The Church Cracked Open


Book Description

"This book will make a profound difference for the church in this moment in history." — The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry Sometimes it takes disruption and loss to break us open and call us home to God. It’s not surprising that a global pandemic and once-in-a-generation reckoning with white supremacy—on top of decades of systemic decline—have spurred Christians everywhere to ask who we are, why God placed us here and what difference that makes to the world. In this critical yet loving book, the author explores the American story and the Episcopal story in order to find out how communities steeped in racism, establishment, and privilege can at last fall in love with Jesus, walk humbly with the most vulnerable and embody beloved community in our own broken but beautiful way. The Church Cracked Open invites us to surrender privilege and redefine church, not just for the sake of others, but for our own salvation and liberation.




Morning Altars


Book Description

Return to the earth with beautiful photographs and inspirational text. “Morning altars” are colorful mandalas that combine nature, art, and meditation. Incorporating the natural world into the everyday encourages positive well- being, even with the simplest of the earth’s gifts, such as leaves, flowers, berries, feathers, and stones. These stunning pieces of art are a peaceful and creative avenue to express gratitude for nature, to practice mindfulness, and to add meaning to daily life. In this book, Day Schildkret guides readers through the creation of morning altars, a seven- step process that includes wondering and wandering, place meditation, clearing space, creating, gifting, walking away, and sharing his art with others. Since his first morning altar, Schildkret has built hundreds more. His work has been warmly received on social media and he teaches workshops on altar building, all with the intention of sharing the positivity and beauty they have brought to his life.




The Evangelical Party and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Return to the Church of England


Book Description

It has long been accepted that when Samuel Taylor Coleridge rejected the Unitarianism of his youth and returned to the Church of England, he did so while accepting a general Christian orthodoxy. Christopher Corbin clarifies Coleridge’s religious identity and argues that while Coleridge’s Christian orthodoxy may have been sui generis, it was closely aligned with moderate Anglican Evangelicalism. Approaching religious identity as a kind of culture that includes distinct forms of language and networks of affiliation in addition to beliefs and practices, this book looks for the distinguishable movements present in Coleridge’s Britain to more precisely locate his religious identity than can be done by appeals to traditional denominational divisions. Coleridge’s search for unity led him to desire and synthesize the "warmth" of heart religion (symbolized as Methodism) with the "light" of rationalism (symbolized as Socinianism), and the evangelicalism in the Church of England, being the most chastened of the movement, offered a fitting place from which this union of warmth and light could emerge. His religious identity not only included many of the defining Anglican Evangelical beliefs, such as an emphasis on original sin and the New Birth, but he also shared common polemical opponents, appropriated evangelical literary genres, developed a spirituality centered on the common evangelical emphases of prayer and introspection, and joined Evangelicals in rejecting baptismal regeneration. When placed in a chronological context, Coleridge’s form of Christian orthodoxy developed in conversation with Anglican Evangelicals; moreover, this relationship with Anglican Evangelicalism likely helped facilitate his return to the Church of England. Corbin not only demonstrates the similarities between Coleridge’s relationship to a form of evangelicalism with which most people have little familiarity, but also offers greater insight into the complexities and tensions of religious identity in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Britain as a whole.




The Purple Headed Mountain


Book Description




Ancient Christian Worship


Book Description

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.




My Book of the Church's Year


Book Description

This is a charming children's book that walks through the traditional Catholic liturgical year in its seasons and symbols, while highlighting some of our most beloved saints. The graphic design is brilliantly done -- no book compares with this one for a striking and memorable overview of the liturgical year. It makes a superb catechetical tool.




An Altar in the World


Book Description

In the New York Times bestseller An Altar in the World, acclaimed author Barbara Brown Taylor continues her spiritual journey by building upon where she left off in Leaving Church. With the honesty of Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and the spiritual depth of Anne Lamott (Grace, Eventually), Taylor shares how she learned to find God beyond the church walls by embracing the sacred as a natural part of everyday life. In An Altar in the World, Taylor shows us how to discover altars everywhere we go and in nearly everything we do as we learn to live with purpose, pay attention, slow down, and revere the world we live in. The eBook includes a special excerpt from Barbara Brown Taylor's Learning to Walk in the Dark.




MYSTERY OF ALTARS


Book Description

As we will see in this book, an altar is a technology for communicating and teleporting between two realms. It is a mystery that is replete all over the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Before the Law, the revelation of altars existed, and in the Law, altars existed. We also see altars in the New Testament, and even in the Book of Revelation. The revelation of altars is thus key to spiritual power, and this is why the people of the occult world and the kingdom of Satan do not joke with it. Unfortunately, the church that should be the custodian of the revelation of altars has since lost its principles. Churches now have stages instead of altars. This is sad. In the past, kings and other great leaders revered the church. It was the Queen of Scotland that said, 'I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe’. Where is the Lord God of Elijah who fought the prophets of Baal after repairing the altar of God? Where is the Lord God of Moses who brought Israel out of Egypt and parted the Red Sea. Where is the God of Joshua who caused time to stand still? As a church and as individuals, if we would see the power of God as of old, we must learn again the principle of altars. We must set our hearts to understand sacrifice, the blood of Jesus, and the power of prayer. We must understand how to set up an altar and learn how to shut and open portals in the realm of the spirit through the technology of altars. We must also learn how to legalize and criminalize altars, and how to furnish our altars with blood. We must not be ignorant of the impact of family altars and the altars through which we are attacked as the Body of Christ. We must align our heart altar with heaven's altar to bring heaven's power to the earth as only the power of God can do the work of God. In this book, I will share with you many deep secrets, many of which will be new to you. I advise you to take time to meditate and research for yourself. The Lord has trusted me with so much revelation for our day, and not only have I taught these, I have seen the results and testimonies abound. This is why in the appendix of this book, I have shared testimonies from some of the people who have practiced the revelation published in this book because the results cannot lie. I pray for you that as you read, you will receive insights by the power of the Holy Ghost. God bless you!




In Spirit and Truth


Book Description

An invitation to a conversation about the direction of our worship life. The Anglican colloquium of the North American Academy of Liturgy acknowledged the need for a collection of insights to aid in the liturgical formation of the Episcopal Church as we move into liturgical revision. The volume's contributions have been shaped around the clauses of resolution A068, looking at the ways in which parishes and individuals can live into this time of revision and creativity. With a shared understanding of our deepest held Christian values, the editors look forward to what the future brings for our collective worship lives and our missional lives as bearers of Christ to a troubled and broken world. This volume provides churches with tools for intelligent, cogent, accessible historical and theological conversation illuminating the way forward for the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement.




Your Altar


Book Description

A reminder of the Divine, a space for spiritual encounter, or a focal point for meditation--the altar is a powerful tool for people of all faiths. Sandra Kynes demonstrates how to create personal altars and empower these sacred spaces according to your needs. Discover how to harness energies to manifest change, make decisions, receive wisdom, find balance, explore your soul, and grow spiritually. Kynes's unique approach provides nine overall matrices--each one corresponding to the number of objects placed on the altar--and the numerological significance of each. You'll also find suggested meditations and a wealth of helpful information--spanning chakras, colors, days of the week, elements, gemstones, gods/goddesses, runes, and more--for choosing appropriate symbols and objects that reflect your needs.