Hold Fast the Faith

Hold Fast the Faith
Author: Matthew Everhard
Publisher: Matthew Everhard
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1934453102

Furthermore, confessions and creeds serve to help assure that the doctrinal faith that we articulate today has not subtly changed over time, subject to the warping influence of secular society. Creeds stand as ancient landmarks denoting the "location" of believers' hearts in history. Noting where one deviates from an ancient creed gives a person a distinct idea about where his or her own theological convictions stand in relation to other believers throughout history. Perhaps this also helps us to discover what direction we are moving. Are we moving closer to Christ? To God's Word? To the heart of God Himself? Or are we moving further away? The confession that I will be recommending to you in this volume is the standard-bearing creed in the Presbyterian or Reformed branch of Christianity. Influenced heavily by the thinking of Reformation theologian John Calvin (1509-1564), the Westminster Confession (1647) is a confessional exemplar of Reformed theology.2 The Westminster Confession of Faith is the premiere example of theological intellectualism absorbed in the beauty of the sovereignty of God. The Westminster Confession, and Calvin before it for that matter, were both completely committed to the theological concept that God is sovereign over the entire universe. Therefore, as you study this Confession you will undoubtedly encounter the Living God as ruler of the cosmos, the world, the events of your life, and hopefully your heart.

Liturgy of the Ordinary

Liturgy of the Ordinary
Author: Tish Harrison Warren
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 189
Release: 2016-11-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830892206

Framed around one ordinary day, this book explores daily life through the lens of liturgy, small practices, and habits that form us. Each chapter looks at something author Tish Harrison Warren does in a day—making the bed, brushing her teeth, losing her keys—and relates it to spiritual practice as well as to our Sunday worship.

Pastor

Pastor
Author: William H. Willimon
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Total Pages: 553
Release: 2010-09-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1426723466

Ordained ministry, says Willimon, is a gift of God to the church--but that doesn't mean that it is easy. Always a difficult vocation, changes in society and the church in recent years have made the ordained life all the more complex and challenging. Is the pastor primarily a preacher, a professional caregiver, an administrator? Given the call of all Christians to be ministers to the world, what is the distinctive ministry of the ordained? When does one's ministry take on the character of prophet, and when does it become that of priest? What are the special ethical obligations and disciplines of the ordained? In this book, Willimon explores these and other central questions about the vocation of ordained ministry. He begins with a discussion of who pastors are, asking about the theological underpinnings of ordained ministry, and then moves on to what pastors do, looking at the distinctive roles the pastor must fulfill. The book also draws on great teachers of the Christian tradition to demonstrate that, while much about Christian ministry has changed, its core concerns--preaching the word, the care of souls, the sacramental life of congregations--remains the same. Ordained ministry is a vocation to which we are called, not a profession that we choose. To answer that call is to open oneself to heartache and sometimes hardship; yet, given the one who calls, it is to make oneself available to deep and profound joy as well.

Rite of Ordination

Rite of Ordination
Author: Catholic Church
Publisher: USCCB Publishing
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2003-10
Genre: Ordination (Liturgy)
ISBN: 9781574555455

Common Worship: Ordination Services (hardback)

Common Worship: Ordination Services (hardback)
Author: Church of England
Publisher: Church House Publishing
Total Pages: 291
Release: 2007-08-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0715121308

This special hybrid volume provides the ordination liturgies of the Church of England from both The Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship, alongside a study guide for these services. It is intended to facilitate study of the texts by all who are interested in what the Church of England teaches about ordination, and especially by those who are themselves preparing to be ordained. It also serves as a resource for ecumenical dialogue about ministry in the Church. The first part presents the authorised ordination services, annotated with references to Scripture and to the Canons of the Church of England. The second part explains the thinking behind the services and offers a practical guide to planning ordinations. It includes: Introduction by the House of BishopsThe Common Worship Ordination Services (for Deacons, Priests and Bishops)The Ordinal (1662)A brief history of ordination ritesA commentary by the Liturgical CommissionCelebrating ordinations - a practical guide

Ordination: Celebrating the Gift of Min

Ordination: Celebrating the Gift of Min
Author:
Publisher: Chalice Press
Total Pages: 292
Release:
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780827227446

For graduating seminary students, Stephen Sprinkle has written a practical theological guide for preparing for ordination in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), United Church of Christ, American Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), and other closely related denominations. He provides a theology of what ordination is and what it means to the person being ordained, to the life of the church at large, and to the congregation gathered for the celebration. Sprinkle includes "hands-on" practical guidance on how to plan the service, plus samples of ordination services from each of the four traditions.

All That Is in God

All That Is in God
Author: James E. Dolezal
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2017-07-13
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1601785550

Unknown to many, increasing numbers of conservative evangelicals are denying basic tenets of classical Christian teaching about God, with departures occurring even among those of the Calvinistic persuasion. James E. Dolezal’s All That Is in God provides an exposition of the historic Christian position while engaging with these contemporary deviations. His convincing critique of the newer position he styles “theistic mutualism” is philosophically robust, systematically nuanced, and biblically based. It demonstrates the need to maintain the traditional viewpoint, particularly on divine simplicity, and spotlights the unfortunate implications for other important Christian doctrines—such as divine eternality and the Trinity—if it were to be abandoned. Arguing carefully and cogently that “all that is in God is God Himself,” the work is sure to stimulate debate on the issue in years to come.