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Holy Week resources and reflections

Christmas and New Year books for reading, giving

Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany: Liturgies and Prayers for Public Worship, by Brian Wren. WJKP, 2008. Pb., 230 pp. $29.95.

Wren offers a great gift for worship planners and leaders in this collection of litanies and prayers, sung refrains, and orders for special services. Elements of worship are tied to the texts of the Revised Common Lectionary. Includes a CD-ROM of the book’s contents. 

In My Heart I Carry a Star: Stories for Advent, by Derek Maul. Upper Room, 2008. Pb., 144 pp.  $14.

Maul’s stories and reflections for each day of the season of Advent explore the intersection of the Christmas story with stories of family, work, and community.  Beautifully written, and full of hope. 

In the Bleak Midwinter: 40 Meditations and Prayers for Advent and Christmas, by Herbert Brokering. Augsburg Fortress, 2008. Pb., 96 pp. $11.99.

Brokering explores the meaning and message of Christmas through line-by-line commentary on Christina Georgina Rossetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Those who love singing Rossetti’s carol will find Brokering’s reflections enriching.

The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’s Birth, by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan. HarperOne, 2007. Hb., 272 pp. $22.95.

Borg and Crossan explore the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke as “parabolic overtures” that prepare readers for the stories that each gospel will tell. They also explore the implications of these narratives for followers of Jesus Christ in our own time. 

The Miraculous Journey: Anticipating God in the Christmas Season, by Marty A. Bullis. Regal, 2007. Hb., 144 pp.  $14.99.

For each of the four weeks of Advent, Bullis assigns readings from one of the gospels, enabling their preparation for the arrival of Christ to facilitate our own. Guided bidding prayers, and space for journaling follow his reflections on the gospel texts. 

Gift Books

Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct, by Michael E. McCullough. Jossey-Bass, 2008. Hb., 304 pp.  $24.95

In our all-too-violent world, psychologist McCullough offers a fascinating study of our instinctive tendencies toward both revenge and forgiveness. Recognizing that we are hardwired for both, he offers hopeful and helpful suggestions for ways that we can work toward a little less revenge and a little more forgiveness, on personal and collective levels.

The Green Bible. HarperOne, 2008. Hb., 1,440 pp. $29.95.

In keeping with the red-letter Bibles that emphasized the words of Jesus, this new setting of the NRSV highlights (in green) those passages that speak of creation. Introductory essays by such folk as Barbara Brown Taylor, N. T. Wright, Brian McLaren, and Ellen Davis and others explore the stewardship of creation in very helpful ways. 

The Saint John’s Bible: Gospels and Acts, by Donald Jackson. Liturgical Press, 2005. Hb., 136 pp. $64.95.

In a much-celebrated project that has been years in the making, Jackson and a team of calligraphers have painstakingly created an illuminated manuscript of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Gospels and Acts is the first of seven volumes. Each page is a work of art, drawing the reader into the wonder of God’s word and world as text and illumination together bear witness to God’s unfailing love.

Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus in His Stories and Prayers, by Eugene Peterson. Eerdmans, 2008.  Hb., 264 pp. $24.

In a world awash in a sea of words, Peterson calls his readers to careful attention to the way that Jesus used words. Such attention notes the indirectness of Jesus’ stories and prayers, words that require the active participation of the hearer’s imagination.

The Theology of John Calvin, by Charles Partee. WJKP, 2008. Hb., 376 pp.  $49.95.

2009 marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, and Partee’s work will certainly enrich the understanding of those who celebrate this occasion. Informed by a lifetime of study, Partee plumbs the depths of the reformer’s theology, bringing it into conversation with Calvin’s life and times, and with the theologians who preceded and followed him.

This Little Light: Lessons in Living from Sister Thea Bowman, by Michael O’Neill McGrath. Orbis, 2008. Hb., 96 pp. $20.

Part biography, part personal reflection, McGrath’s narrative tells the story of Thea Bowman, an African-American nun whose life and witness transformed the lives of the communities in which she lived and served. The text is beautifully illustrated with McGrath’s paintings of Bowman’s life.

Devotional Reading

Daily Devotions with William Barclay: 365 Meditations on the Heart of the New Testament, compiled by Philip Law.

WJKP, 2008. Hb., 384 pp.  $19.95.

For decades, the Daily Study Bible nurtured and instructed folk in the church as Barclay offered insightful commentary on the New Testament.  Philip Law has arranged passages of Scripture with excerpts from Barclay’s commentaries for each day of the year, following such monthly themes as “The Road to the Cross,” “More Advice from Paul,” “The Law of Love,” “God with Us,” and more. 

Day by Day We Magnify You: Daily Readings for the Entire Year: Selected from the Writings of Martin Luther, edited by Marshall D. Johnson. Revised edition. Augsburg, 2008. Pb., 439 pp. $16.99.

Originally published in 1946, this collection of writings from Martin Luther offers comfort and challenge to readers. 

The readings are arranged according to the liturgical calendar, drawing together biblical texts (mostly from the NRSV) with Luther’s writings from his sermons, commentaries, and treatises.

Streams of Living Water: Lectionary Devotional for Year B, by Stephen P. McCutchan. CSS, 2008. Pb., 288 pp.  $24.95.

Lectionary preachers and teachers will find McCutchan’s work refreshing as he encourages a prayerful, personal reading of the weekly texts to be preached and taught in the church. Such personal reading will certainly enrich the reader’s public ministry, as well. 

The Living Book of Daily Prayer: Morning & Evening, Kim Martin Sadler, ed.  Pilgrim, 2008. Pb., 376 pp. $20.

For many years, Pilgrim Press published The Book of Daily Prayer, Morning and Evening. Sadler has compiled some of the best of those devotional readings, encouraging Scripture reading and a variety of prayers through the seasons of the year.

Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany: Liturgies and Prayers for Public Worship, by Brian Wren. WJKP, 2008. Pb., 230 pp. $29.95.

Wren offers a great gift for worship planners and leaders in this collection of litanies and prayers, sung refrains, and orders for special services. Elements of worship are tied to the texts of the Revised Common Lectionary. Includes a CD-ROM of the book’s contents. 

In My Heart I Carry a Star: Stories for Advent, by Derek Maul. Upper Room, 2008. Pb., 144 pp.  $14.

Maul’s stories and reflections for each day of the season of Advent explore the intersection of the Christmas story with stories of family, work, and community.  Beautifully written, and full of hope. 

In the Bleak Midwinter: 40 Meditations and Prayers for Advent and Christmas, by Herbert Brokering. Augsburg Fortress, 2008. Pb., 96 pp. $11.99.

Brokering explores the meaning and message of Christmas through line-by-line commentary on Christina Georgina Rossetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Those who love singing Rossetti’s carol will find Brokering’s reflections enriching.

The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’s Birth, by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan. HarperOne, 2007. Hb., 272 pp. $22.95.

Borg and Crossan explore the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke as “parabolic overtures” that prepare readers for the stories that each gospel will tell. They also explore the implications of these narratives for followers of Jesus Christ in our own time. 

The Miraculous Journey: Anticipating God in the Christmas Season, by Marty A. Bullis. Regal, 2007. Hb., 144 pp.  $14.99.

For each of the four weeks of Advent, Bullis assigns readings from one of the gospels, enabling their preparation for the arrival of Christ to facilitate our own. Guided bidding prayers, and space for journaling follow his reflections on the gospel texts. 

Gift Books

Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct, by Michael E. McCullough. Jossey-Bass, 2008. Hb., 304 pp.  $24.95

In our all-too-violent world, psychologist McCullough offers a fascinating study of our instinctive tendencies toward both revenge and forgiveness. Recognizing that we are hardwired for both, he offers hopeful and helpful suggestions for ways that we can work toward a little less revenge and a little more forgiveness, on personal and collective levels.

The Green Bible. HarperOne, 2008. Hb., 1,440 pp. $29.95.

In keeping with the red-letter Bibles that emphasized the words of Jesus, this new setting of the NRSV highlights (in green) those passages that speak of creation. Introductory essays by such folk as Barbara Brown Taylor, N. T. Wright, Brian McLaren, and Ellen Davis and others explore the stewardship of creation in very helpful ways. 

The Saint John’s Bible: Gospels and Acts, by Donald Jackson. Liturgical Press, 2005. Hb., 136 pp. $64.95.

In a much-celebrated project that has been years in the making, Jackson and a team of calligraphers have painstakingly created an illuminated manuscript of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Gospels and Acts is the first of seven volumes. Each page is a work of art, drawing the reader into the wonder of God’s word and world as text and illumination together bear witness to God’s unfailing love.

Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus in His Stories and Prayers, by Eugene Peterson. Eerdmans, 2008.  Hb., 264 pp. $24.

In a world awash in a sea of words, Peterson calls his readers to careful attention to the way that Jesus used words. Such attention notes the indirectness of Jesus’ stories and prayers, words that require the active participation of the hearer’s imagination.

The Theology of John Calvin, by Charles Partee. WJKP, 2008. Hb., 376 pp.  $49.95.

2009 marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, and Partee’s work will certainly enrich the understanding of those who celebrate this occasion. Informed by a lifetime of study, Partee plumbs the depths of the reformer’s theology, bringing it into conversation with Calvin’s life and times, and with the theologians who preceded and followed him.

This Little Light: Lessons in Living from Sister Thea Bowman, by Michael O’Neill McGrath. Orbis, 2008. Hb., 96 pp. $20.

Part biography, part personal reflection, McGrath’s narrative tells the story of Thea Bowman, an African-American nun whose life and witness transformed the lives of the communities in which she lived and served. The text is beautifully illustrated with McGrath’s paintings of Bowman’s life.

Devotional Reading

Daily Devotions with William Barclay: 365 Meditations on the Heart of the New Testament, compiled by Philip Law.

WJKP, 2008. Hb., 384 pp.  $19.95.

For decades, the Daily Study Bible nurtured and instructed folk in the church as Barclay offered insightful commentary on the New Testament.  Philip Law has arranged passages of Scripture with excerpts from Barclay’s commentaries for each day of the year, following such monthly themes as “The Road to the Cross,” “More Advice from Paul,” “The Law of Love,” “God with Us,” and more. 

Day by Day We Magnify You: Daily Readings for the Entire Year: Selected from the Writings of Martin Luther, edited by Marshall D. Johnson. Revised edition. Augsburg, 2008. Pb., 439 pp. $16.99.

Originally published in 1946, this collection of writings from Martin Luther offers comfort and challenge to readers. 

The readings are arranged according to the liturgical calendar, drawing together biblical texts (mostly from the NRSV) with Luther’s writings from his sermons, commentaries, and treatises.

Streams of Living Water: Lectionary Devotional for Year B, by Stephen P. McCutchan. CSS, 2008. Pb., 288 pp.  $24.95.

Lectionary preachers and teachers will find McCutchan’s work refreshing as he encourages a prayerful, personal reading of the weekly texts to be preached and taught in the church. Such personal reading will certainly enrich the reader’s public ministry, as well. 

The Living Book of Daily Prayer: Morning & Evening, Kim Martin Sadler, ed.  Pilgrim, 2008. Pb., 376 pp. $20.

For many years, Pilgrim Press published The Book of Daily Prayer, Morning and Evening. Sadler has compiled some of the best of those devotional readings, encouraging Scripture reading and a variety of prayers through the seasons of the year.

 

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