Download or read book A Primer on Christian Worship written by William Dyrness and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2009-02-05 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A respected scholar of theology and culture, William Dyrness here explores Christian worship in terms of its past, present, and future. He shows where the church has been, theologically and historically speaking, and how that shapes - and needs to shape -where the church will go. Through accessible language, clear examples, and thoughtful questions for reflection and discussion, Dyrness makes an essential conversation about worship available to a wide audience of pastors, worship leaders, and church members." --Book Jacket.

Download or read book Ephesians written by Mark D. Roberts and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2016-11-29 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new commentary for today's world, The Story of God Bible Commentary explains and illuminates each passage of Scripture in light of the Bible's grand story. The first commentary series to do so, SGBC offers a clear and compelling exposition of biblical texts, guiding everyday readers in how to creatively and faithfully live out the Bible in their own contexts. Its story-centric approach is ideal for pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, and laypeople alike. Each volume employs three main, easy-to-use sections designed to help readers live out God's story: LISTEN to the Story: Includes complete NIV text with references to other texts at work in each passage, encouraging the reader to hear it within the Bible's grand story. EXPLAIN the Story: Explores and illuminates each text as embedded in its canonical and historical setting. LIVE the Story: Reflects on how each text can be lived today and includes contemporary stories and illustrations to aid preachers, teachers, and students. —Ephesians— Like all of Paul's letters, Ephesians is centered in the gospel and its implications. It tells the story of what God has done in Christ and spells out the ethical implications of this story. But the letter to the Ephesians is unique among Paul's letters in many ways, including in how it tells of the story of God, beginning "before the creation of the world" and ending in eternity. Edited by Scot McKnight and Tremper Longman III, and written by a number of top-notch theologians, The Story of God Bible Commentary series will bring relevant, balanced, and clear-minded theological insight to any biblical education or ministry.

Download or read book Worship and the World to Come written by Glenn Packiam and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2020-07-28 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How is our Christian hope both expressed and experienced in contemporary worship? In this Dynamics of Christian Worship volume, pastor, theologian, and songwriter Glenn Packiam explores what Christians sing about when they sing about hope and what kind of hope they experience when they worship together.

Download or read book How to Follow Jesus written by Craig Springer and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Millions of people want to follow Jesus, but don't know how. Upon becoming Christians, new believers often end up paralyzed. They become overwhelmed trying to master complicated doctrines, frustrated by a large list of rules for policing their lives, and bewildered by a new (and strange) vocabulary. Even worse, there are few books offering simple and clear advice to guide a Christian's first spiritual steps that are written in common, contemporary language. Until now. In How to Follow Jesus, Craig Springer, executive director of Alpha USA, one of America's most effective evangelism movements, explodes numerous myths surrounding the Christian faith that create unnecessary obstacles to growth, including: illustrating that sin and temptation are not the greatest threat to a flourishing faith, forgiveness means going through rather than around our feelings, and how disappointment in the church may be the essential step in growing a foundation for life-changing community. Sharing personal stories from his own journey to a mature faith, Springer sets readers at ease and offers them practical, easy-to-implement advice for following Jesus. Destined to become a timeless classic, How to Follow Jesus is a must read for new and returning Christians.

Download or read book Traditional Ritual as Christian Worship written by Burrows, William R. and published by Orbis Books. This book was released on 2018-03-27 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A necessary task of missionaries in recent decades has been to help local Christians "inculturate" or "contextualize" their faith, although the criteria for doing so often came from outside the context in which new believers developed their understanding of Christianity. Highlighting the voices of non-Western scholars, this work recognizes the importance of ritual and ceremony in the life of communities that seek to worship God in ways that reflect culturally appropriate responses to Scripture. The contributors -- some of missiology's leading lights -- discuss rituals, beliefs, and practices of diverse peoples, supporting the conclusion that orthodox Christianity is hybrid Christianity.

