Could This Be God?: Bumping into God in the everyday
Could This Be God?: Bumping into God in the everyday
Author
:
Brian Harris
Product Type: eBook with Glassboxx
£8.99
Digital eBook Only - In a series of pithy, poignant and profound short readings, this book explores the intersection of faith and life. Spotting parables in the everyday, it equips readers to explore whether they might be bumping into God without realising it. Heartening and often funny, it applies biblical truth in a way that both fascinates and liberates.
This item is available to purchase from BRF Ministries with orders being fulfilled by Glassboxx, our digital service provider.
| Title | Could This Be God?: Bumping into God in the everyday |
| Author | Brian Harris |
| ISBN | |
| Description | Digital eBook Only - In a series of pithy, poignant and profound short readings, this book explores the intersection of faith and life. Spotting parables in the everyday, it equips readers to explore whether they might be bumping into God without realising it. Heartening and often funny, it applies biblical truth in a way that both fascinates and liberates. |
| Details |
|
Digital eBook Only - In a series of pithy, poignant and profound short readings, this book explores the intersection of faith and life. Spotting parables in the everyday, it equips readers to explore whether they might be bumping into God without realising it. Heartening and often funny, it applies biblical truth in a way that both fascinates and liberates.
I couldn't stop smiling as I read this wonderful book. Don't mistake its light touch, practical stance and humorous style for shallowness. It conveys great spiritual wisdom.
Derek Tidball, formerly Principal of London Bible College, currently Visiting Scholar at Spurgeon's College London
Brian Harris shows us that life's seemingly insignificant moments really do matter. Why? Because God can be found in them. Written with grace, cheer and deep reflection 'Could this be God?' is a delightful read that will bring inspiration each day.
Sheridan Voysey, speaker, broadcaster and author
Dr Brian Harris has been the Principal of Perth's Vose Seminary since the start of 2004. Born in South Africa, and a New Zealander by citizenship, he is married to Rosemary and they have three adult children and one grandchild.
In demand as a speaker, teacher and writer, Brian speaks at conferences, theological colleges and churches around Australia as well as in other parts of the world. He has a special focus on training leaders
He serves as a director of Christian Schools Australia, chairs the Carey Group (and is also pastor at large for the Carey movement), is the vice-president of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Theological Schools, is a member of the Commission on Theological Education and Spiritual Formation of the Baptist World Alliance, and is an external advisor to the board of Perth's Riverview Church.
He has served as a visiting international scholar at Carson Newman University in the USA. He is the author of several books, including a book on leadership, The Tortoise Usually Wins: Biblical Reflections on Quiet Leadership (Paternoster, 2013). His latest book The Big Picture: Building Blocks for a Christian World View (Paternoster, 2015) has just been released. He writes a popular monthly column for Perth's The Advocate newspaper, and hosts a growing blog at brianharrisauthor.com.
From Rapport - Lee Abbey magazine Jan - April 2017
In a series of pithy, poignant and profound short readings, this book explores the intersection of faith and life. Spotting parables in the everyday, it equips readers to explore whether they might be bumping into God without realising it. Heartening and often funny, it applies biblical truth in a way that both fascinates and liberates.
From Church Times 24 March 2017
Those who miss Lionel Blue's take on life can be reassured that he has been reincarnated as Brian Harris, principal of a Baptist seminary in Perth, Australia. In Could this be God?, Harris presents 88 brief personal reflections on Life, Growing Faith, the Bible and Prayer, the Church, Our World, and the Seasons. He has a sharp and observant eye, is insightful, healthily self-deprecating, and effortlessly moves between the sacred and the secular.
The book teems with bons mots: 'Goliath is the sort of person you'd hate to sit behind at the movies,' 'God writes straight with crooked lines,' 'The lost sheep and the prodigal son were dechurched people,' and 'Interruptions are my work.'
He is scathing about a purring church and those in love with the wrong world, and bids us all 'to hit a six for Jesus!' Harris repeatedly bats sixers that fly way over the cricket stadium. I even forgave him for ascribing Newman's prayer 'Lord, support us all the day long of this troublous life ...', a favourite of mine, to the Scottish Prayer Book.
Reviewed by The Rt Revd David Wilbourne, Assistant Bishop of Llandaff
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David shares his deep knowledge of the Celtic tradition and opens up history and practice in an accessible and illuminating way. At heart he has the spiritual well-being of the reader to mind as we are encouraged to pray, to look and perceive the spiritual with new eyes and so resource our pilgrimage. Your search and yearning for God will be deepened and enlarged through David's work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Revd Canon Professor James Woodward, Principal Sarum College, Salisbury\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis beautiful book leads us beyond the tired platitudes of a faded Christendom. It brings insights that are whole and rooted, yet are fresh and relevant to life's journey.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRay Simpson, Founding Guardian of the international Community of Aidan and Hilda\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/DavidCole2_480x480.jpg?v=1676495811\" width=\"204\" height=\"363\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePreviously a full-time church minister, David Cole is an international spiritual teacher and retreat leader, an award-winning author and the Deputy Guardian for the Community of Aidan and Hilda. He is also the founder of Waymark Ministries, which creates opportunities for people to engage with the Christian message. He has written \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/40-days-with-the-celtic-saints-devotional-readings-for-a-time-of-preparation\"\u003e40 Days with the Celtic Saints\u003c\/a\u003e (BRF, 2017).\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2024-10-16T15:03:56+01:00","created_at":"2024-10-16T14:55:00+01:00","vendor":"David Cole","type":"eBook","tags":["Celtic Christianity","Easter","Glassboxx","Lent"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":53595051000188,"title":"eBook","option1":"eBook","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857466389","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Celtic Lent: 40 days of devotions to Easter - eBook","public_title":"eBook","options":["eBook"],"price":899,"weight":182,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857466389","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/15_7b303dbe-a82f-47e8-a0af-01436e32abbb.png?v=1729770434","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/16_ad761ddd-28a6-4dc4-87c9-b57712710505.png?v=1729770413"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/15_7b303dbe-a82f-47e8-a0af-01436e32abbb.png?v=1729770434","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":62716421243260,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/15_7b303dbe-a82f-47e8-a0af-01436e32abbb.png?v=1729770434"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/15_7b303dbe-a82f-47e8-a0af-01436e32abbb.png?v=1729770434","width":1303},{"alt":null,"id":62716420129148,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/16_ad761ddd-28a6-4dc4-87c9-b57712710505.png?v=1729770413"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/16_ad761ddd-28a6-4dc4-87c9-b57712710505.png?v=1729770413","width":1303}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigital eBook Only - \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThis inspirational book takes the reader through the 40 days of Lent to the celebration of Easter through the eyes and beliefs of Celtic Christianity. Drawing on primary sources of pastoral letters, monastic rules and the theological teaching of the Celtic church, the author presents a different perspective on the cross of Christ and draws us to see our own life journeys with a new and transforming vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Cole is a careful, wise and skillful writer and guide. His books 40 Days with the Celtic Saints and Celtic Lent : 40 days of devotions to Easter are worth investing in. David shares his deep knowledge of the Celtic tradition and opens up history and practice in an accessible and illuminating way. At heart he has the spiritual well-being of the reader to mind as we are encouraged to pray, to look and perceive the spiritual with new eyes and so resource our pilgrimage. Your search and yearning for God will be deepened and enlarged through David's work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Revd Canon Professor James Woodward, Principal Sarum College, Salisbury\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis beautiful book leads us beyond the tired platitudes of a faded Christendom. It brings insights that are whole and rooted, yet are fresh and relevant to life's journey.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRay Simpson, Founding Guardian of the international Community of Aidan and Hilda\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/DavidCole2_480x480.jpg?v=1676495811\" width=\"204\" height=\"363\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePreviously a full-time church minister, David Cole is an international spiritual teacher and retreat leader, an award-winning author and the Deputy Guardian for the Community of Aidan and Hilda. He is also the founder of Waymark Ministries, which creates opportunities for people to engage with the Christian message. He has written \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/40-days-with-the-celtic-saints-devotional-readings-for-a-time-of-preparation\"\u003e40 Days with the Celtic Saints\u003c\/a\u003e (BRF, 2017).\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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{"id":14673663492476,"title":"Images of Grace: A journey from darkness to light at Easter","handle":"images-of-grace-a-journey-from-darkness-to-light-at-easter","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigital eBook Only - \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e‘At the heart of the Christian message is a collection of abstract nouns: love; sin; forgiveness; grace. It is quite difficult to explain what the gospel message is without using some or all of those words. But the problem with abstract nouns is that when we use them, we assume that the person we are talking to understands them, and not only that, we assume that they have the same understanding of the word that we do…’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLent is traditionally a time of repentance, fasting and prayer as we prepare to celebrate our salvation at Easter. Through daily readings and reflections from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day, Amy Scott Robinson explores different biblical images of repentance, sin, forgiveness and grace, bringing them together in Holy Week as a lens through which to view Christ’s work of reconciliation on the cross.