It is not often that the Church of Ireland has a bestseller but such was the demand for Bishop Harold Miller's guide to the Book of Common Prayer, The Desire of Our Souls, that it sold out. And such has been the continuing demand for it that a reprint has been necessary. The reprint, with an attractive new cover, has just been released and is available from The Book Well online Christian bookshop.
The book is a companion to the Book of Common Prayer 2004. In this guide, Bishop Miller leads the reader through the different services in the prayer book, especially the ones newly introduced in 2004. He enables the reader to understand something of the meaning of the liturgies, the reason why they are as they are, and the way in which they can provide the people of God with words that can deepen both public and personal devotion.
The publication also includes a series of charts laying out the structure of many of the services, and a set of questions at the end of each chapter which may be used for group discussion or personal reflection.
As was said by the publishers at the time of the first print run, “When both spirituality and understanding come together, rooted in the Bible, then the worship of the people of God will be attractive and compelling. This book may be one of the helps on the way to that goal.”
This reprint of The Desire of Our Soul is an initiative of The Book Well in conjunction with the Church of Ireland Literature Committee and the General Synod Royalties Fund. The book will appeal to general readers, churchgoers and students alike. It costs €20/£15 and is available via http://wwwthebookwell.co.uk/the-desire- of-our-soul/ or by contacting The Book Well at info@thebookwell.co.uk or 0044 (0)75811 43596 or by calling at 73 Belmont Road, Belfast BT4 2AA.
Today at 11am there will be a gathering at Powerscourt graveyard, Enniskerry, to commemorate the 1916 patriot and trade unionist Harry Nicholls. Organised by the trade union Impact, the event will include a prayer service, wreath laying ceremony and "a few words".
Tomorrow at 4pm in St Mary's cathedral, Tuam, there will be installations to the cathedral chapters of St Mary, Tuam, and St Patrick, Killala.
The Revd Stan Evans will be installed as provost of Tuam and prebendary of Lackan, and the Revd Andrea Wills will be installed as prebendary of Tagsaxon-Laccagh and prebendary of Killanley and Ardagh.
St John the Evangelist church, Sandymount, will celebrate its patronal festival of St John before the Latin Gate with Solemn Mass at 6pm when the preacher will be the Revd Andrew McCroskery, vicar of St Bartholomew's, Dublin.
The annual Pictures at the Priory exhibition will be opened in Kells Priory, Co Kilkenny, on Bank Holiday Monday and will be open on the following Wednesday and Friday from 7pm until 10pm. This is an important fund raising and outreach project for the Kells union of parishes where the rector is the Revd Martin Hilliard.
The Music in Calary 2016 series begins in Calary church, Co Wicklow, on Thursday evening when the Espositio Quartet will perform works by Hayden, Esposito and Schubert. Ticket information may be had at derekneilson@eircom.net
The Bishop of Cork will be in Cardiff on Friday where he will deliver a paper on religion and law in Ireland at a conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the Centre for Law and Religion.