Download or read book Still Time to Care written by Greg Johnson and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the start of the gay rights movement in 1969, evangelicalism's leading voices cast a vision for gay people who turn to Jesus. It was C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham, Francis Schaeffer and John Stott who were among the most respected leaders within theologically orthodox Protestantism. We see with them a positive pastoral approach toward gay people, an approach that viewed homosexuality as a fallen condition experienced by some Christians who needed care more than cure. With the birth and rise of the ex-gay movement, the focus shifted from care to cure. As a result, there are an estimated 700,000 people alive today who underwent conversion therapy in the United States alone. Many of these patients were treated by faith-based, testimony-driven parachurch ministries centered on the ex-gay script. Despite the best of intentions, the movement ended with very troubling results. Yet the ex-gay movement died not because it had the wrong sex ethic. It died because it was founded on a practice that diminished the beauty of the gospel. Yet even after the closure of the ex-gay umbrella organization Exodus International in 2013, the ex-gay script continues to walk about as the undead among us, pressuring people like me to say, "I used to be gay, but I'm not gay anymore. Now I'm just same-sex attracted." For orthodox Christians, the way forward is a path back to where we were forty years ago. It is time again to focus with our Neo-Evangelical fathers on care--not cure--for our non-straight sisters and brothers who are living lives of costly obedience to Jesus. With warmth and humor as well as original research, Still Time to Care will chart the path forward for our churches and ministries in providing care. It will provide guidance for the gay person who hears the gospel and finds themselves smitten by the life-giving call of Jesus. Woven throughout the book will be Richard Lovelace’s 1978 call for a "double repentance" in which gay Christians repent of their homosexual sins and the church repents of its homophobia--putting on display for all the power of the gospel.

Download or read book Ancient Christian Worship written by Andrew B. McGowan and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2014-09-30 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Important Study on the Worship of the Early Church This introduction to the origins of Christian worship illuminates the importance of ancient liturgical patterns for contemporary Christian practice. Andrew McGowan takes a fresh approach to understanding how Christians came to worship in the distinctive forms still familiar today. Deftly and expertly processing the bewildering complexity of the ancient sources into lucid, fluent exposition, he sets aside common misperceptions to explore the roots of Christian ritual practices--including the Eucharist, baptism, communal prayer, preaching, Scripture reading, and music--in their earliest recoverable settings. Now in paper.

Download or read book Understanding Preparing For and Practicing Christian Worship written by Franklin M. Segler and published by B&H Academic. This book was released on 1995-12-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the foundations of Christian worship and addresses both age-old traditional questions and takes up the latest in contemporary controversies.

Download or read book Discerning the Spirits written by Cornelius Plantinga and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2003-11-18 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christian worship in North America has undergone great change in recent years. But change always brings uncertainty -- at times even division -- about what constitutes "authentic worship." This important book reviews a wide variety of current perspectives and offers a fresh outlook on the contemporary practice of Christian worship. In order to provide the widest, most insightful discussion on present-day worship practices yet assembled, the authors gathered a team of church musicians, ministers, worship leaders, and educators from eight church traditions. Discerning the Spirits is the fruit of their work. Shaped by the wisdom of men and women like Marva Dawn, Justo Gonzalez, C. Michael Hawn, and John Witvliet, this book broadens today's "worship wars" into a bigger, richer discussion that moves from arguments over musical tastes to good thinking about the overall purpose of worship in relation to church life and God himself. Sidebar articles and quotes are meant to draw readers and study groups into dialogue on these issues. Whether one plays a leadership role in church worship or is simply grappling with questions about it, Discerning the Spirits is a must-read.

Download or read book Whatever Happened to Worship written by A. W. Tozer and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2012-04-10 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A.W. Tozer calls God the "Composer of the Cosmos," the "Chief Musician of the Universe." God signals the birds to chirp their beautiful tune in the coolness and tranquility of a spring morning, simply because that is what He designed them to do. Each note is wonderfully constructed by God, uniquely bringing praise to His name. With this inspiring perspective on worship, Tozer invites readers to take a deep look at the ways in which we worship and why. He reminds us that we were created solely for this purpose and that worshipping the Father and seeking His fellowship is our primary task. It is also His delight. The newest revised edition now includes "Worship: The Missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church," first published in the Alliance Life magazine in 1965, and still so profound today.