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kqn_CTRCtzY\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yGNTnqU6LHs\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IQ0wKSf1ZEM\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is rich in accessible biblical scholarship and insight. It brings the reader's attention to a variety of passages and it is refreshing to read a Lent Book that encourages the reader to look at a variety of passages from across the whole of Christian scripture. The combination of a well-considered reflection, a question and, a suitable prayer for each day make this book the perfect companion for Lent.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Rev'd Canon Michael Robinson (no relation!)\u003cbr\u003eBishops’ Chaplain \u0026amp; Canon Theologian of St Edmundsbury Cathedral\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Amy is an expert storyteller, a well of emotion and reflection, and a follower of Jesus with a deep, genuine hunger for the reality of God.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdrian Plass, author and speaker\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry online February 2023. Review by Margaret Tinsley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe BRF Lent Book for 2023, sub-titled ‘A Journey from Darkness to Light at Easter’ takes the reader day by day on exactly that journey. Amy Scott Robinson was inspired to write this book because she felt that abstract nouns, such as sin and grace, although in frequent use, might be misunderstood – or given a different meaning - by many people. The book is based on the idea that the use of images helps this understanding. These images vary from a few words, to extended metaphors, to whole stories – but all help us to understand Christian concepts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is divided into weekly sections, covering sin and repentance, forgiveness, atonement, restoration, reconciliation and ends with Holy Week. Each day has a Bible reading, commentary, a question and a prayer and, at the end of each week, there is a set of questions, which makes the book suitable for group activity. The commentary which Amy Scott Robinson gives each day is invariably pertinent and engaging and involves personal and literary examples, as well as providing a thoughtful interpretation of the passage. The question demands the reader applies the material to his\/her own life. As a Lent book I recommend this for personal or for group use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Margaret Tinsley\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Richard Frost, author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving previously reviewed \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/image-of-the-invisible-daily-bible-readings-from-advent-to-epiphany?_pos=1\u0026amp;_sid=d107cbc7e\u0026amp;_ss=r\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage of the Invisible\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, Amy Scott-Robinson’s book for Advent through to Epiphany, I was looking forward to this offering for Lent, Holy Week and Easter. And I was not disappointed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs with that previous book, she uses metaphors, stories and biblical examples to open up a wide range of themes. Initially, these images explore the traditional themes of Lent: sin, repentance and forgiveness. Dipping briefly and helpfully in the theological arguments about atonement, the author then continues with images of restoration and reconciliation. A final section for Holy Week finds us encountering a donkey, turning over tables and washing feet before standing by the tomb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the book, we meet characters as diverse as David and Jonah, Jesus Barabbas and Joseph of Arimathea. Each aspect, each chapter, is explored and explained, using helpful contemporary stories and images alongside the biblical ones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this reviewer, reading a book of daily reflections in a shorter timescale inevitably dilutes the full benefit of it (not least also that I read it during Advent!). Thus, for me, the focus on sin during the first half has a particular effect and it is from Week 4 onwards that readers are given a flood of hope as all the images combine to provide ones of grace. Grace which is sufficient for each day and for each one of us, in all times and seasons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRichard Frost is the author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and writes a blog at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/workrestpray.com\/\"\u003eworkrestpray.com\u003c\/a\u003e. He is also the author of \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/richardfrostauthor.com\/\"\u003etwo other books\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAmy Scott Robinson\u003c\/strong\u003e is an author and performance storyteller. After studying English at Christ's College, Cambridge, she trained as a teacher and began writing for charities and providers of liturgical resources, before publishing her own works on puppetry and story. She is married to the rector of four rural parishes in Suffolk, where she is also the benefice children’s worker. She lives in the Rectory and has two children, two guinea pigs, and at any given moment, a half-finished cup of cold tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e","published_at":"2024-10-16T15:21:41+01:00","created_at":"2024-10-16T15:17:39+01:00","vendor":"Amy Scott Robinson","type":"eBook","tags":["Centenary Collection","Discipleship","Easter","Glassboxx","Lent"],"price":999,"price_min":999,"price_max":999,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":53595067187580,"title":"eBook","option1":"eBook","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391185","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Images of Grace: A journey from darkness to light at Easter - eBook","public_title":"eBook","options":["eBook"],"price":999,"weight":200,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800391185","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/17_2dc6ef51-0275-4284-9920-892739ef26fc.png?v=1729770406","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/18_bfe2e8c6-dfa3-407b-bebc-33a65c7e277c.png?v=1729770424"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/17_2dc6ef51-0275-4284-9920-892739ef26fc.png?v=1729770406","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":62716419735932,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/17_2dc6ef51-0275-4284-9920-892739ef26fc.png?v=1729770406"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/17_2dc6ef51-0275-4284-9920-892739ef26fc.png?v=1729770406","width":1303},{"alt":null,"id":62716420391292,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/18_bfe2e8c6-dfa3-407b-bebc-33a65c7e277c.png?v=1729770424"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/18_bfe2e8c6-dfa3-407b-bebc-33a65c7e277c.png?v=1729770424","width":1303}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigital eBook Only - \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e‘At the heart of the Christian message is a collection of abstract nouns: love; sin; forgiveness; grace. 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Through daily readings and reflections from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day, Amy Scott Robinson explores different biblical images of repentance, sin, forgiveness and grace, bringing them together in Holy Week as a lens through which to view Christ’s work of reconciliation on the cross.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kqn_CTRCtzY\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yGNTnqU6LHs\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IQ0wKSf1ZEM\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is rich in accessible biblical scholarship and insight. It brings the reader's attention to a variety of passages and it is refreshing to read a Lent Book that encourages the reader to look at a variety of passages from across the whole of Christian scripture. The combination of a well-considered reflection, a question and, a suitable prayer for each day make this book the perfect companion for Lent.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Rev'd Canon Michael Robinson (no relation!)\u003cbr\u003eBishops’ Chaplain \u0026amp; Canon Theologian of St Edmundsbury Cathedral\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Amy is an expert storyteller, a well of emotion and reflection, and a follower of Jesus with a deep, genuine hunger for the reality of God.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdrian Plass, author and speaker\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry online February 2023. Review by Margaret Tinsley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe BRF Lent Book for 2023, sub-titled ‘A Journey from Darkness to Light at Easter’ takes the reader day by day on exactly that journey. Amy Scott Robinson was inspired to write this book because she felt that abstract nouns, such as sin and grace, although in frequent use, might be misunderstood – or given a different meaning - by many people. The book is based on the idea that the use of images helps this understanding. These images vary from a few words, to extended metaphors, to whole stories – but all help us to understand Christian concepts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is divided into weekly sections, covering sin and repentance, forgiveness, atonement, restoration, reconciliation and ends with Holy Week. Each day has a Bible reading, commentary, a question and a prayer and, at the end of each week, there is a set of questions, which makes the book suitable for group activity. The commentary which Amy Scott Robinson gives each day is invariably pertinent and engaging and involves personal and literary examples, as well as providing a thoughtful interpretation of the passage. The question demands the reader applies the material to his\/her own life. As a Lent book I recommend this for personal or for group use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Margaret Tinsley\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Richard Frost, author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving previously reviewed \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/image-of-the-invisible-daily-bible-readings-from-advent-to-epiphany?