He then guides us through the stages of a covenant renewal liturgy, explaining from Scripture the meanings of each step of the service. The final section addresses miscellaneous issues in worship, such as the use of creeds, the "regulative principle," and ministerial clothing.Jeffrey Meyers provides not only a compelling biblical, theological, and historical case for covenant renewal worship, but also shows that it is beautiful, profound, edifying, and liberating.

    Dr. Jonathan Mayhew, Roger Sherman, Charles Thomson and other Christians at the vanguard of the Revolution. The Church and its leaders played a vital role in achieving American independence and they established a precedent for today's Christians to follow. Discover Biblical guidelines for political involvement nd ways to act upon your convictions.

    Mark Lauterbach shows how compassion, mediated through a functioning body of believers, provides the answers to human waywardness and maintains the integrity of the church.Although this is a book about church discipline, it is really about a spirit-empowered community. Mark uses real situations from his experience to help us turns principles into practice.

    Written down by scribes, his words went forth as a series of letters to Christian communities throughout the Roman Empire. The Apostle Paul may have been fettered and shackled to a series of Roman guards, but the Word he preached remained unfettered and free. This volume contains commentaries on the epistles to the Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon-which were written while the Apostle Paul was in prison. About the Orthodox Bible Study Companion Series: This commentary was written for your grandmother and for your plumber. That is, it was written for the average layperson, for the nonprofessional who feels a bit intimidated by the presence of copious footnotes, long bibliographies, and all those other things which so enrich the lives of academics. Working from a literal translation of the original Greek, this commentary examines the text section by section, explaining its meaning in everyday language. Written from an Orthodox and patristic perspective, it maintains a balance between the devotional and the exegetical, feeding both the heart and the mind.

    What is Grace? Among the mysteries of Catholicism, none is more practically important than the doctrine of grace. It is at the very heart of Christianity because it describes the panorama of God's dealings with mankind. However the doctrine of grace is not simple, as may be seen from the sequence of errors in the understanding of grace seen along the path of the Church's history. In History and Theology of Grace, Fr. John Hardon provides: a rich and detailed summary of the Church's understanding of grace a well-ordered historical account of how the Church's understanding of grace developed an overview of the heresies on the doctrine of grace that have emerged throughout Church history an explanation of how the theology of grace impacts every aspect of Christian religion. Fr. Hardon reminds all Catholics of the integral role grace plays in our daily lives and how a clear grasp of the basic principles of grace is useful, and may at times be indispensable, for directing oneself and others on the road to salvation. Table of Contents: Introduction Chapter 1: Meaning of Divine Grace Scripture and Theology Communication and Divine Love Chapter 2: Necessity for Salvation Pelagius to Rationalism Semi-Pelagianism Luther and Calvin Rationalism Scripture and Tradition Anti-Pelagianism Beginning of Faith Reformation to Jansenism Modern Times Spiritual Implications Universal Need Humility and Prayer From Christ the Head to His Body Grace to Mankind Chapter 3: Powers and Limitations Autonomy and Impotence Pelagian Optimism Cassian's Compromise Medieval Perfectionism Protestant Origins Baianist Prelude Conquering Delight Reflexions Morales Synod of Pistoia Traditionalism Centrality of Sin Catholic Middle-Ground Substantial Integrity of Mind Native Capacity of Will Observance of the Natural Law Perseverance in Grace Avoida

    This book is a pure, passionate and prophetic cry to transcend all division and discord into reverence one another in obedience to the Master. One more thing: Benson is a helluva writer!”-Brennan Manning, author of A Glimpse of Jesus“In a time when bookstores are full of books and films about the end of the road (everyone seems to want to know), The Body Broken takes us on a journey for the sake of the journey itself, and in the process, it teaches us about loving one another, not by imperative, but by example.” —from the foreword by John Fischer, author of Love Him in the Morning: Reflections on God’s Faithfulness Jesus prayed for our unity as believers in the hours before His betrayal and crucifixion. Robert Benson tenderly pleads for all of us who follow Him to heed our Lord’s petition and concentrate on what unites us instead of what divides us. In a thoughtful and beautifully written volume Benson challenges each of us to reexamine what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the diverse body of Christ. His honesty and heart for the church shine throughout this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.-Dave Burchett, Author of  Bring’em Back Alive: A Healing Plan for those Wounded by the Church and  When Bad Christians Happen to Good People“Again and again, Robert Benson speaks to my heart. His search for authenticity and the power of his words to articulate the way stations on that pilgrim pathway resonate for me in a unique way. The Body Broken lifts us into a new dimension of spiritual reality.” — Luci Shaw, Writer-in-Residence, Regent College and author of Water Lines“As always, Benson’s deceptively simple storytelling sneaks up on you. His style, a fusion of gentleness, raw truth, and quiet power (remind you of anyone?), is put to good use here. The Body Broken is a keeper.” — Nikki Grimes, award-winning author of Bronx Masquerade and What Is Goodbye?“It is a great irony that all of us who love Jesus and know that he prays for us, even now, that  we “may all be one,” have such a difficult time loving one another. Robert Benson doesn’t exactly tell us how to do it but he does tell an honest story about the ways that Jesus’ prayer is getting worked out in his life.” — Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.