Bookshop

Following Mark – A Commentary for People on the Road, by William Loader

William Loader, a leading international New Testament Scholar, offers an alternative commentary, looking at Mark’s special emphases, with attention also to its use by other Gospel writers and its use for recovering the emphases of Jesus himself. It is written for faith seeking an informed understanding of the past and a critical appreciation of its abiding relevance.

$35.00

The Present and Future of the Basis of Union, edited by Geoff Thompson & Ji Zhang

The Basis of Union is a historic document, finalised in 1971, to provide the theological and biblical foundations for what was to become the Uniting Church in Australia. The fiftieth anniversary of its publication provided a fitting opportunity to review the Basis and to consider its ongoing significance for current members of the Church.

The essays in the book reflect the extraordinary changes in church and society over the fifty-year period and how the Basis itself must be considered and interpreted in ways that reflect the experiences of belonging within a contemporary community of believers.

$35.00

The Gifts They Bring, by Amy Linderman Allen

Ministry to children has been the focus of the church for a long time. So, what story is your church telling? Is our welcome to children in worship contingent on how quiet and passive they are? Whose voice is heard and valued? Are opportunities for service and mission limited only to adults? The introduction tells us that “each chapter in this book offers the opportunity to her a contemporary story and then reflect on its meaning in the light of a Gospel story. This seamless movement between ancient and contemporary stories invites you to consider the gifts that children bring when they are welcomed into the faith life of the congregation”.

$34.95

Faithful Grandparents – Hope and love through the generations, by Anita Cleverly

The writer describes her book as being about what it means to be a grandparent today, one who wants to communicate what they believe to their grandchildren. It’s about being a grandparent who is curious, who wonders what has happened to the world since childhood, who perhaps feels afraid or dismayed by some societal developments.

It’s about the grandparents today and tomorrow, and how to hold on to Jesus. We are invited to join the writer to think about being faithful grandparents, keeping faith alive against all odds and being committed to communicating it in a myriad of ways as we pray and long for a safe passage from one generation to another.

$23.95

A gospel for all ages, by David M. Csinos

A Gospel for All Ages lives at the intersection of two conversations–preaching and intergenerational ministry. By integrating these two topics, an entirely new conversation emerges, one that draws from both, that interrogates both, and that births something new in the process, creating fresh possibilities for a sleepy church.

Six creative ministry professionals join author David M. Csinos in providing intergenerational best-practice resources. Each chapter includes discussion questions and exercises for future practice.

$40.00

Pray Without Ceasing – a Life of Prayer, by Geoffrey Lilburne

I am not very good at prayer…
An unexpected and unusual opening sentence for a book about prayer. And a declaration from the beginning that Pray without Ceasing is basically a journey of exploration, an exercise in unpacking something that is constant within the Christian tradition, a reflection on Paul’s command to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), an invitation to join the author, Geoffrey Lilburne as he recalls his own experiences of learning to pray, what prayer is like, how prayer ‘works’ in various times and ages and situations.

Pray Without Ceasing is honest, recalling failures, distractions, and difficulties as well as celebrations and successes. It is the story of a journey that many will find familiar, inviting, encouraging. Above all, at its heart, a reminder that it is the free gift of the Holy Spirit that works in each of us, helping us to grow in prayer and, finally, allowing us, tentatively, to describe what prayer is and what it means to pray without ceasing.
(ref: from Coventry Press Bookstore page)

$30.00

Celebrating Abundance – Devotions for Advent by Walter Brueggeman

Celebrating Abundance includes daily reflections on the Scriptures and stories of Advent in order to invite us to see beyond the world’s false extravagance and realise the true feast laid out before us.

Training our eyes to see through the rough stable, the adolescent mother, and the anxious escape to Egypt, we can see in that poverty and powerlessness the wonder of God’s abundant life and grace coming down to dwell among us.

Twelve prayers are also included for the twelve days of the Christmas season.

