Religion & Spirituality Books - Page 12

The 1979 Book of Common Prayer, Reader's Edition

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

With all my heart, and mind, and strength... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 5 people found this review helpful.

The Book of Common Prayer (1979) is the latest, complete BCP used by the American branch of the Anglicans, the Episcopal church. There have been many books that have had the title 'Book of Common Prayer' since the first one appeared in 1549; it has been used continuously in one edition or another in the Anglican tradition since 1559; the 'main' edition remains the 1662 edition. The American church modified the Book of Common Prayer for its own use beginning shortly after the Revolutionary War -- this book is the successor of a long and worthy tradition.

A bishop in the Episcopal church once said to me, 'We don't have a theology that we have to believe -- what we have is the prayerbook.' Please forgive the absence of context for this phrase -- while he would say that this statement in isolation is an exaggeration, and I would agree, nonetheless his statement serves to highlight both the importance of and the strength of the Book of Common Prayer.

To be an Anglican (in the United States, read Episcopalian for the same in the context of this article), one does not have to subscribe to any particular systematic theological framework. One does not have to practice a particular brand of liturgical style. One does not have to have an approved politico-theological viewpoint. One can be a conservative, liberal or moderate; one can be high church, low church, or broad; one can be charismatic, evangelical, or mainline traditional -- one can be any number of things in a rich diversity of choices, and the Book of Common Prayer can still be the book upon which spirituality and worship is centred.

The Book of Common Prayer is not, in fact, a book that changed my life. It is a book that changes my life. Even though it is not the primary book of my own church, it continues to provide for spiritual insight and development; it continues to guide my worship and my theology. It continues to help me grow. The words are part of a liturgy now shared by Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and other liturgical churches, in different combination and priority.

Gerry Janzen, an Anglican professor at my seminary, said to me recently as we were lunching and having a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation (in a unique way that only Gerry Janzen is capable of doing) that he strives for that kind of memory and understanding that is so complete that one forgets what one has learned. He recounted to me his experience of working with his book on Job -- he had done a lot of research, development of ideas, writing, and organisation, and then set it aside for a time. When he picked up the topic later, he decided to begin by writing, and then go back to the research, other notes and writings he had done earlier. He was surprised to see, in comparing the work, that he had in fact duplicated much of the material -- he had internalised the information, incorporated it so well into his thinking and being, that it came forward without effort. It is this kind of relationship I feel I have developed with the Book of Common Prayer.

To be sure, there are pages of information that I don't know. I haven't memorised the historical documents; I still consult the calendars; I haven't learned all of the collects by heart. But it has become a part of me. When was asked to put together a liturgy for a houseblessing for Episcopalian friends, there were rooms that called for collects that had not been written -- I wrote new collects and inserted them into the liturgy.

'Can you do that?' the householder asked, worried about the flow and the approval of the priest doing the blessing.

'I trust Kurt to write collects -- his probably belong in the BCP,' the priest said in response, and I appreciated her vote of confidence. That was perhaps the first confirmation to me of this sense of incorporation of the book into my life.

From his first edition, Cranmer distinguished in his terminology the words minister and priest, and the two should not be viewed as interchangeable. A priest is a minister, but a minister need not be a priest. This become part of the early development of the idea of all people being ministers to each other, which is also a concept that has varying acceptance and fulfillment in actual practice over the history of Anglicanism.

One of my favourite prayers derives from this book, part of the English prayer book from the very first one in 1549:

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication unto thee, and hast promised through thy well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his name, thou wilt be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be best for us, granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come, life everlasting. Amen.

This prayer, like many things in the BCP, has moved to a new location from the first edition, but nonetheless the spirit of the BCP shows a circuitous but continuous development from this first English Prayer Book to the current varieties. Likewise, other denominations have gleaned insights, prayers and structures from this and other versions of the BCP.

The current Book of Common Prayer is not copyrighted material. The purpose for leaving the BCP out of copyright is to permit free and easy duplication and incorporation into worship materials; however, it also serves the purpose (deliberately intended) of permitting people, Anglicans or not, to use portions of the BCP as inspiration and material for their own worship. The Book of Common Prayer is an Anglican gift to the world.

Editorial Review:

The handsome Reader's Edition features a large, easy-to-read typeface that is perfect for use in public worship settings or for people with vision difficulties. Makes a great pew prayer book. Red imitation leather, gold cross, gold page edges, 3 ribbon markers, gift box.

Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard Bible, Celtic Olive, Personal size

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent Bible, and very nicely made edition 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I have been collecting many translations of the Bible, mostly so I can follow along with whatever version the preacher on the podcast I am then listening to is using. None of these preachers use the Holman Christian Standard Bible. I found it on my own, looked through it, and was very impressed by it. I quickly realized that this beautifully produced olive one with the soft leather cover and celtic design was the nicest pocket-sized Bible I had ever seen. The translation itself is a total delight. The editors used a practical approach they call "optimal equivalence" that just makes sense. That is, let's keep it literal when we can, but use a more dynamic approach when the literal meaning does not translate well into English. The result is a Bible with a language that is readable, yet still flows with a majesty that is appropriate for the greatest of all books. It is VERY well written, and I find myself drawn into OT stories like I have not been in the RSV or KJV. The BIble is filled with well-placed and formatted footnotes, providing literal translations where they were not used. I don't think I have seen a Bible that is, on the one hand, so carefully done, and on the other, so spirit infused and well produced. And, at $17.99, it is a great price for an exceptionally useful Bible.

Breakfast With Billy Graham: 120 Daily Readings (Walker Large Print Books)

Bill Deckard, Billy Graham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Morning Coffee Reading 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I love this book! I am learning more about Jesus and what it means to be His diciple by reading this book from Billy Graham. I enjoy how Rev. Graham describes how people feel in their lives and helps them relate it to God.

Large Print Needed 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have to buy the large print for my 90 year old mother. She loves anything by Billy Graham and she has enjoyed this book that I bought for her for Christmas.

Great way to start the day! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

4 months of short daily readings taken from Billy Graham's sermons. I have enjoyed it.

Breakfast with Billy 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As always, Billy Graham is wonderful with words. When I read his books, I can hear his voice...it's like he's reading to me. I've never read a book by him that I did't love!

A great way to start the day! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I keep this little booklet on the kitchen table where we eat breakfast. As soon as I assemble my breakfast and before I do anything else, I open this book and read that day's devotional. The readings are usually just a paragraph or two, but they are so uplifting! It gets my mind in a good place to start the day and helps me feel good about starting the day! I love the way Rev. Graham interweaves personal stories with scripture. This is a wonderful book for everyone - even those new to the faith! In fact, I plan on giving a few copies of this book to those who aren't in the faith yet. I feel that everyone needs a lift in the morning and, who knows, maybe it'll open a few hearts and minds to our Father.

Editorial Review:

Presents one-hundred-and-twenty selections from the preacher's sermons printed in Decision magazine, covering his thoughts on practically every aspect of life and spirituality. (Religion & Inspiration).

Torah/Large-Print Edition

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Easy reading for the lay person 5 out of 5 stars.
23 of 25 people found this review helpful.

I'm not a Bible scholar, so I'm basing my review on ease of use for the lay person.

This Torah was written to be very easy to read. The font is easy on the eyes, and there are plenty of footnotes.

I liked how the Preface explained the history of how this version came to be, and also the guide to using the footnotes.

This review is based on the paperback version. That version is very thick (1.5" - my pockets are not quite that big for this pocketbook version!), so I later bought the hardcover edition for easy reading while doing something with my hands, like eating.

Just Right 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This translation is one of the best. I like the size of the Pocket Edition because it is convenient for travelling.

Paperback Torah 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a great little book when you need just an English translation of the Torah.

A way to learn of others befiefs 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I was raised a Presbyterian and studied Buddhism for most of my adult life. I have always been interested in others beliefs and I was not disappointed. The book is a modern translation without losing its meaning. Easily readable for today.

Editorial Review:

A large print edition with every word clear and readable.

