You may be interested in…
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The King in the North: The Life and Times of Oswald of Northumbria
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & SpiritualityOswald of Northumbria was the first great English monarch, yet today this legendary figure is all but forgotten. In this panoramic portrait of Dark Age Britain, archaeologist and biographer Max Adams returns the king in the North to his rightful place in history as a charismatic leader, a warrior whose prowess in battle earned him the epithet Whiteblade, and an exiled prince who returned to claim his birthright and become the inspiration for Tolkein's Aragorn.£12.99 -
Celtic Daily Prayer – music CD
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingSung and spoken versions of Morning, Midday and Evening Prayer; and Complines for each day of the week. This music and liturgy is recorded in normal Audio CD format and can be played on any CD player or computer. This album is also available as an audio download. To purchase the download please click on one of these options:£10.00 -
Learning to Walk in the Dark
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyNew from best-selling author Barbara Brown Taylor, perhaps best known for An Altar in the World, comes Learning to Walk in the Dark. In this hardback book she writes with wisdom, grace and beauty as she seeks to rehabilitate what we have learned to fear - the dark. Here she reflects on how our lives do not only work when everything is brightly lit; twilight and deep darkness have treasures of their own waiting to be discovered. Babara Brown Taylor writes: 'Darkness is shorthand for anything that scares me - either because I am sure that I do not have the resources to survive ti or because I do not want to have to find out. If I had my way, I would eliminate everything from chronic back pain ti the fear of the devil from my life ad the lives of those I love. At least I think I would. The problem is this: when, despite all my best efforts, the lights have gone off in my life, plunging me into the kind of darkness that turns my knees to water, I have not died. The monsters have not dragged me out of bed and taken me back to their lair. Instead, I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light. Learning to Walk in the Dark is a wise spiritual companion and guide for those times in life when we don't have all the answers. Recognising our tendency to associate all that is good with light, and all that is evil and dangerous with darkness, Barbara Brown Taylor asks whether God doesn't work at night too? With her characteristic grace and generosity, she invites us to put aside our fears and anxieties and to discover all that the darkness has to teach us. She takes us to underground caverns, subterranean chapels, basement night clubs and unlit cabins in the woods on moonless nights. Through darkness, we begin to see the world and sense God's presence around us in new ways, guiding us through things seen an unseen, and teaching us to find out footing in times of uncertainty. Like seeds buried in the ground, we will find how darkness is essential for our own growth and flourishing.£12.99 -
A Prayer in Brokenness: A6 postcard
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Creativity, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingThis A6 Postcard is printed with the words of 'A Prayer in Brokenness' which you can also find in the section of Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1: The Journey Begins entitled 'In Difficult Times'.£0.75 -
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Youthwork After Christendom
Culture & Mission, Re-imagining ChurchThe end of Christendom where the Christian story was known and the church was central invites Christians in western culture to embrace marginality and discover fresh ways of being church and engaging in mission. While the transition from modernity to postmodernity has received a huge amount of attention the shift from Christendom to postChristendom has not yet been fully explored. This book is an introduction; a journey into the past an interpretation of the present and an invitation to ask what following Jesus might mean in the strange new world of postChristendom. Drawing on insights from the early Christians dissident movements and the world church this book challenges conventional ways of thinking. For those who dare to imagine new ways of following Jesus on the margins it invites a realistic and hopeful response to challenges and opportunities awaiting us in the 21st century.Original price was: £9.99.£6.99Current price is: £6.99. -
Egfroth of Lindisfarne (not a saint!)
Celtic Studies & SpiritualityKate Tristram has written an entertaining and accessible account of the remarkable years of the 7th century Golden Age of Northumbria from the viewpoint of a fictional monk called Egfroth and his cat. She tells the story of Saint Aidan coming to Lindisfarne at the request of King Oswald, the traumatic events of the Synod of Whitby, the ministry of the charismatic Saint Cuthbert, the creation of the Lindisfarne gospels and the emergence of the great historian The Venerable Bede. Like Bede, Kate Tristram is an historian and author; she has lived and worked on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, at the heart of this story, for forty years. Combining her detailed knowledge of the era with a delightfully light touch, she provides a succinct overview of the momentous events that stamped their mark firmly on the religious, cultural and artistic life of our nation.£5.99 -
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As the Rain Hides the Stars CD
Creativity, Spiritual GrowthCeltic inspired worship music. Folky and rootsy songs of faith, love and life from Clare Hunt, Mike Clifford, Tim Thwaites with guest Joe Thwaites. Proceeds from the sale of this CD support the work of Northumbria Community. [playlist ids="8592,8594,8596,8598,8600,8602,8604,8606,8608,8610,8612,8614,8616"]Original price was: £10.00.£8.00Current price is: £8.00. -
Freehand Celtic Knot Manual
CreativityA practical manual for creating Freehand Celtic Knots. All you need is paper, a pencil, a plastic eraser and some colouring pens or pencils. There are aso ideas for using the knot in meditation and prayer. Mary Fleeson has developed the technique and use of the Freehand Celtic Knot and has been using it in her artwork since she founded Lindisfarne Scriptorium in the late nineties. Mary teaches workshops and leads retreats on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne where whe has lived since 1997.£4.99 -
The Luminous Web: Faith, science and the experience of wonder
