Bücher veröffentlicht von Sacristy Press

Peace is something to which we all aspire, but what does it actually mean? Giving a pattern for each day of the year, Peace is a Doing Word uses poetry, story and prayers to reflect on what practicing peace means in every moment of our daily lives. The book offers insights throughout the course of the day, from "e;waking"e; to "e;resting"e; and concludes each section with a blessing. There are questions for reflection which could be a starting point for personal growth or group discussions. The book aims to encourage a wide-ranging engagement with peace keeping and peace making for ordinary people in everyday life.

A chronological survey of the Bishops of Hexham and Newcastle from 1850 to the present day.

Creating Space tells a professional and personal story of healthcare chaplaincy and models the way in which practice development emerges from reflecting on the human story. This book reveals to healthcare, the Church and the community, the unique role of the chaplain's experiences as a resource to others. It is written for professional practitioners, prompting their own contextual learning and development, whether as chaplains, pastoral carers, parish clergy, lay ministers, volunteers in any caring context, those who work in listening therapies, those who provide care and support to others of any kind, or those who use or teach reflective practice.The authors connect in a straightforward way their view of healthcare chaplaincy as a model of practical theology, based on key practical theologians who see the human story as a source of learning. They outline their own reflective practice tool for learning and share the way in which they see each pastoral encounter as a reflective source of learning. They discover how their experiences have developed the discernment process for chaplaincy vocation, urging the Church to see beyond the parish model in today's world.

Part travelogue, part exploration of religious images and pilgrimage, J. Richard Smith tells the story of icons and the places where the New Testament story really happened.

Posting the Word tells of the story of how Chris Harris, a laicised priest, managed, against all the odds, to set up a successful adult religious education course by distance learning. Life Light Home Study Courses grew over nearly half a century into a facility which has enabled thousands of mostly lay Catholic students to develop their biblical and theological literacy. A very large number of these have moved on to positions of responsibility for RE in schools and parishes.In the background lies a human story which unfolded in a succession of different settings: monastic, seminary, university, school, home and parish. The challenges confronted along this winding road are here described in some detail.Of particular interest is the contribution made by Chris and his wife Heather to the spirituality of Christian married life. Both had a deep appreciation of religious life and sought to lay the foundations of a complementary and equally rich spirituality for married people.Posting the Wordoffers a fascinating insight into lived Catholicism before and after the Second Vatican Council and also into the history of adult theological education within the Roman Catholic Church.

Recent trends in Old Testament studies have radically changed the way we look at the first book of the Bible. This commentary takes account of these developments-acknowledging that traditional source-critical theories need to be re-evaluated, seeking to explore the book holistically, and taking account of its qualities as a 'story'. Clare Amos draws upon her extensive knowledge of the modern Middle East, its peoples, its religions and its problems, to provide new insights into some of the challenges which Genesis offers for faith and life today. Birthpangs and Blessings offers new insights into the spirituality of the Bible, the voyage of mutual discovery between God and humanity, a recurrent theme of this important biblical book.

In the Middle Ages, the region of Tuscany and its surrounding area was, for around 150 years, home to a surprising number of holy women, from the birth of Margaret of Cortona in 1247 to the death of Catherine of Siena in 1380, with the fourteenth century seeing the greatest of them. While Catherine of Siena has received worldwide recognition, women like Agnes of Montepulciano and Angela of Foligno have received little attention outside their homeland. Yet they and others are important figures in what is a largely unrecognised movement of Tuscan mystics. Their individual stories are enhanced by the efforts of artists and writers which all help to create a recognisable type of religious woman.This study looks first at the underlying influences on Tuscan mysticism, from the legend of St Katherine of Alexandria through to the celebration of women in the secular literature of the High Middle Ages and the effect of the emerging monastic orders. It examines the life and work of Tuscan holy women and focuses in particular on how they were perceived in their largely patriarchal contexts and by the artists, biographers and "e;men of God"e; who brought their own cultural assumptions to bear on the telling of their story. In consequence, the power that stemmed from their godly lives was to varying degrees undermined by some of the people closest to them and eroded by the church itself.This story of women alternately constrained and encouraged by their social contexts is one of individual struggles and collective achievement. Although the movement in Italy began to fade away after the death of Catherine of Siena, the mystic tradition would live on in other parts of Europe, where the experiences of holy women such as Margery Kempe or, later, Teresa of vila will have much in common with their Tuscan predecessors.

Rudyard Kipling's poem, Eddi's Service, from which this book takes its title, is a set of verses put into the mouth of Eddius Stephanus, St Wilfrid's earliest biographer. Set in the tiny chapel at Manhood End, close to Selsey Bill, it tells of a dedicated priest persevering with a midnight celebration despite appalling weather, and with just a donkey and bullock as his companions. Reflecting the challenges of the seventh-century missions to Britain and Ireland, it captures something of how all who would be disciples of Christ must take up their cross and follow him. This book focuses on those challenges in the early missions to these islands, set in the context of Jesus' passion and, ultimately his crucifixion, in the very first Holy Week of all, in Jerusalem. Each of us is invited to walk that same path in Lent, in Holy Week or at any time in our own life or pilgrimage.