Download or read book At the Origins of Christian Worship written by Larry W. Hurtado and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2000-09-07 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "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.

Download or read book A House of Meanings written by Juan Oliver and published by Church Publishing. This book was released on 2020-01-17 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Plain language exploration of the theology of worship • Valuable resource for individuals, seminarians, service planners • Structure and chapter discussion guides facilitate use for parish workshops Professional theological terminology is often inaccessible to the average Christian. The House of Meanings presents liturgical theology in accessible ways, free of technical language. The book is designed for individual reading and structured to be a resource for a series of parish workshops, especially during the Easter season. Chapters conclude with a discussion guide intended to assist parishioners in developing their own sense of the value of worship and its relationship to our dai-ly lives. Dedicated to deepening parishioners’ understandings of the Church and how it has both gathered and sent into service to the world, The House of Meanings will be useful not only to congregations, but to seminarians and anyone planning or evaluating worship

Download or read book Do Hard Things written by Alex Harris and published by Multnomah. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ECPA BESTSELLER • Discover a movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God. Foreword by Chuck Norris • “One of the most life-changing, family-changing, church-changing, and culture-changing books of this generation.”—Randy Alcorn, bestselling author of Heaven Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, Alex and Brett Harris weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact. Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges you to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today. Now featuring a conversation guide, 100 real-life examples of hard things tackled by other young people, and stories of young men and women who have taken the book’s charge to heart, Do Hard Things will inspire a new generation of rebelutionaries.

Download or read book God at Work written by David W. Miller and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1980s, Miller shows, a complex set of independent developments gave rise to what is known as the Faith At Work movement. He analyses the history of the movement, examines membership profiles and modes of expression, and constructs and proposes a new framework for discussing the movement.

Download or read book Christian Worship written by Gail Ramshaw and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique textbook not only lays out the religious-studies framework of a contemporary understanding of Christian worship. It also offers keys to the experience of Christian worship in each historical period, including the American experience. Ramshaw's novel and creative approach -- which shows the roots of Christian worship in symbol, ritual, myth, and sacred place -- bridges the great cultural divide between today's student and the chief Christian rites rooted in the ancient world. In light of this history of experiences, Ramshaw also illuminates and addresses ongoing issues in worship (gender, authority, ethics, skepticism) and places them into an exlicitly cross-religious framework with Islam, Judaism, and other traditions. -- Book jacket flap.

Download or read book How to Be a Christian without Going to Church written by Kelly Bean and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2014-06-24 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As many--young people especially--leave the traditional church in droves, they often still long for a genuine Christian community in which to practice their faith and share their spiritual journeys with others. They want to be faithful but struggle to find a place where they flourish. Whether they've already left the church behind or are merely considering it, readers will find here both heartfelt encouragement and practical steps for finding or creating a community of faith that honors God and offers rest, love, and communion with other believers. Author Kelly Bean broadens our definition of church to include many alternative forms of Christian community. With true stories of those who have given up on church and what they're doing now, this book is also helpful for pastors and churchgoers to help them understand why people leave the church--and what might be done to help them stay.

Download or read book A History of Contemporary Praise Worship written by Lester Ruth and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christianity Today 2023 Book Award Finalist (History & Biography) New forms of worship have transformed the face of the American church over the past fifty years. Drawing on a wide range of primary sources, including interviews with dozens of important stakeholders and key players, this volume by two worship experts offers the first comprehensive history of Contemporary Praise & Worship. The authors provide insight into where this phenomenon began and how it reshaped the Protestant church. They also emphasize the span of denominational, regional, and ethnic expressions of contemporary worship.