The Sacred Harp, a tunebook that first appeared in 1844, has stood as a model of early American musical culture for most of this century. Tunebooks such as this, printed in shape notes for public singing and singing schools, followed the New England tradition of singing hymns and Psalms from printed music. Nineteeth-century Americans were inundated by such books, but only the popularity of The Sacred Harp has endured throughout the twentieth century. With this tunebook as his focus, John Bealle surveys definitive moments in American musical history, from the lively singing schools of the New England Puritans to the dramatic theological crises that split New England Congregationalism, from the rise of the genteel urban mainstream in frontier Cincinnati to the bold "New South" movement that sought to transform the southern economy, from the nostalgic culture-writing era of the Great Depression to the post-World War II folksong revival. Although Bealle finds that much has changed in the last century, the custodians of the tradition of Sacred Harp singing have kept it alive and accessible in an increasingly diverse cultural marketplace. Public Worship, Private Faith is a thorough and readable analysis of the historical, social, musical, theological, and textual factors that have contributed to the endurance of Sacred Harp singing.

Conventional histories of late antique Christianity tell the story of a public institution - the Christian church. In this book, Kim Bowes relates another history, that of the Christian private. Using textual and archaeological evidence, she examines the Christian rituals of home and rural estate, which took place outside the supervision of bishops and their agents. These domestic rituals and the spaces in which they were performed were rooted in age-old religious habits. They formed a major, heretofore unrecognized force in late ancient Christian practice. The religion of home and family, however, was not easily reconciled with that of the bishop's church. Domestic Christian practices presented challenges to episcopal authority and posed thorny questions about the relationship between individuals and the Christian collective. As Bowes suggests, the story of private Christianity reveals a watershed in changing conceptions of "public" and "private," one whose repercussions echo through contemporary political and religious debate.

Nothing is more important than worship. It is the theme of Scripture, the theme of eternity, and the theme of redemptive history— to worship the true and living and glorious God is the purpose of all creation. So why do we treat it as only what is sung or played in church on Sunday morning? Pastor John MacArthur leads you through Scripture texts about true worship. You will learn that worship is any essential expression of service rendered unto God by a soul that loves and extols Him for who He is. Worship is the nonstop role of believers, not merely part of a church service. So get ready to alter your priorities, aiming higher than entertaining worshipers on Sunday mornings. Worship shows that your ultimate priority must always be to worship the true and living God, with a radically different type of living.

"Holy Personal" begins with the design and construction of the author's own private chapel and activities that compelled her to set forth on a pilgrimage to 28 other private places of worship--temples, chapels, stupas and shrines. DeMari's luminous photos reveal the personal and private nature of these unique places. 100 photos, 60 in color.

Modern worship leaders are restless. They have inherited a model of leadership that equates leading worship with being a rock star. But leading worship is more than a performance, it's about shaping souls and making disciples. Every worship leader is really a pastor. The Worship Pastor is a practical and biblical introduction to this essential pastoral role. Filled with engaging, illustrative stories it is organized to address questions of theory and practice, striving to balance conversational accessibility with informed instruction. Part One presents a series of evocative "vignettes"--intriguing and descriptive titles and metaphors of who a Worship Pastor is and what he or she does. It shows the Worship Pastor as Church-Lover, Disciple Maker, Corporate Mystic, and Doxological Philosopher. Part Two covers specific roles related to ministry within the worship service itself--the Worship Pastor as Theological Dietician, Caregiver, Mortician, Emotional Shepherd, War General, Prophetic Guardian, Missional Historian, and Liturgical Architect. Part Three looks at ministry beyond the worship service--the Worship Pastor as Visionary Teacher, Evangelist, Artist Chaplain, and Team Leader. While some worship leaders are eager to embrace their pastoral role, many are lost and confused or lack the resources of time or money to figure out what this role looks like. Pastor Zac Hicks gives us a clear guide to leading worship, one that takes the pastoral call seriously.

Gathering together for worship is an indispensable part of your family's spiritual life. It is a means for God to reveal himself to you and your loved ones in a powerful way. This practical guide by Donald S. Whitney will prove invaluable to families—with or without children in the home—as they practice God-glorifying, Christ-exalting worship through Bible reading, prayer, and singing. Includes a discussion guide in the back for small groups.

Why is worship the single most important thing a Christian can learn to do? How are we to worship the Lord? Only on Sundays? What is it that keeps us from worshipping? How is worship different from praise? What is the connection between worship and joy? How is it possible to restore "the joy of our salvation?" Worship is the single most important thing a Christian can learn to do, because it's the "key" to God's presence and the fullness of joy. Without worship, we'll not be able to enjoy His presence; and without His presence, we'll have no joy; and without joy, we'll have no strength.

Hungering and thirsting for God’s majesty As the world becomes ever more impersonal, hectic, and stressful, our hunger grows for the reality of God’s greatness in our lives. We seek moments of personal worship and praise to God...we desire His awesome presence. Now Jerry Bridges, one of this generation’s most influential and personal Christian writers, guides you into God’s throne room for an intensely personal time of worship. You’ll exalt God for... • His Greatness...beyond measure, beyond compare • His Holiness...transcendent majesty • His Wisdom...skill and splendor on display • His Love...the infinite love of an amazing Father for His child Along with clear, compelling, biblical teaching on these four aspects of God’s nature, I Exalt You, O God includes a generous scattering of prayers that will guide your heart into reverent praise and thanksgiving. As a result, you’ll come away with a fresh and deeper desire to fall before God’s presence with heartfelt praise for the vastness and the wonder of His greatness, His holiness, His wisdom, and His love.

We live in a visual culture. Today, people increasingly rely upon visuals to help them understand new and difficult concepts. The rise and stunning popularity of the Internet infographic has given us a new way in which to convey data, concepts and ideas. But the visual portrayal of truth is not a novel idea. Indeed, God himself used visuals to teach truth to his people. The tabernacle of the Old Testament was a visual representation of man's distance from God and God's condescension to his people. Each part of the tabernacle was meant to display something of man's treason against God and God's kind response. Likewise, the sacraments of the New Testament are visual representations of man's sin and God's response. Even the cross was both reality and a visual demonstration. As teachers and lovers of sound theology, Challies and Byers have a deep desire to convey the concepts and principles of systematic theology in a fresh, beautiful and informative way. In this book, they have made the deepest truths of the Bible accessible in a way that can be seen and understood by a visual generation.

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.