In the Gospel of Mark's account of the Passion narrative, Jesus calls out from the cross 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' which is the Aramaic for 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' - the first line of Psalm 22. It's an anguished expression - traditionally ascribed to King David - of defeat, failure, abandonment and despair.This series of reflections, written for Lent and Holy Week 2023 by the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, ponders the significance of these w...

Stephen Cottrell brings home, vividly and poignantly, the physical reality of the passion story.The narrative of Holy Week is powerful and painful, and because we know how the story ends it's easy to gloss over the difficult details, and stay in the comfort zone of our understanding. The Things He Carried is a book to stimulate thought, provoke discussion and create space for contemplation.'In order to understand the cross you need to stand under it . . . w...

'[Cottrell’s] love of the work of the artist Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) has relentlessly deepened over 20 years, and he expresses it here with a spiritual breathlessness that is infectious and transformative.'MARK OAKLEY, CHURCH TIMESIn this devotional book, Stephen Cottrell reflects on five paintings from Stanley Spencer's Christ in the Wilderness series.These paintings give us startling insight into Jesus' own voc...

'In less than seventy words, Jesus gives us a prayer to learn by heart and a prayer to get inside our hearts, shaping the way we live.'This book is for beginners of all ages: Whether you know this simple prayer already, or this is your first encounter, be inspired to learn more about how and why we pray these words in this simple guide.Each phrase and page is illustrated with original lino print artworks from Jack Seymour

Meditations on the story of Holy Week and the things Jesus did, from his entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday until his arrest on Maunday Thursday.One extraordinary week.Jesus rides a colt into Jerusalem.He shows righteous rage in the temple.He eats with the wrong sort of people.He lets a woman anoint him with oil.He washes his disciples' feet.He breaks bread and shares wine.He prays passionately in the garden....

'A movingly personal book ... the fruit of much deeply meditated sharing of the good news with people of all sorts. Reading it is a real discovery of the fresh waters of faith.' - from the foreword by Rowan Williams'After this, when Jesus knew that all now was finished, he said, "I am thirsty."'Jesus' words from the cross - a picture of God sharing the world's suffering, experiencing our humanity - can be a window onto God's purposes, leading to a ...

The follow-up to the author's highly successful The Things He Carried, this book takes the post-resurrection sayings of Jesus as starting-points and uses the same reflection format.The meaning and significance of the resurrection, how it was first communicated and how it is communicated to us today, are explored by piecing together these sayings of Jesus.However, the content may not quite be what we imagine. Following the resurrection, we would expect the t...

Dear Nicholas... was originally written in 1988 as a letter by the then Bishop of Liverpool Michael Henshall to his newly-ordained son. Revised and edited for today’s audience, it continues to be a source of encouragement and challenge to reflect upon for all in ministry today, whether newly-ordained or in service for many years.Among the many books on ordained ministry, Dear Nicholas... stands out with its deeply personal and direct approach to the challenges and...

Ethnomusicology and its Intimacies situates intimacy, a concept that encompasses a wide range of often informal social practices and processes for building closeness and relationality, within the ethnomusicological study of music and sound. These scholarly essays reflect on a range of interactions between individuals and communities that deepen connections and associations, and which may be played out relatively briefly or nurtured over time.Three major sections on Perform...

Peter Atkinson has made a highly distinguished and much respected contribution to the Church of England—the last principal of Chichester Theological College and the dean of Worcester for 16 years. He is widely acknowledged to be one of the ablest preachers of his generation.To mark his retirement and honour his ministry, this volume distils the very best of his sermons for the lasting benefit of the Church as a whole.Drawn from over 25 years of ministry, the collection comb...