$19.95

Holy Disruption – Discovering Advent In The Gospel of Mark, by Tracy S. Daub

Where’s the baby? The Gospel of Mark doesn’t have a nativity story – so where’s the Advent message? It’s in every aspect of Jesus’ life, to his death and beyond.

The incarnation – God’s coming to earth in human form to be baptised, teach, heal, eat, and die – is what we celebrate at Christmas, and Mark shows us just how radical and celebration worthy it is!

Holy Disruption, Discovering Advent In The Gospel of Mark, by Tracy S. Daub, presents a fresh understanding of the holiness of Christmas grounded not in a conventional, cosy Christmas message but through Mark’s disquieting Gospel, which invites its readers to experience God’s disruptive but transformative love for us and our world.

$24.95

Keep Watch With Me, An Advent Reader for Peacemakers, by Claire Brown and Michael McRay

From the introduction: “In our age and every age, it seems that our world needs God’s peace more than ever. “Be prepared,” encourages Matthew 24: 36-44. “Stay Alert!” says Mark 13: 24-37. And when you see war, strife, and need, writes Luke in chapter 21, verses 25-36, “You know that God’s kingdom is near.” In those moments when life and the world are in the most turmoil, that is when we must keep watch for God’s surprising presence. That moment of hopelessness or need or fear is the moment when holy grace and justice make themselves known.

Keep Watch With Me includes a text, a reflection, a prayer and a practice for each day of Advent and has helpful advice for using the book with groups.

$27.25

Songs for the Waiting – Devotions inspired by the Hymns of Advent by Magrey R. DeVega

Despite the presence of many beautiful Advent songs in our various hymnals, most of us would prefer to skip right to singing our favourite Christmas carols. But in our rush to get to the joy of Christmas, we forget what Advent is all about – watching and waiting for the coming of a promised king.

It’s not about shopping, partying, gift wrapping, and vacationing. It is about resting, trusting, praying, and seeking. Through the lyrics of moving Advent hymns and the powerful words of Scripture, Songs for the Waiting by Magrey R. DeVega, will help readers reclaim a sense of the beautiful anticipation and preparation that is central to Advent.

$24.95

Were You There? Lenten Reflections on the Spirituals, by Luke A. Powery

Valuable not only for their sublime musical expression the African-American spirituals also provide profound insights into the human condition and Christian life. Many spirituals focus on the climax of the Christian drama, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the ways in which those events bring about the liberation of God’s people.

In these devotions for the season of Lent, Luke A. Powery leads the reader through the spirituals as they confront the mystery of Christ’s atoning death and victory over the grave.

$20.95

Jesus the storyteller, by Stephen I. Wright

This book offers a fresh, historically plausible account of why Jesus spoke in parables and how this distinctive style of speech functioned in his ministry.

Most books on the parables have tended to treat them as individual units to be interpreted rather than in a connected way as a consistent element within the ministry of the historical Jesus.

$29.95

On the Third Day: Re-looking at the Resurrection, by John Queripel

The Easter story culminating in the resurrection of Jesus stands at the heart of Christian faith and celebration. But in the modern world is the story still believable? And does it still have transformative power for modern living?

The scriptures contain a mix of attitudes to life after death, and the resurrection stories themselves contain a mysterious mix of the physical and mystical. John Queripel argues that we can no longer hold to a literal understanding of these accounts, but neither can we see the resurrection as mere delusion and wish fulfillment.

$24.95

What Did the Cross Accomplish?: A Conversation About the Atonement, by N.T. Wright, Simon Gathercole, Robert B. Stewart

Readers will enjoy a fascinating and cordial discussion between N. T. Wright and Simon Gathercole on the meaning and nature of the doctrine of atonement.

These two highly respected scholars discuss in clear and understandable language the meanings of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Their discussion explores various theories of atonement and looks closely at the Old Testament to discover Paul’s meaning of his words that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.”

$30.00