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SALE! 50% off selected Gospel of Mark & Year B/2012 titles + Autumn Specials
 

Journeying Into Prayer: People and their Pathways. Neil Darragh ed. 289pp. Accent. $30.00.

Joy Cowley, Trish McBride, Neil Darragh and 31 other NZers, show how our prayer can be varied, satisfying and adventurous. Authors from Christianity and other world religions write about what shapes their prayer in ways that will inspire, challenge & enrich readers. They guide us to seek an adult prayer style of our own.

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The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction about Jesus. John Dominic Crossan. 259pp. Hbk. HarperOne. $44.99.

Crossan carefully dissects the stories we read in the gospels to get back to what Jesus actually intended to teach. Parables became so important for Jesus' teaching that his followers also used this form to explain Jesus' own life, ministry and accomplishments. Each gospel, then, is really a book-length 'megaparable' about Jesus of Nazareth. Crossan also shows how these four gospel writers ended up undermining Jesus' true message of God's kingdom - that of bringing peace and justice for all.

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Some contend that we're undergoing yet another evangelical revival; others suggest that Christian belief and practice is eroding entirely as traditional forms of faith are replaced by new ethical, and religious, choices. But Bass argues compellingly that we are, instead, at a critical stage in a completely new spiritual awakening, a vast inter-religious progression toward individual and cultural transformation, and a wholly new kind of post-religious faith.

Offering direction and hope to individuals and churches, Christianity After Religion is Bass's call to approach faith with a newfound freedom that is both life-giving and service driven. And it is a hope-filled plea to see and participate in creating a fresh, vital, contemporary way of faith that stays true to the real message of Jesus.

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The story of Le Quesnoy's peaceful liberation through the eyes of a child living in the town at the time.

In November 1918, Le Quesnoy in northern France was liberated by NZ soldiers. Using Kiwi ingenuity they took back the town without a single civilian life being lost. One of the most famous stories in NZ military history; the relationship between Le Quesnoy and NZ continues to this day.

Stunning watercolour illustrations and simple language make this an ANZAC picture book that young readers will be able to imaginatively engage with.

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Drama of Good Friday: Twenty two short dramas: Reflections on our human fears, dreams, sorrows, longings and loves. John Hunt. 104pp. John Hunt. $20.00.

22 mini-dramas that bring our hearts and heads together. Simply performed, they strike to the core of Christian belief. A focal point for your Good Friday worship.

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The Easter Story. Joy Cowley. 32pp. Pleroma. $19.99

Beautiful original colour illustrations by Donald Morrison complement Joy Cowley’s text on the story of Easter and what it means for us.

The stress is on love and healing, on growing in prayer through talking to Jesus, leading young children to gratitude for “the wonderful Easter Story.”

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The Kings Speech is such a runaway success because it holds that mirror to our world and offers hope of overcoming the difficulties. It shows hope built out of friendship, trust, and supportive love and courage in the face of gathering evil. Lent is traditionally a time for strengthening resolve, bring together in trust and encouragement as they strive to follow their calling. The purpose of this course could be summed up in the words of the King's Speech therapist, "To give them faith in their voice and let them know a friend is listening".

This course provides five group sessions using the film as a starting point along with personal weekly reading exploring more fully the issues raised and Bible readings to root it in Christian Values.

NEW The Kings Speech DVD Paramount Pictures Item ref no. 263528 $38.99.  [4 in stock]

After the death of his father King George V and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII Bertie, who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue. After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill, the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle.

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Focuses homiletically on the six principle festivals of the church year: Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, and Holy Trinity. Central to the complicated development of lectionaries over the centuries, these festivals have anchored the church year, primarily because they are specifically enunciated in biblical materials.

Susan Hedahl argues for the importance of viewing these festivals both as a unit and individually from a doctrinal perspective in light of the dynamic and theological expressions of God’s lively relationship with humanity. Exploring the possibilities in the biblical narratives that ground each festival, Hedahl helps the preacher create sermons that find joyous resonance in the liturgical, spiritual, ecumenical, theological, cultural, and educational activities of congregational life.

After an initial introduction to the festivals as a group, six chapters address each specific festival, describing the history, biblical texts, doctrines, cultural issues, and possibilities attendant on the festival. Throughout the book, Hedahl uses sermon excerpts by many preachers to illustrate strategies, choosing materials from a wide range of times, styles, and cultures.