Influences & Suggested Reading, Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyThe renowned author Barbara Brown Taylor reflects on two different worlds knowledge, science and faith, that are often set in opposition to one another. The one is said to rely on observable fact; the other on subjective belief. With her customary skill and grace, Barbara Brown Taylor demonstrates that these distinctions do not hold. She seeks to discover what the insights of quantum physics, the new biology, and chaos theory can teach a person of faith, why scientists often sound like poets and why physicists call on the language of imagination, beauty and mystery that is also found in scripture. Both science and religion, she finds, are dedicated to searching for truth. Both experience awe. Both are vulnerable to error, but are open to the wonder of discovery. Both are prone to desiring certainty. Both admit that there is an essential messiness to life that makes it unpredictable, that experience will always trip us up no matter what our beliefs, yet both see a symmetry and order that holds things together. Whether our understanding of the origins of the world rests in theoretical physics or God, The Luminous Web opens our eyes afresh to the wonder of creation, where we each belong and where nothing – not even the hairs of our head or a butterfly's wings – is without immense significance.£12.99 -
The Patrick Compline
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Prayer, Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingA Trifold A4 card containing the words of the Patrick Compline from Celtic Daily Prayer. Part of a series of 7 cards each containing the words of one of the Complines. (Also available here is a perfect bound A5 booklet containing the words of all seven Complines, along with the melody line of those parts of the Complines that have been set to music.)£0.80 -
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Reclaiming the Common Good : How Christians can help re-build our broken world
Culture & Mission, Everyday LifeAfter decades of political consensus, we are entering a time in which everything about the way we live today, and about how our society and communities are structured, is up for discussion. Many people are feeling empowered to ask: What kind of world do we want to live in? One that works for a few, or one that works for the common good?What part can Christians play in building a future of hope, peace, equality an justice?Reclaiming the Common Good is a collection of essays which consider these themes. Beginning with an explanation of the history and meaning of the term `common good', it explores how the sense of working for this ideal has been lost. Focussing, biblically, on issues such as welfare, austerity, migration, environment, peace and justice, it provides a compellingly fresh and insightful analysis on the state of the world today, and offers a realistic vision of how it could be better. This vision is rooted in the idea of a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem, as suggested in the book of Revelation. This collection has been compiled and edited by Virginia Moffatt, a writer, community activist and former Chief Operating Officer of the belief and values think-tank, Ekklesia. Its other contributors are: Dr Patrick Riordan SJ, John Moffatt SJ, Simon Barrow, Bernadette Meaden, Dr Simon Duffy, Rev. Vaughan Jones, Savitri Hensman , Ellen Teague, Edward P. Echlin, Henrietta Cullinan, Susan Clarkson and Rev.Dr Simon Woodman.Original price was: £14.99.£7.99Current price is: £7.99. -
Christ Centred Living: A6 greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual GrowthWords: None Background: Mary tells us that...'This piece was the result of meditating on what defines a Christ centred life . I wanted to show the fruitfulness that comes from a life rooted in the cross of Christ and the refreshment and cleansing available to us. In the spirals I wanted to express the vibrancy of a Christ-centred life and four aspects of life; birth, death, spirituality and growth. Each arm of the spiral, each aspect of life, is cross hatched and bumpy with patches of light and dark, showing the erratic nature of living. Each arm ends but its outline turns back towards the cross, showing that everything came from God and returns to God.' Printing and Sizing: This item is 105mmX148mm and is printed on 300gsm gloss card stock. Each card is blank inside, has its title and copyright details on the back and is individually wrapped in cellophane with an envelope.£2.25 -
Songs of the Isles: Selections from Carmina Gadelica
Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual GrowthThe isles in the title of this book are the Hebrides which lie between the west of Scotland and the north of Ireland, and the songs are the prayers an blessings which originated there between the sixth and ninth centuries. They remained a purely oral tradition until a hundred years ago when Alexander Carmichael collected and published them as Carmina Gadelica, the source book that led to the revival of Celtic spirituality today. These prayers and songs capture the remarkable spiritual vision of a people keeping faith through good and ill, ekeing out an existence in a world that was often harsh and inhospitable. They rejoice at the birth of a child o a good harvest, glory in natural beauty, lament in suffering, cry out for help or protection, and invoke God's blessing on even the most humble tasks. Until now we have only known them in the Victorian language of Carmichael's collection, bu in Kathleen Jones' fresh translation, thir poetic simplicity and power is fully revealed and we hear authentic Celtci voices speaking with conviction about life and death, hearth and home, land and sea, and the journey of the soul beneath the protecting power of heaven.£14.99 -
Benedictus: A Book of Blessings
Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual GrowthIn sharing words of grace and wisdom, the poet and writer John O'Donohue offers blessings to shelter and comfort us on our journey through life. As he opens our eyes to the natural beauty and splendour of the world that surrounds us, he inspires in us a new confidence and passion for life and helps us to confront key thresholds of human experience. Guided by these blessings and by a reassuring vision of hope and possibility for the present and the future, we begin to recognise that our relationships with one another and even the most seemingly insignificant rituals which frame our days, are crucial to our emotional and spiritual well-being. Through his poetic blessings, John O'Donohue also ignites in us a greater understanding of our innate qualities and, perhaps for the first time, we experience a true sense of belonging in this often troubled world. Drawing on the heritage of ancient Celtic thought and imagination, Benedictus is, ultimately a sanctuary of peace and a gentle, illuminating gift of light on our path through this world.£16.99 -
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer : An Introduction to His Thought