_pos=1\u0026amp;_sid=d107cbc7e\u0026amp;_ss=r\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eImage of the Invisible\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, Amy Scott-Robinson’s book for Advent through to Epiphany, I was looking forward to this offering for Lent, Holy Week and Easter. And I was not disappointed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs with that previous book, she uses metaphors, stories and biblical examples to open up a wide range of themes. Initially, these images explore the traditional themes of Lent: sin, repentance and forgiveness. Dipping briefly and helpfully in the theological arguments about atonement, the author then continues with images of restoration and reconciliation. A final section for Holy Week finds us encountering a donkey, turning over tables and washing feet before standing by the tomb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the book, we meet characters as diverse as David and Jonah, Jesus Barabbas and Joseph of Arimathea. Each aspect, each chapter, is explored and explained, using helpful contemporary stories and images alongside the biblical ones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this reviewer, reading a book of daily reflections in a shorter timescale inevitably dilutes the full benefit of it (not least also that I read it during Advent!). Thus, for me, the focus on sin during the first half has a particular effect and it is from Week 4 onwards that readers are given a flood of hope as all the images combine to provide ones of grace. Grace which is sufficient for each day and for each one of us, in all times and seasons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRichard Frost is the author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and writes a blog at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/workrestpray.com\/\"\u003eworkrestpray.com\u003c\/a\u003e. He is also the author of \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/richardfrostauthor.com\/\"\u003etwo other books\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAmy Scott Robinson\u003c\/strong\u003e is an author and performance storyteller. After studying English at Christ's College, Cambridge, she trained as a teacher and began writing for charities and providers of liturgical resources, before publishing her own works on puppetry and story. She is married to the rector of four rural parishes in Suffolk, where she is also the benefice children’s worker. She lives in the Rectory and has two children, two guinea pigs, and at any given moment, a half-finished cup of cold tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e"}
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{"id":14673674011004,"title":"The Celtic Year: A rhythm of prayer and meditation for the eight points of the Celtic year","handle":"the-celtic-year-a-rhythm-of-prayer-and-meditation-for-the-eight-points-of-the-celtic-year-1","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigital eBook Only - \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e‘David Cole is a careful, wise and skilful writer and guide.’\u003cbr\u003eThe Revd Canon Professor James Woodward, Principal, Sarum College, Salisbury. Following the ancient rhythm of the Celtic year, these prayers, meditations and liturgies will help you focus on the natural flow of life as it changes around you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the eight points of the Celtic year – the four season changes, and the four midpoints of each season – and moving from winter to spring, summer and harvest, each of the eight sections includes a liturgy for a full service, a week of daily readings, guided contemplations and a selection of prayers and blessings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePreviously a full-time church minister, David Cole is an international spiritual teacher and retreat leader, an award-winning author and the Deputy Guardian for the Community of Aidan and Hilda. He is also the founder of Waymark Ministries, which creates opportunities for people to engage with the Christian message.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the Celtic year and reconnecting with the cycles of the earth’s turning in relation to the sun, moon and seasons, David Cole provides a rich diet of biblically based daily devotions which will sustain, challenge and comfort all who follow them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProfessor Ian Bradley, emeritus professor of cultural and spiritual history, University of St Andrews, and author of Following the Celtic Way\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountless people have long been crying out for a book such as this. It is well researched, beautifully crafted, and will, I think, become a classic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRay Simpson, founding guardian of the International Community of Aidan and Hilda (aidanandhilda.org)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid has provided us with a beautifully crafted, richly resourced and easy-to-use worship book that will enable us to worship our God in tune with the seasons. I felt my heart lifted by the compelling blend of ancient stories of faith, enlivening scriptures, thoughtful reflections and earthy, yet heaven-touching, prayers and blessings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichael Mitton, leader of international Celtic pilgrimages and author of Restoring the Woven Cord\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Celtic Year: A rhythm of prayer and meditation for the eight points of the Celtic year, \u003c\/em\u003eDavid Cole, Abingdon: 2020, 160 pp, £8.99, 9780857469687\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews \u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/transformingministrymagazine.co.uk\/the-celtic-year\/\"\u003eonline\u003c\/a\u003e November 2020. Review by Margaret Tinsley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Cole is well known and respected for the books he has already produced on Celtic Advent, Celtic Saints and Celtic Lent. This new work focuses on the eight points of the Celtic year: the four seasons, and the midpoints of each season. Each of these sections contains an introduction, a liturgy, daily devotions and prayers and blessings. Perhaps, in these uncertain days, like our Celtic forebears, we need to connect more to the cycles of the year and appreciate the flow from samhain, or winter, to imbolc (spring) then to beltane or summer and, finally, lughnasa or lammas, which is autumn. Reading this book is an ideal way to do so, with meaningful and moving liturgies and daily devotions covering a theme for each day of the week, starting with creation on Mondays and leading us through incarnation, the Holy Spirit, community, the cross, the saints to the resurrection or new life. While this carefully researched book is of interest to all readers it is a wonderful resource for those taking services, like Forest Church, which reflect the Celtic tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Margaret Tinsley\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIrish Methodist Newsletter, autumn 2020. Review by Stephen Skuce.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are people who pray, and one of our ongoing challenges is to find the ways and approaches to prayer that are most helpful to us to both meet with God and hear from God. Many find versions of how our Celtic forebears prayed to be increasingly helpful today, and this is where David Cole’s book comes in. It is an attempt to lay out a pattern or rhythm of prayer to assist us, using the Celtic year as the framework.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Celtic year isn’t really that much different to how we understand seasons today. It has a spring, summer, autumn and winter but with one increased emphasis. There are a further four points to the year that relate to the movement of the sun - the two solstices and two equinoxes. On each side of each of these four points there is either a waxing or waning. And so the Celtic year maps a little more overtly onto our usual understanding of the passage of time, which is of course focused on the movement of the earth around the sun in any case. An interesting little quirk is that the Celtic day started at dusk. We might find that strange, but it is the way our Jewish friends still orientate their sabbath and was the way of Jesus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is split into 8 chapters with a chapter covering winter, a second chapter the winter solstice and so on through the seasons. Within each chapter there is a liturgy which could be used or adapted for a church service, a seven day rhythm of scripture, reflection and prayer with a short final section of appropriate prayers and blessings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Celtic Christianity the seven days of the week each had a focus. Monday is creation, Tuesday is incarnation, Wednesday is the Holy Spirit, Thursday is community, Friday is the cross, Saturday is the saints and Sunday is the resurrection and new life. Occasionally we misunderstand today what we mean regarding the saints. Today we see those who have gone before us as examples of faith and witness. We mine the life of the Wesley’s and so many others for examples to help us. We do the same with the Celtic heroes and heroines of faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe winter of 2020 into 2021 is one that will live long with us for the ongoing awfulness of the global pandemic. So I turn to a prayer for springtime to finish and like most Celtic prayers it is natural, realistic and observational. ‘God bless the earth that is beneath us, the growth that is around us, the spring that is before us, your image deep within us’ (p80).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Revd Dr Stephen Skuce, District Superintendent, the North Western district, the Methodist Church in Ireland\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2024-10-16T15:27:01+01:00","created_at":"2024-10-16T15:23:10+01:00","vendor":"David Cole","type":"eBook","tags":["Celtic Christianity","Devotional","For individuals","Glassboxx","Prayer","Sep-20","Spirituality"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":53595075248508,"title":"eBook","option1":"eBook","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857469694","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Celtic Year: A rhythm of prayer and meditation for the eight points of the Celtic year - eBook","public_title":"eBook","options":["eBook"],"price":899,"weight":165,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857469694","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/19_57ccf0ce-5265-4995-a488-989bd3be2148.png?v=1729770435","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/20_2b315950-73dc-4bea-ad12-b617769ab618.png?v=1729770423"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/19_57ccf0ce-5265-4995-a488-989bd3be2148.png?v=1729770435","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":62716421308796,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/19_57ccf0ce-5265-4995-a488-989bd3be2148.png?v=1729770435"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/19_57ccf0ce-5265-4995-a488-989bd3be2148.png?v=1729770435","width":1303},{"alt":null,"id":62716420358524,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/20_2b315950-73dc-4bea-ad12-b617769ab618.png?v=1729770423"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/20_2b315950-73dc-4bea-ad12-b617769ab618.png?v=1729770423","width":1303}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigital eBook Only - \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e‘David Cole is a careful, wise and skilful writer and guide.’