Books published by CSS Publishing Company

Four youth, rehearsing a church Christmas play, are perplexed about why everyone appears so busy at Christmas. Through a series of events, the youth learn, to their surprise, that the real meaning of Christmas is God's gift of Jesus. Highlights of this drama: • Easy-to-rehearse • Simple, yet powerful message • Parts for four youths, up to ten young children and two adults • Five original songs for young singers • Complete order of worship provided • Performance time from 35 to 45 minutes Phyllis Futer is a free-lance writer and member of the Leola United Methodist Church, Leola, Pennsylvania. Her special interest is youth and children's ministry. With the assistance of church musician, Lorraine Gernert, she worked with a children's choir in creating this resource.

The issue of Jesus' self-consciousness remains at the forefront of New Testament studies. In this book, Bernard Cooke exhibits courage and tenacity as he reconstructs, with full acceptance of historical criticism, the religious self-consciousness of Jesus and Jesus' awareness of the divine.Cooke focuses on the term "Abba" as descriptive of Jesus' relationship to the divine, considering it within the context of the Jewishness of Jesus' experience, Jesus' masculinity. Jesus' consciousness of being "eschatological prophet," and Jesus' awareness of healing by the power of God's Spirit. A concluding chapter deals with the question of what can reliably be said about the religious experience of Jesus.Bernard J. Cooke is Professor of Theology at the college of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, and the author of Ministry to Word and Sacrament and The Distancing of God: The Ambiguity of Symbol in History and Theology.

The Revised Common Lectionary is not just to provide a guide to scripture reading during the church year. It can help shape the entirety of our worship. The themes for each Sunday service, as created by the lectionary, can be further explored and appreciated through Reed's poetic prayers and responsories, as well as through musical selection suggestions. By involving all of the senses in worship, congregations can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the various themes highlighted in the lectionary, themes such as grace, mercy, justice, and others.Lectionary Worship Aids allows ministers and worship leaders to tie the entire worship experience together for their congregations. Reed's insights will prove invaluable in leading congregations into the presence of God not only on Sunday but also on holidays and other special occasions.Topics covered in this resource include:• Calls to Worship• Suggested Hymns• Collects for the Day• Prayers of ConfessionGeorge Reed, OSL has served as a minister in the United Methodist church for over thirty years. He holds degrees from Wright State University and United Theological Seminary, both located in Dayton, Ohio. He has also taken graduate studies at the Institute of Formative Spirituality at Duquesne University. After ministering in various UMC churches in Ohio, Reed is now serving as an interim pastor at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Bellevue, Ohio. He is a contributor to The Immediate Word, which is part of the online pastoral resource SermonSuite (www.sermonsuite.com) as well as the Sermons on the Gospel Readings series. Reed and his wife have three grown children.