The modern prayers in this book beautifully recapture that tradition. They were composed, and are regularly used, in a small north of England parish where individuals and groups are rediscovering the use of life's simple rhythms in their worship of the Eternal Presence.
To read and visualize the transfiguration of Christ is to enter its mystery and encounter its hope. Like the Gospel writers and the disciples who climbed the mountain with Jesus, we struggle to tell the story and explain its meaning. Yet this astounding event reveals God’s ultimate purpose in sending his Son—the complete restoration of humanity and all creation—our transfiguration in Christ. The light and glory of that moment reveal a destiny that is infinite and eternal, made possible by the power of grace. Transfiguration is the trajectory and goal of our spiritual journey. Across time and space, Christians have reflected on the mystery and hope epitomized in the transfiguration, yet their voices have been heard primarily within their own cultural and ecclesiastical contexts. This study gathers many of those voices from the panorama of Scripture and church history and finds in them the common theme of radical transformation in Christ. The point of this theological conversation is spiritual transfiguration and hope for each of us as we reach toward the future Christ has shown us in himself.
The most extensive collection of Christian prayers available is now in paperback. Tracing two thousand years of Christian spirituality, it contains prayers from every era, every continent and every tradition. This extraordinary anthology provides a compelling and comprehensive portrait of the ways in which men and women have expressed their longing for God through the centuries. Arranged chronologically, 2000 Years of Prayer covers every significant era of Christian experience: prayers from the early church in East and West, the Coptic Church, Celtic traditions, medieval and monastic spirituality, Italian spiritual writers, Teutonic mysticism, the Protestant Reformation, English Roman Catholics, the Puritans, Pietist, Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, and much more. A brief introduction to each chapter outlines the defining spiritual characteristics of the age and traces the development of our understanding of prayer. Biographies of authors whose prayers are included, as well as an index of authors, themes, and subjects.
The best of international bestselling author David Adam's writings. Adam demonstrates a unique blend of modern concerns with a distinctively Celtic approach.
Religion today is in competition with the leisure and entertainment industries. Gen Y, the postmodern generation, is open to spirituality; but most of todays young adults have not been born into faith communities where they feel any lasting allegiance. Studies suggest that for the young, belief in God is an optional matter, a virtual consumer choice. As a result, different trends in worship and worship styles are offered by different churches to suit lifestyles, attitudes, and personal taste.
Twenty years ago, God led me to the writings of the church fathers and then on a journey that changed my life. I discovered the amazing spiritual depth throughout all the eras of the church and began to realize that I was settling for scraps when God had prepared a banquet. This handbook was written as an aid to Christians from all traditions to help them hit the ground running to discover even greater depth and passion in their walk with Christ.
Responding to the request "Teach us to pray", Jesus outlined a pattern of prayer with five basic movements of prayer. We call this outline "the Lord's Prayer" and often simply recite it. The five kinds of praying patterned in the Lord's prayer form the basic structure for the body of the prayers in this book. This is a collection of forms for prayer day-by-day. Each day's form has an initial section for reflecting on scripture and then the rest of the form is patterned by the Lord's Prayer with a variety of words and phrases which combine seasonal and biblical themes. Many of the prayers draw directly and indirectly from scripture. They also draw inspiration from Celtic, Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox and other ecumenical sources. These forms of prayer are written so as to be used by groups as well as lone pray-ers. This collection of prayers is also a helpful resource to supplement or enrich other forms of daily prayer.
The 100 prayer services in this book can be easily adapted for specific needs, and treat a wide variety of themes including the natural and liturgical seasons, feasts, and significant moments in human life.
From the contents: Ossian, Hermann and the Jew's harp: images of Celtic languages from 1600 to 1800 (Daniel Droixhe).- Celtic in linguistic taxonomy in the nineteenth century (Hildegard L.C. Tristram).- The Celt in archaeology (Timothy Champion).- The invention of Celtic nature poetry (Patrick Sims-Williams).- Modern Celtic Christianity (Donald E. Meek).- Celticism and the annulment of history (George Watson).