\u003cbr\u003eThe Revd Canon Professor James Woodward, Principal, Sarum College, Salisbury. Following the ancient rhythm of the Celtic year, these prayers, meditations and liturgies will help you focus on the natural flow of life as it changes around you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the eight points of the Celtic year – the four season changes, and the four midpoints of each season – and moving from winter to spring, summer and harvest, each of the eight sections includes a liturgy for a full service, a week of daily readings, guided contemplations and a selection of prayers and blessings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePreviously a full-time church minister, David Cole is an international spiritual teacher and retreat leader, an award-winning author and the Deputy Guardian for the Community of Aidan and Hilda. He is also the founder of Waymark Ministries, which creates opportunities for people to engage with the Christian message.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the Celtic year and reconnecting with the cycles of the earth’s turning in relation to the sun, moon and seasons, David Cole provides a rich diet of biblically based daily devotions which will sustain, challenge and comfort all who follow them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProfessor Ian Bradley, emeritus professor of cultural and spiritual history, University of St Andrews, and author of Following the Celtic Way\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountless people have long been crying out for a book such as this. It is well researched, beautifully crafted, and will, I think, become a classic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRay Simpson, founding guardian of the International Community of Aidan and Hilda (aidanandhilda.org)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid has provided us with a beautifully crafted, richly resourced and easy-to-use worship book that will enable us to worship our God in tune with the seasons. I felt my heart lifted by the compelling blend of ancient stories of faith, enlivening scriptures, thoughtful reflections and earthy, yet heaven-touching, prayers and blessings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichael Mitton, leader of international Celtic pilgrimages and author of Restoring the Woven Cord\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Celtic Year: A rhythm of prayer and meditation for the eight points of the Celtic year, \u003c\/em\u003eDavid Cole, Abingdon: 2020, 160 pp, £8.99, 9780857469687\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews \u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/transformingministrymagazine.co.uk\/the-celtic-year\/\"\u003eonline\u003c\/a\u003e November 2020. Review by Margaret Tinsley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Cole is well known and respected for the books he has already produced on Celtic Advent, Celtic Saints and Celtic Lent. This new work focuses on the eight points of the Celtic year: the four seasons, and the midpoints of each season. Each of these sections contains an introduction, a liturgy, daily devotions and prayers and blessings. Perhaps, in these uncertain days, like our Celtic forebears, we need to connect more to the cycles of the year and appreciate the flow from samhain, or winter, to imbolc (spring) then to beltane or summer and, finally, lughnasa or lammas, which is autumn. Reading this book is an ideal way to do so, with meaningful and moving liturgies and daily devotions covering a theme for each day of the week, starting with creation on Mondays and leading us through incarnation, the Holy Spirit, community, the cross, the saints to the resurrection or new life. While this carefully researched book is of interest to all readers it is a wonderful resource for those taking services, like Forest Church, which reflect the Celtic tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Margaret Tinsley\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIrish Methodist Newsletter, autumn 2020. Review by Stephen Skuce.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are people who pray, and one of our ongoing challenges is to find the ways and approaches to prayer that are most helpful to us to both meet with God and hear from God. Many find versions of how our Celtic forebears prayed to be increasingly helpful today, and this is where David Cole’s book comes in. It is an attempt to lay out a pattern or rhythm of prayer to assist us, using the Celtic year as the framework.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Celtic year isn’t really that much different to how we understand seasons today. It has a spring, summer, autumn and winter but with one increased emphasis. There are a further four points to the year that relate to the movement of the sun - the two solstices and two equinoxes. On each side of each of these four points there is either a waxing or waning. And so the Celtic year maps a little more overtly onto our usual understanding of the passage of time, which is of course focused on the movement of the earth around the sun in any case. An interesting little quirk is that the Celtic day started at dusk. We might find that strange, but it is the way our Jewish friends still orientate their sabbath and was the way of Jesus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is split into 8 chapters with a chapter covering winter, a second chapter the winter solstice and so on through the seasons. Within each chapter there is a liturgy which could be used or adapted for a church service, a seven day rhythm of scripture, reflection and prayer with a short final section of appropriate prayers and blessings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Celtic Christianity the seven days of the week each had a focus. Monday is creation, Tuesday is incarnation, Wednesday is the Holy Spirit, Thursday is community, Friday is the cross, Saturday is the saints and Sunday is the resurrection and new life. Occasionally we misunderstand today what we mean regarding the saints. Today we see those who have gone before us as examples of faith and witness. We mine the life of the Wesley’s and so many others for examples to help us. We do the same with the Celtic heroes and heroines of faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe winter of 2020 into 2021 is one that will live long with us for the ongoing awfulness of the global pandemic. So I turn to a prayer for springtime to finish and like most Celtic prayers it is natural, realistic and observational. ‘God bless the earth that is beneath us, the growth that is around us, the spring that is before us, your image deep within us’ (p80).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Revd Dr Stephen Skuce, District Superintendent, the North Western district, the Methodist Church in Ireland\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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The Celtic Year: A rhythm of prayer and meditation for the eight points of the Celtic year
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{"id":14673694458236,"title":"St Aidan's Way of Mission: Celtic insights for a post-Christian world","handle":"st-aidans-way-of-mission-celtic-insights-for-a-post-christian-world-1","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigital eBook Only - \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eSurveying the life and times of Aidan of Lindisfarne, this book draws insights into missional approaches to inspire both outreach and discipleship for today's Church. As in his previous BRF book, Hilda of Whitby, Ray Simpson shows that such figures from past centuries can provide models for Christian life and witness today. An author and speaker on Celtic spirituality with a worldwide reputation, he combines historical fact with spiritual lessons in a highly accessible style, with an appeal to a wide audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay Simpson is a founder of the international new monastic movement known as The Community of Aidan and Hilda and is principal tutor of its Celtic Christian Studies programmes. He has written some thirty books on spirituality and lives on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, where many Christian leaders come to the Community's Retreat House and Library and for consultation. He tweets a daily prayer @whitehouseviews and writes a weekly blog on www.raysimpson.org\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 25 November 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay Simpson is the Lindisfarne-based founder of a new monastic movement, the Community of Aidan and Hilda. His Australian co-author, Brent Lyons-Lee, is an expert in indigenous mission initiatives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt one point, the authors commend the practice of lectio divina. It means 'godly reading', and is based around the four Rs of reading, reflection, response, and relaxing. It serves them well. Often, all there is to go on is fleeting insights into Aidan's life from Bede. But, in the spiritual realm, a little goes a long way. The Irish saint's very name means 'little flame'. From the book's first chapter - 'Incarnational and indigenous mission' - we are carried straight to religious flashpoints of contemporary importance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn at about the time that St Columba died, at the end of the sixth century, Aidan was commissioned from Iona to evangelise the brutally warring Anglo-Saxon settlers of Northumbria. Not for him the later Romanised colonial model of mission, a model replic ated from Australia to the Americas, where 'the gospel was preached, but abuse was modelled.' Instead, the Lindisfarne mission seeded 'little colonies of heaven' that helped to grow 'an indigenous, English-speaking church'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI loved the chapter on 'Soul friends and lifelong learning'. Here we are reminded that, when universities were separated from a spiritual grounding in the Beatitudes, and Christ's relationship to nature, they lost 'a holistic understanding of godly learning that embraces head, heart and hands'. Other chapters explore pilgrimage, women as spiritual foster-mothers, social justice, and religious rule and rhythm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are those who would see 'Celtic Christianity' dead and buried. There are those who believe the future to be post-Christian. This little gem is a lectio divina of the signs of resurrection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr McIntosh is an Honorary Fellow in divinity at Edinburgh University\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProgressive Voices September 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis small book is an attempt to draw on the principles underpinning St Aidan's involvement in Celtic Christianity at its height, and apply them to our day. Although sometimes there's a slight element of 'St Aidan can do no wrong', it's important to say that the author is very clear about the mistakes of the representatives of both Roman and Celtic Christianity in Saxon Britain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe chapters tackle topics ranging from church and state to the environment, the need for spiritual soul mates and the way the church continues to inflict inequality on women.