's top twenty-five evangelicals, McLaren, along with ...

The Signature of Jesus challenges the gospel of "cheap grace" and calls the church to radical discipleship. With passion and boldness, author Brennan Manning invites readers to risk living life as Jesus lived—committed to simplicity, purity of heart, and obedience to the gospel.As a radical alternative this book is offered to Christians who want to live by faith and not by mere “religion,” for those who recognize that many of the burning theological issues in the churc...

Christianity gets plenty of media attention—but often for all the wrong reasons. If you’ve ever felt disillusioned by the loudest, most rigid voices in modern Christianity, Kissing Fish: Christianity for People Who Don’t Like Christianity offers a refreshing alternative.Roger Wolsey presents an accessible and engaging introduction to progressive Christianity—a growing movement that reclaims the radical love, inclusivity, and transformative message at the heart of the Gospe...