Influences & Suggested Reading, New MonasticismIn this refreshing new book on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, author Sabine Dramm examines the twentieth century's bestknown German pastor and theologian. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's passionate life and dramatic death are well known. Here, his life and the death he accepted in resistance to Hitler are examined in the context of his faith and thought, as found in his own writings. This is a book about Bonhoeffer's vibrant Christian faith and his profound yet very practical theological thinking. Dramm explores Bonhoeffer's sermons, letters, articles, and books. She offers her readers an outstanding introduction to the breadth of his writing and the depth of his theological thinking. She also shows how Bonhoeffer's beliefs and understandings led him to active resistance to the Nazi regime: to the establishment of alternative church groups, to espionage, and ultimately to conspiracy to overthrow the government by assassinating Hitler.£16.99 -
My times are still in Your hands 210mm square print
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Creativity, Spiritual GrowthLynda Owen-Hussey, a companion with the Northumbria Community, is a mixed media artist living on the shores of the West Coast of Ireland in County Kerry, close to the birthplace of St Brendan. These days, her work is inspired by the many gifts of the sea she encounters on walks along the shore, often pondering the life of St Brendan and the many monks of old who inhabited this land. In describing this original artwork Lynda says:£12.00Painted whilst on retreat at Nether Springs, the Mother House of the Northumbria Community, this artwork is inspired by a verse in Northumbria Community’s Brendan Liturgy:
I will trust in the darkness and know that my times are still in Your hand.
Brendan and his companions spent years on the sea as they searched for, and eventually found, the promised land. In Psalm 31, King David in the midst of difficulty places his trust in God recalling that his times are in God’s hands. Likewise we are called to trust God in the dark and difficult desert days we can find ourselves in.
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Hidden Wings: Emerging from troubled times with new hope and deeper wisdom
Everyday Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyYou must become the change you long for. Fine words, a great vision, but where to begin? We caterpillars know. From the moment we are conceived in our parents' mating dance, we already contain the cells that hold our future butterfly. Let us tell you our story... Tumultuous changes are occurring in the world around us, and the structures and values by which we have charted our lives seem to be collapsing. Many of us are struggling to plot a spiritual path through this unfamiliar landscape, and to believe in a positive future. Hidden Wings is a book offering hope and understanding. Using the example of a caterpillar entering the devastating, world-altering stage of the chrysalis, before emerging – transformed – as a butterfly, Margaret Silf helps us to see that these times of chaos could in fact be an opportunity for profound spiritual transformation.£12.99 -
Oswiu: King of Kings
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & SpiritualityOswald's head is on a spike. Can Oswiu avoid the same fate? The great pagan king Penda set a trap, and when the brothers Oswiu and Oswald walked in, only one came back alive. Rumours abound that the place where Oswald's body is strung up has become sacred ground - a site of healing for those who seek it. Oswald's mother believes he will protect those he loves, even beyond the grave. So she asks the impossible of Oswiu: to journey to the heart of Penda's kingdom and rescue the body that was stolen from them. Will this fateful task allow Oswiu to prove himself worthy of uniting the kingdoms under him as the King of Kings, or will it set him on a path to destruction? Oswiu: King of Kings is the masterful conclusion to The Northumbrian Thrones trilogy.£12.99 -
Born to Fly: A handbook for butterflies-in-waiting
Everyday Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneySometimes it can feel as though we are living in the worst of times – a world of chaos, uncertainty and breakdown. But could this also be the best of times – a crucible of change in which a wiser and more spiritually mature future is being forged? The stars are most clearly visible in the deepest darkness. The butterfly emerges out of the worst meltdown of the chrysalis. In Born to Fly, Margaret Silf helps us to explore what it would mean for each of us to be such an emerging butterfly – to be an agent of spiritual transformation in our own lives and in the world around us. What kind of future do we desire for ourselves, for those who follow after us, and for the whole of creation? And if the choices we make today are shaping that future, how might we learn to make those choices more wisely? The second part of the book takes us on a gentle journey in five stages through the process of transformation mapped out for us by the caterpillar as it changes from a pesky garden grub, taking what it wants without regard for the rest of creation, to a butterfly, giving life wherever it lands? Born to Fly is designed to be read for personal reflection and inspiration, or alongside fellow readers, with suggestions for further discussion. It is a companion book to Margaret Silf's Hidden Wings.£12.99 -
The Aidan Compline
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Prayer, Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingA Trifold A4 card containing the words of the Aidan Compline from Celtic Daily Prayer. Part of a series of 7 cards each containing the words of one of the Complines. (Also available here is a perfect bound A5 booklet containing the words of all seven Complines, along with the melody line of those parts of the Complines that have been set to music.)£0.65 -
Trinity: Greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual GrowthA square greetings card with envelope in a cellophane bag. The card has a print of original artwork by Francesca Ross.£2.00 -
Never Thirst Again: A6 greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual Growth£2.25John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” © NIV 1984
Background: This could be used as a blessing for a Baptism, Confirmation or Ordination. This passage in John holds a powerful message of hope for a world which thirsts for that elusive ‘something’. Whether that ‘something’ is spiritual meaning, true love, happiness, security or day to day needs, God, in the man Jesus, promised that if we allow the Spirit of God into our lives then not only will our needs be met one way or another (since our idea of how to improve matters may not be God’s ways), but we will live forever with Him.