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Words for Today 2012. Nicola Slee ed. 384pp. International Bible Reading Assn. Was $25.00, Now $10.00

Words For Today is different from other daily Bible reading notes. It offers a whole year's readings in one volume. Writers are drawn from around the globe and from many different traditions. Includes Jewish as well as Christian biblical scholars.

Presents a lively, fresh and often radical approach to the text. Words for Today challenges readers to act in the light of the readings. Combines systematic reading of texts with wide-ranging themes.

Edited by poet and theologian Nicola Slee, a well-known writer, speaker and leader of retreats who is based at the Queen's Foundation. Birmingham.

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Living in Australia? Ask us to airmail your copy now. You can pay by secure Visa/Mastercard.

Email: sales@epworthbooks.org.nz

The Reflective Leader: Standing Still to Move Forward. Alan Smith, Peter Shaw. 132pp Canterbury. $35.00.

Reflection is essential for effective leadership. To be reflective is to see the bigger picture, the longer term and the wider issues that other viewpoints can bring. Leaders in today’s complex and fast changing world need more time to reflect, not less.

This book looks at how leaders, in the midst of their busy working lives, can develop the habit of reflection and how that capacity can make a tangible difference to the flourishing of an organisation.

It explores the art of reflection, the ability to identify key facts, how to weigh up risks, how to nurture self-knowledge and understanding of others, how to differentiate between knowledge and wisdom, the art of listening, building a common vision and more. The authors draw on their experience training leaders in business, ministry and public service to provide a wise and reliable guide.

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Missional Youth Ministry: Moving from Gathering Teenagers to Scattering Disciples. Brian Kirk, Jacob Thorne. 149pp.  Zondervan. $29.99.

Youth ministries often consist of programs and activities designed to attract young people to church and keep them occupied until they’re ready to ‘join’ the church.

For all those working in youth ministry who long to offer teens a deeper, more substantial, more active role as members of the body of Christ, this book is a practical and theologically-sound guide for building a ministry grounded in prayer, worship, community, education, mission, and spirituality.

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Celtic Pilgrimage with John O’Donohue. DVD Zone 1, 54 mins. Sounds True. $29.99.

Irish poet and philosopher O’Donohue invites you to  walk through the sacred  landscape of western Ireland.

“Visually stunning and spiritually uplifting, this beautiful film is a treat for the eye, for the heart and above all, for the soul.” The Irish Times.

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Kitchen Theology: The Food and Faith Connection. Diana Roberts. 123pp.Methodist Publishing. $20.00.   

In this eagerly awaited compilation of Aucklander Diana Roberts’ Touchstone columns she reflects on hospitality, relationships, feminism, culture, food faith & many other themes. Roberts injects each short passage with enthusiasm, wisdom and faith, and reminds us of the Biblical traditions around food and hospitality and the importance of food in our lives today.

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“A stunning book! Part ethnography, part practical theology, Swain has offered a moving and powerfully written reflection on the soul–wrenching work of chaplaincy in the midst of disaster and in the aftermath of great evil, and on the challenges to those who minister at the extreme edges of shock and grief. Drawing from the New Zealand Prayerbook, she has developed a trinitarian theology for pastoral care that not only undergirds responses to trauma, but offers a foundation for all pastoral care. A profound ‘must–read’ for all who minister and all who offer care.” Rev Pamela Cooper–White, Columbia Theological Seminary

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Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. Gretchen Rubin. 336pp. HarperCollins. $28.00.

Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realised. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

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Celtic Christian Spirituality: Essential Writings–Annotated and Explained. Mary C Earle ed. 176pp. Skylight Paths. $29.99

The forgotten truths of Celtic Christianity provide a portal into a spiritual way of experiencing the world.

The Celtic Christians beheld the world around them and perceived the divine life of God as upholding every aspect of the material universe. Their prayers and poems, their liturgies and theological interpretations give Christians a sense of faith that is confident in a merciful and infinitely creative, healing God.

Mary Earle presents selections of key writings, prayers and poems from the Celtic Christian tradition. Themes include: Creation, Daily life and work, Incarnation, Pilgrimage, Praise, Social justice & Prayer.

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If Darwin Prayed: Prayers for Evolutionary Mystics. Bruce Sanguin. 217pp. Wood Lake. $44.00.

These prayers spark spiritual imagination back to life and re-orient us to a mystical unity with the universe, Spirit and all of creation. The prayers follow the church year. Ideal for worship, meeting opening devotions or personal use.

“Earthy, yet cosmic; scriptural, yet poetic; scientific, yet spiritually inspiring – Sanguin has created a compilation of immense liturgical worth.” Diarmuid O’Murchu.

