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Reimagining Worship
Reimagining Worship
Authors Anna de Lange, Trevor Lloyd, Tim Stratford & Ian Tarrant (eds)
Publisher Canterbury Press £21.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781848259133 2017
‘What does the ever-present God…desire from us as we worship?’ Is our worship ‘dynamic, on the move, going somewhere’? Do people ‘grow in their faith more through preaching, Bible reading or home groups’? ‘Does our welcome demonstrate a God who cares?’ Put together by a group of twenty, experienced Church of England leaders from the Group for the Renewal of Worship, Reimagining Worship is a comprehensive, practical handbook that methodically examines how worship works (or does not work) in today’s evolving churches. Four main sections correspond to liturgical patterns of Gathering, Word, Responding and Sending. Further subdivisions break up the text into manageable chunks, with boxed examples and suggestions to discuss or think about. This is not a book to read through but to work with. Groups of church leaders, PCCs, ministry or music groups might select relevant parts to discuss together. Probing questions, quoted above, encourage examination of what worship should look like and how to be creative and transformative within the local context. Readers, particularly those in training, should find this material helpful and challenging.
APRIL McINTYRE
Worship, Liturgy
The Song of Hild
The Song of Hild
Author Vibeke Vasbo
Publisher Sacristy Press £12.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9781910519868
And now for something completely different. If you are looking for hagiography, you will be disappointed, equally if you are looking for something scholarly in church history. The Song of Hild is a historical novel built around the skeleton of Bede’s life of Hilda of Whitby; the flesh and blood have been invented (her words) by the author. Vasbo reconstructs the life of Hildeburh, married first to a Northumbrian nobleman, then to the pagan King Penda, finally to Christ as a nun and then abbess. There is significantly more action in the first half of Hild’s life, with a bewildering cast and series of battles – the map at the beginning of the book and the website detailing characters and locations help. Sex and violence seem commensurate with a tale set in Britain in the seventh century. Other reviewers remark how contemporary the themes of the book are; I can’t help thinking that there are at least a few instances where the author has read twenty-first century themes into a seventh century story: when the Abbess discovers two nuns in a lesbian relationship, I groaned. This book is not going to help you preach a sermon on Hilda of Whitby, but if you are looking for some light relief in your reading, I recommend it as a page-turner and a cracking good yarn.
GERTRUD SOLLARS
Novel
Reimagining Britain
Reimagining Britain
Author Justin Welby
Publisher Bloomsbury £16.99
Format hbk
ISBN 9781472946072
This important book argues powerfully that the current political uncertainties, the economic divisions and the general prevalence of cynicism throughout Britain require fundamental and practical action. The time is ripe for reimagining our future on a scale not seen since 1945. We need to generate better shared values and create communities which give hope for generations as yet unborn. After chapters considering the building blocks of our national society – health, education, housing, economics and finance – Welby presents a radical case for virtue. He argues for more positive foreign policies, wise and humane action on immigration and integration, and better progress in mitigating climate change. He draws, unsurprisingly, on our historic Christian heritage, and some of his best passages are inspired interpretations of Jesus’ parables. The Good Samaritan personifies the need for ‘active love in pursuit of our common humanity’ – a concept that should determine our public policies. Our Archbishop has produced a fertile series of ideas to provide foundations of hope. Although sometimes complex and densely argued, this book is highly recommended for all who long for a stronger Christian influence in British society.
LEONARD RICKARD
Social Policy
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