Printing and Sizing:
This item is 105mm x 148mm and is printed on 300gsm gloss card stock. Each card is blank inside, has its title and copyright details on the back and is individually wrapped in cellophane with an envelope.
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Streams of Living Water
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyIsn't it a shame that the rich tapestry of Christian belief and practice has so often been rigidly carved up, crammed into denominational boxes and padlocked shut? Richard Foster addresses this by identifying six major strands of Christian spirituality within the worldwide church that have contributed at various times and places across the centuries. They are: The Contemplative tradition - or the Prayer-filled life, The Holiness tradition - or the Virtuous life, The Charismatic tradition - or the Spirit-empowered life, The Social Justice tradition - or the Compassionate life, The Evangelical tradition - or the Word-centred life, The Incarnational tradition - or the Sacramental life, Foster's celebration of spiritual life incorporates history's most significant Christian figures and movements. It serves as a refreshing example of how real peopl have evaded preconceived ideas and lived wonderful Christ-centred lives in spite of constricting labels.£10.99 -
Holy Envy. Finding God in the Faith of Others.
Spiritual GrowthIn this hardback book, Barbara Brown Taylor tackles the questions, worries and concerns that arise when we encounter "difference" and "others" and explores what is opened and what is revealed when we accept the invitations to investigate all the wonder before us. Here we learn not only that God's preferred language is driven by curiosity and specialises in questions, but we also discover the spiritual riches God can teach us from the faith of others.£16.99 -
Life Together
Influences & Suggested Reading, New Monasticism, Re-imagining ChurchDietrich Bonhoeffer, the now famous theologian who was martyred by the Nazis in 1945, wrote this book on the eve of World War II. It resulted from his experience as head of a semiary of the German 'Confessing Church' at Finkenwalde near Stettin. Here many of the pastors who witnessed against Hitler received their inspiration. It was, as Professor John D. Godsey points out in his study of The Theology of Deitrich Bonhoeffer, 'a kind of theological education that was startlingly new in Germany: a communal life in which Jesus Christ's call to discipleship was taken seriously.' Professor Godsey calls Life Together 'simply written, powerfully convincing and unusually quotable...It is an attempt to give practical guidance to those who want to take their lives as Christians seriously.'£14.99 -
A Labyrinth Prayer Handbook: creative resources for worship and reflection
Creativity, Music & Creativity, Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual Exercises, The Inner JourneyAn imaginitive and practical resource for using the labyrinth in worship, spiritual practice and pastoral care. It offers many ideas for using labyrinths with individuals and groups in different settings, including schools, hospitals and hospices, residential care, mental health care, adults with learning disabilities, retreats and quiet days, and in seasonal worship throughout the church year. It offers complete outlines for themed worship and workshops, focussing on such subjects as life stages, pilgrimage and vocations, and includes prayers, simple liturgies, suggestions for music and creative ideas for responding to walking the labyrinths. This inviting book also shows how to create your own labyrinth, whether a small hand-held one, or a temporary or permanent installation, indoors or outdoors.£14.99 -
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Love The Lord: A6 greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual Growth£2.25Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 New International Version (NIV)
To love God with all that we are, with our whole self, is an enormous challenge. Our hearts and minds are easily distracted and persuaded; our souls are unfathomable, perhaps our greatest and most faithful lover of God. But to give all, consciously and subconsciously takes a continual recommitment to God's will, a constant re-examining of our relationship with our Creator and, scariest of all, a constant vulnerability to allow God to work in us.
Printing and Sizing:
This item is 105mm x 148mm and is printed on 300gsm gloss card stock. Each card is blank inside, has its title and copyright details on the back and is individually wrapped in cellophane with an envelope.