Embracing poetic and prose writings on philosophy, contemplation and bibliophily, key service books for the clergy, and devotional texts for the laity, this book explores the interrelated themes of literature and devotion in England from the Black Death to the Reformation as seen through the lens of twenty-six precious manuscripts in Durham University Library.

Mark's Gospel was written in Rome, the political centre of the ancient world. Its author was a follower of 'the Way' and likely an eyewitness of the ministry of Jesus. The Good News according to Mark relies on the recollections of the apostle Peter and was the pioneering prototype of the New Testament Gospels.In this accessible guide to the shortest and oldest of the Gospels in the New Testament, Patrick Whitworth explores some of the key texts and themes of the Gospel of Mark. From the outset, Marks Gospel proclaims Jesus as the Messiah (Christ) and Son of God and centres on Jesus's announcement of the God's kingdom. It is this kingdom that is at the heart of Jesus's ministry and passion and entrances Mark. Breath-taking in style, vivid in content, powerful in concept, the Gospel of Mark makes known Jesus of Galilee in a way which is ever fresh and ever challenging to the ways of the world and self-centred human life; and calls for a response of repentance, conversion and faith.

The local church holds a special place in the imagination of many people, whether or not they attend it regularly. Drawing on theology, literature, art, philosophy, popular culture and personal experience, priest and writer Tim Gibson uncovers its significance, arguing that churches play an important role in local communities and in the life of the nation, keeping faith alive for the whole population.In a deeply personal essay, Gibson tells the story of the church through the lens of his experiences in a variety of places, including Westminster Abbey, Holy Trinity Geneva and his home parishes in Sussex and rural Somerset. His imagining is at once faithful to tradition and optimistic about the future.Gibson's aim is simple: to identify the importance of the local church as a focus of faith and becoming in the national imagination. Considering themes such as time, place, identity and glory, he demonstrates how local church communities help us make sense of what it is to be human.Following the spirit of Anglican writers such as CS Lewis and Michael Mayne, Imagining the Church will delight and inspire anyone with a love of their local church or an interest in ministry and mission, while posing thoughtful questions about the role of the church and faith in contemporary society.

The Spring of Hope is a collection of sermons and reflections for a variety of occasions throughout the Christian year. Many of these were originally preached as part of online worship during the time of national lockdown in 2020. Douglas Dales invites readers to embark on their Christian journey in the company of saints and church fathers, and to find there new hope and courage for their lives as disciples of Christ in the twenty-first century.

Although science is almost ubiquitous in the modern world, for many Christians there is a gap between science and their faith. In this book, the authors explore a number of subjects such as creation, evolution, cosmology, climate change and pandemics, and show how science and faith can mutually enrich each other and can be incorporated, confidently and healthily, into an orthodox Christian worldview.

For Christian believers, hymns offer an opportunity to bear witness to their faith and lift their voices in praise of God with their fellow worshippers. Hymns, even those dulled by familiarity, far from being trite and complacent, have the power to alert us to grave dangers facing the world today, and even to move us to decisive action. It is tempting to disregard older hymns thinking of them as past their sell-by date, yet for many of the faithful, these traditional texts form the bedrock of worship and liturgy. What can be done if treasured hymns express social attitudes we no longer share, for example with regard to gender or colonialism?Gillian Warson blows the dust off unfashionable texts and argues that they can now be regarded as "e;vintage"e;. She argues that hymn singing can continue as a flourishing tradition with old and new coexisting comfortably alongside each other, and invites us to see that vintage hymn texts are lovingly preserved so that they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

What does it mean to be human and made in the image of God? This collection of essays explores the question from a wide range of theological and philosophical perspectives.

What does the good news of Jesus look like in the North of England? Is there such a thing as a "e;northern gospel"e;?Rooms and Wort analyse what the North actually is, and why we need to study our context if we want to understand more about God and God's ways. They look at the current religious climate in the North where many churches are closing. They explore how their detailed research among northern churches demonstrates a gospel characterized by fragility and freedom, but full of authenticity, community and humour. They describe "e;fuzzy"e; churches where the boundaries of the church and its worship are less fixed and where there is more of a flow between churches and their world. They discover that closing churches might provide the "e;compost"e; for what God is doing next.

In the present century, from the twin towers to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is much to disturb our securities and beliefs. The Old Testament presents us with similar situations of bewildered suffering, and one persistent theme of response is that of lament.Honest Sadnessexamines lament as a means of articulating faithful incomprehension, and as a resource for what have been called communities of honest sadness. It traces the development of lament through the Old Testament and questions why it is apparently absent from both the New Testament and much of the life of the Church today, at just the point where many think it could be most useful.Those who work with disabled people and with abuse victims, for example, are realizing the importance of lament. Liturgists are wondering how it can be reintroduced into worship, and whether it is legitimate to do so. Biblical scholars are looking afresh at how and why lament died out.The book brings these various questions and insights together, suggesting that perhaps the early Church got it wrong about lament, and attempting new definitions for communities of honest sadness. It is written not only from the perspective of lived experience in the wider world in such places as Beirut and Bosnia, but also from the intensely painful personal experience of the author's own bereavement. It will be of interest to all who are reflecting theologically seriously on our times, or helping others to do so.

