Beyond the Lectionary gives preachers a new year of Biblical texts that are not found on Sundays (or other mainline Protestant holy days) in the three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary. It provides readings from the Hebrew Bible, Psalms, Epistles/New Testament and Gospels for each Sunday of the liturgical year, along with several midweek observances. The texts have been selected with an eye toward continuity (progressing in order) and complementarity (textual completion or harmony), and they are accompanied by commentaries and prayers. Written in language that is accessible to both lay people and professionals, Beyond the Lectionary has the potential to transform congregational culture by bringing more of the content of scripture to people's awareness. ,

Assemblies recognize the difference between a lector who simply reads and one who truly proclaims the Word of God. They perk up and take special notice when they sense that the lector has worked to get inside the text, to express the meaning authentically, and to draw them into the story. Douglas Leal has spent decades as a lector, lector trainer, actor, and director. He knows how to coach lectors beyond reading so they can become proclaimers of the Word. The conversational, spirited style of the book recreates the sense of a live training session with the author. In a magazine format, with running text surrounded by boxes that focus on a particular subjects and techniques, a tool from the actor’s toolbox, or an encouraging story from the world of acting, the book presents a wealth of wisdom and practical instruction that can carry a lector far beyond basic training. Chapter by chapter, Leal guides lectors to Understand their role as sacred storytellers Learn how to study the text closely: understand its style; notice its literary devices; consider its context in the Bible, the liturgical year, and the lectionary; use Scripture resources to arrive at its meaning; practice the text; and pray it Work with their voice: articulation, tempo, rhythm, pauses, volume, and inflection Develop comfort with nonverbal skills: eye contact, posture, and facial expression Choose an intention appropriate to the text and responsive to the needs of the community Understanding and expressing the true emotional content of the text Staying focused on the text, cultivating authenticity and humility, and seeking feedback Overcoming nervousness, mistakes, colds, and other unexpected problems Developing a plan for practice and preparation

If you're looking for ways to add excitement to your Sunday morning services while continuing to follow the lectionary texts, look no further! This remarkably inventive volume includes all the core liturgical elements of worship and introduces your congregation to innovative ventures into the fine arts -- yet everything revolves around each week's assigned lectionary passages. Whether you choose to use the stately calls to worship, litanies, and prayers, or try your hand (and those of your congregants) at dance, art, or drama, all can be done to bring glory to God and a fresh sense of his blessing to your services. There's also a wealth of musical suggestions reinforcing the main themes and ideas of the prayers, including hymns chosen from a wide variety of denominational hymnals, psalm settings, and appropriate anthems for the choir. The Lectionary Worship Workbook is a comprehensive library of creative material that will enable you and your congregation to encounter the living God -- and keep your worship services fresh, passionate, and stimulating. Amy C. Schifrin is currently the interim pastor at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania. A former Seminary Pastor/Dean of the Chapel at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California, Schifrin has also served congregations in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arizona, California, and Saskatchewan (Canada) during nearly three decades of parish and campus ministry. Schifrin holds degrees in music theory and composition from Arizona State University (B.Mus.) and Northwestern University (M.Mus.), as well as degrees from Luther Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley (Ph.D. in the Arts, Worship, and Proclamation). Her published works include hymns and psalm settings as well as articles and book reviews in Currents, Word and World, Dialog, and The Lutheran. Martha Shonkwiler is an artist and former elementary schoolteacher whose work encourages healing through art and spirituality. Her current emphasis is on developing spirituality through walking labyrinths. Shonkwiler is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, where she earned her M.A. degree in Christian ministry, and she has also studied art therapy at Sonoma State University and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Now a resident of Grants Pass, Oregon, Shonkwiler serves as a volunteer chaplain, labyrinth facilitator, and occasional art therapist at Three Rivers Community Hospital. Her artwork is also featured in local galleries.

Good pastoral leadership is not a "by the numbers" proposition. It is a matter of heart and soul, of devoting the whole self to the vision God gives for the congregation in which one serves. Yet neither is it purely intuitive; it requires hard, careful thinking about the directions and details of the path down which God calls. When Adam Hamilton became pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, its membership consisted of himself and his family. Ten years later the church averages between five and six thousand worshipers per weekend. Throughout this remarkable period, Hamilton learned many serious lessons about both the broad visions and the specific details of pastoral leadership. Bringing a depth of analytical skills often lacking in visionary leaders, in this book he goes beyond simply telling the story of Church of the Resurrection. He shares the questions that he learned to ask about the largely unchurched population to which Church of the Resurrection has reached out. Further, he demonstrates what he learned by listening to the answers to these questions, and how doing so has made possible a number of strategically crucial decisions the church has made. One of those crucial decisions was to make more traditional forms of worship and praise the center of the congregation's life. The result is that the example of Church of the Resurrection offers pastors and church leaders (especially those in mainline denominations) the realization that they need not completely change their liturgical and theological identity in order to reach out to the unchurched. Drawing on his own experience, as well as the detailed research on the characteristics of highly successful congregations he undertook during a sabbatical leave, Hamilton offers pastors and other church leaders solid, substantive thinking on steps that congregations can take to become centers of vibrant outreach and mission.Also available in:Adobe Ebook 9780687026753Microsoft Ebook 9780687027491