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Christians and the Common Good: How Faith Intersects with Public Life. Charles Gutenson.  180pp. Brazos. $37.00. 

For too long, the question of faith in public life has centred on what the Bible says about government. Gutenson, a theologian respected by both evangelical and mainline Christians, argues that we should ask how God intends for us to live together before considering particular public policies and governmental institutions. By concentrating on the nature of God, we can move past presuppositions regarding the role of government and form a reasonable framework for engaging in healthy discussions about how best to serve the common good. This lucidly written book will appeal to readers interested in ethics, theology, and politics and includes a foreword by bestselling author Jim Wallis.  

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Church in the Present Tense: A Candid Look at What’s Emerging. Scot McKnight , Peter Rollins, Kevin Corcoran & Jason Clark. 156pp + DVD. Brazos. $39.99.

Four authors look at the still-evolving emerging church movement from new angles, and readers will be rewarded with new insights. They discuss important cultural, theological, philosophical and biblical underpinnings, and implications of the movement. Their sympathetic yet critical assessment examines the impact that it has had and is having on wider traditions. 

DVD included. The 60-minute companion DVD provides: an introduction to the emerging church, video clips of alternative worship services and interviews with emerging church leaders and observers including Brian McLaren and Rowan Williams.

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Love Wins. Rob Bell. 202pp Hbk. Collins. $39.99.

Author, pastor and innovative teacher Rob Bell presents a deeply biblical vision for rediscovering a richer, grander, truer, and more spiritually satisfying way of understanding heaven, hell, God, Jesus, salvation & repentance. He discovers that the ‘good news’ is much, much better than we ever imagined!

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The Art of Curating Worship: Reshaping the Role of Worship Leader. Mark Pierson. 239pp. Sparkhouse. $35.00.

No matter what style of service you run at your church, NZ pastor Mark Pierson’s book will provide stimulating, practical ideas for new ways to engage your congregation & the public in worship. Pierson uses many real-life examples to illustrate ways in which worship, both inside and outside the church building, can be curated and delivered for spiritual formation and mission.

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27 Tracks (Click here for Track List and to Listen to Samples in mp3 format)

CD includes Words booklet

Sung by Viva Voce, conducted by John Rosser

Organ and piano: Michael Bell

Recorded at St Michael’s Catholic Church, Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand on 29 July, 3 & 5 August, 2010.

Released February 2011.

Also available:

Hope Is Our Song - Music Book. 340pp. Spiral bound. NZ Hymnbook Trust. $31.00.

Reprint now in stock

158 new hymns, carols and songs from Aotearoa NZ.

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Now re-issued after a 9 year gap, this much loved book is for funeral celebrants, families and friends who want to honour their loved ones in this important last rite of passage.

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Christchurch theologian Jim Stuart surveys the key influences that shaped John Wesley's ideas. He then revisits the enduring themes & principles of Wesley and the early Methodists to see how they might affect our practice, inspire our theology and renew our lives today.

Click here to Download your Free John Wesley Code Study Guide PDF 108kb

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New from John Bluck

Hidden Country: Having Faith in Aotearoa New Zealand (Bathgate Press - $34.95 + $5.50 p&p) ISBN 9780986466700.

Now back in stock.

Hidden Country  is the story of an ordinary Kiwi life lived through half a century of extraordinary social change, a period in which the spiritual dimension of life in NZ has undergone a revolution in the way we understand it, inside but mostly outside the churches.

Most New Zealanders acknowledge some form of spirituality – surveys show a surprising diversity and interest – though our media driven culture treats it as an alien and awkward landscape and prefers to ignore it, at least in the non-Maori world.

This book follows one man on a lifelong tramp through this hidden country, from the deep south to Northland, from Nuhaka and Napier to Gisborne, Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch and Hawke’s Bay. The autobiographical journey also includes time in Boston and New York, and 10 years in Geneva. Bluck explores how, over 50 years, these places have shaped his faith, his voice and the future he believes Pakeha can find with Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand.

John Bluck is a recently retired Anglican bishop who has worked nationally and internationally for all the major Christian denominations as a priest, cathedral dean, teacher and journalist. He is known nationally as a columnist, broadcaster and author of several books about media, popular culture and spirituality.

(Trade Enquiries for this title are welcome. We are distributing it on behalf of the author. Please email sales@epworthbooks.org.nz)

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Come to us for books from New Zealand and abroad on Christian topics, religion and theology, social concerns, bibles and commentaries, resources for worship and personal devotion, spirituality and much more...

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