Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year
Overview
Discover ancient rhythms for a new spiritual awakening!
God's people have always celebrated his work by retelling the stories of his mighty deeds of salvation. In a time when the church's memory sometimes seems short, many are rediscovering the value of using the Christian year to pattern our celebrations around the essential truths of the faith.
In Ancient-Future Time, Robert Webber draws from this church tradition by introducing and exploring biblical themes and liturgical traditions for each season of the Christian calendar. Helpful charts, prayers, reflection questions, and resource lists are provided for those planning church worship or seeking old, yet new, paths to spiritual growth through a deeper understanding of the Christian year.
Save more when you get this book as part of the Robert Webber Ancient-Future Collection (4 Vols.)!
Top Highlights
“Advent is a time when we ask, even plead with God not to leave us alone, for when God leaves us to our own choices and turns us over to our own ways, we are certain to drift from him.” (Page 43)
“Christian-year spirituality is nothing less than the calling to enter by faith into the incarnation, the life and ministry, the death and resurrection of Jesus.” (Page 26)
“We are now called to live in the pattern of his death and resurrection. And it is Christian-year spirituality that helps us live in our baptism, for it is ultimately an ordering of our lives into the pattern of dying to sin and being raised to the new life in Christ.” (Page 21)
“But through Isaiah God began to stir up the waters to renew Israel and bring the hope of new life. During Advent we turn to Isaiah to hear how God can stir up the waters of our dead spirituality and refresh us with a new spring of clear and lively water of life.” (Page 39)
“When we meet God and confess our sin, God forgives us and restores us. Here is the rhythm of the gathering in worship—the procession brings us into the very presence of God. We praise God in his transcendence, we confess our guilt, and then we hear the words of forgiveness. Then, and only then, are we ready to hear God speak to us in the service of the Word.” (Page 40)
The rhythm of Christian-year spirituality is part of the heritage of liturgical wisdom that Robert Webber has long been relaying to evangelicals enthusiastically and with flair. The layout of it here is the spiritual equivalent of a combined course of antibiotics and vitamins; both pastors and people who take the course will benefit greatly.
—J. I. Packer, professor of theology, Regent College
In an age that says, 'time is money,' Robert Webber says, 'time is spirituality.' Webber reminds us of the many old truths about the Christian year, which if followed, can become a countercultural witness and a very practical means of drawing closer to Jesus Christ.
—Mark Galli, managing editor, Christianity Today
- Title: Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year
- Author: Robert Webber
- Publisher: Baker
- Publication Date: 2004
- Pages: 208
Robert Webber (1933–2007) was known for his work on worship and the early church. The son of a Baptist minister, Webber was raised in the Belgian Congo where his parents were missionaries. He studied at Bob Jones University, Reformed Episcopal Seminary, Covenant Theological Seminary, and Concordia Seminary.
Webber taught theology at Wheaton College for 32 years and was the Myers Professor of Ministry at Northern Seminary. In 1998, as a part of the Convergence Movement, Webber founded The Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies school which focused exclusively on worship education.
Later in his life, Webber took a special interest in Christian worship practice and wrote and edited more than 40 books on this topic including the Ancient-Future series and The Complete Library of Christian Worship.
