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Dear England
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On Priesthood
Messenger, sentinel, steward ... these three words have been used to describe the work of a priest in the Church of England since Cranmer wrote the original ordination rite in 1550. Two more, servant and shepherd, were added in 1980. Taken together, these five metaphors provide a rich and resonant set of ideas through which to explore the nature of Christian ministry. In this short, lyrical book, Bishop Stephen Cottrell explores each one; based on actual addresses given to ordinands on the night before their ordination, it is refreshing, challenging and accessible. Anyone considering ordination or already in ministry will want to read this book for the fascinating exploration of the five metaphors he considers.
Let It Slow
Christmas is one of the most joyful times of year, and it can also be one of the most stressful. It comes laden with expectations and, for many, overshadowed by difficult memories and emotions. If every other day of the year has us running in different directions, driven by the bleeping demands of our phones and devices, Christmas makes us run faster still. This understanding and uplifting book offers another way to approach Christmas and to discover how its joys and promises can restore our lives, not add to their burdens. You are invited to take a few minutes each day during December to join in a conversation with the bestselling author, Stephen Cottrell, who offers simple reflections and practical suggestions for making your Christmas the celebration it is meant to be. Previously published as Do Nothing Christmas is Coming.
The Nail
Imagine you hold in your hands one of the nails used to crucify Christ. Do you accept responsibility for your part in his death, or do you blame another? The Nail makes you part of the Passion. Moving, first-person accounts from eye-witnesses and active participants place you right in heart of events leading to the crucifixion and beyond. Each account can be used as a personal reflection, a focus for group discussion, sermon base or even performed as a monologue. As each witness tells their story they give their excuse for passing responsibility for the crucifixion nails to another who then takes up the story. With the relevant Bible text included, each account concludes with a prayer of confession that lays bare our own hearts as well as those of the Bible witnesses. The final chapter raises the all-important, life-changing question for 'The Nail' characters and for us: 'will you let Jesus forgive you? Helpful guidelines give you practical suggestions for using 'The Nail' as a new and thought-provoking group study or inclusion in a Good Friday liturgy.
Christ in the Wilderness
'[Cottrell’s] love of the work of the artist Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) has relentlessly deepened over 20 years, and he expresses it here with a spiritual breathlessness that is infectious and transformative.' MARK OAKLEY, CHURCH TIMES In this devotional book, Stephen Cottrell reflects on five paintings from Stanley Spencer's Christ in the Wilderness series. These paintings give us startling insight into Jesus' own vocation and self-understanding of his ministry. They show his great love for the earth, for the whole created order and for all creatures within it. For Christians, the wilderness is a place of discovery. By dwelling in the wilderness of these beautiful and provocative paintings, Stephen Cottrell encourages us to refine our own discipleship and learn again what it means to follow Christ. This book is excellent reading for Lent but can be enjoyed at any time of year. It includes full-colour illustrations, making it a lovely gift book.
Striking Out
On a September morning, Bishop Stephen Cottrell said mass in his chapel, kissed his wife goodbye, stepped out of his front door and walked two miles to the nearest station. It was the start of a 700 kilometre pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Choosing the least travelled route across northern Spain, he craved the solitude of the road and felt the small vulnerabilities of not knowing what each day would bring - where meals or a bed would be found - would be beneficial. As a busy diocesan bishop, he looked forward not so much to arriving at the great destination, but to what the journey itself would reveal to him. This is a spiritual diary of that journey, comprising reflections, prayer poems and evocative images from the road and poetry which Stephen Cottrell has written for many years. Arranged in four sections, each with seven paired reflections and poems, the shape of the book echoes the rhythm of walking and is an intimate and honest account of the profound effect of the age-old tradition of going on pilgrimage.
The Things He Carried
Stephen Cottrell brings home, vividly and poignantly, the physical reality of the passion story. The narrative of Holy Week is powerful and painful, and because we know how the story ends it's easy to gloss over the difficult details, and stay in the comfort zone of our understanding. The Things He Carried is a book to stimulate thought, provoke discussion and create space for contemplation. 'In order to understand the cross you need to stand under it . . . with the imagination as well as the mind... This book aims to help in that process... But however you use it – on your own or with others - I hope you will receive some small appreciation of just how much the cross weighs, and maybe even pick it up yourself.' From the Introduction
Hit the Ground Kneeling
When someone hits the ground running, there is all the superficial attraction of movement and progress. But there is no guarantee that they are going in the right direction.’ In Hit The Ground Kneeling, Stephen Cottrell takes common statements about leadership – statements that we often take for granted – and challenges them in the light of the Christian faith and Christian perspectives on leadership. Wherever you exercise leadership (at work, organizing a home, or doing something like coaching a local football team), the author playfully suggests some models of leadership that can help you – whether or not you reckon you’re a Christian.
The Things He Did
Meditations on the story of Holy Week and the things Jesus did, from his entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday until his arrest on Maunday Thursday. One extraordinary week. Jesus rides a colt into Jerusalem. He shows righteous rage in the temple. He eats with the wrong sort of people. He lets a woman anoint him with oil. He washes his disciples' feet. He breaks bread and shares wine. He prays passionately in the garden. He allows himself to be arrested. Jesus stands in the prophetic tradition of those who embody what they teach. The things he did were carefully planned. And in this riveting book, Stephen Cottrell draws out their political and religious significance as Jesus moves towards his greatest and final act - his death and resurrection.
P is for Pilgrim
As you explore the Christian faith, you will soon encounter some challenging words: Trinity, Sacrament, Reconciliation, Sin, Incarnation, even the word 'Christ' itself. It isn't Jesus's surname! It is a title with a meaning and history. Sooner, or later, these words, and the ideas behind them, must be addressed and understood. It is simply not possible to be a Christian without understanding sin and forgiveness, knowing what a sacrament is, or accepting Jesus as the Christ. This book is here to help. It explores and explains many of the key concepts and ideas that underpin the Christian faith. "I had assumed that someone else had already written a book like this. It seemed such an obvious thing to do. But while I could find weighty tomes on the topics explored here, I couldn't find a book which covered all these things in ways that were accessible, comprehensive and friendly: a simple book about complex things, one which just about anyone could read and find helpful. So, I wrote one." - Archbishop Stephen Cottrell