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think the heart of the book is in chapter 5. The author is sceptical of current models of doing Church and instead expounds the notion of the local expression of Christianity as a village of God. The following has become a bit of a mantra for the author:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA 24-hour society calls for seven-days-a-week faith communities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA cafe society calls for churches that are eating places.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA travelling society calls for churches that provide accommodation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA stressed society calls for churches that nurture retreats and meditation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA multi-choice society calls for churches that have a choice of styles and facilities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA fragmented society calls for holistic models and whole-life discipling.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn eco-threatened society calls for more locally sustainable communities that have roots in the soil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are other pithy sayings of this sort, particularly in the chapter on church and state which develops into a brief summary of the author's thoughts on social justice issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe essential message of the book is that we have reached a point where Christianity needs re-rooting in British (and European) soil, that this will be a long process requiring patience and a long-term approach as exemplified by St Aidan's dealings with the ordinary person and nobility of his day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuy Whitehouse\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJournal of Contemporary Ministry No 2 (2016)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAidan is an inspiring saint whose Irish mission to the English is an instructive model for mission in the post-Christendom Western world today, suggest Ray Simpson with Brent Lyons-Lee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay Simpson is the founding Guardian and chief liturgist of the International New Monastic Community of Aidan and Hilda and author of over thirty books on spirituality and mission. Brent Lyons-Lee is Mission Catalyst for Community Engagement with the Baptist Union of Victoria and a social justice activist. This is his third book he has co-written with Ray Simpson connecting Celtic insights with spirituality that can be at home in Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story began when Aidan was posted to the Iona monastery. When a previous mission effort to Northumbria failed, Aidan was sent from Iona to Northumbria in 635. He learned English, built trust with King Oswald and his court, and walked around the region seeking to incarnate the gospel and create indigenous 'colonies of heaven.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI loved the invitation of the book to reflect on Aidan's example of the Christian life as a pilgrimage, not a possession. Irish pilgrims or peregrine allowed God's Spirit to blow them where it wished and let mission take as long as it needed. As reflected in vows of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, it is about setting sail and letting the 'Wild Goose' or untameable Spirit of God lead into wild or windy places, and then make them places of welcome and wonder. To find your calling, Simpson often says, 'Let your feet follow your heart until you find your place of resurrection' (p. 29). The place of resurrection is about not only where you will literally die, but also where you can experience shalom and harmony between yourself and your place and neighbours (and so where you may as well stay until you die). It is where 'fruit comes as a gift because we are the right person in the right place at the right time. Creativity flows. Connections take place. Synchronicity occurs. Jesus is revealed' (p. 29). That is sufficient vision to invite us to let go of what we hold (and what holds us) and step out on a Spirit-led journey, and keep walking till we find a place where the bells ring for us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second inspiring lesson I got from this book is that, rather than viewing the church as institutional and attractional, do-it-yourself or even focused on mission only, Aidan's vision of church was as 'God-shaped hub communities that have a heart for God, others and society' (p. 87). Starting in Lindisfarne, Aidan planted a network of monastic communities that included schools, libraries and guest quarters, and space for productive farming as well as celebratory feasting. Simpson suggests today's global village still needs churches as 'villages of God':\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA 24-hour society calls for seven-days-a-week faith communities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA cafe society calls for churches that are eating places.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA travelling society calls for churches that provide accommodation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA stressed society calls for churches that nurture retreats and meditation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA multi-choice society calls for churches that have a choice of styles and facilities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA fragmented society calls for holistic models and whole-life discipling.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn eco-threatened society calls for more locally sustainable communities that have roots in the soil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a model of church functioning in ways that are responsive to one's adopted city and seeking to foster shalom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAidan also celebrated the image and gifts of God in women as well as men. Aidan prioritised practices and rhythms, and I appreciated the writer's urging to identify practices worth commending to people in my community. Moreover, Aidan had a grounded vision of an earthy faith that cares for Creation. The book is practical about how to do this, but also beautifully weaves together Celtic and Australian indigenous stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, Simpson and Lyons-Lee stressed the importance that Aidan taught of having soul friends who help us cultivate balanced and prayerful living and a lifelong love for learning wisdom. Aidan's spirituality and teaching were not focused only on book learning but also on cultivating a deep devotion, as this prayer urged:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDivine Mentor,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTeach us the habits of holy learning,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo know your ways\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo explore your world\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo learn from experience\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo understand people\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo manage time and talents\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo draw on wellsprings of wisdom\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUntil we become a people of saints and scholars (p. 47).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Church in the West does not need another one-size-fits-all off-the-shelf program. However, we do need stories of saints who have walked journeys of courageous faith and adventurous mission - not to imitate closely but to suggest principles and ways of engaging our neighbourhoods in fresh and humble ways. St Aidan's Way of Mission is a delightful read, weaving together the story of this inspiring saint and implications for contemporary ministry.[p\u0026gt;] \u003cstrong\u003eDr Darren Cronshaw\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay Simpson's writing is readable and thought-provoking. The subtitle for this book is 'Celtic insights for a post-Christian world', and is a helpful reminder how valuable the insights of the Celtic saints are for the challenges we face today. The authors reflect on life as a Christian in a world that has lost touch with a deeply-rooted spirituality, returning to the mission of St Aidan and his deep desire to bring the relevance of Christianity to day to day life. They explain the relevance of Aidan in the globally dangerous world we find ourselves in and remind us of the call to live the eternal values of Christianity, but also the need to ensure we are culturally relevant. Lyons-Lee brings an Australian cross-cultural mission perspective and contributes an interesting angle to the spirituality of place and how this relates to the Celtic church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAidan was a man of his time (seventh century), yet in the great missions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many missionaries dispersed from Britain and Ireland, and clearly could not have done this had it not been for the work of their forefathers and mothers. Simpson and Lee remind us for the need for a 'bottom up' rather than a 'top down' culture of mission. They argue that the question of whether we are post-Christian relates closely to our post-colonial heritage, taking in the strands of evangelism and the prosperity gospel, and other negative forms of Christianity which favour the few. They demonstrate the model of mission where networks and communities have justice integrated within them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeltic women feature strongly, and certainly I was left wanting more of the great women who are considered the key Celtic saints- Hilda Brigid and Bega. They are women who could offer a lot to our churches and different models of leadership and ministry. When the writers