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Seize the Day
Daily Readings, Monasticism & New Monasticism, New Monasticism, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyDietrich Bonhoeffer's faith-driven resistance to the Nazis during World War II resulted in his execution. Multitudes have been inspired by the hauntingly powrful words of this man who was willing to die for his convictions. In this collection of 365 meditations Dr Charles Ringma allows us to experience the power of Bonhoeffer's words in a way that challenges us to live out our discipleship daily - combining personal spirituality with an active concern for those around us. These daily meditations on Bonhoeffer's writings may make you uncomfortable. But if you are willing to wrestle - as Bonhoeffer did - with what it means to be a follower of Christ, you'll be empowered to seize each day.£20.99 -
Oswald: Return of the King
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & SpiritualityThe exiled family of King AEthelfrith of Northumbria arrive, after much hardship, on the island of Iona, where the monastery founded by St Columba has become a centre of worship and learning. Young Oswald becomes firm friends with a novice, Aidan. When Aidan professes his final vows, Oswald and his little brother Oswy are received into the church. As befits a young prince, Oswald learns to fight. However, Aidan's example attacts him and he is on the point of deciding to become a monk when news reaches Iona that his half brother, Eanfrith, has been killed by Cadwallon, the king who defeated Edwin. Oswald sails back to Northumbria and meets Cadwallon in battle, defeating and killing him. Oswald, now undisputed king of Northumbria, gives Aidan the island of Lindisfarne as his base. But Penda, the last great pagan king in England, is raising troops against him ...£9.99 -
An Introduction to the Wisdom of the Celtic Saints
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Core Teaching, Influences & Suggested Reading, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingEdward C Sellner has recently published a revised and expanded edition of his important work Wisdom of the Celtic Saints, which presents the stories of 27 of the most important of the Celtic saints from Ireland, Scotland, northern England, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. However, this is currently only available in hardback form and the author has permitted the Northumbria Community to publish his excellent introduction to his book in this booklet form, making it more widely accessible.£4.00 -
The Artist’s Rule: nurturing your creative soul with monastic wisdom
Creativity, Monasticism & New Monasticism, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Growth, The Inner Journey, Traditional Monasticism, nature, solitude, artists, creativity The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom by Christine Valters Paintner, author of Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire, invites readers to discover and develop their creative gifts in a spirit of prayer and reflection. This twelve-week course draws on the insights and practices of Benedictine spirituality to explore the interplay between contemplation and creativity. Sumarised in the phrase 'pray and work,' The Rule of St. Benedict provides the inspiration for Christine Valters Paintner's newest exploration of the mutually nourishing relationship between contemplative practices and creative expression. Artists of all stripes and stations in life - poets or painters, potters or photographers - will discover how traditions of Benedictine, Celtic, and desert spirituality can offer new sources of inspiration for their work. Themes like 'Sacred Tools and Sacred Space', 'Creative Solitude and Community,' and 'Nature as a Source of Revelation and Inspiration' are enriched by Paintner's perceptive discussion and enhanced by insightful quotations from well-known artists and writers. Ideally formatted for faith sharing groups and parish retreats, this guide offers suggestions for grounding both the creative and the spiritual life through three basic practices: walking, lectio divina, and journaling. The Artist's Rule is supplemented with online resources, including guided meditation podcasts, video lessons, and discussions.£14.99 -
A Silent Action: engagements with Thomas Merton
Spiritual GrowthThomas Merton's life, especially once he had become a writer, was to a great extent one of dialogue with people who were distant, both geographically and historically. In these probing and perceptive studies, Rowan Williams looks closely at the key intellectual and spiritual relationships that emerge in Merton's writings, exploring the impact on him of thinkers as diverse as Hannah Arendt, Karl Barth, William Blake, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Olivier Clement, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Paul Evdokimov, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Vladimir Lossky, John Henry Newman, Boris Pasternak and St John of the Cross.£11.99 -
The Creative Pilgrimage Activity Book
CreativityThis little book has been created to inspire the would-be pilgrim, as a companion for the travelling pilgrim and as an introduction to making a pilgrimage to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Included are prayers and activities to help you focus on your journey whether your pilgrimage is part of your inward journey or a physical journey to a sacred place.£3.99 -
Fire of the North: The Life of St Cuthbert
Celtic Sites & SaintsSt Cuthbert, monk and bishop of Lindisfarne, was a man of extraordinary charm and ability. A preacher, teacher and pastor, he was also reputed to have gifts of prophecy and healing. David Adam, one of the most prolific and best-loved writers in the Celtic tradition, vividly relates the story of this central figure in Celtic Christianity. Drawing out the qualities which make Cuthbert so important in our own time, Fire of the North celebrates the saint's ready sense of God's presence and eager response to nature. The narrative is complemented throughout by prayers specially composed to help us experience the direct force of Celtic spirituality for ourselves.£10.99 -
Accidental Saints. Finding God in All the Wrong People
