This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Where All Hope Lies presents fifty-six select sermons by James Van Tholen, a gifted young pastor who lost his battle with cancer in January 2001 at the age of thirty-six. Though Jim's untimely death gives a certain poignancy to this volume, these sermons are far from dark or despairing. Van Tholen's conversational style, thought-provoking insights into Scripture, and frequent interaction with such writers as Flannery O'Connor, Frederick Buechner, Kathleen Norris, and others make these sermons truly enjoyable as well as profitable to read. Through them all there runs a sense of concentrating on what really matters--trusting in God no matter what suffering or difficulties might come our way. Indeed, as demonstrated by the book's title sermon--first published in Chrisitanity Today as "Surprised by Death"--more than anything, Van Tholen preached the grace and goodness of God. Including a foreword by Neal Plantinga and a closing reflection on "the man behind the sermons" by Jim's wife, Rachel, Where All Hope Lies offers gracious, powerful, uplifting words for believers throughout the church year.

The pilgrimage route to Compostela is graced with an exceptional witness from its early days: the Liber Sancti Jacobi or Book of Saint James. This book is found most famously in a twelfth-century manuscript from the library of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as well as in various other manuscripts. The text provides an encyclopedia on Saint James the Great and on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, the traditional site of his burial in Galicia in northwestern Spain. Of the five books included in the manuscript, Book I, the longest, contains the Sermons and Liturgy of Saint James. It is published here in English translation for the first time. It consists of two major sections: the first contains sermons and readings on Saint James, and the second presents a compendium of liturgical prose, poetry, and musical material suitable for the feasts of Saint James. Book I is accompanied here with the first full translation of the addenda that consists of material gathered subsequent to the compilation of the original five books and that was inserted at its end. The sermons and readings include works attributed to Pope Calixtus and Pope Leo, and others authored by Gregory the Great, Jerome, Bede, Eusebius, Augustine, and John Chrysostom. These sermons and readings stand as self-contained units that fit into the liturgies. The liturgical material is a compendium of readings and music for the feast days related to Saint James, including his Calling, Translatio, Passion, and Miracles. The musical pieces are the most extensive collection of musical materials dedicated to a single saint in the twelfth century. They include antiphons, responsorials, hymns, and processionals, with both older and original melodies. This book of the Liber Sancti Jacobi provides a picture of the power and importance of the saint, reflecting his significance and that of Santiago de Compostela, along with Rome and Jerusalem one of the three major Christian pilgrimage sites during the Middle Ages. 566 pages. Preface, introduction, notes, bibliography, index, and illustrations

Preachers get the best of lectionary and topical series preaching with this comprehensive manual of sermon series ideas based on the Revised Common Lectionary. Designed to frame consecutive weeks of lectionary texts into seasonal and short-term series, a diverse group of twelve preachers outline multiple thematic series plans for each lectionary year. Each series plan provides a series overview, chart that outlines each segment of the series, tips and ideas, scriptural references, and a brief sermon starter. The series honors holy days and seasons and responds to typical patterns of church attendance, maximizing visitor retention and member engagement. Pastors can honor their commitment to lectionary preaching while taking advantage of the benefits series preaching can offer with this truly unique resource. Contributors include: Theresa Cho, Pastor of St. John's Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, California Bob Dannals, Rector of St. Michael's and All Angels Episcopal Church, Dallas, Texas Magrey R. DeVega, Pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa, Florida Brian Erickson, Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama Mihee Kim-Kort, Presbyterian Minister and Campus Ministry Leader at University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana Jessica LaGrone, Dean of Chapel at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky Cleophus J. LaRue, Professor of Homiletics, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey Jacqueline J. Lewis, Senior Minister, Middle Collegiate Church, New York City, New York Katherine Willis Pershey, Pastor of First Congregational Church, Western Springs, Illinois Paul Rock, Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, Kansas Martin Thielen, Pastor of First United Methodist Church, Cookeville, Tennessee Winnie Varghese, Priest and Director of Community Outreach at Trinity Wall Street, New York, New York

Aelred (1110–1167) served Rievaulx Abbey, the second Cistercian monastery in England, for twenty years as abbot. During his abbacy he wrote thirteen treatises, some offering spiritual guidance and others seeking to advise King Henry II. He also wrote thirty-one sermons as a commentary on Isaiah 13–16 and 182 surviving liturgical sermons, mostly addressed to his monks. This volume contains the second half of Aelred's ninety-eight liturgical sermons from the Reading-Cluny collection, Sermons 134 through 182, as well as Aelred's sermon for the translation of Saint Edward the Confessor in 1163, from the critical edition by Peter Jackson first published in Cistercian Studies Quarterly. For the most part, the collection follows the liturgical year; this volume begins with a sermon for the birth of John the Baptist and ends with three sermons for the feast of All Saints. It contains sixteen Marian sermons as well as a sermon for the birth of Saint Katherine and a sermon for nuns.

Just ten years after it was first published, Worship That Works is already a classic text of the Unitarian Universalist liturgical arts. Following a road trip in which they visited congregations of various sizes and traditions, the authors offer essential theory and best practices for lay worship leaders, ministers, and student ministers alike. Significantly updated, this second edition includes revisions and new chapters on multicultural worship, multigenerational worship, and new models of services for contemporary practices.

In this book on The Arnhem mystical sermons, Ineke Cornet offers the first in-depth study of the mystical and theological content of this sixteenth-century sermon collection from St. Agnes in Arnhem.

It would be practically impossible to understand this monumental transition from the Roman world to Christendom without taking into account the pivotal role played by Leo the Great. In this regard, his sermons provide invaluable data for the social historian. It was Leo--and not the emperor--who went out to confront Attila the Hun. It was Leo who once averted and on another occasion mitigated the ravages of barbarian incursions. As significant as his contribution was to history, Leo had an even greater impact on theology.

"As the psalms are a microcosm of the Old Testament, so the Expositions of the Psalms can be seen as a microcosm of Augustinian thought. In the Book of Psalms are to be found the history of the people of Israel, the theology and spirituality of the Old Covenant, and a treasury of human experience expressed in prayer and poetry. So too does the work of expounding the psalms recapitulate and focus the experiences of Augustine's personal life, his theological reflections and his pastoral concerns as Bishop of Hippo."--Publisher's website.

Preaching and music are both regular elements of Christian worship, yet they often don't interact or inform each other in meaningful ways. Theologian, pastor, and musician Noel A. Snyder considers how preaching that seeks to engage hearts and minds might be helpfully informed by musical theory—so that preachers might craft sermons that sing.