state that in the history of Christianity, only three countries have routinely dignified them by appointing them to lead large monasteries of women and men, I would have liked to know more of these women within the German, French and English traditions. I can imagine some of the names that would be included here, but found myself wondering about these founders about whom little is known, women who were known for leadership and soul friendship and would have been the early spiritual directors. This book raises important questions and the chapter focussing particularly on women would be a creative study for our 'Catholic Women's Ordination' groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKatharine Salmon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2024-10-16T15:35:52+01:00","created_at":"2024-10-16T15:34:16+01:00","vendor":"Ray Simpson","type":"eBook","tags":["For individuals","Glassboxx","Jul-16","Mission","Spirituality"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":53595082981756,"title":"eBook","option1":"eBook","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857464866","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"St Aidan's Way of Mission: Celtic insights for a post-Christian world - eBook","public_title":"eBook","options":["eBook"],"price":799,"weight":188,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857464866","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/21_0f9b55f3-eb0b-40a9-8d86-7fe171d8d247.png?v=1729770426","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/22_96e02ca9-c584-4eff-9f44-8749dee27f37.png?v=1729770426"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/21_0f9b55f3-eb0b-40a9-8d86-7fe171d8d247.png?v=1729770426","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":62716420489596,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/21_0f9b55f3-eb0b-40a9-8d86-7fe171d8d247.png?v=1729770426"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/21_0f9b55f3-eb0b-40a9-8d86-7fe171d8d247.png?v=1729770426","width":1303},{"alt":null,"id":62716420522364,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/22_96e02ca9-c584-4eff-9f44-8749dee27f37.png?v=1729770426"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/22_96e02ca9-c584-4eff-9f44-8749dee27f37.png?v=1729770426","width":1303}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigital eBook Only - \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eSurveying the life and times of Aidan of Lindisfarne, this book draws insights into missional approaches to inspire both outreach and discipleship for today's Church. As in his previous BRF book, Hilda of Whitby, Ray Simpson shows that such figures from past centuries can provide models for Christian life and witness today. An author and speaker on Celtic spirituality with a worldwide reputation, he combines historical fact with spiritual lessons in a highly accessible style, with an appeal to a wide audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay Simpson is a founder of the international new monastic movement known as The Community of Aidan and Hilda and is principal tutor of its Celtic Christian Studies programmes. He has written some thirty books on spirituality and lives on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, where many Christian leaders come to the Community's Retreat House and Library and for consultation. He tweets a daily prayer @whitehouseviews and writes a weekly blog on www.raysimpson.org\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 25 November 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay Simpson is the Lindisfarne-based founder of a new monastic movement, the Community of Aidan and Hilda. His Australian co-author, Brent Lyons-Lee, is an expert in indigenous mission initiatives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt one point, the authors commend the practice of lectio divina. It means 'godly reading', and is based around the four Rs of reading, reflection, response, and relaxing. It serves them well. Often, all there is to go on is fleeting insights into Aidan's life from Bede. But, in the spiritual realm, a little goes a long way. The Irish saint's very name means 'little flame'. From the book's first chapter - 'Incarnational and indigenous mission' - we are carried straight to religious flashpoints of contemporary importance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn at about the time that St Columba died, at the end of the sixth century, Aidan was commissioned from Iona to evangelise the brutally warring Anglo-Saxon settlers of Northumbria. Not for him the later Romanised colonial model of mission, a model replic ated from Australia to the Americas, where 'the gospel was preached, but abuse was modelled.' Instead, the Lindisfarne mission seeded 'little colonies of heaven' that helped to grow 'an indigenous, English-speaking church'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI loved the chapter on 'Soul friends and lifelong learning'. Here we are reminded that, when universities were separated from a spiritual grounding in the Beatitudes, and Christ's relationship to nature, they lost 'a holistic understanding of godly learning that embraces head, heart and hands'. Other chapters explore pilgrimage, women as spiritual foster-mothers, social justice, and religious rule and rhythm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are those who would see 'Celtic Christianity' dead and buried. There are those who believe the future to be post-Christian. This little gem is a lectio divina of the signs of resurrection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr McIntosh is an Honorary Fellow in divinity at Edinburgh University\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProgressive Voices September 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis small book is an attempt to draw on the principles underpinning St Aidan's involvement in Celtic Christianity at its height, and apply them to our day. Although sometimes there's a slight element of 'St Aidan can do no wrong', it's important to say that the author is very clear about the mistakes of the representatives of both Roman and Celtic Christianity in Saxon Britain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe chapters tackle topics ranging from church and state to the environment, the need for spiritual soul mates and the way the church continues to inflict inequality on women.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think the heart of the book is in chapter 5. The author is sceptical of current models of doing Church and instead expounds the notion of the local expression of Christianity as a village of God. The following has become a bit of a mantra for the author:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA 24-hour society calls for seven-days-a-week faith communities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA cafe society calls for churches that are eating places.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA travelling society calls for churches that provide accommodation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA stressed society calls for churches that nurture retreats and meditation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA multi-choice society calls for churches that have a choice of styles and facilities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA fragmented society calls for holistic models and whole-life discipling.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn eco-threatened society calls for more locally sustainable communities that have roots in the soil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are other pithy sayings of this sort, particularly in the chapter on church and state which develops into a brief summary of the author's thoughts on social justice issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe essential message of the book is that we have reached a point where Christianity needs re-rooting in British (and European) soil, that this will be a long process requiring patience and a long-term approach as exemplified by St Aidan's dealings with the ordinary person and nobility of his day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuy Whitehouse\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJournal of Contemporary Ministry No 2 (2016)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAidan is an inspiring saint whose Irish mission to the English is an instructive model for mission in the post-Christendom Western world today, suggest Ray Simpson with Brent Lyons-Lee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay Simpson is the founding Guardian and chief liturgist of the International New Monastic Community of Aidan and Hilda and author of over thirty books on spirituality and mission. Brent Lyons-Lee is Mission Catalyst for Community Engagement with the Baptist Union of Victoria and a social justice activist. This is his third book he has co-written with Ray Simpson connecting Celtic insights with spirituality that can be at home in Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story began when Aidan was posted to the Iona monastery. When a previous mission effort to Northumbria failed, Aidan was sent from Iona to Northumbria in 635. He learned English, built trust with King Oswald and his court, and walked around the region seeking to incarnate the gospel and create indigenous 'colonies of heaven.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI loved the invitation of the book to reflect on Aidan's example of the Christian life as a pilgrimage, not a possession. Irish pilgrims or peregrine allowed God's Spirit to blow them where it wished and let mission take as long as it needed. As reflected in vows of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, it is about setting sail and letting the 'Wild Goose' or untameable Spirit of God lead into wild or windy places, and then make them places of welcome and wonder. To find your calling, Simpson often says, 'Let your feet follow your heart until you find your place of resurrection' (p. 29). The place of resurrection is about not only where you will literally die, but also where you can experience shalom and harmony between yourself and your place and neighbours (and so where you may as well stay until you die). It is where 'fruit comes as a gift because we are the right person in the right place at the right time. Creativity flows. Connections take place. Synchronicity occurs. Jesus is revealed' (p. 29). That is sufficient vision to invite us to let go of what we hold (and what holds us) and step out on a Spirit-led journey, and keep walking till we find a place where the bells ring for us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second inspiring lesson I got from this book is that, rather than viewing the church as institutional and attractional, do-it-yourself or even focused on mission only, Aidan's vision of church was as 'God-shaped hub communities that have a heart for God, others and society' (p. 87). Starting in Lindisfarne, Aidan planted a network of monastic communities that included schools, libraries and guest quarters, and space for productive farming as well as celebratory feasting. Simpson suggests today's global village still needs churches as 'villages of God':\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA 24-hour society calls for seven-days-a-week faith communities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA cafe society calls for churches that are eating places.