Culture & Mission, The Inner JourneyWhat if the annoying person you try to avoid is actually seconds away from becoming an accidental saint in your life? What if, even in our persistent failings, holy moments are waiting to happen? In Accidental Saints, New York Times bestselling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls 'a religious but not-so-spiritual life.' Tattooed, angry, and profane, this unlikely priest stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people―a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, and a gun-toting member of the NRA. As she lives and worships alongside these 'accidental saints,' Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace―a gift that often feels less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit by a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn't have been on their own. In a time when many have become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and sceptic alike. Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.£12.99 -
Spiritual Maladies
Scripture & Prayer, The Inner JourneyTo love is to live and to live is to love; this is God's intention for humanity. However, humanity falls ill along the way; its love of God and neighbour becomes diseased, infected with other loves; the love of money, of pleasure. . . . To these malaises God becomes our physician; he draws alongside us to heal and to restore us to fullness of life. The author enables us to rediscover this obscured face of God, the face of God our physician, full of compassion and very attentive--a God before whom it is best to lay bare all our ills in order to be healed. In this important corrective, Daniel Bourguet reorients readers. Sin is not so much law-breaking behaviour that requires a punitive judge as it is a spiritual malady of the passions in need of the Great Physician. From Cain's sin to Christ's ministry, we see grace as God's medicine for our sick world. This book is gentle, therapeutic gift.£13.00 -
Eyes of the Heart; photography as Christian contemplative practice
Creativity, Spiritual ExercisesEyes of the Heart by Christine Valters Paintner explores photography as a spiritual practice from a Christian perspective. Christine builds on the process of contemplative creativity in her book The Artist’s Rule (also available from the community bookshop) by adapting the monastic practice of lectio divina (sacred reading) into a form of visio divina (sacred seeing). A spiritual director and Benedictine oblate, she guides readers through a new way of spiritual observation – through the lens of a camera – and in receiving images, not simply taking them. She writes that, ‘My hope is that, in exploring the language of photography, you [develop] new portals into the your own experience and awareness of God. Shadow and light, framing, colour, reflections, and mirrors all offer us metaphors for ways of understanding how we might move towards seeing ourselves and God with the eyes of the heart.’ She invites us to use our cameras to help us to release our expectations of what we think we ought to see and learn to discover what is actually there. And then helps us to bring this kind of interaction into our everyday lives.£12.99 -
Theology After Christendom: forming prophets for a post-Christian world
Culture & MissionChristianity must be understood not as a religion of private salvation, but as a gospel movement of universal compassion, which transforms the world in the power of God's truth. Amid several major global crises, including the rise of terrorism and religious fundamentalism and a sudden resurgence of political extremism, Christians must now face up fearlessly to the challenges of living in a "post-truth" age in which deceitful politicians present their media-spun fabrications as "alternative facts." This book is an attempt to enact a transformative theology for these changing times that will equip the global Christian community to take a stand for the gospel in an age of cultural despair and moral fragmentation. The emerging post-Christendom era calls for a new vision of Christianity that has come of age and connects with the spiritual crisis of our times. In helping to make this vision a reality, Searle insists that theology is not merely an academic discipline, but a transformative enterprise that changes the world. Theology is to be experienced not just behind a desk, in an armchair, or in a church, but also in hospitals, in foodbanks, in workplaces, and on the streets. Theology is to be lived as well as read£23.99 -
Encompassing God
Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Everyday Life, The Inner JourneyDavid Adam has spent a lifetime exploring the depths of God's love, and this richly contemplative collection of new prayers and meditations draws us very near to the heart of the Trinity. Based on 'the prayer of seven directions', Encompassing God seeks to increase our awareness of being held by God. We are nurtured at every moment of our existence in the encompassing love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Whatever we might be facing, we can trust that God is before us and behind us. He is on our right and on our left; above us, beneath us - and gloriously alive within.£9.99 -
Caim: A6 greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual GrowthWords: None Background: Mary tells us that...‘Caim’ was originally designed as a CD cover for an album of prayers set to music by the same name, therefore the imagery reflects themes of the music included, however as is often the case the illustration evolved into something which speaks beyond the obvious inspiration. The hand seems to reach out in a loving, gentle gesture to caress the face of the Creator, symbolised by the star (Revelation 22:16 ‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.’). The complex knotwork intersperses three overlapping circles which represent the Trinity and the patterns and colours are life patterns, weaving and merging, coloured by experiences, actions and reactions. Printing and Sizing: This item is 105mm x 148mm and is printed on 300gsm gloss card stock. Each card is blank inside, has its title and copyright details on the back and is individually wrapped in cellophane with an envelope.£2.25 -
A Future and a Hope: Mission, Theological Education, and the Transformation of Post-Soviet Society
