Two Tenebrae Readings and Services provides pastors and congregations with dramatic ways to remember the Passion of the Lord. Tenebrae I - 9 reading parts Tenebrae II - 12 reading parts Parts are simple enough for young people and adults. They are creatively drawn from the Bible narratives and present realistic human responses from those who would be his disciples. These resources require very little preparation. They were conducted in the author's congregation by calling the readers together an hour before the service. Richard A. Dinges has been an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ since 1978. He has an M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He has served churches in California, Massachusetts, and West Virginia. Currently he is working to establish a Christian Healing Center in West Virginia for the promotion of healing and peace.
Among Christian devotional works, My Utmost for His Highest stands head and shoulders above the rest, with more than 13 million copies sold. But most readers have no idea that Oswald Chambers's most famous work was not published until ten years after his death. The remarkable person behind its compilation and publication was his wife, Biddy. And her story of living her utmost for God's highest is one without parallel. Bestselling novelist Michelle Ule brings Biddy's story to life as she traces her upbringing in Victorian England to her experiences in a WWI YMCA camp in Egypt. Readers will marvel at this young woman's strength as she returns to post-war Britain a destitute widow with a toddler in tow. Refusing personal payment, Biddy proceeds to publish not just My Utmost for His Highest, but also 29 other books with her husband's name on the covers. All the while she raises a child alone, provides hospitality to a never-ending stream of visitors and missionaries, and nearly loses everything in the London Blitz during WWII. The inspiring story of a devoted woman ahead of her times will quickly become a favorite of those who love true stories of overcoming incredible odds, making a life out of nothing, and serving God's kingdom.
These services can be used by any number of participants, and include an order of service. Paradoxes Of The Passion examines the circumstances leading up to the crucifixion of an itinerant preacher from Galilee. What Shall I Do, Then, With Jesus Who Is Called Christ? brings us face to face with Pilate's question that has echoed down the centuries. Each of the Tenebrae services in this booklet can be used by any number of participants. An order of service for your bulletin preparations is also included. Paradoxes Of The Passion brings to the worshiping congregation the circumstances leading up to the crucifixion of an itinerant preacher from Galilee who was no less than the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. The seven paradoxes are interspersed with hymns and prayers. What Shall I Do, Then, With Jesus Who Is Called Christ? To Pilate's surprise the crowd sought freedom for the murderer Barabbas rather than for Jesus. Pilate then asked the question that has echoed down the centuries to every man, woman, and child who has ever heard the Gospel: ""What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?"" In this thought-provoking Good Friday Tenebrae service, Douglas Meyer explores how various key characters in the Passion story answered that question. Then he considers how The person in the pew answers that question today. Douglas E. Meyer graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana with an M.Div. degree in 1981. He has served parishes at Shobonier and Tuscola, Illinois, and Naples, Florida, and is currently serving at Salem Lutheran Church in Salem, Illinois.
Hopson's service of Tenebrae follows a tradition of the early church dating back to the eighth century, and commemorates the final hours of Christ's life on earth as He prepared for and suffered death on the cross. Tenebrae: A Service of Darkness may be performed as a service in its entirety, or portions of the work may be extracted and performed separately throughout Holy Week. This exceptionally moving work is destined to become a staple in Holy Week repertoire for decades to come.
The pew edition of the prayer book of the Anglican Church of Canada. Includes: the Divine Office; Baptism and Reconciliation; the Holy Eucharist; the Proper of the Church Year; Pastoral Offices; Episcopal Offices; Parish Thanksgiving and Prayers; the Psalter; and Music. (ABC).
Fully revised and expanded, this new work is the first major revision of the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in more than 40 years! It is the official revision of Lesser Feasts and Fasts and authorized by the 2009 General Convention. All commemorations in Lesser Feasts and Fasts have been retained, and many new ones added. Three scripture readings (instead of current two) are provided for all minor holy days. Additional new material includes a votive mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, many more ecumenical commemorations, plus a proper for space exploration. For years the oft revised volume, Lesser Feasts and Fasts (LFF), has served parishes and individuals mark part of the holiness of each day by providing Scripture readings, a collect, a Eucharistic preface, and a narrative about those remembered on the church's calendar that day whose lives have witnessed to the grace of God. Holy Women, Holy Men (HWHM) is a major effort to revise, but also to expand and enrich LFF. Where LFF provided two readings (gospel and other New Testament) plus a psalm, HWHM adds an Old Testament citation. Where LFF was limited to few non-Anglicans in the post-reformation period (and few non-Episcopalians after 1789), HWHM dramatically broadens appreciation for other Christians and their traditions. Over-emphasis on clergy is redressed by additional laity, males by females, and "in-church" activities by contributions well beyond the workings of institutional agendas. These almost daily commemorations occupy over 600 of the book's 785 pages, by far the lion's share of its content. Remaining sections address: principles of revision and guides for future revision; liturgical propers for seasons (Advent/Christmas, Lent, and Easter); and new propers for a miscellany of propers usable with individuals (or events) not officially listed in the formal calendar. Two cycles of propers for daily Eucharist are also included, one covering a six week period, the other a two year cycle.
St. Thomas More is widely recognized as the good-humored Renaissance humanist scholar who wrote Utopia and two decades later died a martyr's death in defense of papal primacy. Yet More's sacrifice of his life was but the culminating act of a lifelong dedication to his faith. This work seeks to provide a new portrait of Thomas More by engaging upon a comprehensive exploration of More's books and letters, a veritable library of Catholic spirituality and Church doctrine. All of More's spiritual works are examined in detail, revealing the inner life of a saint sustained by an undying love for the Eucharist and molded by an ever-deepening reflection upon the Passion of Christ, climaxing in one of the most profound meditations upon the Agony in the Garden ever written. The correspondence of More during his imprisonment receives particular attention, an eloquent testament to the depth of More's love for his family and friends. In addition to Thomas More's writing, the testimony of early biographies of the saint together with the recent finding of Tudor and Reformation era scholars are utilized to reconstruct the events of More's life and execution. Subjects explored include More's devotion to his family, the roots of his spirituality and intellectual formation, his participation in the Renaissance movement of Christian humanist scholarship, and the state of the pre-Reformation Church. The King's Good Servant but God's First is a meticulously documented work with over 1,400 footnotes that makes considerable use of recent research regarding the life, writings and times of Saint Thomas More. Hence this book was also written to provide Morean and Reformation scholars with a new synthesis based upon these materials. "This book is an eye-opener. Monti, a very skilled research writer, provides a unique, very readable book on St. Thomas More that gives new insights on this most powerful figure in the Catholic resistance in England." �Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. "A thoroughly excellent work. More has many poignant things to say to us in our day." �Fr. George Rutler James Monti is an author, writer and historian who has contributed numerous articles to Catholic publications. His other books include The Week of Salvation and In the Presence of Our Lord. The new work on St. Thomas More is the result of five years of research.