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105 NRSV) Coming up with fresh, meaningful worship material each Sunday that illuminates scripture and preaching themes is a pressure-filled responsibility. That's why busy pastors and worship leaders will love this all-new edition of a perennial CSS favorite. It's an easy-to-use reference offering several prayers relating to the assigned scriptural passages for every Sunday and major observance in Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary. For each First Lesson, Second Lesson, and Gospel text there's a call to worship, a collect, a prayer of confession, and suggested hymns. Supplemental material includes alternate verses for several familiar hymns, as well as an anointing service, a communion and feetwashing service, and a lamentation service for the anniversary of 9/11. This complete collection offers a wide selection of practical aids for creating sincerely reverent, thematically unified worship experiences in which hymns, prayers, and scripture all work together to dance in and around God's Word. Lord, listen to your people praying. Your faithfulness is evident all around us, in the green of the hill, in the rushing of the rivers, and in the life that surrounds us. The birds who eat the seeds we leave out, and the birds who plunder the fruit we thought we would save for ourselves, are both yours. The bears who forage in the woods and who rummage through our trash are yours, also. Lord, this is your world and not ours, and surely your presence is in this place, whether or not it suits our purposes. We praise you, Lord, for who you are, and not what we would have you be. We love your world for what it is, and not what we would make it do for us. We praise you for your people as you made us, not by whom we would exclude, condemn, or deny. God of glory, your wisdom is sufficient for us this day. Amen. (sample prayer from Proper 10) Frank Ramirez is an author and pastor in the Church of the Brethren who has written numerous books, articles, and short stories. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez has served congregations in Indiana and California, and is currently pastor at Everett Church of the Brethren in Everett, Pennsylvania. His other CSS titles include Partners In Healing, A Call To Worship, He Took A Towel, The Christmas Star, and Coming Home.

Bigger, stronger, better! Russell Anderson has taken the most original and successful lectionary resource in history and improved on it. He has kept all of the traditional features that have made it a classic, such as: overviews of each liturgical season; commentaries compatible with the Revised Common, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal lectionaries; an introduction to the featured gospel narrator (Luke, in Cycle C); theological reflections for exploring the relationships between the texts, and wide margins for note-taking. Instead of stopping there, he added: a 7"x10" one-size-fits-all format, a suggested sermon title for each week, a Sermon Angle briefly explicating the theological theme for the day (sometimes providing two or three), and two to four illustrative stories per chapter. Contained are crisp, tightly written lectionary helps that zero in on the critical themes of the texts, augmented with illustrative materials. The Prayer of the Day suggestions summarize and apply the themes in helpful language. The Reverend Dr. Dennis Anderson President, Trinity Lutheran Seminary Pastor Anderson's ability to relate eternal truths in the language of our 20th century society will enable those informed by his writings to communicate the TRUTH in a way that will gain attention and guide the living of life. The Reverend Dr. Reuben T. Swanson Former Bishop, Nebraska Synod, Lutheran Church in America Former Secretary, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Russell F. Anderson is pastor at Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He received his master of divinity degree from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and his doctor of ministry degree from McCormick Theological School in Chicago. He has published his own worship and homiletical resources under the banner "Worship Windows."

Geoff Wood's reflections on the Sunday reading make visible scripture's perennial applicability to human experience. Through reference to Western literature as well as his life experiences, he engages our imagination and helps us to see the wisdom of the biblical word shine forth.

The introduction of Common Worship services in the Church of England has gone remarkably smoothly, considering the immensity of the task. But despite its overall success, the sheer variety of material, coupled with the complex rules about what is and is not allowed, have left some parishes, clergy and Readers wondering if this is really the best way to produce good worship. A question such as, ‘How do we use Common Worship for a Messy Church service of Holy Communion?’ focuses the issue – but it is a question being asked in different ways in lots of different places. In this book, Mark Earey turns to the future, asking whether the framework of canon law, notes and rubrics within which Common Worship operates is any longer fit for purpose. In a mixed economy Church in which fresh expressions of church, alt.worship and new monasticism all sit alongside traditional parish churches, he asks whether it is time for the current rules-based approach to Church of England liturgy to make way for an approach based on trust and accountability. Such an approach would allow for more local flexibility and creativity, but raises big questions about how such worship can be truly indigenous yet authentically Anglican.

The challenge of creating a fresh, incisive sermon every Sunday can sometimes seem overwhelming -- but if you have the all-new edition of CSS' acclaimed Lectionary Preaching Workbook at your fingertips, you'll never feel that way again! With penetrating reflections on Cycle B lectionary passages and a thorough discussion of preaching themes plus a treasure trove of supporting illustrations, this comprehensive volume is the perfect starting point for your weekly homiletic research. Carlos Wilton combines a scholar's deep insight into the biblical texts with a pastor's practical understanding of how to make them come alive for the people in your pews, and his astute commentary is sure to stimulate your thought process and provide plenty of seeds for developing messages with maximum impact. A handy, easy-to-use sermon planning template is also included to facilitate the process of building your sermon. The Lectionary Preaching Workbook is an indispensable tool that helps you to powerfully proclaim God's Word while getting the most out of your limited preparation time. Each Sunday's material includes: * a listing of applicable Revised Common, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal lectionary texts * a theme for the day * commentary on the Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel lessons * possible preaching approaches * a pastoral prayer * numerous illustrations to flesh out the message Carlos E. Wilton has been the pastor since 1990 of Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church, in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. He previously served as assistant dean and director of admissions at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. Wilton is a graduate of Washington College (B.A.), Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and the University of St. Andrews, Scotland (M.Phil. and Ph.D.). In addition to his parish responsibilities, Wilton is also an adjunct professor at New Brunswick Theological Seminary and a member of the writing team for the online preaching resource The Immediate Word (www.csspub.com).