Culture & Mission, Everyday LifeAfter more than twenty years since the fall of the USSR, the evangelical movement in post-Soviet society has entered a crucial phase in its historical development. Setting out a transformative vision of mission and theological education, this book makes an important contribution towards the renewal of the church in this fascinating--but deeply troubled--part of the world. After the violent and disruptive events that followed the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity and Freedom in 2013/14, the evangelical movement in post-Soviet society now has an unprecedented opportunity to become a shining example of a "church without walls." Searle and Cherenkov reflect on the political, social, cultural, and intellectual legacy of the Soviet Union and offer bold and innovative proposals on how the church can rediscover its prophetic voice by relinquishing its debilitating dependence on the state and, instead, expressing solidarity with the people in their legitimate aspirations for freedom and democracy. Notwithstanding the pessimism and lament expressed on many pages, the authors conclude on a positive note, predicting that the coming years will witness a flowering of evangelical ecumenism in action as Christian solidarity flourishes and overflows denominational boundaries and parochial interests.£15.99 -
The Private Lives of the Saints : Power, Passion and Politics in Anglo-Saxon England
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & SpiritualitySkulduggery, power struggles and politics, The Private Lives of the Saints offers an original and fascinating re-examination of life in Anglo-Saxon England. Taking them from their heavenly status to the human level, Oxford art historian and BBC presenter Dr Janina Ramirez explores the real lives of over a dozen seminal saints. This landmark book provides a unique and captivating lens through which to explore the rich history of the Dark Ages.£14.99 -
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Building Utopia: seeking the authentic church for new communities
Culture & Mission, Re-imagining ChurchThe new urban areas are reshaping much of Britain. Those who live, work or minister within them are not only at the cutting edge of new forms of built environment, they must also discover new ways of being community and contemplate new expressions of Church. All this demands careful and bold analysis and creative theological reflection. While powerful global economic forces are changing our landscapes, human beings have to wrestle with themes of belonging and identity. The gospel engages with these human narratives, driving and shaping a Christian search for alternative perspectives and practices. What are the appropriate building projects, mission programmes and lifestyles that will be effective in meeting the challenges of the urban settlements? How should other areas respond? The writers of this book have worked together as a group, mapping the new situation, analysing their findings and drawing out those themes which demand attention – making it possible to reflect theologically about the challenges of our newly built urban developments.Original price was: £14.99.£7.99Current price is: £7.99. -
Calm me O Lord A5 poster
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingThese words by David Adam form part of the Felgild Compline (for Wednesday each week) in Celtic Daily Prayer. This calligraphic design by Pam French is also available as an A4 poster, an A6 Greetings card and an A6 postcard.£1.50 -
Contemplative Prayer
Influences & Suggested Reading, Scripture & PrayerThomas Merton's classic study of monastic prayer and contemplation brings a tradition of spirituality alive for the present day. But, as A M Allchin points out in his Introduction to this new edition, Contemplative Prayer also shows us the present day in a new perspective, because we see it in the light of a long and living tradition. Merton stresses that in meditation we should not look for a 'method' or 'system' but cultivate an 'attitude' or 'outlook': faith, openness, attention, reverence, expectation, trust, joy. God is found in the desert of surrender, in giving up any expectation of a particular message and 'waiting on the Word of God in silence'. Merton insists on the humility of faith, which he argues 'will do far more to launch us into the full current of historical reality than the pompous rationalisation of politicians who think they are somehow the directors and manipulators of history'.£11.99 -
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Atheism After Christendom: unbelief in an age of encounter
Culture & MissionAs Christendom continues to dwindle, atheism becomes an increasingly safe pastime. Now that we live in a post-Christendom era, the New Atheists boldly oppose the god of a bygone age, whilst dutifully serving the new gods of our own age. These new gods include the insurmountable, dehumanizing and oppressive political, economic and social forces that acquire power at the expense of the powerless. This is a call to both atheist and Christian to be faithful to their atheistic heritage. At root, this entails radical openness to radical otherness. Exploring Philosophy and Biblical Studies, Science and Ethics, Politics and Ecology, Economics and Literature, this book argues that when atheists are truly atheist and Christians truly Christian, there is true hope for a better world. The book culminates with a presentation of the Lord's Prayer as an atheist manifesto written to incite gracious, pragmatic, effective rebellion against the gods of the age. "Simon Perry's provocative book throws down the gauntlet to atheists and believers alike. So-called 'new atheists' will welcome his attack on much of traditional Christianity - only to discover themselves exposed as worshippers of the gods of this world. But Perry's real challenge is to Christians, who are forced to look again at their beliefs in the light of a 'radical atheism'." Morna Hooker, University of CambridgeOriginal price was: £14.99.£7.99Current price is: £7.99. -
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Carnival Kingdom
Culture & Mission, Everyday LifeThe first Christians lived out a new social order and envisaged the world anew. Divisions, inequalities and injustices would be overturned as the world would reflect a new kind of reign. In the Kingdom of God, the powerful are brought low, while the oppressed are raised up; the hungry are filled with good things, while the rich are sent empty away; the wolf lives with the lamb, and the leopard lies down with the goat; the slave becomes the son, the master is the servant of all and the meek will inherit the earth. This same upside-down Kingdom is echoed in the Carnival festivals of the Medieval era, which both parodied the oppressive structures of their day and dramatically portrayed an alternative reality. In this book, twelve scholars, theologians, and social activists from around the world take up the Carnival's call for justice and a renewed society, and portray in their own contexts the Kingdom of God coming in justice and fullness of life - the coming of the Carnival Kingdom.Original price was: £12.99.£8.99Current price is: £8.99. -
