Christopher L Webber - Böcker

The perfect book for newcomers who are often confused by the worship service, Welcome to Sunday is also an excellent book for those who have been sitting in the pews without fully understanding what happens on Sunday morning. Episcopal priest Christopher Webber takes the reader from the sidewalk outside the church, guides them through the service, and sends them out again when the service has ended. Webber explains the postures, the Christian year, the colors we use during various seasons, and all the elements in the Service of the Eucharist. As in Webber's very popular Welcome to the Episcopal Church, the tone of the easy-to-read book is conversational, making it useful for parish study.

A foundational volume for seekers in formation programs and a “refresher” study volume for individuals and congregational study groups.We live in a world increasingly separated from the Christian tradition and the basic understanding of the faith that previous ages might have taken for granted. The voices of faith seem increasingly strident and off-putting to many. There is a need for a calmer, basic introduction to faith that recognizes the value of doubt and the questions raised in a secular society.A systematic introduction to Christianity for newcomers needs to begin with a discussion of faith itself and then move on to a discussion of such Christian basics as God, Trinity, Church, sin, atonement, prayer, and Christian living.

This useful book falls in the category of resources for structuring liturgies to fit local occasions. In addition to seven complete vigil services inspired by the ancient monastic discipline of nighttime prayer and meditation, there are new models such as "A Vigil in the Presence of God" or "A Vigil for Peace and Justice". Ample notes throughout explain the history of vigils and offer advice for planning small private and large public vigils.

At the age of 19, scared and illiterate, James Pennington escaped from slavery in 1827 and soon became one of the leading voices against slavery prior to the Civil War. Just ten years after his escape, Pennington was ordained to the ministry of the Congregational Church after studying at Yale. Moving to Hartford, he became involved with the Amistad captives and founded the first African American mission society. As he fought for equal rights in America, Pennington's voice was not limited to the preacher's pulpit. He wrote the first-ever "History of the Colored People" as well as a careful study of the moral basis for civil disobedience, which would be echoed decades later by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.  More than a century before Rosa Parks took her monumental bus ride, Pennington challenged segregated seating in New York City street cars, for which he was beaten and arrested.  American to the Backbone brings to life this fascinating, forgotten pioneer, who helped lay the foundation for the contemporary civil rights revolution and inspire generations of future leaders.

Americans want to know: What would Jesus do? What would Paul say today?For almost two thousand years, Christians have asked two essential questions: “What would Jesus do?” and “What would Paul say?” Paul wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else did, and he dealt with the basic problems of his day: What should Christians do about marriage? What should the relationship be between Jews and Christians? What is the Christian responsibility to the state? What about ethnic differences? What about male and female relationships? But Paul did not answer the specific questions many Americans are now asking about marriage, interfaith relationships, illegal immigrants, and the authority of government.Now, one respected Christian writer has put suggested answers in the form of new letters from Paul to Americans. Following the pattern of Paul’s letters to Rome, Corinth, and Galatia, a priest of the Episcopal Church has written letters in Paul’s name to Washington, California, Texas, and other American cities and states. Whether encouraging, insightful, useful, or controversial, these letters are a serious attempt to make Paul directly relevant to our time and issues. This book is a call for American Christians to think more carefully about the relationship between faith and society, and to seek purposeful, biblical living.

A meditation on the meaning of Good Friday and the value of silence.Good Friday is not like any other time of the year, and Christians everywhere wonder about the best way to mark the day. Again and again, sermons and meditations have centered our attention on the words Jesus spoke from the cross, but those few, brief words would have needed only a few minutes on the first Good Friday. Seven chapters in this unique book consider the event, and the meaning, of the Crucifixion to our lives today, including the various ways in which silence plays a role in our daily lives.So many of us are overwhelmed with words coming at us from all our electronic devices that the thought of more language has less appeal than it once did. On one of the holiest days of the year, these brief meditations are designed to call us into the silence that still speaks more loudly than words.

An indispensable resource that supports vestry members and clergy in their ministry.Trusted by tens of thousands of vestry members, wardens, and rectors, The Vestry Handbook is the indispensable guide to the day-to-day functions of an Episcopal parish. The handbook includes explanations of leadership roles and organizational structure, parish finances, building maintenance, tax considerations, elections, the spiritual lives of vestry members, and more. This new fourth edition responds to the changing needs of Episcopal churches with additional coverage of diversity and inclusion, new guidance for parish finances, and advice tailored to small congregations. The volume has been updated throughout to reflect the current canons of the Episcopal Church.

An indispensable resource that supports vestry members and clergy in their ministry.Trusted by tens of thousands of vestry members, wardens, and rectors, The Vestry Handbook is the indispensable guide to the day-to-day functions of an Episcopal parish. The handbook includes explanations of leadership roles and organizational structure, parish finances, building maintenance, tax considerations, elections, the spiritual lives of vestry members, and more. This new fourth edition responds to the changing needs of Episcopal churches with additional coverage of diversity and inclusion, new guidance for parish finances, and advice tailored to small congregations. The volume has been updated throughout to reflect the current canons of the Episcopal Church.

A comprehensive, easy-to-understand primer to the Episcopal faith for new members, inquirers, and Church members who are unfamiliar with its history, beliefs, and practices.Written in accessible language and in a conversational tone, this introduction to The Episcopal Church is the ideal resource for adult parish study, newcomers, and other interested individuals. From an Episcopal perspective, the author examines the Church's history, worship, beliefs, spiritual life, organizational structure, mission and outreach, and the way followers interpret and understand the Bible. Study questions accompany each chapter."Welcome to The Episcopal Church makes clear that the worship of God is the most important thing that can be said about us, and that worship is the source for everything else in our life together--our commitment to justice for all people, our mission to those who do not yet know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and how we should live out our lives in this very complex world."-from the Foreword, The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold III, Presiding Bishop and Primate