CCS Publications
When You Come Together: The Theology and Practice of Christian Worship.
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"For a generation, 'worship renewal' has been a hot topic within all churches. The suggested motivation has often been that the inherited worship practices have grown stale and are no longer engaging the hearts and minds of many (the estimated percentages of the disaffected vary widely). A frequent response has been to seek to 'jazz up' the worship by importing some new elements (new songs, zippier—and usually shorter—sermons, readings, skits), an approach which focuses upon symptomatic change. The result is that currently in many Churches of Christ worship is often shaped by a dangerous combination of random experimentation in practice and lack of clarity in purpose. Too often we do not know what we are doing—or why.
"We need to understand what we do in worship and why we do it (as well as what we do not do and why we do not). Otherwise we are either hostages to nonreflective traditions ('We have always done it this way') or—equally bad—hostages to fads ('You know what we have never tried?'). There is a textual variant in some ancient manuscripts to Luke 6:4 where Jesus observes a man working on the Sabbath. Jesus says to him, 'Man, if thou knowest what thou doest, blessed art thou! But if thou knowest not, thou are cursed and a transgressor of the law.' This story is very unlikely to give authentic words of Jesus, but the point it makes seems appropriate here—the true significance of what you do is related to what you understand yourself to be doing. It makes a difference not only what we do, but why we do it.
"Worship is the most significant aspect of forming Christian faith for most believers. The first value is that it improves our vision of God. That may be the greatest need for the church today. This includes, but is not limited to, our doctrine of God (which can be solely a matter of the head). The old Westminster catechism asks, “What is the chief duty of man?” and provides the charmingly true answer, 'To fear God and enjoy him forever.' Worship is about knowing and responding to God."
Dr. Wendell Willis is retired professor from Abilene Christian University and formerly taught at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. In addition to academic work, he served as a local minister for almost 20 years, both in Texas and Missouri.
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Available for purchase at our online store.
Renewal Through Restoration: An Uncommon Call to Christian Discipleship.
Renewal Through Restoration: An Uncommon Call to Christian Discipleship.
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In an age when biblical discipleship appears to be waning, Klesis is pleased to release Renewal Through Restoration: An uncommon call to Christian discipleship. In this book, four current and former church elders based in Australia and the United States call for spiritual renewal through restoring the ancient faith, practices, and ethos of the earliest Christians.
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Contributors include Benny Tabalujan, Allan McNicol, Steve Wilson, and Everett Ferguson.
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Available for purchase at our online store.
Watch a brief introduction to the purpose and content of Renewal Through Restoration.
The authors of Renewal Through Restoration discuss the book here:
Things that Matter: A Guide to Christian Faith.
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Originally written for use in the mission field, Things that Matter offers a brief and helpful introduction to the story of the Bible and the Christian faith.
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Includes discussion questions for study groups.
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Edited by Michael R. Weed and Jeffrey Peterson.
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Available for purchase at our online store.
Lord, Teach Us to Pray: The Lord's Prayer for Today's Church.
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Jesus taught his disciples to pray words that have been repeated by believers daily for nearly 2,000 years. This book reflects on the meaning of the Lord's Prayer and offers guidance for our prayers today.
Includes discussion questions for study groups.
Edited by Michael R. Weed, Keith D. Stanglin, and M. Todd Hall.
Contributors:
Michael R. Weed
R. Mark Shipp
Jeffrey Peterson
Eddie Sharp
Allan J. McNicol
M. Todd Hall
Stanley G. Reid
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Available for purchase at our online store.
Preparing for the Lord's Supper: Nourishing Spiritual Life through the Lord's Meal, by Allan J. McNicol.
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The Lord's Supper is at the heart of Christian worship and provides spiritual fuel for Christians. This timely book by Allan J. McNicol provides helpful reflections for Christians who desire to more deeply understand and experience the Lord's Supper.
Includes discussion questions for reflection.
Written by Allan J. McNicol. Foreword by Everett Ferguson.
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Available for purchase at our online store.
Preparing for Baptism: Becoming Part of the story of the People of God, by Allan J. McNicol.
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For almost twenty centuries, believers in Jesus have been taught that their obedient response to Jesus' call comes to a climax in dying and rising with Christ in the waters of baptism. There are few occasions in life that we remember all of our days. Our baptism is one of them. Thus it makes good sense that we prepare ourselves appropriately for baptism. This book is designed to prepare one to be immersed into the death of Jesus.
An excelllent resource that has been used by many Christians over the years to prepare friends and loved ones for baptism.
Includes discussion questions for reflection.
Written by Allan J. McNicol.
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Available for purchase at our online store.
Additional Books by the CCS Team
Ethics Beyond Rules: How Christ's Call to Love Informs Our Moral Choices, Keith D. Stanglin.
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How should Christians live? How should they approach today's difficult moral questions? In Ethics beyond Rules, Keith Stanglin answers those questions with: What does love require?
Ethics beyond Rules is a clear and accessible introduction for thoughtful Christians who want to lead moral lives. Stanglin's easy-to-understand Christian ethical system doesn't have a long list of rules to follow but instead bases moral decision-making on love. This resource does not attempt to answer every ethical question and social issue present in today's culture but provides a model to use when reasoning through concrete issues, including:
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abortion
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sexual ethics
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consumerism
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technology
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politics
Stanglin's love-based framework for moral decision-making engages Scripture and the historic Christian faith, giving Christians the tools to consider the ethical problems of today and the foundation to confront new issues in the years to come.
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Available for purchase from Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, and other retailers.
The Letter and Spirit of Biblical Interpretation: From the Early Church to Modern Practice, Keith D. Stanglin.
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For the better part of fifteen centuries, Christians read Scripture on two complementary levels--the literal and the spiritual--and their interpretation was regulated by the common doctrine passed down in the rule of faith. In the modern period, a gradual but significant shift occurred in Bible reading. The spiritual sense became marginalized in favor of the literal sense, which came to be equated with human authorial intent. Doctrinal traditions were barred from consideration, and the Bible came to be read and interpreted like any other book.
This brief, accessible introduction to the history of biblical interpretation examines key turning points and figures and explains the principles behind the often confusing biblical interpretations of the early church. The author, an expert on biblical interpretation and church history, examines the assumptions behind premodern exegesis that were obscured in the modern era, arguing for a recovery of the premodern spiritual habits of reading Scripture. This work will be useful as a supplementary textbook for courses in interpretation and church history.
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Available for purchase from Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, and other retailers.
The Center for Christian Studies publishes a variety of books for use in educating the church. We provide books designed to help parents and churches bring people to the faith, as well as educate and equip Christians for faithful lives of service in the Kingdom of God.
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See our online store for more, and check back regularly as we are always adding to our inventory!