Kirjahaku

After many years of preaching from the first three chapters of Luke and the first two chapters of Matthew, Frank Ramirez decided to preach about something a little different around Christmastime. What evolved was this series of seven messages for the Sundays beginning with Advent and ending with Epiphany. Why a sermon series based on the Old Testament book of Haggai? Ramirez writes, "I've always been fascinated by the lesser known books of the Old Testament, partly because I'm afraid of being embarrassed in heaven if I don't recognize some of these people " Frank Ramirez is pastor of the Elkhart Valley Church of the Brethren in Elkhart, Indiana. A native of California, he has also lived in Virginia, Tennessee, and Illinois. He has served as a parish pastor since graduating from Bethany Theological Seminary. His other interests include beekeeping and marathon running. Ramirez has written seven other books, plus numerous articles and short fiction.

Busy pastors and worship leaders are always searching for worship elements that underline the scripture passages and provide a unifying theme. A Call To Worship answers that need, supplying a range of calls to worship, prayers, and litanies for each Sunday, all based on the readings for Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary. A special feature is a weekly "children's benediction" that summarizes the day's theme in a brief phrase that young people can understand and repeat with the congregation. A Call To Worship is a valuable library of resources that you'll want to have right at your fingertips Frank Ramirez is an author and pastor in the Church of the Brethren who has written numerous books, articles, and short stories. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez has served congregations in Indiana and California. His other CSS titles include The Christmas Star, Coming Home, and He Took A Towel.

Lectionary Worship Aids by Frank Ramirez is a lectionary book based on Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. Here are some of the topics covered in this lectionary book: Worship Worship resources Worship services Worship aids Lectionary Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary Lectionary worship aids Lectionary resources "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105 KJV) We are the People of the Book, and our book is the Bible. That's quite a bargain when you think about it. It's more than a book -- it's a collection of books. And it's more than a collection of books -- it's the Word of Life. These are the words of life, and this word has depth, with meaning for the time in which it was first delivered, and additional strata for every time and every heart, including our own. (from the introduction) Preparing to lead a congregation in worship each Sunday is a pressure-filled responsibility. That's why busy worship planners will love this all-new edition of a perennial favorite CSS reference. This resource is easy to use, with several prayers and a worship theme relating to the assigned scriptural passages for every Sunday and major observance in Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. For each First Lesson, Second Lesson, and Gospel text there's a call to worship, a collect, a prayer of confession, and suggested hymns. This complete collection offers a wide selection of practical aids for creating sincerely reverent, meaningful worship experiences. Frank Ramirez is an author and pastor in the Church of the Brethren who has written numerous books, articles, and short stories. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez has served congregations in Indiana and California, and is currently pastor at Everett Church of the Brethren in Everett, Pennsylvania. His other CSS titles include A Call To Worship, He Took A Towel, The Christmas Star, and Coming Home.

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105 NRSV) Coming up with fresh, meaningful worship material each Sunday that illuminates scripture and preaching themes is a pressure-filled responsibility. That's why busy pastors and worship leaders will love this all-new edition of a perennial CSS favorite. It's an easy-to-use reference offering several prayers relating to the assigned scriptural passages for every Sunday and major observance in Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary. For each First Lesson, Second Lesson, and Gospel text there's a call to worship, a collect, a prayer of confession, and suggested hymns. Supplemental material includes alternate verses for several familiar hymns, as well as an anointing service, a communion and feetwashing service, and a lamentation service for the anniversary of 9/11. This complete collection offers a wide selection of practical aids for creating sincerely reverent, thematically unified worship experiences in which hymns, prayers, and scripture all work together to dance in and around God's Word. Lord, listen to your people praying. Your faithfulness is evident all around us, in the green of the hill, in the rushing of the rivers, and in the life that surrounds us. The birds who eat the seeds we leave out, and the birds who plunder the fruit we thought we would save for ourselves, are both yours. The bears who forage in the woods and who rummage through our trash are yours, also. Lord, this is your world and not ours, and surely your presence is in this place, whether or not it suits our purposes. We praise you, Lord, for who you are, and not what we would have you be. We love your world for what it is, and not what we would make it do for us. We praise you for your people as you made us, not by whom we would exclude, condemn, or deny. God of glory, your wisdom is sufficient for us this day. Amen. (sample prayer from Proper 10) Frank Ramirez is an author and pastor in the Church of the Brethren who has written numerous books, articles, and short stories. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez has served congregations in Indiana and California, and is currently pastor at Everett Church of the Brethren in Everett, Pennsylvania. His other CSS titles include Partners In Healing, A Call To Worship, He Took A Towel, The Christmas Star, and Coming Home.