KJ3 Literal Translation New Testament

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This is what the King James Version was meant to be, an exact word-for-word translation of the Hebrew and Greek texts. This title indicates that this new Bible is an exact literal, word-for-word translation of the Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Greek Received Text (Textus Receptus), the main texts used by the Authorised/King James Version translators. Certainly you will want to know all the truths that God has written in the original Hebrew and Greek languages, for it is truth that has the power to set you free: "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32) The difference between the KJ3 Bible and all other English versions ever created in the past is this: This version contains all of God's words, as He wrote them. Note that God has commanded this several times. See Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32, Proverbs 30:6, Revelation 22:18, 19. KJ3/LITV "You shall not add onto the Word I command you, neither shall you take away from it, to keep the commandments which I have commanded you." When a version adds words to the words that God breathed out or fails to translate what God has written, and hides from the reader what they have added or subtracted from God's word, they are deceiving the reader by in effect saying, "These are the words that God wrote," when the truth is that God did not write many of the words that they have put into their Bibles. This is especially grievous in the Bibles that use "Dynamic Equivalence" as their translation methodology. Basically, "Dynamic Equivalence" is storytelling or a short commentary of what God has breathed out to us. The alleged translator reads a passage of the Bible in its native language (Greek or Hebrew), perceives or interprets the meaning, and writes in his own words what the alleged translator believes the Bible is saying. There is no effort to translate each word of the Hebrew or Greek. This new KJ3 version is the version that lovers of God and His Word can safely use with the approval of God. You and every person will be judged by ALL of the words that God has written. Add to this, that God wrote in grammatical forms (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.) Our Lord Jesus was always careful to keep the grammar of the Old Testament words He quoted in the New Testament. No other Bible version has ever strictly given the reader these grammatical forms as God has written them. The worst mistranslations: "Lord" for the divine name ("I am Jehovah, that is my name,"). God's name is mistranslated more than 6,000 times. Every nation had their lords, but only Israel had Jehovah as their God. All other countries were "the nations." In the New Testament "Gentiles" is falsely put for the "nations." "Church" is a word God never wrote: instead he called the meeting place "the assembly" both in the New and Old Testament. "The children of Israel" never existed as such, for the word, for "sons" is badly translated as "children." In many versions this occurs more than 500 times. Dead is either an adjective ("dead ones") or a verb ("to die"), (e.g. "he has died"). Also ("put to death") is from this verb, and most often translated as "cause to die". Usually, with most translations which have the same verb twice, one of the verbs will be replaced with an adverb. Only by going back to the each and every word of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts can we ever attempt to have the purest translation. This is what we have tried to do with the KJ3 Bible - Literal Translation of the Bible.

KJV Super Giant Print Dictionary & Concordance

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Editorial Review:

According to The National Eye Institute, more Americans are visually impaired than ever before, and the numbers are expected to greatly increase over the next thirty years as Baby Boomers age, and eyestrain from computer use continues to have an effect among all generations.

In this context, the KJV Super Giant Print Bible Dictionary and Concordance is unique as a Bible reference tool. The 18-point “APHont” type, created by the American Publishing House for the Blind, is designed specifically for persons who are visually impaired.

This edition features more than five thousand dictionary entries and forty thousand Scripture references based on one of the world’s most beloved and popular Bible translations.

The Senior's Devotional Bible, King James Version

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Strongest Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible Larger Print Edition, The

John R. Kohlenberger III

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Necessary item for me!! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Strongest Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible is a very necessary item for me. I can look up any word or subject I like to review, study, or meditate on, and Strongest Strong's makes it possible to do that. For those who don't know where to find certain verses in God's word...this book will definitely help you. It also has words in the Greek and Hebrew language at the end of the book. The English word is right there! This book is also easy to use with the King James Version of the bible. So cool!! Thanks Amazon.com and the authors of the Strongest Strong's!!

The Strongest Strongs 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I wouldn't buy it if I had it to do over. John R. Kohlenberger III states that Strong's dictionaries are flawed by a methodology of the nineteenth century that has become known as the root fallacy. Then he sets up two straw men using the English words 'butterfly' and 'pineapple'. But I believe that his thinking on that subject is flawed. He also dates the writings of John between 90 and 100 A.D., so that he can say that John wasn't talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. I guess if that doesn't bother you go ahead and buy the Stongest Strongs. I am not saying that he didn't make any improvements on Doctor Strong's work.
J. McGrew

Editorial Review:

Larger print edition. The most accurate and complete Strong's ever published, the only Strong's compiled and verified by computer technology, the only truly exhaustive concordance to the KJV, and includes the most up-to-date Hebrew and Greek dictionaries for precise word studies.

Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard, Burgundy, Genuine Leather, Super Giant Print Reference

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good Value 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I was looking for a good translation with large print for our grandparents. I accidently bought a HCSB translation because it was on sale and I found it to be very readable. They had a good selection of large/giant/ and SuperGiant print. I believe the font on the SuperGiant is about 18! Some bibles claim large print and are actually 9 pt., some Giant prints are 12. It is worth finding out the actual font at a local store to see the actual size and also how the print is. Then you can buy online with confidence (write down the isbn numbers to make sure it is the exact same bible as what you saw in the local store). If there is good contrast on the paper, the letters are not crammed together, and the print is dark (especially "red letters" as when these are light, it is very hard to see if your eyes are not so good). A note of interest for notetakers. Usually when you have "giant" or bigger print,the pages are somewhat thinner so you usually can see through the pages more and my guess you will need like a .005 fine marker to have a chance of not showing through.
Over all good translation, very readable, good price.

The Prayer of Jabez

Bruce H. Wilkinson

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