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Barack Obama's success in becoming President of the United States meant that he dramatically changed the face that his country presented to the world. In this bestselling book, Barack Obama discusses the importance of empathy in politics, his hopes for a different America with different policies, and how the ideals of its democracy can be renewed. With intimacy and self-deprecating humour, Obama describes his experiences as a politician and balancing his family life with his public vocation. His search for consensus and his respect for the democratic process inform every sentence. A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a sceptic, Barack Obama has written a book of transforming power that will inspire people the world over.
Baptists have a long and rich heritage of congregational song. The hymns Baptists have sung and the books from which they have sung them have been shaping forces for Baptist theology, worship, and piety. Baptist authors and composers have provided songs that have made an impact not only among Baptists in America but also across denominational and geographic lines. Congregational singing continues to be a key component of Baptist worship in the twenty-first century. Beginning with an overview of the British background, this book is a survey of the history of Baptist hymnody in America from Baptist beginnings in the New World to the present. Its intent is to help the reader better understand t...
Celebrating the spirit of song In A Song to Sing, a Life to Live, Don and Emily Saliers help readers see the connections between Saturday night music and Sunday morning music by exploring the spiritual dimensions of music itself. They tell the stories of their own lives in music, and they share what they have learned and observed about the power of music in human life. They help us appreciate the joy of music and also how music carries us into places of sorrow, where we must go if we are to live with honesty about ourselves and compassion for others. This book is for churchgoers and spiritual seekers alike. Music is described in terms of spiritual practice; it has the power to embrace those who are deeply immersed in the life of Christian faith and speak to those who are spiritual but may question formal religion. The book explores a wide variety of musical traditions and offers an invitation to embrace a broader and deeper vision of the power of music and the spiritual dimensions of attentive listening. "This is a beautiful expression of music as many things--healer, gift, symbol of freedom and community, and agent of change" (Mary Chapin Carpenter).
Singing the psalms is one of the richest treasures of both Jewish and Christian worship. Across the ages, singing the psalms has been an important part of communal and private prayer. In The Psalter: Psalms and Canticles for Singing, one will find a variety of responsorial psalm settings ranging from old forms to the contemporary. It includes plainsong, Anglican chant, Gelineau psalmody, and an abundance of contemporary settings.
By focusing on the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf -- and powerfully linking it to our lives today -- this comprehensive resource offers a compelling approach to observing Lent that truly prepares worshipers to experience Easter's new hope, new possibilities, and new life. Based on the ancient tradition of the five wounds of Christ, Wounded For Us identifies places where we find ourselves hurting, then connects them to one of the wounds Jesus suffered and explores how Christ's resurrection offers reconciliation and healing. Wounded For Us draws an imaginative analogy between Jesus' wounds and these areas in our lives where we are wounded: * Head (crown of thorns) -- our thoughts * Side (p...
Few can argue with the power of music to touch the heart. Voices shared in worshipful song allow us to honor God in a truly beautiful way. In Hymns for Today, renowned hymn writer Brian Wren helps us understand why this is so. Wren surveyed hundreds of hymns written since the 1960s to compile this discussion of forty hymn poems and to share the insights they provide for Christian faith. These contemporary hymns are analyzed for how they express Christian faith and traditional themes in fresh ways. Questions for discussion are included for each chapter, making this book an excellent group study resource. The For Today series was designed to provide reliable and accessible resources for the study and real life application of important biblical texts, theological documents, and Christian practices. The emphasis of the series is not only on the realization and appreciation of what these subjects have meant in the past, but also on their value in the present--"for today." Thought-provoking questions are included at the end of each chapter, making the books ideal for personal study and group use.
This new book of congregational song will include: Over 800 hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs. Approximately 50% of included hymns will be from the 1990 Presbyterian hymnal. The remaining pieces will come from former Presbyterian hymnals, other denominational songbooks, and individual authors and composers. A musical setting of almost every Sunday lectionary psalm. Music from six different continents. Music covering all major historical and contemporary sacred genres, including approximately thirty-five African American/Gospel hymns. Comprehensive indexes. Glory to God will also contain worship aids and printed liturgies for Sunday services (including baptism and the Lord's Supper) and serv...
A groundbreaking collection of writings that place queer ritual at the center of the theological conversation. In this collection of essays, leading scholars in queer theology and liturgical studies explore the ways in which the distinctive theological voices of LGBTQIA+ Christians challenge and expand thinking and practice around worship in new directions. This challenge has expanded in the past decades, as obstacles to the full participation of queer Christians—particularly in marriage and ordination—have fallen. Organized into three main parts, the volume begins with an introduction to queer engagement with ritual practices, continues with a series of case studies that examine queer texts and contexts, and concludes with an examination of the horizons of queer liturgical theology and practice. Throughout the volume, Queering Christian Worship provides new imagination and tools to those who study and curate Christian worship across traditions.