The Worship Maze


Book Description

Paul Basden leads bewildered churches through the worship maze, showing how they can find a faithful and fitting style for their own services.




A Labyrinth Year


Book Description

Perhaps nothing expresses the mystery of our search for the divine as well as the labyrinth. A circular pathway based on spirals found in nature, the labyrinth is a time-honored spiritual tool in faith traditions as varied as Native American, Jewish, and Celtic. As seekers walk to the center of the labyrinth, their minds quiet and turn to God. Walking out again, they bring into the world the spiritual gifts they've received. In A Labyrinth Year, Kautz guides readers on a labyrinth pilgrimage that winds through the seasons of the liturgical year with devotions (to be used while walking the labyrinth) based on the thoughts and emotions of biblical characters whose stories are recalled in the seasonal scripture readings. As readers explore the journeys of these people of faith, they connect with the deeper meaning of the stories and learn to live them out in their own experience.




Exploring the Worship Spectrum


Book Description

An exploration of what worship looks like from a biblical standpoint and why the topic of worship can be so contentious among Christians. Because worship is inherently theological--because it's a manifestation of humanity's response to God's holiness--it's important to take seriously how we worship and the roles it serves in personal displays of adoration and in community with other believers. Exploring the Worship Spectrum provides an overview, critique, and celebration of six prominent worship styles: Formal-Liturgical – represented by Paul Zahl Traditional Hymn-Based – represented by Harold Best Contemporary Music-Driven – represented by Joe Horness Charismatic – represented by Don Williams Blended – represented by Robert Webber Emerging – represented by Sally Morgenthaler This unique format allows those with a heart for worship to compare different perspectives and draw their own conclusions on what the Bible teaches. It allows readers to understand the various approaches to worship, carefully evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, and make personal choices without adopting a judgmental spirit. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.




Unceasing Worship


Book Description

Harold M. Best casts a holistic vision for worship that transcends narrow discussions of musical style or congregational preference, corrects errors in how Christians have viewed the arts and misunderstandings about the use of music, and offers instead a more biblically consistent approach to artistic action.




The Spirituality of Mazes and Labyrinths


Book Description

In this full-colour, beautifully illustrated book, Gailand MacQueen uses myth, history, and personal experience to explore the spiritual meanings of mazes and labyrinths. Convinced that labyrinths and mazes have much to teach us, Gailand MacQueen invites readers on a sometimes mystical, sometimes mysterious, journey of spiritual discovery.




Becoming


Book Description

This elegant volume offers itself as a spiritual companion for young adults and all who live amid transitions and tensions. Dozens of carefully selected readings address themes that are prominent for people in their twenties and early thirties. The topics include: Passion and purpose Identity Community Losing and finding Justice and creation Each section features reflections from Unitarian Universalist young adults, as well as poems, prayers, and opening and closing words from contemporary and ancient peoples. This treasury of uplifting and thought-provoking meditations can serve as a guide and provide comfort on our never-ending journey of becoming.




The Art of Worship


Book Description

Paxson Jeancake's 'The Art of Worship' invites readers to explore the intersection of gospel, art, and worship. Each and every Lord's Day, there is the potential for moments of spiritual illumination and transformation to occur in the lives of God's people. In the midst of corporate worship -- through the artistic media of story, imagery, and expression -- people's eyes can be opened to the beautiful, paradoxical truth of the gospel. Gospel-centered worship, however, does not happen in a vacuum. It is crafted and facilitated by human leadership, informed by biblical inquiry and theological conclusions, and fleshed out in the context of a local culture and community. This book explores all of these various facets of worship to help worship leaders, worship planners, pastors, and laypeople experience and plan gospel-centered worship that is contextual and creative, for the glory of God and the edification of his people.




The Maze Maker


Book Description

“I address you across more than three thousand years, you who live at the conjunction of the Fish and the Water-carrier,” speaks Daedalus, an artisan, inventor, and designer born into an utterly alien family of heroes who value acts of war above all else, a world where his fellow Greeks seem driven only to destroy—an existence he feels compelled to escape. In this fictional autobiography of the father of Icarus, “Apollo’s creature,” a brilliant but flawed man, writer and sculptor Michael Ayrton harnesses the tales of the past to mold a myth for our times. We learn of Daedalus’s increasingly ambitious artifacts and inventions; his fascination with Minoan culture, commerce, and religion, and his efforts to adapt to them; how he comes to design the maze of the horned Minotaur; and how, when he decides that he must flee yet again, he builds two sets of wax wings—wings that will be instruments of his descent into the underworld, a place of both purgatory and rebirth. A compelling mix of history, fable, lore, and meditations on the enigma of art, The Maze Maker will ensnare classicists, artists, and all lovers of story in its convolutions of life and legend. “I never understood the pattern of my life,” writes Daedalus, “so that I have blundered through it in a maze.”




Walking the Church Year


Book Description

An indispensable, pocket-sized guide for incorporating labyrinths into your spiritual walk. For centuries, labyrinths have served as an essential meditation aid for Christians seeking to deepen their personal relationships with God. In this portable edition—perfect for mobile use at home or in church—Robert Elsner unravels the mysteries of the labyrinth, laying out a clear roadmap to a regular meditative practice. Following the liturgical calendar, each entry offers scripture to contemplate, prayers or mantras, a reflection, and questions to inspire further thought. Suggestions for alternate labyrinth forms ensure that these meditations can be practiced by the faithful of all physical abilities.




Theology in the Service of the Church


Book Description

This title bridges the chasm between church and academy. This volume celebrates the life and work of Fisher H. Humphreys, a noted Baptist theologian whose teachings and writings have shaped several generations of pastors, missionaries, and theological students. Humphreys has said about his own life's work: 'My theology is church theology. I do thinking about God in the fellowship of the church'. Since 1990, Humphreys has taught systematic theology at Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, following an even longer tenure on the faculty of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Written by Humphreys' colleagues and friends, the essays here illuminate various aspects of the theologian's calling from the standpoint of specific theological disciplines and from the intersection of theology with other areas of Christian life and thought. In this way, Fisher Humphreys' self-understanding of his own vocation as a theologian of the church is commended and the importance of thinking clearly and faithfully about God in the fellowship of the church is seen to be a vital component in the life of the faith.