From the earliest days of the Christian Church, there have been deacons and priests who have earned a living and explored their ministry through supporting themselves. However, as the Church is developing fresh initiatives in mission in a fast-changing world, there is a renewed interest in vocations that unite a sacramental ministry with daily life and work-a type of ministry, as the image of "e;busking"e; suggests, that is characterized by creativity and improvisation.This book on self-supporting ministry focusses specifically on ordained ministry in secular employment (MSE). The aim is twofold: to undertake an in-depth theological reflection on MSE, and to offer some practical help to enable such clergy (and the Church generally) to grow in the awareness of the creative scope and potential of this ministry in the contemporary world.

The growing number of mixed-faith families and personal cross-faith explorations is leading to a fluidity in religious engagement that would once have been considered undesirable or even impossible. This book gives unprecedented practical content to the reality of multiple religious participation, balancing and challenging the more theoretical descriptions that are developing.The author, a Christian priest and practical theologian, has spent several years worshipping as a Sikh while continuing in his Christian ministry, and has made this the basis of a sustained piece of autoethnographic reflection. His frank presentation of the challenges and the joys he encountered is in places deeply personal but also engages with the expectations of the communities with which he was involved, and the widest themes of religious identity and loyalty. The author's own experience is supplemented by interviews with others who relate to both Sikhi and Christianity, by focus groups with colleagues, and by wide reading related to the issues involved. He encourages us to take part in similar boundary-crossing, reflecting in our own lives the self-giving friendliness of God.

For large part of the Church of England, the standard model of an ordained minister is the full-time stipendiary priest, or, alternatively, the chaplain. Yet, there are a growing number of clergy for whom their vocation consists of life in the Church and work in the secular world.Jenny Gage argues that in the twenty-first century, priests in secular work (PSW) are not a new phenomenon. They have a specific vocation, which is not to be subsumed under any church-based model of priestly ministry. She makes the case for understanding priestly ministry in secular work as a distinct vocation, which is as necessary to the life of the institutional Church at a time when secular society is rapidly changing, as it is to those whose vocation it is.Both the sacramental nature of this vocation and the work they do are key to the vocational identity of priests in secular work and to their calling to build God''s kingdom in the world.Beginning with her experience of reflecting her vocation as a maths educator and as a priest, Jenny Gage explores priestly ministry in secular work through a number of theological lenses including the narrative formation of identity, theology of work, and theology of place.

Prayers for the environment are often missing from the intercessions in church on a Sunday morning, perhaps because we struggle to find the right words. Praying for the Earth is a resource for congregations and for individual Christians who believe that environmental concerns should be an integral part of the public and private prayers of all Christian people.The book is intended to be used as a supplement to the prayers of intercession in church on Sunday, and by individuals in their private prayers, so that praying for the earth becomes an "e;ordinary"e; part of our spiritual and daily life, rather than something that happens on a special occasion.The book may be used by those who lead intercessions in public worship, by groups of Christians whenever they pray together, and by individual Christians in their personal prayers.The prayers may be used unchanged, or adapted, or as an inspiration for praying in one's own words.

What is pilgrimage? What does it mean to Christians who undertake pilgrimage? Each chapter of this book focuses on a popular place of pilgrimage within Britain and Ireland, offering historical background and exploring why each has become such a powerful magnet for pilgrims over the ages.

A celebration of the conversation and friendship between members of various Christian traditions (Roman Catholic, Methodist, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Anglican) and a substantial contribution to a theological understanding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in dialogue with other Christian churches.

The Harrying of the North...In 1069 Northumbria is in revolt against Norman rule. William the Conqueror's brutal reprisal devastates the province and brings untold suffering to its people. Caught between the Northumbrian rebels and their new Norman masters, the Community of Saint Cuthbert at Durham is struggling to survive.But the mysterious influence of the Saint brings aid from the furthest corners of the kingdom-and from some of the least likely of his followers:Thorgot, an Anglo-Norse adventurer from Lincoln on the run from the NormansEdith, the repudiated wife of Durham's deanAldwyn, a visionary monk of WinchcombeExtraordinary twists of destiny draw the three together to bring about a new order from the ashes of the old. By the time the foundation stone is laid for a new cathedral at Durham, their lives have changed for ever and the survival of the shrine is assured.A gripping story of violence, heartbreak and redemption that brings the trilogy of novels about Northumbria's warrior saint to a dramatic conclusion.

In the many worshipping communities, music leaders perform a vital function. They help to build Christlike, inclusive communities - what St Paul described as the "e;body of Christ"e;. However, resources can be in short supply.In this insightful and practical guide, an experienced church musician describes how, according to Paul, individuals and communities are transformed into the body of Christ, and how music-making enables this process, even when resources are in short supply.This valuable book encourages music leaders to step-up and persevere in low-resource contexts, and challenges all those who lead music in worship to focus not just on producing musical results but on building Christlike communities. It is essential reading for music leaders and those who train, oversee and nurture them, such as clergy, elders, worship committees and educators.