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA travelling society calls for churches that provide accommodation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA stressed society calls for churches that nurture retreats and meditation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA multi-choice society calls for churches that have a choice of styles and facilities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA fragmented society calls for holistic models and whole-life discipling.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn eco-threatened society calls for more locally sustainable communities that have roots in the soil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a model of church functioning in ways that are responsive to one's adopted city and seeking to foster shalom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAidan also celebrated the image and gifts of God in women as well as men. Aidan prioritised practices and rhythms, and I appreciated the writer's urging to identify practices worth commending to people in my community. Moreover, Aidan had a grounded vision of an earthy faith that cares for Creation. The book is practical about how to do this, but also beautifully weaves together Celtic and Australian indigenous stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, Simpson and Lyons-Lee stressed the importance that Aidan taught of having soul friends who help us cultivate balanced and prayerful living and a lifelong love for learning wisdom. Aidan's spirituality and teaching were not focused only on book learning but also on cultivating a deep devotion, as this prayer urged:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDivine Mentor,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTeach us the habits of holy learning,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo know your ways\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo explore your world\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo learn from experience\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo understand people\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo manage time and talents\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo draw on wellsprings of wisdom\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUntil we become a people of saints and scholars (p. 47).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Church in the West does not need another one-size-fits-all off-the-shelf program. However, we do need stories of saints who have walked journeys of courageous faith and adventurous mission - not to imitate closely but to suggest principles and ways of engaging our neighbourhoods in fresh and humble ways. St Aidan's Way of Mission is a delightful read, weaving together the story of this inspiring saint and implications for contemporary ministry.[p\u0026gt;] \u003cstrong\u003eDr Darren Cronshaw\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay Simpson's writing is readable and thought-provoking. The subtitle for this book is 'Celtic insights for a post-Christian world', and is a helpful reminder how valuable the insights of the Celtic saints are for the challenges we face today. The authors reflect on life as a Christian in a world that has lost touch with a deeply-rooted spirituality, returning to the mission of St Aidan and his deep desire to bring the relevance of Christianity to day to day life. They explain the relevance of Aidan in the globally dangerous world we find ourselves in and remind us of the call to live the eternal values of Christianity, but also the need to ensure we are culturally relevant. Lyons-Lee brings an Australian cross-cultural mission perspective and contributes an interesting angle to the spirituality of place and how this relates to the Celtic church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAidan was a man of his time (seventh century), yet in the great missions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many missionaries dispersed from Britain and Ireland, and clearly could not have done this had it not been for the work of their forefathers and mothers. Simpson and Lee remind us for the need for a 'bottom up' rather than a 'top down' culture of mission. They argue that the question of whether we are post-Christian relates closely to our post-colonial heritage, taking in the strands of evangelism and the prosperity gospel, and other negative forms of Christianity which favour the few. They demonstrate the model of mission where networks and communities have justice integrated within them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeltic women feature strongly, and certainly I was left wanting more of the great women who are considered the key Celtic saints- Hilda Brigid and Bega. They are women who could offer a lot to our churches and different models of leadership and ministry. When the writers state that in the history of Christianity, only three countries have routinely dignified them by appointing them to lead large monasteries of women and men, I would have liked to know more of these women within the German, French and English traditions. I can imagine some of the names that would be included here, but found myself wondering about these founders about whom little is known, women who were known for leadership and soul friendship and would have been the early spiritual directors. This book raises important questions and the chapter focussing particularly on women would be a creative study for our 'Catholic Women's Ordination' groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKatharine Salmon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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St Aidan's Way of Mission: Celtic insights for a post-Christian world
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Digital eBook Only - Surveying the life and times of Aidan of Lindisfarne, this book draws insights into missional approaches...
{"id":14673753342332,"title":"At Home in Lent: An exploration of Lent through 46 objects","handle":"at-home-in-lent-an-exploration-of-lent-through-46-objects-1","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigital eBook Only - \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eHere is an original way of approaching Lent, one that will encourage you to consider your own faith journey in the light of the Easter story. Inspired by Neil MacGregor's Radio 4 programme, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects', Gordon Giles spends each week in a different room gleaning spiritual lessons from everyday household objects. As a result, you might discover that finding God in the normal pattern of life - even in the mundane - transforms how you approach each day. Running as a thread through it all are the seven Rs of Lent: regret, repentance, resolution, recognition, reconciliation, renewal and resurrection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 'At Home in Lent' Gordon Giles has elevated the everyday to the realm of spiritual reflection and meditation in a way which is both simple and profound. Gordon's reflections are helpfully reminiscent of expressions of Celtic Spirituality, where we find prayers for the cooking pot and for lighting a fire. A most accessible guide and accompaniment with which to navigate Lent, with just the right amount of challenge and affirmation, particularly for those leading busy lives. As Gordon has bravely used the toilet as an area for reflection, it is safe to say that this book might well be used in the smallest room as well on the train or in a prayer space.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Revd Prebendary Dr Neil Evans, Director of Ministry, Diocese of London\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 15px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/GordonGiles1_480x480.jpg?v=1676494801\" width=\"153\" height=\"271\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGordon Giles is Canon Chancellor of Rochester Cathedral. He is the author of several books, including \u003cem\u003eComings and Goings\u003c\/em\u003e (2015) and \u003cem\u003eAt Home in Lent\u003c\/em\u003e (2018).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader website, 6 March 2019. Review by Howard Rowe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book explores the journey of Lent through a series of 46 objects that are at large around most households. It is a great idea and an easy read, with a short daily Bible text, thoughtful and imaginative consideration of the objects concerned, and a message, bringing, in many cases, the challenge of a new way to see those items we all have around the home and how they can relate to our faith. I was particularly moved by the readings about shoes, keys, the dining table, newspapers, the alarm clock, towels and the toilet! The book would suit any individual or church group reading it through the Lenten period, and there are questions each week to prompt some good discussions. The book is well suited to picking up for a read outside Lent, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut this book is more than that - it is also a super resource for preaching. While the Bible passages are well known, the relating of texts to a household object, and Gordon Giles's exploration of each object is interesting and thoughtful enough to act as a springboard to many a good sermon. I will return to it again myself, and thoroughly recommend it to others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.readers.cofe.anglican.org\/resources\"\u003ewww.readers.cofe.anglican.org\/resources\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Howard Rowe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 15.2.19 Lent book review by Adrian Burdon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor every day through Lent and Holy Week Gordon Giles brings us an everyday item to be found in our home to reflect upon. In his introduction Giles reflects upon the nature of home and upon the assertion of the abundant presence of God. While we might preserve the privacy of our space, our home, repelling all who would invade, we cannot, he suggests, resist the presence of this loving and living god. Thus, his invitation to spend time reflecting upon the presence of God in the most common and everyday of places - our home and our belongings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book which may sound a bit niche and random, but it is very well done and does cause us to open our eyes and minds to the things around us. Each chapter, each household item, is related to a spiritual theme, assigned an appropriate