"At the Origins of Christian Worship" can deepen readers' understanding of early Christian worship by setting it within the context of the Roman world in which it developed. Hurtado highlights the two central characteristics of earliest Christian worship: its exclusive rejection of the ancient-world gods and its inclusion of Christ with God as the focus of devotion.
Within the broad range of Christianity we find diverse understandings of what makes for “good worship.” The Purpose, Pattern, and Character of Worship develops a typology of Christian worship to provide a method of assessing the decisions of congregations and leaders in forming and changing the orders of their worship. Among contemporary western Protestants, we identify at least six discrete characteristics of worship: -the Revival, -the Sunday School, -the Aesthetic Revival, -the Pentecostal/holiness movement, -the Prayer Meeting, -the twentieth-century Catholic Liturgical Renewal. These patterns define contemporary expression as: -Seeker Worship, -Creative Worship, -Traditional Worship, -Praise Worship, -House Church Worship, -Word and Table Worship. Absent an overall authority for the structure of worship (such as the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer), many Protestant congregations have developed a “conflation of patterns,” which often creates incoherent worship. This book helps leaders define the purpose, character, and pattern of their community’s worship.
From the author of the acclaimed Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries—what is our purpose? As Christians, what are we to do with that ambiguous time between baptism and the funeral? It's easy to become preoccupied with who gets into heaven; the real challenge is how we are going to live in the here and now. Wright dispels the common misconception that Christian living is nothing more than a checklist of dos and don'ts. Nor is it a prescription to "follow your heart" wherever it may lead. Instead, After You Believe reveals the Bible's call for a revolution—a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives. We are all spiritual seekers, intuitively knowing there is more to life than we suspect. This is a book for anyone who is hoping there is something more while we're here on Earth. There is. We are being called to join the revolution, and Wright insightfully encourages readers to find new purpose and clarity by taking us on an eye-opening journey through key biblical passages that promise to radically alter the work of the church and the direction of our lives.
No serious study of the historical development of Christian worship can be undertaken today without attention to the social context in which the Christian liturgies were formed. In this study the author surveys three different urban contexts which were crucial for the development of the Byzantine and Roman rites in the early Middle Ages. The stational systems of Jerusalem, Rome and Constantinople are described in detail and compared, reealing major similarities and differences in the worship inspired by these diverse urban milieux. In addition, the author sheds valuable light on the social development and impact of Christianity on Byzantine and Roman culture in the Late Antique and Early Medieval periods.
Compassion, humility, faith, perseverance. We long for the beauty of Christ to be reflected in our lives. Such character comes only as the Spirit of God transforms us through the Word of God. These Bible studies will help you become the person God created you to be.
Are you growing in godliness? How would you know? A good place to begin is understanding and imitating the character qualifications the Bible lays out for elders. While elders are meant to exemplify these traits, all Christians are to display them. And, with just one exception, each of them is related to our moral character.
You are what you love. But you might not love what you think. In this book, award-winning author James K. A. Smith shows that who and what we worship fundamentally shape our hearts. And while we desire to shape culture, we are not often aware of how culture shapes us. We might not realize the ways our hearts are being taught to love rival gods instead of the One for whom we were made. Smith helps readers recognize the formative power of culture and the transformative possibilities of Christian practices. He explains that worship is the "imagination station" that incubates our loves and longings so that our cultural endeavors are indexed toward God and his kingdom. This is why the church and worshiping in a local community of believers should be the hub and heart of Christian formation and discipleship. Following the publication of his influential work Desiring the Kingdom, Smith received numerous requests from pastors and leaders for a more accessible version of that book's content. No mere abridgment, this new book draws on years of Smith's popular presentations on the ideas in Desiring the Kingdom to offer a fresh, bottom-up rearticulation. The author creatively uses film, literature, and music illustrations to engage readers and includes new material on marriage, family, youth ministry, and faith and work. He also suggests individual and communal practices for shaping the Christian life.
