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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.

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.

Celtic Christianity is the key not only for the future of the Church but of the whole planet, argues Ray Simpson, Founding Guardian of the Community of Aidan and Hilda.

A re-evaluation of assisted dying from a theological perspective, relating theological issues to scientific, pastoral and practical concerns about the subject.

Move beyond the conventional pattern of a twenty-first century Christian, into a rich and fruitful faith adventure. Adventure Awaits meets us wherever we are currently at in our faith journey and guides us through practical steps, supported by biblical illustrations and personal testimonies, equipping us with the tools to boldly step into the fullness of life that God promises in His Word.

A unique guidebook for visitors to the many pilgrimage sites in Yorkshire, and the holy people who have been associated with these places. The intention is to help readers develop their spiritual life through reflection on the lives of familiar and less familiar figures from the Christian story in Yorkshire. The importance of place is also a key feature of this approach, whether on the coast (e.g. Whitby), in the relative wilds for many of the abbeys (e.g. Rievaulx, Fountains), or in the bustle of a city (e.g. York, West Yorkshire towns). Theguide can be used over the course of a week, but equally it can be used to assist in visiting places one by one, or by following the journey in the imagination while being read at home. Each day has four elements: People, Place, Prayer, and Practicalities, plus brief information about other places which might be included in a visit.It is accessible to anyone interested in learning from some significant Christian characters from Yorkshire, both recent and from long ago.

What does it mean for human society, and for us individually, if we really want heaven on earth? The Christian hope is often thought of simply as a hope for the life to come, but if we are true to Jesus' prayer, then our hope cannot be limited to the life to come, but is also for the life here and now.Light in the Darkness explores the Christian hope for today. Taking to heart the petition in the Lord's Prayer that the Kingdom shall come on earth as it is in heaven.The book explores seven basic hopes: for truth, justice, freedom, a new beginning, enlightenment, peace and love. These hopes are beautifully expressed in the Advent Antiphons, the ancient praises of Jesus that mark the seven days before Christmas Eve; Brought together with the I Am sayings  from John's Gospel and the Book of Revelation the author shows how, with each of the seven hopes, Christian faith offers a deeper and more insightful understanding than secular approaches. The fulfilment of hope requires a change of heart, a new spirit, and this is explored through some challenging issues, particularly about the way economic ideas, our individualistic culture, and the legacy of the Enlightenment shape hope in the modern world.

As the church focuses more and more on growth in urban areas, this book shows how small rural parishes can respond with confidence to the opportunities and challenges for mission and ministry, and that flourishing exists throughout the church, and particularly in small and rural contexts.God’s Tent Pitched Among Us provides a worked example of a thriving rural mission project in Northumberland. It is a handbook for those who would like to develop their own expression of God’s Tent, providing practical encouragement and easy-to-follow outline sessions. It also offers an extended reflection on the powerful image of the tent-pitching God in the book of Exodus and who biblical writers continue to draw on through the book of Revelation, and more notably in the prologue to John’s Gospel. 

Christianity and Marxism are often thought to be irreconcilable. This book argues that this is not the case. It looks at four central focuses of the alleged conflict—atheism, materialism, revolution, and ethics—and shows that in each case tensions can be dissolved. Not only that, but working through the alleged difficulties sheds new light on both Christianity and Marxism and demonstrates that each has something to say to the contemporary world.

Christians often find it difficult to talk or preach or engage with the possibility of climate catastrophe and an uninhabitable earth, for the questions are enormous. Faith in God needs to engage with the reality of the tragic loss of creation through anthropogenic impact.If we're living in the end times, then how should we live? Wracked with grief, anxiety and guilt, with foreboding deep as death? How is it possible to live hopefully, even as we face realistically the inevitability of the radical impact of an unpredictable climate, rising sea levels, the collapse of biodiversity? How do we remain faithful to God and loving to our neighbour, particularly if our neighbours are exiles and immigrants because their homes are no longer inhabitable? What do we tell our children and grandchildren, so they don't grow up completely overwhelmed by anxiety, such that mental illness levels continue to soar?Frances Wardattempts to think through some of these questions; to continue to have faith, hope, and love in response to God. It is a Christian response to eco-anxiety, a theological and contemplative reflection to sustain a fierce hope that hopes against hope. It is a deep lament that provokes a fierce hope to enable humanity to live life to the full, like there's no tomorrow.

The Church of England now supports more retired clergy than there are clergy engaged in active stipendiary ministry. Evidence suggests that in some areas it is retired clergy who are keeping ministry afloat (especially in some rural dioceses), while others feel their experience and expertise is no longer valued by a changing Church.In this stimulating (and at times disturbing) book, the editors have published for the first time the findings of a survey conducted among 784 religiously-engaged retired clergy. Then, against this background, they have drawn together the voices of fourteen retired clergy from across the breadth of the Church of England.Here are unique windows into who religiously-engaged retired clergy really are, how much they engage in the life of the Church, what they believe, and how they feel about the churches and congregations to which they continue to relate. 

A collection of sermons that explore how we can learn to hear the voice of God in prayer, in the life of Jesus and in the human voice.

A new appraisal of the life and work of Juliana Horatia Ewing (1841-1885) as a writer of fiction and poetry for both children and adults.

Reflecting on the key places in Jesus' life, ministry and death, Following Jesus in the Holy Land is a study course on Christian discipleship that can be used by individuals and groups during the seasons of Advent and Lent. Each chapter considers one of the main locations of the Gospel story, including Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Judaean desert, Mount Tabor and the Sea of Galilee, and invites readers to reflect on the meaning of discipleship today. Each chapter includes questions for reflection, Bible readings and suggestions for worship as well as ideas for "things to do" as a disciple of Christ.

The first comprehensive study of the Jesus Prayer, and its origins and use, providing an overview of this ancient mystical prayer practice from the Christian East which is now also widely used in the Western Church.