biblical passage, given time for substantial reflection and concluded with prayer. Our Lenten journey begins, sensibly enough, at the door of our house and then the threshold, before moving on to other items such as fireplace, mobile phone, items of clothing and furniture. Good Friday brings us to reflect upon the crucifix which might be found in our home and on Holy Saturday we reflect upon Christ in the tomb as we contemplate our bed. Easter Day breaks forth with radiance as we reflect upon the glory of light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell written and thought provoking, this really is a book for personal devotion which will enable us to make an unusual, though worthwhile, journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Adrian Burdon\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times, 1 February 2019. Review by Philip Welsh\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAt Home in Lent\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003etakes an everyday household object each day - mobile phone, wardrobe, spectacles - as the starting-point for wider thoughts and a prompt for prayer, and supplies in many cases curious information about the object's origins. In each case, Gordon Giles makes an ingenious link to a biblical passage - family photos and Jesus's question, 'Who is my mother?'; toothbrushes and compensation for knocking people's teeth out in Exodus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis style is easy-going, with a tendency rather to spell out connections than suggest possibilities, and on occasion the author slips from finding God in the commonplace to sounding commonplace - 'Perhaps there are short circuits your faith' (in the item on electricity).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut, overall, Giles has come up with an imaginative framework for a popular Lent book, 'an invitation to discover how [the Lord] is already in our homes'. There are questions for discussion, though the book is probably best used by individuals, and its daily sections would fit neatly into a short bus or train ride as an amiable, slightly talkative Lent companion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by the Revd Philip Welsh, a retired priest in the Diocese of London\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e______________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2024-10-16T15:50:08+01:00","created_at":"2024-10-16T15:48:21+01:00","vendor":"Gordon Giles","type":"eBook","tags":["Devotional","Glassboxx","Lent"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":53595165753724,"title":"eBook","option1":"eBook","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857465900","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"At Home in Lent: An exploration of Lent through 46 objects - eBook","public_title":"eBook","options":["eBook"],"price":899,"weight":219,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857465900","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/23_db3cb91c-6a4b-4e7a-a1e7-84a309e9b963.png?v=1729770431","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/24_7814b982-9e21-4141-958a-9ad80f81fa0a.png?v=1729770430"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/23_db3cb91c-6a4b-4e7a-a1e7-84a309e9b963.png?v=1729770431","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":62716420981116,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/23_db3cb91c-6a4b-4e7a-a1e7-84a309e9b963.png?v=1729770431"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/23_db3cb91c-6a4b-4e7a-a1e7-84a309e9b963.png?v=1729770431","width":1303},{"alt":null,"id":62716420751740,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"width":1303,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/24_7814b982-9e21-4141-958a-9ad80f81fa0a.png?v=1729770430"},"aspect_ratio":0.652,"height":2000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/24_7814b982-9e21-4141-958a-9ad80f81fa0a.png?v=1729770430","width":1303}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDigital eBook Only - \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eHere is an original way of approaching Lent, one that will encourage you to consider your own faith journey in the light of the Easter story. Inspired by Neil MacGregor's Radio 4 programme, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects', Gordon Giles spends each week in a different room gleaning spiritual lessons from everyday household objects. As a result, you might discover that finding God in the normal pattern of life - even in the mundane - transforms how you approach each day. Running as a thread through it all are the seven Rs of Lent: regret, repentance, resolution, recognition, reconciliation, renewal and resurrection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 'At Home in Lent' Gordon Giles has elevated the everyday to the realm of spiritual reflection and meditation in a way which is both simple and profound. Gordon's reflections are helpfully reminiscent of expressions of Celtic Spirituality, where we find prayers for the cooking pot and for lighting a fire. A most accessible guide and accompaniment with which to navigate Lent, with just the right amount of challenge and affirmation, particularly for those leading busy lives. As Gordon has bravely used the toilet as an area for reflection, it is safe to say that this book might well be used in the smallest room as well on the train or in a prayer space.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Revd Prebendary Dr Neil Evans, Director of Ministry, Diocese of London\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 15px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/GordonGiles1_480x480.jpg?v=1676494801\" width=\"153\" height=\"271\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGordon Giles is Canon Chancellor of Rochester Cathedral. He is the author of several books, including \u003cem\u003eComings and Goings\u003c\/em\u003e (2015) and \u003cem\u003eAt Home in Lent\u003c\/em\u003e (2018).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader website, 6 March 2019. Review by Howard Rowe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book explores the journey of Lent through a series of 46 objects that are at large around most households. It is a great idea and an easy read, with a short daily Bible text, thoughtful and imaginative consideration of the objects concerned, and a message, bringing, in many cases, the challenge of a new way to see those items we all have around the home and how they can relate to our faith. I was particularly moved by the readings about shoes, keys, the dining table, newspapers, the alarm clock, towels and the toilet! The book would suit any individual or church group reading it through the Lenten period, and there are questions each week to prompt some good discussions. The book is well suited to picking up for a read outside Lent, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut this book is more than that - it is also a super resource for preaching. While the Bible passages are well known, the relating of texts to a household object, and Gordon Giles's exploration of each object is interesting and thoughtful enough to act as a springboard to many a good sermon. I will return to it again myself, and thoroughly recommend it to others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.readers.cofe.anglican.org\/resources\"\u003ewww.readers.cofe.anglican.org\/resources\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Howard Rowe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 15.2.19 Lent book review by Adrian Burdon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor every day through Lent and Holy Week Gordon Giles brings us an everyday item to be found in our home to reflect upon. In his introduction Giles reflects upon the nature of home and upon the assertion of the abundant presence of God. While we might preserve the privacy of our space, our home, repelling all who would invade, we cannot, he suggests, resist the presence of this loving and living god. Thus, his invitation to spend time reflecting upon the presence of God in the most common and everyday of places - our home and our belongings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book which may sound a bit niche and random, but it is very well done and does cause us to open our eyes and minds to the things around us. Each chapter, each household item, is related to a spiritual theme, assigned an appropriate biblical passage, given time for substantial reflection and concluded with prayer. Our Lenten journey begins, sensibly enough, at the door of our house and then the threshold, before moving on to other items such as fireplace, mobile phone, items of clothing and furniture. Good Friday brings us to reflect upon the crucifix which might be found in our home and on Holy Saturday we reflect upon Christ in the tomb as we contemplate our bed. Easter Day breaks forth with radiance as we reflect upon the glory of light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell written and thought provoking, this really is a book for personal devotion which will enable us to make an unusual, though worthwhile, journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Adrian Burdon\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times, 1 February 2019. Review by Philip Welsh\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAt Home in Lent\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003etakes an everyday household object each day - mobile phone, wardrobe, spectacles - as the starting-point for wider thoughts and a prompt for prayer, and supplies in many cases curious information about the object's origins. In each case, Gordon Giles makes an ingenious link to a biblical passage - family photos and Jesus's question, 'Who is my mother?'; toothbrushes and compensation for knocking people's teeth out in Exodus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis style is easy-going, with a tendency rather to spell out connections than suggest possibilities, and on occasion the author slips from finding God in the commonplace to sounding commonplace - 'Perhaps there are short circuits your faith' (in the item on electricity).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut, overall, Giles has come up with an imaginative framework for a popular Lent book, 'an invitation to discover how [the Lord] is already in our homes'. There are questions for discussion, though the book is probably best used by individuals, and its daily sections would fit neatly into a short bus or train ride as an amiable, slightly talkative Lent companion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by the Revd Philip Welsh, a retired priest in the Diocese of London\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e______________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
You may also like:
At Home in Lent: An exploration of Lent through 46 objects
£8.99
Digital eBook Only - Here is an original way of approaching Lent, one that will encourage you to consider your...