Remember Me: A6 greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual GrowthBackground: Artist Mary Fleeson tells us that... " ‘Remember’ is a celebration of Christ’s words to His disciples, 23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NIV The image includes the empty tomb and the angel standing outside with Jesus and Mary in the garden, the road to Emmaus, a bright star – to remind us of His birth and the light He brought to a fallen world and Jesus carrying the cross as a symbol of carrying the sin of the world. The rich knotwork pattern behind is the backdrop to the royal story of The King of the Universe. The large knot reminds us of our life journey and how God wants us to be immersed, surrounded and sharing in His journey." This item is 105 x 148mm and is printed on 300gsm card stock. Each card is blank inside, has its title and copyright details on the back and is individually wrapped in cellophane with an envelope.£2.25 -
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Christ is the Light: A6 greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual GrowthWords: Christ is the Light, May He illumine your path Christ is the Way, May He direct your life Christ is the Breath, May He feed your soul Background: Mary tells us that...'The words were inspired by the Celtic Christian belief that God, as Father, Son and Spirit, infuse every part of daily life. The journey of life can be directed by Him if we allow it and its twists and turns will be clearer if seen in the light He gives.' Printing and Sizing: This item is 105mmX148mm and is printed on 300gsm gloss card stock. Each card is blank inside, has its title and copyright details on the back and is individually wrapped in cellophane with an envelope.£2.25 -
Watchman: A6 greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual GrowthWords: My soul waits for the Lord, More than those who watch for the morning, More than those who watch for the morning. Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord hear my voice. With my whole heart I want to praise you, O Lord hear my voice. If You Lord should mark iniquities Who could stand? Who could stand? I will wait for the Lord, my soul waits And in His word do I hope. Background: Based on Psalm 130 these words were written by Larry & Pearl Brick for a song called ‘I Will Wait’ on their 1989 album ‘See-through Servant’. Northumbria Community use the song in their Evening Prayer liturgy. Printing and Sizing: This item is 105mmX148mm and is printed on 300gsm gloss card stock. Each card is blank inside, has its title and copyright details on the back and is individually wrapped in cellophane with an envelope.£2.25 -
Aidan, Bede, Cuthbert: Three Inspirational Saints
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies & SpiritualityIn this rousing book, David Adam celebrates the lives and interweaving stories of Aidan, Bede and Cuthbert. Recalling, in a personal introduction, his ordination to the pastoral ministry in Durham Cathedral (the burial place of Bede and Cuthbert) and his thirteen years as Vicar of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne (where Aidan lived), the author communicates clearly his appreciation of these three great saints. They have much to teach us, he believes, about vision – about expanding our spiritual awareness and deepening our love for God.£9.99 -
Sunset on Lindisfarne: Greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual GrowthGreetings card with a beautiful photograph by Lindsay Grant of a spectacular sunset on Lindisfarne. Blank inside for your own message.£2.00 -
Embracing Chaos
LeadershipUnderstanding the importance of chaos and complexity is well established in the sciences, and increasingly impinges on everyday life. But how does it affect our understanding of leadership and theology? This wide-ranging study looks at the key elements of chaos theory, and makes helpful connections with the practical issues of leadership within and beyond ministry.£3.95 -
Celtic Christian Spirituality
Celtic Prayer, Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & SpiritualityThe Celtic Christians beheld the world around them and perceived the divine life of God upholding every aspect of the material universe. Their prayers and poems, their liturgies and their theological texts give Christians a sense of faith that is confident in a merciful and infinitely creative, healing God. In this introduction to Celtic Christian spirituality, Mary C. Earle presents the primary texts from the Celtic Christian tradition - selections from the writings of Pelagius, Eriugena and St Patrick, as well as prayers and poems from Wales, the Outer Hebrides and Ireland. These essential texts direct humanity to read the 'book of creation' as well as the book of scripture, and call us to remember that 'matter matters'. The author's engaging facing-page commentary explores how faithful Christians and spiritual seekers use the writings of this lively tradition as ways of embodying and living the gospel.£10.99 -
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s New Monasticism: A Central Influence
Core Teaching, Influences & Suggested Reading, Monasticism & New Monasticism, New Monasticism, Northumbria Community Resources & Teaching, Re-imagining ChurchThis booklet, by Trevor Miller, looks at the ways in which Dietrich Bonhoeffer has been an influence on our Community. A Lutheran Pastor in the Confessing Church in Germany in the 1930s, Bonhoeffer’s early exploration of Community and New Monasticism was cut short by the Nazi regime, but his writings have lived on. In this booklet Trevor helps us to make the connections between Bonhoeffer’s life and work and our own journey as a Community.£5.00 -
Chad Liturgy Card
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Prayer, Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingA trifold A4 card containing the Chad Liturgy from Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1: The Journey Begins. A useful resource for pilgrimages and retreats. 10% discount when buying 5 or more copies.£0.65