Healing is a gift and not a right. The prayer of faith is powerful, but the most faithful prayer of power was that of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, on the eve of his great ordeal: "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). Anointing cannot guarantee healing. If it could it would border on magic, and would imply that we in some way control God's actions. God is in control of history and healing. It is God who invites us to join into a community of prayer through the ordinance of anointing. (excerpt from Partners In Healing) Though there are countless instances of anointing in the Bible, it is seldom practiced in many Christian traditions today. But this essential rite reminds us that God is the true source of restoration and healing -- and that he is at work in all aspects of our lives. Anointing affirms and symbolizes our partnership with God, and it invites God to be part of the healing process for anyone who is sick physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Partners In Healing is a complete guide with all the resources you need to revive this ancient practice as part of a comprehensive ministry of healing. In addition to exploring the biblical and historical background for anointing, you'll find a wealth of practical, easy-to-use material. There's an extensive range of services and prayers, as well as sermons you can use to introduce this ministry to congregations unfamiliar with it. Discussion questions and activities are also included, making this an excellent resource for small group study. Frank Ramirez is an author and pastor in the Church of the Brethren who has written numerous books, articles, and short stories. A graduate of the University of LaVerne and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez has served congregations in Indiana and California, and is currently pastor at Everett Church of the Brethren in Everett, Pennsylvania. His other CSS titles include He Took A Towel, Gabriel's Horn, The Christmas Star, Coming Home, A Call To Worship, and Lectionary Worship Aids.

Looking for something fresh and creative for the Advent season? Here's a charming set of five lighthearted plays that's sure to engage audiences and set the holiday spirit while remaining focused on the scriptural message. Written in whimsical rhyming verse, the scenes detail the prophecies of the Messiah and the story of the Incarnation through the interaction of three angels (Gabriel, Wonderful, and, Marvelous) with several biblical characters. Congregations of any size will find these sketches easy to use -- only a small cast is needed, and the readers? theater format means no extensive costuming or staging is required.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). This all-new edition of a perennial CSS favorite is a valuable resource for busy pastors, worship planners, worship service planners, and worship resource planners. It's an easy-to-use reference offering several prayers relating to the assigned scriptural passages for every Sunday and major observance in Cycle C of the Revised Common Lectionary. For each First, Second, and Gospel reading there's a call to worship, a collect, a prayer of confession, and suggested hymns -- plenty of inspiring material for the creation of fresh, meaningful worship services. Supplemental resources include numerous prayers for general use, worship material for Mother's Day, and a brief service for hunting season that highlights the connection between responsible hunting and God's creation. In addition, there are alternate verses for use with several familiar hymns plus hymns from the Brethren tradition. This complete collection offers a wide selection of practical aids for creating sincerely reverent, thematically unified worship experiences in which hymns, prayers, and scripture all work together to illuminate the powerful connection between God's Word and the daily lives of the people in the pews. These are not words to be admired. They are words to be prayed. This is all about talking to God. Just as importantly, it's about listening to God talking back.... I hope that people use times of silence, both in worship and in life, to allow the opportunity for God to speak. There is, of course, no controlling God. We cannot pull on a chain and ensure a reply. That would be magic. But we can at least work on the assumption that prayer is a conversation -- not a harangue, part medical report and part Santa wish list. We can also work on the assumption that this is the Lord of the universe we are speaking to, awe-inspiring and majestic, yet somehow marvelously secure as a God who encourages us to speak on an intimate basis. (from the Introduction) Frank Ramirez is an author and pastor in the Church of the Brethren who has written numerous books, articles, and short stories. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez has served congregations in Indiana and California, and is currently pastor at Everett Church of the Brethren in Everett, Pennsylvania. In addition to volumes of Lectionary Worship Aids for Cycles A and B, his other CSS titles include A Call To Worship, Partners In Healing, He Took A Towel, Gabriel's Horn, and The Christmas Star.

Frank Ramirez believes that youth and children are the church of today and should be invited to participate regularly in worship as scripture readers, musicians, speakers, and worship leaders. Drama is an especially great way to keep young people speaking, performing, and sharing in front of the congregation -- not only is it fun and inspirational, but drama is also an effective method for making God's word take on flesh and dwell in our midst. This set of six delightful plays puts Christ at the forefront while entertaining all ages and teaching deep truths. The flexible pieces can be performed elaborately with full costuming and staging, or simply read directly from the script in readers' theater style. From "Witnesses to the Light," featuring angels named Fantastic, Marvelous, Wonderful, and Gabriel, to the whimsical "Holy Water," with sheep named Be Bop, Bo Peep, Bah Humbug, and Bill, the dramas in The Bee Attitudes are sure to please. It'll be hard to determine who enjoys them the most -- the young people performing them, or the parents and grandparents with the cameras Frank Ramirez is the pastor of Everett Church of the Brethren in Everett, Pennsylvania. A graduate of the University of LaVerne and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez is the author of numerous christian books, articles, and short christian stories. His CSS titles include Gabriel's Horn, The Christmas Star, Partners in Healing, He Took a Towel, Coming Home, Lectionary Worship Aids, and A Call To Worship.

One of the most pivotal moments of Jesus' career was his famous Sermon on the Mount, which is full of parables and metaphors that are often misinterpreted or taken literally in modern theology. In this vein, Frank Ramirez has written No Room For the Inn to make clear much of biblical language that has caused so much confusion over the years. From the beginning of Advent to Transfiguration Sunday, Ramirez has compiled sermons inspired by his personal research on the Sermon on the Mount, along with countless references to the visual depiction of this event by Jan Brueghel the Elder. By closely examining the original Hebrew words of the Bible, Ramirez provides a new perspective on well-known stories of Jesus' career, helping us to understand life in his day and interpret his messages in a new light. Sermon Titles Include: - Couldn't Be Easier- Two Saviors- Seen and Unseen- The Other Sermon on the Mount